Look at what Snack Girl posted today. These look great!
Carrot, Raisin Cream Cheese Bites.
I have to bring some raisins home from work and buy some cream cheese, and then these will be mine. Oh, yes.
Thinking about it, I bet this would be amazing with pumpkin (spiked with nutmeg and/or cinnamon) instead of carrots. And maybe warmed up in the toaster oven a little bit. Sounds like experimentation time... Report forthcoming.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Utterly Butterly
When I backpacked around Europe in 2004, I went to grocery stores in every country in part to buy food (duh) and in part to observe the brand names and flavor combinations in each place. There are some fascinating differences in the latter (some of which I was willing to try) and some hilarity in the former. In London, I saw some margarine named Utterly Butterly, and I thought it wasn't possible for a brand to sound more British than that. In the U.S., we have the far less dignified "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!" You might as well just add the "y'all!!" to the end and be done with it. Let's not even start a discussion of Fabio as its 90s-era pitchman. The less said the better on that one (or...the less said the butter?)
Anywho. I was hungry yesterday, and I had this sudden flashback to something we used to get for our breakfast break in middle school: cheesy bread. Now, I will resist the urge to rant about the terrible, unhealthy nature of most of what they fed us, including this favorite. It's just white toast (not whole wheat, of course), slathered in butter and covered with a healthy portion of cheese and baked. Usually the bread was so laden with grease that it turned from toast to soggy toast. Man, it was delicious.
So yesterday, I thought about cheesy bread, and I decided to try it in a healthier way. I took an Arnold's Sandwich Thin, put about a teaspoon of Brummel & Brown butter alternative (of which more in a minute), and about 1/3 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese. I stuck that in my toaster oven for about five minutes, and it turned out great. As good as I remember but healthier. I figure it was a total of about 2.5 points, which is very reasonable. I was thinking as I ate it that it would be good with garlic (see? I'm obsessed).
You could do some fresh minced garlic or garlic powder. I was at the grocery store later and bought some garlic powder for ease of use and uniform application on this item because minced garlic is harder to spread out. I was trying to decide between garlic salt and garlic powder. I chose powder because it doesn't have salt as the top ingredient as does the salt version. It's just dried, powdered garlic, which is all I want/need anyway.
You might be wondering what is up with this toast thing when I started this entry on butter, and even titled it thus. Well, the answer is that I used Brummel & Brown on my cheesy toast. This brand is made from yogurt and tastes better than margarine. I know butter is better and B&B is processed. I know I know. But I hardly ever use butter on things, so I figure it's probably okay. And it's only about 1 pt. per tablespoon, and that's really good for butter. It has some crap oils in it, but no hydrogenated ones (unless it's hiding under a fancy name in the list, which is, I suppose, entirely possible). So, if you're not too stuck on avoiding processed foods entirely, you might check it out.
Lastly, I just tried baking some of my leftover spaghetti squash with sauce and some reduced-fat mozzarella. Put it in the toaster oven for about 20-minutes. Yum. Like baked spaghetti but good for you.
Anywho. I was hungry yesterday, and I had this sudden flashback to something we used to get for our breakfast break in middle school: cheesy bread. Now, I will resist the urge to rant about the terrible, unhealthy nature of most of what they fed us, including this favorite. It's just white toast (not whole wheat, of course), slathered in butter and covered with a healthy portion of cheese and baked. Usually the bread was so laden with grease that it turned from toast to soggy toast. Man, it was delicious.
So yesterday, I thought about cheesy bread, and I decided to try it in a healthier way. I took an Arnold's Sandwich Thin, put about a teaspoon of Brummel & Brown butter alternative (of which more in a minute), and about 1/3 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese. I stuck that in my toaster oven for about five minutes, and it turned out great. As good as I remember but healthier. I figure it was a total of about 2.5 points, which is very reasonable. I was thinking as I ate it that it would be good with garlic (see? I'm obsessed).
You could do some fresh minced garlic or garlic powder. I was at the grocery store later and bought some garlic powder for ease of use and uniform application on this item because minced garlic is harder to spread out. I was trying to decide between garlic salt and garlic powder. I chose powder because it doesn't have salt as the top ingredient as does the salt version. It's just dried, powdered garlic, which is all I want/need anyway.
You might be wondering what is up with this toast thing when I started this entry on butter, and even titled it thus. Well, the answer is that I used Brummel & Brown on my cheesy toast. This brand is made from yogurt and tastes better than margarine. I know butter is better and B&B is processed. I know I know. But I hardly ever use butter on things, so I figure it's probably okay. And it's only about 1 pt. per tablespoon, and that's really good for butter. It has some crap oils in it, but no hydrogenated ones (unless it's hiding under a fancy name in the list, which is, I suppose, entirely possible). So, if you're not too stuck on avoiding processed foods entirely, you might check it out.
Lastly, I just tried baking some of my leftover spaghetti squash with sauce and some reduced-fat mozzarella. Put it in the toaster oven for about 20-minutes. Yum. Like baked spaghetti but good for you.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Holy Guacamole!
Lunchtime. I'm hungry. I'm looking through my fridge. I open the fruit drawer and there is that avocado I bought awhile back. I touch it...it feels a liiiiiiittle bit too soft. What's a girl to do when life hands her an almost overripe avocado? She makes guacamole for lunch.
Avocado and guacamole get a bit of a bum rap because they are fatty. But dudes and dudettes, they are SOOO worth it, and besides it's almost all unsaturated fat, which is actually good for you (in moderation, natch). These things are loaded with fiber, have pretty great levels of vitamin C (no colds for you when you eat an avocado), and a better-than-nothing amount of protein (esp. good for those, like me, who eat limited amounts of meat). And they are freaktastically delicious. You can eat them plain on sandwiches or with eggs or what have you, but my true love is guacamole, which you can spike with healthy vegetables to get in the servings you need everyday. Here's how I make it.
One small, sliced up hass avocado (I don't enjoy leftover guac as much as fresh, so I'd rather buy a small one for one serving than a big one for two...but you do whatever you want), about 1/3 of a green bell pepper (my go-to vegetable), a couple slices of onion (both onion and pepper chopped up, of course), a jalepeño (sometimes I get a little too carried away here) or some hot sauce of your choosing, a clove of garlic, and a splash (I dunno...a tablespoon or two) of lime juice. All of that sits in the bowl, and then I take a fork and the sharp knife I used to chop the veg and mix mix mix. The knife helps to further mash up the avocado until it all takes on a relatively creamy consistency. You can also add tomatoes, but I'm only now learning to like those, so I haven't made that addition yet. You could also add salt, but I figure I don't want to add it unless I think taste demands it, and guac just doesn't demand it, IMO.
And that's it! Why buy it in a container when it's that easy to make at home? It's like five minutes work. That's it.
Then I heat up a whole-wheat tortilla in the microwave for two minutes, then let it cool a bit. Finally, break and dip. I'm just now thinking if I made it the night before I could easily take it for lunch. Like I said, I prefer it fresh, but it's not that I don't like it at all the next day. Hm. Might have to try that.
When I end up having some leftover for whatever reason, I eat it the next day in a breakfast burrito. Whole-wheat tortilla, either fried or scrambled egg(s), and the guac. Rolled up into full-on deliciousness.
I find guacamole to be really really filling as well as tasty and good for you. So there's another idea to make you healthy and skinnay.
P.S. Make sure you wash those hands *really* well after the jalepeño slicing. I just itched my eye and realized I didn't wash enough. Frickity frick!!! The pain!
Avocado and guacamole get a bit of a bum rap because they are fatty. But dudes and dudettes, they are SOOO worth it, and besides it's almost all unsaturated fat, which is actually good for you (in moderation, natch). These things are loaded with fiber, have pretty great levels of vitamin C (no colds for you when you eat an avocado), and a better-than-nothing amount of protein (esp. good for those, like me, who eat limited amounts of meat). And they are freaktastically delicious. You can eat them plain on sandwiches or with eggs or what have you, but my true love is guacamole, which you can spike with healthy vegetables to get in the servings you need everyday. Here's how I make it.
One small, sliced up hass avocado (I don't enjoy leftover guac as much as fresh, so I'd rather buy a small one for one serving than a big one for two...but you do whatever you want), about 1/3 of a green bell pepper (my go-to vegetable), a couple slices of onion (both onion and pepper chopped up, of course), a jalepeño (sometimes I get a little too carried away here) or some hot sauce of your choosing, a clove of garlic, and a splash (I dunno...a tablespoon or two) of lime juice. All of that sits in the bowl, and then I take a fork and the sharp knife I used to chop the veg and mix mix mix. The knife helps to further mash up the avocado until it all takes on a relatively creamy consistency. You can also add tomatoes, but I'm only now learning to like those, so I haven't made that addition yet. You could also add salt, but I figure I don't want to add it unless I think taste demands it, and guac just doesn't demand it, IMO.
And that's it! Why buy it in a container when it's that easy to make at home? It's like five minutes work. That's it.
Then I heat up a whole-wheat tortilla in the microwave for two minutes, then let it cool a bit. Finally, break and dip. I'm just now thinking if I made it the night before I could easily take it for lunch. Like I said, I prefer it fresh, but it's not that I don't like it at all the next day. Hm. Might have to try that.
When I end up having some leftover for whatever reason, I eat it the next day in a breakfast burrito. Whole-wheat tortilla, either fried or scrambled egg(s), and the guac. Rolled up into full-on deliciousness.
I find guacamole to be really really filling as well as tasty and good for you. So there's another idea to make you healthy and skinnay.
P.S. Make sure you wash those hands *really* well after the jalepeño slicing. I just itched my eye and realized I didn't wash enough. Frickity frick!!! The pain!
Stir-Fry Magic
Last night, I got some of that broccoli slaw that Hungry Girl mentioned in that link I posted last week. I wasn't sure exactly what I'd do, so I just went with a stir fry. Here's what I did.
I used half the bag of slaw (would use less in future, though, unless I want leftovers), added some fresh broccoli, some fresh spinach, and some green peppers and onion. Put in a little garlic and vegetable broth (again, I used too much, but I just splashed some in. Next time I'll measure about 1/2 cup and then add more if needed).
Then, most importantly, I added some garam masala powder. I hadn't had it before, but when I was in Ireland this summer, my roommate and colleague, who is from India, made a stir fry with this seasoning and I fell in love with it. It's so flavorful, but not in an overly spicy way. Just really good. I highly recommend you try it for a new and fun flavor if you don't already know about it.
Other stir fry seasonings I've used include green curry paste with lite coconut milk (there's a great recipe on the Thai Kitchen coconut milk can), simple teriyaki sauce, and kung pao seasoning. Just mess around. Go to the Asian food aisle at your grocery or to the Asian grocery if you have one nearby, and try something new!
Anyway, I cooked that on low while my brown rice cooked. It was great, but I stupidly decided to add some of that chile pepper paste that I love. I added too much and made my whole chest hurt. Oh, well. It was awesome.
Of course, you could make this with the slaw or just a bag of frozen stir fry veggies. A big serving has just a point or two, and brown rice is 3pts per 1/4 cup dry rice. That's how much I made, but with all the vegetables, I couldn't eat it all. So now I have leftover to eat with more vegetables.
So this isn't earth-shattering information, but I just wanted to mention the fun of experimenting with spices and sauces to make vegetables more appealing if they aren't generally your bag.
I used half the bag of slaw (would use less in future, though, unless I want leftovers), added some fresh broccoli, some fresh spinach, and some green peppers and onion. Put in a little garlic and vegetable broth (again, I used too much, but I just splashed some in. Next time I'll measure about 1/2 cup and then add more if needed).
Then, most importantly, I added some garam masala powder. I hadn't had it before, but when I was in Ireland this summer, my roommate and colleague, who is from India, made a stir fry with this seasoning and I fell in love with it. It's so flavorful, but not in an overly spicy way. Just really good. I highly recommend you try it for a new and fun flavor if you don't already know about it.
Other stir fry seasonings I've used include green curry paste with lite coconut milk (there's a great recipe on the Thai Kitchen coconut milk can), simple teriyaki sauce, and kung pao seasoning. Just mess around. Go to the Asian food aisle at your grocery or to the Asian grocery if you have one nearby, and try something new!
Anyway, I cooked that on low while my brown rice cooked. It was great, but I stupidly decided to add some of that chile pepper paste that I love. I added too much and made my whole chest hurt. Oh, well. It was awesome.
Of course, you could make this with the slaw or just a bag of frozen stir fry veggies. A big serving has just a point or two, and brown rice is 3pts per 1/4 cup dry rice. That's how much I made, but with all the vegetables, I couldn't eat it all. So now I have leftover to eat with more vegetables.
So this isn't earth-shattering information, but I just wanted to mention the fun of experimenting with spices and sauces to make vegetables more appealing if they aren't generally your bag.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Measure for Measure
While I've been cooking the past few weeks, I've been paying attention to what I use the most to keep my diet in check. Here's a list of great tools, some of which I own and some that have been recommended by others.
