Eat cheap, stay healthy, be happy.

I've moved!

2010-10-23T11:52:00.001-05:00

I am now using blogging at:
http://rd-tobe.blogspot.com/

Need a reason to try (or get back into) yoga? I found 38!

2010-05-26T09:42:00.003-05:00

I will admit that I suffer from the inability to keep up a regular practice of one of my greatest loves-yoga. Sometimes it takes the onset of body aches and pains, or slight feelings of hopelessness, to make me realize that it's time to get back on the mat. Although I know that these things could be prevented if I only kept up a regular practice, I still struggle. For me, it's the fact that my current financial situation and schedule prevents me from attending classes on a regular basis. I crave the motivation of someone telling me what to do, the surprise as to what is coming next, and the energy of practicing with a group. However, the benefits of practicing yoga are undeniable, and are even beginning to be studied for their ability to treat and prevent disease. This article , from Yoga Journal, provides ample proof that yoga really can benefit every body.

Here are some ways I plan to incorporate yoga into my lifestyle:
1. Increase my library of yoga videos
2. Attend the free (donation based) yoga class that is offered through one of my local studios any time I'm off on a Sunday
3. Check out Yogatic.com on a regular basis. Esther always has new, and free, yoga videos on her website. Plus, she's adorable :)

How do you incorporate yoga into your daily lifestyle? What benefits have you experienced that made you a believer?

Vegetarian..for a day

2010-05-23T18:28:00.001-05:00

I was recently inspired by an article that I read to look up some vegetarian recipes. Apparently there is a (not so) new movement called "Meatless Mondays" in which people eat vegetarian once a week. I think this is a good idea for several reasons. First off we, as Americans, eat way too much meat. The average (healthy) person requires about five to seven ounces of meat per day (that's the size of about 2 decks of playing cards). However, most of us eat at least twice that much every day. I think we could use a little break, if only once per week.
There are plenty of great substitutes for meat, and I'm not just referring to the soy based products that are made to resemble it visually. Any type of bean is the perfect substitute for meat, including one of my favorite legumes-peanut butter. In addition, nuts and seeds provide enough protein to be considered meat "substitutes" plus they pack on added benefits like vitamins, minerals, and essential (good) fats.
Some might argue that these sources are not good substitutes for meat because they don't provide complete protein, meaning that they do not contain all 9 essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein). However, those that are missing can be easily obtained from other commonly eaten foods-most notably grain products such as bread and cereals. Contrary to former beliefs, these foods do not have to be consumed at the same time to achieve this balance.
Another great reason to give the vegetarian thing a try is to incorporate more variety, which could make for more exciting meals. For example, when I searched for recipes I found several with Greek, Middle-eastern, and Indian flair-things I would not normally think to make.
Finally, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) published an evidence based position paper stating that "appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." Well, that's definitely enough proof for me!
I decided to have my meatless day on Sunday this week. My breakfast is normally vegetarian, so there was no change there. For lunch, I tried a chickpea taco recipe that I found on the Vegetarian Times website. I did add cheese as a topping (I'm going vegetarian, not vegan here-don't think I could give up the cheese!). They were quite delicious!
For dinner, I made a vegetarian pizza. I used my usual whole wheat pizza dough recipe, and topped with pesto sauce, spinach, broccoli, sliced tomato, mozzarella, and feta cheese. Yum!
I definitely did not miss the meat. I am going to continue this tradition weekly, and try a new recipe every week. Don't worry-I will share the vegetarian recipe love here.
Have you heard of the "Meatless Monday" movement? Are you up to the challenge of giving up meat once a week (or more)?

Match Day

2010-04-05T18:28:00.003-05:00

My hand was literally shaking as I clicked refresh over and over again. I watched the seconds count down to when I would know my future. I can't believe it all comes down to this-all the work I have done-just to find out from a website how I will spend the next year of my life. Then I get to the final seconds and, of course, the page hesitates and takes several seconds, which felt like hours, to refresh. And there it was:

I am pleased to inform you that you have been appointed (computer matched) to Bowling Green State University Distance Education.

All I really had to see was the "you have been appointed" part and I could breathe again. At least I had something. But then I realized that I had received my number one choice! Even better!

Why thank you for informing me, D&D digital, that I will be able to move on rather than just sit idle for the next year until there's another chance to apply.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some celebrating to do.

A walk in the park!

2010-03-23T10:09:00.003-05:00

My "core and more" class is on break this week, so I am going to have to get motivated to exercise on my own.
The weather is finally nice enough to walk outside again, and I couldn't be happier! I don't know about you, but I get totally bored exercising indoors. There's just so much more to look at outside! I am lucky enough to have a nice park less than a mile from my house, so that's where I usually go. It's not a huge park, but if I circle around a couple of times I figure it's about 3 miles including the walk there and back. There were a lot of other people out for a Tuesday morning, which is always nice to see!
Even walking outside can sometimes get monotonous when you do it often enough. I'd rather walk with a friend, but of course that's not always possible. I really rely on my music to get me through it. Today I started out with some Death Cab for Cutie, which you might think isn't upbeat enough for walking, but somehow it worked. Then for the second half of my walk I rocked Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor album. I grew up on songs like Lucky Star and Borderline (showing my age here) and a lot of her newer stuff doesn't really make the cut for me...but this album totally rocks!

What's your workout "soundtrack"?

The countdown has begun!

2010-03-22T21:30:00.005-05:00

In exactly two weeks I will find out the news about my internship! I can't wait-this is going to be the longest 14 days ever. For those of you out there who are not dietetic students, the internship is what stands between me and becoming a registered dietitian and they are extremely competitive to get. In fact, so competitive that last year only half of those who applied got one. So it's really my future I'm waiting to hear about! Scary, huh?

So, I will just have to try to keep my mind off things by trying out new recipes :)

I am a real sucker for would-be sinful foods turned healthier. This pasta carbonara recipe used nonfat Greek yogurt to make a creamy and delicious, but light, sauce. I used half the amount of pasta the recipe calls for, and I still had a ton of leftovers. I also used fat-free half & half since that's what I had on hand. It worked just fine and turned out great. And, it was Matt-approved, even with turkey bacon!

Here's the recipe ,from Self.com.

I thought it needed a little extra something on the side, so I served with some roasted asparagus. I drizzled a little olive oil, salt and pepper and placed in the oven at 425 degree for about 15 minutes, then sprinkled with a little Parmesan when it came out. Delicious!

Spring Break Wrap Up

2010-03-19T18:44:00.006-05:00

I certainly had every intention of posting each and every day during spring break this week. I did, however, remember to take pictures of some of the new dishes I tried out so I can offer those now! Better late than never, right?

Pollo Montecristo From Self.com
This was a really good recipe! Self.com is one of my new favorite sources for recipes. They don't have as many available as Cooking Light, but those I have tried so far have been great.

Spaghetti with Chicken and Thai Peanut Sauce from CookingLight.com
YUM! Ever since I have taken a liking to Thai cuisine, I have wanted to duplicate the chicken pad thai that we get from our favorite restaurant. I have to say, this came pretty darn close! It was also not too difficult to make. I did have to invest in some fresh ginger, but I just bought a tube of the minced that I found in the herb section of the grocery store. Well worth it, because I will definitely be making this again and again.

Baked Goat Cheese and Roasted Winter Squash over Garlicky Fettuccine from CookingLight.com

I honestly wasn't sure about this one-that's why it sat untouched in my "saved recipes" file on Cookinglight.com for so long. I was really glad I finally tried it though, because it was actually quite good. A bit labor intensive-I have to say, one of my least favorite activities is cutting up winter squash-but well worth it. I don't know why I sat on this one for so long...how can you go wrong with goat cheese?!

We also had a couple of excellent dining out experiences. Last Saturday, we went to the new Mai Lee (Vietnamese cuisine) that opened in Brentwood near Hanley/Eager. It is the same restaurant that used to be near Delmar and 170, but boy has it improved! The menu was still very similar, but with a few new options. We have always been a little intimidated by their menu because there are soooo many choices. This time, we asked the waitress for suggestions and the ones she gave were great. Matt had steak with a peppery sauce and I had chicken with vegetables. Yummy!
Here's their website

Last night I was craving Greek food, so I searched for a new restaurant to try. Instead I came up with a great little Russian place (which I never realized is actually very similar to Greek) in Webster Groves called Dvin. It was the most adorable and charming place, run by a mother and daughter. It's so small I have never even noticed it before, but I'm so glad I found it! The food was absolutely wonderful. They don't have a website, but their menu and address is posted here

We got the Armenian dip as an appetizer, I got the meat blinztes and Matt had a pork steak which was served with mashed potatoes. Everything was awesome, and the prices were very reasonable-I can't wait to go back and try more!

Have you had any interesting food adventures this week, either inside our outside of your kitchen?

Renal Diet - Final Reflection

2010-03-07T18:56:00.004-06:00

Aside from the obvious goal of gaining empathy for patients on this diet (which I did), the most positive aspect of this experience was the fact that it forced me to go outside of my comfort zone and try some new foods that I don't normally include in my diet. I found some new recipes that I will definitely keep around! I also realized that I don't have to be perfect and follow the rules I have established for myself all the time. For example, I started this blog as a challenge to myself to meet the MyPyramid recommendations every day for a month. I gained some really good habits from that which I have tried to continue as much as possible. However, on this diet, I was not able to do so seeing as I wasn't allowed to have any whole grains or anywhere near an adequate amount of milk products. And guess what - I didn't die and neither will anyone else who doesn't meet their recommendations every day. It is great to follow those recommendations for a general healthy lifestyle, but when you're on a diet for a major medical issue that becomes much more important. It's better to keep your kidney function and avoid dialysis than to have your 3-a-day dairy servings!

The most negative aspect of this diet was the difficulty of meeting my goals, especially for protein. It was stressful for me to try my best to follow the restrictions but still wind up going over. Perhaps I was obsessing over the numbers a bit - I suppose the important thing is that I made the effort and definitely included less protein than I normally would have had. Another negative aspect was being hungry all the time. I am not used to being starving between meals, at least not to the extent that I felt so on this diet.

I have learned some important things through this experience and definitely have some tips I might share with patients in the future.

1. Rice milk-not worth the money. I paid nearly $4.00 for a small carton and hardly used it all week. I did not find it to be a good substitute for milk at all, and it made my pudding flop. It's better to just stick to 1/2 cup of actual milk every day and just plan the rest of your meals without it.

2. The Davita website! What a great source for recipe ideas. And they were all submitted by RD's :) (not that I am biased). There are lots of other great resources on there too, including information about renal disease, blogs, and support from peers through discussion boards.

3. Don't be afraid of fat. It is the one thing you get to eat that will keep you full on this diet! I had to get over my "fat phobia" this week and add more than I normally would have.

4. Spread out your fluid consumption. If you have a cup of coffee in the morning, don't also have juice with your breakfast. Take sips of water throughout the day rather than drink it all at once.

5. You seriously have to limit your meat servings to stay within the allowance for protein. I'd recommend only having meat at one meal so it looks like a decent size portion.

Thanks to those who followed me this week, and to Matt for being supportive and always being open to trying the foods I make!

Renal Diet - Day 7

2010-03-07T18:51:00.017-06:00

Breakfast (8am):

8 oz cup coffee

2 tbsp fat free half and half

1 1/2 cups Special K Blueberry cereal

1/2 cup skim milk

6 oz glass of blueberry pomegranate juice

I went back to the Speciak K cereal this morning, despite the fact that the last time I had it I almost passed out a few hours later! I had a bigger serving this morning but still only used a half cup of milk. I'm not too into milk by itself anyway, I just use it to moisten. I never did try the rice milk in cereal. I used it all up last night in an attempt to make pudding from it, which did not work out at all, by the way. I made the instant kind and even used less rice milk than the directions call for (a tip I saw on Davita)-but two hours later the pudding still had not set. So much for my big idea of using rice milk as a milk substitute this week.

Snack (11:30am):

6 unsalted crackers

2 tbsp whipped cream cheese

I made it until 11:30 for a snack today-hooray! But I was pretty hungry by then. Instead of having my normal "at work" snack of a muffin, I went with something that includes fat so hopefully I'll be able to feel full longer.

Leftovers for Lunch (1:30pm):

3 oz pork chop

1 cup lemony rice pilaf

3/4 cup asparagus

I walked again during lunch today, this time inside at the fitness center. I was just starting to feel very hungry as I was finishing up on the treadmill after 45 minutes. It was better than realizing I was dying of starvation and still being a half mile away from my lunch! By the way, this meal was just as delicious the next day.

Snack (4:30 pm): Not much different from yesterday

8 oz cup of coffee with 2 pkg coffee mate non-dairy creamer

6 vanilla wafers

Dinner: the final challenge!
From Chinese Express, affectionately titled "the Blue Hut" (right by the big Amoco sign near 40 and McCausland):
Egg drop soup
Buddhist Delight (about 2 cups veggies) with 3/4 cup steamed white rice
2 crab rangoon

I realized tody that I had actually made it through the entire week without going out to eat, so when Matt suggested chinese for dinner I was definitely up for it. Our favorite chinese place does not look like much from the outside (or the inside), but I really believe their food is better than some of the more upscale places in the area. I usually order the broccoli chicken, but tonight I went for the Buddhist Delight all veggie dish since
I already had most of my meat servings for the day. The food here is not very salty as one would expect- especially not this dish. The egg drop soup is great too, and even has pieces of FRESH tomatoes in it. Now, I find that impressive! Chinese food is actually not a horrible choice for the renal diet. There are already no milk products (unless you count the cream cheese in the crab rangoon) and most places use white rice anyway. You just have to watch out for the sodium, but if you have done well all day you could probably get away with it.

Dessert:
1 slice strawberry bread (from Davita again) : http://www.davita.com/recipes/Rice,_pasta_and_breads/a/1762
3 tbsp Cool Whip Lite

This bread was super easy to make. I actually substituted apple sauce for 3/4 of the oil. It turned out great!

Misc. H2O Record:
10 oz (morning/early afternoon)
6 oz (afternoon)
8 oz (early evening)
4 oz (with dinner)

How compliant was I today?
Total calories: 1947 out of 1861 allowed
Total fluids: 1830 mL out of 1861 mL allowed
Protein: 75 g out of 53 g allowed
Phosphorus: 1113 out of 1200 mg allowed
Potassium: 2952 mg out of 2127 mg allowed
Sodium: 3192 mg out of 3000 allowed

Well, these numbers show that I was not very compliant today, but I am going to rate myself as good because I'm still not sure I totally trust this analysis. I stuck to the plan today and even had less of my meat servings than I was supposed to. I am positive that the sodium was not this high based on my tastebuds, and lack of being able to enter the exact items I ate at the restaurant into MyPyramid. But hey, it's the end of the last day! I survived the week!

Renal Diet - Day 6

2010-03-06T19:13:00.011-06:00

Breakfast:

8 oz cup of coffee

2 tbsp fat free half & half

1 pkg (1 oz) cream of wheat, made with 2/3 cup rice milk

1 tsp Smart Balance Light

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp dried mixed berries (blueberries, cherries, raisins and cranberries)

a generous sprinkle of cinnamon

I'm still trying to like the cream of wheat. It was better with the dried fruit, but the texture is just so grainy! Two more days and I can go back to my oatmeal :)

"Second" breakfast:

blueberry muffin (1 1/2 oz)

small hardboiled egg

I had a late "second" breakfast at work, because I knew I was walking again today and would need the energy.

Lunch:

1 1/2 oz turkey on 2 slices white bread

1/2 oz slice colby jack cheese

1 oz Baked Ruffles potato chips

1 small apple

Despite my attempt to eat closer to when I was going to walk, I was still super hungry when I returned. I was talking with a friend in the office today, and she said she was gaining more sympathy for our renal patients by reading about my experience. It's pretty cool that the patient empathy is even reaching beyond me!

Late afternoon snack:
8 oz cup of coffee (regular mixed with french vanilla latte)
6 vanilla wafers

I was getting really tired by late afternoon, so I grabbed a little coffee to have with my cookies. Our french vanilla latte is a no-no for our renal patients, I guess because there is milk powder somewhere in the mix, but I probably only used about 1/4 of a cup of it. It makes a nice flavoring for our lovely hospital coffee (really, it's not that bad when it's fresh but I couldn't wait until they made a new batch).

Dinner: More goodies from Davita

3 oz Baked Pork Chop - http://www.davita.com/recipes/Meats_and_seafood/a/617
1 cup Lemony Rice Pilaf - http://www.davita.com/recipes/Rice,_pasta_and_breads/a/1284
3/4 cup asparagus, tossed in olive oil

These recipes were awesome. I have been eating more pork lately (my Jewish half is disappointed, I think) and am always looking for new ways to prepare it. I will definitely keep this one on hand. The rice was perfect with it, and of course asparagus is always good. I tossed it in olive oil, sprinkled with a little salt and pepper, and baked at 350 for about 15 minutes. I added a little Parmesan cheese and lemon juice right before it was ready.

Misc. H2O record:

6 oz (morning)
12 oz (afternoon/early evening)
10 oz (with dinner/evening)

How compliant was I today?
Total calories: 1788 out of 1861 allowed
Total fluids: 1370 mL out of 1861 mL allowed
Protein: 68 g out of 53 g allowed
Phosphorus: 1022 out of 1200 mg allowed
Potassium: 1963 mg out of 2127 mg allowed
Sodium: 2489 mg out of 3000 allowed

My compliance was very good today. I was within my limits in all categories except protein, but I've realized that's nearly an impossible feat.

Renal Diet - Day 5

2010-03-05T09:58:00.015-06:00

I am undergoing these dietary restrictions for the purpose of a project meant to teach patient empathy which will last for one week. I am not suggesting that anyone follow this diet unless it has been prescribed by their physician.

Breakfast:
8 oz coffee with 2 Tbsp fat free half and half
2 frozen blueberry waffles (about 1 oz each)
3/4 cup blueberries and strawberries (thawed from frozen)
1 1/2 tsp Smart Balance Light
1 Tbsp lite syrup
1 tsp powdered sugar
1/2 cup orange juice

I can't believe it's day 5 already!! I waited until about 10am to eat breakfast this morning, since I'm working today and won't get lunch until around 2. I was absolutely starving, but that was to be expected. I know orange juice is a no-no (high potassium) but I've restrained from it all week, and I only had half a cup.

Lunch:
1/2 cup chicken salad (from http://www.davita.com/recipes/Meats_and_seafood/a/404 )
1 tbsp whipped cream cheese
on 2 slices of white bread
12 baby carrots with about 1 tbsp whipped cream cheese

I could not wait until 2 to eat today, plus we were having a meeting at that time so I decided it would be better to not be starving at that. The chicken salad recipe came from the Davita website again, and it was very good. Matt even had some for lunch at home today and had good feedback about it. I was so disheartened about eating the carrots that by the last six, I actually started dipping them in the cream cheese! Looking back on it, it wasn't really very good but sounded more palatable than eating them plain at the time. Plus, I was starving! My yummy waffle and fruit breakfast just did not hold me over the way that my oatmeal with bananas usually does on work days.

Snack:
1/2 cup canned fruit cocktail with 1/2 cup of its juice (pear juice)
9 vanilla wafers

I went for a walk today during lunch, outside! It was so much better than going to the workout room on the boring treadmill. The wind was still a bit chilly, but I just walked faster and warmed up. When I got back, it was time to start answering phones but I had to eat my snack between calls because I was definitely starving again after that walk.

Another quick snack:

6 unsalted crackers

I had the sense to grab something just in case I got hungry again before the end of the evening. I thought, surely our hospital kitchen has something for renal patients! I saw the saltless crackers sitting there and thought that would be perfect. I held out until nearly 7, and was really glad I had them at hand.

Dinner: another good one from Davita!
http://www.davita.com/recipes/Meats_and_seafood/a/2698

1 pita bread
2 tbsp BBQ sauce
1/2 cup diced cooked chicken
1/4 cup feta cheese
2 cups salad (bagged, Asian style) with 1 tbsp dressing

These BBQ chicken pitas were amazing! I will definitely make them again, even when I'm not a "renal patient".

Dessert: no more Jell-o, please!
1/2 cup raspberry sherbet
3 tbsp cool whip lite

I went back to sherbet tonight, but added the Cool Whip because I've really taken a liking to it. Somehow, it makes it more special :)

Misc. H2O record:
4 oz (morning)
16 oz (all day, at work)
8 oz (evening)

How compliant was I today?
Total calories: 1640 out of 1861 allowed
Total fluids: 1440 mL out of 1861 mL allowed
Protein: 56 g out of 53 g allowed
Phosphorus: 971 out of 1200 mg allowed
Potassium: 2533 mg out of 2127 mg allowed
Sodium: 2495 mg out of 3000 allowed

I would say my compliance was very good today! This was the closest I have come to my goal on protein all week, and although I was over on potassium (could that orange juice this morning have done me in?) I was well within my limits on everything else. Plus, I tried two new recipes that were tested and approved by someone not following this diet. So, hooray for me!

Renal Diet - Day 4

2010-03-04T09:05:00.012-06:00

I am undergoing these dietary restrictions for the purpose of a project meant to teach patient empathy which will last for one week. I am not suggesting that anyone follow this diet unless it has been prescribed by their physician.

