So here's the deal. Growing up, the only time we were served spinach, or most vegetables, really, were either boiled or sauteed in oil. Normally that was fine, but frankly, soggy spinach is gross. Like, super gross.
Then I started eating healthy. Know what I discovered? Fresh spinach is awesome as a salad. Move over, iceberg, because spinach and romaine are just as cheap, but taste better and are SUPER healthy for you!
(Still can't do kale, though. Sorry, Peter.)
Anyway, now my salads consist of spinach, more spinach, and maybe some romaine if I'm not being lazy.
I thought I'd give you, dear reader, some ideas on how to make an awesome, filling salad, without pulling an IHOP and turning it into 750 calories of mess.
Rule 1--use nutritious, dark greens. Like spinach.
Rule 2--Use low sugar dressings, olive oil, lemon juice, or even salsa instead of your normal salad dressing
Rule 3--Add protein!
So, put down your green base of salad-y goodness.
Then, choose your toppings.
Proteins:
Hard boiled egg
1/4 c shredded chicken
5 slices lean, reduced fat lunch meat
1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheese.
Only pick 1 or 2 of these options for minimal calories, though. Not all at once, haha.
Veggies:
1/2 Roma Tomato
1/4 c bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c zucchini, sliced
Chopped celery
chopped broccoli
Fats:
1/4 small avocado (or Guacamole, but only 1 serving!!)--About 70-80 calories
Salsa--10 calories for 2 tbsp
Fat Free Sour Cream--20 calories for 2 tbsp
Olive Oil & Vinegar dressing--120 calories for 2 tbsp
Seasonings:
Cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Paprika
Italian seasoning
Tonight, this was my salad, 200 calories even
1 c chopped fresh spinach
a little less than 1/4 c red bell pepper (about 1/5 of a pepper)
1/5 roma tomato
Kroger low fat roast beef--6 slices (this was an oops, apparently a serving is only 2.5 slices. My bad)
1 tbsp Kroger fat free sour cream
2 tbsp Frito Lay Chunky Salsa
Total--200 calories. So, naturally, I treated myself to a mug of sugar free hot cocoa to end the meal. Yum!
The trick, in my opinion, is the dressing. If you can get past the traditional mindset of Ranch, Bleu Cheese, Catalina for dressings, you'll find that sour cream and salsa make GREAT salad toppings!
Good luck, and let me know what you put on your salads to make them more interesting!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
South Beach Recipe--Spaghetti Squash Lasagna!!
So. Here's the deal. I haven't been able to drop the last 2 pounds. Here I stay, 124 pounds, and here I think I will remain. And that's fine, really, if it has to be. I'm well within a healthy weight range, and frankly, I could lose another 15 pounds and still hate what I see in the mirror.
I love food, folks. I love chocolate, I love carbs, and I'VE DISCOVERED PINTEREST. Not good for diets.
At any rate, I've decided that my main goal is going to be loving myself just as I am, cutting cardio back to 3 days a week, and do strength training/yoga/wii Active the other 3 days. Hopefully this will help me tone up.
Additionally, while I'm going to endeavor to continue to eat responsibly, cut out unnecessary carbs, and stay active, I'm not going to worry about being a perfect dieter any more.
That being said, today was Meatless Monday at our house. I bought a spaghetti squash last weekend and wanted to use it. Ergo--Spaghetti Squash Lasagna!! (the reason the veggies are only 1/2 sizes are because I used them to make a regular lasagna dish for a friend. Feel free to use the whole veggies in your version)
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bake
Forgive the poor quality, SOMEBODY broke my camera.
Ingredients
1 whole spaghetti squash
1/2 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 c red bell pepper, chopped
2 eggs
1/3 c white onion, chopped
1/2 large tomato, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, sliced or mashed, take your pick
1/2 tsp olive oil
Dash of Italian Seasoning
1 1/4 c Hunts Traditional Spaghetti Sauce
3/4 c Sargent reduced fat Mexican cheese blend
Cook the squash without any butter or oil. I baked mine at 375 for about 30 minutes. Let it cool, and use a fork to shred that sucker right up and into a big ol' bowl. Add your chopped up veggies, garlic, oil and seasoning, with a little salt and pepper for good measure. Mix that up really well, and plop into a 9 X 9 pan that's been sprayed with 0 calorie cooking spray. Turn oven to 350. Pour the sauce over the top and pop into the oven for about 30 minutes. Add the cheese, and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is brown.
