Monday, August 31, 2009
Getting through the afternoon- Zone Day 1
At 4:45 I had a headache. I am not starving, but could eat. I am almost done with a turkey and cheese sandwich (yes, the unfavorable bread!), but it is all within my blocks. I didn't use much mayo so that I could have some 1/2 and 1/2 in some afternoon coffee, as well, to get me through the soccer games tonight. My headache is already gone, and I haven't had any coffee yet. I may be hungry tonight, but at least I get one more snack.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
8-31-09 Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal Breakfast/Day 1 of Angela Zoning
So I want to do something different for breakfast in the morning...I looked up oatmeal recipes on FOODNETWORK and found Ellie making a cherry vanilla oatmeal for breakfast. Sounds good, right!? Great for the kids, but I have to figure out how to make it a three block breakfast for me, too (because it sounds good and I want some!). I think I will just use two pans so I can make sure I've kept my measurements straight. I'm using whole oats to get more bang for the buck and so I will cook them on the stove top to avoid a mess in the microwave.
Carbs:
Oatmeal= 1/3 cup cooked =1 block
1 tablespoon of black cherry All Fruit fruit spread (jam with no sugar, just fruit juice sweetened)=1 block
2 tablespoons of wheat germ =1 block, almost
1/2 tsp. of vanilla
(I will put dried cherries in the kids, but not mine b/c my carb blocks are used up already)
Fat:
2/3 tsp. butter (yes, annoying to measure!)= 2 blocks
1 tbsp. half and half in my coffee= 1 block
Protein:
Frittata with 2 eggs and 1 1/2 oz. feta cheese (I will measure this in my nifty scale)
Ellie also made this on FOODNETWORK and it looked so easy. She made hers with broccoli and red onion. Mine will be more simple since I am having oatmeal too. I just need plain protein!
The "Fruit Spread" is riding the line, well, it is "unfavorable", but oatmeal needs flavor, right? I will update whether or not this caused a problem for me later in the day. Also, I will not be working out this morning, otherwise I might be a bit more weary of having anything sweet at all.
Coffee factor: Get used to it without sugar! You can if you want it badly enough! That has been my experience. I actually don't like it sweet now. My dad experienced the same thing when he was changing his diet after learning he had type 2 diabetes. I didn't believe him that he was ok with no sugar because I thought he was telling himself that because he had to, but it has proven true for me, too.
For Lunch: 3 block meal
I will be gone all day and have packed my lunch:
One small can of white albacore tuna to eat plain (maybe salt)= 3 blocks protein
1 large apple= 2 carb blocks
2 cups raw broccoli= 1 carb block
2 teaspoons of ranch dip for broccoli= 3 fat blocks
water to drink
Carbs:
Oatmeal= 1/3 cup cooked =1 block
1 tablespoon of black cherry All Fruit fruit spread (jam with no sugar, just fruit juice sweetened)=1 block
2 tablespoons of wheat germ =1 block, almost
1/2 tsp. of vanilla
(I will put dried cherries in the kids, but not mine b/c my carb blocks are used up already)
Fat:
2/3 tsp. butter (yes, annoying to measure!)= 2 blocks
1 tbsp. half and half in my coffee= 1 block
Protein:
Frittata with 2 eggs and 1 1/2 oz. feta cheese (I will measure this in my nifty scale)
Ellie also made this on FOODNETWORK and it looked so easy. She made hers with broccoli and red onion. Mine will be more simple since I am having oatmeal too. I just need plain protein!
The "Fruit Spread" is riding the line, well, it is "unfavorable", but oatmeal needs flavor, right? I will update whether or not this caused a problem for me later in the day. Also, I will not be working out this morning, otherwise I might be a bit more weary of having anything sweet at all.
Coffee factor: Get used to it without sugar! You can if you want it badly enough! That has been my experience. I actually don't like it sweet now. My dad experienced the same thing when he was changing his diet after learning he had type 2 diabetes. I didn't believe him that he was ok with no sugar because I thought he was telling himself that because he had to, but it has proven true for me, too.
