It's SATURDAY!!!!! Aren't you happy??? I know I am! I am not feeling well due to sinuses, cold and throat and what not but I am still blessed and happy. I decided to take some time to relax today so I it doesn't get worse although I will be pushing through and working out today for my Plyometric and Cardio workout...but I don't have to leave the house since it is a dvd I am working out to today. I did start my day with a delicious bowl of oatmeal (not the 1 minute kind) with honey, cinnamon and a chopped up peach. I wish I had some almonds or walnuts to add to it but next time I will. Also, I really wanted to go back to my old habit of putting brown sugar in it but the cinnamon and honey really tasted good. I also used 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup of Silk Almond Milk original to cook my oats in. It only took about 5 minutes and it was done.
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| IT really was delicious! |
I wanted to start by saying that TIME is important and we need to do our best at making TIME for the things that matter. It is a balance between things such as fun, work, family, friends, working out, etc. Everyone has there share of things they need and want to get done. You probably have heard the phrase, "People make time for what they want to make time for". Usually I here that when discussing relationships and what not but I think it comes into play with working out as well. Working out and planning healthier meals takes time but it CAN be done and doesn't have to consume your day which allows you to partake in fun things like hanging with friends and family, catching a movie, shopping, reading a good book and things like that. We NEED to make time for our health even if it is not something that we just want to do. It is vital in living your best life and extending your life span as well as being healthy and able bodied as you get older. YES...one day we may be that old person driving on the road getting honked at or getting our senior coffee from McDonald's lol. I know I want to be around to see my grandchildren and great-grandchildren (God willing) so I plan to start doing my part to make this happen! I deserve it and SO DO YOU!!!
TIME TO PLAN YOUR GROCERY LIST AND MEALS!
I do not usually shop at Wal-Mart. My favorite grocery store is Market Street and then Whole Foods but I know they can be more expensive than Wal-Mart but I love their customer service, fresh produce and variety of healthier options. Your shopping CAN be done at Wal-Mart though just sharing my opinion on my favorite places to shop. I also shop at Tom Thumb and Kroger occasionally for the decent prices they have on fresh seafood, quality meats and good service. I know that eating healthy can seem expensive but it doesn't have to be that much more expensive. Just plan your meals accordingly and stay in budget as well. It is kind of like some ladies wanting the nicest clothes, bags and men who also love those things or nice cars.....we pay for those quality items...so why not take that into account with what we put in our bodies. Our body should be our biggest investment. Feeling energized and feeling good is as if not more important than how we dress and what we drive. But I like nice things as well, so not knocking it! :)
MY STAPLE ITEMS
Here are a few things I usually have and promote healthier choices.
- Basalmic Vinegar (GOOD FOR SALADS AND MEATS)
- Honey
- Sea Salt (Not regular table salt, sea salt is better for you)
- Olive Oil (Healthier fat than vegetable oil)
- Fresh veggies/Frozen Veggies (I always have spinach and romaine lettuce)
- Oatmeal (Not the quick cook kind)
- Fresh fruits and Frozen fruits
- Tuna
- Lemons
- Green Tea
- Almond Butter (Love love LOVE on Banana's...great healthy snack)
- Fish (Experiment with sauteeing, baking and grilling and not just tilapia)
- Shrimp
- Chicken Breast
- Brown Rice
- Brown and Wild Rice
- Eggs (I buy cage free)
- Water
- Whole Wheat Pasta (although this month I am limited my carbs from pasta and bread)
- Low-fat milk or Almond Milk (yum)
- Almond, walnuts, etc
- Mulit-Seed Crackers (see them on my day 2 or day 3 post....so DELICIOUS!! Blue Diamond has a brand as well. Don't do the wheatable's brand of them. My fooducate app rated them low.
- Smoked Salmon
- Fresh Garlic
- Water!!!!!!! (Get a pitcher and add sliced cucumbers and a splash of lemon for a change)
These are items you can usually find at my house...Even more now since I am doing better.
PORTION CONTROL
Just because you are eating healthy DOES NOT mean eat eat eat! You should still not over indulge in the good things because you can still create fat by eating too much. I read in Tosca Reno's book, "Just the Rules" (in the Eat, Clean Diet series) that you should have....
- 1 serving of lean protein (Size usually palm of hand)
- 1 serving of complex carbs from whole grains (Can fit in one cupped hand)
- 1 serving of carbs from fruit or veggies (Equal 2 hands cupped together).
NEW MEAL ALERT: Spicy Open Faced Tuna Melt
I found a great meal I am going to make next week. I found it in Oxygen Magazine. It is called a Spicy Open Faced Tuna Melt (If you haven't got the January Edition you may want to, or women's health and for the fella's men's health).
Ingredients: 2 Whole Wheat English Muffins, 7 oz can tuna, drained, 1 stalk of celery finely chopped, 1 T red onion minced, 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed, minced, Ground black pepper, 2 tomatoes sliced, 2 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese and serve it was a side salad of mixed greens with balsamic vinegar. It is 371 calories with a total fat count of 8g, saturated fat is 4g and protein is 39g!!!
Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees and in a bowl mix broken up tuna with a fork. Add celery, onion, jalapeno and a few dashes of black pepper. Mix to combine. Place english muffin halves bottom side down on a baking tray. Top each half with about 1/2 cup tuna mixture, 2 tomato slices and cheese. Bake for 5 minutes until cheese melts. While you are waiting, make your side salad.
SOMETHING NEW
I hear how flax seeds and chia seeds are great to add to meals. For instance, chia seeds can help you recover quicker and lessen soreness from your workouts as well as being high in Omega-3 Fatty acids which helps keep good nutrients in and bad things out. You can put them in water and they great a gel. Saw a recipe and if you add blended up frozen strawberries kind of makes a healthy jam to add to toast or a PB sandwich. Flax seeds can be added to yogurt and oatmeal and probably other things. It is low in carbs which is great for those limiting starches and sugars. Its a combo of healthy fat and high fiber content which makes it great for weight lose or maintaining a healthy weight. You can incorporate the flax seeds in yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, shakes, baked goods, pancakes, applesauce, salad dressings and so many other things.
QUICK TIPS
Instead of getting ice cream try a lemon sorbet or something of that sort. Frozen mangoes are a good sweet treat as well.
Instead of grabbing chips for a late night snack, have a small bowl of cereal and add some flax seeds, use low-fat milk of your choice but find a healthier cereal not the sugar loaded type.
MY GROCERY LIST
Today or Sunday is a great today to plan your meals and hit the grocery store! Here is my list for next week....
- Chia Seeds
- Flax Seeds
- Frozen Bluberries
- Frozen Strawberries
- Bananas
- Tilapia
- Shrimp
- Chicken Breast
- Smoked Salmon
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- V8
- Avocado
- Frozen green beans, brussel sprout and broccoli
- Minute Wild Rice and Brown Rice cups
- Brown Rice
- Whole Wheat English Muffins
- Ezekial Bread (full of fiber and grains)
- celery
- red onin
- tomatoes
- fresh spinach and romaine lettuce
- honey
- cottage cheese
- edamame
- mandarin oranges
- apples
- almonds
- sweet potatoes
- shredded mozzarella cheese (part skim)
- greek yogurt
- peaches
- multi-seed crackers
- water
- cucumbers
WELL THAT IS ALL FOR NOW FOLKS!!!!! Happy shopping! Leave a comment and tell me a few things you have on your grocery list! I like to try new things and have a variety! Change it up sometimes and it won't get boring!
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, IDEAS, or just want to contact me for something email me at wymichelleblogs@gmail.com
I love this. Thanks for sharing. My only problem I have when grocery shopping is including healthy "kid friendly" foods. DaVonte and I love eating healthy and trying new recipes, but we have to remember our 2 y/o who is a VERY picky eater. Also, I saw a salmon pinwheel on one of the blogs, do you have a recipe?
ReplyDeleteHmmmmmmmm! Well what type of things does he like and don't like? I could try to think of some things for him. My big sis would be great at answering that. She has two little boys and she does great at giving them healthy options.
ReplyDeleteFor the salmon pinwheel you just take two slices of the salmon, between both of them the recipe said use 1 T of low fat cream cheese and spread it on the salmon then roll it up. They are SOOOOOOO good Summer! I add a few chopped green onions to give it a lil' extra pizazz lol. But also if you look at my links to websites it will be on the "web md" website that I linked to the website section.
And thanks Summer! I am really loving blogging about this experience to help me and others focusing toward the same goal
ReplyDeleteAt this moment, I do know that my sister lets my nephews have those whole grain cinnamon pop-tarts and they love them. Does he like string cheese?
ReplyDeleteSmoked salmon? Yes, he likes string cheese and grilled cheese, pb&j, and other basic kid foods, but he will NOT eat veggies. I am thinking about puree veggies and put in sauce over pasta and see if he will eat it. It is SO expensive buying the "right" foods. I stopped buying at Walmart awhile ago, and it feels like most of my money is spent on food. I went to Reasors last weekend and spent $140 and my basket did not seem that full. I would love to shop at Whole Foods more, but it is too expensive.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to stop buying processed foods, packaged foods, and frozen foods.
ReplyDeleteYes it's smoked salmon. In package usually found near the seafood department/butcher area. And yea I get select things from whole foods. I love market street because better prices than whole foods but offers lots of healthy things like wf. And yes it is best to not get as many processed foods and shop the perimeter of the grocery store and not up and down the aisles as much. My Sis always told me that. Pinterest has a whole snack pack for kids that could also give you some creative ideas for his meals. And pureed is a great idea! Bet he will like it.
ReplyDeleteSummer, you can google "the sneaky chef" and you will find a book about strategies for sneaking in healthy choices for kids. I, personally, am not very sneaky. My kids have been known to order salad or carrots instead of fries when out to eat. I'm not saying they don't like them but they just like the healthy stuff too. They don't always like my healthy choice cooking (especially if it looks "weird"). My rule is that you have to at least try what's on your plate and if you really don't like it after that then you can say "no thank you." I also never make separate food. As long as they've been eating table food, they get what we get. It may sound mean but if they don't eat then they're just out of luck. They'll get milk to drink and that gives them a little something in their bellies. Most often they eat so it doesn't end up being an issue.
ReplyDeleteThanks Wylisha! That is great information!
ReplyDelete