Friday, December 19, 2008

Breakfast
I went for the oatmeal this morning. The weather here has been so cold, and I spent a lot of time outside in it yesterday so I just wanted something hot to warm me up. I made a packet of the lower sugar maple & brown sugar that I had on hand, added 1/2 cup of skim milk, and "dressed it up" with some sliced almonds (about 11) and 1/4 cup of dried berry blend (cranberries, cherries, blueberries and strawberries). The Fit & Active brand is available at Aldi's, which I don't shop at often except when I need to buy trail mix supplies. Their prices on these items are much lower than other local grocery stores, and it's hard to pay more when I know I can drive a little further down the street and get them $1-$2 cheaper. I like the quality of this brand, too. The nuts have no added salt and the fruits don't have an excessive amount of added sugar. At 130 calories for 1/4 cup, I can live with it. I bought whole almonds, so I had to chop them up myself to add to the oatmeal. Still better than paying extra to buy them pre-sliced though, if you ask me. I may chop up the whole bag at once, that way they will be ready to use as needed.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 0z whole (oatmeal)
Fruits: 1/2 cup (dried berries)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1/2 cup (skim milk)
Meat & beans: 1 oz (1/2 oz almonds, or about 11)
Oil: 1 tsp (almonds)
The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.31

A snack for the road:

I had to do some running around today, and I wasn't sure what time I would get back. Before I left, I had a 6 oz. cup of fat free cherry yogurt and added 1/4 cup of granola cereal to it. I finally used up the last of that "mystery" box I had sitting around. Now that I have found a good use for granola cereal, I will have to pick up some more next time I'm at the store. I don't think I liked it much with milk (hence the fact that it was collecting dust on my shelf), but it's pretty good with yogurt!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1/2 0z whole (granola)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meat & beans: 0
Oil: 0
The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.69

Lunch-better late than never

My running around took much longer than expected, due to the fact that, unbeknownst to me, a whole new section of highway 40 is shut down. I had to re-route at least 3 times before I found a good way to reach my destination! Guess I need to keep up with the highway closings a little better…
When I finally got home, I threw together some leftovers I had sitting in the fridge. I had a small piece of chicken, about ½ cup of mixed vegetables with pesto sauce, and a slice of cheese pizza. I added a small glass of blueberry pomegranate juice to add some fruit. Not exactly a traditional combo, but I managed to include something from every food group!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 ½ oz (pizza crust)
Fruits: ½ cup (juice)
Vegetables: ¾ cup (pizza sauce and mixed vegetables)
Milk: ½ cup (cheese on pizza)
Meats & beans: 2 ½ oz. (chicken breast)
Oil: ½ tsp (pesto sauce)The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.49

Afternoon snack

I knew dinner would be late today too, so I had a snack in the afternoon. Still trying to make sure I get in enough dairy (my lack has become painfully obvious in executing this project), I went for a slice of mozzarella cheese and a small handful (about 2 tablespoons) of dried berries. They went surprisingly well together, and held me over until dinner.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 0
Fruits: ¼ cup (dried fruit)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: ¾ cup (mozzarella cheese)
Meats & beans: 0
Oil: 0The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.47

Dinner
Tonight I tried a new recipe out of Nava Atlas’ The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet. I have made several recipes out of this book and have had good results, although I almost always have to add something (sometimes 5 ingredients just don’t cut it). Nonetheless, the recipes are a good starting point and have provided many healthy ideas for me. This recipe is called Tofu and Sweet Potato Curry, and, as the name suggests, has an Indian flair to it. The first time I make a recipe, I try to “stick to the book” without making too many alterations. However, I ended up adding about twice as much curry, about a cup of vegetable broth (the juice from the tomatoes did not provide enough moisture) and about ½ cup of fat free half and half. This is a good dish, but if you are expecting authentic Indian cuisine it definitely does not measure up. They should call it "spicy tofu and sweet potatoes" because at least that way I wouldn't have had the Indian-style curry on my mind. If I make this again, I will also find a better option for the tofu. I have not worked with tofu very much and, as the recipe called for, purchased a firm version. All the store carried, however, was the "silken" variety. This resulted in the product falling apart and creating a "scrambled egg-like" texture, as Matt described it. If you can see the yellow color the curry powder imparted on the tofu, this becomes an even more accurate description. I may try a baked tofu next time, as I have used these before and they are very stable with a good texture.

I served about 2 cups of this dish over 1 cup of brown rice and had a small glass of juice on the side, to fulfill my requirement for the day. I also finished off the vanilla frozen yogurt for dessert (about 1/2 cup was left).

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (1/2 cup cooked rice=1 oz, so 2 oz total)
Fruits: 1/2 cup (100% juice
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (sweet potato/tomato/spinach mixture)
Milk: ½ cup (frozen yogurt)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (about 1/2 cup tofu)
Oil: 0
The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.42

Recipe:
Tofu and Sweet Potato Curry (From The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet-by Nava Atlas)
2 large or 3 medium sweet potatoes
1 pound firm tofu, well drained and diced
14-16 oz can low sodium stew tomatoes, chopped, with liquid
1-2 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
4 ounces arugula or spinach, well rinsed
Salt to taste
1. Bake or microwave sweet potatoes in their skins until done but still firm. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into large dice.
2. Combine the tofu, tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of curry powder ni a stir-fry pan or wide skillet. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add the diced sweet potato and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the arugula (or spinach), cover, and cook briefly, just until it wilts slightly. Taste and season with more curry if desired. Season with salt and serve.

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 oz out of 6 oz
Fruits: 1 3/4 cup out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 2 ¾ cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 5 1/2 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oil: 1 1/2 tsp out of 6 tsp
Total cost for today: $6.38

Not too bad...I'm also noticing that I've been pretty short on oils. I still have a little bit of a "fat phobia," I suppose. I need to start incorporating healthy oils from foods like peanuts and almonds, and use more olive oil for cooking.