It has been just over 2 weeks since the really intense nutrition make over started. As I sit here, I am eating baked pita chips with some awesome garlic hummus and my vice, tea with milk and sugar. Aside from the daily caffeine fixes (our coach calls us the "Latte Club") I have been doing a great job at changing how I eat. It is, after all, a lifestyle change more than a diet. More importantly, I have been enjoying it and feeling better and more energized during work outs. It must be working.
Although I didn't throw things out of my fridge (wasting is bad!) I am slowly using up the old stuff and replacing it with new stuff. Some of the recent additions and must haves now include:
- Skim Milk
- Fat free soy milk
- Partially Skimmed Chocolate Milk
- Liberte 0% Fat Greek Yogurt
- Eat Right 0% Probiotic Strawberry Yogurt
- Fresh Vegetables of all colours but the staples are: Bell peppers, celery stalks, carrots, spinach or salad mix, yellow onions, cherry tomatoes and roma or on the vine tomatoes, parsley, fresh herbs
- Yves Meatless meat... It's like ground beef but it's soy based
Recent additions this week include:
- Red (but they are purple) beets
- Hummus
- lentils and chickpeas (from the can but I refrigerate after I open)
My snacks have changed substantially to some of these better options:
- 100% whole wheat slice of toast with almond butter
- A bowl of half greek and half strawberry (see above) yogurt with apple slices (with peel on)
- Small amount of raisins, raw pumpkin seeds and raw sunflower seeds
- Banana with Almond/peanut butter w/ a glass of milk
- Baked pita chips and hummus
Some of the awesome meal ideas I've had on the fly:
1. Salmon
- Salmon fillet baked for 30 minutes with red onions, fresh organic basil and oregano, several lemon slices and a maple syrup based marinade-sauce
- Wild rice with nuts, seeds and cranberries mixed in
- Steamed vegetables
2. Salmon Wraps
- Whole wheat tortilla stuffed with spinach, yellow bell peppers, some left over salmon and some balsamic vinaigrette
3. Chickpea Salad
- Can of chick peas
- Veggies: cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, bell peppers, parsley, oregano
- Dressing: fresh lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar
4. Orzo
- boil some orzo
- stirfry veggies (peppers, carrots, celery, onions etc.)
- add meatless meat (Yves)
- add orzo
- add a bit of balsamic vinegar (to cook with)
- add the pasta and mix
- add parmesan cheese and stir in so it melts
5. Lasagna
- use whole wheat lasagna noodles
- no salt added tomato sauce and paste
- Ricotta cheese (i guess this is the splurge in MF) mix: ricotta, egg, chopped parsley and oregano and some garlic
- Cook onions and lean ground turkey
- First layer: Ricotta cheese mix and then put on top some spinach
- Second layer: ground turkey mix with tomato sauce
- Third layer: more spinach plus sliced zucchino
- top with noodles and cheese: partially skimmed mozzarrella and cheddar
- Bake 350F for an hour
Okay, so that's about how creative I have been this week. The key, I've found, is to have a well stocked cupboard and fridge. That's really all it's about. If All you have is healthy options then all you can eat is healthy! I've also made sure to be having enough protein throughout the day (greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, skim milk, soy milk and beans/chickpeas) and also getting most of my calories from fruits and vegetables. On top of that post-workouts include getting a banana in me ASAP before I even take off my headphones or start to get changed. My walk out to the car includes downing some chocolate milk!
All this is hopefully helping me get back on track, lean up and optimize everything in my body. I am still able to enjoy the comforts of all my favourite foods but there are some substitutions and this is a LIFESTYLE not a diet. That's the most important thing. Cutting things out is NOT cool... but ... finding ways to enjoy food and make other choices... that's the good way to do it!
I hope you enjoyed reading about the beginning of my nutritional journey. Hopefully there is more to come. I'll let you know how the lasagna turns out ... That's what's on the menu tonight!!
A little insight about being "HEALTHY" courtesy of Tyler's blog
Although I didn't throw things out of my fridge (wasting is bad!) I am slowly using up the old stuff and replacing it with new stuff. Some of the recent additions and must haves now include:
- Skim Milk
- Fat free soy milk
- Partially Skimmed Chocolate Milk
- Liberte 0% Fat Greek Yogurt
- Eat Right 0% Probiotic Strawberry Yogurt
- Fresh Vegetables of all colours but the staples are: Bell peppers, celery stalks, carrots, spinach or salad mix, yellow onions, cherry tomatoes and roma or on the vine tomatoes, parsley, fresh herbs
- Yves Meatless meat... It's like ground beef but it's soy based
Recent additions this week include:
- Red (but they are purple) beets
- Hummus
- lentils and chickpeas (from the can but I refrigerate after I open)
My snacks have changed substantially to some of these better options:
- 100% whole wheat slice of toast with almond butter
- A bowl of half greek and half strawberry (see above) yogurt with apple slices (with peel on)
- Small amount of raisins, raw pumpkin seeds and raw sunflower seeds
- Banana with Almond/peanut butter w/ a glass of milk
- Baked pita chips and hummus
Some of the awesome meal ideas I've had on the fly:
1. Salmon
- Salmon fillet baked for 30 minutes with red onions, fresh organic basil and oregano, several lemon slices and a maple syrup based marinade-sauce
- Wild rice with nuts, seeds and cranberries mixed in
- Steamed vegetables
2. Salmon Wraps
- Whole wheat tortilla stuffed with spinach, yellow bell peppers, some left over salmon and some balsamic vinaigrette
3. Chickpea Salad
- Can of chick peas
- Veggies: cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, bell peppers, parsley, oregano
- Dressing: fresh lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar
4. Orzo
- boil some orzo
- stirfry veggies (peppers, carrots, celery, onions etc.)
- add meatless meat (Yves)
- add orzo
- add a bit of balsamic vinegar (to cook with)
- add the pasta and mix
- add parmesan cheese and stir in so it melts
5. Lasagna
- use whole wheat lasagna noodles
- no salt added tomato sauce and paste
- Ricotta cheese (i guess this is the splurge in MF) mix: ricotta, egg, chopped parsley and oregano and some garlic
- Cook onions and lean ground turkey
- First layer: Ricotta cheese mix and then put on top some spinach
- Second layer: ground turkey mix with tomato sauce
- Third layer: more spinach plus sliced zucchino
- top with noodles and cheese: partially skimmed mozzarrella and cheddar
- Bake 350F for an hour
Okay, so that's about how creative I have been this week. The key, I've found, is to have a well stocked cupboard and fridge. That's really all it's about. If All you have is healthy options then all you can eat is healthy! I've also made sure to be having enough protein throughout the day (greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, skim milk, soy milk and beans/chickpeas) and also getting most of my calories from fruits and vegetables. On top of that post-workouts include getting a banana in me ASAP before I even take off my headphones or start to get changed. My walk out to the car includes downing some chocolate milk!
All this is hopefully helping me get back on track, lean up and optimize everything in my body. I am still able to enjoy the comforts of all my favourite foods but there are some substitutions and this is a LIFESTYLE not a diet. That's the most important thing. Cutting things out is NOT cool... but ... finding ways to enjoy food and make other choices... that's the good way to do it!
I hope you enjoyed reading about the beginning of my nutritional journey. Hopefully there is more to come. I'll let you know how the lasagna turns out ... That's what's on the menu tonight!!
A little insight about being "HEALTHY" courtesy of Tyler's blog
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