Today's weigh in was great - another 2 lb. gone, for a total of 17.6 gone in 6 weeks. Hooray!
I did my grocery shopping after Weight Watchers and spent $97.15 for the week, over my Thrifty Plan allotment by $5.00. I'll probably spend more tomorrow. We're hosting a Fourth of July party and party food obviously costs a bit more than your standard weekly menu, so I anticipate a higher budget this week. I bought fruits and veggies for a variety of CORE salads for the barbecue - the Mexican cole slaw, quinoa and black bean salad, grilled corn on the cob, and a fruit salad in a hollowed out watermelon. People are bringing their own meats to grill. We are also buying beer for the party, which will throw me way over budget! Our personal weekly menu, outside of the barbecue, is closer to $75 and won't change much.
***
I was attending a wedding in Pacifica today with my mom and we stopped at the Princeton Seafood Company (blogged about a few weeks back as well) for a healthy lunch on the way, not expecting to find much in the way of Weight Watchers friendly dining at the wedding. We split a fresh salmon salad (I dressed mine with lemon juice) and I had a cup of artichoke soup (all CORE ingredients.) As anticipated, the wedding had nothing that would work on my plan, and I'm very pleased that we thought ahead to eat so I wasn't there, hungry, with a buffet full of off-plan foods.
During the reception, my cutie 3-year-old nephew (son of the bride) was unaccompanied while the bridal party was doing bridal party things, so I helped him through the buffet and fed him lunch, then chased him for the next two hours or so. That kid has ENERGY, and wasn't at all interested in sitting still! At cake time, there was no one to cut the cake, and I volunteered to cut the cake - it's one of the random skills leftover from being a bride myself. Because I was staying busy, no one noticed that I didn't eat at the buffet or have any cake, and I was satisfied from lunch. I avoided the buffet line and the cake, having just one bite of my mom's cake. Hooray for this HUGE non-scale victory for me!
We stopped at Joy Meadow restaurant on the way home and had a nice, on program dinner. All I have to count for the day is the fortune cooke.
***
Daily Menu:
I ate out every meal today, and I was pleased with my choices. I don't know about the healthy oils, and dairy will be a midnight snack, but the rest of the 8 healthy guidelines were covered. Tomorrow we're attending a barbecue at a friend's house, and I plan to eat ahead and stay occupied, since the strategy worked well for me today!
Breakfast:
Plum
Lunch:
1 c. artichoke soup
about 2 c. green salad
1/2 hard boiled egg
about 3 ounces of salmon
Dinner:
Nepal Loaf (a bakede-burger type cake with brown rice, tofu, veggies, and a mushroom gravy made without flour)
about 1/2 c. brown rice
about 1/2 c. mixed veggies
fortune cookie (2 Points)
Snack:
2 c. milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 2
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 3 (chasing my nephew!)
Activity points this week: 3
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - no
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Eat your Rainbow
Color Your Diet Healthy with Fruits and Vegetables
By Sara Wells
Research shows that eating a rainbow of fruits and veggies protects you against cancer, heart disease, and the effects of aging. Here, the nutrient and antioxidant breakdown.
The Color of Nutrition
The bright red of a tomato, the sunny yellow of a pineapple... sure, they look pretty, but those vibrant hues aren't just eye candy. Each shade represents the phytonutrients plants make to protect themselves from sunlight, disease, soil problems, and extreme temperatures. "Plants can't put on a hat or wear sunscreen, so in order to survive, they create chemicals with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects," explains James A. Joseph, PhD, chief of the neuroscience lab at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. "When we eat produce, these substances are passed to us."
Both the government and the nonprofit Produce for Better Health Foundation say active women should aim for at least nine servings of fruits and veggies per day (half a cup equals one serving). To find out exactly how many cups you need each day, log on to mypyramid.gov. Then dig into these healthy picks.
Green
Smart choices: Kiwi, broccoli, romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, cabbage, honeydew, avocados
Simple substitution: Use spinach in your salad instead of iceberg lettuce.
Health benefits: Green veggies contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that protect eyesight and reduce your risk of developing macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease that can lead to blindness. Broccoli, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables contain compounds known as isothiocyanates, which may have anti-cancer properties.
Red
Smart choices: Tomatoes, red onions, watermelon, red grapes, radishes, cranberries, strawberries, red bell peppers
Simple substitution: Eat pink grapefruit instead of white.
Health benefits: Lycopene, a substance in tomatoes and watermelon, may reduce your risk for heart disease. The resveratrol in grapes (and red wine) may help treat lung disease and asthma and also lower your risk for heart disease.
Yellow
Smart choices: Yellow bell peppers, grapefruit, pineapple, lemons, squash
Simple substitution: Nibble on yellow corn instead of white.
Health benefits: In the lab, limonoids (compounds found in citrus fruits) have been shown to help fight cancers of the skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon. Yellow peppers are full of vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system.
Orange
Smart choices: Carrots, apricots, mangoes, oranges, pumpkin, cantaloupe
Simple substitution: Choose sweet potatoes rather than white.
Health benefits: Orange foods are loaded with beta-carotene, which may help boost the immune system, maintain healthy skin and bones, and keep eyesight healthy. The potassium in citrus fruits helps ward off heart disease.
Blue
Smart choices: Blueberries. Period. Studies show they pack more antioxidants than almost any other food.
Simple substitution: Buy wild blueberries instead of cultivated ones; they contain even more antioxidants.
Health benefits: Blueberries are full of anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting chemicals. New research suggests they may also help keep memory sharp.
Purple
Smart choices: Plums, eggplant, blackberries, purple grapes, raisins, prunes, figs, purple onions
Simple substitution: Replace green cabbage with purple.
Health benefits: Some purple foods, such as berries and grapes, contain ellagic acid, an anti-aging compound that may guard against cancer.
White
Smart choices: Jicama, pears, bananas, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, garlic
Simple substitution: Eat cauliflower instead of potatoes.
Health benefits: Allicin, a compound in onions and garlic, may inhibit tumor growth. Some white foods also contain flavonoids, which help reduce your risk of heart disease and some cancers.
Quick Ways to Make Veggies Taste Great
Toss fruit in your salad. Add strawberries or cherries to salads, suggests Ellie Krieger, RD, host of the Food Network's Healthy Appetite. "It's an easy way to get your fruits and veggies in one dish."
Go Asian. "Instead of steaming vegetables, try stir-frying them," says Krieger. "It's healthy, and tastes so much better. Try canola oil, snow peas, scallions, reduced-sodium soy sauce, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds."
Pop 'em in the oven. "Roasting really brings out the flavor in vegetables," says Krieger. Heat oven to 375 degrees, lightly coat vegetables with olive oil, and cook for 15 minutes (asparagus) to 60 minutes (squash). "Use roasted tomatoes in pasta sauce or roasted zucchini on sandwiches. Roasted asparagus is delicious on its own."
Make soup. "Saute broccoli or cauliflower with a few slices of onion in olive oil for two to three minutes. Add just enough chicken stock to cover the veggies; cook until stalks are tender. Remove from stove and puree."
Originally published in FITNESS magazine, May 2007.
By Sara Wells
Research shows that eating a rainbow of fruits and veggies protects you against cancer, heart disease, and the effects of aging. Here, the nutrient and antioxidant breakdown.
The Color of Nutrition
The bright red of a tomato, the sunny yellow of a pineapple... sure, they look pretty, but those vibrant hues aren't just eye candy. Each shade represents the phytonutrients plants make to protect themselves from sunlight, disease, soil problems, and extreme temperatures. "Plants can't put on a hat or wear sunscreen, so in order to survive, they create chemicals with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects," explains James A. Joseph, PhD, chief of the neuroscience lab at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. "When we eat produce, these substances are passed to us."
Both the government and the nonprofit Produce for Better Health Foundation say active women should aim for at least nine servings of fruits and veggies per day (half a cup equals one serving). To find out exactly how many cups you need each day, log on to mypyramid.gov. Then dig into these healthy picks.
Green
Smart choices: Kiwi, broccoli, romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, cabbage, honeydew, avocados
Simple substitution: Use spinach in your salad instead of iceberg lettuce.
Health benefits: Green veggies contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that protect eyesight and reduce your risk of developing macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease that can lead to blindness. Broccoli, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables contain compounds known as isothiocyanates, which may have anti-cancer properties.
Red
Smart choices: Tomatoes, red onions, watermelon, red grapes, radishes, cranberries, strawberries, red bell peppers
Simple substitution: Eat pink grapefruit instead of white.
Health benefits: Lycopene, a substance in tomatoes and watermelon, may reduce your risk for heart disease. The resveratrol in grapes (and red wine) may help treat lung disease and asthma and also lower your risk for heart disease.
Yellow
Smart choices: Yellow bell peppers, grapefruit, pineapple, lemons, squash
Simple substitution: Nibble on yellow corn instead of white.
Health benefits: In the lab, limonoids (compounds found in citrus fruits) have been shown to help fight cancers of the skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon. Yellow peppers are full of vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system.
Orange
Smart choices: Carrots, apricots, mangoes, oranges, pumpkin, cantaloupe
Simple substitution: Choose sweet potatoes rather than white.
Health benefits: Orange foods are loaded with beta-carotene, which may help boost the immune system, maintain healthy skin and bones, and keep eyesight healthy. The potassium in citrus fruits helps ward off heart disease.
Blue
Smart choices: Blueberries. Period. Studies show they pack more antioxidants than almost any other food.
Simple substitution: Buy wild blueberries instead of cultivated ones; they contain even more antioxidants.
Health benefits: Blueberries are full of anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting chemicals. New research suggests they may also help keep memory sharp.
Purple
Smart choices: Plums, eggplant, blackberries, purple grapes, raisins, prunes, figs, purple onions
Simple substitution: Replace green cabbage with purple.
Health benefits: Some purple foods, such as berries and grapes, contain ellagic acid, an anti-aging compound that may guard against cancer.
White
Smart choices: Jicama, pears, bananas, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, garlic
Simple substitution: Eat cauliflower instead of potatoes.
Health benefits: Allicin, a compound in onions and garlic, may inhibit tumor growth. Some white foods also contain flavonoids, which help reduce your risk of heart disease and some cancers.
Quick Ways to Make Veggies Taste Great
Toss fruit in your salad. Add strawberries or cherries to salads, suggests Ellie Krieger, RD, host of the Food Network's Healthy Appetite. "It's an easy way to get your fruits and veggies in one dish."
Go Asian. "Instead of steaming vegetables, try stir-frying them," says Krieger. "It's healthy, and tastes so much better. Try canola oil, snow peas, scallions, reduced-sodium soy sauce, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds."
Pop 'em in the oven. "Roasting really brings out the flavor in vegetables," says Krieger. Heat oven to 375 degrees, lightly coat vegetables with olive oil, and cook for 15 minutes (asparagus) to 60 minutes (squash). "Use roasted tomatoes in pasta sauce or roasted zucchini on sandwiches. Roasted asparagus is delicious on its own."
Make soup. "Saute broccoli or cauliflower with a few slices of onion in olive oil for two to three minutes. Add just enough chicken stock to cover the veggies; cook until stalks are tender. Remove from stove and puree."
Originally published in FITNESS magazine, May 2007.
Daily Menu for June 28
I was home late last night (almost 9 pm) and didn't have dinner. I ate my lunch late, and was a little hungry but didn't want to eat an hour before bed so I skipped it. I also didn't exercise yesterday. Today I'm catching up!
Breakfast
Egg salad, made with 1/2 c. yogurt and 1 t. flaxseed oil
Tomato
Lunch
Smoothie made with 1/2 c. yogurt, 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce, 1 c. berries, 1/4 c. oatmeal, 1 c. milk
Snack
celery sticks with salsa
Dinner
Sesame tofu stirfry with brown rice and Canola oil (1 PT for sesame oil)
Green beans
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 22.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 18
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - shredded wheat, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Breakfast
Egg salad, made with 1/2 c. yogurt and 1 t. flaxseed oil
Tomato
Lunch
Smoothie made with 1/2 c. yogurt, 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce, 1 c. berries, 1/4 c. oatmeal, 1 c. milk
Snack
celery sticks with salsa
Dinner
Sesame tofu stirfry with brown rice and Canola oil (1 PT for sesame oil)
Green beans
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 22.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 18
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - shredded wheat, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Crockpot Roasted Vegetable Chili
This recipe makes a wonderful, HUGE pot of chili with a complex flavor, sweet, subtle vegetal undertone and just a little heat. It's a great way to sneak in extra veggies, too! You can always up the heat, but my family likes it pretty mild and this isn't a very spicy dish. It really stretches a pound of lean ground beef to feed a crowd, too! It's not a quick meal, but it isn't difficult (despite the long directions!) and it freezes well. The leftovers are amazing. You'll need a big crockpot for this recipe, at least 5 QT. This easily makes 16 1-cup servings, if not more.
