Thursday, December 18, 2008

Breakfast

I started the day knowing it would be a difficult day to stick to my project. I would be taking my last final exam, and then going directly to a funeral. My Great Aunt, who was 94 years old, passed away the other day. She lived an amazingly long life which was dedicated to helping others-a wonderful role model for all of us. Especially impressive is the fact that, even up until fairly recently, she took it upon herself to assist those who needed help with eating at the nursing home she lived in. As someone who cares deeply about the eating habits of others, I especially appreciate what she did and the way she lived her life.

This morning, I had a glass of orange juice and my cup of coffee early and waited until right before I had to leave the house to have breakfast. I wanted to have something that would fill me up for awhile, since I really wasn't sure when my next meal would be. I made a breakfast burrito with Better n'Eggs. I scrambled 1/2 cup of the egg substitute (1/4 cup counts as 1 egg) and placed it on a 7-inch whole wheat tortilla. I added 1/4 cup of reduced fat cheddar cheese and about 2 tablespoons of salsa. It was really good, and very quick and simple to prepare. Egg substitute is a great option because it gives you the same protein of eggs (the main ingredient is egg whites) without the fat and cholesterol. It's perfect for scrambled eggs too...all you do is pour into the pan-no scrambling or extra dishes required!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (whole wheat tortilla)

Vegetables: 1/4 cup (salsa)

Fruits: 1 cup (OJ)

Milk: 1 cup (cheddar cheese)

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

Oils: 0 tsp

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.83

Lunch...sort of

As I said, I wasn't sure when my next meal would be. I wanted to avoid eating out as much as possible today, although I knew it would probably be inevitable at some point. I packed some healthy snacks to bring along...a banana and some homemade trail mix. You can buy some very good premade trailmixes...but why spend the money when it is so easy to make yourself? I mixed together 1/4 cup of dried fruit (I used dried berries today), 11 almonds, 1/4 cup of peanuts, and about 3/4 cup of granola cereal. I only made enough for one serving today, but you can easily make up a large bag ahead of time and take what you need with you. I have found that having a healthy snack readily available really helps to keep me from making unhealthy, and possibly expensive, food choices when I'm out. I know this doesn't look like much of a meal, and I didn't really treat it as one, either. I ate the banana and a little of the trail mix on the way to the funeral, and had the rest later on in the afternoon as a snack.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (granola cereal)
Vegetables: 0
Fruits: 1/2 cup (dried fruit)
Milk: 0
Meats & beans: 3 1/2 oz (11 almonds=1 oz, and 1/4 cup peanuts=2 1/2 oz)
Oils: 4 tsp (almonds and peanuts)
The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.50

Dinner

As expected, I did wind up at a restaurant later in the afternoon to visit with family. Since my trail mix had succeeded in keeping me satisfied, I just got a cup of coffee. Later, everyone came back to my house and we got a pizza. I had 2 pieces of thin crust pizza with tomatoes and chicken. Again, I had to estimate the portions since I had not prepared it myself.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 1/2 oz, no whole (pizza crust

Vegetables: 1/2 cup (tomato sauce and tomatoes as topping

Fruits: 0

Milk: 1 cup (chees on pizza)

Meats & beans: 1 oz (chicken on pizza)

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.00 (although I didn't pay for it)

How did I do today?

Grains:5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (3 oz were whole)

Vegetables: 3/4 cup out of 2 1/2 cup

Fruits:2 1/2 cups out of 2 cups

Milk:1 3/4 cup out of 3 cups

Meats & Beans:6 1/2 oz out of 5 1/2 oz

Oils:4 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $5.33

Today was a rough day...for more than one reason. I think I still did okay, considering the uncertain circumstances. I was, for the most part, able to avoid eating out by planning ahead having something around to snack on. I never felt hungry, thanks to the trail mix. Tomorrow will be back to normal...or as "normal" as my life gets!