I'm Too Busy to Eat Healthfully

 I don't know about you, but at 4:30pm, when I realize that I don't know what I'm making for dinner, and the family is rotating around me like natives on the warpath, I am not inclined to follow through with that plan for grilled salmon and wild rice.  No, I reach for a box of mac 'n cheese and hope I can get it on the table before the screaming starts.  Then I realize that I am starving, and since I am not going to take the time and I don't want to clean up the mess from making two meals, I sit down and eat some mac  'n cheese.  I don't even like boxed mac 'n cheese!!! ( Homemade stuff, well that's another story.)  Any way, I decided to take this problem in hand.  I purchased a huge amount of chicken from Zaycon Foods.  *Details on how to do that to follow.*  While separating 40lbs of chicken into 1 lb packages I saw some limes on my counter.  My favorite marinade is a lime-honey-southwest concoction.  Inspiration struck!  I made up a double batch of the marinade and poured it into 4 of the chicken bags.  Then I thought, "why stop there?"  So I grabbed the last of a container of ranch dressing, some poppy seed salad dressing and a teriyaki marinade and doctored up a couple more bags.  At the end, I had bagged 13 lbs of chicken with marinade and put them in the freezer.  All I have to do is pull a bag out in the morning and let the chicken marinade as it thaws.  Seriously - this is genius!  Okay- I know people have been doing this for years and that pinterest has tons of examples.  But I never do it!  This time I did.  I'm pretty excited.  The coolest thing is that I am less likely to order Pizza, go out to dinner or, --gasp-- make mac 'n cheese!

So one more excuse down for me.  I now have time, for at least 13 meals, to eat healthfully.  :)  What are your best tips?

Zaycon chicken is the most awesome stuff I have found.  It is about $1.68/lb. which is crazy low in my area of the country.  More than that, this chicken does NOT have added hormones!!  It is NOT pre-frozen and I have been so happy with the quality.  If you would like to get some check them out here. They also have bacon, and salmon and a bunch of other things.  They are not in all areas, but they might be in yours, and if they aren't, send them a message and let them know that you are interested.  Maybe, if there is enough interest, they'll come to your area too.  :)
https://www.zayconfoods.com/refer/zf1982

Peanut Butter Smoothie & Chocolate 'Malt' Smoothie

This is a great smoothie.  It tastes like Reese's Pieces in a glass.  So good.  More than that, it is also healthy and less than 300 200 calories!  Sounds like a great breakfast to me.  It also keeps me full all morning.

Peanut Butter Smoothie

1 scoop Vanilla Attain Powder. (You could substitute SlimFast powder or any meal replacement or protien powder.)

1 Tbl. Creamy peanut butter

8 oz. or 1 cup Coconut Milk

1 Cup crushed ice

1 Medium Banana

Blend all ingredients until smooth.  Pour into 2 glasses.  Enjoy with a friend.  :)

 This tastes like a chocolate malt shake, only it's not a shake, and there isn't any malt.  How is this possible?  Nutella.  Oh yeah!  My friends know that I have a slight obsession with Nutella, but I had never considered adding it to a smoothie.   After all, it is a high calorie treat.  But- it's only 10 calories more than peanut butter.  I can work with this.  :)  Turns out, it is delicious and I still came in around 200 calories. And it seriously tastes like a creamy, yummy ice cream shake. Decide for yourself.  Make this soon!

1 cup Vanilla Soy milk
1 small to med. banana
1 Tbl. Nutella
1 scoop vanilla Attain powder
1 cup ice

Blend well and pour into 2 glasses, if you can stand to share.  But you must share, or it's not 200 calories. lol.

Calorie breakdown--

1 scoop attain powder -- 120 cal.
1 banana 90-105 cal. depending on size
1 cup soy or coconut milk 70-90 cal. depending on brand
1 Tbl. Peanut butter 90 Cal.
1 Tbl. Nutella 100Cal.