1) Food Scale. I asked for one of these for Christmas, and my mom bought me the Weight Watchers one. It's lovely and calculates points for me (you enter in food names and it does the rest). However, stores have all kinds of good choices. The one thing I would look for when shopping is one that allows you to zero out the weight of the serving dish you're measuring in. That way, you don't have to factor that in AND you can zero out for each ingredient. So I zero out with my bowl, add yogurt, zero out, add fruit, zero out, add granola. That way you know each ingredient is measured on its own, which leads to more accuracy and no chance for math mistakes (or am I the only one who sucks at math?).
The truth is my eyeballs were in cahoots with my stomach to make me wildly overestimate portion sizes. I was eating double of most everything--while figuring calories of single portions. Not cool. Even now! Sometimes I pull out what I think will be a single serving and then I weigh that amount. I'm almost always wrong, and not in the healthy direction. For some foods, it's not a huge difference if you're off a little (e.g., vegetables), but other times, oh boy. Cheese, for example, makes a HUGE calorie difference. Now with my scale, I know exactly what I'm getting.
2) Measuring cups/spoons. Of course, these are also nice staples for cooking/baking with recipes. But for me, these are always (ALWAYS) second preference to my food scale. If you look at the nutrition labels, they list both volume (cups, or tablespoons) and weight (usually in grams) for serving sizes. Sometimes things are hard to measure by cups, but you can always be spot on with weight (assuming you have that food scale).
That said, measuring cups are a useful tool for making sure you're not overdoing it when serving already prepared food. You can even get ladles that are different cup sizes to help you portion out from a dish. Weight Watchers makes a set, but you can find them at kitchen stores, too.
Similarly, there are portion-controlled bowls out there that you can use to eat from as well (fewer dishes=fabulous). I saw some the other day at delight.com that are cute. If spending lots of money isn't your thing, look closely at the disposable containers by Ziploc. They have some rudimentary measuring markers that are better than nothing.
3) Single serving containers. I use both the "permanent" and disposable kind, but these are really useful for taking stuff to work for lunch. The smaller sized ones prevent me from putting too much in, so I tend to buy those rather than the larger ones and filling less. I don't put them in the microwave, partly because they say it's not safe, but also because it tends to wear them out. I have several plates at work, so I dump stuff from my bowls to the plate and cook that way in the microwave. That's up to you, though. If you don't have plates at work, you might consider investing in glass or crockery to take with you instead of the plastic ones. It's heavier, but that just means more exercise, right? Haha.
4) This isn't really a product, and it's certainly not something I'm the first to discover, but something that's helped me with the mind-games element of eating the right amounts is using salad plates instead of dinner plates. My dinner plates are HUGE. If I put a single serving of something on it, it looks more like a snack, and then I'm grumpy. If I put it on my smaller salad plate, then I have a plateful of food, and I'm far less grumpy. The only time I use my dinner plates is when I have a big thing of vegetables or multiple items that I portioned individually. That way I have it all in one spot, but each one is under good regulation.
My bowls are also huge, so I just make sure not to eat anything in them that I haven't weighed out. I could (and have) easily served myself three or four servings of ice cream in those without even knowing it. Seeing a single serving of ice cream in a bowl like that is the definition of depressing, though.
5) A toaster oven. Now that I'm cooking a lot more, I prefer cooking without the microwave. I have nothing against microwaves, but things taste crispier and better in the oven. Being single (or at least cooking smaller amounts of things), though, I hate turning on the big oven just for a sweet potato or an English muffin pizza or whatever. So when I have small things, I just pop them into my toaster oven, and I get all the benefits of oven cooking with a lot less energy consumption. These things range hugely in price, but I can't see spending tons of money on one. I got mine as a hand-me-down from my grandma. At first I wasn't sure how much I'd use it, but now I use it more days than not. I also use that instead of a toaster for bagels and sandwich thins. It's just as fast and you can watch it easier than in a toaster. Bonus.
6) Garlic press. I like my food strongly flavored. And I really love garlic for that purpose. I put it in my vinaigrette, in my pasta sauce, in most of my stir fries, whenever I cook any vegetables in a skillet. The list goes on. I go through multiple bulbs a month (hello, good breath!). A good quality garlic press makes this into the simplest thing to do, and it's better than the minced stuff in the spice aisles because it's fresh and more pungent tasting. Yum. Trying to mince a clove of garlic with a knife is annoying and makes your hands smell like garlic. Get a garlic press and make easy work of more flavorful cooking.
7) Going along with that is a palm peeler. One time I was peeling a sweet potato with my old, conventional peeler, and I sliced the holy bejeezus out of my fingertip. (Shut up. I'm clumsy. Don't you judge me!) It was a bloodbath. I swore then and there never to use on again. Then I found one that's dummy proof. You just slide your middle finger in the holder and peel more safely because it keeps your fingers away from the blades because the plastic part is a shield from getting too close. If you're not so good with sharp objects, this is a godsend. You can also get gloves made of kevlar for kitchen use, and I've seriously considered buying some.
The overall issue here is...use your kitchen! And what's more, prepare your own food! These things make it easier to cook with real ingredients without spending too much time or money on pre-packaged foods.
If you have any other indispensable kitchen items that help you, let me know! I'll add them to the list. Happy cooking.
1) Food Scale. I asked for one of these for Christmas, and my mom bought me the Weight Watchers one. It's lovely and calculates points for me (you enter in food names and it does the rest). However, stores have all kinds of good choices. The one thing I would look for when shopping is one that allows you to zero out the weight of the serving dish you're measuring in. That way, you don't have to factor that in AND you can zero out for each ingredient. So I zero out with my bowl, add yogurt, zero out, add fruit, zero out, add granola. That way you know each ingredient is measured on its own, which leads to more accuracy and no chance for math mistakes (or am I the only one who sucks at math?).
The truth is my eyeballs were in cahoots with my stomach to make me wildly overestimate portion sizes. I was eating double of most everything--while figuring calories of single portions. Not cool. Even now! Sometimes I pull out what I think will be a single serving and then I weigh that amount. I'm almost always wrong, and not in the healthy direction. For some foods, it's not a huge difference if you're off a little (e.g., vegetables), but other times, oh boy. Cheese, for example, makes a HUGE calorie difference. Now with my scale, I know exactly what I'm getting.
2) Measuring cups/spoons. Of course, these are also nice staples for cooking/baking with recipes. But for me, these are always (ALWAYS) second preference to my food scale. If you look at the nutrition labels, they list both volume (cups, or tablespoons) and weight (usually in grams) for serving sizes. Sometimes things are hard to measure by cups, but you can always be spot on with weight (assuming you have that food scale).
That said, measuring cups are a useful tool for making sure you're not overdoing it when serving already prepared food. You can even get ladles that are different cup sizes to help you portion out from a dish. Weight Watchers makes a set, but you can find them at kitchen stores, too.
Similarly, there are portion-controlled bowls out there that you can use to eat from as well (fewer dishes=fabulous). I saw some the other day at delight.com that are cute. If spending lots of money isn't your thing, look closely at the disposable containers by Ziploc. They have some rudimentary measuring markers that are better than nothing.
3) Single serving containers. I use both the "permanent" and disposable kind, but these are really useful for taking stuff to work for lunch. The smaller sized ones prevent me from putting too much in, so I tend to buy those rather than the larger ones and filling less. I don't put them in the microwave, partly because they say it's not safe, but also because it tends to wear them out. I have several plates at work, so I dump stuff from my bowls to the plate and cook that way in the microwave. That's up to you, though. If you don't have plates at work, you might consider investing in glass or crockery to take with you instead of the plastic ones. It's heavier, but that just means more exercise, right? Haha.
4) This isn't really a product, and it's certainly not something I'm the first to discover, but something that's helped me with the mind-games element of eating the right amounts is using salad plates instead of dinner plates. My dinner plates are HUGE. If I put a single serving of something on it, it looks more like a snack, and then I'm grumpy. If I put it on my smaller salad plate, then I have a plateful of food, and I'm far less grumpy. The only time I use my dinner plates is when I have a big thing of vegetables or multiple items that I portioned individually. That way I have it all in one spot, but each one is under good regulation.
My bowls are also huge, so I just make sure not to eat anything in them that I haven't weighed out. I could (and have) easily served myself three or four servings of ice cream in those without even knowing it. Seeing a single serving of ice cream in a bowl like that is the definition of depressing, though.
5) A toaster oven. Now that I'm cooking a lot more, I prefer cooking without the microwave. I have nothing against microwaves, but things taste crispier and better in the oven. Being single (or at least cooking smaller amounts of things), though, I hate turning on the big oven just for a sweet potato or an English muffin pizza or whatever. So when I have small things, I just pop them into my toaster oven, and I get all the benefits of oven cooking with a lot less energy consumption. These things range hugely in price, but I can't see spending tons of money on one. I got mine as a hand-me-down from my grandma. At first I wasn't sure how much I'd use it, but now I use it more days than not. I also use that instead of a toaster for bagels and sandwich thins. It's just as fast and you can watch it easier than in a toaster. Bonus.
6) Garlic press. I like my food strongly flavored. And I really love garlic for that purpose. I put it in my vinaigrette, in my pasta sauce, in most of my stir fries, whenever I cook any vegetables in a skillet. The list goes on. I go through multiple bulbs a month (hello, good breath!). A good quality garlic press makes this into the simplest thing to do, and it's better than the minced stuff in the spice aisles because it's fresh and more pungent tasting. Yum. Trying to mince a clove of garlic with a knife is annoying and makes your hands smell like garlic. Get a garlic press and make easy work of more flavorful cooking.
7) Going along with that is a palm peeler. One time I was peeling a sweet potato with my old, conventional peeler, and I sliced the holy bejeezus out of my fingertip. (Shut up. I'm clumsy. Don't you judge me!) It was a bloodbath. I swore then and there never to use on again. Then I found one that's dummy proof. You just slide your middle finger in the holder and peel more safely because it keeps your fingers away from the blades because the plastic part is a shield from getting too close. If you're not so good with sharp objects, this is a godsend. You can also get gloves made of kevlar for kitchen use, and I've seriously considered buying some.
The overall issue here is...use your kitchen! And what's more, prepare your own food! These things make it easier to cook with real ingredients without spending too much time or money on pre-packaged foods.
If you have any other indispensable kitchen items that help you, let me know! I'll add them to the list. Happy cooking.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
While we're in the squash family...
Might as well make a theme of today instead of waiting to post this till tomorrow. I wanted to let y'all know (whoever y'all might be) about a new favorite of mine: spaghetti squash.
This squash (pictured...sorry it looks like the right half is barfing) is of the winter variety, so it's quite autumnal as well, but I hear you can buy it all year round. We'll see about that. I bought my first one a few weeks ago at a farmer's market, and I've seen them in the grocery stores ever since.
It's not hard to make, though it does require a little effort. I cut it in half lengthwise with a cleaver or other big knife. This part sucks sometimes because it's pretty thick-skinned. You'll have burned a few calories, though, so that's something. Once it's split in half, put it face-down on a cookie sheet (though I've heard face up works, too, so whatever you want) and cook it at 375 for about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how big it is. When it's soft when you stab it with a fork, it's done. There's some conflicting info out there on the cooking process, but this is how I've done it and it's been fine.
Once it's done, let it cool a bit so it's easier to touch when it's scraping time. When it's cool enough, take a fork and just start scraping the meat. It will automatically go all stringy like the picture, which is why it's named the way it is. This, too, is not the most fun job, but it's not hard--just kind of tedious. I usually scrape for awhile till the half is full of strands. Then I spoon it out, put it in a bowl and scrape some more.
When it's all scraped out, I eat it with spaghetti sauce (I LOVE Fra Diavolo from Newman's Own because it's nice and spicy). Now, I know some people who aren't big fans, and say it's no substitute for pasta. Well, no, frankly. I wouldn't want to eat it as a permanent replacement--I love pasta way too much--but it's a great and decently healthy choice once in awhile as an alternative. Any way to get more whole foods in is a good thing, in my book. Plus, if you've had a really high-calorie day and need to keep dinner light but substantial, spaghetti squash is a good way to eat. I ate a scone today (9pts!!!!!), so I wanted to make dinner really safe. Now I've had a fully sufficient dinner for only 4 pts (with squash, sauce and a salad). I'm still safe to have a little snack, too! :)
I refrigerate the leftovers and reheat as needed. One squash makes about four servings, and a jar of spaghetti sauce has five servings--convenient. You get one last serving to eat with pasta. Now that school is starting, I'll probably put some squash and sauce in ready-to-go containers to take to work. Easy and healthy lunch on the go! If I'm reheating at home, I usually put a serving of the squash in a sauce pan or small skillet with a little bit of vegetable broth and cook till hot.
SkinnyTaste has quite a few recipes that use it, though I've not tried any of them yet. Maybe the leftovers I have after tonight will go to something from there instead of just sauce...I'll let you know how that goes.
This squash (pictured...sorry it looks like the right half is barfing) is of the winter variety, so it's quite autumnal as well, but I hear you can buy it all year round. We'll see about that. I bought my first one a few weeks ago at a farmer's market, and I've seen them in the grocery stores ever since.