Eat and serve hot with a big salad or some garlic bread! Though that does defeat the purpose of a low carb dinner...
Serves 4
Calories: 192 Fat: 8 g Protein: 11 g Fiber: 5 g Carbs: 22 g
I love food, folks. I love chocolate, I love carbs, and I'VE DISCOVERED PINTEREST. Not good for diets.
At any rate, I've decided that my main goal is going to be loving myself just as I am, cutting cardio back to 3 days a week, and do strength training/yoga/wii Active the other 3 days. Hopefully this will help me tone up.
Additionally, while I'm going to endeavor to continue to eat responsibly, cut out unnecessary carbs, and stay active, I'm not going to worry about being a perfect dieter any more.
That being said, today was Meatless Monday at our house. I bought a spaghetti squash last weekend and wanted to use it. Ergo--Spaghetti Squash Lasagna!! (the reason the veggies are only 1/2 sizes are because I used them to make a regular lasagna dish for a friend. Feel free to use the whole veggies in your version)
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bake
Forgive the poor quality, SOMEBODY broke my camera.Ingredients
1 whole spaghetti squash
1/2 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 c red bell pepper, chopped
2 eggs
1/3 c white onion, chopped
1/2 large tomato, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, sliced or mashed, take your pick
1/2 tsp olive oil
Dash of Italian Seasoning
1 1/4 c Hunts Traditional Spaghetti Sauce
3/4 c Sargent reduced fat Mexican cheese blend
Cook the squash without any butter or oil. I baked mine at 375 for about 30 minutes. Let it cool, and use a fork to shred that sucker right up and into a big ol' bowl. Add your chopped up veggies, garlic, oil and seasoning, with a little salt and pepper for good measure. Mix that up really well, and plop into a 9 X 9 pan that's been sprayed with 0 calorie cooking spray. Turn oven to 350. Pour the sauce over the top and pop into the oven for about 30 minutes. Add the cheese, and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is brown.
Eat and serve hot with a big salad or some garlic bread! Though that does defeat the purpose of a low carb dinner...
Serves 4
Calories: 192 Fat: 8 g Protein: 11 g Fiber: 5 g Carbs: 22 g
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Recipe: South Beach Blueberry Peach Pie
This is the fantastic dessert I made for our friends, and the WHOLE pie is 1400 calories. That's less than one Browned Butter Cinnamon Roll at Whole Foods. Trust me. I called and asked. That bad boy is like 2000 calories. Or less than one Applebee's Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae. Don't get me wrong, the occasional indulgence at a restaurant is totally worth it, but...this is better the majority of the time.
Phase 2 Blueberry Peach Pie--Serves 8
Ingredients:
3 c fresh peaches
1 c frozen blueberries
1/3 c sugar substitute (like Splenda)
Crust:
6 sheets Whole Wheat Phyllo Dough
0 calorie cooking spray
Topping:
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c old fashioned oats
4 tbsp light margarine
5 tsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
It seems complex at first, but bear with me.
Spray a 9 inch pie plate. Lay out 1 sheet of phyllo dough in the pan and spray. Do the same with the next 4 sheets, rotating each sheet so they form a kind of circle, then you can cut the edges and fold them over to make them pretty. Cover with parchment paper and pour a bunch of dried beans into the pie plate and bake that sucker at 350 for about 10 minutes. Not long, just enough to get it to hold it's shape. Remove from oven, take out the beans and paper.
Mix fruit and sugar and pour right into the pie crust. Lay the last phyllo sheet on top, cut and shape like before, then, finally, mix the crumbly topping all together and sprinkle on top. Bake again for about 35-40 minutes, or until nicely browned and it smells like heaven.
Enjoy!
Calories per serving: 176 Fat: 3 Protein: 3 Fiber: 3 Carbs: 26
Phase 2 Blueberry Peach Pie--Serves 8
Ingredients:
3 c fresh peaches
1 c frozen blueberries
1/3 c sugar substitute (like Splenda)
Crust:
6 sheets Whole Wheat Phyllo Dough
0 calorie cooking spray
Topping:
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c old fashioned oats
4 tbsp light margarine
5 tsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
It seems complex at first, but bear with me.
