Real Food Dinner Ideas

After a conversation with a friend the other day regarding eating habits, she asked me to share with her what we eat on a regular basis...

So, I thought it would be good to make a list that I could reference and share with others as well!

Dinner Ideas:

***As a general rule all of our ground beef/steak is grass-fed, chicken is organic and free-range, eggs are cage-free/organic, and bacon is nitrate free
***Bread, tortillas, pasta and all baked goods are whole grain

• Tacos - make your own.  Either using black beans, fish, chicken, steak, or ground beef 
• side ideas: cheese (shred yourself), avocado, salsa, grilled veggies, sour cream, guacamole, olives...
• Bacon, lettuce, avocado sandwiches (we don't like raw tomato, but you could use it)
• Whole chicken in a crockpot <--Recipe link
• Make chicken stock with the leftover bones then have...
• Chicken Noodle soup (Recipe link) the next day or
• Beef Stew (use the chicken stock from above... NOT beef boullion)
• Macaroni and Cheese - Homemade
• Grilled chicken, fish (wild caught), or steak with a "side" see below for list of sides
• Homemade Chicken Nuggets (Recipe Link)
• Spaghetti (or other pasta) with either ground beef or Homemade meatballs...
•  I usually buy the organic marinara from Vons or Traders for this, but we have also made our own sauce with fresh tomatoes
• Meatball sandwiches using the meatballs from above
• Pizza (homemade, a good meatless option)
• a whole grain dough recipe has been tough for us to find that we like, so we use either Trader Joes whole wheat pitas, their wheat dough (which is NOT whole grain, so not great), or we have been trying different recipes
• We use a mix of whole milk mozzarella, sharp cheddar, and fresh parmesan...all freshly shredded.  (preshredded cheese includes an anti-caking preservative)
• Eggplant parmesan
• use homemade whole wheat breadcrumbs
• Quiche (Recipe Link)
• Salad... endless possibilities (link)...with homemade dressing
• I try all sorts of dressing recipes off the internet... as long as they have real ingredients
• Almost all storebought dressing is full of preservatives and soy, it takes about 3 minutes to make my own and they taste SO much better
• for the kids we do the salad ingredients in bowls and they can choose what they want either on a salad or seperately
• Omlettes, fritada, waffles, pancakes, french toast, hootennanies (these are a cross between scrambled eggs and french toast)
• whatever breakfast for dinner you can do using whole grain flour/bread
• Use fresh fruit and 100% pure and organic maple syrup

Side Ideas:

• Brown Rice
• Quinoa
• Whole grain couscous
• Noodles and breadcrumbs
• Baked potatoes
• Red, sweet, yukon potatoes (roasted)
• Grilled/roasted veggies (whatever is in season)
• FRUIT!! <-- We have fruit at every. single. meal.

Food thoughts

Feeling a bit of a struggle these past two weeks.  All the festivities surrounding Hannah's birthday and the kids being home for spring break and then Easter has me having a few more 'cheat' days than I would like. 

I read something from Isabele at Beyond Diet the other day... if you blow it, take the next few days and do a sort-of detox.  No flour, dairy, or sugar...drink more water than normal and walk more.  Today was supposed to be the start of that, but the temptation of some Easter bread got to me and I had three pieces, argh!!  It was not whole grain and was full of sugar.  Not to mention I was in a weird mental place the past few days due to an over indulgence of sugar both Saturday and Sunday.  I need to get ahold of my sugar intake again.

So, tomorrow will start my mini-detox and I will be giving up wheat and sugar for two days and drinking extra water/tea. 

As far as excercise goes, I have taken up running!  Yes, it is as shocking to me as anyone.  I regularly go 2-2.5 miles and have made it as far as 3 running with another mile walk!  I am still aiming for 6 days of movement per week and am now looking for at least 30 minutes each day with something more intense than walking around the block. 

Weight is holding steady. Somewhere between 144 and 146 each weigh-in... although I am giving myself a few days to recoup from the scale from this past week.  I am going to make a goal of 140 by the end of May.  I really do think I can push through this plateau and get there by really being mindful of my portions and wheat-related items. 

I need to get more veggies in the house tomorrow and focus on some plant-based meals!