You can vary the vegetables being roasted with whatever you have on hand that is seasonal. You could also add 1 lb. cooked pumpkin or 1 15-oz. can cooked pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!) for a creamy texture and added veggie goodness, plus a subtle sweet back flavor. Pumpkin isn't in season here, but I've made chili with pumpkin and quite enjoyed it. I've also added chipotle in adobo, one or two peppers, for heat and smokiness, but I am out.
The cocoa powder isn't CORE, but there isn't enough to add Points to the recipe, so it's CORE.
Crockpot Roasted Vegetable Chili
Roasted Vegetables:
1-2 red bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 mild green chili
1-2 carrots
1 zucchini
1 T. tomato paste
1 T. olive oil
1 t. cumin seeds or ground cumin
1 t. oregano
1 t. salt
pepper to taste
1 head of garlic
Coarsely chop all vegetables. Coat with the olive oil, tomato paste, and spices. Spread the mixture in a 13"x9" pan. In the corner of the pan, place a whole head of garlic with the top 1/3 cut off, drizzled with olive oil. Roast in a 450 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meat mixture:
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced finely
1 mild green chile, diced finely, or 1 4-oz can diced green chiles, drained
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
just a splash of hot sauce, like Tabasco
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 c. TVP (texturized vegetable protein) reconstituted in 1 c. boiling water or broth for 5 minutes (optional - it has a texture similar to ground beef, so it helps stretch the beef in the chili)
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
another splash of hot sauce, like Tabasco
1 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
about 1 c. broth (vegetable or beef)
In a 12" skillet, NOT non-stick, saute the vegetables in the olive oil-hot sauce mixture until translucent. Add beef, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and spices, and cook until brown, breaking into small bits. Once it is all browned, add the reconstituted TVP and mix well. Pour into a heated crockpot. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with the 1 c. broth and reduce by half, then pour the broth into the crockpot.
Crockpot Chili ingredients:
Meat mixture
Roasted vegetables, EXCEPT GARLIC, processed in the food processor until it's about the consistency of salsa. (This is tasty as a salsa, too)
Roasted garlic, squeezed out of the papers and mashed in a small bowl
4 15-oz cans beans, drained and rinsed (black, kidney, and pinto beans all work well in this)
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6-oz can tomato paste (less the 1 T. used in the veggies)
1 T. chili powder
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 1/2 t. coriander
1 1/2 t. oregano
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 c. corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
Mix all the ingredients except corn together in the heated bowl of the crockpot. Stir well to combine, then cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Add the corn in the last 30 minutes.
You can vary the vegetables being roasted with whatever you have on hand that is seasonal. You could also add 1 lb. cooked pumpkin or 1 15-oz. can cooked pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!) for a creamy texture and added veggie goodness, plus a subtle sweet back flavor. Pumpkin isn't in season here, but I've made chili with pumpkin and quite enjoyed it. I've also added chipotle in adobo, one or two peppers, for heat and smokiness, but I am out.
The cocoa powder isn't CORE, but there isn't enough to add Points to the recipe, so it's CORE.
Crockpot Roasted Vegetable Chili
Roasted Vegetables:
1-2 red bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 mild green chili
1-2 carrots
1 zucchini
1 T. tomato paste
1 T. olive oil
1 t. cumin seeds or ground cumin
1 t. oregano
1 t. salt
pepper to taste
1 head of garlic
Coarsely chop all vegetables. Coat with the olive oil, tomato paste, and spices. Spread the mixture in a 13"x9" pan. In the corner of the pan, place a whole head of garlic with the top 1/3 cut off, drizzled with olive oil. Roast in a 450 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meat mixture:
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced finely
1 mild green chile, diced finely, or 1 4-oz can diced green chiles, drained
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
just a splash of hot sauce, like Tabasco
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 c. TVP (texturized vegetable protein) reconstituted in 1 c. boiling water or broth for 5 minutes (optional - it has a texture similar to ground beef, so it helps stretch the beef in the chili)
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
another splash of hot sauce, like Tabasco
1 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
about 1 c. broth (vegetable or beef)
In a 12" skillet, NOT non-stick, saute the vegetables in the olive oil-hot sauce mixture until translucent. Add beef, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and spices, and cook until brown, breaking into small bits. Once it is all browned, add the reconstituted TVP and mix well. Pour into a heated crockpot. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with the 1 c. broth and reduce by half, then pour the broth into the crockpot.
Crockpot Chili ingredients:
Meat mixture
Roasted vegetables, EXCEPT GARLIC, processed in the food processor until it's about the consistency of salsa. (This is tasty as a salsa, too)
Roasted garlic, squeezed out of the papers and mashed in a small bowl
4 15-oz cans beans, drained and rinsed (black, kidney, and pinto beans all work well in this)
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6-oz can tomato paste (less the 1 T. used in the veggies)
1 T. chili powder
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 1/2 t. coriander
1 1/2 t. oregano
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 c. corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
Mix all the ingredients except corn together in the heated bowl of the crockpot. Stir well to combine, then cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Add the corn in the last 30 minutes.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Daily Menu for June 27
Tomorrow is babysitting day once again, and I've packed up my day's menu to take along. I ended up making chili and corn bread for dinner tonight so I'd have leftovers to take with me tomorrow, and we'll have the sesame tofu stirfry tomorrow night. After the switch, today's menu ended up at close to 1600 calories, and tomorrow's menu is almost 1400 calories. Adding a few higher density foods, like the corn bread, bumped it up and filled me up, and that seems like a healthy range. I'll continue to check my menus on Fitday.com for a few more days just to be sure my nutritional needs are being met, but I'm happy with what I'm eating and I'm reaching the 8 healthy guidelines and all the RDA for vitamins each day, so something is working.
Breakfast
Shredded wheat
Nonfat milk
Lunch
1.5 c. roasted vegetable chili
1 slice corn bread (CORE ingredients)
Snack
fruit
Dinner
Sesame tofu stirfry with brown rice and Canola oil (1 PT for sesame oil)
Green beans
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 1
WPA points available: 22.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 18 (I earned 8 Activity points yesterday)
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - shredded wheat, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Breakfast
Shredded wheat
Nonfat milk
Lunch
1.5 c. roasted vegetable chili
1 slice corn bread (CORE ingredients)
Snack
fruit
Dinner
Sesame tofu stirfry with brown rice and Canola oil (1 PT for sesame oil)
Green beans
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 1
WPA points available: 22.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 18 (I earned 8 Activity points yesterday)
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - shredded wheat, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Daily Menu for June 26
I entered a few recent menus into Fitday.com to be sure I'm getting the nutrition I need out of my daily menus. Turns out, I'm not eating enough. I'm getting the 8 healthy guidelines, eating until I'm satisfied, and exercising regularly, but most days I'm barely breaking the 1200 calorie mark. I'm quite surprised by this! I truly thought I was eating more than that. I added a higher calorie, higher point snack/mini meal today - an apple quesadilla - to bring me over the 1200 calorie mark for today. I'm going to keep tracking my menus on Fitday.com to be sure that I'm meeting my nutritional needs. I don't want to short myself the essential nutrients my body needs. (Sparkpeople.com has a similar service, and lots of great weight loss articles and ideas.)
Today's menu:
Breakfast
Shredded wheat
Nonfat milk
Lunch
Salmon cake
Couscous
Beets
Mexican Coleslaw
Snack
2 corn tortillas (2PTS)
apple
2 T. shredded cheddar cheese (2 PTS)
Dinner
Sesame Tofu stirfry with red peppers and carrots
Bulgur
Nonfat milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 4
WPA points available: 22.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 10 (I didn't exercise yesterday)
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - shredded wheat, whole wheat couscous, bulgur
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Today's menu:
Breakfast
Shredded wheat
Nonfat milk
Lunch
Salmon cake
Couscous
Beets
Mexican Coleslaw
Snack
2 corn tortillas (2PTS)
apple
2 T. shredded cheddar cheese (2 PTS)
Dinner
Sesame Tofu stirfry with red peppers and carrots
Bulgur
Nonfat milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 4
WPA points available: 22.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 10 (I didn't exercise yesterday)
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - shredded wheat, whole wheat couscous, bulgur
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Monday, June 25, 2007
Losing the taste for junk food, and other notes for Core newbies; Salmon Cake recipe; Daily Menu
I'm into my fourth week of CORE and I've avoided eating out most of the time on CORE, staying as close to CORE as possible on the occasions that I have gone out to eat. I haven't had any desserts since starting CORE except fruit (yum!) but last night I was really wanting something sweet. DH and I went to a restaurant that has desserts I used to love. USED to love. I used to eat the whole thing myself. I had a light CORE dinner at home in anticipation of dessert.
I ordered the dessert I'd been thinking about, planning on eating half and letting DH eat the rest (WPA's and planning in action!) I took two bites and it was just too sweet to eat even half. I gave the rest to DH and he took most of it home with him. It was just too sweet for both of us!
Similarly, I've been skipping sweetener in my iced tea and coffee and not missing it one bit. Fruit is enough to sweeten my plain yogurt. Is this for real? The more whole foods I eat, the less appealing the junk foods are getting. I blame this squarely on CORE and I like it! I posted about this on the Core message board of healthdiscovery.net and I'm not alone; seems that all these wholesome foods really do lessen the desire for junk food, and make it less appealing if you do eat it. (I did eat half of a grilled cheese sandwich, for which I'll count the points, and I'm counting the points for the few bites of cheesecake as well.)
So you're thinking, this CORE plan sounds good (or, I want to eat more whole foods without any specific diet plan.) What are the tips for getting started?
Plan a weekly menu, including breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. This has made a huge difference for me. It's very helpful for grocery shopping, too, since you'll have a list of what you need for your CORE meals and won't need to even venture down the candy aisle at the grocery store.
Also, read this thread on the healthdiscovery.net message boards for ways to figure out your satisfaction point. The sigh has REALLY worked for me. Smaller plates are a big help, too (I use lunch sized 9" plates and 1 cup ice cream bowls for everything) and I stop after half the meal to reevaluate my hunger. I'm never cleaning my plate these days, after lifetime membership in the Clean Plate club - I'm just satisfied before then and don't feel like I'm going to be deprived if I leave those last few bites. I'm serving myself smaller portions to start at this point, knowing that my hunger level is never as big as my eyes.
Be daring! Try new whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Many of us discovered bulgur and quinoa post-Core-conversion and they're now in regular rotation in our menu plans. Read the 5 Core Recipes I Couldn't Live Without thread. Try the Summer Muesli for a go-to breakfast that's easy to make ahead and very satisfying.
Be willing to ask for something that isn't on the menu at restaurants. I've been saying that I have dietary restrictions, and can the waiter please help me find something that meets my needs? I've had positive responses every time when I frame it in a positive manner and offer plenty of thank you's. (I order both CORE and vegetarian, as I only eat organic, pastured meat and can't know where restaurant meat comes from; vegetarian CORE is a bit harder for eating out than CORE meat eating.) You just have to be willing to not order the calorie-laden double bacon cheeseburger with chili fries and find satisfaction in your garden burger, no bun, double veggies, steamed without oil, and green salad, no cheese, no croutons, dressing on the side (but you can add avocado if they have it!) Trust me, it won't be long before that sounds like a good meal out. :)
Find a supportive community. Tell your family and friends about how you're changing your lifestyle and ask for their support (this is a full lifestyle change, not a short term diet.) I've been surprised by the positive response from my family and friends. I have gotten a lot of great ideas and advice from the healthdiscovery.net message board, and venture onto the Weight Watchers message boards from time to time as well.
Read my blog! :)
***
I found this salmon cake recipe when searching the web for a recipe without breadcrumbs, which aren't CORE. This one, posted on allrecipes.com, fit the bill and was very tasty to boot. This recipe has been tried and been given the thumbs up by me, Mr.M and Jax.
Moroccan Salmon Cakes with Garlic Mayonnaise
Serves 4 (2 cakes each)
INGREDIENTS
GARLIC MAYONNAISE:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used plain fat free yogurt instead)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 teaspoon paprika
SALMON CAKES:
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
2/3 cup orange juice (not CORE, but a small enough portion that it adds 0 Points per serving)
1 (14.75 ounce) can red salmon, drained (I am using frozen, cooked salmon)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed dry (I am using fresh sauteed swiss chard instead)
2 egg yolks, beaten
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (count toward your healthy oil servings for the day)
DIRECTIONS
In a small stainless steel or glass bowl, stir together mayonnaise, garlic, and paprika. Set aside.
Prepare couscous according to package directions using the 2/3 cup of orange juice in place of water.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked couscous, red salmon, drained spinach, egg yolks, garlic, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Form into 8 patties. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and fry patties until golden brown turning once, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with garlic mayonnaise.
***
Except for the cherries and beets, today's produce is all from the CSA box from Full Belly Farm. The cherries and beets come from our venture up to Webb Ranch) and the salmon is from our Memorial Day whole salmon purchased from F/V Anne B, caught in Point Reyes, purchased at the Menlo Park farmer's market. The frozen leftovers have been great, and this recipe is particularly tasty.
