Good late morning, lovely ladies! It's been quiet lately on the blog.... What have you ladies been eating? Share your snack ideas and yummy meal recipes!
Kim, to answer your question from last week about what proportions to eat of what types of foods, etc, I would say your nutritionist would know what’s best and that it sounds pretty good. I’m no expert in that area, and I’m always trying to learn more and improve. That's an area I need to read some books on! The guidelines I go off of don’t take a lot of thinking power luckily and are pretty laid back- 6 mini-meals a day instead of 3 huge meals, keeping my foods high protein, medium to low carbohydrate, and pack in as many raw foods like fruits and veggies as possible. When I have breads or pastas I make sure it’s multi-grain. I also have been trying since this post (about a fantastic Runner’s World Diet article that I can’t find any more on their site) to have the high-energy carbs of my day clustered around my workout afternoons/evenings and have my feel-full-longer fat/fiber of my day clustered around my mornings/mid-day when I’m not active. I have a lot of room for improvement in that department, though, because I don’t put enough thought into when I eat my healthy snacks, I just eat them when I want them, listening to my body.
It’s so amazing that raw foods out there were created for our every need! Here are some workout-friendly must-haves that I love:
Berries fight inflammation (relieving muscle and joint soreness post-workout)
Avocados have healthy fat to prevent muscle & joint injury, Bananas keep us from cramping up and give us energy to work out, and Chocolate Milk helps our muscles to recover post-workout
This & this & this all about how Tart Cherry Juice fights inflammation, too
I am really intrigued by the Cherry Juice. Have any of you tried it? I haven’t and I wonder if it’s yummy. I’m thinking about picking up a jug at the grocery store soon to give the experiment a shot!
Share your snack ideas and yummy meal recipes!
1/27/10
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At the grocery store last night, they were sold out of the PB I usually get (Smuckers all natural reduced fat crunchy PB) and so I stumbled upon a new yummy find, Diamond Almond Butter. Right next to the PB. Only ingredients are almonds & sea salt. I had it in place of PB w/ my sliced apple today for a late-morning snack and YUM! It's 10 cal less than PB per serving, so pretty comparable. Apples & PB have been my go-to lately.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy a multi-grain roll for snack, too.
I have been savoring a fruity greek yogurt each night as my "dessert" when I'm in my PJs relaxing. It's high in protein and yummy. I've tried Choibaki (sp?), Oikos, & Brown Cow. All are yummy! Higher in protein than your typical Yoplait, but about 30-50 calories higher per serving. I've been trying to up my protein intake in grams to my weight, Jen R, as you mentioned, & as I've heard elsewhere but haven't followed to the T. Thanks!
We are having company over for dinner this week and we're going to serve frozen berries thawed out in little cups w/ melted dark chocolate drizzled on top & reddi-whip (originally a BL idea). Can't wait! Should be JUST enough sweet but still really healthy. Hope our guests don't think they're getting jipped and starved!
I'm still loving the shakes, both the banana berry & the orange juice ice.
Haven't tried any new recipes lately, but I'd love to hear yours for me to get ideas!
i just tried jen's pizza wrap from the other week!!! yummy!!! i have been snacking on clementine's. i have had some luck and and picked tow really good bags of them. sometimes if i get a bad orange then i stay away for awhile but i've been lucky. i have found a great reward for myself. if i have a great day with exercise and eating well then i treat myself to pretzels sticks and vanilla frosting. it is great! i thought it would be hard to stop after my alloted 8 but i have found anything more is way too sweet. i'm looking for the fat- burning foods. does anyone know of any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteHowdy All!! I love honeycrisp apples!! I like to eat them alone or sometimes with string cheese or triscuits depends on how hungry I am. I also found some weight watchers fudge bars for a special treat except my hubby found them last night so they may not last very long. I also made a spaghetti squash for the first time and loved it!!! The kids thought it was pretty cool too.