Early April garden update

Well, this year has been crazy in terms of weather.  Such a mild winter has led to some late-season chillyness and (finally!) a little rain here and there.  I guess many people have lost some of their early plantings due to the frost/freezing temperatures.  <---At least that is what the guy at the nursery told me last weekend.

**Apparently it is a rule-of-thumb that the last frost/freeze of the year is on or before March 15**

We replaced the cucumbers with some watermelon seedlings last weekend.  I am hoping they do better than the cucs did, and there is no reason they shouldn't do well.  I will make a note of the exact variety as soon as I think to check. 

Our bibb lettuce is ready to be early harvested, it is crazy how fast it grew!  I am planning on trying it in a dinner this week. 

Peppers and tomatoes and onions are growing well.  The one snap-pea plant and eggplant are growing slower, but doing just fine.  The squash and zucchini and beets look to be hanging on, but not yet thriving. 

The carrots are starting to sprout. 

I did take some photos on the 7th and will be adding them as soon as I get them ready. 

Since we have been having intermittant rain, I have been giving a heavy soak every third day or so - more time if it has rained.

Real Food Defined

I have mentioned in several posts that we have started eating 'Real Food'.  By this I mean food that is as close to it's original state as possible.  At the present time, these are the general guidelines I go by when purchasing and preparing food.

• If the food has a label, look at the ingredients list instead of the nutrition information. 
• Can you pronounce all of the ingredients? 
• Would your Great-Grandma know what these ingredients are?
• Are there more than five ingredients? 
• Are there any hydrogenated oils? 
• Are there any preservatives?
• Whole Grain: When eating a grain, eat a WHOLE grain. 
• Whole wheat flour, whole grain corn, brown rice, oats... just look for the term WHOLE. 
• Fats and Cooking Oils:
• Butter, olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, and a few others fit the bill. (NO-soybean oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower or safflower oil)
• Produce:
• Aim to buy as much produce at farmer's markets and through CSAs as possible. 
• When buying at the supermarket try to buy organic if it is fairly cost effective, or at least as local as you can.  I would buy strawberries grown in the USA over organic strawberries grown in Chile. 
• Keep the 'Dirty Dozen' list of the most pesticide-ridden fruits and veggies in mind.  Aim for organic items from this list when possible.
• Meat: Here is my run down on buying meats...
• For chicken, I buy local, organic and pastured whenever possible... at the least organic...and at the VERY least vegetarian fed. 
• Beef, buy 'GRASS FED' and organic.  If possible, look for a local source.
• Sausage and bacon, look for 'uncured' and nitrate/nitrite free. 
• Sweeteners:
• Local, raw honey...NOT from a grocery store.  Raw honey is good, raw AND local is better.
• 100% Pure maple syrup
• 100% juice, preferably fresh squeezed and as a sweetener and not a beverage
• Sugar in (major) moderation.  Unrefined, organic cane sugar is a good choice when baking at home. 
• Dairy and Eggs:
• Eggs should be organic and cage free.  When possible, I buy from a local farmer directly. 
• Dairy should be as whole as possible. 
• Whole milk, cream, sour cream, plain yogurt, cheese, etc. 
• I look for pasturized, not ultra-pasturized milk products. 
• I am exploring the option of raw milk products...like raw cheese.
• Avoid pre-shredded cheese products due to the anti-caking additive used. 
• Avoid canned goods due to BPA used in the lining of the cans. 
• Use dried beans and grains, prepare them yourself
• Frozen fruit and veggies are ok, as long as you don't cook them in plastic in the microwave.   
• Overall, aim to prepare as much food at home as possible!!

Weight Loss thoughts...

Last week I was feeling pretty good.  I *thought* my weight was down to the lowest it had been, but it turns out that I might have had scale sabatoge...there was a piece of fabric under one side of the scale foot that caused it to read differently, boo!  Even so, I did have lower-than-normal real readings putting me down between 9 and 13 pounds on any given day.  Success considering I was at a plateau and feeling frustrated about two weeks ago. 

[I am promising myself that my next post will explain my current eating "guidelines"...not exactly rules, but something I am striving to stick to.] 