It's not hard to make, though it does require a little effort. I cut it in half lengthwise with a cleaver or other big knife. This part sucks sometimes because it's pretty thick-skinned. You'll have burned a few calories, though, so that's something. Once it's split in half, put it face-down on a cookie sheet (though I've heard face up works, too, so whatever you want) and cook it at 375 for about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how big it is. When it's soft when you stab it with a fork, it's done. There's some conflicting info out there on the cooking process, but this is how I've done it and it's been fine.
Once it's done, let it cool a bit so it's easier to touch when it's scraping time. When it's cool enough, take a fork and just start scraping the meat. It will automatically go all stringy like the picture, which is why it's named the way it is. This, too, is not the most fun job, but it's not hard--just kind of tedious. I usually scrape for awhile till the half is full of strands. Then I spoon it out, put it in a bowl and scrape some more.
When it's all scraped out, I eat it with spaghetti sauce (I LOVE Fra Diavolo from Newman's Own because it's nice and spicy). Now, I know some people who aren't big fans, and say it's no substitute for pasta. Well, no, frankly. I wouldn't want to eat it as a permanent replacement--I love pasta way too much--but it's a great and decently healthy choice once in awhile as an alternative. Any way to get more whole foods in is a good thing, in my book. Plus, if you've had a really high-calorie day and need to keep dinner light but substantial, spaghetti squash is a good way to eat. I ate a scone today (9pts!!!!!), so I wanted to make dinner really safe. Now I've had a fully sufficient dinner for only 4 pts (with squash, sauce and a salad). I'm still safe to have a little snack, too! :)
I refrigerate the leftovers and reheat as needed. One squash makes about four servings, and a jar of spaghetti sauce has five servings--convenient. You get one last serving to eat with pasta. Now that school is starting, I'll probably put some squash and sauce in ready-to-go containers to take to work. Easy and healthy lunch on the go! If I'm reheating at home, I usually put a serving of the squash in a sauce pan or small skillet with a little bit of vegetable broth and cook till hot.
SkinnyTaste has quite a few recipes that use it, though I've not tried any of them yet. Maybe the leftovers I have after tonight will go to something from there instead of just sauce...I'll let you know how that goes.
Dena Dena Pumpkin Eater... Wait. That doesn't rhyme right.
Remember a few days back when I linked to that Hungry Girl web site? And how she had stuff in there about how we should add canned pumpkin to stuff for high-fiber, low-fat goodness? Well, guess what. She was right.
Last night, I made a modified version of her pumpkin oatmeal. I made my steel-cut oats as normal, and then when they were done I added two tablespoons pumpkin (mind, it wasn't pumpkin pie filling with the junk already added--that's way less healthy), some cinnamon and ginger (didn't have nutmeg, but the ginger was great), and a tiny bit of skim milk. Ohhhhhhh. It was good. If you like pumpkin, it's definitely worth a try. I am now officially ready for fall. I even bought some local apples today at the grocery store--the first sign of autumn. Booyah.
Doing this reminded me that my friend makes chocolate cupcakes with pumpkin. She gets a devil's food cake mix, dumps in a can of pumpkin and bakes in muffin pans as per the box directions. Kind of like those black bean brownies I made last week from Skinny Taste. Each pumpkin muffin has two points, and they are rich and decadent.
Then, another friend mentioned that she gets a spice cake mix and adds the pumpkin instead of oil and eggs. Same deal as the bean and pumpkin chocolate recipes. That sounds fantastic, and I will be trying it as the temperatures change. I was thinking how great it would be to have a cream cheese frosting to go with it, and lo and behold, Skinny Taste to the rescue.
While messing about the Skinny Taste site, I also found pumpkin banana bread. Yum.
So there are a few ideas of things to try out for autumn. If you have other things you do with pumpkin, let me know. Unless it's perverted, in which case keep it to yourself.
Last night, I made a modified version of her pumpkin oatmeal. I made my steel-cut oats as normal, and then when they were done I added two tablespoons pumpkin (mind, it wasn't pumpkin pie filling with the junk already added--that's way less healthy), some cinnamon and ginger (didn't have nutmeg, but the ginger was great), and a tiny bit of skim milk. Ohhhhhhh. It was good. If you like pumpkin, it's definitely worth a try. I am now officially ready for fall. I even bought some local apples today at the grocery store--the first sign of autumn. Booyah.
Doing this reminded me that my friend makes chocolate cupcakes with pumpkin. She gets a devil's food cake mix, dumps in a can of pumpkin and bakes in muffin pans as per the box directions. Kind of like those black bean brownies I made last week from Skinny Taste. Each pumpkin muffin has two points, and they are rich and decadent.
Then, another friend mentioned that she gets a spice cake mix and adds the pumpkin instead of oil and eggs. Same deal as the bean and pumpkin chocolate recipes. That sounds fantastic, and I will be trying it as the temperatures change. I was thinking how great it would be to have a cream cheese frosting to go with it, and lo and behold, Skinny Taste to the rescue.
While messing about the Skinny Taste site, I also found pumpkin banana bread. Yum.
So there are a few ideas of things to try out for autumn. If you have other things you do with pumpkin, let me know. Unless it's perverted, in which case keep it to yourself.
Friday, August 27, 2010
The Chicken AND The Egg
This egg recall, along with the recent recall of deli meat, have come right on the heels of reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, so of course I'm primed to think of this in a more radical way than I might have otherwise. I admit that I might still be flying on post-read paranoia, but it seems to me that all of this is truly based on an agricultural system that is completely jacked up.
There's rumor that the salmonella in the half-billion bad recalled eggs came from the feed given the hens. Okay, well, if they could eat the diet they were meant to eat (grass, bugs, or whatever else they can find outside) instead of corn and soybeans that come mass produced and delivered far and wide, it seems like the risk of contamination goes down. Not to mention that the feed also apparently contains "bone meal." Do with that information what you choose. I personally find that gross, but I guess I don't know why that is so much grosser than them eating bugs. It just is to me, okay?
There's also the fact that these hens live in such tight quarters that they never walk, can't spread their wings, and have their beaks trimmed to prevent them going all cannibalistic on each other. Oh, and there's also evidence that baby chicks that are male are not needed to lay eggs, so they're often just put through a killing machine, not unlike the dude in Fargo. So that's fun. All this close living means a much easier time spreading disease in a way that more spread-out living discourages disease spread. It's no different from humans: just think of the plague.
This all was prompted by a posting on the Huffington Post I just read. It's something to consider. I know I didn't start this blog to go all animal-rights on you, but it's all tied to making the right food decisions. Each decision we make affects not just our weight and health, but also the well being of all who/that created the food. I'm not innocent of eating food from frightening sources, so I can't make any grandiose claims of moral superiority. It's just something I think about in my food choices, particularly when there are animal products involved.
There's rumor that the salmonella in the half-billion bad recalled eggs came from the feed given the hens. Okay, well, if they could eat the diet they were meant to eat (grass, bugs, or whatever else they can find outside) instead of corn and soybeans that come mass produced and delivered far and wide, it seems like the risk of contamination goes down. Not to mention that the feed also apparently contains "bone meal." Do with that information what you choose. I personally find that gross, but I guess I don't know why that is so much grosser than them eating bugs. It just is to me, okay?
There's also the fact that these hens live in such tight quarters that they never walk, can't spread their wings, and have their beaks trimmed to prevent them going all cannibalistic on each other. Oh, and there's also evidence that baby chicks that are male are not needed to lay eggs, so they're often just put through a killing machine, not unlike the dude in Fargo. So that's fun. All this close living means a much easier time spreading disease in a way that more spread-out living discourages disease spread. It's no different from humans: just think of the plague.
This all was prompted by a posting on the Huffington Post I just read. It's something to consider. I know I didn't start this blog to go all animal-rights on you, but it's all tied to making the right food decisions. Each decision we make affects not just our weight and health, but also the well being of all who/that created the food. I'm not innocent of eating food from frightening sources, so I can't make any grandiose claims of moral superiority. It's just something I think about in my food choices, particularly when there are animal products involved.
Me Food and God
I heard about the book Women Food and God from a FB friend awhile back. I put it on my "to read" list, along with about 8,000 other books. If only I could be a professional reader for a living. Anyway, I put it on my list, and then kind of forgot about it.
Then today, I was reading Snack Girl, and she mentioned how the book had been useful to her, as well. She specifically talked about how her tie to food was altered after the loss of a family member, as a result of her emotional connection to eating. Something we can all relate to...I know I have used food to assuage my depression, sadness, confusion, frustration, anger, etc etc. Since I started losing weight, I have not (thank god) faced any serious obstacle beyond moderate sadness and frustration. What happens if something happens, though?
I believe that the universe (or god or whatever) purposefully sends us important messages that we are wise to heed. Maybe hearing multiple sources discuss this book in a personal way is a sign. I think, as a form of preventive therapy, I'm going to put this book at the top of the list. As soon as I finish the book I'm currently reading, I'm going to start on this one. Maybe you'll want to check it out, too.
Then today, I was reading Snack Girl, and she mentioned how the book had been useful to her, as well. She specifically talked about how her tie to food was altered after the loss of a family member, as a result of her emotional connection to eating. Something we can all relate to...I know I have used food to assuage my depression, sadness, confusion, frustration, anger, etc etc. Since I started losing weight, I have not (thank god) faced any serious obstacle beyond moderate sadness and frustration. What happens if something happens, though?
I believe that the universe (or god or whatever) purposefully sends us important messages that we are wise to heed. Maybe hearing multiple sources discuss this book in a personal way is a sign. I think, as a form of preventive therapy, I'm going to put this book at the top of the list. As soon as I finish the book I'm currently reading, I'm going to start on this one. Maybe you'll want to check it out, too.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Temptations and Realizations
Today was an all-day meeting for my job, and of course there were all kinds of sugary snacks available all day long. Not that I mind this, in theory, but it's days like this that make me realize my will power is far from powerful. I purposefully ate a very light and healthy breakfast so that I wouldn't be so hungry and grab a giant pastry. Mission accomplished there: I just had a small piece of fruity coffee cake. I even chose the smallest piece there! Go me!
Then at lunch there was meat or veg lasagna. I was leaning toward veg because I thought it would be healthier, but it was actually that super cheesy, alfredo kind, so I went with meat...there goes me ethical meat policy, sacrificed for my own waistline. Shameful. :) I had lots of salad with it with fat-free raspberry vinaigrette (virtuous!), and only a little bit of garlic bread. Probably too much, though. Then I had a cookie for dessert. Not a huge one, but a cookie. I decided that would be it because I guessed that to be a total of about 15pts (of my daily 25...not to mention the cake earlier in the day). No matter what was on offer during the afternoon session, I wouldn't partake.
Then I saw that frosted sugar cookie. You know. That big one. With orange sprinkles. "Hmmm," I thought. "That sure does look good. I could take it and just eat half. Yes. That's perfectly acceptable." So off I went, cookie and (artificially sweetened) Diet Mt. Dew in hand. I left it sit for awhile, thinking I would wait till tea time (3pm is a family standard). But then, boy. It sure started looking good. Did I want to eat my half now? "Well, you know, Dena," I said to myself. "You could just eat a little bit. Spread it out over the afternoon." Oh, man, am I a rational so-and-so or what? *Nibble*
"Hm. That sure was good. Good thing I am pacing myself. And eating only half."
*Time lapse of five minutes.*
"Oh, one more little bite. I've earned it. Besides. I have to stay awake for the meeting."
*Five minutes*
"Gosh, this half is almost gone. Well, just eat it and be done with your half."
*Two minutes*
"You know, that cookie is going to get really crumbly in your bag. That's going to make a mess. Best just to eat it now with the coffee you just got up to get."
*Schnarf*
Followed by another (artificially sweetened) Diet Coke.
On the upside, I came home and biked for 40 minutes, and ate only a salad and veg for dinner. But wouldn't it just have been easier to behave myself? I'm not going to beat myself up about the calories because I can afford to have a little bit of an over-the-top day now and then, but I am going to have to reflect some more on my ability to make better decisions so I don't start rationalizing bad behavior every stinking time a cookie struts its sexy stuff before me.
Then at lunch there was meat or veg lasagna. I was leaning toward veg because I thought it would be healthier, but it was actually that super cheesy, alfredo kind, so I went with meat...there goes me ethical meat policy, sacrificed for my own waistline. Shameful. :) I had lots of salad with it with fat-free raspberry vinaigrette (virtuous!), and only a little bit of garlic bread. Probably too much, though. Then I had a cookie for dessert. Not a huge one, but a cookie. I decided that would be it because I guessed that to be a total of about 15pts (of my daily 25...not to mention the cake earlier in the day). No matter what was on offer during the afternoon session, I wouldn't partake.
Then I saw that frosted sugar cookie. You know. That big one. With orange sprinkles. "Hmmm," I thought. "That sure does look good. I could take it and just eat half. Yes. That's perfectly acceptable." So off I went, cookie and (artificially sweetened) Diet Mt. Dew in hand. I left it sit for awhile, thinking I would wait till tea time (3pm is a family standard). But then, boy. It sure started looking good. Did I want to eat my half now? "Well, you know, Dena," I said to myself. "You could just eat a little bit. Spread it out over the afternoon." Oh, man, am I a rational so-and-so or what? *Nibble*
"Hm. That sure was good. Good thing I am pacing myself. And eating only half."
