Wow, it's hard to believe that I started this blog over a week ago. It could be my imagination, but I feel like my pants are already a bit looser. Is that possible? I don't have any bathroom scales, so I just have to go on how the clothes feel... maybe it's just the warmer weather making me feel less 'bulky.'
I did freaking awesome yesterday! Yay! A completely successful day. At last.
BREAKFAST
1 c cottage cheese
1 serving mixed fruit (pineapple, mango, strawberries)
2 slices multi-grain Wasa
LUNCH
Slow-cooker concoction: black beans, kidney beans, onions, celery, tomatoes, chiles, and seasonings
Served over a cup of rice
Topped with a few mixed nuts
DINNER
Same as lunch
SNACK
1 6oz Dannon yogurt (I think there are only a couple left, thankfully)
SO. That was a successful day. I'm a bit nervous about how the work thing is going to go tomorrow... there's no 'break room' to speak of, no microwave, so I'm not sure how I'm going to do lunch. I guess I'll just take a couple of apples and a container of peanut butter and hope that tides me over. I can't afford to get lunch in the mall anywhere, so I'm going to have to make do for now. Should be interesting.
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Great job Mom! I'm eagerly awaiting your day 9 update and how you dealt with the work thing. My opinion is that 2 apples with PB is not enough though. How long is your shift? My suggestion would be to invest in an insulated lunch-box thingy (the word is escaping me) and/or a thermos. You can find inexpensive ones. I currently have a Campbell's soup thermos and a race-car shaped lunch thingy that came with a freezable gel pack. OK, it's goofy, but it was cheap and it works! Anyhoo, if you have a thermos you can keep hot stuff at least warm, and with the insulated thingy you can bring stuff like yogurt. I have to think about stuff like this all the time when I'm in the field. My suggestions assuming a 6-8 hour shift:
ReplyDeleteSome combination of fruit, yogurt, nuts, veggies for snacks. Bring enough for 2 small snacks.
Lunch option 1: Soup or stew or other one-pot style meal. Heat it up very hot and then immediately put in thermos. It may not be hot by the time you eat it, but it should still be warm, and I find as long as things like this don't get cold they taste great. Bring along a slice of whole grain bread or pita or flatbread.
Lunch option 2: A sandwhich. Use whole grain bread. I usually put together a sandwich with ingredients that won't sog up the bread (lettuce, sprouts, cheese) and keep stuff like tomatoes separate to add when I'm ready to eat it. Here's my favorite combo: Mashed avocado, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and 1 or 2 slices of cheese.
Obviously there are many more possibilities, but this is just my two cents worth. I do think it's a bad idea to bring too little though. This is just going to set you up for being ravenous by the time you get home, and ravenous does not make for good decisions.
Actually, it will be the journal entry for day 10 that will tell you about today's fun and games, but once again you've hit the nail on the head; it was too little, and I was ravenous, but I didn't make too bad a choice for dinner, just ate too much of a good choice, which is still not great, but not horrible. How's that for an overworked sentence??
ReplyDeleteI like your suggestion about the "lunch thingy" (other than lunch box - which you used - or insulated bag, I have no idea what term you were searching for), but the purchase of the thermos, etc. is going to have to wait until the 15th, which is when I get my first paycheck. :( But I'll definitely put it on my list! Great idea!
I also like your menu ideas, particularly the avocado sandwich... hard to beat that! AND I have a couple in the fridge (bought them on sale, and I thank Michael Joseph for telling me how well they keep without getting overripe in the fridge!), so I might just take the components in a tub tomorrow and eat it like a salad. (No bread for sandwiches at the moment.)
Thanks again for helpful tips, Sarah! You guys are really helping me through this... you just don't know how much I appreciate it.
Oh right, forgot these are a day behind. Well, anyway, I was just browsing baking and books and came across this (serious coincidence):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bakingandbooks.com/2007/10/18/baked-sandwich-surprise/
The bread itself may not be the healthiest, but you could probably use a different bread recipe. Maybe go easy on the cheese as well, but otherwise, this looks like it could be something pretty healthy that you could make on a day off and take a slice or two to work for lunch the rest of the week. Plus, there are endless varieties for the stuffing part.
Oh and ooh, ooh, just thought about hummus. Homemade (recipe from Moosewood) is really easy and tasty and healthy, and cheap! And goes great as sandwich spread or dip for veggies! Paired with tabbouleh and whole wheat pita, there's lunch idea #3! :)
ohh yeah! if you want to come make some hummus at my place Mom, you're welcome to! we just made hummus the other day, so I have this huge can of tahini I'm not sure what we're going to do with. I mean I could make more hummus, but there are several batches worth left, not sure I could make That much to use it all. You could go really light on the garlic so it doesn't give you, umm, issues. ;)
ReplyDeleteunderstandable that you ate a little too much for dinner, you had quite a rough day! better to eat too much of a good thing than too much of a bad thing. :)
hey I can get you a FREE insulated lunch box thing! we give them away at work, I'm pretty sure I can snag you one. Unfortunately since I'm going away this weekend I won't be able to get it to you until next week.
Sarah, that sandwich surprise recipe looks GREAT!! And HUMMUS. I don't know why I never think to make it, it's so blasted tasty!
ReplyDeleteAnd Rachel, I think I will take you up on making hummus at your place one of these days... after all, you have the big food processor now! ;)
And I would also love to take you up on the offer of an "insulated lunch thing!" Man, you guys and your command of the language is just dazzling! Haha.
Mmmm, tabbouleh... I haven't made that in a while (one of the few things I make that Mom didn't enjoy!), and I LOVE it. It's so good in a pita pocket!!
You guys have given me much inspiration, as usual... thanks!
GOOD JOB MOM!! I just got around to catching up on entries today, this is so exciting, doesn't it feel great! it helps to remember these things every time you go a little overboard, that you are able to keep your boundaries and feel good when you do. I love that we're all sharing recipe ideas and tips too, maybe someday we'll come up with a family health cookbook from all this. My contribution to the word challenge, lunch cooler?
ReplyDeleteHaha... that sounds too simple! Insulated lunch bag is all I've got.
ReplyDeleteA family cookbook of healthy food sounds like a GREAT idea!!
And yes, this whole process feels great... and once again, I don't think I could be this successful without the help and support of you fabulous kids. I am so serious.
Oh phooey... I've got to run. Gotta go to work, so yesterday's journal will have to wait til this afternoon! Sorry!