General questions about diet...

SilMarillion

Hi there,


Some basic info first: I'm a 43 male, 5' 10", 170lbs and I want to tone up, gain a little definition, and loose a little bit of fat around the middle.. I have an 18" scare running down the middle of my abdomen due to a surgery... and there is a fatty build around it that I want to loose....

So, I've started to run\jogging\walking 3 miles a day, and do resistant workouts with a weight machine at the gym every other day.

I am also modifying my diet and want to cut out all the "bad" foods.. So I have been eating a lot of raw veggies (carrots, grape tomatoes, celery, spinach, green beans) , fresh fruit (Cantaloup, Grapes, Mango, Strawberries Pineapple, Honey Dew, blueberry), and Quinoa along with salmon (poached), pork and chicken breast...

I am looking for ideas when it comes to lunch meals... and would like to know if there are any deli meats that are better\worst then others.... ? And does anyone have any good ideas on how to cook Quinoa to give it more flavor? I love the stuff, but would like to mix it up a little.

watercolormama

Sounds like you are choosing your fruits and veggies well. I like to warm the quinoa if you are near a microwave, put on a variety of salad ingredients (I always mix it up i.e. leafy stuff, celery, red/orange pepper slices, cucumbers, etc.), maybe a couple slices of fresh pear or apple or a few dried cranberries, maybe once in awhile a couple toasted nuts chopped. Then I drizzle homemade vinegarette over the top with fresh ground pepper. Quinoa has a bit of a grassy taste, so I often toast it first in a dry pan before cooking. You could also add a little chicken boullion for flavor if you plan to use it in something savory. A little chopped turkey is nice as well. I really love Boars Head no-salt turkey breast. No gelatin, no sugar, no salt......just plain turkey. You can have them slioce it as thick or thin as you like. Poaching a couple chicken breasts also works well to add to sandwiches or salads during the week. I make my own salad dressings which are pretty simple but very tasty. Usually I have two fresh ones at any time. An oil, which can be dark olive oil, an acid (and I really have fun with this one, fresh squeezed juice from an orange or lemon or lime, a little red wine, balsamic or white wine vinegar, a little dijon mustard which deepens the flavor, a crushed clove of garlic, a touch of honey, salt and fresh ground pepper. Go in any direction as far as flavor goes, maybe a little dried basil for an Italian flavor, a jalapeno minced fine with the acid being lime......this is a delicious one. You can throw some black beans on that for color and fiber/protein. Have fun and good luck with your journey! The sky is the limit.....a little purple cabbage which is great for you adds color and interest. etc.