For Lunch: 3 block meal
I will be gone all day and have packed my lunch:
One small can of white albacore tuna to eat plain (maybe salt)= 3 blocks protein
1 large apple= 2 carb blocks
2 cups raw broccoli= 1 carb block
2 teaspoons of ranch dip for broccoli= 3 fat blocks
water to drink
8-30-09 Sunday Lunch
We are usually starving and I haven't cooked ahead by the time we get home from church on Sundays. So, we tend to do sandwiches and wraps. Today I copied Evan and made a TUNA WRAP. It was so yummy! I usually shy away from warm tuna melts- it doesn't sound too appealing to me, but today I tried it- you try it!
TUNA MELT:
Sundried Tomato wrap by Toufayan in the deli section (this works for the carbs of a 3 block meal)
Spread with mayo, or your choice of fat
Lay chedder cheese
Put chunks of tuna on top (we like the chunk white albacore the best- even plain)
Fold over sides, then roll it up
Fry in a little olive oil in a skillet (you must purchase a cast iron skillet for crunch factor!)
YUMMY! It hit the spot! Drink with unsweet decaf ice tea, or reg. unsweet, some lemon
*This was close to a 3 block meal for me- I eyed it, but tomorrow I am starting back to measuring for 9 weeks! Anyone care to join me? Kim and Shelly (sp?) are in also!
TUNA MELT:
Sundried Tomato wrap by Toufayan in the deli section (this works for the carbs of a 3 block meal)
Spread with mayo, or your choice of fat
Lay chedder cheese
Put chunks of tuna on top (we like the chunk white albacore the best- even plain)
Fold over sides, then roll it up
Fry in a little olive oil in a skillet (you must purchase a cast iron skillet for crunch factor!)
YUMMY! It hit the spot! Drink with unsweet decaf ice tea, or reg. unsweet, some lemon
*This was close to a 3 block meal for me- I eyed it, but tomorrow I am starting back to measuring for 9 weeks! Anyone care to join me? Kim and Shelly (sp?) are in also!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
8-26-09 Dinner
Whole baked chicken- easy, but you have to be at home to let it cook an hour
cantaloupe
green beans
corn (for the kids)
milk or water
*I will use the leftovers to cook chicken enchiladas tomorrow night!
The kids loved it all! Sam ate all the green beans, Sophie loved the chicken, Jack scarfed it down. I gave the cantaloupe for desert because they would all eat that first while their veggies got cold.
cantaloupe
green beans
corn (for the kids)
milk or water
*I will use the leftovers to cook chicken enchiladas tomorrow night!
The kids loved it all! Sam ate all the green beans, Sophie loved the chicken, Jack scarfed it down. I gave the cantaloupe for desert because they would all eat that first while their veggies got cold.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The keys to success
I am not big on cooking. Baking, I love, because sugar is soooo good! My desire for real cooking comes and goes. But know I have growing kids that need real meals! So, I have found these tips especially important:
-Keep it simple, stupid- as the firefighters say: Have a simple list of your favorite whole foods that you buy every time you go shopping
-COOK AHEAD:
I buy chicken and ground beef and cook a lot at a time- it will last a couple of day for lunches and dinners.
I also like to keep boiled eggs in the frig for a quick meal or snack or to make egg salad or slice and put in a cobb salad.
Buy cheese by the block when they are on sale and cut into cubes for easy snacks (cheaper than buying it precut) or buy mozz cheese sticks by the bulk.
-If you can ELIMINATE SUGAR, and I also mean hidden sugar in dressings and prepackaged foods, then good foods start to actually taste good! Buy only whole foods and spice them up yourself- salt and pepper, oil and vinegar, cinnamon and honey (also try agave nectar, it's less sweet) need to become your best friends!
-Keep NUTS on hand for snacks.
-Evan keeps telling me to take my FISH OIL, so I will. It is good in so many ways, aside from being good for your skin and hair and eyes and heart! Take good fish oil capsules every day!
-Think LESS. We are all used to eating more than we actually need when it comes to most foods. On the other hand, think MORE when it comes to veggies! We often could eat much larger portions of these than we tend to take.
-Keep it simple, stupid- as the firefighters say: Have a simple list of your favorite whole foods that you buy every time you go shopping
-COOK AHEAD:
I buy chicken and ground beef and cook a lot at a time- it will last a couple of day for lunches and dinners.
I also like to keep boiled eggs in the frig for a quick meal or snack or to make egg salad or slice and put in a cobb salad.