Spray a 9 inch pie plate. Lay out 1 sheet of phyllo dough in the pan and spray. Do the same with the next 4 sheets, rotating each sheet so they form a kind of circle, then you can cut the edges and fold them over to make them pretty. Cover with parchment paper and pour a bunch of dried beans into the pie plate and bake that sucker at 350 for about 10 minutes. Not long, just enough to get it to hold it's shape. Remove from oven, take out the beans and paper.
Mix fruit and sugar and pour right into the pie crust. Lay the last phyllo sheet on top, cut and shape like before, then, finally, mix the crumbly topping all together and sprinkle on top. Bake again for about 35-40 minutes, or until nicely browned and it smells like heaven.
Enjoy!
Calories per serving: 176 Fat: 3 Protein: 3 Fiber: 3 Carbs: 26
South Beach Living Week 3--Awesome Turkey Loaf!
So, it's been a while, but the computer is STILL screwed up so I haven't been really diligent about blogging. Sorry.
Anyway, last week was super hectic and we cheated. A lot. Like, Little Caesar's and brownies and all sorts of naughty things, then by Friday we were back on track.
At any rate, first, a weigh in.
Today's weight: 124.4 lbs.
Goal Weight: Between 120 and 122 lbs
Total Loss in 3 weeks: 8 lbs.
Not bad. Weight loss slowed down a bit, but with all that I ate last week, it's not that bad.
I've been trying to switch up my workouts, too, so for the past week or so I've been at the gym in the complex and doing the elliptical for 40-45 minutes 5-6 days in the week. Some days it's only 30 minutes, but I increase the resistance a lot to make up for it. According to the machine (it does record my weight,) I'm burning about 500 calories on that baby. I don't know how accurate that is, so I've still been watching my caloric intake as well.
RECIPE: This is from my mom's meatloaf recipe that I've "de-carbed" and lightened up a bit.
2 lbs 93/7 lean ground turkey
3 egg whites
Salt and pepper to taste
splash (like a couple tbsp is all) skim milk
the inside flesh of 1 zucchini, or about half a zucchini, finely chopped.
4 tbsp onions, finely minced (I used dehydrated from my food storage)
Mix Together well with hands, place in a greased loaf pan, and bake at 350 for 90 minutes.
We fed this to our neighbors at that dinner party and the mom who apparently hates meat claimed to LOVE this. It came out a little too juicy for my taste, next time I'll probably use even less milk. It makes about 9 small to medium sized slices.
Calories: 155 Fat: 7 Protein: 21 Fiber: 0 Carbs: 2
If I had a camera I'd post a picture. Yum. Make it. Eat it. Love it.
Anyway, last week was super hectic and we cheated. A lot. Like, Little Caesar's and brownies and all sorts of naughty things, then by Friday we were back on track.
At any rate, first, a weigh in.
Today's weight: 124.4 lbs.
Goal Weight: Between 120 and 122 lbs
Total Loss in 3 weeks: 8 lbs.
Not bad. Weight loss slowed down a bit, but with all that I ate last week, it's not that bad.
I've been trying to switch up my workouts, too, so for the past week or so I've been at the gym in the complex and doing the elliptical for 40-45 minutes 5-6 days in the week. Some days it's only 30 minutes, but I increase the resistance a lot to make up for it. According to the machine (it does record my weight,) I'm burning about 500 calories on that baby. I don't know how accurate that is, so I've still been watching my caloric intake as well.
RECIPE: This is from my mom's meatloaf recipe that I've "de-carbed" and lightened up a bit.
2 lbs 93/7 lean ground turkey
3 egg whites
Salt and pepper to taste
splash (like a couple tbsp is all) skim milk
the inside flesh of 1 zucchini, or about half a zucchini, finely chopped.
4 tbsp onions, finely minced (I used dehydrated from my food storage)
Mix Together well with hands, place in a greased loaf pan, and bake at 350 for 90 minutes.
We fed this to our neighbors at that dinner party and the mom who apparently hates meat claimed to LOVE this. It came out a little too juicy for my taste, next time I'll probably use even less milk. It makes about 9 small to medium sized slices.
Calories: 155 Fat: 7 Protein: 21 Fiber: 0 Carbs: 2
If I had a camera I'd post a picture. Yum. Make it. Eat it. Love it.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
South Beach Diet 2 week Sum Up
So, yesterday the computer essentially exploded and I've been using the old laptop, therefore, no blog last night.