*Time lapse of five minutes.*
"Oh, one more little bite. I've earned it. Besides. I have to stay awake for the meeting."
*Five minutes*
"Gosh, this half is almost gone. Well, just eat it and be done with your half."
*Two minutes*
"You know, that cookie is going to get really crumbly in your bag. That's going to make a mess. Best just to eat it now with the coffee you just got up to get."
*Schnarf*
Followed by another (artificially sweetened) Diet Coke.
On the upside, I came home and biked for 40 minutes, and ate only a salad and veg for dinner. But wouldn't it just have been easier to behave myself? I'm not going to beat myself up about the calories because I can afford to have a little bit of an over-the-top day now and then, but I am going to have to reflect some more on my ability to make better decisions so I don't start rationalizing bad behavior every stinking time a cookie struts its sexy stuff before me.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Yet more linkage...I'm so lazy letting everyone else do my work
Saw this on the Yahoo! front page today while Google wasn't letting me on. Grr. The link is from Hungry Girl, whom I follow pretty closely. She has good ideas here for food. I'm definitely trying the broccoli slaw and pumpkin thing.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/the-five-best-low-cal-foods-youre-not-eating-2279252/
Enjoy.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/the-five-best-low-cal-foods-youre-not-eating-2279252/
Enjoy.
Masking the Real Problem
It seems new rules are underway for restaurants. Some are required to give calorie counts for their main menu items (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129420833&sc=fb&cc=fp). While helpful in a way, I don't think this will solve anything. People know this stuff is bad for them, but they eat it anyway (as do I on occasion).
What's more, these calorie counts don't highlight just how much garbage is in these foods. The animal byproducts, the excess corn, the chemicals, etc. Though, frankly, I'm pretty sure people know vaguely about that as well, and they still eat the stuff (as do I on occasion).
One step forward does not lead to solving the real problem, but whatever. I guess it's something.
What's more, these calorie counts don't highlight just how much garbage is in these foods. The animal byproducts, the excess corn, the chemicals, etc. Though, frankly, I'm pretty sure people know vaguely about that as well, and they still eat the stuff (as do I on occasion).
One step forward does not lead to solving the real problem, but whatever. I guess it's something.
Shifting gears
This week, I'm going into my office with some regularity, indicating the end of summer is here. Oof. For those who don't know me, I'm a professor (at the #2 university in the Midwest, mind! Woohoo!), so I have summers to spend at home, working at my own pace (slow) and eating whatever I can rustle up from my fridge. I have the time to choose, cook, and eat on my own time line.
Now, however, I find myself in the old situation that most people who work outside the home find themselves in all year long. What on earth can I take for lunch that isn't overly salty, overly fatty, overly processed crap? The cost of convenience is too often unhealthy junk food. I get grumpy every morning when I have to dig through the fridge for stuff to take that won't lead me down the path to Vendoland in the basement. The land where a girl gets trapped in bad decisions and foolish justifications.
I have no real answers to this quandry, actually, but I'd love to hear from you what you do for lunches that don't break the calorie bank. How do you stay healthy with a portable meal?
There's the obvious leftovers, which I do try to keep going to some extent. When I open a new jar of pasta sauce, I make enough pasta (whole wheat, of course!) for the whole jar and keep single servings in containers that are easy to grab. But A) I don't always make meals that have leftovers, and B) when I do, I get tired of them before they run out.
I bought a cookbook at WW with slow-cooker recipes that I'll start trying in fall. There's the same problem as above, though I'm thinking of buying a small chest freezer, so I can freeze mass quantities to spread them out a bit.
I do often take some fresh vegetables with me, and sometimes I get those Green Giant frozen singles boxes and just eat those (the broccoli and white cheddar one is only three pts, so that's reasonable and tasty).
I have Boca vegetarian chicken and hamburger patties that I eat on sandwich thins. Chicken ones are 3 pts for not a lot of food, though. The burgers are a better 1pt.
I take a salad and leave a bottle of vinaigrette in my work fridge.
I have a box of high-fiber cereal on hand at all times in my office, as well as some dried fruit that keeps well (e.g., raisins, craisins, apricots). I can take with lunch some Special K crackers or Ryvita and Laughing Cow for snack urges.
What else? How do you all get through lunch in a healthy way? I have no idea who (if anyone) is still reading, but I'm hoping there are several of you out there, and that you have ideas to share. Leave a comment under this posting for us!
Now, however, I find myself in the old situation that most people who work outside the home find themselves in all year long. What on earth can I take for lunch that isn't overly salty, overly fatty, overly processed crap? The cost of convenience is too often unhealthy junk food. I get grumpy every morning when I have to dig through the fridge for stuff to take that won't lead me down the path to Vendoland in the basement. The land where a girl gets trapped in bad decisions and foolish justifications.
I have no real answers to this quandry, actually, but I'd love to hear from you what you do for lunches that don't break the calorie bank. How do you stay healthy with a portable meal?
There's the obvious leftovers, which I do try to keep going to some extent. When I open a new jar of pasta sauce, I make enough pasta (whole wheat, of course!) for the whole jar and keep single servings in containers that are easy to grab. But A) I don't always make meals that have leftovers, and B) when I do, I get tired of them before they run out.
I bought a cookbook at WW with slow-cooker recipes that I'll start trying in fall. There's the same problem as above, though I'm thinking of buying a small chest freezer, so I can freeze mass quantities to spread them out a bit.
I do often take some fresh vegetables with me, and sometimes I get those Green Giant frozen singles boxes and just eat those (the broccoli and white cheddar one is only three pts, so that's reasonable and tasty).
I have Boca vegetarian chicken and hamburger patties that I eat on sandwich thins. Chicken ones are 3 pts for not a lot of food, though. The burgers are a better 1pt.
I take a salad and leave a bottle of vinaigrette in my work fridge.
I have a box of high-fiber cereal on hand at all times in my office, as well as some dried fruit that keeps well (e.g., raisins, craisins, apricots). I can take with lunch some Special K crackers or Ryvita and Laughing Cow for snack urges.
What else? How do you all get through lunch in a healthy way? I have no idea who (if anyone) is still reading, but I'm hoping there are several of you out there, and that you have ideas to share. Leave a comment under this posting for us!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
More blogs, links.
A friend shared these blogs and a site that she reads regularly. They look pretty great:
http://www.priorfatgirl.com/ This blog contains a lot of daily living ideas and stories of struggling with food from a seemingly regular, normal person like us.
http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/ A more urban version, perhaps, but cool. Filled with photos.
http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/ Oh, this one is loaded with tips and recipes!
http://www.priorfatgirl.com/ This blog contains a lot of daily living ideas and stories of struggling with food from a seemingly regular, normal person like us.
http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/ A more urban version, perhaps, but cool. Filled with photos.
http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/ Oh, this one is loaded with tips and recipes!
Chow Time
As I said yesterday, I'm more of a snack meal eater. I like to eat lots of little things to add up my points rather than one big thing. I don't know, maybe I have a short food attention span or something. But, I do still eat meals and have learned to enjoy cooking for myself.
Before I started this whole hullaballoo, I ate out probably four nights a week and maybe a lunch or two as well. Yeah, I know. And I now feel guilty for spending more money on groceries--that makes sense. I would say eating at home has to be one of the biggest means of success in everything I've done. I now eat out as a social thing with friends, and very rarely on my own. That means I have to think up what to eat at home, though, and here are some common things I do.
1) Eggs. Since I've cut back on meat, I use eggs as a source of protein. You have to watch out for cholesterol and whatnot, but a good egg now and then is filling and relatively low-cal. I recently learned how to separate an egg white from a yolk, which has been a boon. A whole egg is two points, but if you add a second egg white, it's free. That really bulks up the amount for no significant additional calories. No extra cholesterol, either. That's all in the yolk.
Sometimes I just eat the egg(s) fried up in a skillet with cooking spray (no butter or oil), but other times I scramble them with a teaspoon of butter and a "dollop" of skim milk. Scrambled eggs like this is 3pts for one whole and one egg white. That's good for a lot of food. Eat that with toast and fruit: done. I also make egg burritos, with a whole-wheat tortilla, a fried egg, bell pepper and onion, spinach, and Louisiana hot sauce (Tobasco or any brand will do). If I need a little cheese on it, I either use a Laughing Cow or some reduced-fat cheddar. Without cheese, we're talking about 3pts. With cheese, 4-5 pts. If you stuff the tortilla full of the vegetables, it's very filling. You could also add mushrooms, which I'm only now learning to love.
With the egg recall going on now, it might seem funny to start with this one. I make a point to buy local, cage-free eggs whenever I can to avoid the salmonella problem that is largely to do with the inhumane factory productions from which most of our eggs come. My co-op sells them for $2.50 a dozen. That's more money than conventional, but not extravagantly more. And it sure beats stomach cramps and diarrhea.
2) Sweet potatoes or yams. I eat these things regularly. They are chockablock full of vitamins good-for-you stuff (sorry for the technical jargon), more than your traditional potato. They go with any meal (including eggs). They sometimes serve as a meal for me (because I'm like that). They aren't point-free, but a normal sized one is about 2-3pts, and it fills you up like no other. I bake them in my toaster oven or in a skillet (skillet is faster). Slice them into fries shape or medallions, mix them with a teaspoon of olive oil (1 extra pt, but worth it!), add a little salt or seasoning, and cook. I dip mine in Dijon mustard, but you could dip them in ketchup or whatever, or just eat them plain.
3) Anything with bulgur, which is a wheat/oat hybrid kind of deal. It makes a great alternative to rice because it's lower in pts, more filling, and high in protein and fiber. Like rice, it kind of takes on the flavor of whatever it goes with. It's chewier, though, and is shaped more like steel-cut oats (see below). I often make stir-fry vegetables (frozen or fresh, depending on my motivation) with olive oil and garlic. When the vegetables are a mostly done and a little crispy from the oil, I add chicken or vegetable broth (about 1/4 cup), garam masala spice, and some parsley. Cook the vegetables till the broth is partly worked down, then remove from heat and add cooked bulgur. Very low points but crazy filling.
A quarter cup dried bulgur makes about a cup of cooked. I usually can't eat a full cup if I'm eating it with vegetables, but I make enough vegetables for a leftover lunch, so it's all good. To cook bulgur, just have three parts water to one part dried bulgur. Boil water, add the bulgur, cover and cook on low heat till the water is gone. Easy.
4) Steel-cut oats. I flipping love these. They need a little adding to for extra flavor, but they are more filling and healthier than regular oats. The only downside is that they take 20 or 25 minutes to make. If you want, you could make a big batch and then refrigerate the leftovers till you're ready to microwave it for later meals. It's good leftover, too. These are high-fiber, have a decent amount of protein, and are chewier and thicker than regular oatmeal. The instant packs of regular oatmeal are loaded with preservatives and sugars, so they aren't so good for you. With steel-cut, you can sweeten them in a healthy way with a little vanilla yogurt, blueberries (frozen or fresh), Stevia extract, honey, peanut butter, or cinnamon and raisins. Whatever you want. I most often eat these at breakfast, but sometimes I make them at night when I get a craving. A quarter cup of dry makes a cup of cooked (like bulgur) and fills me up, especially when paired up with fruit and/or an egg. Oh, and it's also great with some almonds thrown in. Almonds are high-calorie, but like natural peanut butter they have unsaturated (good) fat and vitamins. So about 10 of them (1.5 pts) add a nice crunch to oatmeal.
5) Tortilla pizza. I used to do these with fatty ingredients, but I've changed my ways now. On a skittle, put a whole-wheat tortilla down and start cooking on medium heat. While that's starting, on one half of the tortilla, add some pizza sauce and a quarter-cup reduced fat mozarella, and then whatever toppings you want. I now do filling vegetables (peppers, onions, a little chopped spinach), but you could add turkey pepperoni, too, which I like better than regular pepperoni. You could also do ground meat (I would use chicken because I don't generally eat much beef) if you wanted, or some chicken sausage, canadian bacon, whatever. Once all the toppings are loaded up, fold the "clean" half of the tortilla over the filling-topped half. Cook till the cheese melts and sticks both sides together and then carefully flip it over to the other side to cook the tortilla a bit more and melt the cheese more. I flip it a few times to be sure it's evenly cooked without burning either side. Depending on your toppings, this can be a 3-4 point meal (meat adds pts...veggies typically don't).
6) English muffin pizza. My cousin reminded me that we used to do these a lot when I was a kid. Now I do them healthier with 1-pt English muffins and reduced-fat mozzarella. I also do vegetables instead of meat toppings. Pizza for few points.
7) Big old salad. I eat tons of salads with various toppings. Bell peppers, homemade pita crisps (just a few and instead of croutons), onions, and homemade vinaigrette. Sometimes I add chicken breast, too, but not always. Black beans add points, but it's good, filling topping.
For pita crisps, I just cut up half a whole-grain pita into small pieces, put them on the cooking sheet for my toaster oven, and bake them for about 10 minutes. They're crunchy and better for you than store-bought croutons.