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Summer Muesli
Lunch
Egg salad in tomato shells (Eggs from Glaum Egg Ranch
Mexican cole slaw
Fat free milk
Dinner
Salmon cakes
Couscous
Beets and green beans
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today:
WPA points available: 27.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 10
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, whole wheat couscous
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
I ordered the dessert I'd been thinking about, planning on eating half and letting DH eat the rest (WPA's and planning in action!) I took two bites and it was just too sweet to eat even half. I gave the rest to DH and he took most of it home with him. It was just too sweet for both of us!
Similarly, I've been skipping sweetener in my iced tea and coffee and not missing it one bit. Fruit is enough to sweeten my plain yogurt. Is this for real? The more whole foods I eat, the less appealing the junk foods are getting. I blame this squarely on CORE and I like it! I posted about this on the Core message board of healthdiscovery.net and I'm not alone; seems that all these wholesome foods really do lessen the desire for junk food, and make it less appealing if you do eat it. (I did eat half of a grilled cheese sandwich, for which I'll count the points, and I'm counting the points for the few bites of cheesecake as well.)
So you're thinking, this CORE plan sounds good (or, I want to eat more whole foods without any specific diet plan.) What are the tips for getting started?
Plan a weekly menu, including breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. This has made a huge difference for me. It's very helpful for grocery shopping, too, since you'll have a list of what you need for your CORE meals and won't need to even venture down the candy aisle at the grocery store.
Also, read this thread on the healthdiscovery.net message boards for ways to figure out your satisfaction point. The sigh has REALLY worked for me. Smaller plates are a big help, too (I use lunch sized 9" plates and 1 cup ice cream bowls for everything) and I stop after half the meal to reevaluate my hunger. I'm never cleaning my plate these days, after lifetime membership in the Clean Plate club - I'm just satisfied before then and don't feel like I'm going to be deprived if I leave those last few bites. I'm serving myself smaller portions to start at this point, knowing that my hunger level is never as big as my eyes.
Be daring! Try new whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Many of us discovered bulgur and quinoa post-Core-conversion and they're now in regular rotation in our menu plans. Read the 5 Core Recipes I Couldn't Live Without thread. Try the Summer Muesli for a go-to breakfast that's easy to make ahead and very satisfying.
Be willing to ask for something that isn't on the menu at restaurants. I've been saying that I have dietary restrictions, and can the waiter please help me find something that meets my needs? I've had positive responses every time when I frame it in a positive manner and offer plenty of thank you's. (I order both CORE and vegetarian, as I only eat organic, pastured meat and can't know where restaurant meat comes from; vegetarian CORE is a bit harder for eating out than CORE meat eating.) You just have to be willing to not order the calorie-laden double bacon cheeseburger with chili fries and find satisfaction in your garden burger, no bun, double veggies, steamed without oil, and green salad, no cheese, no croutons, dressing on the side (but you can add avocado if they have it!) Trust me, it won't be long before that sounds like a good meal out. :)
Find a supportive community. Tell your family and friends about how you're changing your lifestyle and ask for their support (this is a full lifestyle change, not a short term diet.) I've been surprised by the positive response from my family and friends. I have gotten a lot of great ideas and advice from the healthdiscovery.net message board, and venture onto the Weight Watchers message boards from time to time as well.
Read my blog! :)
***
I found this salmon cake recipe when searching the web for a recipe without breadcrumbs, which aren't CORE. This one, posted on allrecipes.com, fit the bill and was very tasty to boot. This recipe has been tried and been given the thumbs up by me, Mr.M and Jax.
Moroccan Salmon Cakes with Garlic Mayonnaise
Serves 4 (2 cakes each)
INGREDIENTS
GARLIC MAYONNAISE:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used plain fat free yogurt instead)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 teaspoon paprika
SALMON CAKES:
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
2/3 cup orange juice (not CORE, but a small enough portion that it adds 0 Points per serving)
1 (14.75 ounce) can red salmon, drained (I am using frozen, cooked salmon)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed dry (I am using fresh sauteed swiss chard instead)
2 egg yolks, beaten
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (count toward your healthy oil servings for the day)
DIRECTIONS
In a small stainless steel or glass bowl, stir together mayonnaise, garlic, and paprika. Set aside.
Prepare couscous according to package directions using the 2/3 cup of orange juice in place of water.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked couscous, red salmon, drained spinach, egg yolks, garlic, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Form into 8 patties. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and fry patties until golden brown turning once, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with garlic mayonnaise.
***
Except for the cherries and beets, today's produce is all from the CSA box from Full Belly Farm. The cherries and beets come from our venture up to Webb Ranch) and the salmon is from our Memorial Day whole salmon purchased from F/V Anne B, caught in Point Reyes, purchased at the Menlo Park farmer's market. The frozen leftovers have been great, and this recipe is particularly tasty.
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Summer Muesli
Lunch
Egg salad in tomato shells (Eggs from Glaum Egg Ranch
Mexican cole slaw
Fat free milk
Dinner
Salmon cakes
Couscous
Beets and green beans
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today:
WPA points available: 27.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 10
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, whole wheat couscous
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Daily Menu for June 24
We had fat free refried beans in addition to the lentils and made them into tostadas instead of tacos. The lentil mixture was really, really good, though, and a definite make-again meal. I think they'd freeze well for make-ahead meals, too.
Tasty Lentil Tacos Recipe from AllRecipes.com
INGREDIENTS
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup salsa
12 taco shells (I used corn tortillas baked in the oven with a little olive oil brushed on them. They got nice and crisp.)
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/4 cup diced onion
1 diced avocado
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used less of a smoked sharp cheddar, and with the strong flavor a little goes a long way
6 tablespoons sour cream (I used plain fat free yogurt)
any other toppings you like
DIRECTIONS
In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.
Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Summer Muesli (yogurt, oatmeal, fruit)
Lunch
Lentils, brown rice, 1/2 oz. cheese (1.5), veggies for a lentil taco salad
Mexican coleslaw
Dinner
Don't know yet! I'll update later
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 1.5
WPA points available: 34
Activity points today: 2
Activity points this week: 6
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Tasty Lentil Tacos Recipe from AllRecipes.com
INGREDIENTS
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup salsa
12 taco shells (I used corn tortillas baked in the oven with a little olive oil brushed on them. They got nice and crisp.)
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/4 cup diced onion
1 diced avocado
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used less of a smoked sharp cheddar, and with the strong flavor a little goes a long way
6 tablespoons sour cream (I used plain fat free yogurt)
any other toppings you like
DIRECTIONS
In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.
Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Summer Muesli (yogurt, oatmeal, fruit)
Lunch
Lentils, brown rice, 1/2 oz. cheese (1.5), veggies for a lentil taco salad
Mexican coleslaw
Dinner
Don't know yet! I'll update later
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 1.5
WPA points available: 34
Activity points today: 2
Activity points this week: 6
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Weigh in and Daily Menu for June 22
I had my weigh in this morning, and am down another 4.6 lb. for a total loss of 15.6. I'm well on my way to my first goal of 10% (31 lb.) by September 23.
We had a substitute Weight Watchers leader today and I didn't care for her as much as our regular leader. She started the meeting talking about how she'd gained weight recently (really motivating!) When talking about activity, she said she's not exercising. I brought up the Couch to 5k that I started earlier this week (followed by the ice cream truck, haha) and she said, "Well, I can't do that because I can't run."
Another woman talked about how hard she's finding it to avoid ice cream when her kids are taking a nap because she feels like she deserves a reward, and the substitute talked about having smaller portions or just eating Weight Watchers ice cream, ignoring the reason behind the eating and the option of changing the habit to something else nurturing to her, like painting her nails or reading a book or taking a bubble bath, etc. I can see how having a meeting leader that encourages you makes such a difference. My regular meeting leader leaves me motivated and excited about the next week, and today I left a bit annoyed.
I'm off to pick up my friend at the train station, then to the Farmer's Market and back here to clean up our crazy messy dining room. I got the kitchen and bathroom clean yesterday. It will be fantastic to have an organized house for Mr.M to come home to. :)
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Summer muesli (yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, flaxseed oil) - this has become my staple breakfast. It is light, flavorful, and a full serving of dairy, whole grain, fruit, and healthy oil.
Lunch
Egg salad in tomato shells (made with yogurt, veggies and spices)
Peach
Milk
Dinner
Lentil tacos, 2 tortillas, 1 oz. shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato (5)
Mexican cole slaw
Brown rice
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 5
WPA points available: 34
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
We had a substitute Weight Watchers leader today and I didn't care for her as much as our regular leader. She started the meeting talking about how she'd gained weight recently (really motivating!) When talking about activity, she said she's not exercising. I brought up the Couch to 5k that I started earlier this week (followed by the ice cream truck, haha) and she said, "Well, I can't do that because I can't run."
Another woman talked about how hard she's finding it to avoid ice cream when her kids are taking a nap because she feels like she deserves a reward, and the substitute talked about having smaller portions or just eating Weight Watchers ice cream, ignoring the reason behind the eating and the option of changing the habit to something else nurturing to her, like painting her nails or reading a book or taking a bubble bath, etc. I can see how having a meeting leader that encourages you makes such a difference. My regular meeting leader leaves me motivated and excited about the next week, and today I left a bit annoyed.
I'm off to pick up my friend at the train station, then to the Farmer's Market and back here to clean up our crazy messy dining room. I got the kitchen and bathroom clean yesterday. It will be fantastic to have an organized house for Mr.M to come home to. :)
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Summer muesli (yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, flaxseed oil) - this has become my staple breakfast. It is light, flavorful, and a full serving of dairy, whole grain, fruit, and healthy oil.
Lunch
Egg salad in tomato shells (made with yogurt, veggies and spices)
Peach
Milk
Dinner
Lentil tacos, 2 tortillas, 1 oz. shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato (5)
Mexican cole slaw
Brown rice
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 5
WPA points available: 34
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Friday, June 22, 2007
Daily Menu for June 22
Mr.M left this morning for a trade show in Arizona, so Jax and I are on our own for the weekend... Kind of. My mother-in-law (MIL) and a good friend are coming to help me whip our house into shape while Mr.M is gone. We moved in a year ago, but did a number of renovations and only got a kitchen 4 months ago, and our bathroom is still under construction. With all the renovations, a lot of stuff has never found a permanent home and our dining room is still Box Central. Mr.M told me that whenever I finished unpacking the dining room, he'd buy us a table and chairs set, so that's our mission for the weekend. MIL will entertain Jax and my friend and I will sort and toss and put away the mountain of junk in the diningroom. I can't believe that I'm excited to clean, haha. All that bending and lifting and carrying things from room to room has to be activity points, right?
Speaking of which, I finished the Week 1, Day 1 of the Couch to 5k. Okay, I did have to take a break in the middle, as I was a bit closer to the couch to start out with and by the fourth interval of running, I just needed more walk time. And I did the walk/jog at a lovely but VERY crowded park, around the block of a cute little neighborhood, but I was followed (seriously) by an ice cream truck nearly the whole time. Okay, perhaps he wanted to make the same route as me because there were kids on each side of the part, or maybe he thought, "Fat girl running. This is my lucky day!" In either case, I didn't buy any ice cream and I resisted from giving him the finger.
We had lunch out yesterday at Joy Meadow Restaurant, and I ordered a veggie stirfry with mushroom sauce and brown rice, gave away the egg roll that came with it, and left very satisfied. I wasn't especially hungry for dinner but I had a big green salad with tomato and olive oil dressing. The lentils will be carried over to another night.
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Shredded wheat, 1 c. milk, raspberries
Snack
Peach
Lunch
More tofu curry with green beans and rice (this stuff has to end sometime! I made WAY too much!)
Dinner
Lentil soup
Green salad with olive oil
1 c. milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 0
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 16
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Speaking of which, I finished the Week 1, Day 1 of the Couch to 5k. Okay, I did have to take a break in the middle, as I was a bit closer to the couch to start out with and by the fourth interval of running, I just needed more walk time. And I did the walk/jog at a lovely but VERY crowded park, around the block of a cute little neighborhood, but I was followed (seriously) by an ice cream truck nearly the whole time. Okay, perhaps he wanted to make the same route as me because there were kids on each side of the part, or maybe he thought, "Fat girl running. This is my lucky day!" In either case, I didn't buy any ice cream and I resisted from giving him the finger.
We had lunch out yesterday at Joy Meadow Restaurant, and I ordered a veggie stirfry with mushroom sauce and brown rice, gave away the egg roll that came with it, and left very satisfied. I wasn't especially hungry for dinner but I had a big green salad with tomato and olive oil dressing. The lentils will be carried over to another night.
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Shredded wheat, 1 c. milk, raspberries
Snack
Peach
Lunch
More tofu curry with green beans and rice (this stuff has to end sometime! I made WAY too much!)