Today was a horrible day and the emotional eating began this afternoon after I'd made some brownies for some friends--leaving out just a few for us to consume over the course of a couple of days.
Those brownies didn't last, and as the bad news about the computer kept rolling in, so did the cravings.
Pizza and bread sticks for dinner, etc...I don't want to get into it, but let's just say the diet was sufficiently blown today.
Now, my "justification" of this is that on some other diets, the theory is that if you, every now and then, over indulge, your dieting body will go, "Oh, hey! I guess I'm not starving after all, I guess I don't need to hoard everything I consume" and your body resets and the weight loss gets another...jump start after your 12 hours of "cheating" is over. There is science behind this, but I don't pretend to understand it. I'm just going to use this as my excuse. A full body reset.
To sum up the South Beach Diet after 2 weeks, I have to say--
I lost a total of 7 pounds in 2 weeks, which, frankly, isn't bad.
PROS: Unlike other diets, I don't feel light headed. The diet is easy to follow, and nightly desserts are a pretty nice bonus. The diet is practical and easy to adapt to my toddler's eating, as well. It doesn't cost much more than regular grocery shopping.
CONS: It's boring. After 2 weeks, the last thing I want is another Ricotta Cheese Cake. There is no cheat day, meaning you essentially have to be good and watch and plan everything that goes in your mouth until you hit your goal weight. I don't know how people who have 100+ pounds to lose do it. I HATE watching what I eat. Hate it.
If I had my way, I would have the metabolism of a shrew, eat all the time, have loads of energy, and remain at a comfortable 118-120 pounds forever.
However, since that's not possible, I will go back to Phase 1 eating for a few days to make up for today's misbehavior, and then continue with Phase 2 until the magical, mystical goal weight is achieved.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I know now when I'm hungry and when I'm simply craving something. I know now that I have serious problems with portion control, and that I will forever have to watch those issues. And, most importantly and perhaps tragically, that no matter how much weight I lose, no matter how "toned" I get, I will never be satisfied with my body. I have too many psychological issues. That makes me somehow sad. It's an interesting realization.
I've learned a lot in my weight loss journey so far--it will be interesting to see how much more I have to discover.
Tune in Thursday for recipes and even a picture or two.
Today was a horrible day and the emotional eating began this afternoon after I'd made some brownies for some friends--leaving out just a few for us to consume over the course of a couple of days.
Those brownies didn't last, and as the bad news about the computer kept rolling in, so did the cravings.
Pizza and bread sticks for dinner, etc...I don't want to get into it, but let's just say the diet was sufficiently blown today.
Now, my "justification" of this is that on some other diets, the theory is that if you, every now and then, over indulge, your dieting body will go, "Oh, hey! I guess I'm not starving after all, I guess I don't need to hoard everything I consume" and your body resets and the weight loss gets another...jump start after your 12 hours of "cheating" is over. There is science behind this, but I don't pretend to understand it. I'm just going to use this as my excuse. A full body reset.
To sum up the South Beach Diet after 2 weeks, I have to say--
I lost a total of 7 pounds in 2 weeks, which, frankly, isn't bad.
PROS: Unlike other diets, I don't feel light headed. The diet is easy to follow, and nightly desserts are a pretty nice bonus. The diet is practical and easy to adapt to my toddler's eating, as well. It doesn't cost much more than regular grocery shopping.
CONS: It's boring. After 2 weeks, the last thing I want is another Ricotta Cheese Cake. There is no cheat day, meaning you essentially have to be good and watch and plan everything that goes in your mouth until you hit your goal weight. I don't know how people who have 100+ pounds to lose do it. I HATE watching what I eat. Hate it.
If I had my way, I would have the metabolism of a shrew, eat all the time, have loads of energy, and remain at a comfortable 118-120 pounds forever.
However, since that's not possible, I will go back to Phase 1 eating for a few days to make up for today's misbehavior, and then continue with Phase 2 until the magical, mystical goal weight is achieved.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I know now when I'm hungry and when I'm simply craving something. I know now that I have serious problems with portion control, and that I will forever have to watch those issues. And, most importantly and perhaps tragically, that no matter how much weight I lose, no matter how "toned" I get, I will never be satisfied with my body. I have too many psychological issues. That makes me somehow sad. It's an interesting realization.