The vinaigrette I make is what my French host family taught me when I was in Lyon in 1998. For a single salad, combine 1tsp. olive oil, about 3/4 tsp. red-wine vinegar, 1 T or so Dijon mustard (I use extra because I love it), about 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. soy sauce, a clove of garlic, and some McCormick's Salad Supreme (in the spice aisle at the grocery store). Stir, add salad ingredients, and devour. It's tangy and flavorful and I love it.
8) I also use that vinaigrette with whole-wheat pasta for a pasta salad that's good for you. I add stir-fry vegetables (or just some fresh broccoli) to it, and sometimes some chicken. Whole-wheat pasta is 3pts for 2 oz. dry pasta. If I'm really hungry, I just make a little more pasta and adjust pts accordingly.
I must get to work and stop this writing nonsense. I'll probably do a few more of these things tomorrow before moving on to other topics besides menus. You're probably getting bored with this stuff. I'm not, though. :)
Before I started this whole hullaballoo, I ate out probably four nights a week and maybe a lunch or two as well. Yeah, I know. And I now feel guilty for spending more money on groceries--that makes sense. I would say eating at home has to be one of the biggest means of success in everything I've done. I now eat out as a social thing with friends, and very rarely on my own. That means I have to think up what to eat at home, though, and here are some common things I do.
1) Eggs. Since I've cut back on meat, I use eggs as a source of protein. You have to watch out for cholesterol and whatnot, but a good egg now and then is filling and relatively low-cal. I recently learned how to separate an egg white from a yolk, which has been a boon. A whole egg is two points, but if you add a second egg white, it's free. That really bulks up the amount for no significant additional calories. No extra cholesterol, either. That's all in the yolk.
Sometimes I just eat the egg(s) fried up in a skillet with cooking spray (no butter or oil), but other times I scramble them with a teaspoon of butter and a "dollop" of skim milk. Scrambled eggs like this is 3pts for one whole and one egg white. That's good for a lot of food. Eat that with toast and fruit: done. I also make egg burritos, with a whole-wheat tortilla, a fried egg, bell pepper and onion, spinach, and Louisiana hot sauce (Tobasco or any brand will do). If I need a little cheese on it, I either use a Laughing Cow or some reduced-fat cheddar. Without cheese, we're talking about 3pts. With cheese, 4-5 pts. If you stuff the tortilla full of the vegetables, it's very filling. You could also add mushrooms, which I'm only now learning to love.
With the egg recall going on now, it might seem funny to start with this one. I make a point to buy local, cage-free eggs whenever I can to avoid the salmonella problem that is largely to do with the inhumane factory productions from which most of our eggs come. My co-op sells them for $2.50 a dozen. That's more money than conventional, but not extravagantly more. And it sure beats stomach cramps and diarrhea.
2) Sweet potatoes or yams. I eat these things regularly. They are chockablock full of vitamins good-for-you stuff (sorry for the technical jargon), more than your traditional potato. They go with any meal (including eggs). They sometimes serve as a meal for me (because I'm like that). They aren't point-free, but a normal sized one is about 2-3pts, and it fills you up like no other. I bake them in my toaster oven or in a skillet (skillet is faster). Slice them into fries shape or medallions, mix them with a teaspoon of olive oil (1 extra pt, but worth it!), add a little salt or seasoning, and cook. I dip mine in Dijon mustard, but you could dip them in ketchup or whatever, or just eat them plain.
3) Anything with bulgur, which is a wheat/oat hybrid kind of deal. It makes a great alternative to rice because it's lower in pts, more filling, and high in protein and fiber. Like rice, it kind of takes on the flavor of whatever it goes with. It's chewier, though, and is shaped more like steel-cut oats (see below). I often make stir-fry vegetables (frozen or fresh, depending on my motivation) with olive oil and garlic. When the vegetables are a mostly done and a little crispy from the oil, I add chicken or vegetable broth (about 1/4 cup), garam masala spice, and some parsley. Cook the vegetables till the broth is partly worked down, then remove from heat and add cooked bulgur. Very low points but crazy filling.
A quarter cup dried bulgur makes about a cup of cooked. I usually can't eat a full cup if I'm eating it with vegetables, but I make enough vegetables for a leftover lunch, so it's all good. To cook bulgur, just have three parts water to one part dried bulgur. Boil water, add the bulgur, cover and cook on low heat till the water is gone. Easy.
4) Steel-cut oats. I flipping love these. They need a little adding to for extra flavor, but they are more filling and healthier than regular oats. The only downside is that they take 20 or 25 minutes to make. If you want, you could make a big batch and then refrigerate the leftovers till you're ready to microwave it for later meals. It's good leftover, too. These are high-fiber, have a decent amount of protein, and are chewier and thicker than regular oatmeal. The instant packs of regular oatmeal are loaded with preservatives and sugars, so they aren't so good for you. With steel-cut, you can sweeten them in a healthy way with a little vanilla yogurt, blueberries (frozen or fresh), Stevia extract, honey, peanut butter, or cinnamon and raisins. Whatever you want. I most often eat these at breakfast, but sometimes I make them at night when I get a craving. A quarter cup of dry makes a cup of cooked (like bulgur) and fills me up, especially when paired up with fruit and/or an egg. Oh, and it's also great with some almonds thrown in. Almonds are high-calorie, but like natural peanut butter they have unsaturated (good) fat and vitamins. So about 10 of them (1.5 pts) add a nice crunch to oatmeal.
5) Tortilla pizza. I used to do these with fatty ingredients, but I've changed my ways now. On a skittle, put a whole-wheat tortilla down and start cooking on medium heat. While that's starting, on one half of the tortilla, add some pizza sauce and a quarter-cup reduced fat mozarella, and then whatever toppings you want. I now do filling vegetables (peppers, onions, a little chopped spinach), but you could add turkey pepperoni, too, which I like better than regular pepperoni. You could also do ground meat (I would use chicken because I don't generally eat much beef) if you wanted, or some chicken sausage, canadian bacon, whatever. Once all the toppings are loaded up, fold the "clean" half of the tortilla over the filling-topped half. Cook till the cheese melts and sticks both sides together and then carefully flip it over to the other side to cook the tortilla a bit more and melt the cheese more. I flip it a few times to be sure it's evenly cooked without burning either side. Depending on your toppings, this can be a 3-4 point meal (meat adds pts...veggies typically don't).
6) English muffin pizza. My cousin reminded me that we used to do these a lot when I was a kid. Now I do them healthier with 1-pt English muffins and reduced-fat mozzarella. I also do vegetables instead of meat toppings. Pizza for few points.
7) Big old salad. I eat tons of salads with various toppings. Bell peppers, homemade pita crisps (just a few and instead of croutons), onions, and homemade vinaigrette. Sometimes I add chicken breast, too, but not always. Black beans add points, but it's good, filling topping.
For pita crisps, I just cut up half a whole-grain pita into small pieces, put them on the cooking sheet for my toaster oven, and bake them for about 10 minutes. They're crunchy and better for you than store-bought croutons.
The vinaigrette I make is what my French host family taught me when I was in Lyon in 1998. For a single salad, combine 1tsp. olive oil, about 3/4 tsp. red-wine vinegar, 1 T or so Dijon mustard (I use extra because I love it), about 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. soy sauce, a clove of garlic, and some McCormick's Salad Supreme (in the spice aisle at the grocery store). Stir, add salad ingredients, and devour. It's tangy and flavorful and I love it.
8) I also use that vinaigrette with whole-wheat pasta for a pasta salad that's good for you. I add stir-fry vegetables (or just some fresh broccoli) to it, and sometimes some chicken. Whole-wheat pasta is 3pts for 2 oz. dry pasta. If I'm really hungry, I just make a little more pasta and adjust pts accordingly.
I must get to work and stop this writing nonsense. I'll probably do a few more of these things tomorrow before moving on to other topics besides menus. You're probably getting bored with this stuff. I'm not, though. :)
Monday, August 23, 2010
Human salt lick
Okay, intermission is over. Time to move on. I wanted to make a list of the salty snacks I eat that aren't too unhealthy.
1) Ryvita crispbreads and Laughing Cow lite cheese. Together, this little snack is two points and surprisingly satisfying. I get the Dark Rye or Oat & Rye crackers, and I prefer the plain swiss or garlic & herb cheese. One cheese wedge is 1pt, two is only 1.5...so choose according to hunger. I take this to work a lot for afternoon snacking.
2) Green peppers. I eat a lot (a lot) of bell peppers (green and red mostly because they're cheapest, but yellow and orange are good, too). I eat them alone, with some Laughing Cow, with hummus, in salads, with eggs. You name it. They are chockablock full of vitamins, sit with you awhile and a whole pepper is zero pts. You can also dip them in a little low-cal salad dressing (vinaigrette is my go-to for stuff). They're really versatile and flavorful.
3) Similarly, carrots and hummus. Epic. Carrots have more sugar than most vegetables, so be aware of that. I stopped buying baby carrots because who needs to pay more to have carrots cut into bits and rounded off at the edges?? Not me. I just peel, cut, eat. I eat a few of them at a time with some creamy hummus and am ready to go.
4) Arnold's Sandwich Thins or Thompson's Bagel Thins/English Muffins and cheese or peanut butter. Here's that high-fiber goodness I said yesterday (well...same goes for the Ryvita, I guess). I find high-fiber stuff to be really good for keeping me full, so I keep a lot of it at home. All these bread things are one point because they have good fiber content. I read somewhere that you should look on ingredient labels for at least 3g of fiber per serving of a bread product. Anything below that is processed or just low on whole grains. A lot of bread on the shelf will fool you into thinking it's high fiber with "12-grain" or whatever in their names. Don't be fooled. Check the label.
I put Laughing Cow on these, but I also use peanut butter, a food that I discussed before. Yes, it's fatty, but it's also good for you, so use just enough to keep you going, and look for brands that don't add a bunch of sugar. Good to go.
5) Whole grain tortilla and salsa. Get a whole-grain tortilla (1pt) and put it in the microwave for two minutes, then let it sit for a minute to harden up and get crunchy. Seriously! Tortilla chips can suck up calories. Baked versions are good, but still not great for your health. A tortilla comes portion-controlled, has whole grains, and tastes awesome with homemade or fresh store-bought salsa. Salsa is "free" in a single serving that goes just right with the tortilla size. So you have a healthy, taste-filled snack for 1 pt. If you need more salsa, it's just 1.5 pts...so what? That's still pretty great.
6) Reduced-fat string cheese. WW has a brand, but it's more expensive than others, so I get whatever is less expensive. Here that's usually Swiss Valley, but that will vary by region. Each one is 1pt, has some calcium, and tastes nice and salty. Just be sure to take full advantage of the stringiness. If you eat it in full stick version, it doesn't last and then you want to eat more. :)
7) Special K multigrain crackers or flatbreads. I hate Special K for their two-week diet commercial, where you're supposed to eat cereal for two meals a day with a "sensible" dinner. That's so unhealthy and stupid, in my opinion. I feel guilty pimping their products because of that, but here we are (confession: I also like that cereal). If you eat 17 of these crackers, it's 1.5 pts. With some honey (1T=1pt), Laughing Cow lite (1pt), or peanut butter (pts vary), you've got a nice salty snack. Or eat them plain, actually. I had the flatbreads with my cousin and they are good, too.
That's a start. I will add more if I think of more. I think I'll shift into easy, healthy meals next. Be warned, I tend to eat lots of small things rather than one big thing, but I still have a list ready.
1) Ryvita crispbreads and Laughing Cow lite cheese. Together, this little snack is two points and surprisingly satisfying. I get the Dark Rye or Oat & Rye crackers, and I prefer the plain swiss or garlic & herb cheese. One cheese wedge is 1pt, two is only 1.5...so choose according to hunger. I take this to work a lot for afternoon snacking.
2) Green peppers. I eat a lot (a lot) of bell peppers (green and red mostly because they're cheapest, but yellow and orange are good, too). I eat them alone, with some Laughing Cow, with hummus, in salads, with eggs. You name it. They are chockablock full of vitamins, sit with you awhile and a whole pepper is zero pts. You can also dip them in a little low-cal salad dressing (vinaigrette is my go-to for stuff). They're really versatile and flavorful.
3) Similarly, carrots and hummus. Epic. Carrots have more sugar than most vegetables, so be aware of that. I stopped buying baby carrots because who needs to pay more to have carrots cut into bits and rounded off at the edges?? Not me. I just peel, cut, eat. I eat a few of them at a time with some creamy hummus and am ready to go.
4) Arnold's Sandwich Thins or Thompson's Bagel Thins/English Muffins and cheese or peanut butter. Here's that high-fiber goodness I said yesterday (well...same goes for the Ryvita, I guess). I find high-fiber stuff to be really good for keeping me full, so I keep a lot of it at home. All these bread things are one point because they have good fiber content. I read somewhere that you should look on ingredient labels for at least 3g of fiber per serving of a bread product. Anything below that is processed or just low on whole grains. A lot of bread on the shelf will fool you into thinking it's high fiber with "12-grain" or whatever in their names. Don't be fooled. Check the label.
I put Laughing Cow on these, but I also use peanut butter, a food that I discussed before. Yes, it's fatty, but it's also good for you, so use just enough to keep you going, and look for brands that don't add a bunch of sugar. Good to go.
