Thursday, March 12, 2009
More Minus!
Just wanted to tell you: I'm a couple of pounds lighter! For all you anglophiles out there, that's almost a stone!
Groceries for Granted
I'm probably, time allowing, going to go to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to do my big grocery shop for the next couple of weeks tomorrow. I try to buy enough stuff to last for a couple of weeks, and I think it's been over two since I last shopped. The supplies are looking rather lean and have required some creativity on my part to fashion a varied group of grains, veggies and proteins into a somewhat edible, pleasing meal.
I find that I'm getting a little bored with my fish/grain/veggie combinations I've been making lately. I've fallen into a rut of cooking a piece of fish, usually sauteed, with some veggies and either rice, polenta, or quinoa. Although these are usually delicious, I am going to have to branch out a little this week to avoid getting bored with these fabulous foods.
I digress a little here, but what does it say about our society that I'm complaining about getting bored with my food, which is by no means cheaply made or produced? I could go on and ask what it says about our society that I'm even overweight? I could write another blog on that though because processed food has so skewed the perception that obese/overweight = wealthy. In fact, the poorer you are, the more likely you are to be obese or overweight because the more likely you are to buy cheap processed foods with harmful, fattening ingredients and chemicals, and the less likely you are to have access to inexpensive fresh vegetables. I can't find the link for you (I did try) but I read an article in the Nashville Scene perhaps a year ago about large poor urban areas of town that are not near any grocery stores and are not on direct bus routes, so the people who live there can mostly only shop at gas stations and fast food restaurants, unless they make a two hour bus trip or have a car, so most people living in these areas have no access to fresh foods.
I'm complaining right now about all the foods I've had to give up or limit. I'm complaining that I don't have a decent job and I don't have much money, and groceries are expensive. At least I have a car though and at least I can drive to the grocery store of my choice and buy, within reason and strict budget, enough healthy fresh food to last me for a couple of weeks. I should be grateful, right?
O.K., Lenten mental self-flagellation aside, I do run the risk of getting bored, so any suggestions of delicious recipes that don't take the fish/vegetable/grain format are very welcome. I am going to try a Gillian McKeith (of BBC America's You Are What You Eat) recipe for a vegetable "meat"loaf that looks delicious, but beyond that I just don't know. I don't want to run the risk of going to the grocery store tomorrow and buying all the same things and then getting them home and not wanting to eat them. Help!
I find that I'm getting a little bored with my fish/grain/veggie combinations I've been making lately. I've fallen into a rut of cooking a piece of fish, usually sauteed, with some veggies and either rice, polenta, or quinoa. Although these are usually delicious, I am going to have to branch out a little this week to avoid getting bored with these fabulous foods.
I digress a little here, but what does it say about our society that I'm complaining about getting bored with my food, which is by no means cheaply made or produced? I could go on and ask what it says about our society that I'm even overweight? I could write another blog on that though because processed food has so skewed the perception that obese/overweight = wealthy. In fact, the poorer you are, the more likely you are to be obese or overweight because the more likely you are to buy cheap processed foods with harmful, fattening ingredients and chemicals, and the less likely you are to have access to inexpensive fresh vegetables. I can't find the link for you (I did try) but I read an article in the Nashville Scene perhaps a year ago about large poor urban areas of town that are not near any grocery stores and are not on direct bus routes, so the people who live there can mostly only shop at gas stations and fast food restaurants, unless they make a two hour bus trip or have a car, so most people living in these areas have no access to fresh foods.
I'm complaining right now about all the foods I've had to give up or limit. I'm complaining that I don't have a decent job and I don't have much money, and groceries are expensive. At least I have a car though and at least I can drive to the grocery store of my choice and buy, within reason and strict budget, enough healthy fresh food to last me for a couple of weeks. I should be grateful, right?
O.K., Lenten mental self-flagellation aside, I do run the risk of getting bored, so any suggestions of delicious recipes that don't take the fish/vegetable/grain format are very welcome. I am going to try a Gillian McKeith (of BBC America's You Are What You Eat) recipe for a vegetable "meat"loaf that looks delicious, but beyond that I just don't know. I don't want to run the risk of going to the grocery store tomorrow and buying all the same things and then getting them home and not wanting to eat them. Help!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Food (b)Log #12
I still need to do these every once in a while, just so I can let Ms. RD know what I'm eating and she can check up on me and make sure I'm still doing everything right.
Breakfast:
1 small whole wheat roll with 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp jam.
Mandarin Orange
Lunch:
1 bowl of leftover spaghetti carbonara (made with minimal olive oil, 1 beaten egg, and about 1/2 tablespoon parmesan cheese per serving). I made the carbonara with vegetables instead of meat, so it contained onions, mushrooms, green beans, green onions and tomatoes too.
I pear
Dinner:
4 oz Mahi Mahi, sauteed
1 serving Polenta, also sauteed (there were about 3 slices)
1 tomato, sauteed
About 2 cups fresh spinach, wilted
About 1 tablespoon olive oil (I "misto"ed, but quite liberally as the polenta was sticking).
Dessert:
1 banana
1 tablespoon semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon pecans
Breakfast:
1 small whole wheat roll with 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp jam.
Mandarin Orange
Lunch:
1 bowl of leftover spaghetti carbonara (made with minimal olive oil, 1 beaten egg, and about 1/2 tablespoon parmesan cheese per serving). I made the carbonara with vegetables instead of meat, so it contained onions, mushrooms, green beans, green onions and tomatoes too.
I pear
Dinner:
4 oz Mahi Mahi, sauteed
1 serving Polenta, also sauteed (there were about 3 slices)
1 tomato, sauteed
About 2 cups fresh spinach, wilted
About 1 tablespoon olive oil (I "misto"ed, but quite liberally as the polenta was sticking).
Dessert:
1 banana
1 tablespoon semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon pecans
Things to do With a Banana
First, get your mind out of the gutter! I am suggesting that you eat it. I bought some bananas a couple of weeks ago and I've kept them in the fridge, but they are starting to go brown and it's no fun to eat a banana that's gone all brown and slushy. So what can you do apart from throw them away or make fattening banana bread?
Well, I stole this idea from my Girl Scout days. Take the banana and slice into it vertically all the way down lengthwise, so you have a huge slit. Open up the banana and stuff it with a tablespoon of chopped nuts and a tablespoon of chocolate chips.
You can be lazy, like I was tonight, and put the stuffed banana in the microwave for 1 minute, or you can wrap it in foil and bake it at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. However, the best way to cook this is wrapped in foil and nestled in the embers of a fire, or the coals of a charcoal grill. That way you also impart some smokey flavours. Yum.
This is a great antidote to a sweet craving, and it's even mostly healthy, except for the chocolate chips.
You'll also be pleased to know that the moratorium on alcoholic beverages is going well. I haven't freaked out yet. I'm hoping though, that the calorie reduction is worth it. I had better lose some weight for giving up my precious Savignon Blanc. I sound like Gollum:
"my preciousssssss." I went out for a 30th birthday party on Saturday night as the virtuous DD and had a great time, sans booze. I think I might be more obnoxious without it, if my singing along to eighties videos loudly and dancing badly is anything to go by.
I haven't had a chance to blog much in the past few days. I'm putting my house on the market in the next few days, so all efforts have been devoted to that. Happily for my metabolism, this has involved much physical labour, including many hours yesterday spent digging, raking, pruning, weeding, bagging leaves, and hauling around bricks and rocks. I became aware of many muscles in my buttocks and thighs I had forgotten I owned.
I also have a little side job at my friend's flower shop (Brocade Design Arts) in downtown Nashville. Most of the deliveries are on foot, so I get to jaunt around town carrying flower arrangements, which gives me a little exercise here and there. So I've been getting up off my arse and moving around, even if I haven't had time to schedule dedicated work-outs. I hope to be able to resume my walking/running very soon when my house is finally listed, but until then, I continue to wield paintbrush and rake.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Skinnying Your Pocketbook?
You might wonder how much it costs to do this "diet"? You might look at some of the ingredients I'm using - the abundance of fish, the fresh vegetables and fruits - and think you could never do this because surely it would cost a fortune.
Well, I am currently just out of graduate school and chronically under-employed. I'm working a couple of part-time jobs to survive, trying to unload an expensive mortgage, and trying to find someone who'll give me a forty-hour job with benefits. Yet, I'm still managing to eat pretty well. You might think I'm crazy, but I argue on a regular basis that my way of eating is actually cheaper than buying processed foods or take-out/fast food.