Buy cheese by the block when they are on sale and cut into cubes for easy snacks (cheaper than buying it precut) or buy mozz cheese sticks by the bulk.
-If you can ELIMINATE SUGAR, and I also mean hidden sugar in dressings and prepackaged foods, then good foods start to actually taste good! Buy only whole foods and spice them up yourself- salt and pepper, oil and vinegar, cinnamon and honey (also try agave nectar, it's less sweet) need to become your best friends!
-Keep NUTS on hand for snacks.
-Evan keeps telling me to take my FISH OIL, so I will. It is good in so many ways, aside from being good for your skin and hair and eyes and heart! Take good fish oil capsules every day!
-Think LESS. We are all used to eating more than we actually need when it comes to most foods. On the other hand, think MORE when it comes to veggies! We often could eat much larger portions of these than we tend to take.
Dinner Options
Most of the time, I cook a meat and sides, such as veggies that are sauted or fruit. But sometimes I change it up a bit. So here are things that we might eat for dinner. * are meals we eat often.
*Roast with Peppers, Zuccini, squash, green beans
Chicken cubes wrapped with bacon (ok, the bacon is over on the fats, but it is soooo good!)
Kabobs- ham and cheese cubes, fruit
*Mini meatloaf muffins (or ground chicken muffins- still working on this one!)
Tacos
Quesidillas
Fruit Salad
*Raw Veggies with dip
Pita chips (spray with olive oil, add salt and pepper, and broil for a few minutes on low)
*Hamburgers (90/10) without the bun
Baked fish- my favorite is Salmon (use lemon juice, salt and pepper, and experiment from there, but keep it simple)
Grilled chicken salads
Stir Fry
*Bake whole Chicken with cooked veggies on the side
steak
*Roast with Peppers, Zuccini, squash, green beans
Chicken cubes wrapped with bacon (ok, the bacon is over on the fats, but it is soooo good!)
Kabobs- ham and cheese cubes, fruit
*Mini meatloaf muffins (or ground chicken muffins- still working on this one!)
Tacos
Quesidillas
Fruit Salad
*Raw Veggies with dip
Pita chips (spray with olive oil, add salt and pepper, and broil for a few minutes on low)
*Hamburgers (90/10) without the bun
Baked fish- my favorite is Salmon (use lemon juice, salt and pepper, and experiment from there, but keep it simple)
Grilled chicken salads
Stir Fry
*Bake whole Chicken with cooked veggies on the side
steak
8-5-09 Dinner
Cabbage with chicken and turkey sausage
Decaf tea with stevia sweetner
*chicken and turkey sausage were cut into small bite size pieces and then cooked in olive oil in our iron skillet. Yum!
-Sam (age 1 and 1/2) ate strawberries and chicken and turkey sausage, but no cabbage, and milk
-Evan had an extra side of cooked chicken
Decaf tea with stevia sweetner
*chicken and turkey sausage were cut into small bite size pieces and then cooked in olive oil in our iron skillet. Yum!
-Sam (age 1 and 1/2) ate strawberries and chicken and turkey sausage, but no cabbage, and milk
-Evan had an extra side of cooked chicken
Kids' Lunch Box Options
*There are no added refined sugars to any of these foods.
I read in "Sugar Busters for Kids" that kids do not need quite as much protein as we adults. Their proportions are 20% protein, 50% carbs and 10% fats.
Protein Options:
ham and cheese cubes on skewers
cheese sticks
yogurt (lowest sugar possible)-flavored greek yogurt
beef jerkey
turkey and cheese rollup
Boiled eggs or egg salad is a great option, but my kids aren't to this point yet!
Protein + Carb Options:
cheese and crackers (whole wheat)
Turkey and cheese rollup in tortilla
Carbohydrate Options:
applesauce (not prefered over an apple, but easy to pack when you want to change it up a bit)
grapes
strawberries
little box of raisins (sweet as desert!)
banana (although unfavorable-high on glycemic index, but better than sugar b/c of nutrients) :)
apple
veggies (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)
celery, pb, and raisins to make "ants on a log"
pbj cutouts
Fats Options:
trail mix {raisins and nuts- the combinations are many! Try pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)}
Ranch dip with the veggies
Peanut Butter to dip apples or celery in
*Peanut Butter is higher in fat than in protein, therefore it is considered a fat option by Dr. Sears of the Zone diet
Try these all in oners (includes protein, carbs, fat):
-Mini pita sandwiches w/ turkey and mayo
-Salad: celery, apple, carrots, raisins, ham cubes, then mix with mayo or miracle whip. The key will be to cut everything really small. Do not add extra sugar! Raisins and apples are plenty sweet.
