Day 23: Meal Prep

Since it is the last week of Whole30, I figured I would do some meal prep to get me through the next few days at work. This was my least planned week regarding dinners and I seem to be playing it by ear. This is a lot more difficult because I have to plan what ingredients I have at home, what I need to buy, cooking time of a dish - I liked planning my week in advance but the week got the better of me and now I am just cooking based on my time and mood that evening. This works too, but it leaves a lot of room for "slipping."

Yesterday seemed to be so busy at work so I am glad I got to spend the morning at home with Ryan and Haley and have Meal 1 with them! Meal 1 (Ryan and I had exactly the same thing) was an applesauce omelette made with 2 eggs, unsweetened applesauce, coconut milk, cinnamon, salt and pepper! I topped it with almond butter, pecans, and unsweetened coconut! The side was Trader Joe's Spicy Italian Sausage (the only one without added sugar) and mixed vegetables (asparagus, onion, mushroom, avocado) topped with homemade pesto!

Unfortunatley I had to eat Meal 2 at my desk and have a working lunch which I don't like to do. It forces me to not focus on my food - the tastes, textures, flavors - because I am more focused on emails and projects. But it did keep me full all day so at least I didn't have cravings for sweets! Meal 2 was a large mixed green and vegetable salad with hard boiled egg, oven roasted chicken (Trader Joe's), walnuts, figs, 100% cacao nibs and guacamole as dressing.

Meal 3 was something I was looking forward to. Up until now I have eliminated a lot of starches (except for the once a week butternut squash and sweet potato fries) but I knew I wanted to try something new. I had never baked a potato before and PaleOMG had an amazing Whole30 approved recipe for Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. I had found this recipe last week so I planned ahead and bought the potatoes at Trader Joe's this weekend. It really is a simple recipe and it allowed me time in the kitchen to meal prep a few Meal 1's for the rest of the week.

The potatoes baked in the oven (wrapped in foil) for 50 minutes! That's it. After 40 minutes, I cooked the onions, ground turkey and spinach in a large pan over medium to high heat and when the potatoes were done, I sliced them in half, mashed them a bit and served the turkey mixture over them! I made 4 potatoes to have in the fridge for the weekend (sweet potato hash?) and doubled the turkey mixture recipe so I had enough for lunch today and a Meal 1 later on in the week with fried eggs. The sweet potato tasted so sweet. I guess this is what happens after 23 days without sugar. It tasted like candy. It melted in my mouth and I almost couldn't finish it because it was so sweet, decadent and filling - almost! I finished it...cleaned my plate and loved every bite!

While the potatoes were baking in the oven I prepped proscuitto vegetable egg cups. I have been eating a vegetable omelette on Bar Method mornings that I buy at the local deli and on morning when I am home I have much better meals (tastier, more filling, more satisfying) so I wanted my Bar Method mornings to be just as delicious!

I made 8 cups (I only had 8 pieces of prosciutto). I sprayed a muffin tin with coconut oil and lined each of them with 1 piece of prosciutto.

 

The egg mixture was 6 eggs, 1/3 cup of coconut milk, 2 tbsp coconut flour, cinnamon, salt and pepper. I added the fresh vegetables I had in my fridge - this is a great way to use up any vegetables that won't last a few more days. I had asparagus, onion, mushroom, spinach and I added a few pieces of oven roasted chicken.

 

I poured the egg mixture into each prosciutto cup and topped with grape tomatoes.

I baked this for 20 minutes in the oven (preheated to 375) and let them cool. I brought 6 with me to work (2 each day for the rest of the week) and made a small salad to go with it.

Ryan and I decided to take a walk after dinner. It was so warm and so beautiful and finally still light out after I finished eating. We walked along the East River and watched a beautiful sunset. The park was crowded with runners in all directions and we felt a little funny being the only people walking but it was a perfect evening! One weekend we will walk all the way to South Street Seaport but tonight we turned back at 14th street.

 

It makes me so happy the spring is finally here in NYC! The Stuyvesant Oval was on, the grass was green, trees were budding and flowers were blooming. It seriously made me so happy!!!!

XO

Day 21 - Much Better Than Yesterday!

Today has been great - I have my head back in it and I feel better than I did yesterday! After a really satisfying Meal 1, Ryan and I hung out around the house - cleaning, working, watching TV. But today I felt better about my food choices whereas yesterday something wasn't clicking and I couldn't stop snacking. We went out for a walk before lunch which made me so happy now that it is sunny and warmer. Even Haley looked cozy and relaxed today!

Meal 2 was a salad and I used THE LAST (I promise) Turkey and Blueberry Muffin. Those things have been so incredible during Whole30 and I should make more and find similar recipes for quick meals or on the go! I topped the salad with walnuts and instead of dressing, I used guacamole! It added a lot of flavor to the salad and had a creamy texture and a lot of spice (bought from Trader Joe's). I had some plantain chips, Zesty Nacho Kale Chips and some Hazelnuts on the side. I really didn't need the side snacks but I wanted to make sure I was thoroughly satisfied the rest of the afternoon since we would be out!

 

We had a great evening - it was a reception for prospective and admitted Clark University students. They will be the Class of 2018! 10 years after I received my Masters! That seems so crazy to me but it was a great experience to hear their stories and reasons for going to Clark as well as share our own; especially since Ryan and I met at Clark!

Meal 3 was a beautiful NY Strip Steak and grilled asparagus and onion and mushroom. I bought all of this at Trader Joe's this morning with the idea that it would be a quick 15 minute meal once we got home. I didn't want to have to spend a lot of time prepping or cleaning so I bought 1 steak (should have bought 2 for leftovers for lunch) and the pre-cut vegetables. I seasoned the steak with salt and pepper and heated ghee in a pan. I seared the steak for 3 minutes on each side, twice. Then I let it rest off the heat for 5 minutes and it was cooked perfectly! It melted in my mouth. This was probably my first successful steak (could even have been rarer) and it was special because it was so simple. No sauce, no marinade, just the food itself! I never thought I would stay easy and steak in the same sentence. On a night like tonight where we were out and didn't food prep, I would either have ordered in or made a microwave dinner. This to me is a real example of the changes I have made in my life! Easy and convenient are now real, whole foods!

I have been eating the most meat ever while doing Whole30 and I feel great. I know some people would argue I eat too much red meat now but I really do try to rotate between beef, chicken, turkey, seafood and vegetables each meal/day. I may have pork in the morning, turkey in the afternoon and beef at night. And I really try to get fresh seafood at least once a week to lighten my meals. But I feel fabulous and I see results in how my clothes are fitting, my skin is clearer, my hair is shinier. And I am happier.

I prepped a salad for lunch tomorrow. Vegetables, figs, almonds, asparagus and mushrooms (from tonight's dinner) and chicken breast from Trader Joe's pre-cooked in salt and pepper and oil! The pre-cooked meat helps on days when I don't have leftovers. I thought about buying a salad tomorrow but why, when I have perfectly fresh ingredients at home! And I brought guacamole for dressing. I have an event tomorrow night so I will bring an RxBar for emergency only depending on how late it gets. Today I was not tempted by any of the passing appetizers and had a sparkling water in my hand at all times to keep my hands busy so I wouldn't reach for the food without realizing what I was doing.

I have Bar Method early tomorrow morning and hope to have a great final Whole30 week.

XO

Day 6, Feeling Down, But Not Out

Day 6...almost 1 week...and I am feeling a little down, overwhelmed, not enthused...I don't know why though.

I woke up early, texted Ryan to make sure he was up and on his way to the airport and got ready for Bar Method. My pre-workout meal was a small bowl of n'oatmeal, which barely even made a dent in what is still left! It was still sweet and thick and the fat from the nuts is a great start to the day, and more interesting than my usual handful of whole nuts! I took citibike to SoHo and had an absolutely AMAZING class with Amanda. I was shaking, sweating, and feeling so calm and relaxed. We even did pretzel, which if you know me, you know it is my favorite. I took citibike home, waited for my FreshDirect order to arrive and prepared Meal #1. Ryan's flight landed early so he came home an hour earlier than he thought! My post-workout meal was half of a blueberry RxBar. I think this is where my day started to go wrong.

Half an RxBar and then 1 hour until my next meal, I don't think I was full. I think I was fearing I was eating too many calories and that Bar Method is not as intense a workout as spin or heavy lifting so I didn't need as much protein to recover (some Whole30 people do not have a post-workout meal after yoga so I guess I assumed I shouldn't, or have less after Bar). I don't want to rely on Larabars or Rx Bars for post workout meals but right now they are conveneint to eat in the locker room early in the morning or on my commute home. You are supposed to eat 15-20 minutes after working out in order for your muscles to repair so I definetly need to eat something because during the week and on the weekends my Meal #1 is not for an hour after I work out. So I just have to figure out the best amount of protein to eat after Bar Method. I could also play it by ear based on the individual class itself and how hard my body worked.

Breakfast Meal #1 was a hash made with my last 3 salmon cakes, onions and kale topped with 2 fried eggs and half an avocado. It was so delicious! I loved the crumbled salmon cakes - much better than microwaving them whole. That would have been boring. I love finding new ways to eat leftovers through this program besides how they were originally intended to be eaten. You have to get creative!

