Healthy Meals

peacehawk

Someone mentioned sharing healthy meal ideas and recipes. I figured we should start discussions on each of the ideas we tossed around, then everyone can join in or not as it works for them.

Food swap ideas, whole meals, one part of a meal, snacks, etc. would work well here. Add pictures if you want

So...healthy meal ideas anyone? Don't forget dessert!

McShorty129

I'm currently learning all about MUFA's - (pronounced Moo-fahs) which are monounsaturated fatty acids...in other words, the GOOD fat! The upside is they are mostly delicious - dark chocolate, olives, nuts, etc. The downside is they sometimes are high in calories. According to my latest research, you should include a MUFA with every meal. I've been trying to do this daily and so far, it isn't too hard to incorporate. So here is my yummy healthy meal for today...it's also what I had for breakfast
- Chocolate Strawberry Waffle

• 1 multigrain frozen waffle ( I just buy the Kroger brand)
  1/4 cup Nestle's Dark Chocolate Chips
  1 cup fresh strawberries - quarted
  Dump chocolate chips on waffle and toast at 350 degrees in oven or toaster oven for a couple of minutes until chips start to melt.
  Add strawberries and enjoy.
  
  I'm trying to eat every 4 hours and keep my calories around 300-400 per meal. Kind of tricky to do sometimes and I am usually over a little at the end of the day, but I'm not eating 3000 calories a day, everything I eat is healthy and my goal is to eat as many "organic" versions of the food as possible. Looking forward to hearing feedback on this healthy meal if any of you try it!

peacehawk

McShorty129 wrote: »

I'm currently learning all about MUFA's - (pronounced Moo-fahs) which are monounsaturated fatty acids...in other words, the GOOD fat! The upside is they are mostly delicious - dark chocolate, olives, nuts, etc. The downside is they sometimes are high in calories. According to my latest research, you should include a MUFA with every meal. I've been trying to do this daily and so far, it isn't too hard to incorporate. So here is my yummy healthy meal for today...it's also what I had for breakfast
- Chocolate Strawberry Waffle

• 1 multigrain frozen waffle ( I just buy the Kroger brand)
  1/4 cup Nestle's Dark Chocolate Chips
  1 cup fresh strawberries - quarted
  Dump chocolate chips on waffle and toast at 350 degrees in oven or toaster oven for a couple of minutes until chips start to melt.
  Add strawberries and enjoy.
  
  I'm trying to eat every 4 hours and keep my calories around 300-400 per meal. Kind of tricky to do sometimes and I am usually over a little at the end of the day, but I'm not eating 3000 calories a day, everything I eat is healthy and my goal is to eat as many "organic" versions of the food as possible. Looking forward to hearing feedback on this healthy meal if any of you try it!

Sounds delicious,

McShorty129

Thanks! It was almost TOO chocolatey though...I never ever thought I would hear myself say those words! #progress!
heh heh

McShorty129

I made these "cupcake" brownies the other night and they were pretty good. Low cal but still meets that chocolate need. I topped mine with a little whipped cream and a half of a strawberry as pictured in the link. Tasty!

http://www.food.com/recipe/cupcake-brownies-ww-97952

peacehawk

Oooh yum. I'll have to try that.

One of my favorite magazines also has a great website.

Www.eatingwell.com

McShorty129

The only thing I can report for today is that I have learned to like organic peanut butter. I have found the trick to this stuff is to store it on your counter so you can continuously 'flip the jar'. If you store it upright at all times, all the oil settles to the bottom and the peanut butter is not tasty. Lol....I just keep it on the counter and when I walk by it, I reach over and turn it upside down, then flip it back the next day - repeating every day.

peacehawk

Good tip. I'm not much of a peanut fan, unless it comes with chocolate, so I don't usually like the healthy organic stuff. I am still stuck on the stufd with added sugar and crap. I eat as much organic as I can afford, I grow a lot of my own veggies then can, freeze or dry them, but peanut butter is something I'll have to ease in to. I don't eat that much of it anyway.

When I do eat peanut butter, my favorite non chocolate way to eat it is either on apples or with applesauce instead of jelly. Adding a dash of cinnamon makes it extra yummy too.

peacehawk

Here is my favorite omlette. a local coney makes this and it is amazing, so I have started making my own version:

Popeye's Omlette

*2 Or 3 eggs
*A whole bunch of spinach-don't skimp! go for a whole 10 oz box if frozen, or 3 cups chopped raw (it is also delicious using chard)
*Feta cheese. I usually use about 2 ounces
*A touch of olive oil if you don't use a nonstick pan

Saute the spinach until it is totally cooked, but still beautiful bright dark green. Remove from pan and set aside.

Beat the eggs and put them in the pan. If you can make it stay in omlette form, that's great. I mess it up about half the time and willingly turn it into a scramble.

Once the eggs are about halfway done, pile on the spinach and feta. cook until done.

Put on plate and eat. add a dash of hot sauce if you want, the spicy vinegar taste goes great with the spinach and salty feta.

I think that may be today's breakfast. Heading out to the garden to harvest some chard after I feed the dogs.

McShorty129

That sounds delicious! I keep trying to figure out ways to grow our own vegies. We live on the Ohio River in Kentucky so our "yard" is pretty much river! It's hard to explain but it's kind of like this: (top of hill) Our house with very small yard and large back deck, then there is a flat area (we refer to it as the "1st flat"), another hill, 2nd flat, another hill then river. The problem with a garden is the 1st flat floods fairly often and the rest of the yard is pretty shady. I'm looking into growing some stuff in the 'gutter gardens' that I have seen online. I think we can attach those to the side of the house or shed and grow items that have shallow root systems. We'll see come spring!

peacehawk

Spinach doesn't mind some shade, and cooler weather too. if it gets too hot, it bolts and goes to seed very fast. I've had such bad luck growing spinach because of that, that this year I planted something called "perpetual spinach". it isn't really spinach, but it tastes just like it and is very similar in nutrition. a great seed catalogue to get is the fedco catalogue. they have all kinds of stuff, and they tell you about an amazing variety of just about anything. Even if you donIt order from them, their gardening advice is amazing. I save the catalogues just for growing tips every year. their prices are the best as well.

I've seen those gutter planters on line. they are a great idea.

You can use almost anything to plant a container garden in your space...planters, 5 gallon buckets, old shoes or a kids wagon. There are no limits.

spinach does well in containers.

peacehawk

Brussels sprouts greens:
serves 2

4 Cups brussels sprouts greens, thouroughly washed and sliced into bite sized pieces

1 Tbs. oilive oil heated
Add 2 cloves garlic and
1/4 Cup onions

Saute until fragrant (about 30-60 seconds)

Add greens and enough water to keep them from burning but not to make them soggy.

Put lid on pan.

Cook until desired tenderness. Check every 5 minutes or so, adding more water as needed.

You can cook any greens this way. Some of my favorites are chard, beet, and spinach greens.