Dinner
Lentil soup
Green salad with olive oil
1 c. milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 0
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 16
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Thursday, June 21, 2007
CORE on a budget
Inspired by the Washington Post article, "How Far can your Dollar Stretch" by Sally Squires I'm challenging myself to feed my family this week on the USDA's Thrifty Plan for Food at Home. The USDA has four budgets for food at home, and the Thrifty Plan is the lowest of these budgets; it is also the amount that food stamps are based on. My family'd budget is $91.95 a week (based on two adults and one toddler for the chart from May, most recent available.) I'm still committed to locally grown, organic foods and I'm doing it with a dollar figure in mind. I've been averaging $100 a week since starting Weight Watchers, so this dollar figure isn't such a stretch. My goal here is to show that eating well doesn't have to cost a fortune. Most of us can eat a variety of delicious, filling, organic whole foods and not break the bank.
My family is very fortunate, let me say right up front. We are not on food stamps, and our income adequately covers our expenses (although with a self-employed dad and stay-at-home-mom, some months are tighter than others!) We have access to local, organic foods at a reasonable price, reasonably close to our home. For many, this is a luxury that simply isn't available.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet while receiving food stamps or living on a minimal food budget is understandably difficult. None of my vendors accept food stamps - not the Farmer's Market (although some Farmer's Markets are now accepting food stamps, a wonderful step in the right direction), not the rancher from whom I bought our split quarter of pastured beef, not my local natural foods store, etc.
I have the advantage of time: time to research food choices, make meal plans, and cook from scratch so very, very little of our food is prepared/processed. I am gaining an education in healthy food choices, which has changed how I shop. My family doesn't grumble too much at the many inexpensive vegetarian meals that are served. I also have a vehicle so I am able to shop at a variety of sources. Lacking any of these can make a significant difference for someone struggling to get by. It can be done, but with obstacles.
This week's menu includes:
Muesli and Shredded wheat with fruit for breakfasts
Egg salad and leftovers for lunches
Lentil tacos with Mexican coleslaw
Huevos Rancheros on brown rice with green beans
Salmon cakes with couscous and beets
Tofu stirfry with wheatberries
Crockpot chili and baked potato
Chana masala (Indian curried garbanzo beans) with bulgur and zucchini
Chicken and rice with carrots
Today I did most of the shopping for the week, everything but the CSA box, a few extra veggies, and eggs from the farmer's market on Saturday. Everything is organic and bought at a local natural foods store that isn't known for being inexpensive, but carries many local brands. If I really needed to stretch a dollar, I would have to shop elsewhere. Here's what I bought:
2 qts. fat free plain yogurt - $6.99 (not local - the Strauss yogurt I normally buy was out of stock, so I bought a different variety this week)
1 pt. whole plain yogurt - $2.79 (for Jax; local)
1 gallon fat free milk - $5.99 (local)
1 gallon whole milk - $5.99 (for Jax; local)
1 lb. tofu - $2.19 (local)
Canola oil - $8.99 (not local)
Jar of ginger - $2.19 (not local)
24 oz. Applesauce - $2.99 (local)
1/4 lb. oat bran - $.38 (not local)
Shredded Wheat - $5.39 (M's request; local producer)
$43.89
From Webb Ranch Farm Produce Stand:
2 peaches, 3 HUGE beets, a half-pint of raspberries, and 1 lb. cherries - $8.35
My CSA box costs $14.50 per week, paid in advance, and includes:
apricots (again!)
green beans
cabbage
carrots
white corn
potatoes
squash
I still need eggs ($2.50), bell peppers, jalapenos, and oranges (about $8) from the farmer's market. If I include the cost of foods I have on hand in the pantry or freezer and plan to use this week, I'm right about at budget - 1 lb. ground beef $5, 1/3 a chicken $3, and 6 oz. salmon $3.75, corn tortillas $.99, plus a bunch of beans and grains, probably under $4. I'm not including the spices and condiments on hand.
That puts my total for a week of groceries at $93.98, including meats and grains on hand, or $77.24 spent on food this week.
My family is very fortunate, let me say right up front. We are not on food stamps, and our income adequately covers our expenses (although with a self-employed dad and stay-at-home-mom, some months are tighter than others!) We have access to local, organic foods at a reasonable price, reasonably close to our home. For many, this is a luxury that simply isn't available.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet while receiving food stamps or living on a minimal food budget is understandably difficult. None of my vendors accept food stamps - not the Farmer's Market (although some Farmer's Markets are now accepting food stamps, a wonderful step in the right direction), not the rancher from whom I bought our split quarter of pastured beef, not my local natural foods store, etc.
I have the advantage of time: time to research food choices, make meal plans, and cook from scratch so very, very little of our food is prepared/processed. I am gaining an education in healthy food choices, which has changed how I shop. My family doesn't grumble too much at the many inexpensive vegetarian meals that are served. I also have a vehicle so I am able to shop at a variety of sources. Lacking any of these can make a significant difference for someone struggling to get by. It can be done, but with obstacles.
This week's menu includes:
Muesli and Shredded wheat with fruit for breakfasts
Egg salad and leftovers for lunches
Lentil tacos with Mexican coleslaw
Huevos Rancheros on brown rice with green beans
Salmon cakes with couscous and beets
Tofu stirfry with wheatberries
Crockpot chili and baked potato
Chana masala (Indian curried garbanzo beans) with bulgur and zucchini
Chicken and rice with carrots
Today I did most of the shopping for the week, everything but the CSA box, a few extra veggies, and eggs from the farmer's market on Saturday. Everything is organic and bought at a local natural foods store that isn't known for being inexpensive, but carries many local brands. If I really needed to stretch a dollar, I would have to shop elsewhere. Here's what I bought:
2 qts. fat free plain yogurt - $6.99 (not local - the Strauss yogurt I normally buy was out of stock, so I bought a different variety this week)
1 pt. whole plain yogurt - $2.79 (for Jax; local)
1 gallon fat free milk - $5.99 (local)
1 gallon whole milk - $5.99 (for Jax; local)
1 lb. tofu - $2.19 (local)
Canola oil - $8.99 (not local)
Jar of ginger - $2.19 (not local)
24 oz. Applesauce - $2.99 (local)
1/4 lb. oat bran - $.38 (not local)
Shredded Wheat - $5.39 (M's request; local producer)
$43.89
From Webb Ranch Farm Produce Stand:
2 peaches, 3 HUGE beets, a half-pint of raspberries, and 1 lb. cherries - $8.35
My CSA box costs $14.50 per week, paid in advance, and includes:
apricots (again!)
green beans
cabbage
carrots
white corn
potatoes
squash
I still need eggs ($2.50), bell peppers, jalapenos, and oranges (about $8) from the farmer's market. If I include the cost of foods I have on hand in the pantry or freezer and plan to use this week, I'm right about at budget - 1 lb. ground beef $5, 1/3 a chicken $3, and 6 oz. salmon $3.75, corn tortillas $.99, plus a bunch of beans and grains, probably under $4. I'm not including the spices and condiments on hand.
That puts my total for a week of groceries at $93.98, including meats and grains on hand, or $77.24 spent on food this week.
Couch to 5k and Daily Menu for June 21
I've never been a runner. The idea of running for pleasure, not just to avoid certain and imminent danger, has always struck me as rather ridiculous. Why run when I could watch TV? Of course, my body has not benefitted from my couch potato status, and in the effort to make my body that lean, healthy creature I know it can be (and be able to run from certain and imminent danger should the need arise), I'm going running.
I've been doing a Walk Away the Pounds 30 minute/2 mile video in my livingroom most days, and it was hard at first. I couldn't even get through the 1 mile video without huffing and puffing and sitting right back on the sofa when I started. Now, I can get through 2 miles with a moderate sweat, breathing heavy but not huffing and puffing. I can do the 45 minute/3 mile version all the way through. I've been adding intensity by carrying Jax (a wiggly 26 lb. intensity builder if ever there was one!) but I think I need to add to my fitness program and it will be nice to exercise outside.
I recently heard about the Couch to 5k created by Cool Running, a program designed with the couch potato in mind, whose goal is to bring you (or me) from the couch to a 30 minute 5k in just nine weeks. Add the podcast created by Robert Ullrey to accompany the program and keep up with the changing paces, and it just couldn't be spelled out any easier. So I downloaded the podcast and I'm *gulp* running.
***
I did very well at dinner last night. I had halibut, cooked without oil and with no butter, served with whole avocado, beans, and pico de gallo. I ate one tortilla and 12 tortilla chips, 6 points there, and I'm sure the beans had a few points for oil or other ingredients. Overall, though, I stayed on plan, ate to satisfaction, and enjoyed the meal.
It's time to grocery shop, but I'm holding out until Saturday and using up what is in the fridge. Since I haven't bought anything new, I'm going to let you look back to days earlier in the week for sources.
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Peach
2 c. milk
Lunch
Tofu curry with green beans and brown rice (I made a lot of this, as you can tell by my menus the past few days finishing it up; next time, I'll have to cut the recipe in half!)
Dinner
Baked lentils
Bulgur
Carrots
Green salad with olive oil vinaigrette
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 0
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - brown rice, bulgur
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
I've been doing a Walk Away the Pounds 30 minute/2 mile video in my livingroom most days, and it was hard at first. I couldn't even get through the 1 mile video without huffing and puffing and sitting right back on the sofa when I started. Now, I can get through 2 miles with a moderate sweat, breathing heavy but not huffing and puffing. I can do the 45 minute/3 mile version all the way through. I've been adding intensity by carrying Jax (a wiggly 26 lb. intensity builder if ever there was one!) but I think I need to add to my fitness program and it will be nice to exercise outside.
I recently heard about the Couch to 5k created by Cool Running, a program designed with the couch potato in mind, whose goal is to bring you (or me) from the couch to a 30 minute 5k in just nine weeks. Add the podcast created by Robert Ullrey to accompany the program and keep up with the changing paces, and it just couldn't be spelled out any easier. So I downloaded the podcast and I'm *gulp* running.
***
I did very well at dinner last night. I had halibut, cooked without oil and with no butter, served with whole avocado, beans, and pico de gallo. I ate one tortilla and 12 tortilla chips, 6 points there, and I'm sure the beans had a few points for oil or other ingredients. Overall, though, I stayed on plan, ate to satisfaction, and enjoyed the meal.
It's time to grocery shop, but I'm holding out until Saturday and using up what is in the fridge. Since I haven't bought anything new, I'm going to let you look back to days earlier in the week for sources.
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Peach
2 c. milk
Lunch
Tofu curry with green beans and brown rice (I made a lot of this, as you can tell by my menus the past few days finishing it up; next time, I'll have to cut the recipe in half!)
Dinner
Baked lentils
Bulgur
Carrots
Green salad with olive oil vinaigrette
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 0
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - brown rice, bulgur
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
I'll pass on the farmed fish, thanks; and Daily Menu for June 20
I've stopped purchasing farmed salmon. Our local wild caught salmon (and snapper and halibut...) has such great flavor, and buying it supports our local fishermen and economy, fitting right into the locavore ideas, so I was already sold before reading about how farmed fish is less healthy and causes environmental damage.
Farmed salmon has considerably less of the Omega-3 fatty acids, the heart healthy fats, than wild caught salmon. The color is dyed in; they're given vaccines, antibiotics, and pesticides, which I am avoiding in beef and chicken; and they're grown in tiny cages and fed corn and soy - read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" for the dangers to the environment in the growing of corn and soy. You can read more about the dangers of farmed fish here. http://www.betternutrition.com/document/203
Another scary bit of farmed fish information is that they contain cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyl. This alone is scary enough to keep me buying wild fish. Here's a great site for more information about PCBs. http://www.ewg.org/reports/farmedPCBs/es.php
Wild-caught salmon is more expensive, but to me, it's worth it. I'm near San Francisco and can buy wild-caught salmon at my local farmer's market. While $19 a pound is difficult to swallow, I was able to buy a whole salmon for $9.50 a pound from my market's fishmonger (about $70 for my 7 pound fish), and after portioning it
out, froze it in individual meal sizes enough for 7 meals for the three of us. That seemed quite reasonable to me.
***
Yesterday was very snacky, and I ended up having about 8 WPAs in goat cheese and jalapeno jelly on celery. It's a very tasty combination, and I ate way to much of it. Between that and going out to eat tonight, I am just wiping out my WPAs for the week and eating only CORE foods tomorrow and Friday.
Daily Menu
Breakfast
oatmeal
1 c. milk
banana
Lunch
Tofu with green beans and brown rice, curry sauce
Coffee with ff milk (I was babysitting and the afternoon was getting long!)
Dinner
Out to eat:
Vegetarian fajitas, 2 flour tortillas, beans, avocado - I have no idea how to count it, but I'm wiping out my WPAs after tonight's meal just to be on the safe side.
1 c. fat free milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: ?