Each shake averages 190 Calories, based on 2 servings per recipe, or 380 calories for the entire recipe. :)

Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon

My sister-in-law is an amazing cook.  By amazing, I mean Ah-Mazzzz-ing!  She was trained by a (the, at the time) head chef at the Sun Valley Lodge.  Yeah, the Sun Valley Lodge Dining Room, the one where you can run into Hollywood stars nearly any day of the week.  But truthfully, I think she would have been an amazing cook even if she hadn't worked under the great chef.  She is good at everything.  She took some cake decorating classes, and now she teaches the cake decorating classes for Wilton - not even kidding.  She is also a phlebotomist.  I have no idea how or why those things go together.  I suppose it shows how well rounded she is.  Any way --- the point of the brag-fest on my SIL is that once, when my family was visiting hers, she made us this super yummy dinner.  It was salmon, red potatoes, and broccoli with cauliflower.  Now my husband does not like fish and he had seconds!  Seriously, some of the best restaurants in the country have not tempted him with their fish, but he had seconds!  It was so good I can still taste it.  Mmmmmnnnn. . . . . .  Oh, yeah, um you're still here?  Oh of course you are, I haven't told you how to make it.

Well, when my sister-in-law made it, she used butter and brown sugar and oh my it was good, but my waistline can't handle that and neither can my sugar levels, sooooooo - I changed it.  WAIT!  Don't leave!  It's still good.  And by good I mean really really good.  I will not pretend that it is exactly the same, but it is delicious nonetheless, and there is absolutely NO guilt.  So I will show you how I make the salmon, and you can choose.  Make it my way, or my sister-in-law's way.  Either way it is delicious and fish is still good for you with all those omega-3 fatty acids.

There are no specific measurements.  Instead I employ the drizzle, shake and eyeball methods.  Trust me, it's easier than you think.

These are your ingredients.  Notice in the top right corner you can see a cedar plank.  The actual plank that I used is soaking in the sink in water.  You have to soak the plank for 30 min to a few hours or it will start on fire.  I soaked mine for 2 hours, and it still caught on fire, which is why in the next picture you will see a bottle of water.  You need this to cedar grill your salmon.  Trust me on this one.  :)

1/2 way through cooking.  See the smoke at the top of the picture?  Great flavor there.  However, I did smell like a campfire when I was done.

It's done.  Okay, I like mine a little more done that most people, but I still think it looks beautiful.

 Here's how you make it.  Score your salmon down to, but not through the skin.  drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the salmon and use your hands or a spoon to push the mixture into the fish.  sprinkle with Splenda or whatever your favorite sugar substitute is, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper and parsley and your favorite flavorings.  But, the salt pepper and parsley are actually enough.  I did add some chili powder and garlic.  Preheat your grill for 10 min.  Then turn it down to low and put your plank on the grill. After about 5 minutes you should see smoke coming from the grill.  Open it, and if any of your plank is on fire, squirt it down with water.  Place the fish on the plank and cook about 20 min.  Check it often.  You can also bake this in your over, minus the cedar plank.  Eat immediately. 

 If you want to do it my sister-in-law's way.  Rub butter into the salmon, sprinkle about 4 TBL brown sugar over that, and squeeze 2  fresh lemons or limes over that.  Rub all that into the salmon with your hands.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper and parsley.

Seriously yummy.  Let me know how it turns out for you.  :)

Spices:
 juice from 1 fresh lemon or 1 Tbl. lemon juice
Old Bay (you will just sprinkle on top- so no real measurement, but I'd guesstimate 1 tsp.
1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 1 tsp. garlic salt (reducing the sea salt if you use this)
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
Pepper (again, sprinkle it over- not a real measurement)
Salt (see above)
1 Tbl. splenda or honey
1-2 Tbl Olive Oil

Drizzle Olive oil and honey (or sprinkle splenda) over your fillet.  Then drizzle the Lemon Juice over the salmon.  Next, sprinkle all other ingredients on the fillet, making sure to cover the entire fillet.

Poll

I have a question for you, my awesome followers.  I am no longer diabetic, but as I have previously stated, I should be eating as a diabetic anyway.  I have moved from needing to eat to keep my sugars in check, to needing to eat this way to lose the extra weight and then keep it off.  So I am going to continue the blog.  My question is, would you rather see:

a) Daily food logs
b) healthy recipes
c) exercise logs
d) a combination
e) who cares? do what ever floats your boat.

Please vote in the comments section.  Thanks. -- Oh, if I don't get any votes, I will assume it's e. ;)

Re-done Lasagna

 I love lasagna!  I love the gooey cheese, the meaty tomato sauce and the soft noodles.  I love it!  Admit it, you do too.  However, I don't love the MAJOR caloric intake.  Oh my, some recipes will cost you a days calories in one serving.  Not good.  So, I changed that.

