Wait! Eating like a 13 year old boy isn’t good for you? Huh. Who woulda thunk it.

So, I know you’ve all been wondering where I’ve been and what marvelous whole food eating I’ve been doing.

HA! The joke’s on you! I’ve been eating like garbage since I’ve been home from Florida. I’ve been ashamed to write. Aren’t I supposed to be this paragon of awesome diet-ness? Those of you that know me personally know that isn’t quite how I roll.

To be honest, I’ve been in a mood/funk/depression for weeks. I haven’t had much enthusiasm for much of anything, including my blog.  I’m not exactly sure what’s wrong with me, but I’m hoping the change in the weather will help, and I’m sure getting back to eating better food and getting some exercise will too.

Despite myself, I’ve managed to only gain back 5.5 of the 11 pounds I lost. That’s the good news. The bad news is I gained back 5.5 pounds or as I like to equate things:  22 STICKS OF BUTTER.

Gah!

Meanwhile my mom and dad are all: “We’re soooo skinny, aren’t we soooo awesome?”  Not really, of course, but that’s what my grumpy side hears whenever they are around. Seriously, good for them, but for the rest of us mere mortals, life is hard and vegetables don’t taste like chips. Really. They don’t.

In preparation for getting back on the wagon I will embarrassingly share what I ate yesterday with you all. Don’t make fun or I will kick you in the shin.

Leftover pizza and breadsticks for breakfast

Half a PB&J w/ a Clementine for lunch

Snack bag of Cheetos

Coleslaw

Half a salami sandwich w/ half a pear and some strawberries for dinner

Salami/cheese/banana pepper snack w/ crouton munchies for a snack

All in all, not THAT bad; unless you count the half a pound of salami. What can I say? It’s delicious.

So, with the weather rebounding, I hope to push myself out of being a grump, and back to being hopeful.  Plus, I’ve got to get my blood work done, so I don’t want to get yelled at by my doctor when I go in to get the results. Jerk.

Today is off to a decent start with a smoothie and some green tea.

Ciao, babies!

"I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight" (or something like that)

Since I’m feeling gross and uninspired today, I’ll leave you with a vegetarian menu and shopping list that I created for a friend. I hope you find it interesting and/or inspiring. The recipes not made up by me came from this book: The Great American Detox Diet, by Alex Jamieson .

P.S  I’ve lost 11 pounds, more on that later.

Xoxo

Jamie

Meal Plan Week One (Recipes to follow)

Breakfasts:

Smoothies

Fruit and nuts

Lunches:

Leftover dinners

Dinners:

Tofu stir-fry w/ brown rice

Potato Leek Soup w/ avocado, cucumber and cherry tomato salad

Black Bean and sweet potato chili

“Taco” salad with guacamole and quinoa

Black and pinto bean tacos

Tomato Vegetable Soup with sweet potato fries

Snacks:

Fruit & nuts

Olives

Hummus & sliced veggies

Black bean dip & sliced veggies

Nut butter & apple

Dark Chocolate(at least 70%)

Tips:

• Cook brown rice and quinoa in organic broth instead of water
• Prepare and freeze fruit ahead of time, blend enough for 2 mornings and keep on in the fridge
• Pack everything the night before to save time in the morning
• Slice up tons of veggies so you only have to do it once.
• Buy the pre-minced garlic in a jar
• Don’t eat for at least 2 hours before bed
• Eat every 3-4 hours
• Keep nut portions to about a handful
• Make sure you have a protein w/ every carb
• Buy and drink Hibiscus tea (sometimes called Jamaica tea)

Recipes

Smoothies (serves one)

1 banana

1 cup of berries

2/3-1 cup of coconut or almond milk (unsweetened)

3 Tbsp ground flax seed

Hunk o’ tofu (about a 1 inch slice)

Blend. Travels well.  Use any fruit on hand.

Tofu Stir-Fry w/ Veggies (super easy, serves 2-4)

Tofu

1 Cup snow peas

1 Cup thinly sliced or matchstick carrots

1 Cup bean sprouts

1/4 Cup sliced scallions

1 Small can sliced water chestnuts (opt)

1/4 Cup chopped, roasted almonds

2-3 Tbsp Sesame Seeds

2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Clove minced garlic

1 Tbsp Dark Sesame Oil

1-2 Tbsp Gluten-free soy sauce

Sea salt

Pepper

Add oil to large pan, add carrots first and cook for a minute or two, then the rest of the veggies. Add the tofu at the end and toss to heat. Serve over brown rice with soy sauce.