Soon after I finished eating Ryan came home; Haley ran to the front door crying and let him hold her, which is extremely unusual. Haley hates being touched, unless of course she wants to be! What a New Yorker! He came home and immediately asked what we were eating. Since I had just finished Meal #1, I was not hungry and wanted to not go into the kitchen or tempt myself - he made a ham and cheese sandwich. 30 minutes later had a bowl of cereal - oh man, I knew Week 1 was too good to be true, no wonder I didn't have cravings or any trouble; Ryan wasn't around to eat every hour! At 2pm I prepared Meal #2, a bowl of the last of my vegetable soup with baby carrots, almond butter and cashews on the side (Ryan also had a bowl, so that's Meal #3 in the 2 hours he has been home). I don't think this meal was large enough. It had vegetables, protein and fat but the proportions were off and even though I felt full after eating it, it didn't last long. I was hungry by 4pm but really didn't want to eat Meal #3 early and I wanted to control my snacking, so I had the other half of my Rx Bar. If Meal #2 had been more substantial I think I could have made it to Meal #3 without any problems. I also think I could have gone without the snack but I let hunger win. I can't remember if I was hungry or bored but I ate anyway (Ryan had a rice cracker with nutella and peanut butter).

Meal #3 started of rocky - I was going to make tandoori chicken, but the recipe I had called for 4-8 hours of marinating the chicken. I knew that too, I remember last week telling myself that, but with the excitement of Ryan coming home, I forgot. So I quickly went over the meal plans in my head that I had prepared and decided to make almond-coconut encrusted chicken instead. I still made the prosciutto wrapped dates and broccoli sauteed in ghee. Then Ryan tells me he doesn't like dates...could this meal get any more difficult. Well, I told him we were having dates...and that prompted an argument about me controlling the meals and him being forced to change his diet just because I change mine, but he can't effect mine by offering me chocolate or else I will get mad. And he is right - if he tried to change the way I eat, I would be so mad, yet here I am making him change his diet. I know it's not fair, but I have a really hard time letting go and giving up control, so here I am making dinner plans for the week for us,  knowing full well that he doesn't like spaghetti squash (yet that is what I am planning for one meal this week). We decided to compromise - 3 meals together during the week and 2 on our own so that he can eat whatever he wants, at whatever time he wants and I won't feel bad, and he won't feel useless waiting for me. He was also upset that I bought a lot of groceries for a weeks worth of food but nothing for him like cereal, yogurts, milk (the non-paleo stuff)! I guess I wasn't thinking about him, or I was thinking that he would just adapt to whole30 with me. But that's not fair.

Well, dinner turned out great (Ryan ate the prosciutto but not the dates). My only mistake with the chicken was that I made it in a baking dish instead of on a cookie sheet so the coconut and almond meal didn't get as crispy as it could have, but it was still great and now I know for next time!

 

Almond-Coconut Crusted Chicken
adapted from i.run.on.nutrition

1 lb chicken breasts
3/4 cup almond flour (or make your own with almonds in the food processor)
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
2 eggs
salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 and grease cookie sheet.

2. Prepare 3 bowls, 1 for the eggs (beaten), coconut and almond flour (mixed with salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder).

 

3. Dip 1 piece of chicken in the egg.

4. Dredge chic in the almond flour.

5. Dip chicken in the egg again (this adds crispiness).

 

6. Dredge chicken in coconut.

 

7. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat with remaining chicken.

 

8. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy!

Proscuitto Wrapped Dates

21 medjool dates
7 pieces of proscuitto

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Slice each piece of proscuitto into thirds length wise.

3. Cut date in half and remove pit. Put two halves back together.

 

4. Wrap a slice of proscuitto around date and place seam side down in a greased baking dish or cookie sheet.

5. Repeat with all dates.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until proscuitto is crispy.

Serve and Enjoy!

Well, lessons learned today

1) Read your labels (refer to the update in "Read Your Labels" post regarding soy in herbal teas)
2) Ryan does not like dates
3) For crispy chicken, use a cookie sheet, not a baking dish
4) Eat larger meals with proportionate fat, protein and vegetables
5) Listen to my body for post-workout meal
6) Compromise with Ryan - he is giving up just as much as I am for whole30 and it wasn't his choice! I can't let my frustration get the better of me because I will take it out on him!

I am glad we ate later though today because I am still full from dinner and do not need a snack. The dates were so sweet that I saved them on my plate until the end because it was just like dessert! I am glad I was able to control my snacking today even though it was really difficult. I am just feeling tired from having to work so hard to eat right. So much cooking, so much planning, so much cleaning; it really is hard to eat well!