There are a couple of tricks to eating well on a budget. I love fresh, natural food and I'm not about to give it up and start hitting the $1 value meal at Wendy's or McDonald's because I'm a little skimpy about the wallet. Here are some hints to keep you healthy during the lean times:
1. Grains are cheap. Try buying grains from the bulk bins. This means you will have to invest in some containers for them and some stickers to remind yourself what they are, but it's a one-time investment that you can pick up pretty inexpensively at Wal-Mart or Big Lots. Try bulk quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, cornmeal polenta, wheatberries, or bulgar. All are about $1.50 - $2.00 a pound at Whole Foods or a couple of the local natural food markets.
2. Legumes are cheap too. The same applies as above. Even with buying some in cans, like black beans and chickpeas, you'll still get a lot of bang for your buck. Now if you decide to go hardcore and purchase big packets of lentils and dried beans, or, as above, purchase them from the bulk bins, you'll save even more. Keep in mind though, that a lot of dried legumes have to be soaked overnight.
3. Fresh vegetables that are in season are cheaper. Look for these deals. In winter, carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, and leeks, to name a few, are pretty cheap, even the organic versions. If you can find a way to buy locally grown, at a farmers' market, a natural grocery, or even your local market, do, because you'll probably get better produce for as cheap if not cheaper. Organic, locally grown produce has more nutrients too, so you're getting a better nutritional bargain overall, and that's the best kind of bargain. Corn, salad greens, peppers, basil, spinach, and eggplants are all plentiful during the summer and spring, so stock up on the fresh versions of them during the warmer times. Just watch the prices and what your local market has a lot of, and you'll start to get an idea of what is in season.
4. Don't totally discount frozen fruits and vegetables. In winter, when you can buy fresh corn, but here in Tennessee, it doesn't taste anything like the fresh local corn you can get in summer, so I get frozen. Frozen is fine to add to dishes like chili, pastas, and mixed vegetable dishes. I also buy frozen peas. I can't really taste the difference. If I'm making a spinach dip, lasagna, or ravioli, I'll use frozen. Again, I can't tell the difference, so why not go with the cheaper option? In any other season but summer, berries are ridiculously expensive and they come from far, far away, leaving a great big carbon footprint. However, having frozen berries handy for adding to cereal, yogurts, for snacks, for smoothies, is great, especially if you're having a sweet craving.
5. Shop the deals: Even swanky grocery stores like Whole Foods have deals. Look in the meat and fish sections and see what's on sale. Sometimes you'll be surprised at how cheap things are if you're willing to be flexible and creative. I got an unbelievable deal there last year on sirloins. It was only around for a week, but I scooped up enough of them on sale to feed me for a couple of weeks.
6. Buy condiments. If you have a good supply of condiments and seasonings at home, your home-cooked creations will be tastier and you can express more creativity in your cooking. Even with basic ingredients, spices, herbs, oils, mustards, seeds, nuts, and vinegars can help you create unusual dishes. I like to just pick up a couple of these items with every major shopping trip so I have a good supply on hand. If you try to buy them all at once, obviously this could get expensive, but just picking a couple makes this expense manageable. Some condiments, especially Asian and Mexican ones, are cheaper at Asian or Mexican markets, so don't be afraid to go in and check out their selections.
7. When you can, shop at the best place for the best item. No one has unlimited time to go grocery shopping, but you have to admit there are some places that have a great selection of some items, and a horrible or expensive selection of another category. I try to shop around a little. In the summer, I buy limes and cilantro from the Mexican market down the street. Year-round, I buy fish, olive oil, and parmesan cheese in bulk from Costco. Aldi has great and constantly changing deals on a variety of items. Whole Foods sells bulk grains for cheap. They also sell Lavash, unusual fruits and vegetables, and specialty items you can't find anywhere else. I buy local farm milk from The Produce Place down the street. I also stop in there for things that need replenishing often, like eggs, bread, and some veggies. My major shop I do every two weeks at Trader Joe's, but I stop into the aforementioned places throughout that time too.
6. Don't buy ready-made, processed meals. These are expensive. If they are not expensive, they are probably no where near real food. There is also no possibility for leftovers (which are big moneysavers) and this is where stores make most of their profit. There is a reason for that. You are paying for the convenience with your wallet and your waistline.