WPA points available: 0
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 8
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Farmed salmon has considerably less of the Omega-3 fatty acids, the heart healthy fats, than wild caught salmon. The color is dyed in; they're given vaccines, antibiotics, and pesticides, which I am avoiding in beef and chicken; and they're grown in tiny cages and fed corn and soy - read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" for the dangers to the environment in the growing of corn and soy. You can read more about the dangers of farmed fish here. http://www.betternutrition.com/document/203
Another scary bit of farmed fish information is that they contain cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyl. This alone is scary enough to keep me buying wild fish. Here's a great site for more information about PCBs. http://www.ewg.org/reports/farmedPCBs/es.php
Wild-caught salmon is more expensive, but to me, it's worth it. I'm near San Francisco and can buy wild-caught salmon at my local farmer's market. While $19 a pound is difficult to swallow, I was able to buy a whole salmon for $9.50 a pound from my market's fishmonger (about $70 for my 7 pound fish), and after portioning it
out, froze it in individual meal sizes enough for 7 meals for the three of us. That seemed quite reasonable to me.
***
Yesterday was very snacky, and I ended up having about 8 WPAs in goat cheese and jalapeno jelly on celery. It's a very tasty combination, and I ate way to much of it. Between that and going out to eat tonight, I am just wiping out my WPAs for the week and eating only CORE foods tomorrow and Friday.
Daily Menu
Breakfast
oatmeal
1 c. milk
banana
Lunch
Tofu with green beans and brown rice, curry sauce
Coffee with ff milk (I was babysitting and the afternoon was getting long!)
Dinner
Out to eat:
Vegetarian fajitas, 2 flour tortillas, beans, avocado - I have no idea how to count it, but I'm wiping out my WPAs after tonight's meal just to be on the safe side.
1 c. fat free milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: ?
WPA points available: 0
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 8
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Daily Menu for June 19
What is really in that fast food chicken grilled breast? If you thought "just chicken", boy were you wrong! Look at ALL THESE INGREDIENTS for one piece of chicken - including sugar, soy and wheat (common allergens) and partially hydrogenated oils! It definitely isn't CORE. If I wasn't already off of fast food meat, this might be enough to scare me away.
This is from the McDonalds ingredients page.
Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:
Chicken breast filets with rib meat, water, seasoning (salt, sugar, food starch-modified, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed [corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten] proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (plant and animal source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika), modified potato starch, and sodium phosphates. CONTAINS: SOY AND WHEAT. Prepared with liquid margarine: Liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils, salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservative), artificial flavor, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, beta carotene (color). CONTAINS: SOY LECITHIN
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast
oatmeal
1 c. milk
peach
1 c. raspberries
Lunch
2 tortillas, 1 oz. cheese - 5
Big veggie salad with homemade raspberry vinaigrette
Dinner
Lemon Snapper
Zucchini sauteed in olive oil
Wild rice
1 c. milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 5
WPA points available: 21
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 8
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
This is from the McDonalds ingredients page.
Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:
Chicken breast filets with rib meat, water, seasoning (salt, sugar, food starch-modified, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed [corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten] proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (plant and animal source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika), modified potato starch, and sodium phosphates. CONTAINS: SOY AND WHEAT. Prepared with liquid margarine: Liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils, salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservative), artificial flavor, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, beta carotene (color). CONTAINS: SOY LECITHIN
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast
oatmeal
1 c. milk
peach
1 c. raspberries
Lunch
2 tortillas, 1 oz. cheese - 5
Big veggie salad with homemade raspberry vinaigrette
Dinner
Lemon Snapper
Zucchini sauteed in olive oil
Wild rice
1 c. milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 5
WPA points available: 21
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 8
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Monday, June 18, 2007
Daily Menu for June 18
Morning came too soon! Jax was up at 7:20 raring to go (which is not sleeping in!), and after a diaper, breakfast, and Blue's Clues he's back in bed. I guess he just needed to top off the tank for a bit more sleep. I'm still nursing the sunburn on the back of my neck/upper back and would go lie back down if it didn't sting against my pillow. Hopefully by tonight it keep me up all night.
I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and really enjoying it. This book is about her family's decision to eat local for a year, growing most of their own produce and some of their own meat (turkeys and chickens) and eating what is seasonally, locally available. There are sidebars written by her husband, Steven Hopp, about various food politic issues, and recipes and menus written by her older daughter, Camille. The book is well written, as her books always are, and the story is well told, but more than that, it is a reminder of why it is important to focus on supporting local agriculture and inspires me to do more. I highly recommend it.
Here's today's menu:
Breakfast
1 c. raspberries from the Mountain View farmer's market
1 c. milk
Lunch
tofu-potato-green bean yogurt-curry, using Hodo Soy tofu, Full Belly Farm CSA vegetables, and Sukhi's Tikka Masala curry paste
bulgur
2 pappadum (0 Points), fire roasted eggplant spread, and tomato chutney, all from Sukhi's
Tomato with a little salt and pepper
Dinner
Salad with tomato, carrot, beets
Olive oil
Goat cheese (3)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 3
WPA points available: 26
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 8
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - bulgur
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and really enjoying it. This book is about her family's decision to eat local for a year, growing most of their own produce and some of their own meat (turkeys and chickens) and eating what is seasonally, locally available. There are sidebars written by her husband, Steven Hopp, about various food politic issues, and recipes and menus written by her older daughter, Camille. The book is well written, as her books always are, and the story is well told, but more than that, it is a reminder of why it is important to focus on supporting local agriculture and inspires me to do more. I highly recommend it.
Here's today's menu:
Breakfast
1 c. raspberries from the Mountain View farmer's market
1 c. milk
Lunch
tofu-potato-green bean yogurt-curry, using Hodo Soy tofu, Full Belly Farm CSA vegetables, and Sukhi's Tikka Masala curry paste
bulgur
2 pappadum (0 Points), fire roasted eggplant spread, and tomato chutney, all from Sukhi's
Tomato with a little salt and pepper
Dinner
Salad with tomato, carrot, beets
Olive oil
Goat cheese (3)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 3
WPA points available: 26
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 8
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - bulgur
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Daily Menu for June 17
Today was a busy day and I didn't get a chance to check in with my menu until now, but I was on track all day, counting Points for the non-CORE foods and enjoying every bite.
I hit the Mountain View Farmer's Market first thing this morning since I didn't have much time at the Palo Alto market before our beef expedition yesterday. How fortunate that there are so many wonderful outdoor venues for fresh, local vegetables in our area! I picked up raspberries, peaches, oranges, and the first tomatoes of the season (lunch tomorrow!). I also hit up the booth with Indian food by Sukhi's for a tasty brunch for the family. Last week I bought Tomato Chutney, which was a tasty treat at 0 Points per serving. This week, a curry will be made for dinner with one of their spice mixes and fat free yogurt.
The Mountain View market is right next to the Caltrain station and as we pulled up, a train went by, spurring Jax to call out "Choo Choo!" for the duration of our visit. He's also a fan of the samples - everywhere you turn, sweet, juicy fruit is sliced up and handed out, and he was thrilled to be a taste tester for peaches, cherries, raspberries, and nectarines.
What I forgot to buy: eggs, which we've been eating more and more of lately. Between the egg curry that we've eaten once a week for the past two weeks, hard boiled eggs that Jax enjoys as snacks, and the occasional scrambled egg breakfast, we're going though a dozen early in the week, and I probably could buy more and still use them up quickly. Usually bought at the Palo Alto or Menlo Park markets, I didn't see any at Mountain View and it was too late to get to Menlo Park before they closed. I'll have to pick some up at Country Sun when I get over there for more yogurt, which I'm also going through like crazy these days in my Summer Muesli (yogurt, oatmeal, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon, and fruit), a hearty breakfast that keeps me satisfied all morning.
After the farmer's market and lunch, we headed up to my parents' house for Father's Day with my dad, M and Jax, my brother and his son, and much ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the barbecue - male bonding over beef appreciation. My parents bought some of the beef as well and we had our first taste of the steaks. My dad and M each had a Porterhouse, and the rest of us had Sirloin. We learned that the grassfed meat, without the marbling that usually accompanies its cornfed cousin, is very lean, without the usual drippy-fat flare ups, needed more time to cook and had less juice left on the platter. The end result was worth it, though; we all agreed that the meat was very flavorful.
The two little boys played in the kiddie pool for much of the afternoon, enjoying the sunshine and a family of admiring onlookers as they splashed and slid around in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Bob the Builder underpants. (Swimsuits were left at home; we made do with what was on hand!) They then wore themselves out running the loop around the hallway and dining room, chasing each other and laughing for well over an hour of loopy fun. Fun with cousins!
Overall, it has been a busy, productive, happy weekend, and I'm ready to hit the sack, hopeful that Jax will sleep in after his own long, busy, happy day!
Daily Menu
Brunch
From the Mountain View Farmer's Market:
2 papadums heated over the flame of the gas grill - these are like very thin lentil-based tortillas with cumin seeds in them, and they get bubbly and crispy over the flame - yummy! (0 Points)
Channa Masala (all CORE ingredients)
Fire roasted eggplant spread (all CORE ingredients)
leftover quinoa salad
raspberries
Dinner
Grilled Sirloin steak from Chileno Valley Ranch - very tasty!
Corn on the cob from my mom's farmer's market
Green beans and mushrooms, also from my mom's farmer's market, picked out by my 3 year old nephew who planted one in the backyard to see if it grows into a magic beanstalk like the one in the story (how cute is that?)
1/2 whole wheat roll with 1/2 t. butter (1.5 Points)
Salad with tomato, cucumber, and 1 T. regular dressing (2)
Watermelon
Mom-made Lemon Bar (3)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 6.5
WPA points available: 26
Activity points today: 0
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - quinoa
3. Milk - Not today
4. Healthy oil - one
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
I hit the Mountain View Farmer's Market first thing this morning since I didn't have much time at the Palo Alto market before our beef expedition yesterday. How fortunate that there are so many wonderful outdoor venues for fresh, local vegetables in our area! I picked up raspberries, peaches, oranges, and the first tomatoes of the season (lunch tomorrow!). I also hit up the booth with Indian food by Sukhi's for a tasty brunch for the family. Last week I bought Tomato Chutney, which was a tasty treat at 0 Points per serving. This week, a curry will be made for dinner with one of their spice mixes and fat free yogurt.
The Mountain View market is right next to the Caltrain station and as we pulled up, a train went by, spurring Jax to call out "Choo Choo!" for the duration of our visit. He's also a fan of the samples - everywhere you turn, sweet, juicy fruit is sliced up and handed out, and he was thrilled to be a taste tester for peaches, cherries, raspberries, and nectarines.
What I forgot to buy: eggs, which we've been eating more and more of lately. Between the egg curry that we've eaten once a week for the past two weeks, hard boiled eggs that Jax enjoys as snacks, and the occasional scrambled egg breakfast, we're going though a dozen early in the week, and I probably could buy more and still use them up quickly. Usually bought at the Palo Alto or Menlo Park markets, I didn't see any at Mountain View and it was too late to get to Menlo Park before they closed. I'll have to pick some up at Country Sun when I get over there for more yogurt, which I'm also going through like crazy these days in my Summer Muesli (yogurt, oatmeal, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon, and fruit), a hearty breakfast that keeps me satisfied all morning.
After the farmer's market and lunch, we headed up to my parents' house for Father's Day with my dad, M and Jax, my brother and his son, and much ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the barbecue - male bonding over beef appreciation. My parents bought some of the beef as well and we had our first taste of the steaks. My dad and M each had a Porterhouse, and the rest of us had Sirloin. We learned that the grassfed meat, without the marbling that usually accompanies its cornfed cousin, is very lean, without the usual drippy-fat flare ups, needed more time to cook and had less juice left on the platter. The end result was worth it, though; we all agreed that the meat was very flavorful.
The two little boys played in the kiddie pool for much of the afternoon, enjoying the sunshine and a family of admiring onlookers as they splashed and slid around in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Bob the Builder underpants. (Swimsuits were left at home; we made do with what was on hand!) They then wore themselves out running the loop around the hallway and dining room, chasing each other and laughing for well over an hour of loopy fun. Fun with cousins!
Overall, it has been a busy, productive, happy weekend, and I'm ready to hit the sack, hopeful that Jax will sleep in after his own long, busy, happy day!
Daily Menu
Brunch
From the Mountain View Farmer's Market:
2 papadums heated over the flame of the gas grill - these are like very thin lentil-based tortillas with cumin seeds in them, and they get bubbly and crispy over the flame - yummy! (0 Points)
Channa Masala (all CORE ingredients)
Fire roasted eggplant spread (all CORE ingredients)
leftover quinoa salad
raspberries
Dinner
Grilled Sirloin steak from Chileno Valley Ranch - very tasty!
Corn on the cob from my mom's farmer's market
Green beans and mushrooms, also from my mom's farmer's market, picked out by my 3 year old nephew who planted one in the backyard to see if it grows into a magic beanstalk like the one in the story (how cute is that?)