Breakfast: Giving the cream of wheat another go
8 oz cup coffee
2 tbsp fat-free half and half
2 pkg (1 oz each) instant cream of wheat cereal, made with 2/3 cup water and 1/2 cup rice milk
added: 1 1/2 tsp Smart Balance Light, 1/2 pkg Equal, and cinnamon
3/4 cup canned fruit cocktail

I used less fluid in the cream of wheat to make it thicker, like oatmeal, and it was a lot better. It's still not "hearty" enough for me, but what can you do. The Smart Balance and cinnamon actually gave it a pretty good flavor, and I'm hoping the addition of fat helps me feel a little fuller. I probably should have used the regular Smart Balance though, since the "Light" is called that for a reason.

Snack: Pre and post workout
Pre: 6 oz apple juice
Post: Fiber One bar

I had weight training class again today, but instead of the bagel I just brought a Fiber One bar, which is my normal snack after workout. According to the label it only has 2 g of protein, as opposed to 4 in half of a bagel. It's more satisfying too, because of the fiber. The label doesn't show potassium or phosphorus content, and I doubt the exact food will be in the food database on MyPyramid-but oh well. Protein is my main concern because that's where I keep going over.
I was absolutely starving again by about 10 minutes before class ended. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, but I was really glad I actually brought something that might fill me up.

Lunch: Nothing too exciting
Turkey sandwich on white bread:
1.5 oz Healthy Ones turkey
1/2 slice colby cheese
3/4 cup cooked baby carrots
1 1/2 tsp Smart Balance Light (on bread and carrots)
3 vanilla wafers (an afterthought...not pictured)

Snack: Well, now I've done it!
8 oz chai tea

Matt and I went for a walk in Kirkwood today and stopped by Kaldi's for coffee. I ordered a Chai tea, thinking here's a good choice, it's just spiced tea. I didn't realize that chai tea is tea brewed in milk (and I thought I was being good not ordering a latte!). It was very good, though. However, I've probably blown the diet for the day since I already used my "milk allowance."

Dinner: Something new for a change!
Chicken and Apple Curry
from: http://www.davita.com/recipes/Meats_and_seafood/a/3009#
4 oz chicken breast
1/2 cup sauce (made of onions, apples, garlic, Smart Balance, chicken broth, rice milk, flour)
1/2 cup potatoes
3/4 cup rice

I was really feeling at a loss as far as what I should make for dinner the next few nights. I went online and found some really great recipes for renal patients on the Davita website. They even say whether each recipe is good for pre-dialysis, dialysis, and diabetic patients (or all of the above). This curry turned out pretty well, and it's something I would have made anyway. I added the potatoes for Matt, but I had to have a few of them. I limited it to a half cup, though.

Dessert: Jell-o again
1/2 cup cherry Jell-o with 2 tbsp Cool Whip Lite

Misc. H2O record:
4 oz (morning)
8 oz (late morning/early afternoon)
4 oz (afternoon)
8 oz (evening)

How compliant was I today?
Total calories: 1924 out of 1861 allowed
Total fluids: 1830 mL out of 1861 mL allowed
Protein: 76 g out of 53 g allowed
Phosphorus: 1156 out of 1200 mg allowed
Potassium: 2547 mg out of 2127 mg allowed
Sodium: 3271 mg out of 3000 allowed

I would have to say that I wasn't very compliant today, and rate myself as poor. I went over pretty badly on protein, potassium, and sodium and came pretty close on phosphorus. I kind of messed up with that chai latte, but boy was it good. I am, however, beginning to question the nutrient analysis I've been using because I added up the calories in my breakfast myself as I was making it (yes I do that kind of thing), and MyPyramid told me it was about 200 calories more than it should have been. So, I wonder how accurate it is after all. I don't know if I'm going to be able to put all of this into a more reliable analysis program before Monday, so I'm just going to have to go off of this.

Renal Diet - Day 3

2010-03-03T08:24:00.017-06:00

I am undergoing these dietary restrictions for the purpose of a project meant to teach patient empathy which will last for one week. I am not suggesting that anyone follow this diet unless it has been prescribed by their physician.

Breakfast: blueberries are my new best friend
8 oz cup coffee with 2 tbsp fat free half and half
1 cup Special K blueberry cereal with 1/2 cup skim milk and 1/4 cup blueberries
1 slice white toast with 1 tsp Smart Balance Light

I tried Special K because it's one of the cereals allowed for renal patients at the hospital. When I looked at the label, I saw that it's very low in protein and potassium, so I suppose that's why. I decided to use my 1/2 cup of milk serving for my cereal today. I wasn't sure if just the cup of cereal would be enough (it's very low calorie, they market it as a weight loss product of sorts), so I made a slice of toast to go with it.

Snack: Need...sugar....now
4 oz apple juice

I was so hungry by 11 am that I was actually feeling shaky! Maybe I didn't eat enough calories for breakfast, or it just wasn't filling enough. Either way, I felt like I needed something right away or I wouldn't make it until lunch!

Lunch: A sense of normalcy

1 cup rotini pasta tossed with:
1 cup steamed (from frozen) peas and carrots
1 1/2 tbsp pesto sauce
1 tbsp (imitation) lemon juice
1 tsp shredded Parmesan
a dash of pepper

This is pretty similar to a meal I would normally have, so it was very welcome. The only difference I would have made would be to use whole grain pasta and a little more Parmesan cheese. Sometimes when I make this I add chicken too, but I'm saving all of my meat servings for tonight.

Snack: In need of more sugar?
9 vanilla wafers

I went to the store hungry (never a good idea, right?) to get dinner for tonight, and went down the cookie aisle (also never a good idea when you're hungry). I was going to get some graham crackers, but when I saw the vanilla wafers they sounded good for some reason. Like white bread, I also haven't had vanilla wafers in about 15 years. They are nice and sugary though, and do the trick. They are also low in protein (1 gram lower than the graham crackers-bonus!) and cheaper too. I must be getting hungry so often because on this diet I am eating a lot of simple carbohydrates-or refined grains. Therefore everything is lower in fiber and protein-both things that aid in keeping you full. I'm seriously thinking of adding some metamucil to my next glass of water because I don't like this feeling of starvation between meals!

Dinner: A burger without the cheese
4 oz sirloin burger patty
Healthy Life white bun
1 tbsp ketchup
1 cup steamed asparagus
1 1/2 tsp Smart Balance Light

Oh, what a sad fate for a burger to be without its cheese! Am I being a bit dramatic? Well, I used my 1/2 milk allowance for my cereal this morning-so I had to forgo the cheese. I was not willing, however, to give up the ketchup! It would have been much too dry without it-perhaps even a choking hazard. At least that's my excuse. One tablespoon can't make too much of a difference anyway. I was happy, at least, that one of my favorite vegetables was on the low potassium list. I love asparagus, so I wasn't even jealous that Matt got to eat potatoes with his burger.

Dessert: I really am reverting back to childhood!
1/2 cup cherry jell-o
2 tbsp Cool Whip Lite

Misc. H2O record:
8 oz (morning)
8 oz (afternoon/early evening)
10 oz (evening/dinner)
8 oz (evening)

How compliant was I today?
Total calories: 1524 out of 1861 allowed
Total fluids: 1650 mL out of 1861 allowed
Protein: 69 g out of 53 g allowed
Phosphorus: 893 out of 1200 mg allowed
Potassium: 1839 mg out of 2127 mg allowed
Sodium: 2960 mg out of 3000 allowed

My compliance was very good today. I saved all of my meat servings for dinner so I could have a normal sized hamburger, but I still went over on protein. I'm not sure how much less meat I could really eat. I'm guessing the little amount of protein in other foods really add up, or something isn't coming up right in the analysis I'm using (MyPyramid Tracker). Since it doesn't give me the breakdown for each food, and it's usually impossible to find the exact food item in their database, I'll either have to trust it or try another source. Well, I'm pretty proud of myself today anyway. Oh, and I had an interview this afternoon that went very well. So that's something to be proud of too :)

Renal Diet - Day 2

2010-03-02T08:51:00.012-06:00

I am undergoing these dietary restrictions for the purpose of a project meant to teach patient empathy which will last for one week. I am not suggesting that anyone follow this diet unless it has been prescribed by their physician.

Breakfast: Okay this isn't so bad
8 oz. cup of coffee with 2 tbsp fat free half and half
2 frozen blueberry waffles with 1 tsp. Smart Balance Light, 1 tbsp lite syrup, 1/2 cup (frozen/thawed) blueberries & strawberries, and 1/2 tsp powdered sugar
1 oz. turkey sausage patty

This morning I skipped my glass of water and went straight for the coffee. That way I can save my liquid consumption for later today when I will need it (I'm working out today). My breakfast was more like something I would have as a treat in my "normal" life. I actually felt pretty full afterward because blueberries and strawberries contain a good amount of fiber.

Pre and Post workout snack
before-6 oz glass apple juice
after-1/2 bagel with 1 tbsp whipped cream cheese

I had my weight training class today. I figured if I drank my juice right before I would have enough energy and hydration to make it through. I still had a few sips of water here and there, but I only drank about 8 oz total by the time I got home (I measured what I put in my water bottle, then checked how much was left). I have noticed that bagels really don't fill me up that much. I ate it before I went to my next class, but I was really hungry halfway through. I would have rather had my banana or FiberOne bar like I usually have.

Lunch
1 TJ's Masala (Indian spice) veggie burger patty
1 slice white toast
1/2 slice mozzarella cheese
1 cup steamed (frozen) mixed peas and carrots
1 tsp Smart Balance Light

I'm not really sure how great this was for this diet, but I had a masala veggie burger patty from TJ's. All I could really tell from the box was that it was low in protein (1 g) but a little high in sodium (440 mg). It's strictly made from veggies, not soy, but I know there are potatoes in it so it might have been high in potassium. I'm thinking it will be unlikely that I'll find the exact product in the nutrient database, so I'll probably just have to use something similar. I put it on one slice of white toast, since I didn't have any buns and two slices seemed like too much.

A Greek Feast Slip-up

We had some visitors in class tonight who showed us how to cook some authentic Greek cuisine! We made roasted lamb, spinach, rice, and cheese stuffed filo dough pockets. Forgive me for not remembering the actual names of the foods. It was really hard to restrain myself, but here's what I sampled:

1 small chunk (cube) of feta cheese
1/4 cup rice
1 tbsp of cooked spinach
a 1 ounce piece of lamb
1 filo pocket
1/4 cup Greek style yogurt with honey and walnuts
Everything was wonderful! I suppose this is one of those "unexpected" situations that can't really be planned for. I think the guests would have been upset if we didn't try the foods they made.

Dinner: What a sad looking plate
3 oz chicken breast
3/4 cup cooked (from frozen) corn
1 1/2 tsp Smart Balance Light
1 tsp imitation lemon juice

Since I had all those snacks in class, I just made some simple chicken and steamed corn for dinner. I sauteed the chicken in Smart Balance and lemon juice, and also added some to the corn. The plate just looked so empty! But I didn't really want to eat anything else. Plus, I'm pretty sure I totally blew the diet for today.

Snack: Sweet Craving-I couldn't resist
3 Chips Ahoy Reduced-fat chocolate chip cookies

Misc. H2O record:
8 oz (late morning/afternoon)
8 oz (late afternoon/early evening)
18 oz (evening)

How compliant was I today?
Total calories: 1672 out of 1861 allowed
Total fluids: 1470 mL out of 1861 allowed
Protein: 81 g out of 53 g allowed
Phosphorus: 1317 out of 1200 mg allowed
Potassium: 1947 mg out of 2127 mg allowed
Sodium: 3343 mg out of 3000 allowed

I'd say I my compliance was fair today-I was over in 3 out of 6 categories. The protein is really confusing me the most. I did not eat that much more meat than I was supposed to, so it must be coming from other sources. I think the bagels might be a problem. According to the package one bagel has 9 grams of protein-so every time I eat a half it's 4.5 grams. I did much better with spreading out my fluids today, in fact so well that I don't think I drank enough. That might be why I was feeling hungry-maybe I was mistaking it for thirst. Maybe what I need is a "drinking schedule."

Renal Diet - Day 1

2010-03-01T11:03:00.018-06:00

I am undergoing these dietary restrictions for the purpose of a project meant to teach patient empathy which will last for one week. I am not suggesting that anyone follow this diet unless it has been prescribed by their physician.

Breakfast-cream of wheat and oatmeal are not created equal!

8 oz cup coffee
2 tbsp fat free half and half
1 pkg equal
1 pkg cream of wheat cereal made with 2/3 cup water, with 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup rice milk, cinnamon and 1/2 pkg equal
1 large egg fried in 1/2 tsp Smart Balance Light
6 oz glass apple juice

This was a tough morning to start my diet. I had an internship interview which I was totally nervous about, and changing up my morning routine was even more nerveracking. I just wanted to have my usual bowl of oatmeal, but made cream of wheat instead. I had never tried cream of wheat before today-it is nothing at all like oatmeal! I made the packet with water and thought I'd add some rice milk to it (another new one for me). After opening the rice milk though, I realized I should have just made the cream of wheat with that instead of water. It was not creamy at all-in fact, it was even more watery than skim milk (and I like skim milk!). It's flavor was sweet though, which is why I think I'll use that next time instead of water. I do not think the rice milk would be a good substitute for half and half in my coffee either, so I stuck with my usual 2 tablespoons of fat free half and half. I don't think it will make that much difference in my diet, but I will verify using nutrient analysis.

Lunch-white bread?!?
grilled turkey and mozzarella sandwich on white bread with pesto sauce:
2 slices white bread
1 tsp Smart Balance Light
1.5 oz deli turkey
1/2 slice (1/2 oz) mozzarella cheese
1 tsp pesto sauce
1 cup raw baby carrots

This was the first time I have had white bread in probably ten years! I thought if I made a grilled sandwich, I would miss the cheese less (only 1/2 cup of dairy is allowed per day on this diet). I tore up the half slice and distributed it over the turkey so that it would melt together. I also added some pesto sauce for extra flavor and calories, hoping the fat will help me feel fuller. I still feel a little hungry. I will definitely be packing a snack to bring with me to school today. The carrots were good, but not a great substitute for my usual potato chips. Those baked ruffles were staring me in the face as I put the carrots on my plate! I know I can have them in small amounts, but I am going to try to be very restrictive for my first day and see how I'm doing.

Snack-I'm starving! (no picture-forgot to bring my camera):
1/2 plain bagel with 1 tbsp cream cheese
1/2 cup applesauce with cinnamon

I brought my snack to school with me, but I left it in the car and didn't get to eat it until 4:00. I was absolutely starving! In fact, it's almost 7 now and I'm starving again. Oh, and by the way I'm also watching my fluids, which are usually another way of helping me stay full longer. I have to stay between 1595 and 1861 milliliters per day (one for each of my calories), which translates to just under 8 cups of fluid per day. I've already had close to six, because I have to count all liquids-not just straight water. Maybe I should cut down on my morning beverage consumption tomorrow morning, since the first thing I always do is drink a glass of water, then a cup of coffee, and then a cup of juice.

Dinner-finally!
1 cup steamed white rice, made with about 1 tsp Smart Balance Light
1 1/2 cups mixed stir-fried veggies
1.5 oz chicken breast
1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup raspberry sherbet for dessert

I was so hungry by dinnertime. We don't usually eat until around 8 because that's when Matt gets home from work. I made a stir-fry to disguise the fact that I was only eating 1.5 ounces of chicken. I picked through the veggies and got mostly peas and green beans, less broccoli (even though that's my favorite!) but it is very high in potassium. I was so hungry I even ate the parts of the stir fry I would normally push off to the side-the water chestnuts and red peppers.

Misc. H2O record:
6 oz (morning)
8 oz (mid-morning)
12 oz (afternoon)
8 oz (evening)

How compliant was I today?
Total calories: 1587 out of 1861 allowed
Total fluids: 1740 mL (7.25 cups) out of 1861 (or 7.75 cups) allowed
Protein: 57 g out of 53 g allowed
Phosphorus: 902mg mg out of 1200 mg allowed
Potassium: 2221 mg out of 2127 mg allowed
Sodium: 2596 mg out of 3000 allowed

I did pretty well, and would say my compliance was very good-I followed my meal plan exactly and still ended up high on protein. I knew that aspect would be the most challenging.
I have a huge headache right now, which I'd love to blame on the fact that I've been hungry all day and haven't had enough water-but I was awfully stressed out this morning with that interview. Tomorrow is another day!

An endeavor in patient empathy

2010-02-27T12:26:00.004-06:00

Next week I will be beginning an endeavor in patient empathy. Well, actually it's an assignment for school-but doesn't the term "endeavor" make it sound more exciting?
I have chosen to follow a pre-dialysis renal diet for one week, and will be journaling my experience here.
The purpose of the pre-dialysis renal diet is to ease the amount of stress put on the kidneys in hopes of restoring their function. The diet limits the amount of protein, calories, fluids, sodium, potassium and phosphorus that a person can consume.
This diet is very different from my own, and will be a challenge for me in many ways. First, I will not be able to consume whole grain products since they are high in protein. Milk products are also a problem not only because they provide too much protein but because of their potassium and phosphorus content. I strive to consume only the most nutritious fruits and vegetable, but these are often the highest sources of potassium. I will have to strictly limit some of my favorites, like broccoli, sweet potatoes, bananas, and orange juice. Also, sadly, my nightly treat will be affected. Both chocolate and frozen yogurt are restricted. I am going to have to find a new dessert for the week!
Today I am planning to go shopping for many of the staple items I will need throughout the week. I will most likely plan meals around these items.

My renal diet grocery list:

grains (refined only):
Cream of wheat cereal
bread
bagels
pasta (not whole grain)
Frozen waffles

fruit:
frozen blueberries and strawberries
apple juice
canned fruit
applesauce

veggies:
baby carrots
frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, asparagus)

meats:
chicken
lean ground beef

dairy (substitutes):
rice milk
non-dairy coffee creamer

Other:
cream cheese
jello
sherbet or sorbet
pesto sauce

I hope you'll tune in this week and see how compliant I am with this diet restriction!

Renal groceries!

"You're not supposed to be eating that."

2010-02-27T12:20:00.002-06:00

I have been studying up for internship interviews, and one of the sample questions I was given is:

If someone saw you eating a burger and fries and commented that "you're not supposed to be eating that." What would you say?

I thought this would be a hilarious, and strange, question to ask on an interview-mainly because at my house, we eat burgers and fries all the time! I suppose the expected answer to this would be that all foods can fit, and maybe something about the importance of portion size, etc. But for me, the real answer is: it's all about how you prepare it. First of all, I only use extra-lean ground beef (93/7). I mix it up in a bowl with a generous teaspoon of minced garlic, some dry oats (about 1/4 cup per pound of meat), a little pepper, some Mrs. Dash seasoning (my favorite is garlic, basil and tomato), and an egg white (to hold things together). Our fries are usually homemade, which is easier than you might think. Just slice up a couple of medium-sized potatoes (at fat or as thin as you like-but they thicker they are, the longer the bake time). I toss these with about a tablespoon of olive oil, garlic powder, various spices (I like basil and oregano) and a little salt and pepper, then bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until golden.

I served my burger on a whole wheat bun with a slice of reduced fat cheese and (a must for me) extra ketchup. A burger and fries is nothing to be ashamed of, especially if you prepare it right!

Taking time for yourself

2010-02-23T19:31:00.007-06:00

I ran into an old friend last Saturday night who I haven't seen in awhile (she's also in school), and she told me about how she has, on many an evening, fallen asleep buried under homework and textbooks. It reminded me of myself, up until a few years ago when I made a promise not to let myself do that anymore. I would spend every waking moment (literally) studying. It made me lose sight of who I am. Although I am going to school to better myself and arrive at a career I love, that extreme level of studying was just not making things any better for me. I have found that I actually succeed more in school when I put myself on my schedule. What do I mean by this? I make time for the things I enjoy that make me feel good, and feel like me. I read (non textbooks). I work out. I do yoga.
After giving this advice to my friend last weekend, I realized that I have not been all that great at taking my own advice lately. I have three books sitting at my bedside that I have hardly touched the past few weeks, and I have not done an adequate amount of yoga.
I rolled out my mat last night and did a yoga DVD that I picked up from the library, which is almost due back. It was a bit slower of a practice than I usually go for, but that ended up being a good thing. I actually relaxed. What?!

Then, before I went to bed, I read a chapter of one of those books that has been collecting dust at my bedside. Today I felt much more focused, and I actually feel like I accomplished more homework by getting up early after a good nights sleep than passing out in the midst of studying.
So, my suggestion to my friend, and you, is to take an inventory of the things you really like doing and place time in your schedule to DO them! Schedule everything else around that, and you will get more out of life.
What are you going to do for yourself this week?

13 Sun Salutations a day...

2010-01-15T19:01:00.006-06:00

I just found out about something really cool, and had to share it. Apparently, there is a yoga challenge beginning tomorrow which involves doing 13 sun salutations per day until the end of the month. My local yoga studio sent me an email about it, and linked me to the group's website
Whether you've never done yoga before, or are a long-time practitioner like myself, this challenge is a great way to introduce you, or refresh your practice (and mine needs some refreshing lately!).The sun salutations are a sequence of about ten simple poses which can be done as slowly or quickly as you like. Although they are called "sun" salutations, this sequence can also be done in the evening-although it is a great way to wake your body up first thing in the morning. This video shows the most simple version, but there are lots of variations-the most important thing in yoga is to do what feels right to you.
I am definitely going to give this challenge a try, since I have been trying to get back into practicing yoga every day. Hopefully, this will carry over into the following month as well!
If anyone else is up for doing this, post a comment!
Happy yoga practice!
Namaste

Healthy Secret Macaroni & Cheese

2009-12-30T21:18:00.018-06:00

Tonight I made one of my favorite meals. Mac n' cheese with an extra nutritional kick! I started by cooking 8 oz of whole wheat rotini pasta...

