Breakfast
- Total raisin bran with skim milk & almonds
- low-fat cottage cheese
- half pink grapefruit with 1/2 packet Sugar Twin
When I think about "diet food," grapefruit and cottage cheese factor high up on my list. For someone as reluctant to eat healthfully as I am, it is surprising that I've been absolutely craving both of them lately - maybe my body's desperate SOS from the sea of fat and poor health.
Not surprisingly, they were delicious, and this was a lovely Saturday morning meal. It's a strange pleasure to eat a grapefruit at a leisurely pace while considering the day ahead.
Snack
- reduced fat Triscuits
- baby carrots
- "Supremely Spicy" hummus
One of my favorite snacks from this diet was the good old Triscuits and hummus, always a satisfying treat. My grocery started carrying a different brand of hummus, so in place of the jalapeño I'd come to love, I thought I'd give this kind a try, and I was definitely pleased. The packaging was amusing - it was a typical tub of hummus, with red pepper and spices in a dollop at the center. I stirred it all up to get a consistent blend, and it noticeably improved the plain hummus flavor.
I also really enjoyed the carrots, which were quite fresh and snappy. My body must be really desperate for fresh fruits and vegetables because I am enjoying them like no one's business today.
Lunch
- beef tacos made with salsa, lettuce, tomatoes & chopped fresh cilantro (I added a few pickled jalapeños)
- baby carrots
- sliced kiwi
It may seem strange, but these tacos, made to follow the recipe, were actually... better than the gluttonous ones I'd prepared last night. The lack of cheese or beans or fatty sour cream did nothing to dampen the flavor - if anything, they were better-tasting because they weren't drowning in fats and starches. The natural freshness of the ingredients was much more apparent and enjoyable.
I have to really tip my hat to the simplicity of chopped fresh cilantro and the wonders it works for improving the taco experience - I never would have thought of it, and now I can't imagine Mexican food without it.
As for the jalapeños, they weren't part of the recipe, but I've been really craving spicy food lately. I did let my boyfriend take a huge bite of one of my tacos (to show him how much better they were), so maybe that off-set some of the added calories? Heh, I'm really good at feeble rationalizations.
All of the lettuce which was called for didn't fit in the taco shells, so I had it later along with the carrots. Usually I think of lettuce as a nice vehicle for dressing, but having it plain was quite enjoyable - crisp and refreshing. The carrots were also supposed to be steamed, but since I'd enjoyed fresh baby carrots so much with my snack, I decided to keep it all raw. It helped to cool some of the spice as well as provide a nice counter-point flavor-wise.
The kiwi was, as always, perfection.
Dinner
- Gardenburger with barbecue sauce on a whole wheat bun
- salad with low-fat creamy Parmesan dressing
- skim milk
- prunes
I had this meal for lunch yesterday and enjoyed it as much today as then.
I'm trying to make things easier on myself economically, so I'm thinking about foods that I can buy in multiples and meals that I can eat often. My boyfriend and I have been talking about going to Costco tomorrow to see if we can find some good deals on healthy food.
Today has been a good day - the only improvement would have been if I'd drank a lot more water (I drank none) and exercised. So I know what to do for tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment