1/11/09

Breakfast

I started the day today with a latte (espresso, 1 cup of hot skim milk, a package of Equal and a little cinnamon) and a breakfast burrito. I scrambled 1/2 cup of Better'neggs and placed it on a Manny's multi-grain tortilla, topped it with 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and a few tablespoons of salsa, rolled it up, and breakfast was ready! I added a glass of orange juice on the side, too. This seems like kind of a big breakfast, but I was headed to work at 11 today, and knew I wouldn't have an opportunity to eat lunch until around 3:00 so I wanted to make sure I stayed full until then. Plus, I've been walking on the treadmill in our employee workout center during my actual lunch hour, so I wanted to have enough energy to do that-preferably without needing a snack before then.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (tortilla)

Fruits: 1 cup (orange juice)

Vegetables: 1/4 (salsa)

Milk: 1 3/4 cup (skim milk in latte and mozzarella cheese in burrito)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (1/2 cup Better'neggs)

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.99

Lunch

My tactic worked...I made it through the first part of my day, and my walk, without dying of starvation by 3:00. Today I brought a PBJ for lunch. It's funny...I never even liked these much as a child (I was very into bologna sandwiches back then, I hate to admit) but as I have grown older I have begun to appreciate the simplicity and nutrition offered by this food choice. First, it's super easy to prepare: I just spread 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (Skippy Natural is my favorite-no hydrogenated oils and it doesn't have to be stirred like some natural varieties) on whole wheat bread, add a teaspoon or two of grape jam or jelly, and it's good to go. Then, there's the fact that peanut butter is a very inexpensive protein source. I pay anywhere from $6-$8 a pound for deli turkey, which gives you what, maybe 8 servings? Peanut butter is only about $2.50 a jar, which contains 26 tablespoons and if my serving is 2 tablespoons, that's 13 servings. That's only 0.20 per serving, whereas with the meat, it's up to $1.00! I'm not saying I could eat PBJ every day, but it is certainly a less expensive choice than deli meat-which also goes bad very quickly if you don't eat it. Did I mention peanut butter stays good for months?? I used to think that peanut butter wasn't a "real" protein (I tried the vegetarian thing for a little while, and received some confusing information), and it's true-it is technically a legume and does not contain all of the essential amino acids that make something a complete protein. However, grains just so happen to contain the "missing pieces," so as long as I eat those too I am covered. They don't even have to be eaten in the same meal, but you can't really have a pbj sandwich without the bread! Along with the sandwich, I also had an ounce of Baked Lays potato chips and a 6 oz cup of fat free cherry yogurt.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (tortilla)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1/2 cup (Baked Lays)

Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.22

Dinner
Matt decided to cook dinner tonight, which I can never argue with-especially when I have worked all day and don't get home until 8pm. His idea of cooking tonight (which I have absolutely no problem with) was to make a pizza (compliments of his work) using our pre-made pesto sauce. As usual, he added sliced tomatoes (extra, upon my request) and chicken along with mozzarella cheese, of course. He used thin crust tonight, which was a nice change. To go along with my pizza, I steamed 1 1/2 cups of frozen broccoli in the microwave and tossed it with Smart Balance and Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning blend. Instead of drinking juice with dinner, I had 6 dried apricots on the side-which counts as 1/2 cup of fruit. It was a nice, fairly effortless meal for a Sunday night...and at least part of it was free!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 1/2 oz (pizza crust)

Fruits: 1/2 cup (dried apricots)

Vegetables: 1 3/4 cups (tomatoes on pizza and broccoli)

Milk: 3/4 cup (cheese on pizza)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (chicken on pizza)

Oils: 3 teaspoons (pesto sauce and Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.97

How did I do today?

Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (3 ½ were whole)

Fruits: 1 1/2 cups out of 2 cups

Vegetables: 2 ¾ cups out of 2 ½ cups

Milk: 3 1/4 cups out of 3 cups

Meats & beans: 6 oz out of 5 ½ oz

Oils: 5 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $4.18