1/2 whole wheat roll with 1/2 t. butter (1.5 Points)
Salad with tomato, cucumber, and 1 T. regular dressing (2)
Watermelon
Mom-made Lemon Bar (3)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 6.5
WPA points available: 26
Activity points today: 0
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - quinoa
3. Milk - Not today
4. Healthy oil - one
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Buying the cow, Weigh in and Daily Menu for June 16
This morning's weigh in reflected another successful week: I was down another 3.2 lb. for a total of 11 lb. in four weeks. Now I just have to stick with it even when I'm not feeling as I am right now!
After Weight Watchers, I made a mad dash to the farmer's market to pick up my CSA box and some tofu, then scrambled home so we (me and M) could hit the road and pick up the beef! We made good time to the butcher in Cotati, despite traffic through San Francisco, and loaded up the truck with organic, grassfed beef. A cow and a half, wrapped up in tidy, frozen bundles wrapped in butcher paper, takes up the entire bed of a full sized pick up truck!
We met up with the dozen or so people in the coop who collected their portions of the huge order, had lunch at the Marin Brewing Company listening to live music in the courtyard, and drove back home to put our beef in the freezer - our quarter, with all its roasts, steaks, stew meat, stock bones, and hamburger, takes about half of our 5 cubic foot freezer, leaving plenty of room for pork, chickens, and lamb, and even vegetables later in the season.
I'm a little sunburned, quite tired from moving hundreds of pounds of meat, and glad that the order is done and there is meat in the freezer whenever I want it. We're having a barbecue tomorrow to try out our grassfed sirloin steaks.
Today's CSA box includes:
Apricots
Green Beans
Carrots
Lettuce
Onion
Potatoes
Summer Squash
If you know of any good apricot recipes, please pass them on to me! I have a LOT of apricots. :) Next week we start getting peaches, yum!
Daily Menu
Breakfast
1/2 c. plain fat free yogurt from Strauss Creamery
1/8 c. oatmeal (not local, but organic and purchased locally)
1/2 banana (not local, but fair trade organic)
Lunch
at Marin Brewing Company
Spinach salad with kalamata olives, hard boiled egg, and goat cheese, dressing on the side (omitted bacon) - 3 Points for the goat cheese, 3 Points for the dressing
1/3 slice of bread - .5 Points (I just didn't need the rest of it!)
Dinner
Quinoa salad with green beans and carrots (produce from Full Belly Farms)
Beets with olive oil and balsamic (beets from Full Belly, vinegar from Hare Hollow)
milk from Clover
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 6.5
WPA points available: 32.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - quinoa
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
After Weight Watchers, I made a mad dash to the farmer's market to pick up my CSA box and some tofu, then scrambled home so we (me and M) could hit the road and pick up the beef! We made good time to the butcher in Cotati, despite traffic through San Francisco, and loaded up the truck with organic, grassfed beef. A cow and a half, wrapped up in tidy, frozen bundles wrapped in butcher paper, takes up the entire bed of a full sized pick up truck!
We met up with the dozen or so people in the coop who collected their portions of the huge order, had lunch at the Marin Brewing Company listening to live music in the courtyard, and drove back home to put our beef in the freezer - our quarter, with all its roasts, steaks, stew meat, stock bones, and hamburger, takes about half of our 5 cubic foot freezer, leaving plenty of room for pork, chickens, and lamb, and even vegetables later in the season.
I'm a little sunburned, quite tired from moving hundreds of pounds of meat, and glad that the order is done and there is meat in the freezer whenever I want it. We're having a barbecue tomorrow to try out our grassfed sirloin steaks.
Today's CSA box includes:
Apricots
Green Beans
Carrots
Lettuce
Onion
Potatoes
Summer Squash
If you know of any good apricot recipes, please pass them on to me! I have a LOT of apricots. :) Next week we start getting peaches, yum!
Daily Menu
Breakfast
1/2 c. plain fat free yogurt from Strauss Creamery
1/8 c. oatmeal (not local, but organic and purchased locally)
1/2 banana (not local, but fair trade organic)
Lunch
at Marin Brewing Company
Spinach salad with kalamata olives, hard boiled egg, and goat cheese, dressing on the side (omitted bacon) - 3 Points for the goat cheese, 3 Points for the dressing
1/3 slice of bread - .5 Points (I just didn't need the rest of it!)
Dinner
Quinoa salad with green beans and carrots (produce from Full Belly Farms)
Beets with olive oil and balsamic (beets from Full Belly, vinegar from Hare Hollow)
milk from Clover
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 6.5
WPA points available: 32.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - quinoa
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Friday, June 15, 2007
Daily Menu for June 15
Tomorrow is my weigh in and the farmer's market, so it's a veggie-heavy day as I clean out the fridge for the new loot! We're also picking up our split quarter of beef tomorrow, and a new compact chest freezer is plugged in awaiting the arrival of steaks, roasts, ribs, shanks, and hamburger meat, neatly packaged in butcher paper, fresh from the organic pasture.
Today's menu is light, as I have not been terribly hungry (I think it may be the heat) and I don't want to eat too heavily before weigh in.
Breakfast
Cherries
2 c. milk
Lunch
Veggie burger
Zucchini with olive oil
Dinner
Salad with green beans, beets, apricots, and goat cheese (3)
olive oil dressing
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 3
WPA points available: 0
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - veggie burger
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Today's menu is light, as I have not been terribly hungry (I think it may be the heat) and I don't want to eat too heavily before weigh in.
Breakfast
Cherries
2 c. milk
Lunch
Veggie burger
Zucchini with olive oil
Dinner
Salad with green beans, beets, apricots, and goat cheese (3)
olive oil dressing
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 3
WPA points available: 0
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - veggie burger
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Daily Menu for June 14
It has been a hectic week, watching three boys under three years old for the past three days. I'm a bit worn out, and my meal plan has been pretty boring and in repeat, packed in advance - Summer muesli, tofu stirfry, egg curry for the past three days. Today has a new menu but is just as busy, with picking up a freezer to hold our split quarter of beef, turning in some paperwork to the accountant, and babysitting again tonight.
M. let me sleep in, wonderful husband that he is, saying "What good is having a baby with a partner if you can't sleep in every once in a while?"
I'm still not as hungry as usual, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and I'm eating to satisfaction, the rule of CORE. I suppose we'll find out at weigh in on Saturday how well that's working for me. :)
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Peach
Organic puffed millet cereal (not local, bought local)
2 c. milk
Lunch
pasta e fagioli made with whole grain pasta, Swiss chard and beet greens, and pink beans
Dinner
A big salad with apricots and goat cheese (3)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 3
WPA points available: 0
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - pasta
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
M. let me sleep in, wonderful husband that he is, saying "What good is having a baby with a partner if you can't sleep in every once in a while?"
I'm still not as hungry as usual, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and I'm eating to satisfaction, the rule of CORE. I suppose we'll find out at weigh in on Saturday how well that's working for me. :)
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Peach
Organic puffed millet cereal (not local, bought local)
2 c. milk
Lunch
pasta e fagioli made with whole grain pasta, Swiss chard and beet greens, and pink beans
Dinner
A big salad with apricots and goat cheese (3)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 3
WPA points available: 0
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - pasta
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Meals are planned, but I am not eating enough
I have planned out menus every day to include the 8 healthy guidelines, but when I'm truly waiting to be hungry and stopping when satisfied, not too full, then I'm not eating it all. In fact, I'm struggling to eat half of my plate of food at most meals. This is not something I've EVER worried about or had happened.
I have been babysitting for the past two days and will babysit again tomorrow and Thursday, so my meals have been made and packed to take with me in one serving sizes. Today I planned to have Summer muesli for breakfast, tofu and brown rice stirfry with veggies for lunch, and egg curry with tomatoes and onions, cucumbers, and couscous for dinner. I couldn't eat all of the summer muesli and probably had about half a serving - I made it into a smoothie at the end so I could carry it around and sip on it, because I just wasn't getting through it and had to move on with the day. I had probably four bites of the stirfry at lunch. I ate a small bowl (maybe a cup total) of egg curry and couscous, but didn't need the cucumbers. I didn't get in the 8 healthy guidelines by a long shot, but I wasn't very hungry.
I did drink all 8 glasses of water (it was warm today and I was active) and had my multivitamin. I probably got two oils between the flaxseed in the breakfast, canola in stirfry, and olive oil with curry. I was heavy on the oil in the curry because I knew I hadn't eaten much today. I did have whole grains, but not much of them, in each meal. I had veggies, but unlikely 5 servings. There was protein in each meal. I didn't get both servings of dairy, but I'm going to have a glass of milk before bed to try to get that in.
It's 10 pm and I'm just not hungry. This is the third day in a row that I've been very active and just not very hungry. Is this normal? Does my body really need so little, or am I shooting myself in the foot by not eating at least the minimums?
I have been babysitting for the past two days and will babysit again tomorrow and Thursday, so my meals have been made and packed to take with me in one serving sizes. Today I planned to have Summer muesli for breakfast, tofu and brown rice stirfry with veggies for lunch, and egg curry with tomatoes and onions, cucumbers, and couscous for dinner. I couldn't eat all of the summer muesli and probably had about half a serving - I made it into a smoothie at the end so I could carry it around and sip on it, because I just wasn't getting through it and had to move on with the day. I had probably four bites of the stirfry at lunch. I ate a small bowl (maybe a cup total) of egg curry and couscous, but didn't need the cucumbers. I didn't get in the 8 healthy guidelines by a long shot, but I wasn't very hungry.
I did drink all 8 glasses of water (it was warm today and I was active) and had my multivitamin. I probably got two oils between the flaxseed in the breakfast, canola in stirfry, and olive oil with curry. I was heavy on the oil in the curry because I knew I hadn't eaten much today. I did have whole grains, but not much of them, in each meal. I had veggies, but unlikely 5 servings. There was protein in each meal. I didn't get both servings of dairy, but I'm going to have a glass of milk before bed to try to get that in.
It's 10 pm and I'm just not hungry. This is the third day in a row that I've been very active and just not very hungry. Is this normal? Does my body really need so little, or am I shooting myself in the foot by not eating at least the minimums?
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Daily Menu on June 10
We went out to Half Moon Bay yesterday afternoon for lunch at the Princeton Seafood Company, and I had the salmon salad with fresh salmon. We also bought two fresh live crabs from a boat on the pier. I boiled them when we got home and they're in the fridge waiting for a crab salad for dinner tonight, with balsamic vinaigrette and raspberries.
I visited the Mountain View farmer's market this morning and it was wonderful! They have meats (pork, sausages, and fish), cheeses, tofu, eggs, condiments, breads, and of course, tons of great produce. It is about twice the size of the Palo Alto market, with even more variety, but I'm still going to Palo Alto each Saturday for our CSA box. I bought tomato chutney (0 points per serving,) a honeycomb for M., and queso crema made from goat's milk. It's full fat, so I'll count the points, but mmm, is it good!
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Peach
2 c. milk
Lunch
Brown rice
Red Beans
carrots
Dinner
Fresh Dungeness crab
Lettuce, radish, carrot
Rasberries
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
quinoa
Snack
Vanilla chocolate chip cookie (3 PTS)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - None today
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
I visited the Mountain View farmer's market this morning and it was wonderful! They have meats (pork, sausages, and fish), cheeses, tofu, eggs, condiments, breads, and of course, tons of great produce. It is about twice the size of the Palo Alto market, with even more variety, but I'm still going to Palo Alto each Saturday for our CSA box. I bought tomato chutney (0 points per serving,) a honeycomb for M., and queso crema made from goat's milk. It's full fat, so I'll count the points, but mmm, is it good!
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Peach
2 c. milk
Lunch
Brown rice
Red Beans
carrots
Dinner
Fresh Dungeness crab
Lettuce, radish, carrot
Rasberries
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
quinoa
Snack
Vanilla chocolate chip cookie (3 PTS)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - None today
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Beef Recall: Another reason to be a locavore
There is a beef recall in 11 Western states for potential E. Coli contamination. Eating locally grown, grassfed beef can all but eliminate your exposure to E.Coli, as E.Coli is a scary and dangerous side effect of the industrial food chain. As described (much more eloquently!) by Michael Pollan in his article "Power Steer":
I'm convinced that I should not eat or feed my family meat grown industrially, and to that end, I sought out locally grown, pastured, organic beef. There are a number of ranches in the Bay Area, including Morris Grassfed Beef, Marin Sun Farms (found locally at Country Sun), Chileno Valley Ranch.
You can find grassfed meats in your area here.
I've bought a a quarter of a cow from Chileno Valley Ranch. Our beef, organically pastured with no antibiotics or added hormones, is being picked up next Saturday and should last us for the next year. I learned only recently that beef is a seasonal product; feedlot beef is not seasonal and can be "dispatched" any time of year.