Potato Leek Soup (serves 4-6) –

(Alex Jamieson recipe)

1 Tbsp Olive oil

2 Leeks, white and light green parts sliced and separated into a bowl of water to get rid of all the grit, drain

1 Large chopped yellow onion

3 Cloves of garlic, minced

2 Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch cubes

4 Cups veggie stock

Sea salt

Pepper

2-3 Tsp fresh rosemary leaves

1 Cup coconut milk (opt)

Add oil to a large pot and heat to medium; add leeks, onion, salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 min, until onions start to turn translucent. Add garlic and stir well, cook for 1 minute more. Add potatoes and stock, cover and boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 min. Blend soup with rosemary, and then add coconut milk until it is the consistency that you like.

Avocado, cucumber and cherry tomato salad (serves at least 2, or one if you are really hungry)

1/2 English cucumber, chopped

1 Avocado, chunked

1 Cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Juice of half a lime

1 Clove garlic

Sea salt

Pepper

Cayenne

Add avocado, lime, garlic and spices. Mash gently, add cucumber and tomato.

Black Bean and sweet potato chili (serves at least 4)

(Alex Jamieson recipe)

2 Tbsp Olive oil

1 Medium red onion, chopped

1 Red bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tsp sea salt (or less)

1 Large sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Zest and juice of one lime

1 Can (28 oz) diced tomatoes

4 Cans black beans, rinsed and drained, or 6 cups freshly cooked

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tsp cocoa powder

1 Lime in wedges

1 Cup chopped cilantro, washed and dried (opt)

Sauté onion, pepper, garlic and salt in EVOO until soft. Add sweet potato and lime zest, cook about 10 min, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, beans, jalapeno, lime juice and spices, simmer for 10 min. Serve over brown rice or quinoa.

“Taco” salad with guacamole and quinoa (super easy)

1 Can black beans, drained

1 Cup cooked quinoa

1 Cup prepared salsa

Romaine Lettuce

Spinach

Bell peppers

Assorted other veggies

Guacamole

Combine beans, quinoa, 1/2 salsa. Warm on stove or microwave. Chop veggies and top with bean mixture. Top w/ guac or ranch if you must.

Black (or pinto) bean tacos (super easy, serves at least 2)

1 Can black beans, drained

1 Cup cooked quinoa

1 Cup prepared salsa

Romaine Lettuce

Guacamole

8 sprouted corn tortillas

Combine beans, quinoa, 1/2 salsa and warm on stove or in the microwave. Heat tortillas on stove w/ a squirt of OO Pam until they just start to brown on both sides. Curl into taco shape and use your spatula to hold it there until they cool. Fill w/ beans, guac and romaine.

Tomato Vegetable Soup with sweet potato fries (Soup serves at least 4)

(Alex Jamieson recipe)

1 Tbsp EVOO

1/2 Cup chopped red onion

1/4 Tsp sea salt

2 Cloves minced garlic

1/2 Cup shredded carrots

1/2 Cup chopped celery

1 24 oz can diced tomatoes

3 Cups veggie stock

Pepper

Fresh parsley

Saute onion and salt in EVOO for 2 min, add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add veggies, tomatoes, stock and pepper. Bring to low simmer and cook for 20 min.  Garnish w/ fresh parsley.

Sweet Potato Fries

1 Large sweet potato, cut into similar wedges

3 Tbsp EVOO

Sea salt

Black Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Garlic Powder

Toss potato in EVOO, add spices and mix thoroughly. Spray baking dish w/ Pam and cook at 400 for 16 minutes, flipping once. Enjoy w/ ranch if you must.

I Feel Skinny, Oh So Skinny

That’s what new clothes will do for ya! I also have pretty nails and toes and am wearing make-up which goes a long way to making me feel better about myself.

I’m still stuck at 7 lbs lost, but I’m trying not to worry about it. I know why I’m still there, and I hope to do something about it this week. But, I have a final paper due for my class on Sunday, so I’m thinking it’s probably not going to happen.

What does this have to do with whole foods, you say? Well…nothing. And everything. The 7 lbs came off in the first place because of my switch-over, and I’m stalled because I quit exercising and ate out too much in the last couple weeks. It’s really hard to eat whole foods when you aren’t in complete control of what is being cooked.