Are you ready for the secret?

Combine a thawed package of cooked winter squash with 1 1/2 cups skim milk, and heat to boiling-then simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened. This is very exciting to me, because the squash is the same color as the cheese! But don't worry, you will still get plenty of cheese in this recipe. I would not deny anyone of that!

Add the cooked pasta, a cup of fat free cottage cheese, and 1 cup of reduced fat cheddar. Stir until the cheese is melted. Season as desired-I added a pinch of nutmeg and cayenne pepper, and a little sea salt and black pepper.

plus about 1 1/2 cups of chopped broccoli...

and some breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top. I made my own by toasting two slices of bread, chopping them up and tossing with oregano, garlic and olive oil.

Place the mac n' cheese mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes and....

healthy comfort food at it's finest! YUM!
I served this dish with garlic & herb seasoned chicken breasts sauteed in olive oil. This allowed me to play with one of my new toys that I got for Christmas...A digital kitchen thermometer!

Always make sure poultry products are cooked to a minimum of 165 F. Even if they appear done, they could still be harboring harmful bacteria which has not yet been cooked off.

Have a safe and happy new year, however you might be spending it!

Homemade oatmeal

2009-12-27T17:41:00.011-06:00

This morning, I woke up to snow falling outside! It didn't look like it would accumulate much, but it was a very pretty scene. I tried to take some pictures, but they didn't really do it much justice.

I decided to make oatmeal today....my usual wintertime breakfast. Lately I have been eating it every day, alternating between adding raisins or bananas.

Today, I decided to try something different. I started by chopping up a Red Delicious apple that I had sitting in the fridge.

It probably amounted to about 3/4 cup

Then I added a cup of skim milk and 1/2 cup of dry regular oats

Microwave for about 3 minutes, then...

I added 1/2 packet of Equal (just to sweeten things up a bit), about a tablespoon of chopped walnuts, and a nice dusting of cinnamon...and voila! Homemade apple cinnamon oatmeal.
Who needs the pre-packaged stuff? You can buy a huge package of regular or quick-cooking oats for less than a box of the packets. It doesn't take that much more time (depending on your chopping skills) Plus, this way you can control exactly what goes in it...no added sugars that you don't put in yourself. I think it tastes better this way, too!

After breakfast, it was time to hit the books...

I'm taking the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) a week from Monday, so my winter break is not really going to be much of a break. Today I'm expanding my vocabulary and learning strategies for excelling in the verbal section of the test. I know, it sounds boring just reading about it.

I'm going to need some more caffeine!

Cheap, tasty and not-so-sinful treats

2009-12-24T08:53:00.022-06:00

First of all, we got our new camera! It's a Canon SD1200, and I love it!
We got the silver one!

Of course, we had to try it out first-on some of our favorite models...

Cooper and Callie are ready for their close-ups!

This new arrival was just in time for my holiday baking post, so I can add in pictures of all my sweet temptations!

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to cook, and over the past few years (thanks to my increasing patience and knowledge gained at school) I have grown to love baking as well. The bottom line is, "cooking is an art, and baking is a science." Just doesn't sound very fun or tempting when you think of it that way, does it?!

Once you learn to do it, it's actually very satisfying-and fun-to watch science take place in your kitchen.

The first thing I had to learn was, it is very important to follow the recipe! There was a time when I didn't even know the difference between baking soda and baking powder, and may have used them interchangeably.

Well, they both have the word baking in them-so what's the difference?!

The difference is huge-and was evident in my past baking escapades which tended to end in disaster.

This year-seeing as I am totally broke-I am spreading the holiday love with gifts from my kitchen.

I tried three new recipes from CookingLight.com, my favorite and most trusted source for good food at a low nutritional cost.

Oatmeal Cookies

Fudgy Mocha Toffee Brownies

Peanut Butter Icebox Cookies

Cookie making madness!!

There are two changes I make to every recipe which are okay and do not create tragedies like the baking soda/baking powder substitution. I use only whole wheat flour rather than white (and no, I don't mix-it still turns out great an no one knows any different), and I replace the butter or margarine with Smart Balance. This does not change the amount of calories at all, but it does increase the nutrition. The whole wheat flour adds fiber, and the Smart Balance exchanges the saturated fat for unsaturated, which is more conducive to raising "good" cholesterol over "bad".

All three recipes turned out AWESOME! I can't wait to share them with my family, friends and co-workers!

What are your favorite holiday treats?

The best 100% whole wheat pizza crust EVER!

2009-12-14T18:50:00.003-06:00

I have been making this recipe for awhile now, and have yet to share it. But the secret has been kept long enough!

Making your own pizza from scratch is cheap, allows you to connect with the food you are eating, and is also a great way to get several of the food groups into one meal-grains, milk (cheese), veggies, meats and sometimes fruits. Plus, it's a lot of fun and is much easier than you might think!

I adapted this recipe from Vegetarian Planet, by Didi Emmons. When I make pizza crust, I always sub all of the white flour for whole wheat. Although this substitution sometimes makes things dense and unexciting, I have found that this recipe results in a hearty product that is still light and airy-not to mention irresistible! Sure, it might take much longer than picking up the phone and dialing for delivery-but some things are worth waiting for!

Ingredients:
2/3 cup hot, but not boiling, water
1 pinch (about 1/8 teaspoon) sugar
1 ½ teaspoons or 1 package dry active yeast
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour, plus more as needed

1. Stir together 1/3 cup of water and the sugar in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture, and let stand until foamy-about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the remaining 1/3 cup of water, the olive oil, salt, and enough flour (by ½ cup portions) to make a soft dough.
4. Knead on a floured surface, incorporating more flour, if necessary, to keep the dough from sticking. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes.
5. Place the dough in a deep, oiled bowl (I use about 1/2 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil) and turn over to coat with the oil.
6. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size; about 1 hour.
7. Punch down the dough, and allow to rise for 20-30 minutes more.
8. Remove dough from bowl and flatten onto a large pizza pan sprayed well with cooking spray, spreading out by pulling the dough toward the edges. Or, make personal sized pizzas by dividing the dough into four equal portions.
8. Top with your favorite toppings, and bake at 425◦ F for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Tonight I'm topping my pizza with pesto sauce, sauteed garlic and herb chicken, canned no-salt-added tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. Here are some of our other favorite pizza toppings:
*Brushed olive oil with lightly steamed spinach, tomatoes (canned or fresh, depending on the season), chicken sausage (TJ’s!), and feta
*Marinara sauce with prosciutto ham and goat cheese
*Herb olive oil, asparagus, and Italian cheese blend

Side note: sadly, I cannot currently post pictures of my culinary creations as my camera has apparently "checked out". I will be bringing it to a repair shop soon, to see if it's worth fixing - otherwise a new purchase will most likely be in order.

Until then, I will have to tempt you with words rather than visuals!

Give cheap, yet creatively, this holiday season

2009-12-13T23:18:00.009-06:00

Many people seem to be having a difficult time with money right now, which adds extra stress to holiday gift giving. But to me, the holidays are about spending time with friends and family-not the monetary value of the gifts that are given.
In years past, my family has simply composed a wish list of our holiday desires, then opened our gifts with absolutely no surprise whatsoever. Sure-everyone got what they wanted-but what fun is it to shop from a list? I do that at least twice a week when I go to the grocery store.

This year, we are trying something different; adding some thoughtfulness with a twist of creativity!

The rules are simple:
1. You can only spend $5 on gifts for each person.
2. You have to make your purchases at the Dollar store.

Now, it is assumed that everyone is going to really try to come up with something creative to buy with their respective $5 limits-not just pick up the first five pieces of junk they see in the store. We'll see how it works out. I can honestly say I am looking forward to the challenge.

Here are some other ideas for making your holiday gift giving cheap, yet thoughtful and creative:

Do a "Secret Santa" gift swap within your group: put everyone's name in a bowl and each person chooses only one person to buy for. Set a price limit that fits everyone's budget.

Create a "theme" for your gift exchange. For example, the rule might be that the gift given to each person must represent a memory about them. When the gift is opened, the story is told. This works great for families and close friends.

Make your own gifts. The options are endless-crafts, photo albums, baked goods, etc.

Play "White Elephant" or "Rob your Neighbor". It's simple, and a lot of fun!
Each person brings a wrapped gift, which could be anything from something that was made, to one that was bought or even a "regift" that you want to try and pass on. Just make sure the rules are clear for what can be brought and how much, if anything, can be spent-and know that you might be bringing home that very same gift with you once again!
If you've never played the game, see this link for details on how it works:
http://www.wikihow.com/Organize-a-White-Elephant-Gift-Exchange

The older I get, the less I desire-which makes it difficult for me to come up with items for a holiday wish list. I now see more value in spending time with loved ones than having a large stack of presents in front of me.
This year, I plan to focus more heavily on quality verses quantity. I encourage you to do the same!
Happy Holidays!

It's been awhile....

2009-09-28T22:44:00.004-05:00

since my last post. In case you're wondering, I've been chin-deep in carbohydrate digestion, recipe testing and modification, medical terminology, and preparing to apply for internships. Oh, and of course there's work, volunteering, and making a feeble attempt to have a social life.
Focusing so much of my energy toward my schoolwork has really taken a toll on my sanity, and my creativity. It's downright exhausting, and when it comes time for dinner, I will admit, lately I haven't put much effort in. Instead I've been going with the old standbys such as frozen veggie burgers, and "no big deal," or "NBD" pasta-which consists of whatever pasta is on hand, jarred marinara sauce, and possibly lean ground beef or turkey. I've even given in several times and settled for carry out. Yes, it's been a rough, and somewhat expensive, couple of months.
Maybe I just needed a little inspiration to get me going again. My wonderful boyfriend Matt, always keeping our culinary needs in mind, heard about a great recipe while listening to NPR's Zorba Paster. After looking up the recipe online, I decided that Spicy Pumpkin Soup sounded intriguing, healthy, and simple enough to try. Plus, I had nearly all the ingredients already on hand and ready to go!

Spicy Pumpkin Soup
from: http://www.wpr.org/zorba/recipes/z09-0919r.htm

1 Tbs Olive oil
1 Large Carrot, chopped
1 Large Onion, chopped
10 Cups Low-sodium chicken broth
1 Cup Lentils
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
¼ tsp Ground ginger
½ tsp Curry powder
¼ tsp Chili powder
6 Cups Pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed (I used canned)
Minced fresh parsley (I used dried)

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil and sauté carrots and onions. Add broth and lentils and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes.

Stir in the cinnamon, ginger, curry, chili and pumpkin. Return to a boil, then reduce to low, partially cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls and top with fresh parsley.

Servings: 6

This soup was fantastically tasty and perfect for the beginning of autumn. It was also very simple and economically friendly. Health wise, it only has 239 calories per serving and 5 grams of fat (1 saturated), very low sodium and no cholesterol. Plus, it's bursting with vitamin A, which is important for visual health. In addition, the soup has a good amount of protein and fiber, so it is perfect as a main dish. I served mine with whole wheat garlic cheese bread. Yum!

Wanna eat (or drink) cheap? Blend it yourself!

2009-07-29T12:37:00.010-05:00

Have you ever had one of those fancy fruit smoothies from a coffee bar or other specialty shop? They're pretty yummy, but will run you upwards from $4. The good news is, you can make your own fruit smoothie, just as tasty as you'll find at these shops, for a very low cost. You might even be able to make it in less time than it takes to wait in line to hand them your five bucks!
Today I made a peach smoothie. I blended about a cup of frozen peach halves, 1/3 cup of fat free peach yogurt, and 1/2 cup of apple juice. Thirty seconds in my food processor (but you could use any type of blender you have available) and I had a delicious, and nutritious, treat! Of course, this could be done with any type of fruit, juice and yogurt you like. Fresh fruit will also work, but I like frozen because it allows you to skip adding ice-so you avoid the drink becoming watery, and still have that nice "smoothie" consistency. A few others I plan to try are mixed berry, strawberry banana, and, if I can find the right ingredients to replicate it, blueberry pomegranate.
Oh, and P.S.-a lot of places add smoothie "mixes" to their drinks-mixes that are full of added sugars and are not 100% fruit or fruit juice. I just looked it up, and some of them have 200+ calories in a one ounce serving (and the smoothie recipe says to add 2 ounces)! Making your own smoothie creations at home is a great way to control your intake of nutritious foods. My peach smoothie gave me 1.5 cups toward my daily fruit recommendation, plus 1/3 cup toward milk from the yogurt, with very few discretionary calories, or "extras." Plus, I saved $$$-it's a win-win! I suppose the only downfall is the fact that you have to wash your own dishes-but according to the calorie calculator, I burned 17 calories for the five minutes of light housework I engaged in as I washed, dried, and put away my food processor!

Making a list...

2009-07-26T18:25:00.011-05:00

Have you ever taken a look at your finances and realized, "oh, there's just not as much there as I thought (and it's still a week and a half until payday)!" Well, this was my experience last week, and was probably due to eating out twice in one day...or going shopping...or the stack of bills I recently paid. In any case, I knew that, if I wanted to make it to next payday without starving, I was going to have to do some serious planning. Luckily, I have a tactic I like to employ when this situation arises. It does require a little effort, but can result in quite a bit of savings due to wasteful spending at the grocery store. So here it is...my "thrifty food plan."
The first thing I do is make a list of my assets. Foodwise, that is. I went through my refrigerator and pantry and listed all of the useful food items available, especially those which could be used as main dishes or need to be used up soon before they spoil. Sadly, there wasn't much...my only protein sources were one frozen chicken breast, a can of tuna, eggs, peanut butter, a few slices of deli turkey, and 3 pieces of precooked turkey breakfast sausage. Still, it was a start.
Next, I drew up a grid of all the days I needed to plan for. In this case, I went Saturday to Friday-one whole week. Below each day, I began to fill in as many meals as possible using my list of assets. I didn't go as far as to list the amount I would be using up, but this is certainly a possibility if you have the time. I did, however, cross the items off my list if I knew for sure I would be using the entire remainder of the product for a meal-for example, all three turkey sausage pieces would be used as a topping on pizza. It really helps me to have the list of foods right there while planning meals, because it helps me to "visualize" potential meals-things I could make if only I bought one or two additional items. It also forces you to be creative. One chicken breast is not much of a meal for two, but it can be chopped up and put into a pasta with pesto sauce and fresh vegetables. I also find myself becoming more open to new ways of eating some of my staple foods, such as oatmeal. I get so stuck on eating it my favorite way-with bananas or raisins. However, in lacking these foods, I realized that it would probably also be good with dried cranberries, apricots, and walnuts (and it was-I tried it this morning!).
As I came across ingredients I would need to buy in order to complete meals, I made a grocery list. Being as conservative as possible and choosing the least expensive item when faced with a choice, I managed to plan meals (roughly) for the next week. I say "roughly" because you can never expect to follow your meal plan exactly as its written. It's only Sunday, and I've already made a few changes to mine.
In the end of the process, I had comprised a very organized grocery list containing only the items I would need for the upcoming week. I had also managed to make a plan to utilize many of the things that have been sitting in my pantry/refrigerator for way too long. It's a great way to clear up space and eliminate waste before things go bad. Armed with a good list and a solid plan (plus the idea of a limited budget), I was also less likely to engage in "impulse buys" at the grocery store.
The meal plan itself is even a helpful way to be sure that you get in all of your servings of important (and often overlooked) foods like fruits and vegetables. When you have the whole day's meals laid out in front of you, it becomes clear where you might be lacking and gives you a chance to increase the nutritional value of your daily diet. (by the way, if you want to know how many servings of each food group you need, you can go to MyPyramid) Plus, for me, having something down on paper makes it kind of "set in stone" so I'm more likely to follow it. It definitely deters me from switching things up too dramatically, and of course, the ultimate defeat: going out and picking something up.
I will admit, I do not do this type of extensive planning every week, but there are many benefits to doing it as often as possible.
Happy meal planning!

Reduce your carbon footprint, by making some (and stay healthy too)!

2009-07-23T16:08:00.005-05:00

Have you ever stopped to think about just how close some of those places you travel to by car every day really are? Today, I left my microbiology final (last day of school for 4 weeks!) and found another surprisingly nice day outside-especially for St. Louis, in July. I decided that a great way to kick off my "Summer Break Part 2" would be to go to the library to pick up some reading material. I have been walking to the library often lately, since I found one so close to me, and today there was no question about it due to the nice weather! When I arrived back home, armed with one vegetarian cookbook and two memoirs, I started thinking about the other nearby establishments I visit regularly and the fact that they are probably just as convenient as the library to walk to.
Okay, so here's proof that I'm done with school for right now: I had to make an assignment out of it. I googled the addresses of the library, Schnucks, and Target and then went to Google Maps and got walking mileage to each one from my house. As it turns out, the library is 0.9 miles, Schnucks is 0.6, and Target is 1.8 (which would also include Trader Joe's since its in the same plaza).
Then (the wheels are really turning right now) I thought about the fact that walking would not only save money on gas and eliminate the emission of harmful compounds from my car, but also help incorporate physical activity...an important part of a healthy lifestyle (it is part of the food pyramid now).
Walking 3.5 miles per hour (a nice, brisk pace but not ridiculously fast) will burn about 140 calories every 30 minutes. Of course, this varies by individual weight. Here's a nice calorie calculator I found that allows you to enter your own weight and activity time.
Calorie Calculator
Since it took me about 15 minutes each way to walk to the library today, I know I burned 115 calories. If I walked to Target or TJ's, I could burn 207! Now, I know it's not always logical to walk to the store if you're going to buy a lot, or if the items you are going to get are perishable. When possible, though, walking with a destination in mind is a great way to multi-task and help keep yourself, and the environment, a little healthier.

Am I getting enough fiber?

2009-06-25T10:16:00.007-05:00

I recently had a concern that I may not be including enough fiber in my diet (I will spare you the details regarding why). I know very well why fiber is important, and for that reason I only buy whole grain products, as these contribute fiber while refined products (such and white bread, pasta and rice) do not. Most people know about fiber's role in digestive health (it keeps you "regular"), but fiber also has other functions. For one, it helps reduce blood cholesterol levels, which may put you at lower risk for heart disease. Because fiber is digested very slowly, if at all, it gives you a feeling of fullness more quickly, which could help with weight control. Finally, although fiber is technically a carbohydrate, it contains no calories...so it can't hurt you, it can only help!
The recommendation for fiber intake in adults 19-50 years old is 25 grams per day for women, and 38 grams per day for men. Over 50, this decreases to 21 grams per day for women and 30 for men. But what does this actually look like? I decided to track my dietary fiber for a day to see if, despite my best efforts, I am getting anywhere near my recommended amount.
For breakfast, I had a bowl of oatmeal (made with 1/2 cup of dry quick oats) and added 1/4 cup of raisins. The oatmeal was made with a cup of skim milk, and I also had a cup of orange juice; however, these foods provide no fiber so there's no need to include them in my count.
1/2 cup of oats=4 grams
1/4 cup of raisins=2 grams
Total for breakfast=6 grams
For a "snack", I had a slice of the zucchini bread I just baked this morning. Hey, you have to sample it to make sure it's good-right? I used all whole wheat flour, and the zucchini itself provides a pretty good amount of fiber. With some estimating between the original recipe and the label on the flour, I decided that the slice I had provided about 3 grams of fiber.
For lunch, I had half a turkey and cheese sandwich on a slice of whole wheat bread and an ounce (about 10) of Baked Ruffles chips. Here's my fiber count:
zucchini bread: 3 grams
bread: 2 grams
chips: 2 grams
total for snack/lunch: 7 grams
Tonight I made feta-stuffed turkey burgers and zucchini fries for dinner, both compliments of my favorite recipe source...cookinglight.com (both were excellent, by the way!)
Again, the zucchini provided a good amount of fiber (my serving was about a cups worth), and I put the burger on a Healthy Life hamburger bun, which is not whole grain but contains fiber that was added back in, or enriched, in the product during processing.
Zucchini fries: 6 grams
bun: 5 grams
Total for dinner: 11 grams
And the total for the day is...24 grams!
Although I was only 1 gram under the recommendation today, I am not sure that this represents my typical daily diet. I don't really eat zucchini that often, and had no idea that it provides so much fiber per serving. Still, it was nice to keep track for a day so that I can gauge my future intake.
Here are some other great high fiber choices that you can incorporate to help reach your daily goals:
spinach, 1/2 cup cooked = 7 grams
whole wheat pasta, 1 cup = 5-6 grams
baked potato with skin, medium=5 grams
apple, medium size with peel=4 grams
cooked beans, 1/2 cup=8-9 grams
fresh or frozen raspberries=4.6 grams
green peas, 1/2 cup=9 grams
corn, 1/2 cup kernels or 1 medium ear=5 grams
cooked broccoli, 3/4 cup=7 grams

sources:
Krause's Food & Nutrition Therapy, 12 ed.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/grains_why.html
http://www.wehealnewyork.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/fibercontentchart.html

Rediscover your local library

2009-05-27T11:24:00.004-05:00

Until last September, I didn't even have a library card. I got it when I had to read a weight loss book for one of my classes, and didn't want to have to purchase one. I figured there was nothing else for me there, so I continued to buy books that I wanted to read new, or used on Amazon.com. But why buy when you can read them for free?? And really, what's the point of owning a book that you're probably going to read once and then leave on your shelf for years before you even think of reading it again.
Yesterday, I was thinking of once again purchasing some books online when I remembered I had that library card. I went to their website, and after realizing how easy it is to search the catalog, I (almost) completely abandoned the idea of ever buying a book again. Using the online catalog, you can bypass the whole searching through the shelves ordeal (which I totally appreciate...darn dewey decimal system) by simply making your request online and having it pulled for you. You can even request a book from another branch and pick it up from your local one. How convenient!
I made a request from my local branch and a few from others, then set out to check out the Brentwood library which, to my surprise, is actually walking distance from my house! I had no idea it was even there...shows how observant I am, considering I drive past it daily!
The building is shared between the library and City Hall (didn't know that was right there either) so it looked bigger from the outside, but was still relatively big and not too shabby on the interior. I went ahead and grabbed the item I had requested online (Lord of the Rings on CD...thinking of listening to it on an extremely long car trip I have coming up) and looked through the cookbook section. It was actually quite large! I picked up How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and was pleased to discover a book I didn't even know existed...Cooking Healthy Across America by none other than the American Dietetic Association (ADA)! It's a collection of recipes submitted by several R.D.'s who are part of the Food and Culinary Professionals practice group. How exciting! I couldn't not get it. It's organized by region of the U.S. and the sections highlight the best of local fare in that area. I must really like the food "From the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Northwest" because I have that section thoroughly marked up by post-it notes. I already tried the Pastitso (Greek Lasagna) recipe...clearly not native U.S. fare, but it turned out great for something I had never made before. The recipe made a whole 13X9 inch pan full, so we'll definitely be eating leftovers for the next couple of days!
So the whole point is, don't forget about your local library...you never know what you'll find there, and you may be pleasantly surprised!