Grassfed beef is more expensive than the industrially grown beef found in grocery stores (our quarter of the cow is roughly $5/lb., or $430 for a 90 lb. quarter, plus butchering fees), but Mr. Pollan explains how the true cost of industrial beef is much higher than the price tag on the grocery store shrink wrap:
Most of the [E. Coli] microbes that reside in the gut of a cow and find their way into our food get killed off by the acids in our stomachs, since they originally adapted to live in a neutral-pH environment. But the digestive tract of the modern feedlot cow is closer in acidity to our own, and in this new, manmade environment acid-resistant strains of E. coli have developed that can survive our stomach acids—and go on to kill us. By acidifying a cow's gut with corn, we have broken down one of our food chain's barriers to infection. Yet this process can be reversed: James Russell, a U.S.D.A. microbiologist, has discovered that switching a cow's diet from corn to hay in the final days before slaughter reduces the population of E. coli 0157 in its manure by as much as 70 percent. Such a change, however, is considered wildly impractical by the cattle industry.
I'm convinced that I should not eat or feed my family meat grown industrially, and to that end, I sought out locally grown, pastured, organic beef. There are a number of ranches in the Bay Area, including Morris Grassfed Beef, Marin Sun Farms (found locally at Country Sun), Chileno Valley Ranch.
You can find grassfed meats in your area here.
I've bought a a quarter of a cow from Chileno Valley Ranch. Our beef, organically pastured with no antibiotics or added hormones, is being picked up next Saturday and should last us for the next year. I learned only recently that beef is a seasonal product; feedlot beef is not seasonal and can be "dispatched" any time of year.
Grassfed beef is more expensive than the industrially grown beef found in grocery stores (our quarter of the cow is roughly $5/lb., or $430 for a 90 lb. quarter, plus butchering fees), but Mr. Pollan explains how the true cost of industrial beef is much higher than the price tag on the grocery store shrink wrap:
And how cheap, really, is cheap feedlot beef? Not cheap at all, when you add in the invisible costs: of antibiotic resistance, environmental degradation, heart disease, E. coli poisoning, corn subsidies, imported oil and so on. All these are costs that grass-fed beef does not incur.
Weigh in, Farmer's Market Joy, and Daily Menu for June 9
This has been an excellent morning! I woke up bright and early with Jax cheerfully snuggled against me, never a bad way to start the day. We got up and dressed to head over to Weight Watchers for my weekly meeting, and I lost (are you ready for this?)
5.6 lb. THIS WEEK ALONE!
My goal is 30 lb. down by 9/23/07 and I'm currently down 7.8 lb. in three weeks (at 303.8 lb.), well ahead of goal.
This is craziness! I ate plenty of food, lots of great whole grains, tons of fresh fruits and veggies (made all the easier by the abundance at the farmer's market), and ate until I was satisfied and not stuffed. That's it. I counted the Points on non-Core foods and planned and tracked my meals, got in the 8 healthy guidelines almost every day, and wasn't hungry. I can do this.
Plus, Jax was happy during the meeting (another shock!), happily eating a cup of fruit and an oat muffin and sitting quietly next to me for the full half hour, clapping along whenever the group cheered for someone's accomplishment.
Next, we went over to Country Sun to pick up milk, grains, and chicken for the week. I bought more bulgur and whole wheat couscous, two puffed whole grain cereals (millet and kamut, both of them with a single ingredient - organic millet and organic kamut!), milk (fat free for me, whole for Jax), yogurt, and a whole chicken.
Onto the farmer's market in Palo Alto, which is bustling by 9:30 am. We cruised over to the Full Belly Farms stall to pick up our CSA box, which today included green beans, carrots, garlic, chard, squash, beets, apricots, and newly dug potatoes, which the "Full Belly Beet" (the accompanying newsletter) announces were "harvested, washed, and packed for you by an enthusiastic group of children from the Golden Valley Charter School."
We stopped to listen to the guitarist, and while I was tempted to get a crepe, the line was long and I didn't want to use the points so we kept moving. We took a leisurely stroll around the market, picking up tofu from Hodo Soy, snapper from F/V Anne B, blueberries, peaches from Kashiwase Farm, a bottle of apple pomegranite balsamic vinegar from Hare Hollow, radishes, cilantro, whole wheat flour (not Core), and a few heads of lettuce. We're going to eat well this week! The peaches are especially flavorful and juicy, and we sampled the many varieties before choosing Arctic Snow, a white fleshed, sweet but not too sweet peach.
My favorite part of the farmer's market is the interaction with the people producing your food. I love talking to Pietro, our fishmonger, about the best way to cook a new-to-me fish, or asking the best way to use a new vegetable from any of the produce stands.
I bought cilantro and radishes today and Stephanie from the Green Oaks Creek Farm and Retreat suggested marinating the radishes in rice wine vinegar to remove the bite and add a tangy flavor. We'll be having that one day this week. They also sell strawberries, wool in skeins for knitters, and tomato starts.
So here is today's daily menu:
The latte is from Starbucks (I wasn't on the ball enough to bring it with me this morning.)
Breakfast:
nonfat latte
peach
Lunch:
Artichoke soup
Dinner:
(out to eat)
Salmon and a huge salad
Zucchini and carrots
milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - None today
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
5.6 lb. THIS WEEK ALONE!
My goal is 30 lb. down by 9/23/07 and I'm currently down 7.8 lb. in three weeks (at 303.8 lb.), well ahead of goal.
This is craziness! I ate plenty of food, lots of great whole grains, tons of fresh fruits and veggies (made all the easier by the abundance at the farmer's market), and ate until I was satisfied and not stuffed. That's it. I counted the Points on non-Core foods and planned and tracked my meals, got in the 8 healthy guidelines almost every day, and wasn't hungry. I can do this.
Plus, Jax was happy during the meeting (another shock!), happily eating a cup of fruit and an oat muffin and sitting quietly next to me for the full half hour, clapping along whenever the group cheered for someone's accomplishment.
Next, we went over to Country Sun to pick up milk, grains, and chicken for the week. I bought more bulgur and whole wheat couscous, two puffed whole grain cereals (millet and kamut, both of them with a single ingredient - organic millet and organic kamut!), milk (fat free for me, whole for Jax), yogurt, and a whole chicken.
Onto the farmer's market in Palo Alto, which is bustling by 9:30 am. We cruised over to the Full Belly Farms stall to pick up our CSA box, which today included green beans, carrots, garlic, chard, squash, beets, apricots, and newly dug potatoes, which the "Full Belly Beet" (the accompanying newsletter) announces were "harvested, washed, and packed for you by an enthusiastic group of children from the Golden Valley Charter School."
We stopped to listen to the guitarist, and while I was tempted to get a crepe, the line was long and I didn't want to use the points so we kept moving. We took a leisurely stroll around the market, picking up tofu from Hodo Soy, snapper from F/V Anne B, blueberries, peaches from Kashiwase Farm, a bottle of apple pomegranite balsamic vinegar from Hare Hollow, radishes, cilantro, whole wheat flour (not Core), and a few heads of lettuce. We're going to eat well this week! The peaches are especially flavorful and juicy, and we sampled the many varieties before choosing Arctic Snow, a white fleshed, sweet but not too sweet peach.
My favorite part of the farmer's market is the interaction with the people producing your food. I love talking to Pietro, our fishmonger, about the best way to cook a new-to-me fish, or asking the best way to use a new vegetable from any of the produce stands.
I bought cilantro and radishes today and Stephanie from the Green Oaks Creek Farm and Retreat suggested marinating the radishes in rice wine vinegar to remove the bite and add a tangy flavor. We'll be having that one day this week. They also sell strawberries, wool in skeins for knitters, and tomato starts.
So here is today's daily menu:
The latte is from Starbucks (I wasn't on the ball enough to bring it with me this morning.)
Breakfast:
nonfat latte
peach
Lunch:
Artichoke soup
Dinner:
(out to eat)
Salmon and a huge salad
Zucchini and carrots
milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - None today
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Friday, June 8, 2007
Daily Menu for June 8
Last night's egg curry was a success. I caramelized the onions before adding the rest of the ingredients (adding 1 T. brown sugar between 6 servings, so no additional Points per serving), giving the sauce a nice sweetness. The tomato sauce is thick and mixed in with the bulgur nicely, giving a chewy, sweet, slightly spicy combination that is very satisfying. The egg is a nice contrast in texture, and the yolk crumbles into the sauce and bulgur for a bit of extra richness. Overall, a very tasty, healthy meal that is also fast and easy.
Jax (20 months old) ate 2 1/2 eggs (I could only eat one - these are the giant farmer's market eggs, another of which had two yolks) along with the bulgur, sauce, and swiss chard. For a boy who has been getting pickier and eating less with each passing day, this was a real achievement. Although I made enough to have lunch leftovers, expecting an egg per person to fill everyone up, Jax and Matt polished it all off!
It's already 11 am and I'm just starting to get hungry, so it will be brunch today instead of breakfast. It's also the day before the farmer's market, so I'm finishing up last week's veggies and am out of fruit and eggs. Bah.
Tonight's tilapia isn't local; it's been frozen in my freezer for a few months and needed to be used up so it doesn't go bad. All of the produce is from my CSA box, and the cheese is from the Palo Alto farmer's market. It is a fantastic sharp smoked cheddar, full fat but worth it for the deep flavor. I'm counting the points for it. (I'm also out of milk after my 1 c. with breakfast, so I had to add in another milk serving, and cheese is what I have in the house.)
Brunch
1 medium potato
1/2 onion
1 t. olive oil
1 1/2 oz. cheddar cheese (4.5 PTS)
1 c. milk
Snack
carrots
Dinner
tilapia
whole wheat couscous
artichoke with olive oil vinaigrette
beets
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 4.5
WPA points available: 13.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12 (I didn't end up exercising yesterday)
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - whole wheat couscous
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Jax (20 months old) ate 2 1/2 eggs (I could only eat one - these are the giant farmer's market eggs, another of which had two yolks) along with the bulgur, sauce, and swiss chard. For a boy who has been getting pickier and eating less with each passing day, this was a real achievement. Although I made enough to have lunch leftovers, expecting an egg per person to fill everyone up, Jax and Matt polished it all off!
It's already 11 am and I'm just starting to get hungry, so it will be brunch today instead of breakfast. It's also the day before the farmer's market, so I'm finishing up last week's veggies and am out of fruit and eggs. Bah.
Tonight's tilapia isn't local; it's been frozen in my freezer for a few months and needed to be used up so it doesn't go bad. All of the produce is from my CSA box, and the cheese is from the Palo Alto farmer's market. It is a fantastic sharp smoked cheddar, full fat but worth it for the deep flavor. I'm counting the points for it. (I'm also out of milk after my 1 c. with breakfast, so I had to add in another milk serving, and cheese is what I have in the house.)
Brunch
1 medium potato
1/2 onion
1 t. olive oil
1 1/2 oz. cheddar cheese (4.5 PTS)
1 c. milk
Snack
carrots
Dinner
tilapia
whole wheat couscous
artichoke with olive oil vinaigrette
beets
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 4.5
WPA points available: 13.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12 (I didn't end up exercising yesterday)
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - whole wheat couscous
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Egg Curry
Tonight's dinner, Egg Curry, is simmering on the stove and giving off its wonderful aroma. It's so good, and so easy, that I wanted to share the recipe.
Egg Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large onions, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
1 t. ground turmeric
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. paprika
1 1/2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. salt
1 t. Garam masala
1 1/2 c. diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
6 hard boiled eggs
Directions
Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add spices and fry together for 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, cover and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes. Add 6 hard cooked eggs, cut in half. Simmer five minutes. Serve with brown rice or bulgur.
Egg Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large onions, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
1 t. ground turmeric
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. paprika
1 1/2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. salt
1 t. Garam masala
1 1/2 c. diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
6 hard boiled eggs
Directions
Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add spices and fry together for 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, cover and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes. Add 6 hard cooked eggs, cut in half. Simmer five minutes. Serve with brown rice or bulgur.
Daily Menu for June 7
Yesterday was my babysitting day, so I was out of the house with three toddlers for 10 hours and I came home exhausted, not wanting to cook. We finished the leftover chili with grilled cheese sandwiches (6 Points) instead of the planned egg curry, so that is carrying over to tonight's meal. I underestimate how tired I am on Wednesday nights (I usually babysit Wednesdays only), and I'm going to have to plan ahead for quick meals so I don't resort to picking up non-plan foods in hungry desperation! Next week, I'm babysitting Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so it will be a week of Crockpot love!
I packed my meals to take with me yesterday and I didn't finish either breakfast or lunch. I was satisfied and didn't feel like I had to clean my plate, and that I didn't eat the leftover peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that I fed the kids! This is definitely an improvement - it is so easy to eat the crusts so I don't waste them, but eating them certainly isn't doing my weight loss efforts any favors.
I bought the tofu for today's lunch at the Palo Alto Farmer's Market. There is a gentleman there who makes his own tofu with organic, non-GMO soybeans grown in Missouri. While the soybeans aren't local, he is! The tofu is always fresh and he has samples of tofu jerky and other yummy tofu treats at his stall.
