Trying. Really I am. But eating from a box is so easy. (That's what he said)
I am trying to eat a little healthier in 2014. I'm not going to go crazy and swear off carbs or alcohol or caffeine but I need to make some adjustments due to my cholesterol and muffin-top. For a family history that didn't have grandparents live past the age of 65 I should know better. (Stroke-Alcoholism-Stroke-Colon Cancer)
I adore food. I don't order salads when I go to dinner and have been known to eat as much as my husband. On a recent trip with friends where the food was included I would order 2 entrees. WHO DOES THAT! This girl. Who also loves McDonads, Taco Bell, Chick Fil A, Moe's....etc? This girl. Who demolished an entire box of white fudge covered oreos? This girl.
So here is an idea of what I am trying to do Monday-Friday. Let me know if you have suggestions for healthier alternatives or ideas on how you could get me to eat more vegetables. I like vegetables as much as I like Scotch. (I don't.)
Breakfast
I need to lower my Cholesterol. The Dr isn't that concerned with it yet but being in a family with arterial disease and a bunch of other fun issues (minor episode of Afib) I need to take better care of myself. Oatmeal fixes that right? That's what that old man said.
On the weekends I will drink one of these. You can get them at Sam's. I'm sure that negative-Nancy Food Babe would tell me these shakes will kill me just as she says every other type of food will but they serve a purpose and the chocolate actually tastes pretty great.
Lunch
Sweet Southern Prep suggested these soups and I am digging them.
They actually do fill me up (at least for 2 hours) and taste pretty good. I dump most of the liquid out to make it more stew-ey. Other than these and a turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread does anyone have any other ideas for lunch? I make Tuna salad too but I probably use way too much Mayo.
Dinner
Dinner is mostly left up to the husband. We do Grilled Chicken, Pork Chops, Soups, Stir-fry...etc. We need some new ideas because he gets sick of me requesting Broiled Chicken and Peas. We try not to do too much pasta for dinner but are open to ideas. We did start incorporating Spaghetti Squash as an alternative to whole wheat pasta and I actually like it. More healthy dinner ideas??
Snacks
NUTS. I love NUTS. I buy bags of raw pecans at Trader Joe's but should probably limit how much I eat. I know almonds are better for you but pecans are just too damn good. And its pronounced Pe-cahn. Not CAN.
String Cheese
Apples and Peanut Butter
Exercise
I am dying to get back to Pure Barre. I have never seen results so fast and loved the classes. It is a little pricey and would take longer than my lunch hour but I am trying to figure out a way to start up again. For now I'm just doing 30-45 minutes of cardio 5 days a week and arm weights. And chasing my kid around public spaces. You know you've seen me do this. Its embarrassing.
Booze
I hit up the good ole' Pinot Evil Box 2-3 times a night. (Max won't let me drink the good stuff if he isn't drinking with me) I never pour a full glass but it is hard to stop walking over and getting a "little" more. I try to stick to red wine M-F and save Bourbon for the weekends. This changes if feeding my son proves to be more difficult than a glass of wine can handle or if friends come over. The Tar Heels and Saints haven't helped either so if they are playing (were playing) I would usually have to step it up to Bourbon for those guys.
Cheating
There are two things this time of year that can totally derail my plan and make me have an affair on the above plan...
Girl Scout Cookies
King Cakes. Order Haydel's. Trust me.
Do you all have any advice/recipes/suggestions for more meal options?
Have a great weekend!
xoxo
Natalie at designer bags has some great lunch ideas! I feel like I always have some "snacks" for lunch...a little bit of a few things!
ReplyDeleteI really like budget bytes http://www.budgetbytes.com for recipes. Almost any recipe can be made "healthier" by using olive or canola instead of butter and using skim milk instead of whole milk. I have high cholesterol too. And I've discovered that velveta has less cholesterol than real cheese so I use that in recipes sometimes or for mixing with veggies. I really like greek yogurt and it's good for lunch but you have to watch out because some of it has a lot of added sugar. I'd also give peanut butter with out added sugar a try.
ReplyDeleteIt is so easy to eat from a box. I am working on improving my eating this year and getting my butt into the gym more. I have a family history of diabetes and heart disease and won't to ward off that for as long as possible. I like your ideas.
ReplyDeleteKat- I have high cholesterol as well (though my good cholesterol is super high too so it somewhat negates all the red meat and cheese I consume). For breakfast, I take plain greek yogurt (either 2% or fat free) and mix some PB2 (dehydrated peanut butter. Good without the calories of the real stuff) with it. Add in some fruit (either frozen or what I have in the fridge), and sometimes a few sliced almonds for crunch. It fills me up like nobody's business.
ReplyDeleteLunch, pre-ban-on-lunch-meat, I ate a ton of dell meat. Specifically, Boards head ever roast chicken. I would take 4 oz and chop it up, throw it in a fry pan to warm. Add some salsa, avocado, cilantro, jalepeno, cumin, and whatever else…. and then at the end, mix in a little sour cream or greek yogurt. Kinda like a mexican bowl of goodness. Delish and low-calorie but high protein.
Dinners, we do a lot of red meat still, but also salmon and chicken thighs (I think breasts are overrated). We sauté a lot of spinach, and throw some park on top at the end. Good for you, and it reduces like crazy, so you eat a lot of veggie, but not a lot of bulk on your plate. Hope this helps! And I say bull$hit to bourbon only on the weekends. One or two bourbons have got to be less calories than a bottle or box of red, right?