Freecycle...for giving and receiving with no cash attached

2009-05-27T08:41:00.003-05:00

I just found out about this great resource, and am totally amazed. It's a beautiful idea, really...you post things you want to get rid of, and can take things off other people's hands. There is no money involved...the whole point is to keep things from being thrown out into our landfills. One person's trash is another's treasure, right? I have seen some pretty great things posted so far...working TVs and furniture that the owner just doesn't want to go through the effort of moving, clothing, books, food...even a dog (I was so tempted, but I don't think my cats would appreciate it). I can think of a few things around my own house that aren't really good enough to sell, but I'd rather give them to someone who actually wants them than just dump them off in the donation box or let them sit at Goodwill.
The St. Louis area group can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StLouis-Freecycle/
or you can find your local group by going to http://www.freecycle.org/

Happy freecycling!

Hooray for Plato's Closet!

2009-05-21T15:00:00.005-05:00

Where else can you drop off some clothes that you're sick of looking at in your closet, pick up some new ones, and leave with 3 bucks change?
I was planning on making a trip to the Kirkwood store today anyway, but first decided to quickly run through what was accessible in my closet. I filled up a box with some (seasonally friendly) tops and a few pairs of jeans I know I will never wear again. I find it's better to do this on a whim, because if I make a pile and go through it again later, it will surely get smaller as I convince myself that I can still use this stuff.
Plato's can be pretty picky about what they'll take, but through experience I've gained the ability to be realistic about what has a chance and what doesn't. Brand mostly matters, but if it's really cute they might take it anyway. They always have an overabundance of jeans, so they'd better be in really good condition or "different" in some way. They took both of my jean offerings today; they were Vigoss brand and had florescent colored v's on the back pockets. They say they won't take anything that was on the racks more than a year ago, but I have definitely sold things that were older than that, but in good condition. They never take my jewelry or shoes, even the pair I tried to sell today that I literally never wore (I guess they didn't think they were that cute once they got them home, either).
My main reason for my visit today was to buy skirts. I always spend my summers sweating in jeans, and am determined not to do so again. I have always thought I look terrible in skirts, due to my own self conscious (and probably ridiculous) reasons. But today, I purposely bypassed the jean aisles and went straight to the skirts (after a quick brush-through of the dresses...come on, one step at a time here!). I ended up getting three semi-short skirts that I could actually stand to look at myself in the mirror in, plus one top. Two of the items still had their original tags! I apologize in advance to all those that will have to endure the sight of my skinny, un-sunned legs this summer.
After applying the amount of the stuff I sold, plus 20% off (full frequent buyer card) they still owed me money. It was a pretty good deal, and a welcome change from shopping at stores that only result in an increase to my credit card balance.

A new format

2009-05-20T20:27:00.010-05:00

So, I started this blog last winter when I was on break from school...probably somewhat out of boredom, and my need for fulfillment during a time when I had no homework and few deadlines. I wanted to prove that I could stay within the USDA's "thrifty" food cost budget while still fulfilling my nutritional requirements. It was fun, but also a lot of work. I had to keep track of what I was eating by taking pictures and entering all of the foods in the MyPyramid website. Then, I used an Excel spreadsheet to cost out all of my meals and compare my weekly total with what the USDA said I should be spending on this budget. It was actually very much like a project I did at school my sophomore year.
I had myself kind of stuck on the idea of keeping this thing up, even when school started again in January. Little did I know, this would be one of the most challenging semesters ever!! I started to fall behind in my schoolwork when I was blogging, and behind on the blogging when I was doing schoolwork. It just wasn't going to work out...one of them had to go. Unfortunately, having a blog won't get me that degree that I've been working toward (and paying 20 grand a year for), so the logical choice was to cut it out. I really missed it, because it was a nice creative outlet for me and definitely kept me in check on my eating and spending habits (I sure felt guilty when I had to post pictures of takeout more than twice a week, but it happened).
I really learned a lot during my little "blog experiment", and I did pick up some new habits that helped me spend less and eat better. For example, I no longer need the MyPyramid site to count up my servings...at any point during the day, I can tell you where I'm at with grains, fruits, etc. I have also become very adept at planning meals that will fulfill my requirements; I hardly have to think about it now.
I have decided to start this new blog with a much looser format; I will not be "forced" to post every day, or weekly, or any time at all. I will post when I have an experience to share...a particularly successful shopping trip, a highly nutritional and satisfying meal, or just really interesting things I read or learn about at school. I have added "be happy" to my title, because that is a very important element to the equation that I have decided represents what I believe in...cheap+healthy+happy.
Cheap: To some, this word is synonymous with "crappy". To me, it signifies non-wasteful spending. I will mostly relate this to food, but I also believe in low cost clothing, furniture, dishes, etc. If it can be purchased used, that's all the better....reduce, reuse, recycle!
Healthy: I'm an avid label reader, and I decide whether to buy something based on what I see there. In certain cases, I may choose the higher priced item so as not to sacrifice this element.
Happy: A very complicated term indeed; happy to me might not be happy to you, and vice versa. I seek to reduce cost and increase nutrition only to the extent that I remain happy doing so. No, I'm not going to eat something I don't like just because it's good for me. Yes, sometimes I just feel like going out for dinner instead of cooking at home. That's life though...nothing is flawless!
So here begins my new venture in blogging. Please comment as you feel necessary.

2009-02-23T23:24:00.003-06:00

I am taking a short hiatus from blogging, so that I can get caught up with some things in school and my personal life. I plan to be back in a couple of weeks...probably over spring break. Rest assured, I will still be eating cheap & healthy, and I encourage you to do the same! See you soon :)

2009-02-20T22:22:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
Today was my early day at work, and I hardly got any sleep last night...so I'll go ahead and apologize for the shortness of this post.
Breakfast was eaten in two shifts, as I typically do when I have to get up at 5 in the morning. I need something to get me going this early, but then I need more "fuel" later in the morning so I can make it through lunch.
Breakfast # 1: a cup of fat free (Dannon) vanilla yogurt mixed with a cup of frozen (thawed) strawberries and blueberries, 1/4 cup of granola cereal, and 11 almonds.
Breakfast # 2: a small bran muffin and a 2 egg omelet made from egg substitute (compliments of the kitchen after breakfast ended).

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (1/2 from granola cereal and 1 1/2 from muffin)

Fruits: 1 cup (blueberries and strawberries)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 3 oz (almonds and eggs)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (almonds)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.39

Lunch
I had a piece of leftover veggie lasagna from last night, along with a cup of raw baby carrots. I forced myself to walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes, even though I would rather have taken a nap. The walk actually gave me some energy...funny how exercise works that way! I will definitely be taking a nap when I get home, though.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz (about 2 lasagna noodles)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 2 cups (veggies in lasagna and carrots)

Milk: 1 cup (mozzarella and cottage cheese in lasagna)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 1 teaspoon (pesto sauce in lasagna)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.63

Snack
I did take that nap when I got home, and I think I slept a little too long! I had to "start over" when I woke up by having some coffee and juice. I made a latte with a cup of skim milk and had that along with a 6 ounce cup of OJ. We're going to a 30th birthday party for a friend tonight, so I needed to get going again!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 0

Fruits: 3/4 cup (juice)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (skim milk in latte)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.47

Dinner
We were kind of in a hurry to get going tonight, so rather than cook dinner we went by Crazy Bowls & Wraps (CBW). I got a power bowl this time, which the menu boasts is "everything your body needs in one bowl!" Well, I'm not sure I agree with that statement, but it's a pretty good mix: brown rice, beans, chicken, romaine lettuce, corn salsa, and a little cheddar cheese. It comes with corn tortilla chips, which I like to dip in their awesome hummus and salsa. I estimated what I ate from the bowl (it's a pretty big portion), and also counted about 6 of the chips that I had.
I didn't get to do my nightly yoga poses tonight, because by the time we got home from the party it was pretty late, and I was completely beat! I'll try to make up for it tomorrow. Right now, the biggest gift I can give myself is some sleep!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 1/2 oz, 1 1/2 whole (1 from chips and 1 1/2 whole from about 3/4 cup of rice)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 cup (beans, salsa, lettuce and hummus)

Milk: 1/4 cup (cheese)

Meats & beans: 3 oz (chicken)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (fried chips)

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it at home) was approximately: $1.47

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (5 were whole)
Fruits: 1 3/4 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 3/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 6 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 3 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $5.96

2009-02-19T22:51:00.006-06:00

Breakfast
I had oatmeal this morning: 1/4 + 1/8 cup of quick oats cooked with a cup of skim milk, with 3 tablespoons of walnuts and a medium sliced banana added. I also had a cup of OJ.
This is going to be a very long day, because I have an appointment this morning, then I have school, then practicum in the evening. It's not even lunchtime yet and I already need a nap!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)

Fruits: 1 3/4 cup (banana and OJ)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)

Meats & beans: 1 1/2 oz (walnuts)

Oils: 1 1/2 teaspoons (walnuts)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.13

Lunch
I had enough time to come home for lunch before running off to school. I made a peanut butter & jelly sandwich on toasted whole wheat bread (Sara Lee). I love PBJ like this, because the peanut butter gets all melty and gooey...yum! I also had an ounce of baked potato chips and a cup of fat free Dannon yogurt topped with a little cinnamon. Adding the cinnamon makes it seem more like a treat for some reason!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1/2 cup (chips)

Milk: 1 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.52

Dinner
I've been thinking of making veggie lasagna for awhile now, and was fully inspired tonight when I saw this dish all evening long at my practicum. I went by the store and picked up the rest of the items I would need, and threw together a quick dish when I got home. I kind of made it up as I went, but I think this is what I ended up with, layer by layer:
marinara sauce
noodles (no-boil kind)
cottage cheese mixed with pesto sauce
fresh spinach
noodles
cottage cheese w/pesto
frozen peas & carrots
mozzarella cheese
marinara sauce
noodles
spinach
marinara sauce
I baked it, covered with foil, at 375 for about 45 minutes. It turned out great! I only made an 8X8 dish, and cut it into 4 portions. I had one square, along with a Boca "chicken" patty to add some protein to my meal, and a 6 ounce glass of Old Orchard 100% berry juice blend.

The yoga series I chose for this evening was Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-legged king pigeon pose); Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog); Balasana (child's pose). I mostly chose pigeon because it is one of my favorites and I haven't done it in awhile-the other two are just nice transitions for it, although child's pose is great anytime. I was sad to find how much flexibility I've lost in pigeon. I am going to have to start practicing this one more often so I can get it back!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz (about 2 lasagna noodles)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (juice)

Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (marinara,spinach, peas and carrots)

Milk: 1 1/4 cups (mozzarella and cottage cheese)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (Boca patty)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (Boca and pesto)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.64

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (4 were whole)
Fruits: 2 1/2 cup out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 5 1/2 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 5 1/2 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $5.29

2009-02-18T23:38:00.006-06:00

Breakfast-introducing the "Dena McMuffin"!
I tried something new for breakfast today. I topped a toasted "light" multi-grain english muffin with a fried egg (I don't know the proper name, but I cracked it in the skillet and broke the yolk so it would be flat), a Morningstar Farms soy sausage patty, and a slice of fat free American cheese. I also had a whole orange and a cup of fat free vanilla yogurt. This meal ended up being a little expensive (those Morningstar Farms products are a bit pricey), but it was delicious!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (English muffin)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (medium size orange)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 1/2 cups (1/2 from cheese and 1 from yogurt)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (1 from egg and 1 from "sausage" patty)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (sausage patty and the egg was fried in Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.60

Snack
I had a mixed berry Nutrigrain bar as my late morning/early afternoon snack before I went to the workout room during my lunch.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1/2 oz whole
The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.31

Lunch
I did about 30 minutes of very brisk walking on the treadmill today, followed by 15 minutes of ab work. It was a great workout! I brought some leftover whole wheat spaghetti (1 cup) and pasta sauce (3/4 cup) for lunch today, and topped it with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. I knew if I left it in the fridge much longer, it would get thrown away and I have been trying to be better about wasting food. There is really no excuse for it! I also had a banana and a 6 ounce cup of fat free blueberry yogurt. This day is going by so fast...I suppose that's a good thing when you're at work :)

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (spaghetti)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (medium size banana)

Vegetables: 3/4 cup (marinara sauce)

Milk: 1 cup (1/4 from cheese and 3/4 from yogurt)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.39

Dinner
Matt already had dinner going when I got home from work (he is so awesome!) We had Morningstar Farms soy veggie burgers with fat free American cheese on whole wheat buns, with Alexia potato wedges and steamed broccoli. I had about 1/2 cup of the potatoes and a cup of broccoli with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light. I also decided to finish up the grapes-there was about a cup left, but I only ate about 3/4 cup because some of them were a little too squishy for me. These probably wouldn't have made it another day either...no wasting!!
Tonight I did 3 hip-opening yoga stretches: Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose)
, Gomukhasana (cow face pose), and Agnistambhasana (fire log pose). I chose these because my hips have been feeling very tight lately (probably from sitting too much), and also because these are all good for stress relief. I can never get enough of that! I stayed in each one for about 2 minutes. It felt so good, and really made me want to get back into a regular practice.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (bun)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (grapes)

Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (broccoli and potatoes)

Milk: 1/2 cup (cheese)

Meats & beans: 2 1/2 oz (veggie burger)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (1 from burger and 1 from Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.56

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 1/4 cup out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 2 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 4 1/2 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 4 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $6.86

2009-02-17T22:24:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
I was in a hurry to get out the door this morning (no big surprise there!) so I didn't have much time to get creative with breakfast. I made oatmeal with a cup skim milk and threw in 1/2 cup of (thawed) frozen blueberries. I also had a cup of 100% OJ. I get to go to my favorite class this morning (Community Nutrition), followed by my least favorite class (Biochem). It's going to be a long morning/afternoon!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)

Fruits: 1 1/2 cups (blueberries and OJ)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.24

Snack
We had a very interesting guest speaker in Community today. One of the counselors from my school came and spoke about eating disorders. She gave some very startling statistics as far as the prevalence of these disorders, and told us how to recognize signs in our future clients. I've never really thought about how I would handle it if someone told me they were experiencing disordered eating habits. It was good to plant that seed just in case, as well as get some advice on how to handle it. Very good information!
I had a Fiber One bar (oats, strawberries and almonds) as my pre-biochem snack. I needed something to get me through, since I won't be eating lunch until later in the afternoon.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1/2 oz whole
The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.50

Lunch
Matt and I went on our usual Tuesday date today. These have become very important to us; it's a day that he's off work, and I get finished with school relatively early, so we have some time to spend together. Yes, it usually involves going out somewhere and yes, it involves spending money...but with my school schedule becoming so hectic, I need to set this time aside especially for us. I would like to come up with some inexpensive/free date options, though. This might be more feasible once the weather gets nicer so we can spend some time outside. I am so ready for spring!!
We went to Cicero's in The Loop for lunch. I have lived here all my life, and I'm pretty sure this is the first time I have eaten there. I ordered the salmon wrap with a salad topped with fat free raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The wrap was awesome, and just the right size for a meal! I estimated the fillings...about 5 ounces of salmon, 1/4 cup of cooked spinach, and a spicy cream cheese sauce to dip in. I didn't really need much of the sauce...the wrap was great by itself! I had nearly the whole wrap, and about 1 1/2 cups of the salad.
After lunch, we went down the street to Meshuggah's coffee house, where I treated myself to a cafe mocha made with skim milk. It was so yummy and chocolatey! I don't know when the last time was that I had such a good mocha. We hung out and made good use of their free wireless internet for awhile before heading out. It was a really great afternoon!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz (tortilla)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 3/4 cup (spinach in wrap and salad)

Milk: 3/4 cup (skim milk in mocha)

Meats & beans: 5 oz (salmon)

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it at home) was approximately: $2.15

Dinner
I made my whole wheat pizza crust for dinner tonight. I topped it with pesto, canned (no salt added) diced tomatoes, broccoli and mozzarella cheese. I suppose this can count as my "made from scratch" meal for the week, since I prepared the dough myself. I had two slices and about 3/4 cup of grapes on the side.
I did do a few yoga stretches tonight, as I promised myself I would. My leg muscles have been getting so sore from my lunchtime treadmill excursions, so I did some leg and hip stretches tonight. I really need to remember to stretch more often, because I could definitely feel a difference afterward.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (pizza crust)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (grapes)

Vegetables: 1 1/4 cups (broccoli and tomatoes on pizza)

Milk: 1 1/4 cups (mozzarella cheese)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 3 teaspoons (pesto sauce and olive oil used on crust)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.77

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (4 were whole)
Fruits: 2 1/4 cup out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 5 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 3 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $5.67

2009-02-16T21:37:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
I have my presentation today...I think I'm ready, but I just want to get it over with! It's not even a big deal, only about 10 minutes...but still, that whole public speaking thing is never fun for me. Today I had 1/2 cup of scrambled Better n'eggs with a slice of whole wheat toast and a cup of fat free vanilla yogurt with 1/4 cup of granola cereal mixed in. Have I mentioned I really like the Dannon Light & Fit? It's definitely going on my shopping list for this week. I used about a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light between the scrambled eggs and the toast. I also had a cup of OJ.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 oz whole (toast)

Fruits: 1 cup (OJ)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (Better n'eggs)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.58

Lunch
I had a meeting for one of my organizations today, and this time they actually served what I expected them to-pizza (last time they threw me off with nachos). I had two slices of cheese pizza (not pictured because it didn't seem appropriate to pull out my camera during the meeting), and a cup of baby carrots that I brought along from home. I figure it's not bad etiquette to eat your own food as long as you eat something that was offered along with it. Am I right here?
It was hard to concentrate on the meeting, because from there I went straight to my class to give the presentation! Why do I get myself so psyched up about these things?! I just need to relax!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 1/2 oz (pizza crust)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 1/4 cup (pizza sauce and carrots)

Milk: 3/4 cup (cheese)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it at home) was approximately: $0.96

Snack
The presentation was a success!! It went better than I could have imagined. I still have yet to receive feedback from my instructor and classmates, but I think it will be pretty good overall.
When I got home, I snacked on an ounce (about 30 total) of unsalted, dry roasted peanuts. Whew! I'm just so relieved about that presentation! Too bad it's really just a dry run...I still have to do it for the employees of my practicum site next month. One thing at a time, though...

All together, this meal provided:

Meats & beans: 1 oz

Oils: 1 teaspoon

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.19

Dinner
One of my favorites..."fake chicken Parmesan"! A Boca "chicken" patty topped with 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese, over a cup of whole wheat spaghetti with 3/4 cup of marinara sauce (Classico, tomato & basil variety). I also had a cup of frozen, steamed peas & carrots with a teaspoon of Smart Balance. So easy to prepare, this meal is becoming a weekly staple for me-especially when I'm busy and don't have a ton of time to plan out meals.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (spaghetti)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 3/4 cups (peas & carrots and marinara sauce)

Milk: 3/4 cup (mozzarella)

Meats & beans: 2 1/2 oz (Boca patty)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.09

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (4 were whole)
Fruits: 1 cup out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 3 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 6 1/2 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 4 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $4.82

Weekly wrap-up: 2/9/09-2/15/09

2009-02-15T22:49:00.000-06:00

How did I do this week?

Average serving/day:
Grains: 6 oz
Fruits: 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups
Meats & Beans: 4 3/4 oz
Oils: 4 teaspoons

Average cost per day: $5.10
Total cost for the week: $35.72

I feel off a little on the veggies, milk and meats & beans this week...but I'm doing much better on the oils! Snacking on a few almonds really makes a difference. I kept the weekly cost low too, although I did have a couple of expensive days, it all evened out. I'm going to try out some new options for meat substitutes this week...hopefully I can keep from falling short on the protein foods again.