I read in "Sugar Busters for Kids" that kids do not need quite as much protein as we adults. Their proportions are 20% protein, 50% carbs and 10% fats.
Protein Options:
ham and cheese cubes on skewers
cheese sticks
yogurt (lowest sugar possible)-flavored greek yogurt
beef jerkey
turkey and cheese rollup
Boiled eggs or egg salad is a great option, but my kids aren't to this point yet!
Protein + Carb Options:
cheese and crackers (whole wheat)
Turkey and cheese rollup in tortilla
Carbohydrate Options:
applesauce (not prefered over an apple, but easy to pack when you want to change it up a bit)
grapes
strawberries
little box of raisins (sweet as desert!)
banana (although unfavorable-high on glycemic index, but better than sugar b/c of nutrients) :)
apple
veggies (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)
celery, pb, and raisins to make "ants on a log"
pbj cutouts
Fats Options:
trail mix {raisins and nuts- the combinations are many! Try pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)}
Ranch dip with the veggies
Peanut Butter to dip apples or celery in
*Peanut Butter is higher in fat than in protein, therefore it is considered a fat option by Dr. Sears of the Zone diet
Try these all in oners (includes protein, carbs, fat):
-Mini pita sandwiches w/ turkey and mayo
-Salad: celery, apple, carrots, raisins, ham cubes, then mix with mayo or miracle whip. The key will be to cut everything really small. Do not add extra sugar! Raisins and apples are plenty sweet.
Breakfast Options
Raisin Toast (Ezekial Bread)
Scrambled Eggs
Turkey Sausage/Bacon
Fruit
Milk
Nuts
Plain Greek Yogurt (add honey or agave nectar or stevia and cinnamon) +/- fruit
Scrambled Eggs
Turkey Sausage/Bacon
Fruit
Milk
Nuts
Plain Greek Yogurt (add honey or agave nectar or stevia and cinnamon) +/- fruit
Monday, August 3, 2009
8-3-09 What's for eats
Breakfast: kind of eyed it, probably went over on fats since I was only eating 1 block (due to time and lack of hunger)
Me: 1 boiled egg, 1/2 piece Ezekial Raisin bread w/ 1/2 tsp.butter, coffee w/1 tsp. cream
kids: 1 & half piece raisin toast w/ butter, 1/2 cup milk
Lunch:
me: spinich salald w/ 1 boiled egg, 1 block lunch meat, 1 block mozz. and chedder cheese chunks, 1 tbs. bacon bits, oil & vinegar dressing, a/b 15 grapes on the side
kis:cheese and crackers, apple, pool treats (poptarts from machine)
snack:
me: two pb honey mini pitas, coffee w/ 1 tsp. cream
kids: 3 mini pita sandwiches (peanut butter/ honey/ banana slices), strawberries, water, dried apples
dinner:
all: roast w/ peppers and onions, squash, kids ate broccoli w/ ranch dip, decaf unsweet tea (added Stevia to kids's tea)
Me: 1 boiled egg, 1/2 piece Ezekial Raisin bread w/ 1/2 tsp.butter, coffee w/1 tsp. cream
kids: 1 & half piece raisin toast w/ butter, 1/2 cup milk
Lunch:
me: spinich salald w/ 1 boiled egg, 1 block lunch meat, 1 block mozz. and chedder cheese chunks, 1 tbs. bacon bits, oil & vinegar dressing, a/b 15 grapes on the side
kis:cheese and crackers, apple, pool treats (poptarts from machine)
snack:
me: two pb honey mini pitas, coffee w/ 1 tsp. cream
kids: 3 mini pita sandwiches (peanut butter/ honey/ banana slices), strawberries, water, dried apples
dinner:
all: roast w/ peppers and onions, squash, kids ate broccoli w/ ranch dip, decaf unsweet tea (added Stevia to kids's tea)
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