I am feeling a little hungry this week compaerd to last week.  Last week I felt satisfied with my food intake and was not having/barely having the afternoon cravings.  This week they are back a little, although not anything like the ravenous sugar addict cravings I would have in the afternoons before.  I am trying to make a point of eating something plant-based and non-sugary when I do feel hungry...an apple, carrots, nuts, or a little trail mix that John made last week.  I did break into my frozen stash of 'healthy' oatmeal cookies yesterday. 

I can totally tell when I have had sugar or white flour, the crash afterward is terrible.  It is bad enough for me to think twice and avoid those foods when possible. 

My new normal is to allow a little wiggle room in my eating on Friday and Sunday nights.  It's like a conditioned response to the day.  I start craving different foods than during the week.  Although the feeling afterward is pretty blech! 

Cucumber's Down

Well, about two weeks in and the cucumbers seem to be gone.  It was either way to early to plant them, or the cold temperatures last week got to them.  (Which also points to it being way to early to plant!)

Unfortunately the zucchini plants are looking pretty bad as well.  I am willing to replant in a few weeks if they keep going downhill. 

On the upside:

• ALL of the lettuce and strawberries look fabulous. 
• The peppers have new growth - all but one plant look really healthy.
• The beets seem to be holding strong.
• All other plants are looking ok as well.

Watering is about every third day, every other day if it hits 70 degrees.  We are looking at some rain this week, so I am hoping it doesn't flood the beds.  Rain is supposed to be good for this stuff, right?!?  :-)

Garden Diagrams

So, I do have real photos as well, but here is my little diagram of what we planted in our two raised-bed garden boxes. 

I have read so much about the need to keep a detailed journal about our garden so I know what to do and not do next year.  Hopefully this diagram will help me remember exactly what we planted this year.
 
So far, I think we have too much. My plan is to thin out the plants as they grow. I will keep the stronger plants and if many are strong I might transplant them. We planted these last weekend, and already the cucumbers look to be a little frail. We did have one evening this week that was pretty close to freezing. I was pretty nervous about all we had just planted, but the rest of the week the temperature was better and most of the other plants still look pretty healthy.

I had no idea how much to buy and planning out ahead of time was tough because I didn't know the best method, there just seemed to be too many factors...

• Plant spacing
• Companion planting
• Size of grown plants
• How many plants came in a container
• What would we try to plant from seeds
• What all we wanted to have in our garden
• What would do well in our climate and though the hot summer
• What would the store have in stock, or was it too early to try to plant that variety

So, I just went with what looked healthiest at the nursery, a decent variety, and what sounded good.

Making the Raised-Bed Garden

I am so lucky in that I have John on board with changing our diet.  We had been planning on building raised-beds for this area for a few years, but it just never ended up high on the priority list.  Thankfully, we have had so many nice weekends weather wise this year,  John was able to build them over Valentine's Day weekend. 

Obviously, a home grown vegetable garden fits many criteria for eating a Real Food diet.  Plus, there are so many other benefits.  (More on that later.)

Here is the area where the beds will go, we had cleared some weeds and John dug down and leveled off enough area for both beds.

We chose to use 12' long redwood boards.  Use REDWOOD or CEDAR, anything pressure-treated will leach chemicals into your home-grown veggies...blech!

John, busy cutting the boards to more manageable 8' and 4' pieces.

And here are the finished boxes!!  8' x 4' beds...so excited to get to planting!!

 
Notice the staggered corners... much stronger.

Positives

At the begining of my research, I found a lot of the information to be really depressing.  Looking back, it sounds so silly.  Yet, despite the fact that I knew a change would be for the best... I went through a little mourning period.  I guess we kind of have to do that when it comes to major change.  Mourn the loss of what was to really move on to what IS. 

In January, as I was really diving into my food research 'eating healthier' was kind of a vague idea for me.  I went to the grocery store looking for better quality chicken, shelf-stable products that did not contain high fructose corn syrup, tried to aviod soy and wheat products, and aimed to buy a lot of fruits and veggies.  There were several foods suggested, and I readily went searching for them, regardless of the cost.  This was a poor decision... and I decided to slow down and make smaller changes. 