Which leads me to: WHAT TO EAT WHILE YOU ARE OUT AND ABOUT

Part 1: Sushi

Let’s talk sushi, folks. It's my go-to dining out food. I tried my first sushi just this year, and I’ve been a convert ever since. I started with California Rolls (Krab, avocado, cucumber), but I have since learned that I hate crab with a “K”, so that was a bad one for me to start with. Fortunately I wasn’t totally put off and tried again with just veggie rolls. Since most of the people I know that have never had sushi are scared of raw fish, this would be a great suggestion of where to start. So far I’ve tried 3 local restaurants, and each has their own high points.

I think sushi is the closest thing you can get to whole foods while dining out, especially if you pay extra for the brown rice, which is tastier than the white anyway. Here’s some local suggestions:

Sansu:

Veggie and A2C (avocado, asparagus & cucumber) lunch combo

Agadashi (lightly battered tofu w/ tempura sauce)-not exactly whole food, but the sauce is amazing

Omi

Mixed vegetable tempura-again fried does not equal whole food, but whatever.

Eel, avocado & cucumber

Maru

Gyu asparagus (grilled beef wrapped asparagus w/ teriyaki glaze) OMG, best EVER

Miso soup (way better than Sansu’s)

Boogie Veggie roll (sprouts, cucumber, avocado, asparagus, kampyo topped with tempura sweet potato w/ maru dressing) FANTASTIC, but again with the fried.

Any of their other veggie rolls look great, but they don’t do brown rice

Have any of you ever made your own sushi? I’d love to try that. Hey! Sushi party at my house!

Later this week, I'll talk about some other options for dining out. Or we could just stick with what we know and hit Wendy's. Cuz I didn't do that this week already...

That’s all I’ve got to offer today, kiddos. Florida in 2 weeks, so maybe I’ll drag my mom to a local sushi place and come back with reviews.

My Refrigerator Runneth Over

Ever have one of those moments where you are totally aware of how much luckier you are than a lot of people? I had one of those this weekend. It wasn’t caused by any lottery winnings or a promotion or even a good grade on a paper, but just on the sheer fullness of my refrigerator.

I know I personally spend a good amount of time during the month lamenting my lack of financial resources. I’m going to try and stop doing that because I SHOULD be grateful for even having the option of eating mostly whole foods.

In a country where we can go to McDonalds and have a full meal for $3 off the dollar menu, and our kids can eat hot lunch for $2, “real” food is increasingly becoming a luxury item. This weekend I shopped for the next three weeks, and stocked up on a some more expensive sundry items (laundry soap, pull ups, spirulina supplements) to the tune of $346. (My mother is having a heart attack as she reads this.)

For the last week, I have been inventing meals out of the dregs of my freezer and cupboards, so $346 for at least three weeks, including proteins, doesn’t seem so bad.

Bottom line is, most of us should probably spend less time worrying about what we WANT to buy, and more time being grateful that we can buy what we NEED.

Hope you had a happy weekend! I spent most of mine in one grocery store or another, so I leave you with a view of my fridge and all the lovely things it has to offer.

And for those of you who wonder what to feed your kids when you are trying to get your family to eat more healthfully, I offer a glimpse into Anna’s awesome Scooby Doo lunch box.

(I apologize for the awful photos, it was late and I haven’t had much practice w/ my new camera.)

Photo 1:

100% pure maple syrup, manzanilla olives, ground flax seeds & silken tofu (for smoothies), and if you look really hard in the back you’ll see the last dregs of GG’s homemade hot fudge. I can’t just throw it out! What if there is a chocolate emergency!?

Photo 2:

2 containers of bulk hummus, 2 leftover portions of delish lemon-caper chicken, unsweetened plain coconut milk and vanilla coconut milk (for smoothies and soup).

Photo 3:

Anna’s lunch: natural string cheese, apple juice, homemade lunchables with free range turkey, cheddar and Kashi crackers; my lunch: assorted cut veggies, hummus and oranges; homemade applesauce, organic black beans, Jamaica tea and Ocean Spray 100% juice.

Photo 4:

Fruit and veggies galore! Apples, blueberries, strawberries, spinach, oranges, bean sprouts, broccoli, rainbow salad, asparagus, carrots and more! Also, some extra lean ground turkey for tacos.

Photo 5:

The rest of Anna’s breakfast, lunch and snacks: clementines, organic raisins, Kashi granola bar and crackers, unsweetened applesauce, cinnamon raisin mini bagel and a couple of ginger snaps and licorice pinwheels. Combine this with the string cheese, apple juice and lunchables and that kid should not be hungry all day!

The photo of my fruit bowl is so bad that I’m ashamed to show you, but it holds bananas, apples, avocados, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, shallots and almonds.