8. Know the price of everything you buy. Some items can be surprisingly and inexplicably expensive. Watch the cashier ring them up and check your receipt. I recently didn't follow this advice and brought home a $7 container of orange juice I thought was $2.99.
I generally spend under $40 a week on groceries, all stops and all places included, and since I eat over 90% of my meals at home, this represents the bulk of what it costs to keep me running. I consider the expense worth it and I don't think that the equivalent of what it costs to eat two meals out is too outrageous for supplies to make approximately 21 meals, sometimes more.
Well, I am currently just out of graduate school and chronically under-employed. I'm working a couple of part-time jobs to survive, trying to unload an expensive mortgage, and trying to find someone who'll give me a forty-hour job with benefits. Yet, I'm still managing to eat pretty well. You might think I'm crazy, but I argue on a regular basis that my way of eating is actually cheaper than buying processed foods or take-out/fast food.
There are a couple of tricks to eating well on a budget. I love fresh, natural food and I'm not about to give it up and start hitting the $1 value meal at Wendy's or McDonald's because I'm a little skimpy about the wallet. Here are some hints to keep you healthy during the lean times:
1. Grains are cheap. Try buying grains from the bulk bins. This means you will have to invest in some containers for them and some stickers to remind yourself what they are, but it's a one-time investment that you can pick up pretty inexpensively at Wal-Mart or Big Lots. Try bulk quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, cornmeal polenta, wheatberries, or bulgar. All are about $1.50 - $2.00 a pound at Whole Foods or a couple of the local natural food markets.
2. Legumes are cheap too. The same applies as above. Even with buying some in cans, like black beans and chickpeas, you'll still get a lot of bang for your buck. Now if you decide to go hardcore and purchase big packets of lentils and dried beans, or, as above, purchase them from the bulk bins, you'll save even more. Keep in mind though, that a lot of dried legumes have to be soaked overnight.
3. Fresh vegetables that are in season are cheaper. Look for these deals. In winter, carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, and leeks, to name a few, are pretty cheap, even the organic versions. If you can find a way to buy locally grown, at a farmers' market, a natural grocery, or even your local market, do, because you'll probably get better produce for as cheap if not cheaper. Organic, locally grown produce has more nutrients too, so you're getting a better nutritional bargain overall, and that's the best kind of bargain. Corn, salad greens, peppers, basil, spinach, and eggplants are all plentiful during the summer and spring, so stock up on the fresh versions of them during the warmer times. Just watch the prices and what your local market has a lot of, and you'll start to get an idea of what is in season.
4. Don't totally discount frozen fruits and vegetables. In winter, when you can buy fresh corn, but here in Tennessee, it doesn't taste anything like the fresh local corn you can get in summer, so I get frozen. Frozen is fine to add to dishes like chili, pastas, and mixed vegetable dishes. I also buy frozen peas. I can't really taste the difference. If I'm making a spinach dip, lasagna, or ravioli, I'll use frozen. Again, I can't tell the difference, so why not go with the cheaper option? In any other season but summer, berries are ridiculously expensive and they come from far, far away, leaving a great big carbon footprint. However, having frozen berries handy for adding to cereal, yogurts, for snacks, for smoothies, is great, especially if you're having a sweet craving.
5. Shop the deals: Even swanky grocery stores like Whole Foods have deals. Look in the meat and fish sections and see what's on sale. Sometimes you'll be surprised at how cheap things are if you're willing to be flexible and creative. I got an unbelievable deal there last year on sirloins. It was only around for a week, but I scooped up enough of them on sale to feed me for a couple of weeks.
6. Buy condiments. If you have a good supply of condiments and seasonings at home, your home-cooked creations will be tastier and you can express more creativity in your cooking. Even with basic ingredients, spices, herbs, oils, mustards, seeds, nuts, and vinegars can help you create unusual dishes. I like to just pick up a couple of these items with every major shopping trip so I have a good supply on hand. If you try to buy them all at once, obviously this could get expensive, but just picking a couple makes this expense manageable. Some condiments, especially Asian and Mexican ones, are cheaper at Asian or Mexican markets, so don't be afraid to go in and check out their selections.