The organic brown rice was bought in bulk at Country Sun, and was grown at Lundberg Family Farms. I'm cooking it in vegetable broth, organic but not local, bought at the Grocery Outlet. They've been carrying a lot of organic foods lately, including some local products like Muir Glen tomatoes and Santa Cruz peanut butter. They also have day-old bakery items from Vital Vittles in Berkeley and Soli's in Burlingame. The bread is so tasty that it's worth counting points for!
Breakfast
leftover Summer Muesli - 1/4 c. steel cut oats, 1 c. fat free plain yogurt, 1 c. cherries, vanilla and almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and 1 t. honey (.5)
Snack
Fruit
Lunch
Marinated Tofu stirfried in canola oil
Brown rice
Bell peppers, carrots, onions, and cabbage
1 t. sesame oil
Dinner
Egg curry
Bulgur
Swiss chard
olive oil
Fat free milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 1
WPA points available: 13.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12 (I didn't end up exercising yesterday)
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 8
2. Whole grains - steel cut oats for breakfast, brown rice for lunch, bulgur for dinner
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
I packed my meals to take with me yesterday and I didn't finish either breakfast or lunch. I was satisfied and didn't feel like I had to clean my plate, and that I didn't eat the leftover peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that I fed the kids! This is definitely an improvement - it is so easy to eat the crusts so I don't waste them, but eating them certainly isn't doing my weight loss efforts any favors.
I bought the tofu for today's lunch at the Palo Alto Farmer's Market. There is a gentleman there who makes his own tofu with organic, non-GMO soybeans grown in Missouri. While the soybeans aren't local, he is! The tofu is always fresh and he has samples of tofu jerky and other yummy tofu treats at his stall.
The organic brown rice was bought in bulk at Country Sun, and was grown at Lundberg Family Farms. I'm cooking it in vegetable broth, organic but not local, bought at the Grocery Outlet. They've been carrying a lot of organic foods lately, including some local products like Muir Glen tomatoes and Santa Cruz peanut butter. They also have day-old bakery items from Vital Vittles in Berkeley and Soli's in Burlingame. The bread is so tasty that it's worth counting points for!
Breakfast
leftover Summer Muesli - 1/4 c. steel cut oats, 1 c. fat free plain yogurt, 1 c. cherries, vanilla and almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and 1 t. honey (.5)
Snack
Fruit
Lunch
Marinated Tofu stirfried in canola oil
Brown rice
Bell peppers, carrots, onions, and cabbage
1 t. sesame oil
Dinner
Egg curry
Bulgur
Swiss chard
olive oil
Fat free milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 1
WPA points available: 13.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12 (I didn't end up exercising yesterday)
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 8
2. Whole grains - steel cut oats for breakfast, brown rice for lunch, bulgur for dinner
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Daily Menu for June 6
We had an impromptu dinner out with friends tonight at The Olive Garden. This was my first dinner out on Core and I think I did pretty well, although of course the meal was not local. I left satisfied but not stuffed, and I was proud of myself for not going overboard and eating half a basket (or more) of the breadsticks! Dinner cost 8 Points. I exercised today and gained 4 Activity Points, so I took 4 Points out of my Weekly Points Allowance.
I had about a cup of the Capellini Pomodoro, a tomato, garlic, basil, and olive oil sauce over whole wheat pasta (I guessed 2 PTS for the sauce.) I also had a side salad with 1 T lowfat dressing (.5 PT) and about five croutons (1.5 PTS) and one breadstick (4 PTS).
I'm babysitting all day and will be out of the house tomorrow, so here's the daily menu for June 6.
Today's yogurt comes from Straus Family Creamery in Marin County, and milk is from Clover Stornetta Farms, in Sonoma, Marin, and Mendocino Counties. Both are organic, sustainable dairies and the cows are allowed to feed on pastures rather than spending their lives penned indoors like conventional dairies.
The cherries are from a roadside stand near my parents' house. We went up to Vacaville to visit with them on Sunday, and for about a mile and a half there were signs urging us to take the next exit for fresh cherries. One sign said, "Last chance, get off here!" and another said "Cherries, MMMM!" So we pulled over and bought the sweetest, juiciest cherries you could imagine. Yummy!
The eggs come from a stall at the Menlo Park farmer's market, from the man who sells mushrooms. He has a few laying hens and the eggs are ENORMOUS! The egg cartons, reused from week to week, have to be rubber banded shut since the lid won't clasp over the round brown shells. This morning I had one egg with two dark yellow yolks, and the one egg kept me satisfied until lunch.
I bought the bulgur from the bulk bins at The Country Sun, our local natural foods store. (This is where I bought the turkey for yesterday's turkey chili as well.)
Breakfast
Summer Muesli - 1/4 c. steel cut oats, 1 c. fat free plain yogurt, 1 c. cherries, vanilla and almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and 1 t. honey (.5)
Snack
Fruit
Lunch
leftovers 1 c. whole wheat pasta and 1/2 c. pasta sauce (2)
1 c. zucchini
Dinner
Egg curry
Bulgur
Swiss chard
Fat free milk
Watermelon
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 2.5
WPA points available: 21.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 8
2. Whole grains - steel cut oats for breakfast, whole wheat pasta for lunch, bulgur for dinner
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
I had about a cup of the Capellini Pomodoro, a tomato, garlic, basil, and olive oil sauce over whole wheat pasta (I guessed 2 PTS for the sauce.) I also had a side salad with 1 T lowfat dressing (.5 PT) and about five croutons (1.5 PTS) and one breadstick (4 PTS).
I'm babysitting all day and will be out of the house tomorrow, so here's the daily menu for June 6.
Today's yogurt comes from Straus Family Creamery in Marin County, and milk is from Clover Stornetta Farms, in Sonoma, Marin, and Mendocino Counties. Both are organic, sustainable dairies and the cows are allowed to feed on pastures rather than spending their lives penned indoors like conventional dairies.
The cherries are from a roadside stand near my parents' house. We went up to Vacaville to visit with them on Sunday, and for about a mile and a half there were signs urging us to take the next exit for fresh cherries. One sign said, "Last chance, get off here!" and another said "Cherries, MMMM!" So we pulled over and bought the sweetest, juiciest cherries you could imagine. Yummy!
The eggs come from a stall at the Menlo Park farmer's market, from the man who sells mushrooms. He has a few laying hens and the eggs are ENORMOUS! The egg cartons, reused from week to week, have to be rubber banded shut since the lid won't clasp over the round brown shells. This morning I had one egg with two dark yellow yolks, and the one egg kept me satisfied until lunch.
I bought the bulgur from the bulk bins at The Country Sun, our local natural foods store. (This is where I bought the turkey for yesterday's turkey chili as well.)
Breakfast
Summer Muesli - 1/4 c. steel cut oats, 1 c. fat free plain yogurt, 1 c. cherries, vanilla and almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and 1 t. honey (.5)
Snack
Fruit
Lunch
leftovers 1 c. whole wheat pasta and 1/2 c. pasta sauce (2)
1 c. zucchini
Dinner
Egg curry
Bulgur
Swiss chard
Fat free milk
Watermelon
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 2.5
WPA points available: 21.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 12
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 8
2. Whole grains - steel cut oats for breakfast, whole wheat pasta for lunch, bulgur for dinner
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Daily Menu for June 5
I plan on posting my daily menu every day. When I plan ahead, I am MUCH better about staying on program. Plus, I love reading other peoples' menus to get ideas, so hopefully this will be helpful for someone else!
All of today's produce is from my CSA box from Full Belly Farm. I made a nut-free pesto to put on the eggs for breakfast with the fresh basil, a few cloves of garlic, and some olive oil. Yum! The beet greens are for lunch, and the beets will be featured in a meal later in the week, probably with carrots and dill.
I bought a whole fresh salmon last week for our Memorial Day barbecue. There is a great fishmonger at the farmer's market, and the salmon I bought was caught the day before in Point Reyes. It was so moist and flavorful, and I was informed that the cheeks are a delicacy so I even ate the cheeks! (They were also moist and delicious.) We grilled the salmon whole and I froze the leftovers in meal-sized portions, one of which was used last night to make salmon cakes with spinach and whole wheat couscous in them. I'll definitely make this recipe again.
Breakfast
2 eggs with basil, garlic, and olive oil
strawberries
fat free milk
Snack
bell pepper with homemade hummus (no tahini)
Lunch
Salmon cake
beet greens sauteed in olive oil
fat free milk
Dinner
Turkey chili
bulgur
zucchini
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 27
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 8
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - whole wheat couscous in salmon cake for lunch, bulgur for dinner
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
All of today's produce is from my CSA box from Full Belly Farm. I made a nut-free pesto to put on the eggs for breakfast with the fresh basil, a few cloves of garlic, and some olive oil. Yum! The beet greens are for lunch, and the beets will be featured in a meal later in the week, probably with carrots and dill.
I bought a whole fresh salmon last week for our Memorial Day barbecue. There is a great fishmonger at the farmer's market, and the salmon I bought was caught the day before in Point Reyes. It was so moist and flavorful, and I was informed that the cheeks are a delicacy so I even ate the cheeks! (They were also moist and delicious.) We grilled the salmon whole and I froze the leftovers in meal-sized portions, one of which was used last night to make salmon cakes with spinach and whole wheat couscous in them. I'll definitely make this recipe again.
Breakfast
2 eggs with basil, garlic, and olive oil
strawberries
fat free milk
Snack
bell pepper with homemade hummus (no tahini)
Lunch
Salmon cake
beet greens sauteed in olive oil
fat free milk
Dinner
Turkey chili
bulgur
zucchini
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 27
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 8
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - whole wheat couscous in salmon cake for lunch, bulgur for dinner
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Monday, June 4, 2007
The Locavore on Core
Welcome to my blog! I'm starting this blog to document my weight loss journey using the Weight Watchers program Core, and eating locally and sustainably grown whole foods.
What is a Locavore?
A locavore is a person making a conscious effort to eat foods grown or harvested within their local foodsehd, generally about 100 miles. I've extended this to 200 miles, because our weekly CSA (community supported agriculture) box of vegetables comes from a farm 125 miles from me, and the only local brown rice I've found is 185 miles away. I'm very fortunate to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where a variety of locally grown and produced foods are plentiful year round.
I will readily admit that our food isn't 100% local; some staples just aren't locally produced, like coffee, bananas, chocolate, sugar, spices, and some condiments, like soy sauce. I'm on the lookout for local grains and legumes and if you know of any, please let me know! All of our produce, meat, and dairy is all locally, sustainably farmed, and those products that aren't local are fair trade and organic as much as possible.
10 Reasons to Eat Local
What is Core?
Core is one of two Weight Watchers programs, wherein I can eat as many foods on an approved list as I need to be satisfied (including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat free dairy, healthy oils and lean meats), and count Points for foods outside the list. I have 35 Points per week, plus any Points I earn through exercise. A Point is generally between 25 and 100 calories, depending on the fat and fiber.
I attend meetings and weigh in on Saturday mornings, just before hitting the farmer's market.
Who am I?
I'm 28 years old, wife to M., who is losing weight along with me, and a stay at home mom to toddler son Jax.
Starting weight: 311.6 on 5/21/07
Current weight: 309.4 on 6/4/07
Goals
I intend to meet the following goals, losing a reasonable 1.85 lbs. per week.
10% (31 lbs.) by 9/23/07
Under 200 lbs. by 7/20/08
Goal weight of 155 lbs. by 1/1/09
What is a Locavore?
A locavore is a person making a conscious effort to eat foods grown or harvested within their local foodsehd, generally about 100 miles. I've extended this to 200 miles, because our weekly CSA (community supported agriculture) box of vegetables comes from a farm 125 miles from me, and the only local brown rice I've found is 185 miles away. I'm very fortunate to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where a variety of locally grown and produced foods are plentiful year round.
I will readily admit that our food isn't 100% local; some staples just aren't locally produced, like coffee, bananas, chocolate, sugar, spices, and some condiments, like soy sauce. I'm on the lookout for local grains and legumes and if you know of any, please let me know! All of our produce, meat, and dairy is all locally, sustainably farmed, and those products that aren't local are fair trade and organic as much as possible.
10 Reasons to Eat Local
What is Core?
Core is one of two Weight Watchers programs, wherein I can eat as many foods on an approved list as I need to be satisfied (including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat free dairy, healthy oils and lean meats), and count Points for foods outside the list. I have 35 Points per week, plus any Points I earn through exercise. A Point is generally between 25 and 100 calories, depending on the fat and fiber.
I attend meetings and weigh in on Saturday mornings, just before hitting the farmer's market.
Who am I?
I'm 28 years old, wife to M., who is losing weight along with me, and a stay at home mom to toddler son Jax.
Starting weight: 311.6 on 5/21/07
Current weight: 309.4 on 6/4/07
Goals
I intend to meet the following goals, losing a reasonable 1.85 lbs. per week.
10% (31 lbs.) by 9/23/07
Under 200 lbs. by 7/20/08
Goal weight of 155 lbs. by 1/1/09
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