Ok. I have a confession to make. You all know that I love to cook and I'll admit that I pride myself in being able to do that well. But the thing is, I come from a long line of very old fashioned, Southern cooks. The food has been absolutely divine......but not all that healthy. (sigh) True story. So I decided to make some changes. I don't know if it has to do with getting older (and perhaps wiser?) - But I came to place in life where I actually started craving healthy foods. The things that I once couldn't stay away from...don't really tempt me that much anymore. I truly want healthy food that is going to be good for me. It's not a big chore to eat right anymore and I'll admit, that is a nice feeling.
I've just been taking better care of myself in many areas of my life. Foods, medications (I wasn't very astute about taking my asthma meds - but I won't miss a dose now), taking vitamins and supplements, taking time to relax and recharge my mind and body - these things have become very important to me.
So, back to food. Since I have a houseful every day - between homeschooling and my husband working from home - it was hard for me (or at least for a long time I *thought* it was hard) to cater specifically to my own food needs. I have a family to cook for and my husband is really particular about his food and wants certain things - things that aren't necessarily the healthy choices I want for me. But I found a way to cover all my bases - pleasing my husband with the food he expects but still having my own needs taken care of.
And it's been so easy!
I've completely changed what I do for myself for breakfast and lunch and it's made a world of difference to me. I feel better and have energy throughout my day. Energy is something I have been sorely lacking for a long while. But my breakfast and lunch menus now keep me going and also keep me full until the next meal so I don't really have the desire to snack. (But if I do, I keep some easy to grab healthy snacks on hand. - Protein being the name of the game ~~ I try to stay away from empty carbs.)
So let's get to my menu. For breakfast I simply mix some Chobani Greek yogurt (I buy the vanilla flavored one in the tub so I have enough for several days)...
....and I mix in some strawberries and blueberries.
Then I top if off with just a little bit of organic granola. I like to have some crunch. (This is the brand I'm currently using...in pic below.)
If I absolutely feel like I need a little more protein, I'll throw in a piece of cooked (of course it's cooked, lol) turkey bacon. That's it! It's simple, quick, easy and to be honest - most importantly - it leaves me filled and fulfilled. I'm really not hungry until lunch and I'm also not walking around fighting my own self over unhealthy cravings. I feel good. It feels so good to feel good. :0)
Now, moving on to lunch. It's really easy and simple too. I make a pretty big batch of this to last me a few days so many days all I have to do is heat it up. I start out with chicken. I always have chicken on hand because it is a favorite of everyone in my family. So I bake up some boneless, skinless breasts. I season them with pepper (everything is better with pepper in my book), rosemary and garlic. Sometimes I'll change the seasonings up, but that is my favorite combo. Then I cook up some whole wheat pasta.
Sometimes I'll change it up and use Barilla Plus pasta instead. I feel this is still a healthy choice because it is not made from white flour, but chickpea flour instead. So it's a good protein.
Then I chop up a mixture of raw veggies. These can change over time but I love broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and sweet peppers. But I use whatever I can get at the market. Sometimes I do have organic, but not always. It depends how often I can get into the city. City shopping = organic veggies. Small town shopping = equals nonorganic. It's just the way it is. So I steam the veggies. After it's all cooked it's just a matter of mixing it all together. Once it's in my bowl I add some more pepper (I love my pepper), just a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes and some Mama Francesca's Parmesan & Red Pepper cheese. Ok, yes, I like some spice, lol. But that product only has 1 carb and 25 calories for 2 tsp, so I don't feel bad about using it.
(Sorry the pic has a glare on the sprinkle cheese - but I wanted you to at least be able to see what it looks like.)
Again, this is a good meal and it keeps me happy and filled up and out of the kitchen trolling for unhealthy foods before the next meal.
For supper I still eat whatever I have fixed for my family. But I try to follow the 1/3 - 2/3 rule. I keep the meat or "main" dish to no more than 1/3 of my plate and make sure the 2/3 of my plate has veggie sides or a salad.
This routine is truly working for me and I'm happy and content with it. For so many years, I didn't think I could be happy without the more traditional/heavy foods that are staples of an old fashioned Southern soul food way of eating. But in the end, I have been able to go in a different, more healthy direction because I'm truly craving the better choices now. In turn, I've been able to see the difference in my energy level and the way I feel. Add in my vitamins and supplements and I'm just happier all the way around.
So there's my "go to" breakfast and lunch choices. What are your favorite healthy snacks or meals? I'm all ears and would love to get ideas from others. :0)