7. When you can, shop at the best place for the best item. No one has unlimited time to go grocery shopping, but you have to admit there are some places that have a great selection of some items, and a horrible or expensive selection of another category. I try to shop around a little. In the summer, I buy limes and cilantro from the Mexican market down the street. Year-round, I buy fish, olive oil, and parmesan cheese in bulk from Costco. Aldi has great and constantly changing deals on a variety of items. Whole Foods sells bulk grains for cheap. They also sell Lavash, unusual fruits and vegetables, and specialty items you can't find anywhere else. I buy local farm milk from The Produce Place down the street. I also stop in there for things that need replenishing often, like eggs, bread, and some veggies. My major shop I do every two weeks at Trader Joe's, but I stop into the aforementioned places throughout that time too.
6. Don't buy ready-made, processed meals. These are expensive. If they are not expensive, they are probably no where near real food. There is also no possibility for leftovers (which are big moneysavers) and this is where stores make most of their profit. There is a reason for that. You are paying for the convenience with your wallet and your waistline.
8. Know the price of everything you buy. Some items can be surprisingly and inexplicably expensive. Watch the cashier ring them up and check your receipt. I recently didn't follow this advice and brought home a $7 container of orange juice I thought was $2.99.
I generally spend under $40 a week on groceries, all stops and all places included, and since I eat over 90% of my meals at home, this represents the bulk of what it costs to keep me running. I consider the expense worth it and I don't think that the equivalent of what it costs to eat two meals out is too outrageous for supplies to make approximately 21 meals, sometimes more.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Less of Me
There's a pound and a half less of me! Yea! People are saying they can "see it in my face," which to me means I must have lost one of my chins. I think there are still a couple of superfluous chins to go though. I'm happy with this, although I am typically weight-loss greedy. I'm not just naturally greedy for food, I'm also greedy for pound-reduction. What does that say about my psyche, I wonder?
I've been working more this week, which is good for my wallet, but more challenging for my eating habits. Yesterday and today I had to scoff down a hurried lunch. Yesterday I managed the time to heat up a bowl of soup, but today's lunch consisted of a slice of bread and butter, a quickly put together bag of trail mix and an orange. I didn't like being so rushed because that's when I make bad decisions, usually. However, the trail mix held me over until dinner time quite well. This then, is my challenge of the week: be prepared for extremely rushed meal opportunities, especially at lunch; carry snacks at all time; have drinks available, either fizzy water or water bottle; find quick meals that travel well. In other words, get organized.
I've been working more this week, which is good for my wallet, but more challenging for my eating habits. Yesterday and today I had to scoff down a hurried lunch. Yesterday I managed the time to heat up a bowl of soup, but today's lunch consisted of a slice of bread and butter, a quickly put together bag of trail mix and an orange. I didn't like being so rushed because that's when I make bad decisions, usually. However, the trail mix held me over until dinner time quite well. This then, is my challenge of the week: be prepared for extremely rushed meal opportunities, especially at lunch; carry snacks at all time; have drinks available, either fizzy water or water bottle; find quick meals that travel well. In other words, get organized.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
We Can't All Be Perfect All Of the Time, Even Me.
This weekend I indulged a little. A friend I recently went to Ireland with got drunk and browsed the Internet looking for a Tea Cosy, but ended up buying it and an entire Full Irish Breakfast kit complete with bread shipped to his house. He text-messaged me late that night (I was already asleep) and said he had a surprise for me (see other blog about people sabotaging my diet!) and when he told me, initially I was panicked because I really wanted to eat it with him, but I was worried about packing on the pounds. However, I thought, screw it, I'll do what Ms. RD says to do with alcohol and fit it in. I'll just go light the rest of the day. Plus, I gave up alcohol this week, so I'm saving calories anyway. I love a good Full Irish Breakfast, and it's such a rare treat for me living in this neck of the woods that I had to jump at the opportunity. I googled the calories (a Full Irish with rashers, sausage, black and white pudding, grilled tomatoes, eggs, and Brennan's bread) and came up with a 1000-1300 calorie range. I bet on the higher range and ate with gusto. I wasn't hungry until later that night, so I had a little snack before bed. I enjoyed it. I relished it. I also planned for it, and didn't treat the rest of my day as having gone to shit just because I ate a big breakfast, which normally I would have done. I went back to healthy eating today too.
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