2009-02-15T22:24:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
My presentation is tomorrow...and I still have lots of work to do on it. Unfortunately, I have to go to work all day...darn that need for an income!!
Breakfast was 1 1/2 cups of Kashi Honey Toasted Oats cereal with a cup of skim milk, an 8 ounce glass of OJ, and a medium sized banana (which I ended up saving for after I got to work).

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (cereal)

Fruits: 1 3/4 cups (OJ and banana)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.27

Lunch
I continued my lunchtime workout routine today. I'm so glad I have started doing this for myself, otherwise I wouldn't get any exercise at all! Ever since I canceled my membership at Gold's to save money (I really wasn't getting enough use out of it anyway) I have really struggled with getting my physical activity in adequate amounts. This is especially bad when it's cold outside and school is going on...two big roadblocks in one! I walked on the treadmill for 40 minutes today, very briskly with a pretty steep incline. I wanted to do some free weights at the end, but I was running out of time (and getting very hungry!), so I guess I'll try to do a little lifting when I get home.
Lunch was leftover Moroccan chicken from last night-about 4 ounces of meat with 3/4 cup of brown rice, a cup of broccoli and 1/2 cup of sauce. I also had a 6 ounce cup of fat free cherry yogurt. This meal was even better the second day...thanks Time for Dinner!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (brown rice)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 1/4 cups (broccoli and tomatoes/onions in sauce)

Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 4 oz (chicken)

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.09

Dinner
Matt surprised me by bringing home a Chicago style pizza from this Italian place down the street. The only topping he added was broccoli, which was perfect with the chunky tomato sauce and cheese. I had about 2 slices total, and estimated the toppings as best I could. This type of pizza is very messy, and requires the use of a fork and knife to eat it. The last time I had Chicago style pizza was actually in Chicago, and this definitely measured up. Yum! To add some extra veggies, I steamed a cup of frozen Brussels sprouts in the microwave and added a teaspoon of Smart Balance and some Mrs. Dash seasoning blend.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 3 oz (thick pizza crust)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (broccoli and tomatoes on pizza, and Brussels sprouts)

Milk: 1 cup (cheese on pizza)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared the pizza at home) was approximately: $1.08

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (3 were whole)
Fruits: 1 3/4 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 3/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 4 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 1 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $4.44

2009-02-14T23:20:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
This morning I made oatmeal with a cup of skim milk, a sliced banana, 3 tablespoons of chopped walnuts, and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. I think this is one of my favorite ways to eat oatmeal...it's the perfect combination! It looks like it's Cooper's favorite as well :)!
I also had a 6 ounce glass of OJ. Today is going to be a busy day. I have to work at my practicum until 3, then I'm coming straight home to (hopefully) finish my presentation that's due on Monday. I've hardly started it. Yikes!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz (oatmeal)

Fruits: 1 1/2 cups (banana and OJ)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)

Meats & beans: 1 1/2 oz (walnuts)

Oils: 1 1/2 teaspoons (walnuts)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.80

Snack
I decided to take some snacks along today, and just planned on eating a late lunch when I got home. I had a mixed berry Nutrigrain bar and a 1-ounce handful of almonds (about 11). I was so busy that I hardly noticed I was hungry, until I looked up at the clock as saw it was almost 1:00! I knew I had to take a quick break if I was going to make it through the afternoon at that point.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1/2 oz whole (Nutrigrain bar)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 0

Meats & beans: 1 oz (almonds)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (almonds)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.48

Lunch
Finally....I get to sit down! It's not as if I was doing hard labor or anything, but just being on my feet for so long is kind of tiring! I assembled gooey butter cakes for 4 hours today...but the nice thing is, since I was doing such a repetitive task, I had time to think about my presentation. I actually came up with some pretty good ideas!
For my late lunch, I made a grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat with 2 slices of fat free American cheese, and a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light on the bread. I also had a cup of raw baby carrots (about 12) and 1/2 cup of grapes. Now, I must finish this project!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)

Fruits: 1/2 cup (grapes)

Vegetables: 1 cup (carrots)

Milk: 1 cup (cheese)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.12

Dinner
I brought home one of the entrees from my practicum site for dinner. I wanted to make something good for dinner tonight, since Matt and I are staying in and far away from all the v-day hype. However, I knew I didn't have time to prepare anything substantial, and, well, that's kind of the point of the place-they are a meal preparation service, where you can go and make entrees to keep in your freezer and prepare quickly when you need them. I got the Moroccan chicken, a spicy dish with kind of an Indian-style flair. The sauce and chicken were all ready to go in the bag; all I had to do was dump it in a skillet and heat. I made brown rice and steamed broccoli as sides, and served the chicken and sauce over the rice. I had a cup of rice, about 4 ounces of chicken, 1/2 cup of sauce (which contains about half tomatoes and onions), and 1 1/2 cups of broccoli with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light. I also had a cup of fat free vanilla yogurt with cinnamon on the side with mine, to get the rest of my milk for the day. It was almost like a dessert! This meal was so good, and easy! Now I know why they call the place "Time for Dinner"!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (brown rice)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 3/4 cups (broccoli and vegetables in sauce)

Milk: 1 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 4 oz (chicken)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.63

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 3/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 6 1/2 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 4 1/2 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $5.02

2009-02-13T22:59:00.006-06:00

Breakfast
I made a sugar free caramel latte with a cup of skim milk to start the morning today. The sugar free syrup is good, but I've learned to use it in very small amounts-otherwise, it's too overpowering. I really enjoyed my fruit and yogurt snack yesterday, so I made it again this morning but added some granola cereal (store brand-honey & oats) to the mix. I used a cup of fat free vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup of granola cereal, 1/2 cup of frozen (thawed) blueberries, and 11 almonds. It was so good! I really like the Dannon yogurt-I'm so glad I tried it.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 oz whole (cereal)

Fruits: 1/2 cup (blueberries)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 2 cup (milk in latte and yogurt)

Meats & beans: 1 oz (almonds)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (almonds)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.05

Snack
I had Fiber One bar as a snack about an hour before I went on my lunch break. This time, I tried the Oats, Almonds and Strawberries variety...so good! It even had a chocolate drizzle over the top. What a delicious way to get your fiber!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1/2 oz whole

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.50

Lunch
Leftover pasta, once again. I had about a cup of pasta with pesto, peas and carrots left, so I decided to bring that for lunch today and finish it off. I added about another cup of veggies, because there weren't many left in the container. I also made a mixed fruit salad (about 1 1/2 cups) of red and greeen grapes, frozen strawberries and blueberries. The grapes were on sale and the quality didn't look too bad so I picked up about a pound of them. By the time I got around to eating my lunch, the frozen fruit had thawed so it worked out perfectly. It was a pretty light lunch, but I ate late so I should be good until dinner without a snack.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz (pasta)

Fruits: 1 1/2 cups (mixed fruit)

Vegetables: 1 cup (peas and carrots)

Milk: 0

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 2 teaspoon (pesto)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.58

Dinner
I did not have a plan for dinner tonight, and I spent the last half hour of work mentally scanning what I had at home that might be made into a meal. I couldn't come up with a thing, so I went by the store and picked up a few items to make "breakfast for dinner" with. I ended up making scrambled eggs with hash browns and soy sausage, topped with reduced fat cheddar and salsa, with whole wheat toast. I bought real eggs this time instead of the egg substitute, inspired by an article I read today that said eggs are no longer considered to contain bad cholesterol. I have heard mixed views on this for awhile now, but seeing it in print was helpful to sort it out. Eggs do have many additional vitamins and minerals that are not found in egg substitute, which is essentially just egg whites. All the good stuff is in the yolk. I will probably still continue to use the substitute for some things, but I realized that whole eggs are much more economical price-wise. I got 12 servings for $1.99, where I only get 8 servings of the Better n'eggs for $2.39. Sounds like a deal to me! My serving contained 2 eggs, about 1/2 cup of hash browned potatoes, 2 Morningstar Farms soy sausage patties (1 oz each), 1/4 cup of reduced fat cheddar, 1/4 cup of salsa, and two slices of toast with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light. I took a picture of it looking pretty before I mashed it all up together! Yum!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz (toast)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 cup (hash browns and salsa)

Milk: 1 cup (cheddar cheese)

Meats & beans: 4 oz (eggs and "sausage" patties)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.78

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (3 1/2 were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 1 3/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 5 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 3 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $6.91

2009-02-12T22:19:00.005-06:00

Breakfast
I had all kinds of crazy dreams last night because I watched Lost...that always seems to happen for some reason. I guess it's because I watch it right before I go to bed, so it's stuck in my mind...maybe I'm a little obsessed with that show?? Either way, I was ready for a big cup of coffee this morning when I woke up. Once I was nice and awake, I started in on reading Biochem. I do not want to get behind again, although it seems inevitable with that subject. I am truly afraid to find out what grade I got on that test...part of me hopes she doesn't hand them back today, because I'm not ready to see it.
For breakfast, I had a cup of Raisin Bran cereal with 3/4 cup of skim milk, and a large orange. I love oranges, but they are so messy-and kind of a chore to cut up and remove from the peel. I guess that's why I reserve eating the whole orange for mornings when I don't have to run out the door-juice works better on those days.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 oz whole (cereal)

Fruits: 1 cup (orange)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 3/4 cup (skim milk)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.93

Lunch
I had leftover pasta from last night: 1 1/2 cups of rotini pasta tossed with a tablespoon of pesto and 3/4 cup of steamed veggies. There were already some peas & carrots in the pasta, but I added a little broccoli as well. I topped it off with some lemon juice and a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 3 oz (pasta)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 cup (peas, carrots and broccoli)

Milk: 1/4 cup (Parmesan cheese)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 2 teaspoons (pesto)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.63

Snack
My teacher didn't give our tests back today...all she said was that of the papers she's graded, there were some good grades-and some not so good grades. Not very comforting! I'm going out to happy hour with a few girls from work tonight, so I thought it would be a good idea to eat something before I left. I had a some tea with a cup of fat free vanilla yogurt (I bought a 32 ounce tub of Dannon Light & Fit) and mixed in 3/4 cup of thawed frozen blueberries and strawberries and 15 almonds. I have been craving different fruits (something besides oranges and bananas) so much lately, but I just can't break down and buy the fresh stuff yet...it's way too expensive, and I know the quality will not be good enough right now to match the price. I can't wait 'til spring when things start to come in season!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 0

Fruits: 3/4 cup (strawberries & blueberries)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 1 1/2 oz (almonds)

Oils: 1 1/2 teaspoons (almonds)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.81

Dinner
Happy hour was so fun! We've been trying to do these "girls night out" things monthly, but it's hard to find a time that's good for everyone since we all work such different shifts. There were just 4 of us tonight, but we had a great time. I paced myself and only had 2 drinks, partially because I was driving but also because I knew I still have some things to do for school tonight. I'm not feeling extremely motivated right now, but I'm going to try anyway.
The girls ordered some appetizers, but since I had my snack before I got there I wasn't hungry (yes, that was premeditated) and waited until I got home to eat dinner. I made veggie burgers tonight (Morningstar Farms-I had a coupon). I had mine on a whole wheat bun with a slice of fat free American cheese, with a baked sweet potato and 1/2 cup of Brussels sprouts (frozen, steamed). I used 2 teaspoons of Smart Balance Light: 1 on the potato and 1 on the sprouts. This is another one of my favorite quick and easy dinners, which I rely on when things are busy. I truly do love cooking and trying new recipes though, and I hope I have some time in the near future to do that!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (bun)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (sweet potato and Brussels sprouts)

Milk: 1/2 cup (cheese)

Meats & beans: 2 1/2 oz (soy burger)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.13

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (2 1/2 were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 4 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 5 1/2 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $5.49

2009-02-11T22:50:00.006-06:00

Breakfast
This morning I needed an extra jolt to get me going (could have something to do with having a half bottle of wine last night at dinner). I had my regular cup of coffee, and then made a latte with a cup of skim milk a bit later. For breakfast, I scrambled 1/2 cup of Better n'eggs and topped it with 1/4 cup of reduced fat shredded cheddar and 3 tablespoons of salsa. I also toasted a slice of whole wheat bread and had that with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light and an 8 ounce glass of orange juice. It was nice to have something a little different for a change...no cereal today!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 oz whole (toast)

Fruits: 1 cup (OJ)

Vegetables: 1/4 cup (salsa)

Milk: 1 cup (cheddar cheeese)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (Better n'eggs)

Oils: 1 teaspoons (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.66

Snack
I had a large banana in the early afternoon as a snack (I'm at work today). I like to go walk on the treadmill before I eat lunch, and I knew I wouldn't be doing that until around 2 so I needed something to hold me over. I'll be honest...I was so tired today that I was not feeling up to working out. However, I have found that those are the times I really have to persevere and do it anyway-otherwise I'm letting myself off way to easy. I was glad I did it today-it really gave me some much needed energy to get through the rest of the afternoon!

This meal provided...
Fruits: 1 cup
The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.31

Lunch
I pretty much had my standard "work lunch" again today...PBJ on whole wheat with 2 tablespoons of PB and a teaspoon of J. I also had a 6 ounce cup of fat free blueberry yogurt and 12 baby carrots. I started to lose my energy toward late afternoon/early evening, but it picked back up again as we got busy tonight and I needed to stay focused. I was definitely glad when 7:30 rolled around though :)

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 cup (carrots)

Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.21

Dinner
I made my simple pasta with veggies tonight...rotini pasta (enriched, with Omega-3 added) tossed with pesto sauce (Classico-from the jar) and frozen steamed peas and carrots. I think this is my new favorite "quick fix" meal. It only takes about 20 minutes to make, and it tastes great. I had about 1 1/2 cups of pasta with a cup of veggies and about a tablespoon of pesto, topped with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and a little lemon juice. By the time we finished eating dinner, it was time to watch Lost! I have a few other shows that I like, but that is the one that I really look forward to watching every week. This season has been pretty weird so far, and I always have a million questions after it's over (I guess that's what keeps me coming back). Did anyone else tune in tonight?

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 3 oz (pasta)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 cup (peas & carrots)

Milk: 1/4 cup (Parmesan cheese)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 2 teaspoons (pesto)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.71

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (3 were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 4 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 5 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $3.89

A much needed relaxing evening

2009-02-10T23:05:00.007-06:00

Breakfast
I think I dreamed about biochem last night!!! What a nightmare! Along with my coffee this morning, I had 1 cup of Raisin Bran (Target Brand) cereal with 3/4 cup of skim milk, and a whole large orange. Now it's time to go get these tests over with!

Snack-I brought a mixed berry Nutrigrain bar with me to school, to eat between classes. I'm considering this part of breakfast because I had it kind of early.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (1 from Raisin Bran & 1/2 from Nutrigrain bar)

Fruits: 1 cup (orange)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 3/4 cup (skim milk)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.24

Lunch
Whew...it's over! One test went good, and the other, I'm not so sure about. I'll let you guess which is which. At least the majority of my class felt the same way, because we spent about 20 minutes complaining about it in the hallway after we finished! I'm over it though...time to move on. Maybe the next exam will be better...I can only hope!
For lunch, I had a can of Progresso 50% lower sodium Garden Vegetable soup. They were still on sale at Schnucks, so I stocked up...it's nice to have around for a quick meal. I also had half of a Lender's whole wheat bagel with about a teaspoon of cream cheese, a 6 ounce cup of fat free yogurt, and a 6 ounce glass of Old Orchard blueberry pomegranate juice. It was kind of a mis-matched meal, but it worked. Now, I get to bake some cookies and muffins for a bake sale that's going on at school tomorrow, then me and Matt are going out to celebrate our 3 year anniversary! The first part of the day might have been stressful, but the second part will make up for it :)

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (bagel)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (juice)

Vegetables: 1 cup (soup)

Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.30

Dinner
We went to one of our favorite restaurants to celebrate tonight. Mangia is a great Italian restaurant (on South Grand...if you live in STL you should try it if you haven't already), and has never disappointed in all the times we've been there. It's been awhile, and they actually had some new items on their menu that I was excited to try. We started off with some Merlot, along with french bread with olive oil and Parmesan cheese (I like to make a pasty concoction of the two, personally). We shared a spinach salad with goat cheese, pecans, and bacon with balsamic vinagerette dressing. Yes, I ate bacon!! I haven't had it in ages...honestly, I don't see the big deal with it-I find it a bit salty for my taste. There was only a small amount of it in the salad anyway. For my main entree, I got the goat cheese ravioli with grilled chicken added. The pasta was tossed in olive oil with fresh basil...yummy! I ate about half of what you see here...8 ravioli and (I estimated) 5 ounces of the chicken breast. It was an awesome dinner, and we had a really great time reminiscing about how much things have changed. It's hard to believe it's been three years...back when we started dating, I thought I wanted to become an accountant and live in a cubicle for the rest of my life. I never thought I'd be going to school to become a dietitian, and blogging about the nutritional content of what I eat every day. I'm so glad things changed for the better! Okay, I'm getting sentimental due to high amounts of red wine consumption. Time to get to bed!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz (ravioli)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 3/4 cup (spinach)

Milk: 1/2 cup (goat cheeese)

Meats & beans: 5 1/2 oz (chicken and pecans in salad)

Oils: 4 teaspoons (olive oil, salad dressing and pecans)

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it at home) was approximately: $2.43

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (4 1/2 were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 1 3/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 5 ½ oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 4 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $5.97

2009-02-09T22:51:00.004-06:00

Breakfast
I got up after having only 7 hours of (restless) sleep, only to get right into studying again. I had a nice big cup of coffee, along with 1/2 + 1/4 cups of quick oats prepared with a cup of skim milk with a sliced banana, 2 tablespoons of walnuts and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. I found that I only needed 1/2 packet of Equal to sweeten the oatmeal today...bananas are so sweet alone, and the ones I bought this time are large enough to count as a whole cup of fruit. Now, the short break is over...back to studying. Am I too hard on myself?

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)

Fruits: 1 cup (banana)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)

Meats & beans: 1 oz (walnuts)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (walnuts)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.80

Lunch
I studied all morning for my community nutrition exam...it was a nice break from biochem. Okay, something's wrong here-I'm considering studying for another test to be a break!! I just am really not looking forward to that biochem test...ugh. I'll get through it though, I always do. For lunch, I made a grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread with 2 slices of fat free American cheese, using about a teaspoon of Smart Balance light on the bread. I also had a cup (12) raw baby carrots and the rest of the fruit cocktail, which was about 3/4 cup. Now I have to go to class, and then, you guessed it, come home and continue studying.

Snack-I brought some almonds with me to class, and had a small handful (about 11). I'm including it here to save space...

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (fruit cocktail)
Vegetables: 1 cup (carrots)

Milk: 1 cup (cheese)

Meats & beans: 1 oz (almonds)

Oils: 2 teaspoon (1 from Smart Balance and 1 from almonds)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.56

Dinner
Tonight I made whole wheat rotini pasta with marinara sauce (Classico, from the jar) and added Boca soy crumbles in with the sauce, using equal amounts of the Boca and the sauce. It turned out really good, and took hardly any time to prepare. I had about 1 1/2 cups of pasta with 1 1/2 cups of the sauce, topped with a tablespoon of Parmesean cheese. I also had about 3/4 cup of steamed frozen green beans with a teaspoon of Smart Balance. Now, for my final stage of studying...although I really don't expect to learn much more over the next couple of hours. I think my brain is at maximum biochem capacity right now...(which isn't really all that much).

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 3 oz whole (pasta)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (marinara sauce and green beans)

Milk: 1/4 cup (Parmesan cheese)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (Boca crumbles)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.64

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 1 3/4 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 ½ cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 2 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 4 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 4 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $4.00

Weekly wrap-up: 2/2/09-2/8/09

2009-02-08T23:06:00.002-06:00

How did I do this week?

My average servings per day:
Grains: 6 oz
Fruits: 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups
Meats & beans: 5 oz
Oils: 3 teaspoons

Average cost per day: $5.05
Total cost for the week: $35.34

This was a pretty good week! I was right on in every category except milk and oils (always my biggest challenges). I was also a little under in meats & beans, still due to the fact that I haven't been including much meat in my diet lately (it's easier to overdo it on actual meats as opposed to meat substitutes, I've found).
I was able to try new things for breakfast a couple of days, but I'm still eating cereal for the most part. This has been a rough week school-wise, so hopefully once I get through these exams I will be able to commit my brain to something else.
Is it time for a break yet???!!!

2009-02-08T22:59:00.005-06:00

Breakfast

This morning, after my much needed cup of coffee (I was up way too late stuyding Biochem), I had a cup of Kashi honey toasted oats cereal with 3/4 cup skim milk and an 8 ounce glass of OJ. A little later in the morning, at work, I had a mixed berry Nutrigrain bar. These were also on sale this week, so I grabbed a box. They don't have nearly as much fiber as the Fiber One bars, but they are pretty good and make a great mid-morning snack!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (cereal and Nurtigrain bar)

Fruits: 1 cup (OJ)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 3/4 cup (skim milk)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.96

Lunch
My standard work lunch: PBJ on whole wheat with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a teaspoon of jelly, a 6 ounce cup of fat free yogurt, and an ounce of baked potato chips (I had Baked Ruffles today).