ReplyDeleteSo now I have a couple of questions. For those of you who do protein powder do you use as a meal replacement, with a meal, and or recover post workout drink?? I asked a trainer and he was really pushy about a meal replacement product that I am not sure about. I am looking for something for post workout recovery that could be a meal replacement but doesn't have to be. Any more info or ideas to add from last weeks discussion??
Other mental debate I am having is I am going to be at my parents house for a week or so and was wondering if it is considered rude to go to the grocery store and buy some of the things I like to snack on. I won't refuse to eat meals and will just make smart decisions with that. But like the low fat string cheese, the cereal I like for breakfast, arnold thins to make sandwiches, and small things like that. What are your thoughts??
Sarah I hope this is okay to ask if not I am really sorry!!
Allison, other people on here probably have good feedback on "fat-burning" foods, but all I know is you can go through a cleansing part of your diet where you're lower in carb (not zero carb, and keep it high protein) and that helps the fat come off pretty quickly but that shouldn't last longer than 4 weeks or so, then come off it and introduce moderate carbs back into your diet. The energy level can be low with the lower-carb diet. At least this is the diet approach to P90X. The first 30 days is low-carb, high protein and they call it the "fat-blaster stage," then the second 30 days is moderate-carb, dense foods and they call it the "energy booster stage," and then the final 30 days is high carb for high energy performance. So I think "fat-blasting" foods would be low-carb and high protein (like egg white omlettes, frittatas, cheeses, yogurts, nuts, protein bars, protein shakes, veggies), but not for super long periods of time, or your energy and muscle mass will take a bad hit. When you're working out a ton, carbs are important to have for the energy your body uses. Does anyone have any other ideas? I'm interested :)
ReplyDeleteAbrey, you'd better ask a zillion questions and not think twice about it! This blog works by people asking each other questions and offering each other tips, tricks, and encouragement. Ask away!!!! :) And I TOTALLY think shopping for your own snacks is not rude. It shows you care about yourself and you're committed to a new lifestyle. My apple of choice, too, for my apples & PB is honey crisp. YUM! About protein shakes, it depends on what you consider a meal. For me, "meals" are 200-300 calorie snacks. My typical day is breakfast, late-morning snack, lunch, pre-workout afternoon snack, post-workout afternoon snack, dinner, evening snack. I will occasionally do a protein shake variation for breakfast if I'm not in the mood for eggs or cereal (2 scoops protein powder, 1 cup oj, 1 cup ice). I always have my post-workout snack, though, be a protein shake, and it depends on what I'm in the mood for again (usually 2 scoops protein powder, banana, 1 cup frozen berries, 1 cup skim milk). So if your mind-set is a ton of little snacks throughout the day instead of traditional meals, then I'd go for a protein powder around the 200 cal zone for a serving (that's 2 scoops of Isopure Vanilla- 210 cal actually). If the "meal-replacement" kind of protein the trainer is pushing is up in the 400-500 cal range like I'm thinking, then you might want to consider doing something else. But if he/she's talking about a 200-300 cal range, I'd say it's good and light enough to fit into your daily routine. Does that make sense? Sorry...that was a lot of rambling. Whatever you decide will be fine I'm sure, and it's going to be different for each of us depending on our tastes, preferences, budget, time, and lifestyles.
I have found a few new yummies over this last week. Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, its loaded with lots of protein (9g) & fiber (8g). Bear Naked vanilla almond granola is really yummy. I have been mixing it in with my yogurt lately for extra crunch. I used to love fruit roll ups and I discovered today at Target that they have come out with a Simply Fruit roll-up that is a full serving of fruit, natural flavors, gluten free, packed with vitamin c, 50 caloried per roll and only 10 grams of sugar. They are yummy and very similar to fruit leather almost. They aren't as sticky as the regular fruit roll ups.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I made this yummy recipe from Biggest Loser last week. It is Sweet & Sour Chicken with 4.9 grams of fat and about 220 calories.