5) Whole grain tortilla and salsa. Get a whole-grain tortilla (1pt) and put it in the microwave for two minutes, then let it sit for a minute to harden up and get crunchy. Seriously! Tortilla chips can suck up calories. Baked versions are good, but still not great for your health. A tortilla comes portion-controlled, has whole grains, and tastes awesome with homemade or fresh store-bought salsa. Salsa is "free" in a single serving that goes just right with the tortilla size. So you have a healthy, taste-filled snack for 1 pt. If you need more salsa, it's just 1.5 pts...so what? That's still pretty great.
6) Reduced-fat string cheese. WW has a brand, but it's more expensive than others, so I get whatever is less expensive. Here that's usually Swiss Valley, but that will vary by region. Each one is 1pt, has some calcium, and tastes nice and salty. Just be sure to take full advantage of the stringiness. If you eat it in full stick version, it doesn't last and then you want to eat more. :)
7) Special K multigrain crackers or flatbreads. I hate Special K for their two-week diet commercial, where you're supposed to eat cereal for two meals a day with a "sensible" dinner. That's so unhealthy and stupid, in my opinion. I feel guilty pimping their products because of that, but here we are (confession: I also like that cereal). If you eat 17 of these crackers, it's 1.5 pts. With some honey (1T=1pt), Laughing Cow lite (1pt), or peanut butter (pts vary), you've got a nice salty snack. Or eat them plain, actually. I had the flatbreads with my cousin and they are good, too.
That's a start. I will add more if I think of more. I think I'll shift into easy, healthy meals next. Be warned, I tend to eat lots of small things rather than one big thing, but I still have a list ready.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Intermission
Before I go into the whole snack foods of the non-sweet variety, I wanted to talk--write--about something I've been thinking about. I was randomly clicking my way through the Intertubes, and I found myself on a gossip page that had pictures of comedian/Price is Right host Drew Carey after he lost 70 pounds. He looks really different--in a good way--and I give him lots of respect for his success.
It's respect with concern, though. Reading the article, he is quoted saying he did it through exercise (yay!) and diet (yay?). The problem is the diet is the old "no carbs" thing. He gave up bread, pasta, etc etc. When I read that, I slumped a bit. I just feel like he's dooming himself for a return weight gain, and here's why:
First, fiber is really important. We eat way too many refined, processed grains, and that's one cause of obesity, to be sure, but that's why we have choices in whole grains. I try not to overdo it even on those, but I consider whole grains to be a staple in a long-term healthy diet. If Drew had said he cut out processed flour and unwholsome carbs and grains, I would applaud him. But to cut out an important branch of the human diet completely is risky. That's why I haven't completely shifted out of eating meat. I know it's an important source of nutrition when eaten moderately and in lean portions.
I will say that a friend referenced a study recently that said a high-protein, low-carb diet can actually be healthy, so I can't claim I'm 100% spot on here. I'm not a nutritionist. I'm just really skeptical about any diet that asks me to cut out a whole food group.
Second, I don't feel that these "cut it" diets promote long-term weight loss. If you completely deny yourself any food category that you like, you are denying yourself a pleasure that may not be able to sustain itself for the long term. And, like a drug, if you get a taste of it down the road, you could be in for a binge of epic proportions that sets you right back on the path toward being overweight. One of the things I really like about Weight Watchers (sorry for the constant advertising there--I swear I'm not being paid for it) is that it doesn't ask you to deny yourself anything. You just have to incorporate a healthy balance of good and not-so-good foods. That's why I believe I am going to be successful with my weight loss. I'm eating pizza tonight--fine! I ate wings on Thursday. Great. I just eat healthy on both sides of those unhealthy meals. I get to enjoy my life, no need for binges.
Third, I believe these kinds of fad "miracle" diets are part of a systemic problem in our culture as it relates to food and health. I hadn't thought about this until I read Omnivore's Dilemma. Author Pollan points out that in most cultures around the world, there is an ingrained culture of eating and eating habits. They have schedules, meals, folk wisdom, and so on that encourage people to take for granted a healthy eating pattern. In the U.S., Pollan argues, that has been lost because there are so many cultural blends in our immigrant culture. We've lost the folk wisdom in our salad bowl/melting pot (well, there are two food metaphors...but ones that don't do anything for our actual health!). We have no seasonality for eating fresh foods, no meal patterns (except "eat fast, eat often, eat junk"). As a result, we are lost in our world of food options with no folk guidance to lead us to the right choices, and that leads us to fad diets as a means of taking the reigns. In our culture of instant gratification and ignorance of food, these diets make sense to us, even though they don't make sense to our bodies.
Pollan wrote a book of collected folk wisdom from around the world that shows how humans have traditionally understood food consumption. Food Rules was recommended by a friend, and I bought it immediately after she told me about it. I love it, and I think you should check it out, too! I think of them as I go through the grocery store now.
I wish Drew Carey all the best, and I hope he's successful for the long term. I just know most people in my life who've done a fad diet of some kind have not been so lucky over time. They've lost the weight, gone off the diet, and returned to their old weight (or more). So be careful. Eat a balanced diet, not a fad one!
It's respect with concern, though. Reading the article, he is quoted saying he did it through exercise (yay!) and diet (yay?). The problem is the diet is the old "no carbs" thing. He gave up bread, pasta, etc etc. When I read that, I slumped a bit. I just feel like he's dooming himself for a return weight gain, and here's why:
First, fiber is really important. We eat way too many refined, processed grains, and that's one cause of obesity, to be sure, but that's why we have choices in whole grains. I try not to overdo it even on those, but I consider whole grains to be a staple in a long-term healthy diet. If Drew had said he cut out processed flour and unwholsome carbs and grains, I would applaud him. But to cut out an important branch of the human diet completely is risky. That's why I haven't completely shifted out of eating meat. I know it's an important source of nutrition when eaten moderately and in lean portions.
I will say that a friend referenced a study recently that said a high-protein, low-carb diet can actually be healthy, so I can't claim I'm 100% spot on here. I'm not a nutritionist. I'm just really skeptical about any diet that asks me to cut out a whole food group.
Second, I don't feel that these "cut it" diets promote long-term weight loss. If you completely deny yourself any food category that you like, you are denying yourself a pleasure that may not be able to sustain itself for the long term. And, like a drug, if you get a taste of it down the road, you could be in for a binge of epic proportions that sets you right back on the path toward being overweight. One of the things I really like about Weight Watchers (sorry for the constant advertising there--I swear I'm not being paid for it) is that it doesn't ask you to deny yourself anything. You just have to incorporate a healthy balance of good and not-so-good foods. That's why I believe I am going to be successful with my weight loss. I'm eating pizza tonight--fine! I ate wings on Thursday. Great. I just eat healthy on both sides of those unhealthy meals. I get to enjoy my life, no need for binges.
Third, I believe these kinds of fad "miracle" diets are part of a systemic problem in our culture as it relates to food and health. I hadn't thought about this until I read Omnivore's Dilemma. Author Pollan points out that in most cultures around the world, there is an ingrained culture of eating and eating habits. They have schedules, meals, folk wisdom, and so on that encourage people to take for granted a healthy eating pattern. In the U.S., Pollan argues, that has been lost because there are so many cultural blends in our immigrant culture. We've lost the folk wisdom in our salad bowl/melting pot (well, there are two food metaphors...but ones that don't do anything for our actual health!). We have no seasonality for eating fresh foods, no meal patterns (except "eat fast, eat often, eat junk"). As a result, we are lost in our world of food options with no folk guidance to lead us to the right choices, and that leads us to fad diets as a means of taking the reigns. In our culture of instant gratification and ignorance of food, these diets make sense to us, even though they don't make sense to our bodies.
Pollan wrote a book of collected folk wisdom from around the world that shows how humans have traditionally understood food consumption. Food Rules was recommended by a friend, and I bought it immediately after she told me about it. I love it, and I think you should check it out, too! I think of them as I go through the grocery store now.
I wish Drew Carey all the best, and I hope he's successful for the long term. I just know most people in my life who've done a fad diet of some kind have not been so lucky over time. They've lost the weight, gone off the diet, and returned to their old weight (or more). So be careful. Eat a balanced diet, not a fad one!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Such Sweet Thunder
First things first, I hosted dinner at my poker last night and brought dessert that I added to yesterday's chocolate list. Black bean brownies. Sounds gross, tastes like chocolate heaven. I also made baked macaroni and cheese, which was pretty great.
But today I wanted to mention some of the other snack foods I keep around that are of the sweet variety before heading into the saltier stuff tomorrow. This list will be shorter because I pretty much stick to chocolate...
1) Fruit Experimentation. One week awhile back at my WW meeting, our little goal for the week was to try a new kind of fruit or vegetable. I went for fruit because I was at a local grocery store that had a display of exotic melons [insert boob joke here]. I have learned to love cantaloupe over the years, so I decided to try a couple kinds of these new ones. They were great! So now I've made an effort to try a different fruit each week. Most are things I've had before, but it breaks me out of the habit of just eating apples and bananas. I also try to look for whatever is seasonal because that's when it's best, obviously.
And don't be afraid of canned fruit...but only if it's packed in water or its own juices. Don't get that crap they pack in syrup, obviously. I take those little cans of mandarin oranges to school for lunches, and I eat pineapple that way, too. I do make several servings of the pineapple, though, as a whole can is too much. Look for anything that doesn't have a bunch of added stuff in the ingredients list. Fruit, water. Done.
2) Frozen fruit. I buy frozen blueberries and raspberries and keep them to add to yogurt. When they thaw, they give off a little juice to add to the yogurt's sweetness and they add substance and health to the whole affair. The blueberries are also great with the steel-cut oats that I'll talk about later.
I also buy regular grapes (red is my preference but green would work, too), put 6-oz. in each baggie, put all those baggies in a freezer-safe baggie and stick them in the freezer. Frozen grapes. They're so good, and it's a better alternative than ice cream when you want something cold and sweet.
3) Homemade smoothie. I don't know why places have to jack up smoothies and give them a bad name in the calorie-conscious world. A simple smoothie is awesome, low-pt breakfast. I use a banana, a 120-gram serving of plain yogurt, whatever other fruit I want (berries work great, but so do mangoes, kiwis, pineapple, peaches...ANYTHING in most any variety that sounds good), and ice cubes (four or five). Blend the crap out of it, and it's a smoothie. No need for added sugar or juice. Why make it less healthy? I just don't get that.
4) Yogurt. When I started WW, I mostly bought fat-free plain because it was lowest point. Most flavored yogurts are jam-packed with sugar and hence useless calories. They basically make healthy food unhealthy. Plain yogurt is an acquired taste, though, so I started out adding that frozen fruit and stirring up that juice to sweeten it, plus I would add a packet of Splenda. After awhile, I cut to half a packet of Splenda, then cut it off completely when I grew to love the taste of the yogurt. Now that I'm done losing weight, I've shifted to low-fat yogurt because I think it tastes better than non-fat. You have to make that decision for yourself, though, of course.
I found a brand from Iowa (thanks to Sara, Hope's mom!) that is low-sugar (!!!!) and flavored (vanilla), so that's become a new obsession. It's called Cultural Revolution, and it is basically like the yogurt in Europe: thinner consistency and it separates more easily. You have to stir it up more, but it's so much better flavor. American yogurt has additives to prevent separation, but that affects flavor. Yuck. You might look for Cultural Revolution or another European-style, low-sugar kind of yogurt near you. I eat the vanilla 3% fat version and it's the same point value as the fat-free plain of regular American yogurt!
5) Creamed honey. I got this at Trader Joe's. It's like butter and honey put together. On a bagel thin or sandwich thin (those will be discussed later), it's a sweet but decent snack. I also dip it with multi-grain crackers for salty/sweet combined.
Going along with this one is peanut butter, the food that gets a bum rap. I buy the kind that isn't loaded up with sugar (basically just ground up peanuts), and it makes a nice protein-based snack on some kind of bread or cracker. Top it with some raspberries, banana, or the next item on the list, and it's also a medium for fruit intake!
6) There's a lady in Iowa who sells fruit spreads that are just fruit and pectin (to set it up more like jelly). It's like eating jam but instead just fruit! You could easily make it at home. Buy pectin (in the jello aisle), follow the directions for how much you add to whatever portion of pureed fruit you're dealing with (maybe a cup or two??) blend, put in a jar. Done. It's so much better for you than regular jelly or jam. Spread it on toast, add it to yogurt, whatever.
7) At my local co-op, I bought a bottle of Stevia, which is a plant-based sweetener that's also used for Truvia sweetened-things (as I understand anyway). I'm not 100% convinced this is truly healthier than any other sweetener, but until they prove otherwise, I'm using Stevia at moderate levels. I mostly use it to sweeten tea (which I'm trying to learn to love), but I've also sweetened plain yogurt with it. It just takes 3 or 4 drops for most things and it's pretty good. You could add it to anything, really.
That's all that pops into my head right now, but I'm sure I'll end up adding stuff to this as I go.
But today I wanted to mention some of the other snack foods I keep around that are of the sweet variety before heading into the saltier stuff tomorrow. This list will be shorter because I pretty much stick to chocolate...