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1/2 cup (chips)

Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.24

Dinner-leftovers
I had a left over vegetarian enchilada from last night, with some extra salsa and reduced fat cheddar cheese on top, 1 1/2 cups of steamed broccoli & baby carrots with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light, and a cup of canned fruit cocktail (in pear juice).
I got finished with everything I promised myself I would do today...and I will do no more tonight. My brain is filled with all the Biochem it can handle for one evening. Goodnight!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (tortilla)

Fruits: 1 cup (fruit cocktail)

Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups (salsa, enchilada sauce, broccoli & carrots)

Milk: 1 cup (cheddar cheese)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (1 from black beans and 1 from Boca soy crumbles in enchilada)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.74

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 3/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 4 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 3 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $4.94

2009-02-07T22:45:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
Latte made with a cup of skim milk, 1/4 + 1/8 cup of quick oats cooked with a cup of skim, with 1/4 cup of raisins, 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts and an 8 ounce glass of OJ on the side. I needed a breakfast that would keep me full, because I have to go to practicum today and don't plan on eating lunch until I get out of there around 3. I will be bringing a snack with me just in case though!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)
Fruits: 1 1/2 cups (raisins and OJ)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 2 cups (skim milk in latte and oatmeal)
Meats & beans: 1 oz (walnuts)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (walnuts)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.18

Lunch
I was so busy today, I never even ate my snack. By the time I got home I was STARVING, so I just heated up two slices of leftover chicken & tomato pizza from last night. Now, it's time to get focused on studying...no fun for me this weekend, I'm afraid.

The cats kept me company while I studied (as much as a cat does, anyway). I wish I could curl up and go to sleep right now, too. Aren't they just too cute?!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 1/2 oz (pizza crust)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (tomato sauce and tomatoes on pizza)
Milk: 3/4 cup (cheese on pizza)
Meats & beans: 1 1/2 oz (chicken on pizza)
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.13

Dinner
Vegetarian enchiladas, a great recipe from CookingLight.com! I made the filling with half the soy crumbles it calls for, and just made 6 big portions rather than 12 small ones. I had one enchilada and a cup of steamed broccoli with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light.
Here's the recipe

For dessert, I had a kiwi! I have decided I'm going to start trying new things from the produce section when I go to the store. I've had kiwi before, but never actually bought one. I read an article the other day, called "The Ten Healthiest Foods You've Never Tried" and one of them was kiwi, so I thought I'd give it another try...I was glad I did! Yum! Here's the article

I have had a long evening of studying, and I have to work tomorrow. Time to get some sleep...goodnight!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (tortilla)
Fruits: 1/2 cup (kiwi)
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (broccoli, salsa and enchilada sauce)
Milk: 1/2 cup (cheddar cheese)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (about 1/4 cup of beans and 1 oz of Boca crumbles)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.00

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (4 were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 5 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 2 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $4.31

2009-02-06T21:19:00.004-06:00

Breakfast
It's my early day at work, so I am going to be half asleep today until I can fuel up with enough caffeine!
I had coffee and an 8 oz glass of OJ (before I left the house), then a Fiber One bar, an apple, a 6 oz cup of fat free vanilla yogurt, and a small bran muffin throughout the morning. On days like this, I find it's best to "graze" because I am awake for such a long time, and need lots of energy to keep going.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (1/2 from granola bar and 1 1/2 from muffin)
Fruits: 2 cups (OJ and apple)
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (baked chips)
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.59

Lunch
It was nearly 60 degrees today, so I went for a walk outside with a friend today during lunch. It was so nice to be exercising outdoors, since it's been unbearably cold for the last few weeks! When I returned (although we did think about not coming back!) I had a PB&J on whole wheat Sara Lee bread, along with a 1 ounce bag of baked Ruffles potato chips (freebies that we have around in the office) and a 6 ounce cup of fat free blueberry yogurt.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (baked chips)
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.24

Dinner
I was so tired when I got home this afternoon, but I pushed myself to work on a project anyway and I'm almost done! One down, and...I don't want to think about how many more to go, but there are several. I also have two tests next week that I have yet to start studying for...that will be my goal tomorrow and Sunday. One skill that I have learned through my many years of school has been to prioritize...make a dent in what's due first, then move on.
Tonight Matt brought home that pizza that we were going to have last night. Yes...I have done a terrible thing and eaten "out" two nights in a row! This is what happens when things start to get hectic and I don't even break away to go to the grocery store. Of all the places to eat out, though, pizza is far from the worst...you just have to choose the right toppings. Matt is familiar with my ideas about pizza, so the one he brought was chicken and sliced fresh tomatoes. He couldn't get the whole wheat crust tonight (beggers of free pizza can't be choosers), but I already got plenty of whole grains in today so I was okay with that. I had two slices, along with 1 1/2 cups of steamed Brussels sprouts tossed with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light and Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning. I love making my own pizza, but when you're barely staying awake and have no energy, take-out tastes pretty darn good!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz (pizza crust)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups (Brussels sprouts, tomato sauce & tomatoes on pizza)
Milk: 1 1/2 cups (cheese on pizza)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (chicken)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal (if I have prepared it all at home) was approximately: $1.60

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (4 1/2 were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 3 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 4 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 3 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $4.43

2009-02-05T22:06:00.006-06:00

Breakfast-back to cereal
I wasn't feeling creative this morning, plus I haven't been to the store, so I had cereal: 1 1/4 cups of Kashi Honey Toasted Oats with 3/4 cup skim milk, and a cup of orange juice.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (cereal)
Fruits: 1 cup (OJ)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 3/4 cup (skim milk)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.79

Lunch
It's official: I am stressed out about school. I have two tests next week, plus projects to work on that are going to be due before I know it. Please forgive me in advance for the shortness of my upcoming posts.
For lunch, I had a Boca burger with a slice of fat free American cheese on a whole wheat bun, with an ounce of baked chips on the side and, of course, ketchup for dipping!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (bun)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (chips)
Milk: 1/2 cup (cheese)
Meats & beans: 2 1/2 oz (Boca burger)
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.59

Snack
A 6 oz cup of fat free vanilla yogurt, mixed with 1/4 cup of Archer Farms dried mixed fruit (mostly berries-I picked them out of the bag!).

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 0
Fruits: 1/2 cup (dried fruit)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.83

Dinner
I was expecting to have pizza tonight (Matt was going to bring one home from work), but instead he decided to get Thai food...no complaints there! I love Thai food! We always get the spicy noodles with tofu and chicken satay with peanut sauce and share both entrees. My portion was 1 1/2 cups of noodles with about 1 1/2 cups of veggies (including the tofu), plus two chicken skewers with a tablespoon of peanut sauce. So yummy! If you live in STL, you must try Tei Too in Webster Groves!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz (noodles)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (vegetables)
Milk: 0
Meats & beans: 3 oz. (chicken)
Oils: 3 teaspoons (1 from peanut sauce, and 2 estimated-I assume the tofu and veggies were fried)

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it at home) was approximately: $3.63

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (3 were whole)
Fruits: 1 1/2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 6 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 1 teaspoon out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $6.85

2009-02-04T23:03:00.006-06:00

Breakfast-PB&B smoothie (no cereal!)

This morning I had a regular cup of coffee to start with (no latte today). I decided to wait to eat because I have to work the later shift today, and won't have lunch until after 2. I made a smoothie by blending up ice, a tablespoon of peanut butter, a whole banana, and 3/4 cup of skim milk. Smoothies are such a delicious and easy way to eat (or rather drink) fruit! I am going to have to work on some ideas to make them part of my routine more often. Too add some grains, I also had a piece of whole wheat toast with 1/2 teaspoon of Smart Balance Light. Now it's off to work I go!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 oz whole (toast)

Fruits: 1 cup (banana)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 3/4 cup (milk)

Meats & beans: 1 oz (peanut butter)

Oils: 1 1/2 teaspoons (peanut butter and Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.69

Snack

I had a Fiber One bar as a snack again today. These are so good, and so filling! I'm going to have to go and grab some more while they're still on sale. I bought the Oats & Apple Streusel variety, but they had some others that looked worth trying too. The calories aren't too bad on these either...only 130 for the bar. A perfect snack!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1/2 oz whole

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.42

Lunch

I made a tuna melt wrap for lunch today. It was one of those rare occasions where I actually wasn't running late before work, so I had the time to get everything together that I needed. I brought a whole wheat tortilla (Mission brand), a can of white tuna in water (pre-drained and put in tupperware to make it less messy), and 2 slices of fat-free American cheese. I melted the cheese on top of about 4 ounces of the tuna in the tortilla, then rolled it up like a burrito. I don't think I have even had a tuna melt before, but I'm really trying to find new inexpensive foods to eat that will satisfy my requirements in the meats & beans group. I also know that I need to include fatty fish in my diet to get those Omega-3's, so this is a good way to fulfill both! The wrap was really good...I wasn't sure how the American cheese would be, but it definitely worked. I also had an ounce (about 15) baked potato chips and an orange. The chips were Archer Farms garlic & rosemary-I picked these up at Target awhile back and haven't been eating them much lately. So good!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (tortilla)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (medium orange)

Vegetables: 1/2 cup (baked chips)

Milk: 1 cup (American cheese)

Meats & beans: 4 oz (tuna)

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.12

Dinner-veggies galore!
I made a pretty simple pasta dinner tonight-1 1/2 cups of whole wheat rotini mixed with a tablespoon of pesto sauce (Classico-from the jar) and a cup of steamed (frozen) mixed peas and carrots. I also had an additional cup of steamed (also frozen) Brussels sprouts on the side, with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light and a "dash" of Mrs. Dash seasoning. I topped it all off with a little lemon juice and a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. What a yummy dinner...I never thought I would love Brussels sprouts so much, but I have really taken a liking to them over the past year or so. Even the frozen ones are still pretty good, and nice to have on hand in this form so I can make them any time. Since I already fulfilled my meats & beans requirements throughout the day, I didn't need to incorporate this group in my dinner tonight. The result? A very colorful, and inexpensive dish!
What a long day! I walked on the treadmill at lunch, and work was so busy tonight...I am just ready to go to bed. I was going to try and tackle some Biochem tonight, but my mind is saying, no way! Goodnight!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (pasta)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 2 cups (mixed peas & carrots and Brussels sprouts)

Milk: 1/4 cup (Parmesan cheese)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 3 teaspoons (pesto sauce and Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.02

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 1 3/4 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 5 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 4 1/2 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $4.26

2009-02-03T22:30:00.006-06:00

Breakfast
I had oatmeal for breakfast today, prepared yet another new way. I prepared it as usual, with 1/4 + 1/8 cup of oats and a cup of skim milk, then added a tablespoon of peanut butter and a sliced banana. This was so good...I can't believe I never thought to add peanut butter before! It melted and mixed right in with the hot oatmeal, and the banana was the perfect addition to the mix! Yum! I also had a 6 ounce glass of OJ. I needed a big breakfast, since today is my long morning at school...2 classes back to back, which don't end until nearly 2:00. I'm bringing a snack with me, but I don't plan on eating lunch until afterwards. Matt is picking me up from school today, and we're going out for coffee for our Tuesday date!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)
Fruits: 1 1/2 cups (3/4 from banana and 3/4 from OJ)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)
Meats & beans: 1 oz (peanut butter)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.72

Snack
I brought a FiberOne granola bar as a snack. They were on sale for 2.50 for a box of 6 at the grocery store...not a bad deal for 9 grams of fiber in a bar! This will definitely keep me full until lunch!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains:1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)
The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.42

Lunch

We went to Kayak's for lunch...it's a coffee house that serves lots of yummy food. I got a "sonoma" sandwich, which was turkey, tomatoes, onions and red peppers topped with spinach artichoke spread. I didn't get a side with mine, but Matt graciously split his orange with me. After lunch, we moved on to another coffee house, Kaldi's, to actually get coffee (not that the coffee at Kayak's isn't good...we just wanted to try this other place too). I got a tall turtle latte with skim milk. It probably had a lot of extra sugars from the flavoring, but I still managed to get in a serving of milk. It was a really great afternoon...totally made up for my long morning at school!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 3 oz (bread-they were big slices!)
Fruits: 1/2 cups (orange)
Vegetables: 1/4 cup (veggies on sandwich…I picked off most of the red peppers and onions-I know, I’m terrible)
Milk: 3/4 cup (skim milk in latte)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (turkey)
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it as home) was approximately: $1.42

Dinner

I made bison burgers for dinner tonight! Last time I wanted them, I couldn’t find the meat anywhere-so today when we were right by Whole Foods I ran in and got some. Bison is very lean, and is higher in iron than ground beef and other meats, so while I don’t love the idea of paying 5.99 for a pound of it, I will do it once in awhile. I made a 3 ounce burger for myself, topped with a slice of fat free American cheese on a whole wheat bun. I also had a few Alexia potato wedges (the last of the bag), and about 4 cups of fresh spinach sautéed in 2 teaspoons of Smart Balance Light (counts as 2 cups after cooking) topped with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. What a delicious meal! The cost wasn’t even all that bad when I added it up. I couldn’t eat like this at every meal, but it’s a welcome treat on occasion!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 ½ oz whole (hamburger bun)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 2 ½ cups (2 from spinach and ½ from potatoes)
Milk: ¾ cup (1/2 from American and ¼ from Parmesan cheese)
Meats & beans: 3 oz (bison burger)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.80

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 ½ oz out of 6 oz (3 ½ were whole)
Fruits: 2 ¼ cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 ¾ cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 2 ½ cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 6 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 3 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $5.35

2009-02-02T18:43:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
I started off with a latte today, made with a cup of skim milk. I added a small amount of vanilla extract (maybe 1/4 teaspoon), along with a packet of equal and some cinnamon. It was good, but I have to be careful about how much vanilla I add-a little really goes a long way! After I finished the latte, I had 1 1/4 cups of Kashi's Honey Toasted Oats cereal (their answer to honey nut Cheerios, I imagine) with 3/4 cup of skim milk. I also had a cup (8 oz) of orange juice. The milk was on sale for 1.99 for a half gallon this week, and the Kashi was 2 for 5$...I love getting the things I was going to buy anyway at a lower price! It made the cost of my meal even cheaper than usual.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (cereal)
Fruits: 1 cup (orange juice)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 3/4 cup (skim milk in latte and cereal)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.66

Lunch
I had to be at school around lunchtime for a meeting today (not one that normally serves lunch), so I packed some very portable things to take with me: my trusty PBJ sandwich and a banana! I used Sara Lee Soft & smooth whole wheat bread with 2 tablespoons of Skippy Natural peanut butter and a teaspoon of grape jelly. The banana was a large one, so I counted it as a cup this time. Another very low cost meal...and I was able to get in both protein and healthy oils with the peanut butter.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)
Fruits: 1 cup (banana)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 0
Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.65

Dinner
Tonight, I made black bean and goat cheese quesadillas. This is a pretty easy recipe...one that I adapted from a recipe on CookingLight.com. Rather than be confusing, I'll just tell you what I put in it because it's pretty different from the original. This is for 3 quesadillas, which I split into 2 servings. First, I sauteed 1/2 cup of chopped onions in a teaspoon of olive oil. Next, I added 1 1/2 cups of rinsed black beans (I had the rest of an opened can sitting in the fridge) 1/2 cup of salsa, and about 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin. I let that come to a boil, and then mashed up the mixture a little with a fork. I spread the mixture over half of three 7" whole wheat tortillas (Mission brand), added about 4 tablespoons of goat cheese crumbles to each one (I split up a 4 ounce package over all three), then folded them over to make quesadillas. I baked them in the oven at 400 degrees until they were slightly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. When they came out of the oven, I cut them in half to make 6 pieces total, and served 3 in a serving. I also baked large sweet potatoes in the microwave (it took about 10 minutes due to their size). I added 2 teaspoons of Smart Balance Light to my potato, and had 3 additional tablespoons of salsa on the side with my quesadilla. These are soooo.....good! The goat cheese is a great touch, although it's expensive...but since the rest of the meal was so cheap, it kind of evened out.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (tortillas )
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 2 cups (1 1/4 cups from sweet potato, 1/2 cup from salsa, and 1/4 cup from onions)
Milk: 1 cup (goat cheese)
Meats & beans: 3 oz (from 3/4 cup black beans)
Oils: 3 teaspoons (Smart Balance and olive oil)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $3.88

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 3/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 5 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 5 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $5.20

Weekly wrap-up: 1/26/09-2/1/09

2009-02-02T09:05:00.001-06:00

How did I do this week?

My average serving per day:
Grains: 6 oz
Fruits: 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups
Meats & beans: 5 oz
Oils: 4 teaspoons

Average cost per day: $5.05
Total cost for the week: $35.35

Overall, not a bad week. I met the budget with no problem, and was right on with the recommendation for grains and fruits, but fell a little short on veggies, milk, meat & beans, and oils (again).

I am going to start making goals for the next week, to try and keep me on track. This week, my goals are:
1. Try to find some new breakfast ideas...besides cereal!
2. Incorporate vegetables into meals besides dinner...it's hard to get the whole 2 1/2 cups into one meal. I need to try and spread it out more.
3. Get enough meats & beans every day. I have been trying to save money, so I haven't been buying as much meat. I need to remember to eat more meat substitutes (like peanut butter and almonds) as snacks to meet the recommendation.
4. This kind of ties in with #3: I need to try and get more healthy oils into my diet. I have yet to make the 6 teaspoons as a weekly average. One way to accomplish this is by eating more foods that contain them, like peanut butter and nuts, or cooking with olive oil.

Sometimes, though, life gets in the way of eating perfectly healthy-but that's okay...I have to do my best with what I've got! I do like a challenge though (in case that isn't obvious) so my overall goal is always to get a perfect average every week.

February already?!

2009-02-01T22:43:00.007-06:00

Breakfast
I can't believe it's February already! I probably say that every month, but it really is unbelievable how fast time passes. It's almost sad, because I don't know where the month went.
This morning, I was very tired from staying up late to clean up after the party. There really is nothing worse than waking up to a disastrous kitchen full of dirty dishes, so over the years I have learned-no matter how tired or intoxicated you are, it is well worth it to force yourself to clean up before going to bed. I always thank myself in the morning! Today I had oatmeal-1/4 + 1/8 cup of quick oats cooked with a cup of skim milk, along with 1/4 cup of raisins and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. I also had an 8 ounce glass of orange juice (I bought a half gallon of the store brand for $1.79-no added calcium, but that's okay) and 2 cups of coffee...I needed them today!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)
Fruits: 1 1/2 cups (raisins and OJ)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.81

Lunch
I had a quick bean burrito for lunch today: a Manny's whole wheat tortilla topped with1/2 cup of canned (S&W, low sodium variety) black beans, 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons of salsa, all heated in the microwave for about a minute. I took the picture before I folded it up, because I am not the best burrito folder! I also had a 6 oz cup of fat free yogurt on the side.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (tortilla)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1/4 cup (salsa)
Milk: 1 1/2 cups (cheese and yogurt)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (black beans)
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.47

Dinner
Still tired from last night, I really wasn't in the mood to prepare anything extensive for dinner tonight. I decided to make whole wheat rotini pasta with marinara sauce (Classico Tomato & Basil from the jar). I realized that I still had meatballs in the freezer from my holiday celebration, and heated those up in the oven to serve with the pasta. My portion was a cup of pasta with 3/4 cup of sauce and 3 medium sized meatballs (about 3 ounces of meat), topped with 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. I also steamed 3/4 cup of frozen green beans in the microwave and tossed them with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light, and had a 6 ounce glass of Old Orchard blueberry pomegranate juice on the side.
It has been a long day...I can't wait to go to bed! Good night!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 1/2 oz whole (pasta, and oatmeal in meatballs)
Fruits: 3/4 cup (juice)
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (marinara sauce and green beans)
Milk: 3/4 cup (cheese)
Meats & beans: 3 oz (meatballs)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.22

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 1 3/4 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 5 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 1 teaspoon out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $4.50

2009-01-31T11:27:00.003-06:00

Breakfast
For breakfast today, I had my coffee along with 1 1/2 cups of Raisin Bran cereal (Market Pantry brand) with a cup of skim milk. I can already tell today is going to be a hectic day. I have to attend a meeting at my practicum site, and then come home and prepare for having people over tonight. We're expecting at least 20 people to show up...it might get kind of crazy!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (cereal)
Fruits: 1/4 cup (raisins in cereal)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.66

Lunch
I wanted to have a little something to eat before I left for the meeting, because #1 I wasn't 100% sure they would be serving food, and #2, I wasn't sure if it would be something I'd want to eat. I had a can of Progresso low sodium vegetable soup (about 2 cups total-somehow I forgot to take a picture of it with all that was on my mind), and figured that it would at least hold me over until after the meeting if I didn't eat there. It turned out that what they were serving was samples of all the new menu items for next month, so I felt obligated to at least try a few of them. They were all meat entrees, so I sampled a few. I had to estimate how much I had, which wasn't too hard to do while it was all on the plate in front of me. Since it was all meat, I tried to imagine it in comparison to the size of a deck of playing cards, which is equal to about 3 ounces. It was a little smaller than that, do I'm going with about 2 ounces total. All of the samples I tried were great-it was nice to get a "taste of things to come"!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 0
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1 cup (vegetables in soup)
Milk: 0
Meats & beans: 2 oz
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared the meat at home) was approximately: $1.75

Dinner
By the time I had everything ready for the party tonight, I did not want to make another mess in the kitchen by cooking in it. Matt went to Crazy Bowls and Wraps and got me a grilled pesto chicken wrap with brown rice. This was, in fact, my inspiration for the fake chicken pesto wraps I made the other night...I guess I've been craving one! Besides pesto, chicken, cheese and brown rice, this wrap also has a pretty good amount of fresh spinach in it, which makes it one of my favorite choices when I eat at CBW. The cost is kind of high (I think this item is about 6.50), but again, to keep things "neater" I am costing it out as if it were prepared at home. Along with my wrap, I had an 8 oz glass of Old Orchard blueberry pomegranate 100% juice blend.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 1/2 oz (1 1/2 from tortilla, and 1 whole from brown rice in wrap)
Fruits: 1 cup (juice)
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (spinach in wrap)
Milk: 1/4 cup (Parmesan cheese in wrap)
Meats & beans: 3 oz (chicken in wrap)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (pesto sauce in wrap)

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it at home) was approximately: $1.63

Party Snacks!
As snacks for the party, I made spinach artichoke dip and served that along with (store bought) hummus and salsa with tortilla chips, Triscuit crackers and honey wheat pretzel sticks to dip with. I didn't think to take pictures of it all (alcohol might have been involved) but I do have an idea of what I ate throughout the night. I had about 6 tortilla chips, 8 pretzels, about 2 tablespoons each of the hummus and salsa, and 1/4 cup of the spinach/artichoke dip. Overall, the party was a huge success! Everyone had a great time (and partied like it was 1999, as per our theme), nothing got broken, and the cops didn't show up...what more could I ask for?