Last month, in the process of my reading I came across this blog: 100 Days of Real Food.  This blog is the journal of the Leake family and how they went from eating similarly to the way we did to eating nearly entirely "Real Food".  (I put that in quotes because I realize that term must be defined at some point.)  Through reading that blog I realized that we COULD change our eating habits... it was do-able.  The decision they made and the "rules" they made for what to eat were strongly based on a few books and ideas written by Micheal Pollan.  <---More on Pollan's writing soon!

Through seeing what the Leake family did, I really started to look at this journey in a more positive way.  Instead of what we couldn't eat... I started seeing what we COULD.  Instead of hearing about the diseases that might be caused by the horrible way we, as American's, eat... I started to see the diseases that COULD be avoided by eating better.  Instead of worrying about the food we were now eating being different from what we were used to eating... I started to actually taste the food we were preparing and really LOVE it.

So at this point I am gaining momentum and excitement for this "Real Food" life. 

January 4th, the Weigh In, and a Realization

I need to back up a little here. 

Basically, I felt like crap.  I was in a desperate funk and viscious cycle of sugar dependance that went beyond my control.  Yes, this sounds dramatic.  Yes, I realize that we probably made better, healthier decisions that 70-80% of the American population... no I don't think I am fat... just fatter than I would like to be. Yes, I am still relatively healthy and this was not spurred by a health scare. 

All that being said, looking back, I needed a change.

(Backing up even further, two years ago John and I each lost a substantial amount of weight following the Weight Watcher's POINTS plan.  We have both kept it off for the most part... Of the 20 lbs. I had originally lost, I had gained back about five pounds, and after the holidays was up another 3-5 pounds.  John had lost around 40, and gained back 5-8 as well.)

So, I headed back through the doors of Weight Watcher's again on January 4th.  The official weigh in was 155 pounds. 

My goal, 140 pounds.  So 15 pounds... totally doable.

The only problem is that Weight Watchers has changed their plan to POINTS Plus.  A significantly different plan that I was used to.  You still count pionts, but the basis for determining the point value is different... calories don't matter.  They take into account Carbs and Protein instead.  All fruits and most veggies are 0 points.  I was allotted 26 points for each day.  This took some getting used to, and truth be told the first day was the hardest with most days getting better after that.

Following the plan for a week, I lost 3.6 pounds!  Yay!

About half-way through the second week I happened upon a random web video from this site: BeyondDiet.

The video highlighted 5 foods that you should NEVER eat... artificial sweeteners, whole wheat bread, soy, juice, and foods containing HFCS.  While I knew about the artificial sweeteners and corn syrup and for the most part, juice... I was unaware of the harm from whole wheat and soy. 

For whatever reason, something in my brain clicked that evening watching that little low-budget video from this site that (to be completely honest) looked pretty hoakie.

From that point on, I have been researching diet myths and truths.  Trying to sort the differences between fact and hype is rediculously hard.  Manufacturing food companies, the corn industry, big pharma (haha-oh the irony!), fast food chains and countless other industries  benefit and profit from the horrible foods that we all eat and have become addicted to.  They do their best to make their food sound healthy and safe.  The truth, I am finding, is that it isn't. 

Our food supply is UNSAFE, UNHEALTHY, and just plain WRONG in SO MANY ways.

(This is when I started to realize that Weight Watcher's is not the healthiest choice for me.  I will go into this on another post, but as of right now I have decided to continue going to weigh in each week for the accountability.)

So basically this is the story of where I am at, trying to sort out what foods will be healthy and safe choices for my family without being thought of as a snobby food freak.  I need to be able to live and socialize in the real world, but make good decisions.  I need to know which foods are healthy and safe and which are horrible...all the while trying to lose the weight. 

~W

**As of today's weigh-in... I am down 4.6 pounds!!**

A decision, and a new blog

Because of my insane need to compartmentalize my life, I have started this little seperate blog.  I am so hyper-obsessive.  I know this about myself.  Sometimes I HAVE to indulge my obsessive tendancies and let them run their course. 

I hope a healthful lifestyle and this way of living is not just a fad of mine.  I hope this blog becomes a real journal of my thoughts, struggles, and triumphs in losing weight and changing my lifestyle. 

Really, I am in the zone and on the brink of a pretty major lifestyle change and I am feeling a little like a kid lost in the woods.  I know I will make it out safely...or learn to survive...

So, hello new and personal blog.  I hope you become a document of a serious lifestyle change.

~W