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
1 Pound Trimmed Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut Into Bite-sized Cubes
1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Cup 1/2" Wide Strips Onion (about 1" long)
1 Cup 1/2" Wide Strips Green Bell Pepper (about 1" long)
2 Tablespoons Freshly Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Bottled Sweet & Sour Stir-fry Sauce (I used La Choy)
Directions
In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated.
Place a large nonstick skillet or nonstick wok over high heat. When hot, add 1 teaspoon sesame oil, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic softens and the vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the garlic may burn. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.
Return the pan to high heat and add another teaspoon oil and half the chicken in a single layer. Cook until the pieces are lightly brown on the bottom. Flip the pieces and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the cooked chicken the the bowl with the vegetables. Return the pan to high heat, add the remaining oil and cook the remaining chicken.
Return the vegetables and chicken to the pan to reheat if needed. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the sauce, and mix until well combined. Divide the stir-fry among 4 bowls, and serve.
Number of Servings: 4
I've discovered individually wrapped prunes! Tastes great, love the fiber, AND I don't get my fingers all sticky!
ReplyDeleteOne of the hardest parts of the day, for making good food choices, for me, is the 4-6:30 ish pm time. I'm usually in the kitchen making dinner, trying to get a snack for my daughter and waiting for my husband to come home so that we can eat dinner together. It's really easy to sample dinner while I'm cooking it or "snack," especially on the toddler fare: goldfish crackers, chicken nuggets, cheese, etc. So lately I've been boiling some edamame at like 4 o'clock. Then salting it and snacking on it while I'm in the kitchen. I like it-- I still get to do the snacking/munchie thing, but it's filling and good for me too. Protein. Fiber. Yeah, it's good. :)
ReplyDeleteI really love fish and found a couple of recipes that I haven't tried yet but they sounded delicious. Can't wait to try them out this weekend!
ReplyDeleteTilapia Feta Bruschette
(serves 2)
1 1/2 Tbsp. Minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2/3 cup seeded and chopped Roma tomatoes
1/3 cup reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 lb. Tilapia fillets
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil nonstick cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a medium baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Mix garlic, olive oil, parsley, tomatoes and feta in a medium bowl.
2. Lightly coat both sides of tilapia fillets with nonstick cooking spray, then season both sides with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Lay fillets side by side, barley touching, in prepared baking dish. Top evenly with tomato mixture. Bake 13-17 minutes or until fish flakes and is no longer translucent. Serve immediately.
Salmon with Cucumber Cream
(makes 4 servings)
1 large lemon, halved
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tsp dried dill
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cucumber seeded and diced
4 - 4 oz salmon steaks, about 1/2" thick
1. Spray the broiler rack with nonstick cooking spray; preheat the broiler. Squeeze the juice from one half of the lemon; cut the other half into 4 wedges.
2. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, sour cream, yogurt, dill, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper; stir in the cucumber.
3. Place the salmon on the broiler rack and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 tsp of salt. Broil 2" from the heat until lightly browned and just opaque in the center about 3-4 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 tsp of pepper. Serve with the cucumber cream and lemon wedges.
Nicki- I'm going to have to check out the prune idea! Sounds like a good snack to incorporate into my day :)
ReplyDeleteTara- I printed off that chicken recipe- thanks for sharing- sounds YUMMY! Did you serve it w/ brown rice or anything or just the veggie/sauce/chicken?
Kim- I also printed off the tillapia recipe- yum! You all know I'm crazy about tomatoes & feta :)
Leslie- Good for you challenging your excuses and finding great solutions to a trouble zone time! YAY! I have a big bag in my freezer of individual 100 calorie pouches of edamame that you just pop in the microwave for 30 secs and open and munch (& I salt them :) ). Got it at Costco when I tagged along w/ my neighbor to bum off her membership there ;) I haven't had any of it for a while, so thanks for the reminder to have more edamame!
Sarah- I serve it over rice :)
ReplyDelete