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (corn tortilla chips and pretzels)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 3/4 cup (hummus, spin/artichoke dip and salsa)
Milk: 1/2 cup (cheese in dip)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 1 teaspoon (corn tortilla chips were fried)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.63

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (5 were whole)
Fruits: 1 1/4 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 1 3/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 5 1/2 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 3 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $4.94

This was an unusual day, for many reasons. I had a lot going on, so I didn't have much time to think about how I would fulfill all of my nutritional requirements. I still did okay, all things considered, but I did fall short in a few areas. I will try and make it up tomorrow...hopefully it will all even out!

2009-01-30T21:55:00.008-06:00

Breakfast...in three parts!
When I have to work early in the morning, I usually eat my breakfast in shifts so as to keep from getting too hungry before lunch. Right before I left the house (at 6 in the morning...ugh) I just had a cup of coffee and a small (4 oz) glass of orange juice. Once I got settled at work, I had a 6 oz cup of fat free vanilla yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup of granola cereal and 1/4 cup of dried fruit. Later in the morning, I grabbed a bran muffin from the kitchen. This kept me going through the morning, all the way through my 30 minute walk on the treadmill during lunch. I had to get that exercise in before I lost my alertness for the day, which is unavoidable when I only got 6 hours of sleep.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 1/2 oz whole (granola cereal and small bran muffin)
Fruits: 1 cup (1/2 from orange juice and 1/2 from dried fruit)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.22

Lunch
When I came back from walking, I had my PB&J sandwich on whole wheat Sara Lee bread that I brought along with me today. The sandwich had 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, with about a teaspoon of grape jelly. I also had the rest of a bag-about 1 ounce-of Baked Lays potato chips (they were pretty broken up, so I left them inside the bag for the picture) and another 6 oz cup of fat free yogurt (cherry flavored this time). The one good thing about coming in so early...is I get to leave early too! Only a couple of hours to go after lunch!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (chips)
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.28

Dinner
I got a "second wind" of energy when I left work, and actually got some homework done when I got home. I didn't really feel like doing much aside from those things that could be accomplished while sitting on the couch-but at least I got something done! I kind of threw together dinner tonight, because I didn't feel like going to the store. I made "fake chicken" pesto wraps with Boca "chicken" patties. I baked the patties in the oven, then cut them up and put them on whole wheat Manny's tortillas with 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 tablespoon of pesto sauce, and a cup of fresh spinach. I put them in the oven to let the cheese melt for just a few minutes before rolling them up. For sides, I made some Alexia potatoes and steamed frozen broccoli. My portion was one wrap with 1/2 cup of potatoes and 3/4 cup broccoli with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light. I also had a cup of Old Orchard Blueberry Pomegranate 100% juice blend. It might have been thrown together, but it turned out pretty good!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (tortilla)
Fruits: 1 cup (juice)
Vegetables: 1 3/4 cups (1/2 from potatoes, 1/2 from spinach and 3/4 from broccoli)
Milk: 3/4 cup (mozzarella cheese)
Meats & beans: 2 1/2 oz (Boca "chicken" patty)
Oils: 3 teaspoons (2 from pesto sauce and 1 from Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.50

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 4 1/2 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 5 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $5.00

2009-01-29T21:21:00.002-06:00

Breakfast
This morning, after my cup of coffee (no latte this morning) I made my own apple cinnamon oatmeal. I woke up knowing that I wanted oatmeal, but as I am on my quest to try new things, I decided to get a little creative with my additions: half of an apple, chopped into small pieces (about 1/2 cup). I added this in before I cooked the oats (1/4 cup + 1/8 cup) with a cup of skim milk. That way, I figured, the apple would get softer. After it was done cooking, I added a generous amount of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of raisins. This was so good! I used to eat the packaged apple cinnamon oatmeal, and never liked it-I guess fresh ingredients make all the difference. Yum! Now I'm ready to try and get through this chapter of reading for Biochem before I head to class. Happy Thursday!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)
Fruits: 3/4 cup (1/2 from apple and 1/4 from raisins)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 cup (skim milk in oatmeal)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.81

Lunch/Snack
Before I went to class, I had a small lunch of the leftover tortellini pasta with pesto and veggies from last night. The portion was about a cup of tortellini with 1/2 cup of mixed peas & carrots and a teaspoon of pesto, topped with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. This was a small lunch because I knew I was going to want to eat again later before I headed out to practicum. Later, I had the other half of the apple from this morning (I preserved it by placing it in a tupperware container of water) with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a 6 oz cup of fat free yogurt.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 ½ oz (tortellini)
Fruits: 1/2 cup (apple)
Vegetables: ½ cup (peas & carrots in pasta)
Milk: 1 cup (1/4 from cheese in tortellini and ¾ from yogurt)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)
Oils: 3 teaspoons (1 from pesto sauce and 2 from peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.77

Breakfast for Dinner!
I LOVE making big breakfasts, but am not always in the mood, nor do I have the time needed for preparing them, in the morning. Tonight I made an egg casserole: sautéed potatoes with tomatoes, spinach, Better n'eggs, and cheddar cheese. This time, I used frozen potatoe wedges (Alexia brand). I thawed them for a couple minutes in the microwave, chopped them into small pieces (it ended up being about a cup total), and then sautéed them with a little vegetable oil (about a teaspoon per serving) in a skillet. It would be cheaper to use a whole potato, I know-but I had these on hand, and they are already seasoned-plus they cook much faster this way. Once the potato was nicely browned, I added a cup of canned diced tomatoes (store brand-no salt added variety). I did not add the juice-I drained it off before adding to the skillet. Then, I threw in about 4 cups of fresh spinach. As soon as the spinach was wilted and the tomatoes were hot, I added 1 ½ cups of Better n’eggs and scrambled everything together. I split this into 2 servings for me and Matt, and added ¼ cup of reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese (store brand) to each one. I also had 2 slices of whole wheat toast with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light and an 8 oz glass of orange juice. This is a very satisfying and healthy meal that is good morning, noon or night!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (toast)
Fruits: 1 cup (orange juice)
Vegetables: 2 cups (½ from potatoes, ½ from tomatoes and 1 from spinach)
Milk: 1 cup (cheddar cheese)
Meats & beans: 3 oz (from ¾ cup egg substitute)
Oils: 1 teaspoons (vegetable oil for sautéing)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.48

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (4 ½ were whole)
Fruits: 2 ¼ cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 ½ cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 ¼ cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 5 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 5 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $5.06

1.28.09-More snow!

2009-01-28T10:02:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
I woke up to way more snow than I expected today! My whole car was pretty much snowed in, so I went outside and cleaned it off after I had my latte this morning (espresso mixed with 1 cup skim milk, topped with cinnamon). I knew I had better do it now, before I was showered and ready to go! Later in the morning, before I left for work, I had a 6 oz cup of fat free vanilla yogurt (store brand) mixed with 1/2 cup of granola cereal and 1/4 cup mixed dried fruit (Archer Farms).

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 oz whole (granola cereal)
Fruits: 1/2 cup (dried fruit)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 3/4 cup (skim milk in latte and yogurt)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.40

Lunch
Today was a crazy day at work. A lot of people didn't make it in due to the weather, which I could tell right away when I found a parking spot much too easily. I had to help out in another department today on top of my regular job, so it was extra hectic for me. I still found time to go walk on the treadmill for a half hour in the employee wellness center (it is so cool to work somewhere that has one of those!). I was absolutely determined to get some exercise today, since I haven't been able to go walking outside (for obvious reasons) and haven't been too motivated to do my Kathy Smith workout video lately (it starts to get boring when I have each and every comment she makes memorized). Maybe after another few days I'll be ready to try it again. I had to have a very quick lunch today, since I took up most of it walking. I had 2 ounces of tuna (single serving pack-in water) on 6 Triscuit low sodium crackers, with 1/2 cup of pasta salad a co-worker brought in, and an apple. It really wasn't much of a lunch, and I never got a chance to eat the chips I brought along as a snack. Guess I'll make up for it at dinner!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz (1 whole from Triscuit, and 1 from pasta)
Fruits: 1 cup (apple)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 0
Meats & beans: 2 oz (tuna)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (dressing on pasta salad)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.09

Dinner
I was starving when I got home tonight! I made a stop by the grocery store to pick up some pesto sauce to go with the cheese tortellini I had in the freezer. I mixed a whole package of tortellini with about 5 tablespoons of pre-made pesto (Classico brand), and mixed in a 16 oz package of frozen peas and carrots (steamed in the microwave first). I also sauteed some small chicken breasts in about a tablespoon of olive oil, and seasoned with Mrs. Dash garlic & herb blend. My portion was about 2 cups of tortellini with a tablespoon of pesto, 1 1/2 cups of veggies, and 3 ounces of chicken. I topped it with a generous drizzling of lemon juice (the kind from the plastic lemon you buy at the store) and a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. I also had a 6 oz (3/4 cup) of TJ's gala apple juice.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 3 oz (tortellini)
Fruits: 3/4 cup (apple juice)
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups
Milk: 3/4 cup (1/2 cup from tortellini and 1/4 from Parmesan cheese)
Meats & beans: 3 oz (chicken)
Oils: 3 teaspoons (pesto sauce and olive oil)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.27

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (2 were whole)
Fruits: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables:1 1/2 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 5 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 4 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $5.76

1.27.09 - Let it snow!

2009-01-27T22:07:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
I'm back on the oatmeal today, after only a only day hiatus. It is such a nice winter meal though, and today is definitely a winter day! We got a couple inches of snow last night, and are due to get a few more before the day is over. I dutifully checked the school closings this morning, hoping I would see my college on them, and was sorely disappointed. It really is just as exciting when you get a snow day as an adult... until you realize that it's your money down the drain, of course! Today I made my oatmeal with 1/4 + 1/8 cup of quick oats, a cup of skim milk, 1/4 cup of raisins and 2 tablespoons of walnuts. I also added a pretty generous amount of cinnamon on top of the oatmeal, and had a cup of OJ on the side. Now, off to school!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)
Fruits: 1/2 cup (raisins)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 cup (milk)
Meats & beans: 1 oz (walnuts)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (walnuts)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.75

Snack
I had a Market Pantry banana nut granola bar as a snack between classes. I'm going to wait until later to have lunch, because Matt and I are planning sort of a date for this afternoon, weather permitting.
All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1/2 oz whole
The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.25

Lunch
We ended up going to Bread Company (Panera) for lunch. I got a "pick two" with black bean soup, 1/2 of a Mediterranean veggie sandwich, Baked Lays chips, and a latte. It was a pretty good lunch-fairly balanced as it includes almost all of the food groups (fruit is missing). Panera is definitely a luxury at the prices they charge, but I tried not to think about it and enjoyed the time together, along with the people watching, and winter watching, out the window.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 oz (bread)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1 1/4 cups (chips and veggies on sandwich: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions)
Milk: 1 1/4 cups (1 from skim milk in latte and 1/4 from feta cheese on sandwich)
Meats & beans: 3 oz (2 from 1/2 cup beans in soup, and 1 from a tablespoon of hummus on sandwich)
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it at home) was approximately: $1.45 (quite a difference from the $10 I paid in the store!)

Dinner
I made "fake chicken Parmesan" for dinner tonight. This is a lot like regular chicken Parmesan, with a Boca "chicken" patty substituted instead of meat. I like to use vegetarian substitutes once in awhile, although I'm not a vegetarian. The Boca products are very good, but I will say they are a bit pricey at $3.49 for a package of 4. It is, honestly, cheaper to use real meat-but it's nice for a change, and they are very easy to prepare-just pop it in the oven for 15 minutes, whereas with real chicken I would have had to wait at least twice that. The rest of the meal was equally quick to throw together: whole wheat spaghetti, Classico tomato & basil pasta sauce, and frozen broccoli steamed in the microwave. I had a cup of pasta with 1/2 cup of sauce, a Boca patty with 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese melted on top, and 1 1/2 cup of broccoli with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light and a little Mrs. Dash on top. Not exactly an Italian classic, but nice for a cold, snowy evening when you don't feel like doing much!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 oz whole (spaghetti pasta)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 2 cups (pasta sauce and broccoli)
Milk: 3/4 cup (mozzarella cheese)
Meats & beans: 2 1/2 oz (Boca patty)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.36

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 oz out of 6 oz (4 were whole)
Fruits: 1 1/2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 3 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 3 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 6 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 3 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $4.82

2009-01-26T18:36:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
Today I had a pretty simple breakfast-1 1/2 cups of Kashi Honey Toasted Oats cereal with a cup of skim milk, and a cup of orange juice (Old Orchard, 100% juice from concentrate). I had to be at practicum early today, then straight to school for a meeting and a class directly afterward, so I needed something that would keep me full for awhile. I love Kashi cereals-they are full of whole grains (and therefore fiber) and don't include many added sugars. Plus, every variety I have had tastes great. If I could afford to, I'd eat them all the time, but they are usually pretty pricey. Every once in awhile, Target puts them on sale and I stock up. I got this box for only $2.50-a savings of nearly $1.50 off the regular price.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (cereal)
Fruits: 1 cup (orange juice)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.15

Lunch=snacks: a change of plans!
I finished up with practicum and had to rush right over to school to make a noon meeting for an organization that I joined last semester. I kind of feel old when I go to these meetings, as most of the other members are the age you are supposed to be when you attend college...but it's nice to get involved, and most people think I'm younger than I actually am so I think I blend in okay. Anyway, at these meetings they usually serve pizza. I decided this morning that I would eat a slice of cheese pizza, but also bring along some snacks for later so I could still fulfill some of my requirements in other food groups. I brought along a banana, some homemade trail mix (22 almonds with 1/4 cup of dried mixed fruit), and an ounce of baked potato chips. Well, I was totally thrown for a loop when I got to the meeting and found they were serving chili cheese nachos instead of pizza! I'll be honest-nachos are not my thing-so I politely did not partake (hopefully unnoticed, but I'm not totally sure about that), and ate my snacks later during class. It was really not much of a lunch, so I had another snack when I got home-a slice of toasted whole wheat bread with a tablespoon of peanut butter. This just goes to show that, no matter how well you try to plan balanced meals, it's impossible to predict how things are actually going to turn out! I'm just glad I was prepared with snacks, or I would have been starving (or had to eat the nachos anyway).

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 oz whole (bread)
Fruits: 1/2 cup (dried fruit)
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (baked chips)
Milk: 0
Meats & beans: 3 oz (2 from almonds and 1 from peanut butter)
Oils: 3 teaspoons (2 from almonds and 1 from peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.34

Dinner
I didn't get my pizza for lunch today, so I decided to make it for dinner, using my 100% whole wheat homemade pizza crust recipe. I know I have posted this recipe before, but since I have some new readers I will post again. This recipe is SO easy! Anyone can make it-don't be scared off by the fact that it's bread and has to rise, etc. Heat 1/2 cup of water in the microwave until it's hot but not boiling. Pour it in a mixing bowl and add 1 packet of active yeast (I have had better results with active, as opposed to very or highly active). Stir in 2 teaspoons of honey and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Give it a few minutes to do it's thing, then start slowly adding whole wheat flour. I start with 1/2 cup, and usually end up adding about 3 of these by the time it's ready. How do you know when it's ready? Well, that part isn't so simple to explain. Once the mixture turns into a soft dough and is sticking together in one ball rather than to the sides of the bowl, it's time to take it out and start kneading it on a floured surface (the counter works just fine). Knead it for a few minutes until it sort of "bounces back" when you poke it...so it's a little firm, yet still somewhat soft. Once you think it's had enough, place it in another clean bowl on top of a tablespoon or so of oil (olive oil gives it the best flavor). Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it sit in a warm area (next to the preheating oven is perfect) for about 15 minutes. After the dough has risen to my satisfaction, I take it out and place it on a pizza pan well coated with cooking spray. I don't to any fancy tricks to spread out the dough-I just stretch it out across the pan. It's not usually a perfect circle, but so what? Recently, I have begun letting the dough rise again once it's on the pan. I cover it with plastic wrap (loosely this time) and let it sit for another 5 minutes or so. This seems to make it a little softer after baking-just a personal preference. After it has finished rising, it's time to add the toppings! This time, I made my own pizza sauce with a can of no-salt-added tomato paste. I added water until it was "sauce-like"-it took about 3/4 cup. I also added dried herbs and spices: oregano, basil, garlic, and a "dash" of Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning. I covered the pizza with the sauce (it was a lot-but I like saucy pizza), then added steamed fresh spinach (about 4 cups before I steamed it) and a sliced chicken sausage. A pizza wouldn't be a pizza without the cheese, so I also added 1 cup of part-skim mozzarella and 1/2 cup of feta crumbles. The feta was actually a nice touch, and went very well with the spinach and sausage. In fact, this was probably one of the best pizzas I have ever made, if I do say so myself! I had 4 small slices, which was close to half of the 10 inch pizza.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 4 oz whole (pizza crust)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cup (1 from spinach and 1/2 from sauce)
Milk: 2 cups (mozzarella and feta cheese)
Meats & beans: 1 1/2 oz (about 1/2 of a chicken sausage on my portion)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (oil on dough)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.77

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 3 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 4 1/2 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 5 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $5.27

Weekly wrap-up: 1/19/09-1/25/09

2009-01-25T22:14:00.001-06:00

How did I do this week?

My average serving per day:
Grains: 5 1/2 oz
Fruits: 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups
Meats & beans: 5 1/4 oz
Oils: 3 teaspoons

Average cost per day: $4.68
Total cost for the week: $32.75

This was a very good week. I fell just a little short on grains, milk and meats/beans, and I'm still only getting about 50% of my recommendation for oils. I guess I just don't use fats for cooking very often, and I can only eat so much peanut butter, almonds and walnuts in a day.
My cost was also very low this week...I beat the Thrifty budget by $3.00!
I have already found some great ways to prepare low cost, nutritious meals over the past several weeks-but I am still searching for more new ways to eat cheap and stay healthy!

Finally...a day off!

2009-01-25T21:55:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
I began my day with a homemade latte today. I added a cup of hot skim milk to my espresso, and mixed in a packet of Equal and a little vanilla extract. I topped it off with some cinnamon and cocoa powder. I'm not sure what to call it...a vanilla-cinna-mocha skinny latte? Watch out, Starbucks!
Still on my quest to try new things, I made yet another exploration this morning with my oatmeal. I prepared it as usual: 1/4 + 1/8 cup of quick oats heated with 1 cup of skim milk, and a packet of Equal added for sweetness. Then, I added 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin (unsweetened). I would never have thought of this on my own, but someone mentioned to me that they had seen it somewhere and I thought it might be worth trying. Then, pumpkin came up in the budget foods article I read recently (see link in yesterday's post) and I was inspired enough to try it. I may have added too much, as it made my oatmeal kind of pasty in texture. However, I wanted to add an amount that would at least be significant toward my recommendations. I also added 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts. For some reason, I thought it would taste like pumpkin pie, but it didn't (I guess that's because pumpkin pie has all kinds of sugar and other ingredients added to it...silly me). I did add a considerable amount of cinnamon, and a little nutmeg to try and capture that tasty dessert flavor, but I must be honest...I wasn't that impressed. It was really just what it sounds like...pureed squash added to oatmeal. I'm not sure if I will be having this again, but at least I tried, right? Now I have to find something to do with the rest of the can of pumpkin. I see myself baking pumpkin muffins in the near future...

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (pumpkin)
Milk: 2 cup (skim milk in latte and oatmeal)
Meats & beans: 1 oz (walnuts)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (walnuts)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.03

Lunch
Today, I had the leftover chickpeas, tomatoes and brown rice from dinner last night (there was about a cup left). I also steamed a cup of frozen green beans and mixed them with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light. I was afraid this wouldn't fill me up (I'm eating lunch late today, and not planning to have a snack this afternoon before dinner) so I also had a 6 oz cup of Schnucks fat free blueberry yogurt, and an 8 oz glass of Trader Joe's gala apple juice to drink. Okay, back to reading Biochem...gotta stay focused (or at least awake)...