 

 This is the lasagna we had for dinner tonight.  It has some very significant changes from a traditional recipe.  First I used half the noodles, then I added carrots, and celery to the meat, and last, I used a miniscule amount of cheese.  Guess what?  No one but my husband noticed.  The kids scarfed it down and so did I.  It was delicious!  My honey couldn't get past the carrots in the lasagna.  I normally shred carrots into my hamburger while it is cooking, but I only had a package of pre-cut carrots.  They were Julienne cut so they were clearly visible.  My bad.  It's a texture thing.  However, this is a diet and diabetic friendly version of lasagna that only took about 30 minutes to throw together.  

Rochelle's Easy Healthy Lasagna

9 egg or whole wheat lasagna noodles

1 pound of ground beef

1/2 c. shredded carrots

1/4 c. sliced celery

1/4 c. diced onion

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, or 2 cups homemade sauce

1 16oz container of cottage cheese (low fat is fine)

1/4 c parmesan cheese

1 c. Italian cheese blend (low fat mozzarella, Parmesan and asiago are what I used)

1 tsp. of basil or parsely

1 egg

Cook the noodles to al dente. While they are cooking fry the beef and drain.  After you drain the meat, add the carrots, onion and celery and cook a bit longer, until the celery is bright green. Once your meat/veggie mix is finished cooking add the spaghetti sauce.  In another bowl stir the cottage cheese, the 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, the egg and the parsley or basil together.

In a 9x13 pan place about 2 tbl of sauce on the bottom of pan and spread around.  Lay 3 noodles down and add 1/2 of cottage cheese mixture.  Next layer 1/3 of the tomato mixture.  Add 3 more noodles, the rest of the cottage cheese and another 1/3 of the tomato mixture.  Layer on 3 more noodles and then the last of the sauce.  Now add the Italian cheese blend. Spray some foil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna.  Bake for 1 hour at 375.  You can remove the foil the last 10 min. of cooking if you want, but I didn't and still got a nice browning of the cheese.  

Don't tell your family its healthy.  ;)

I'm Still Kicking

So I logged onto the computer for the first time in 2 weeks and was rewarded with more hits on my blog.  It is so great that so many people have followed my journey.  I have been officially declared NOT DIABETIC!  It has been an amazing feeling!  I am still committed to the diabetic diet, however.  For one thing, I now like fruit more than chocolate.  Who knew that was even possible?  I also ate yogurt instead of ice cream last night.  It was an automatic response.  I won't complain about that.  Don't get me wrong; I am enjoying the freedom to eat a candy bar, but it isn't a craving, it's a choice.  I will continue to post, but it will be a week or two longer before I can maintain a regular schedule.  So please enjoy my past posts and check back in with me in a few weeks.  Thanks for your support.  :)

Another Meal Option

Time is short for me these days and keeping a food log is hard.  Still worthwhile though.  At the same time, since I have a shake almost every morning and the same things for lunch every day, it is a little repetitive to post here.  I still want to show what meals are helpful to my sugars though.  I also find it helpful to my own nutrition goals to keep posting, so although I may not post full days of food logs here, I will still post meals and options that have helped me.  :)

A few weeks back I told you that a friend of mine has the most amazing recipes.  Last night I used one of her most delicious.  It is a version of Caesar Salad, that does not have fish in the dressing.  This is really important to me since one of my family members is allergic to certain types of fish.  It is a little like Russian Roulette to find a Caesar dressing for him, and yes it is his favorite.

This is not a low cal food, but it is good for a diabetic or someone following the South Beach diet (which happens to be the diet that 3 doctors have recommended that I live on and the lady at the Diabetes Center also recommended).  The marinade for the chicken does not have sugar, and the dressing, while made with mayonnaise, also is low on the sugar scale.  Additionally, if the croutons are too much for your sugar levels, they are easily removed.  The meat is grilled, not fried and the cheese is Parmesan so a little goes a long way.  It is my family's favorite salad.  :)  We had it with sugar-free jello.

A Diabetic Meal Broken Down

I thought I would put up some examples of some meals that don't raise sugar levels to outrageous levels and try to explain why.  I'm not a doctor, or nurse, so I may be wrong on why, but I have tried to understand this illness and how it works in my body, and this is what I think.  If you want to correct me- PLEASE DO!  I want this blog to be helpful to those who are struggling with diabetes, pre-diabetes, and gestational diabetes.