1) Fruit Experimentation. One week awhile back at my WW meeting, our little goal for the week was to try a new kind of fruit or vegetable. I went for fruit because I was at a local grocery store that had a display of exotic melons [insert boob joke here]. I have learned to love cantaloupe over the years, so I decided to try a couple kinds of these new ones. They were great! So now I've made an effort to try a different fruit each week. Most are things I've had before, but it breaks me out of the habit of just eating apples and bananas. I also try to look for whatever is seasonal because that's when it's best, obviously.
And don't be afraid of canned fruit...but only if it's packed in water or its own juices. Don't get that crap they pack in syrup, obviously. I take those little cans of mandarin oranges to school for lunches, and I eat pineapple that way, too. I do make several servings of the pineapple, though, as a whole can is too much. Look for anything that doesn't have a bunch of added stuff in the ingredients list. Fruit, water. Done.
2) Frozen fruit. I buy frozen blueberries and raspberries and keep them to add to yogurt. When they thaw, they give off a little juice to add to the yogurt's sweetness and they add substance and health to the whole affair. The blueberries are also great with the steel-cut oats that I'll talk about later.
I also buy regular grapes (red is my preference but green would work, too), put 6-oz. in each baggie, put all those baggies in a freezer-safe baggie and stick them in the freezer. Frozen grapes. They're so good, and it's a better alternative than ice cream when you want something cold and sweet.
3) Homemade smoothie. I don't know why places have to jack up smoothies and give them a bad name in the calorie-conscious world. A simple smoothie is awesome, low-pt breakfast. I use a banana, a 120-gram serving of plain yogurt, whatever other fruit I want (berries work great, but so do mangoes, kiwis, pineapple, peaches...ANYTHING in most any variety that sounds good), and ice cubes (four or five). Blend the crap out of it, and it's a smoothie. No need for added sugar or juice. Why make it less healthy? I just don't get that.
4) Yogurt. When I started WW, I mostly bought fat-free plain because it was lowest point. Most flavored yogurts are jam-packed with sugar and hence useless calories. They basically make healthy food unhealthy. Plain yogurt is an acquired taste, though, so I started out adding that frozen fruit and stirring up that juice to sweeten it, plus I would add a packet of Splenda. After awhile, I cut to half a packet of Splenda, then cut it off completely when I grew to love the taste of the yogurt. Now that I'm done losing weight, I've shifted to low-fat yogurt because I think it tastes better than non-fat. You have to make that decision for yourself, though, of course.
I found a brand from Iowa (thanks to Sara, Hope's mom!) that is low-sugar (!!!!) and flavored (vanilla), so that's become a new obsession. It's called Cultural Revolution, and it is basically like the yogurt in Europe: thinner consistency and it separates more easily. You have to stir it up more, but it's so much better flavor. American yogurt has additives to prevent separation, but that affects flavor. Yuck. You might look for Cultural Revolution or another European-style, low-sugar kind of yogurt near you. I eat the vanilla 3% fat version and it's the same point value as the fat-free plain of regular American yogurt!
5) Creamed honey. I got this at Trader Joe's. It's like butter and honey put together. On a bagel thin or sandwich thin (those will be discussed later), it's a sweet but decent snack. I also dip it with multi-grain crackers for salty/sweet combined.
Going along with this one is peanut butter, the food that gets a bum rap. I buy the kind that isn't loaded up with sugar (basically just ground up peanuts), and it makes a nice protein-based snack on some kind of bread or cracker. Top it with some raspberries, banana, or the next item on the list, and it's also a medium for fruit intake!
6) There's a lady in Iowa who sells fruit spreads that are just fruit and pectin (to set it up more like jelly). It's like eating jam but instead just fruit! You could easily make it at home. Buy pectin (in the jello aisle), follow the directions for how much you add to whatever portion of pureed fruit you're dealing with (maybe a cup or two??) blend, put in a jar. Done. It's so much better for you than regular jelly or jam. Spread it on toast, add it to yogurt, whatever.
7) At my local co-op, I bought a bottle of Stevia, which is a plant-based sweetener that's also used for Truvia sweetened-things (as I understand anyway). I'm not 100% convinced this is truly healthier than any other sweetener, but until they prove otherwise, I'm using Stevia at moderate levels. I mostly use it to sweeten tea (which I'm trying to learn to love), but I've also sweetened plain yogurt with it. It just takes 3 or 4 drops for most things and it's pretty good. You could add it to anything, really.
That's all that pops into my head right now, but I'm sure I'll end up adding stuff to this as I go.
Friday, August 20, 2010
WW Conversion formula
Someone asked about how WW makes calories into points, I found the formula (apparently): http://www.ehow.com/how_5074056_make-weight-watchers-point-list.html. I just use my eTools, but if you don't have access to that, this might be a good substitute. I guess algebra wasn't completely pointless after all, eh?
Chocolate by any other calorie count would taste as sweet (amended)
First off, I wanted to let you know that I was very successful yesterday. Go. Freaking. Me. (BTW, I'm also learning to let myself be pleased with myself when I do something well instead of being dismissive of my accomplishments. That's actually harder than losing weight.) I got home from BWW, having had seven boneless wings, a salad, and a beer (mmmmm.....Hefeweisen) and was only ONE POINT over my 25 daily point allotment!! That meant I had three more activity points to draw from, so I had some yogurt with a cut-up fresh peach and a tiny bit of granola for crunch. Healthy, low point but delicious dessert!
Okay, then I had a chocolate pudding cup just before bed. Oopsies. :)
Which leads me to today's posting. One thing people have asked me to do is to go to the grocery store with them, so they can see what I buy. Thought it might be interesting to make that list here, too. I am separating it out into several postings because they can't all be so dang long all the time. That chocolate pudding cup seems like a perfect place to begin.
My downfall has always been sweets, and chocolate most of all, of course. So I've had to find ways to keep this part of my life without going completely bonkers with fat and sugar. Here are some chocolate things that get me by. Now, I do try to watch how many artificially sweetened things I consume on a daily basis. It's probably not the best stuff in the world to be inhaling. But the reality is, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. And this girl's gotta have her chocolate. So, using the philosophy of "everything in moderation" ("including moderation." Sorry. Can't not finish the Oscar Wilde quote.), I get one of the following per day.
1) Obviously...chocolate pudding cups. Sugar-free Jello pudding cups are a must. They just are. One point of chocolatey goodness is just too good to pass up. Sometimes I add fresh strawberries because that's like those chocolate-covered strawberry appetizers you get at parties. So good.
2) Going along with that is Skinny Cow. Artificial? Yes. Just chocolate? No. But. Ice cream that makes my mouth happy? Yes. I get the ice cream sandwiches with vanilla and chocolate ice cream and chocolate cookies. Two points of ice cream that tastes exactly like the ones you get at Dairy Queen for 4.5 pts. Easy. The other day, sweet little baby Hope (3 months old) bought some for me with her mom. That's not the only reason I love her (and her mom), but it didn't hurt.
3) Blue Bunny Sweet Freedoms Fudge Lites. They use Truvia to sweeten, which is the new thing that's supposed to be so much better for you than other artificial sweeteners because it's "plant based." I dunno about that. But these are decent little treats. The serving size is two bars (1 pt), but I usually just have one (FREE!!) and make it work just fine.
4) No Pudge Fudge brownies--Oh, this'll do me every time. Hope's mom recommended this amazing wonder of wonders. It's all-natural (no artificial sweeteners, and I can recognize all ingredients as actual food items) and it is fantastic. You can make a whole pan, OR you can make a coffee mug brownie by mixing 3 tablespoons of the mix with 1.5 tablespoons of vanilla yogurt (of which more later). Mix it up and cook it in the microwave for a minute, and you have a brownie! I put frozen raspberries on top for fruity goodness, but you do as you choose. I've had plain and raspberry flavored ones, and I'll try the mint ones next time.
5) Any high-quality dark chocolate. I don't always have this on hand, but I have grown to love dark chocolate. It will never replace milk chocolate, but if you get a nice 70% or so dark, it still tastes sweet and chocolately but is a lot better for you. If you get a really expensive chocolate bar, you feel too guilty to eat it all at once and you find that you're satisfied with the a smaller amount because it's such an intense flavor. I swear it's true. I never believed them before, but I do now.
6) Black bean brownies. Like thick, rich brownies that are almost like fudge? If not, leave immediately. I don't trust you. If so, try this very weird recipe from SkinnyTaste. The guys at poker liked them, too. You would never guess they are made with black beans instead of oil and egg. They are low fat, high fiber, and have protein! That's good for me, especially since I've cut way down on meat.
I think I'll keep on the snack food thing tomorrow, but shift to other sweet stuff of a healthier variety, then on to salty stuff. You're all anticipation, I know.
Okay, then I had a chocolate pudding cup just before bed. Oopsies. :)
Which leads me to today's posting. One thing people have asked me to do is to go to the grocery store with them, so they can see what I buy. Thought it might be interesting to make that list here, too. I am separating it out into several postings because they can't all be so dang long all the time. That chocolate pudding cup seems like a perfect place to begin.
My downfall has always been sweets, and chocolate most of all, of course. So I've had to find ways to keep this part of my life without going completely bonkers with fat and sugar. Here are some chocolate things that get me by. Now, I do try to watch how many artificially sweetened things I consume on a daily basis. It's probably not the best stuff in the world to be inhaling. But the reality is, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. And this girl's gotta have her chocolate. So, using the philosophy of "everything in moderation" ("including moderation." Sorry. Can't not finish the Oscar Wilde quote.), I get one of the following per day.
1) Obviously...chocolate pudding cups. Sugar-free Jello pudding cups are a must. They just are. One point of chocolatey goodness is just too good to pass up. Sometimes I add fresh strawberries because that's like those chocolate-covered strawberry appetizers you get at parties. So good.
2) Going along with that is Skinny Cow. Artificial? Yes. Just chocolate? No. But. Ice cream that makes my mouth happy? Yes. I get the ice cream sandwiches with vanilla and chocolate ice cream and chocolate cookies. Two points of ice cream that tastes exactly like the ones you get at Dairy Queen for 4.5 pts. Easy. The other day, sweet little baby Hope (3 months old) bought some for me with her mom. That's not the only reason I love her (and her mom), but it didn't hurt.
3) Blue Bunny Sweet Freedoms Fudge Lites. They use Truvia to sweeten, which is the new thing that's supposed to be so much better for you than other artificial sweeteners because it's "plant based." I dunno about that. But these are decent little treats. The serving size is two bars (1 pt), but I usually just have one (FREE!!) and make it work just fine.
4) No Pudge Fudge brownies--Oh, this'll do me every time. Hope's mom recommended this amazing wonder of wonders. It's all-natural (no artificial sweeteners, and I can recognize all ingredients as actual food items) and it is fantastic. You can make a whole pan, OR you can make a coffee mug brownie by mixing 3 tablespoons of the mix with 1.5 tablespoons of vanilla yogurt (of which more later). Mix it up and cook it in the microwave for a minute, and you have a brownie! I put frozen raspberries on top for fruity goodness, but you do as you choose. I've had plain and raspberry flavored ones, and I'll try the mint ones next time.
5) Any high-quality dark chocolate. I don't always have this on hand, but I have grown to love dark chocolate. It will never replace milk chocolate, but if you get a nice 70% or so dark, it still tastes sweet and chocolately but is a lot better for you. If you get a really expensive chocolate bar, you feel too guilty to eat it all at once and you find that you're satisfied with the a smaller amount because it's such an intense flavor. I swear it's true. I never believed them before, but I do now.
6) Black bean brownies. Like thick, rich brownies that are almost like fudge? If not, leave immediately. I don't trust you. If so, try this very weird recipe from SkinnyTaste. The guys at poker liked them, too. You would never guess they are made with black beans instead of oil and egg. They are low fat, high fiber, and have protein! That's good for me, especially since I've cut way down on meat.
I think I'll keep on the snack food thing tomorrow, but shift to other sweet stuff of a healthier variety, then on to salty stuff. You're all anticipation, I know.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Today's gonna be a good day
It must be fate. Right as I start this blog, one of my "obstacles" occurs. That obstacle being...Buffalo Wild Wings 60-cent wing night. I'll be going tonight with some friends. It may not be a surprise to you that these breaded bits 'o chicken are a little high in calories (and violate my new rule of eating meat that comes from humane farms...dang it). So, I thought I would talk a little bit about how I accommodate wings (inhumane ones. Sad face.) in my efforts to lose/maintain my weight.
Before Weight Watchers, I understood that it would be important to balance out the rest of the day's meals to stay healthy, but do you think I actually did that? Nooooooo. I ate a full-on regular set of meals before, gorged that night (complete with fries on the side), and felt miserable. Fun!! It was to the point where I needed acid reflux meds to keep me going, and not even just on BBW nights. I actually started throwing up because I was eating too much grease sometimes. Thought I was really sick--turns out I was just unhealthy.