Needless to say, I should be set for the next couple of weeks. Who’s coming over for dinner?

Guess what tomorrow is?? Payday, baby.

I’ve recently had conversations with several friends who say “what do you eat?!” and “I could never do that!”

That is hogwash. If I can, you can too.

Yes, it’s a pain in the butt to cook and plan all the time. It is, BUT the actual food-eating part? Not so bad. Honestly, I thought I’d miss cheese more than anything, but the avocado has really taken on that role. What I do miss the most is crunch. A cracker or a chip or something to give me that snap. 

For the most part any lingering cravings are manageable, except for when I’m having a panic attack, and then all bets are off. I had a really interesting light-bulb moment for that yesterday while I was mindlessly shoving almonds in my mouth as fast as I could (emotions play such a role in our relationship with food).

I’m actually really proud of myself for how well I’ve done. I haven’t been perfect, but I’m feeling pretty good about the progress I have made. And the best news is, tomorrow is PAYDAY! (Well, not the best news, the BEST news is 7 pounds).

To mark this momentous occasion, I’ve decided to bless you with my meal plan for the next couple of weeks, just to show you that the food is actually really good.

Breakfasts:

Fruit & Nuts

Smoothies made w/ ground flax seed, coconut milk and fruit

Lunches:

Leftovers from dinners

Dinners:

Potato leek soup w/ avocado, cucumber and tomato salad

“Fried” fish w/ quinoa pilaf and asparagus

Moo shu veggies w/ brown rice

Chicken w/ lemon caper sauce, brown & wild rice and asparagus

Homemade chicken nuggets w/ sweet potato fries and spinach salad (my 4 year old likes these WAY more than commercial nuggets, and she likes to help make them too!)

Chicken w/ stir-fried veggies and brown rice

Fish tacos w/ refried beans

Chicken w/ sundried tomato spread and lentils

Snacks:

Dark chocolate (at least 70%)

Hummus & sliced veggies

Olives

Apples & cashew butter

Misc. fruit

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in any recipes, and I’ll do my best to pass them on. Here’s to a great weekend of healthy, delicious food!

24 Sticks of Butter!

Hey, man, that’s A LOT of butter! That’s 12 batches of caramel corn, or 384 croissants! “Why do we care about that much butter”, you ask? “I thought we weren’t eating butter!” you sputter. Well, according to the scale this morning, that’s how much lard is not on my (ahem!) posterior. I’m not exactly sure how this happened, what with the Doing-of-Nothing all last week and the Great-Mac-and-Cheese-Caper of the week before.

BUT, it does make me slightly more motivated to continue to decrease my bad-stuff intake and increase the instances of nutrient rich, good-for-me, gassy-making food! Well, that and the trip to Florida in four weeks. God knows I LOVES me some bathing suits (she says while rolling her eyes).

I have things to report about this weekend, but I’ll stifle myself for now and bask in the less-fattiness that is I. How’d you do this week?

So, watch out Mom, cuz you might not recognize the leggy blonde supermodel –type (blatantly stolen from Kelli) coming off the plane in four weeks. SHUT UP! It could happen. Really.

P.S. Jillian Michaels X 4 arrived on Friday, so now I can look like an idiot in the comfort of my own living room with just the kid and the guinea pig to laugh at me.

Chocolate Chip Cookies are of the Devil, and Other Tales of Woe

So, you know in that movie Eurotrip when they all have REALLY bad nights and they all “DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT”? That’s how I feel about the last few days.  I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.

I don’t know whether it’s my body’s response to junk food deprivation or hormones or what, but UGH. I have zero energy, want to sleep all the time and am SO not interested in exercising.

So, back to the chocolate chip cookies. Thanks to my daughter’s great-grandma, there were cookies in my presence yesterday. Now, she’s the nicest lady ever, and so sweet, but COME ON! Who can say no to Tollhouse, I ask ya! Certainly not me. So, while in the grip of a bout of temporary insanity I had 2(or 3) of them. Gah!

It truly is an addiction. But, despite the cookies and an entire jar of olives (not the giant one either! and maybe some organic, blue corn tortillas), I’m down a couple pounds this week! Woohoo!

I’m trying to be forgiving to myself and be at peace with the fact that this isn’t the end of the world, and that 92% whole foods is way better than 50% whole foods.

I’ll punish myself with the Jillian Michaels DVDs that should be at my house right now…

Maybe. Or maybe I’ll watch a movie instead. But I definitely won’t be eating any Tollhouse cookies. Not because I can resist, mind you, but because they are all gone.

TGIF babies!