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 oz whole (about 1/2 cup brown rice in mixture)
Fruits: 1 cup (apple juice)
Vegetables: 1 1/4 cups (1 cup green beans + 1/4 cup tomatoes in mixture)
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 1 oz (about 1/4 cup chickpeas in mixture)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance on green beans)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.06

Dinner
I made stir-fried teriyaki vegetables with chicken over brown rice for dinner tonight. First, I heated 1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok with 2 cloves of minced fresh garlic. Next, I threw in about 8 ounces of cubed chicken breast and cooked for about 5 minutes. Last, I added a 16 oz bag of frozen mixed stir-fry veggies (Archer Farms brand, from Target) and the rest of a bag of frozen broccoli I had sitting in freezer, and cooked until everything was hot. Just before serving, I added 2 tablespoons of Kikkoman low sodium teriyaki sauce (about a tablespoon per serving). My portion was 1 cup of brown rice (Uncle Ben's) with 1 1/2 cups of vegetables and 4 ounces of chicken. I also had a cup of canned apricots (Schnucks brand) in pear juice. This was an easy meal that was fun to make...you can't go wrong with anything that involves the use of a wok!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (brown rice)
Fruits: 1 cup (apricots)
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (mixed vegetables)
Milk: 0
Meats & beans: 4 oz (chicken)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (oil)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.61

How did I do today?
Grains: 4 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 3 1/4 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 3/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 6 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 4 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $4.70

Trying some new things...

2009-01-24T10:58:00.000-06:00

Breakfast

This morning I had 1 1/4 cups of Raisin Bran (Market Pantry) with a cup of skim milk, and an 8 ounce glass of orange juice. I decided to try something new with my orange juice: I bought the Old Orchard frozen concentrate and reconstituted it with water. It's still 100% juice, and the taste was still great-plus, I saved about $0.10 per 8 ounce serving compared to the Schnucks brand in the carton that I usually buy. The variety I bought even had calcium added, so in my quest to spend the least amount of money without sacrificing nutrition, this was definitely a good buy!
A little later in the morning, I had a blueberry muffin at work along with another cup of coffee. I usually have the bran muffin, but the blueberry wasn't bad!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 3 oz (1 1/2 whole from cereal, and 1 1/2 from muffin)
Fruits: 1 1/4 cup (1 from OJ and 1/4 from raisins in cereal)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.95

Lunch

I decided to try a few new things at the store last time. I read an article about budget foods (wonder why I was drawn to that one!) and was glad to see that I am already eating many of the things it suggests (spinach, sweet potatoes, beans, yogurt and carrots).
http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20090119/NEWS01/301190017
The article also gave me some new ideas, which was nice because I feel like I am starting to repeat meals a little too much. One of my goals is to not eat the same thing for breakfast two days in a row-which I am achieving-but I am starting to go with an every other day pattern for certain things, such as oatmeal. This article also reminded me that I need to be including fish in my diet-especially fatty fish like tuna and salmon, which contains omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3's are extremely important for heart health, and as a nutrition student I should know better than to leave them out! I decided that tuna would be a good, simple place to start. I almost bought the canned kind, but then saw that the single serving (2 oz) packets were on sale, and the price difference was negligible, so I went for it. Today I had the whole 2 oz package of tuna (in water, not oil) on 6 Triscuit crackers (low sodium variety). I also had a 6 oz cup of Schnucks fat free cherry yogurt and an Empire apple.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 oz whole (Triscuit crackers)
Fruits: 1 cup (small apple)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (tuna)
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.53

Dinner
Tonight I made another deliciously simple recipe from The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet cookbook: Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Brown Rice. I have made this one once before and was very impressed by its simplicity and great taste. I only made about half of the rice that the recipe calls for, because I was only cooking for two and also because I wanted more of the other ingredients in each serving. First, I boiled 1 1/2 cups of water and added about 3/4 cup of brown rice (Uncle Ben's-not the instant kind). I reduced the heat and allowed the rice to absorb the water for about 30 minutes, then added a 15.5 oz can of rinsed S&W low sodium chickpeas and a 15.5 oz can of Schnucks no salt added diced tomatoes (undrained). After mixing well, I added cumin, salt and pepper to taste. I probably used about 2 teaspoons of the cumin, and maybe 1/8 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper (I'd hate to ruin the "low sodium" aspect I was trying to achieve here). The actual recipe calls for sliced green onions, but I left them out as I did not have them on hand, and didn't think they'd be missed. Instead, I added a little dried cilantro to the top of the dish before I served it. I also made a spinach salad with walnuts, feta cheese, and low-fat raspberry vinaigrette dressing. My portion was about 1 3/4 cups of the chickpea, tomato and rice mixture and 2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tablespoons of walnuts, about 1/4 cup of feta cheese, and a tablespoon of dressing. I am off tomorrow (no work, AND no practicum!), so I decided to pick up a bottle of wine from World Market to have with dinner tonight. From the Mediterranean region, this mix of Tempranillo and Merlot was the perfect compliment to the meal...I even made sure by having a second glass!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (brown rice)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (1 from spinach and 1/2 from tomatoes)
Milk: 3/4 cup (feta cheese)
Meats & beans: 3 oz (1 from walnuts and 2 from chickpeas)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (1 from walnuts and 1 from dressing)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.77 (does not include the wine-although it was only 5.99 for the bottle...a great value for the quality!)

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (4 were whole)
Fruits: 2 1/2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 5 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 2 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $5.24

1.23.09

2009-01-23T21:01:00.005-06:00

Breakfast
Today I started with "double" bowl of oatmeal (1/2 cup of oats instead of my normal 1/4), made with a cup of skim milk. I had practicum again this morning, and I have noticed they don't take a break until after noon. There's really no time for snacking, either-so I wanted to make sure I stayed full. I added 1/4 cup of dried mixed fruit (Archer Farms), and a few shakes of cinnamon. I also had a 6 oz. glass of apple juice.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (oatmeal)
Fruits: 1 1/4 cups (dried fruit and apple juice)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 cup (skim milk in oatmeal)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.73

Lunch/snack
I brought a PBJ along, as well as 15 baby carrots to snack on when I got the chance. Luckily, I was busy enough that I didn't even realize I was hungry. I forgot about this effect that working in food service can have-it's been so long since I've worked in it. I have become totally spoiled by working jobs where all I do is sit at a desk all day, and am able to eat whenever I want to. I was able to sit down for a few minutes and eat my sandwich, but the carrots became a snack later in the afternoon when I got off, along with a 6 oz fat free yogurt cup when I realized how hungry I was.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1 1/4 cups (carrots)
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.21

Dinner
I made black bean burritos with guacamole for dinner tonight. Avocados are not really that cheap right now, but I was really craving one. I usually make up my guacamole recipe as I go along...tonight I mashed up one avocado and added a clove of crushed garlic, a couple tablespoons of salsa, a teaspoon of lime juice, and a little salt and dried cilantro. I had one whole wheat tortilla (Manny's brand-on sale for $2.00 at Schnucks!) topped with 3/4 cup of black beans (S&W brand, low sodium-stocked up while they're on sale 3/$2.00), 1/4 cup of Schnucks reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons of guacamole, and 2 tablespoons of salsa. I also had another 1/2 cup of the beans on the side, topped with another 2 tablespoons of guacamole and 1/2 cup of frozen, steamed zucchini/yellow squash mixture. I made my usual additions to the steamed veggies: 1 teaspoon of Smart Balance Light and a few shakes of Mrs. Dash. This was another of those quick to throw together meals...I've been having a lot of those lately-shows I'm back in school. At least I'm still keepin' it cheap!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (tortilla)
Fruits: 1/4 cup (avocado from guacamole)
Vegetables: 1 1/4 cups (squash mix, salsa, and 1/2 cup of beans counted here)
Milk: 1 cup (cheddar cheese)
Meats & beans: 3 oz (other 3/4 cup of beans)
Oils: 1 teaspoons (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.67

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 1 1/2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 3/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 5 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 3 teaspoon out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $3.61

1.22.09

2009-01-22T20:56:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
I started with a latte instead of my regular coffee this morning, made with 1 cup of skim milk, a packet of Equal and a little cinnamon. Who needs Starbucks? I've got my own skinny latte right here in my kitchen (although I'm sure I'll break down and buy one again sometime)! I've been craving something different in the area of cereal in the morning, so last time I was at Target I checked out their Market Pantry selection. I ended up going with their version of Raisin Bran, because it seemed to be the most nutritious one they offered, at a very low price...just my style, of course. I haven't even had actual Raisin Bran cereal in years, so I figure I won't even notice if it's not the same. I tried a bowl this morning (1 1/4 cups) with 3/4 cup of skim milk. I also had a cup of Trader Joe's gala apple juice. I was impressed with the cereal...it tasted great, and at only $2.39 per box, you can't go wrong! I love Target!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (cereal)
Fruits: 1 1/4 cup (1 from apple juice, 1/4 from raisins in cereal)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 3/4 cups (skim milk in latte and cereal)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.13

Lunch
I had a Boca burger for lunch today (I know...I'm repeating this a lot...but they are so easy to make!). I didn't have any buns left, so I decided to make a "double" on a slice of bread. I melted a 1 oz. slice of mozzarella cheese on the burger, cut it in half and put it on the bread. I also had 6 baby carrots and 1 ounce of baked potato chips. The chips were also a new find at Target-Archer Farms garlic and rosemary variety. I have had my eye on these for awhile, but they are a little expensive. This week they were on sale, so I gave them a try. They were really good-a nice change-up from the plain Baked Lays I've been eating.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 oz whole (bread)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1 cup (carrots and chips)
Milk: 3/4 cup (mozzarella cheese)
Meats & beans: 2 1/2 oz (Boca burger)
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.61

Snack
I had to go to my practicum site tonight, and I wasn't sure what time I would get out-so I had a snack before I left. I toasted a slice of whole wheat bread (Sara Lee), spread a tablespoon of peanut butter on it and had a banana on the side. I hope this keeps me going through the night-I have a feeling there won't be any time to stop and eat tonight, so I'm not even bringing anything along with me.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 oz whole (bread)
Fruits: 3/4 cup (banana)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 0
Meats & beans: 1 oz (peanut butter)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.45

Dinner
I didn't get finished until 8:30 tonight, and the last thing I felt like doing was making dinner. Matt got home right when I did, and felt the same way. I ran over to Crazy Bowls and Wraps and picked up dinner. This place can be a bit pricey, but my favorite menu item is one of the cheaper ones...I got a small bean superbowl with steamed veggies and brown rice. It's a pretty simple dish-it is literally just what it sounds like. I estimated about a cup of rice, a cup of veggies and 3/4 cup beans. At $4.50, it is definitely one of their cheapest menu items-if not the cheapest altogether. Sadly, I could have made this at home for even cheaper, but it would have required me going to the grocery store and spending at least 30 minutes preparing it-so, I went the easy route tonight. I have priced it out below as if I had prepared it at home, for comparisons sake and also because I am using the "cost of food at home" as my budget amount.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (rice)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1 cup (steamed veggies)
Milk: 0
Meats & beans: 3 oz (beans)
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it at home) was approximately: $0.93 (wow-that's quite a difference in cost for convenience!)

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 6 1/2 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 1 teaspoon out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $4.12

1.21.09

2009-01-21T09:42:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
Today I had oatmeal-1/4 cup of quick oats with 3/4 cup of skim milk, with 11 sliced almonds and 1/4 cup of dried fruit. I found a great new option for dried fruit at Target. They sell Archer Farms dried fruit and berry blend for only $2.99 for a 13 oz package! It's a really good deal, considering some of the dried fruit I have bought in the past has only half that amount for twice the cost. This mix contains raisins, berries, pineapple and papaya. It was great in the oatmeal, too...along with my usual additions of Equal and cinnamon. I also had a 4 oz glass of Old Orchard Blueberry Pomegranate 100% juice blend.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 oz whole (oatmeal)
Fruits: 1 cup (1/2 from dried fruit, and 1/2 from juice)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 3/4 cup (skim milk)
Meats & beans: 1 oz (almonds)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (almonds)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.77

Lunch/Snack
When I work the later shift, I usually continue "grazing" throughout the afternoon, to keep from starvation as I usually don't eat dinner until 8:30 or 9 these nights. Today, I had a PBJ sandwich with 2 tablespoons of Skippy Natural peanut butter (safe from the current contamination scare) and a teaspoon or so of grape jelly (right now I'm using the Target brand) on whole wheat bread (Sara Lee). I also had an ounce of Baked Lays (about 15 chips), and snacked on a 6 oz cup of Schnucks fat free yogurt and an Empire apple later in the afternoon.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)
Fruits: 1 cup (small apple)
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (chips)
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.69

Dinner
Tonight I made frozen tortellini with marinara sauce (Classico brand), with steamed frozen broccoli flourets and fresh baby carrots as sides. I had about 1 1/2 cups of the tortellini with 3/4 cup of sauce topped with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese, along with 1 cup of broccoli and 9 baby carrots (3/4 cup). I added a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light and a little Mrs. Dash garlic herb seasoning to the veggies. This is a very satisfying meal that's very quick to prepare and not too expensive...perfect for an night when you worked all day and don't feel like doing much in the evening!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 3 oz (tortellini)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (pasta sauce, carrots and broccoli)
Milk: 3/4 cup (1/4 cup from Parmesan cheese, plus 1/2 cup from cheese in tortellini)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.20

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (3 were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 3 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 3 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 4 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $4.65

1.20.09

2009-01-20T09:39:00.000-06:00

Breakfast
I started with a latte this morning: a double shot of espresso with 1 cup of hot skim milk, a packet of Equal and a little cinnamon. Then I had about 1 1/2 cups of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal with 3/4 cup of skim milk, and a 6 oz (3/4 cup) glass of Old Orchard Blueberry Pomegranate juice. I already got more than half my recommendation of milk for the day, all in one meal. Aren't lattes great?!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 1/2 oz whole (cereal)
Fruits: 3/4 cup (juice)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 3/4 cups (skim milk in latte and cereal)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.19

Snack
I had a Market Pantry (Target brand) banana nut granola bar as a snack while I was at school.

This meal provided:
Grains: 1/2 oz whole
The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.25

Lunch
I had a Boca burger with mozzarella cheese on a whole wheat Trader Joe's bun for lunch today. I also had the rest of the spinach rice (about 1/2 cup was left from last night), as well as the remaining 3 maple roasted carrots. I used about a tablespoon of ketchup to dip the burger in. I just can't eat a burger without ketchup-not even a Boca burger!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (bun)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (spinach and carrots)
Milk: 3/4 cup (mozzarella cheese)
Meats & beans: 2 1/2 oz (Boca burger)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance in rice)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.67

Dinner
I made a pretty simple dinner tonight (it was a long day). I grilled Trader Joe's chicken sausage (spinach, garlic and fontina) on the stove, and made some Alexia frozen potato wedges in the oven, along with frozen broccoli, which I steamed in the microwave. I had one whole sausage, 3/4 cup of the potatoes, and 1 1/2 cups of broccoli (with 1 teaspoon of Smart Balance and Mrs. Dash added for flavor). I also had an 8 ounce glass of Trader Joe's green plant juice. This is a 100% juice blend of several types of juices, including banana, peach and many others-it's very thick, kind of like a smoothie almost. It's one of my favorites, but can only be found (at a decent price) at TJ's, so I always pick some up when I go there.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 0
Fruits: 1 cup (juice)
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups (potatoes and broccoli)
Milk: 0
Meats & beans: 3 oz (chicken sausage)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.53

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 1 3/4 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 3/4 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 5 1/2 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 2 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $5.64

1.19.09

2009-01-19T09:13:00.001-06:00

Breakfast
Today I had a little larger serving of oatmeal than usual. I microwaved about 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup of quick oats with 1 cup of skim milk, then added a sliced banana, 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts, and a little Equal and cinnamon. I also had the last of the Schnucks orange juice, which was about 6 oz, or 3/4 cup.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)
Fruits: 1 1/2 cups (orange juice and banana)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.17

Lunch
I threw together a quick pasta lunch today, which ended up being 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat rotini pasta tossed with 1/2 tablespoon of pesto sauce (Classico), 1/4 cup of sundried tomatoes, and topped with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. I also had a 6 oz cup of Schnucks fat free lemon chiffon yogurt on the side.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 3 oz whole (pasta)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (sundried tomatoes)
Milk: 1 cup (Parmesan cheese and yogurt)
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 1 teaspoon (pesto sauce)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.36

Dinner
I made three recipes out of my Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet cookbook for dinner tonight. They were all quite simple recipes (as the name of the book suggests), and I had all the ingredients I needed on hand. I made Maple Roasted Carrots, Spinach Rice (I used brown rice), and Baked Apples with Yogurt for dessert. I have tried the first two before, but the apples were new for me. They turned out pretty good, except they were a bit soggy from the water I put in the pan with them. Next time, I will probably use less water as it wasn't needed. I sauteed some chicken breast (I know, it kind of goes against the vegetarian theme) in a little olive oil and seasoned it with Mrs. Dash. I had a 4 ounce piece of chicken, 3/4 cup of the spinach rice, and 1 1/2 cups of carrots. For dessert, I had 2 apple halves topped with about a tablespoon of the walnuts with sugar and cinnamon, and about 3 oz of fat free vanilla yogurt.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 oz whole (brown rice)
Fruits: 1 cup (apple)
Vegetables: 1 3/4 cups (spinach and carrots)
Milk: 1/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 4 1/2 oz (chicken and walnuts)
Oils: 4 teaspoons (1 from walnuts, 1 from Smart Balance in rice, and 2 from olive oil)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.27

Maple Roasted Carrots (From The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, by Nava Atlas)
Ingredients:
1 16-oz bag of baby carrots
2 tablespoons maple syrup (I used the "lite" variety)
1 tablespoon light olive oil (I used regular(
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together. Arrange on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake, stirring gently every few minutes, until the carrots are tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes, and serve.

Spinach Rice(From The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, by Nava Atlas)
Ingredients:
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 tablespoons non hydrogenated margarine (I used Smart Balance Light)
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 to 2 scallions, thinly sliced (I left these out and it was still good)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a simmer with the bouillon cube in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice, cover, simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 35 minutes.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients and continue to cook just until everything is heated through. Serve at once.

Baked Apples with Yogurt (From The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, by Nava Atlas) (I only made 1/3 of this recipe, to serve 2 people)
Ingredients:
6 medium sweet cooking apples, such as Cortland (I used Empire)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, optional
1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt, or soy yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Core the apples carefully with a small sharp knife, and place them in a baking pan.
3. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and optional walnuts in a small bowl and stir together. Divide the mixture among the hollows of each apple.
4. Fill the baking pan with about 1/2 inch of water. Cover with foil and bake until the apples are tender, about 45 minutes.
5. Allow the apples to cool until just warm, fill the hollows with a little yogurt, and serve.

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 1/2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 5 1/2 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 6 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $4.79

Weekly wrap-up: 1/12/09-1/18/09

2009-01-18T22:45:00.000-06:00

How did I do this week?

My average servings per day for each food group:
Grains: 5 3/4 oz. (requirement was 94% fulfilled)
Fruits: 2 cups (100% fulfilled)
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups (97% fulfilled)
Milk: 2 3/4 cups (88% fulfilled)
Meats & beans: 5 oz (94% fulfilled)
Oils: 4 teaspoons (64% fulfilled)

Total cost for the week: $35.63
Average cost per day: $5.09

Another good week with fulfilling my requirements...and I made the budget! It was very close, too. I hope I can keep this up during the upcoming weeks. It is always a challenge to eat healthy and avoid too much convenience food when life is busy...but I am sure going to try!

1.18.09

2009-01-18T22:40:00.008-06:00

Breakfast
Today I continued to use up my leftovers. I had one whole wheat Lender's bagel left, so I toasted it and spread a tablespoon of peanut butter on it. I also had a 6 oz cup of Schnucks fat free cherry vanilla yogurt.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 1/2 oz whole (bagel)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 1 oz (peanut butter)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.83

Lunch
I finished the rest of the chili for lunch (there was about 1 cup left). I added 1/4 cup of reduced fat cheddar cheese (Schnucks brand), and had the rest of the fruit cocktail (about 1/2 cup) and 12 baby carrots as sides. No more leftovers sitting in the fridge for me! Maybe I should make this my belated New Years resolution...

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 0
Fruits: 1/2 cup (fruit cocktail)
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (about 1/2 cup of onions, peppers, and tomatoes and in chili, and baby carrots=1 cup)
Milk: 1 cup (cheddar cheese)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (about 1/2 cup of beans in chili)
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.22

Dinner
I had a Boca burger for dinner tonight. I have been trying not to buy too many expensive "convenience foods" lately, but I saw that they were on sale this week at Schnucks so I picked up a box. They are nice to have on hand for those nights that I don't really feel like cooking. Needless to say, this was one of those nights. I added a 1-ounce slice of mozzarella cheese to my burger and had it on a 100% whole wheat Trader Joes's bun, with about a tablespoon of ketchup on the side to dip it in. For sides, I heated a medium sized sweet potato in the microwave and sauteed 2 cups of fresh spinach in about a teaspoon of Smart Balance. I also added about a teaspoon of Smart Balance and a little cinnamon to the sweet potato. To drink, I had a cup of Old Orchard blueberry pomegranate juice. The whole meal only took about 15 minutes to prepare...perfect for a "lazy" Sunday night!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (whole wheat hamburger bun)
Fruits: 1 cup (juice)
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (1/2 cup from sweet potato and 1 cup from spinach)
Milk: 3/4 cups (mozzarella cheese)
Meats & beans: 2 1/2 oz (Boca burger patty)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.72

How did I do today?
Grains: 4 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 3 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 5 1/2 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 4 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $4.77