So, now what? How has that changed since I started this process of fit=fun? Well, let's use today as an example. I don't intend to skip out on fun times and good food with my friends, and I also don't intend to jack up my diet. So. I got up this morning and did a little exercise. Pretty soon I'm going to the Y to take a class for more exercise. I don't get in all the exercise I need every day, but if there's something gross and delicious in my day's events, you can bet I am sure to fit it all in. WW asks us to do 4 activity pts a day, so I'll do at least that many. Then those are 4 points I can add to my daily allotment guilt free...that's a (small) boneless wing with a point leftover! Score!
But, of course, that's not enough. Exercise won't get me all the way to guilt-free wing night. So today, I have plans to really make good food decisions. On days like this, I don't really eat meals. I graze. I don't want to eat too much, but I also don't want to have a grumpy and empty stomach so I eat just enough, and just often enough, to keep my stomach in line. I just ate some steel-cut oats (TRY THEM!!) with fresh blueberries. That's 2.5 pts (about 200 cals if you don't follow WW). After I get done with pilates, I'll have a little more fruit. Then around noon or 1:00, I'll have some vegetables (probably bell peppers) with a Laughing Cow cheese or hummus. Then around 2:30 or 3:00 I will have some more fruit and/or maybe some Ryvita crackers (TRY THEM!!!) with either the Laughing Cow or hummus (whichever I didn't have before). None of these things have more than 2pts. So by the time it's 5pm and I'm at the table at BWW, I'll have eaten maybe 7 or 8 points (I get 25 per day, plus whatever activity points I earn). That leaves me PLENTY of room for wings with zero guilt. And I'll have had something in my stomach all day--and all high-fiber, filling foods. I'm sure I will feel a tad hungry, but I'll never feel ravenous.
The other little trick is to keep water with you at all times. I do every day, frankly, but on days like this, where I'm reserving points for a big meal, I am constantly sipping on water because that makes my stomach feel fuller with no points. Perfect!
The important thing, though, is that you don't go all nutters from hunger. Don't let yourself starve and get grumpy. If you're trying to graze all day to save up, but your stomach needs food, eat. If you don't, then you'll end up convincing yourself that you need 20 wings by the time you get there. Because ultimately, even if you go over your calorie/pt allotment for one day, it's soooooo not the end of the world. You just promise yourself that you'll be diligent the next day with exercise and staying carefully within your appropriate range. Your body can accommodate the occasional overindulgence. It's more important to enjoy yourself moderately than starve yourself ridiculously.
Oh, and also. I get a salad with low-cal dressing to eat before my wings. That makes me a little fuller with fewer wings. :)
Lastly, speaking of restaurants, a high school friend reminded me of a site I haven't been to in awhile but that's worth a look. Dotti's Weight Loss Zone gives you the WW point counts for food at tons of restaurant chains. Basically, a good rule of thumb is 1pt = 50 cal, so you can estimate cals if you're not into the WW point system. It will shock you to see the numbers, but happy that most places have a decent choice or two.
Oof. That was a long one...
Before Weight Watchers, I understood that it would be important to balance out the rest of the day's meals to stay healthy, but do you think I actually did that? Nooooooo. I ate a full-on regular set of meals before, gorged that night (complete with fries on the side), and felt miserable. Fun!! It was to the point where I needed acid reflux meds to keep me going, and not even just on BBW nights. I actually started throwing up because I was eating too much grease sometimes. Thought I was really sick--turns out I was just unhealthy.
So, now what? How has that changed since I started this process of fit=fun? Well, let's use today as an example. I don't intend to skip out on fun times and good food with my friends, and I also don't intend to jack up my diet. So. I got up this morning and did a little exercise. Pretty soon I'm going to the Y to take a class for more exercise. I don't get in all the exercise I need every day, but if there's something gross and delicious in my day's events, you can bet I am sure to fit it all in. WW asks us to do 4 activity pts a day, so I'll do at least that many. Then those are 4 points I can add to my daily allotment guilt free...that's a (small) boneless wing with a point leftover! Score!
But, of course, that's not enough. Exercise won't get me all the way to guilt-free wing night. So today, I have plans to really make good food decisions. On days like this, I don't really eat meals. I graze. I don't want to eat too much, but I also don't want to have a grumpy and empty stomach so I eat just enough, and just often enough, to keep my stomach in line. I just ate some steel-cut oats (TRY THEM!!) with fresh blueberries. That's 2.5 pts (about 200 cals if you don't follow WW). After I get done with pilates, I'll have a little more fruit. Then around noon or 1:00, I'll have some vegetables (probably bell peppers) with a Laughing Cow cheese or hummus. Then around 2:30 or 3:00 I will have some more fruit and/or maybe some Ryvita crackers (TRY THEM!!!) with either the Laughing Cow or hummus (whichever I didn't have before). None of these things have more than 2pts. So by the time it's 5pm and I'm at the table at BWW, I'll have eaten maybe 7 or 8 points (I get 25 per day, plus whatever activity points I earn). That leaves me PLENTY of room for wings with zero guilt. And I'll have had something in my stomach all day--and all high-fiber, filling foods. I'm sure I will feel a tad hungry, but I'll never feel ravenous.
The other little trick is to keep water with you at all times. I do every day, frankly, but on days like this, where I'm reserving points for a big meal, I am constantly sipping on water because that makes my stomach feel fuller with no points. Perfect!
The important thing, though, is that you don't go all nutters from hunger. Don't let yourself starve and get grumpy. If you're trying to graze all day to save up, but your stomach needs food, eat. If you don't, then you'll end up convincing yourself that you need 20 wings by the time you get there. Because ultimately, even if you go over your calorie/pt allotment for one day, it's soooooo not the end of the world. You just promise yourself that you'll be diligent the next day with exercise and staying carefully within your appropriate range. Your body can accommodate the occasional overindulgence. It's more important to enjoy yourself moderately than starve yourself ridiculously.
Oh, and also. I get a salad with low-cal dressing to eat before my wings. That makes me a little fuller with fewer wings. :)
Lastly, speaking of restaurants, a high school friend reminded me of a site I haven't been to in awhile but that's worth a look. Dotti's Weight Loss Zone gives you the WW point counts for food at tons of restaurant chains. Basically, a good rule of thumb is 1pt = 50 cal, so you can estimate cals if you're not into the WW point system. It will shock you to see the numbers, but happy that most places have a decent choice or two.
Oof. That was a long one...
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Regrets...I've had a few...but then again, too few to mention (except one)
I broke my own rule ("pay attention and savor the flavor"). I just snarfed down that Skinny Cow at the computer, so I wasn't paying attention to how good it was. Hence, I wasted 140 cal (2 pts) with no real pleasure. Sad me.
Sources of Interest
Thought I'd start out by highlighting places on the Internet that have helped me, just to show I don't imagine myself as the inventor of healthy eating blogs. :) These sites are fun and easy--no recipe sites that call for crap you'd never have in your kitchen. No sites that insist you run for two hours a day or eat only leeks and drink only water. Here they are:
SkinnyTaste: Wowy. My friend, Kristen, first pointed me to this site, and I've already used it a ton. It's filled with healthy recipes using everyday ingredients. When I was with my cousin in Minnesota, we tried several recipes and loved them all. I made ratatouille from here for some friends last week. It gives you all you need to know, including your Weight Watchers points per serving. Love it.
Hungry Girl: This one I got from another friend, Lynette. It's worth subscribing to her email newsletter. Each day has fun information on restaurants, making bad foods healthier, etc. Also includes Weight Watchers points info. My only caveat for this site is that she focuses a lot on processed foods and artificial sweeteners, which I am working hard to cut back on. Ideally, she'd bump up her whole foods promotion, but it's her site...she can do whatever she wants! :) And what she does is great.
Snack Girl: Pretty similar in name, but Snack Girl focuses more on avoiding processed/artificial foods. She's kind of on a mission to illuminate how fake our diets are, and I kind of dig that. I'm new to this site, but I've liked it so far.
Michael Pollan's site: Michael Pollan wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma, which I found fascinating. His site has up-to-date information on food in modern society. He's one of those rare people who is reasoned and rational in his approach to social issues.
There are the four most popular sites on my Bookmark List. I would love to hear what your favorites are! Let me know in a comment or email and I'll make sure they get some attention. Tomorrow, I'll write something more specific to my own process.
Cheers!
SkinnyTaste: Wowy. My friend, Kristen, first pointed me to this site, and I've already used it a ton. It's filled with healthy recipes using everyday ingredients. When I was with my cousin in Minnesota, we tried several recipes and loved them all. I made ratatouille from here for some friends last week. It gives you all you need to know, including your Weight Watchers points per serving. Love it.
Hungry Girl: This one I got from another friend, Lynette. It's worth subscribing to her email newsletter. Each day has fun information on restaurants, making bad foods healthier, etc. Also includes Weight Watchers points info. My only caveat for this site is that she focuses a lot on processed foods and artificial sweeteners, which I am working hard to cut back on. Ideally, she'd bump up her whole foods promotion, but it's her site...she can do whatever she wants! :) And what she does is great.
Snack Girl: Pretty similar in name, but Snack Girl focuses more on avoiding processed/artificial foods. She's kind of on a mission to illuminate how fake our diets are, and I kind of dig that. I'm new to this site, but I've liked it so far.
Michael Pollan's site: Michael Pollan wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma, which I found fascinating. His site has up-to-date information on food in modern society. He's one of those rare people who is reasoned and rational in his approach to social issues.
There are the four most popular sites on my Bookmark List. I would love to hear what your favorites are! Let me know in a comment or email and I'll make sure they get some attention. Tomorrow, I'll write something more specific to my own process.
Cheers!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
So Here We Are...
In October 2009, I went to Iowa City to visit some friends and go to a birthday party. As usual, I took my camera with me, eager to have photos of my time there. When I returned home, I uploaded the pictures and started to cry.
Crying is not unusual for me, but this time I had good reason to cry. I could no longer hide the fact that I looked more overweight than I've ever looked. I had always been overweight, but in October 2009, I was bordering on obese. I had moved to a new town after graduating from grad school, and I got a little too comfortable with the beer-and-cheese diet of my new home state of Wisconsin. I was lazy. I was depressed. I gained weight.
A friend had offered to take me along to her Weight Watchers meeting whenever I wanted, so the following day, I told her I was coming with her that night. That night was October 24, 2009. The transformations that have happened for me since that night have been powerful, profound, and exciting.
Through meetings and tracking the calories I ate, I lost 58 pounds in eight months. More importantly, I revolutionized my thinking, my behaviors, and my relationship to food. I now exercise every day. I eat mostly fruits and vegetables. I now drink diet soda only sparingly. I rarely eat meat. The thought of fatty, salty food kind of grosses me out.
In other words, I went from fat and unhappy to thin and thrilled. I am now energetic, confident, and ready for anything. All because I learned to see food as fuel not as an emotional salve or a source of cheap and short-term pleasure.
Watching me do this have been my very encouraging and supportive family and the friends, all of whom heard my stories in person and on Facebook. Many of them have asked me about how I've done all this, and how they can eat more like me to lose their own excess weight. So I decided to build a new blog that discusses the things I now do, the things I now eat, and the way I incorporate exercise and health into my daily life. I envision this blog as interactive. I'll post things regularly, but if you have questions for me, let me know and I'll answer them the best I can.
Obviously, I'm not a doctor, nor am I a nutritionist/dietitian. I'm no expert. I can just tell you what worked for me. If it encourages you to choose better foods, great. But don't let this be a replacement for seeking professional medical help if you need it. Just use this as...bear with me...food for thought. Ouch. That pun was so bad it even hurt me.
Crying is not unusual for me, but this time I had good reason to cry. I could no longer hide the fact that I looked more overweight than I've ever looked. I had always been overweight, but in October 2009, I was bordering on obese. I had moved to a new town after graduating from grad school, and I got a little too comfortable with the beer-and-cheese diet of my new home state of Wisconsin. I was lazy. I was depressed. I gained weight.
A friend had offered to take me along to her Weight Watchers meeting whenever I wanted, so the following day, I told her I was coming with her that night. That night was October 24, 2009. The transformations that have happened for me since that night have been powerful, profound, and exciting.
Through meetings and tracking the calories I ate, I lost 58 pounds in eight months. More importantly, I revolutionized my thinking, my behaviors, and my relationship to food. I now exercise every day. I eat mostly fruits and vegetables. I now drink diet soda only sparingly. I rarely eat meat. The thought of fatty, salty food kind of grosses me out.
In other words, I went from fat and unhappy to thin and thrilled. I am now energetic, confident, and ready for anything. All because I learned to see food as fuel not as an emotional salve or a source of cheap and short-term pleasure.
Watching me do this have been my very encouraging and supportive family and the friends, all of whom heard my stories in person and on Facebook. Many of them have asked me about how I've done all this, and how they can eat more like me to lose their own excess weight. So I decided to build a new blog that discusses the things I now do, the things I now eat, and the way I incorporate exercise and health into my daily life. I envision this blog as interactive. I'll post things regularly, but if you have questions for me, let me know and I'll answer them the best I can.
Obviously, I'm not a doctor, nor am I a nutritionist/dietitian. I'm no expert. I can just tell you what worked for me. If it encourages you to choose better foods, great. But don't let this be a replacement for seeking professional medical help if you need it. Just use this as...bear with me...food for thought. Ouch. That pun was so bad it even hurt me.
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