Tomorrow I am slow cooking ribs and while they cook I am going to make zucchini fritters and egg frittata muffins for the week. I have to figure out the meal plan so that I can marinate the tandoori chicken while I am at work. The recipe calls for 4-8 hours of marinating (the chicken will absorb the marinade and become mushy if marinating for too long) so it cannot be a day when I do Bar Method. Maybe tandoor chicken on Wednesday? I will have to rework my meal plan for lunches and dinners (lunches are based on leftovers)!

I think today's struggle came from being my first Saturday doing Whole30 - Saturday is usually my "fat" day where I don't count points and I just eat whatever and whenever and it is usually what Ryan eats. This was my first Saturday with restrictions so I think I mentally restricted myself too much so that I wouldn't overeat or go off program. Because I was home most of the day I think I was scared to continually be hungry rather than trust my body. The plan has been great for 5 days so I don't know why I doubted myself. I just need to treat each day as it's own and not worry about what I did in the past. 

Have a good night everyone!

XO

Day 4 Meal 3, Salmon Cakes

Tonight I got home late - 7:30pm. So I am so glad that I decided ahead of time to make salmon cakes with a fried egg! If I hadn't planned this earlier, I would have been lost for what to eat and that is when I start snacking and grazing! I am so happy how these turned out and I have a few leftover for lunch tomorrow and breakfast on Saturday!

The colonic was great, and not getting into any details, I feel amazing. I feel lighter, less heavy, less bloated and energized. Debbie was great and making me feel very comfortable and the hour went faster than I thought it would. We talked a lot about health and wellness and the power food has to heal us! I felt really connected to her and her stories! She told me I was having a great session and everything was being cleaned out perfectly. I don't know what I expected to feel, but I didn't feel urgency or pain; during the session I felt pressure on my stomach, mostly because I was being filled with water, but Debbie massaged my stomach to keep everything moving. I will definitely do this again in a month or after my 30 days!

I got home to feed Haley and cooked up dinner in 20 minutes! On my walk to the colonic I picked up some unsweetened applesauce (made only with organic apples) because I thought it would be amazing for the salmon cakes, and I was right! It added a sweetness to the cakes and I served 1 fried egg that was a bit runny so the salmon cakes took care of the yolk! Loved them!

Salmon Cakes

1 can Trader Joe's Wild Alaskan Salmon (or use leftover salmon from another meal)
1/4 cup almond flower
1/2 lemon juice
1 egg
scallion chopped
salt and pepper to taste
coconut oil

1. Drain canned salmon and flake in a bowl.

2. Add all ingredients, except coconut oil, and mix together.

3. Form 8-10 salmon cakes the size of your palm.

4. Heat pan over medium heat. Add coconut oil.

5. When pan is hot, add salmon cakes (do not over crowd).

6. Cook salmon cakes 7-10 minutes on each side. Do not over cook or the cake will dry out. Flip when each side is golden brown.

 Serve and Enjoy!

I prepped a garden salad for tomorrow's lunch (spinach, carrots, sugar snap peas, avocado, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, broccoli slaw, hemp seeds) and will have 2 salmon cakes with it. I will probably pack them seperately so they don't get mushy and either eat them whole, or flake them into the salad. And Saturday I plan to make a salmon hash with kale and fried eggs! Yum!

After I cleaned and prepped lunch I decided to quickly prep breakfast. I made the ground nuts for the n'oatmeal. I didn't have pecans like most of the recipes I saw called for so I used a 1/2 cup mix of almonds, cashews and walnuts. I really need to get a better variety of nuts! I placed the nuts in the food processor with 2 tbps flax seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger and pulsed (not too much - you don't want nut powder). I set this aside for tomorrow morning. All I have to do now is whisk eggs, almond butter and the nuts until it makes "oatmeal." I hope this turns out well because I used to have oatmeal almost everyday for breakfast and I really miss it. This recipe serves 2 so I can have some with my salmon hash on Saturday!

I am so happy tomorrow is Friday. This work week seems extremely long, even with Monday off! As much as I really want Sashimi for dinner tomorrow, I have leftover balsamic pork and some broccoli so I am wondering if it is better to save the money and make something to eat rather than order in (or go out). I don't want to be tempted by anything on the menu besides sashimi (no soy sauce)! I will see how full I am tomorrow when I get out of work!

Tomorrow I am going to start reading "It Starts With Food!" I am so excited to read the book that supplements whole30.

Have a great night everyone!

XO