I've learned a lot in my weight loss journey so far--it will be interesting to see how much more I have to discover.
Tune in Thursday for recipes and even a picture or two.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
South Beach Dinner Party--Day 11
Quick post since it's late and I'm tired.
Today we had a dinner party and had some neighbors come over. Knowing that we'd indulge for dinner, we ate light until then.
Breakfast: Protein shake with water
Lunch: 1/2 c "leftover soup" with sour cream and cheese
Snack: 1/3 celery stalk with 1 tbsp peanut butter
Dinner: Turkey meatloaf, 2 SBD biscuits (no cheese), spicy sweet potatoes, cheesy artichokes. Delish.
Dessert: Peach Blueberry pie made with fillo dough. It was tasty and I had 3 slices.
Did I over eat a bit today? Yes, yes I did. But it was still small enough that Myfitnesspal.com tells me that I'd still lose a couple pounds even if I ate like this every day.
We'll eat light tomorrow.
Recipes for everything to follow in the morning.
Today we had a dinner party and had some neighbors come over. Knowing that we'd indulge for dinner, we ate light until then.
Breakfast: Protein shake with water
Lunch: 1/2 c "leftover soup" with sour cream and cheese
Snack: 1/3 celery stalk with 1 tbsp peanut butter
Dinner: Turkey meatloaf, 2 SBD biscuits (no cheese), spicy sweet potatoes, cheesy artichokes. Delish.
Dessert: Peach Blueberry pie made with fillo dough. It was tasty and I had 3 slices.
Did I over eat a bit today? Yes, yes I did. But it was still small enough that Myfitnesspal.com tells me that I'd still lose a couple pounds even if I ate like this every day.
We'll eat light tomorrow.
Recipes for everything to follow in the morning.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
South Beach Diet Phase---well, 2. Day 1
Let's be honest; I've been closer to Phase 2 than Phase 1 for a couple of days now. Shame on me. However, since Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet is designed for people who have more than 10 pounds and have sugar cravings...I think it's okay. Most of the cravings are, interestingly, very controllable. So, we're just gonna say, "Phase 2".
Breakfast: Protein shake with water and 1/2 c Almond Dream, unsweetened.
Snack: 2 Protein bars--cinnamon flavored made with vanilla protein, pinto beans, an egg, and sugar substitute.
Lunch: After an open air market, we stopped at Jimmy Johns and got sandwiches on 7 grain bread. I had a Big John. Though tasty, I think it kind of was a waste of 600+ calories. I felt like I needed a big long bike ride to earn all of that.
Snack: 2 more protein bars. And a spoonful of peanut butter.
Workout: 15.4 mile bike ride.
Dinner: Chicken breast baked in a little mayo/dijon mustard combo-found and altered from Skinnytaste.com 2/3 c green beans
With the exception of the bread at lunch, today was a very obedient day. myfitnesspal.com tells me that I'm way under my daily limit of everything but protein--of which I apparently am way over.
Not bad, though it could have been better, and only 2 servings of starch today. The bread. It was worth it, though. Yum.
Tomorrow is the big dinner day...so we're going to have to eat really light until then to make up for the extra calories, I think. I'll post all my recipes tomorrow.
Breakfast: Protein shake with water and 1/2 c Almond Dream, unsweetened.
Snack: 2 Protein bars--cinnamon flavored made with vanilla protein, pinto beans, an egg, and sugar substitute.
Lunch: After an open air market, we stopped at Jimmy Johns and got sandwiches on 7 grain bread. I had a Big John. Though tasty, I think it kind of was a waste of 600+ calories. I felt like I needed a big long bike ride to earn all of that.
Snack: 2 more protein bars. And a spoonful of peanut butter.
Workout: 15.4 mile bike ride.
Dinner: Chicken breast baked in a little mayo/dijon mustard combo-found and altered from Skinnytaste.com 2/3 c green beans
With the exception of the bread at lunch, today was a very obedient day. myfitnesspal.com tells me that I'm way under my daily limit of everything but protein--of which I apparently am way over.
Not bad, though it could have been better, and only 2 servings of starch today. The bread. It was worth it, though. Yum.
Tomorrow is the big dinner day...so we're going to have to eat really light until then to make up for the extra calories, I think. I'll post all my recipes tomorrow.
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