I was all jazzed about weighing today because on Friday (I snuck in a weigh) I was down 2 lbs … and still am … although I was hoping for a bit more. Ah well, every pound counts. So, as of today, that’s 38 gone … and so many to go. Sigh.
Another good day at the pool. And I think, in general, that I’m moving around better. I haven’t used a cane in quite some time. Always looking for the positives.
Topic for today: Food
My menu plan is pretty repetitive, and I’m always on the lookout for interesting recipes. Cooking for one or two can be tricky when you’re watching your portion size, have specified foods, and don’t want leftovers. I track my foods and calories with the MyFitnessPal app which also has lots of recipes for meals tailored to people who want an easy-to-make, healthy alternative. All the recipes have a maximum of 8 ingredients and are 400-calorie (or less). You may enjoy these are meals to spice up the routine.
CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN TOSTADA
Ingredients
- 1 6-inch corn tortilla, baked
- 1/4 cup (42.5 g) canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 6 tablespoons (42.5 g) rotisserie chicken breast meat, shredded
- 1/4 cup (12.5 g) romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (65 g) tomato salsa
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Top tortilla with black beans, chicken, romaine, salsa and cheese.
Nutrition Information
Serves: 1 | Serving Size: 1 tostada
Per serving: Calories: 233; Total Fat: 7g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 23mg; Sodium: 494mg; Carbohydrate: 24g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 5g; Protein: 22g
And if you’re thinking … what about the whole can of beans or tortillas that come in a package of 12? No need for you to have a bunch of open cans. Tortillas can be kept in the freezer and defrosted, one at a time. Same with cranberries – buy a bag of frozen cranberries and cook the required amount from frozen, in a little water. Takes only a few minutes. Add a little sweetener, some grated orange zest, a little cinnamon – whatever you like. Black beans can be frozen in individual serving freezer bags, too. Just rinse them well, divide and freeze. Or buy frozen black beans in the frozen veg section of your supermarket and use what you need each time.
Some other helpful food tips for dieters: chicken is a necessary staple. An easy way to have it on hand is to buy a rotisserie chicken and shred all the meat. Whatever you don’t use, place in a single layer on a jellyroll (cookie sheet with edges) pan and put in the freezer for a couple of hours to “flash freeze.” Then remove it from the freezer and put it in plastic freezer bags. Makes it easy to take a handful of chicken saute with vegetables or add to soup while it’s cooking. You can go straight from freezer to pan or soup.
LOW-CARB BLT WRAP
Ingredients
- 2 slices (20 g) center-cut bacon
- 1/4 medium (15 g) lemon
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 2 large basil leaves, finely chopped
- 2 large bibb lettuce leaves
- 1 medium (90 g) Roma tomato, thinly sliced
- 1 large (50 g) hard-boiled egg, peeled and sliced
- Dash of coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
Cook bacon to desired doneness. Set aside on paper towels to drain excess fat.
Grate 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest into a small bowl. Squeeze about 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice into the same bowl. Stir in mayonnaise and basil.
Spread 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture on each lettuce leaf. Top with tomato, egg, and bacon. Sprinkle with pepper. Wrap leaves around filling and enjoy.
Nutrition Information
Serves: 1 | Serving Size: 2 lettuce wraps
Per serving: Calories: 280; Total Fat: 16g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 207mg; Sodium: 464mg; Carbohydrate: 12g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 7g; Protein: 12g
Nutrition Bonus:Potassium: 121mg; Iron: 6%; Vitamin A: 11%; Vitamin C: 11%; Calcium: 3%
1-MINUTE BERRY PEANUT BUTTER SMOOTHIE
Ingredients
- 3 ounces (80 g) fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) reduced-fat milk
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) creamy natural peanut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) honey
- 1/2 cup ice cubes
Directions
Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.
Nutrition Information
Serves: 1 | Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Per serving: Calories: 156; Total Fat: 8g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 1mg; Sodium: 57mg; Carbohydrate: 19g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 9g; Protein: 5g