Mini-wheats with a little fruit in the middle.  Served with unsweetened Almond milk rather than regular milk.  Why this works: While this cereal does have 29 grams of carbs, it only has 10 of those from sugar.  Additionally it has 6 grams of fiber which slows the digestion process.  The unsweetened almond milk does not have any sugars and has between 1-5 grams of protein, depending on what brand you buy.  The whole grain wheat, protein and fiber combine to keep you full and slow the digestion process enough to keep your sugar levels in check. Cheerios work great too, as does oatmeal (not instant) and whole grain toast with peanut butter and 1/2 a banana. 

This is an all American picnic meal.  A hamburger, potato salad and a green salad.  Why this works: protein from the burger and cheese slow the digestion process.  The bun should ideally be whole wheat or only 1/2 a bun, but once in a while a full out burger is okay.  However, there are no chips, jello salad, sweet baked beans or fries on this plate.  Instead there is a green salad, (and no I didn't use dressing, but you could) and a small helping of potato salad made with real mayonnaise.  I have also stacked the burger with lettuce, and tomato.  The more veggies you add the better.  The veggies add a complex carb to your plate.  I did add sliced almonds to the salad, as they are tasty and add just a bit more healthy, fatty protein.  I like to be full.  There was no need for seconds, this plate was plenty. 

A diabetic can have pasta?  Really?  Yes really.  The ravioli is filled with cheese and the sauce is a meat sauce.  That is plenty of protien to counteract the carbohydrates provided in the pasta.  Portion size is, of course, critical with pasta, but the sauce and filling really help.  Also, I chose a vegetable that is more difficult for the body to digest.  A complex carb.  I don't cook the broccoli until it's mushy, just tender crisp.  That way my stomach does more work and I get more vitamins.  If this doesn't look like enough food for you, add a big green salad.  It is amazing how satisfying a good salad can be.

So there you have it.  Some examples of meals that I have eaten that haven't destroyed my sugar levels, and haven't required me to eat differently than the rest of the family.  It takes a bit of thought but the more you do it the easier it gets. :)

It's a Series of ReStarts

So I have been very complacent this week.  My sugars have reflected this the last two days, so has my weight.  3lbs this week.  Yuck!  Well, I will just have to restart.  Isn't this the way it always is?  With diets, To Do lists, exercise and all worthy goals there are set backs and restarts.  The successful just restart.  I think that what I previously thought was will power, is actually restart power.  It is the ability to not beat yourself over the head, but instead to recommit yourself to the goal.  So here I go again.  :)

I started out great on Thursday with a shake.

Then for lunch I had a turkey avocado sandwich.

swim lessons kill me.  Sitting outside in 106 degree weather for an hour and 10 minutes, weakens my resolve.  An ice cream float was necessary.

Dinner. A corn Dog, potato salad and watermelon.  This is not a diabetic meal, but it is what had to happen.  I am too tired to cook.  Hopefully now that swim lessons are over, I'll be better this week.

The next morning I started with a shake again.

for lunch I had a baked potato with cheese, ham, butter and gravy. I know, I know.  Not the best choice.

Swim lessons got me again.  It is sooooooo hot!!!

For dinner, there was no way I was cooking.  Frozen pizza and watermelon.  I had 4 slices of watermelon and 2 slices of pizza.

late night snacking killed me.  chips and dip, a snickers bar, a diet soda and a piece of my son's bar cookie.  Then I was sick all night.  Lesson relearned.

This is Getting Old

Eating is getting old.  I'm serious.  I look at my lunch options, and they are yummy, but I walk away because I just don't feel like eating.  I'd rather grab a handful of chips and be done.  I will measure my sugars, but I still don't feel like eating, even when I know I should.  I think it's the weather.  It is hot, and I mean hot outside.  108 is not weather to eat in.  I am, however, perfectly happy to drink anything!  I want shakes, smoothies, soda, ice cream floats, water, water and more water.  I think it is probably a normal reaction to a hot summer, but when you are diabetic, it isn't an option.  My husband brought me home all the fixings for turkey, avocado sandwiches to entice me.  He's a good man.  I'll have one today.  I know that it keeps me from eating all the stuff I shouldn't.  M&Ms are fast, as are chips and cookies, and when you haven't eaten, because it is hot, you find yourself snacking - at least I do.  Today will be better.  :)

shake for breakfast

a whole 3 chicken nuggets at lunch.  No Sauces.

a Cheese stick for a snack.

ravioli and broccoli for dinner.  I know the portions are small, but I am so tired of heartburn that I refuse to eat a full portion of anything at the moment.

chips and dip for a snack.

snacked on these too.

and my son made bar cookies- yup, snacked on these too.

