Nutrition Plan: Update

I finally have an update for you on the nutrition plan I have been following. Its been going very well. I am finding that the meals are actually quite tasty even if they are incredibly simple. Some of the combinations seem a bit unconventional, but once you try it you discover although it seems a bit weird, it actually tastes pretty good. Such as the combo of canned tuna with a sweet potato.

I think the trick is being able to stick to the plan. Just like any plan, of course!!

So I typed out the first days' meal offerings for your reading amusement:

As you see, and as I noted previously, the focus of this nutrition plan is on protein, low fat, low carbs and metabolism boosting foods.

I've already discovered ways of making the grocery list easier on your wallet. The yogurt can be found at any grocery store; BUT it is almost half the price at discount department stores who also now offer grocery shopping. One store in particular, which is found all across Canada and the US also has the best price on the liquid egg whites. Almonds I found for $3 in a large container at my No Name brand grocery store. The chicken is the most expensive item on the list, however if you are saavy, you can save on this too. I have a farmers market type-grocer in my city that offers amazing deals on meats. I tend to stock up when I visit there.

Another thing to keep in mind is look for items that are low in fat. The Greek yogurt has 18 grams of protein per 3/4 cup serving; most other yogurts offer 4 or 8 grams. This is available in regular fat and 0% fat. Always get 0%. I also opted for the plainer flavours, vanilla or honey as the calorie count was lower.

For the almonds, always buy raw almonds. They are lower in calories and higher in protein.

The tuna should always be packed in water. Does anyone still buy it in oil?? Tuna is relatively cheap and can often be found really cheap when its on sale. Stock up.

Something else I should note. Today I ran out of sweet potatoes. So instead of having the 1/2 sweet potato with my tuna, I substituted 1/2 cup of lentils. The lentils were the canned kind. I did not compare the nutritional data before deciding on the substitution. Lets check now to see how I did:

1/2 cup Lentils (canned)

calories - 115

fat - .5 grams

carbs - 20 grams

fibre - 8 grams

sugars - 2 grams

protein - 9 grams

1/2 sweet potato

calories - 103

fat - 0 grams

carbs - 24 grams

fibre - 4 grams

sugars - 7 grams

protein - 2 grams

hmm.......well, not a perfect substitute but not a terrible one. Lentils have more fibre, less sugar and more protein. I suppose overall its not a bad choice. Which is great, because for some reason I have several cans of these in my pantry.  I used this web site to check the nutritional values: Nutritional values Checker

I think the point of this nutritional plan is to eventually teach me how to make better food choices and establishing new and better habits by eating smaller meals more frequently through the day. For some odd reason, we in North America have adapted the habit of having our largest and heaviest meal in the evening. Which, as you can imagine, is probably not the best idea. This give our body little time to digest and even less time to burn off all the mindless calories we consumed at such an ungodly hour. LOL!!

Anyway, change is good. Embrace it. Well, at least try it!!!!!!!!

always remember, don't sweat the small stuff!!!

Diet - Easy and Tasty Recipe - #3

I seem to be on a roll with recipes. I'm not a chef or trained cook of any sort, but I am creative and I love a challenge. So when I'm faced with a limited list of ingredients in my fridge or cupboard I manage to make my best meals. What I hope to achieve with sharing these ideas with you, is that you will see that healthy eating doesn't require special skills or ingredients. Its all about how you prepare food and your portion sizes.

There's lots of information about food, healthy food, healthy diets etc etc all over the Internet, in magazines, on TV and even at restaurants. (many restaurants have invented their own rating system for "healthy selections") But if you really want to eat healthy, its all about common sense and balance. I don't believe that you need to deny yourself cake, or donuts, or pie or ice cream or whatever your indulgence might be. I do believe that when you do indulge, be sensible. Have a piece of cake, but make the portion reasonable. And have only one piece. And only have cake once every few weeks at most. Foods that are known for their high fat and sugar content should not be banned from your diet, but rather be a very small part of an overall very healthy diet.

Why do I think its okay to have cake occasionally?? Simple. If you deny yourself entirely of these types of foods, eventually you will break down one day and end up eating waaay too much of this stuff and feel incredibly guilty about it.

The trick to enjoying the "forbidden foods" is when you do decide to partake, treat yourself to something that either you bake yourself, or that you get from a local bakery. There are even bakeries that use organic ingredients and low fat alternatives in their goods. You'd be surprised at just how awesome their baked goods are. Make sure your once-in-awhile treat is special, that way you will be satisfied longer and will not be tempted to make these foods a regular part of your everyday diet.

Now on to recipe #3; the omelette. Omelette's are awesome! Its one of those things that anybody can make at any time. I used mushrooms in this one, because I almost always have them on hand and I love mushrooms. But you can use anything you want to fill your omelette.

Mushroom Omelette with Potato Pancake

serves 1 or 2

2 large eggs, beaten

1/3 cup mushrooms (or whatever other veggie you like)

2 tsp Balkan style plain yogurt (or whatever yogurt you have)

1 yellow (Klondike gold) potato (or whatever kind of potato you like)

sea salt and black pepper

1 tbsp canola or olive oil

Grate unpeeled potato with fine side of grater. Heat oil in medium saucepan on medium heat. Drop grated potato into the pan forming a pancake and gently flatten with spatula. When edges turn brown, gently lift the pancake and flip over. Cook until browned on both sides, about 5-7mins. Remove from pan and place on paper towel on a plate to drain off excess oil.

Add mushrooms to pan and saute until slightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add beaten eggs to pan and swirl slowly until bottom is covered with egg mixture.  When eggs are slightly set (still a bit gooey in the middle but dry on the bottom) lay mushrooms onto half of the egg. Add the Balkan style yogurt onto the mushrooms. With a spatula, gently lift the non-mushroom half of the egg and fold over the mushrooms. Cover and turn off the heat. Allow to stand for about 3 mins so that the egg will finish cooking.

Serve with the potato pancake, sliced vegetable or fruit and bread/toast or mini croissants (if desired)

Enjoy!!