Back Again

I took a break last week.  It was a rough week, and blogging just wasn't in the cards for me.  But I am back this week. My sugar levels were pretty good yesterday and this morning, so even though the end of day snack was a bit high in sugar, it was still alright.  Here is yesterday's food log.

I tried the vanilla Attain for the first time.  Sooo delicious.  I love this stuff.  I used coconut milk and a banana and it was a little tropical happiness in a glass.  And sugar levels stayed low and hunger stayed low.  Nice, huh?

Don't let the picture fool you.  I had a nice big helping of strawberries.  I did not add more cream, as I am getting used to eating without adding sweetness, but I did have triple this amount of strawberries.

Watermelon.  It is so hot where I live.  I seem to want fruit and that is it.  Watermelon is that fruit that hydrates and satisfies.  It is very sweet, but hasn't affected my sugar levels thus far, so I happily chow down.

Okay- when you only have strawberries and watermelon for lunch, you will get hungry very quick.  About an hour after lunch, I had some yummy potato salad. Only about a cup.

My sweet hubby bought me Rolos.  Because they are individually wrapped I can have just 2-3.  I get my chocolate/sweet fix and don't eat a whole candy bar.  It is a nice compromise.

Thanks to Pinterest I learned that you can bake potatoes in the slow cooker.  It was 108 degrees yesterday.  Being able to make dinner in the slow cooker was awesome!  I had one potato with broccoli, (actually, I ended up adding more broccoli after taking this photo- it was so yummy).  I also topped it with cheese, ham, gravy and yes, some sour cream.  It is an odd thing, but baked potatoes turn to sugar in the body really fast, so if you are going to eat one, putting fat on it is a GOOD thing.  Weird huh?  But the fats slow the absorption of  the sugar by slowing the digestion process.  It is also a small potato with lots of broccoli.  As a diabetic, you can eat anything- but you must understand what the food does in your body and how to compensate for undesirable effects. 

It is vanilla ice cream and raspberry soda.  No I did not opt for sugar free this time.  I could have, but it isn't as good.  Plus, I have a theory, that at some level, sugar is better for our bodies than substitutes.  It gets back to that whole moderation thing that I keep bringing up.  One soda float, once in a while, will not hurt me.  Seconds are not an option.  It also can't be a daily occurrence. 

Food Log - a Little Late

This food log is from last week.  I wasn't able to get it up, so you get it now.  Aren't you excited?  My sugars were low, so I didn't watch what I ate.  I also didn't feel well.  I talked to my doctor, and she is having me increase my protein.  She thinks I am spiking fast from all the carbs and then dropping low. She is probably correct.  So the last few days I have been much better, but I don't record my weekends, so I won't have a log until tomorrow.  :)  For now, here is my very very naughty Wednesday.

Cupcake.  I only had one.  My friend brought it to me, and it was yummy.

This is a cherry shake, not a strawberry smoothie.  Made with ice cream and everything.

burrrito for lunch.

hamburger helper for dinner.  I think we have this once a year.  It is tasty. 

love my shasta.

snack

and almond milk

and a serious chocolate craving.

Food Log- again. lol

If you have suggestions for topics you would like me to blog about, let me know.  Mostly, if you have questions about what it's like to be diabetic; or what changes have been hard or easy to make; or if you want to have a recipe changed up so that it is more diabetic friendly- please let me know.

Until then, here is another food log. :)  I had a hard time eating yesterday.  I was so tired, and just really didn't feel like I wanted any food.  I did force myself to eat some, because it is important that I do.  It is actually important that anyone does.  Skipping meals is not healthy. 

Shake for breakfast.  Tell me you're surprised. :)

A few steamed veggies started my lunch.

A handful of grapes.

A cheese stick.

and 1/2 of a sugar free pudding and lunch was over.  I didn't feel like eating, the small amounts I had, were all I could handle.

Easy dinner.  Soup over rice.  

I actually had vanilla ice cream with toffee bits and some caramel topping, but I didn't have a picture, so this is the picture I am using.  Later I had a healthy handful of cashews.