The 7:54 Moment: Big Yum to fruit!
It was our turn to host dinner for friends tonight so we cooked up a serve of our wrap bread pizzas. Well they were delicious and we gobbled them all up. It was topped off by my beautiful friends fruit platter with the most amazing coconut macaroon dip. It was sensational (Thank you my gorgeous friend). Fruit does not have to be boring or plain it can be spectacular. The combination is fresh seasonal fruit with a dip of choice and you to savor.
I will try sneak the recipe of my friend to post.
Breakfast: Cubbed apple and pineapple and fresh juice.
Lunch: Wrap with salad.
Afternoon Tea: Warm water.
Dinner: Wrap bread pizzas followed by my friends fruit platter and coconut macaroon dip.
See you tmrw. xx
The 7:54 Moment: I am very happy!
There is a warmth in the air and Spring is on it's way. This makes it easier to really get into fruit and salads, because let's face it, in winter it is really hard to feel overjoyed about biting into a cold apple verses a big, thick, rich casserole!!!!
I think my family is really happy about what we are eating now and have settled into our new 'norm'. Cheers to time and persistence, it works!!!
Breakfast: Cubed Apple and Fresh Juice. The girls had Baked Beans too.
Lunch: Kid fun lunch: Corn fritters heads with tomato sauce face.
Afternoon Tea: Coffee on soy milk.
Dinner: Minestrone Soup with wrap bread triangle dippers.
See you tmrw. xx
The 7:54 Moment: Phew I'm tired. I sat down today and really went through the food plan menu. I was becoming very overwhelmed and bored with what we were eating and I had total brain overload in coming up with new things to eat. - You take out meat and wheat and dairy and you realize how much they add diversity to each meal.
The last thing you need on a healthy food plan is to come up short because then 'take away' sounds mighty good and taste even better.
So to make life easy and diverse I have dedicated a certain 'type' of food to a certain day. i.e. Rice meals on Monday nights, soup on Tuesday nights, and on... I'm bringing back the diversity baby! :)
Also because we are being healthy that means lots of salads. Now, salads can get really boring and old, quick. This is also a complete de-motivator. The trick to these leafy meals is to break them down and build them up again simply and with different tastes of the bowl:
1) The base: Cos lettuce, or spinach, rocket, or general salad mix, even cabbage, ...
2) Add ONE main salad item as the star of the dish - grilled capsicum, or mushrooms, some roast pumpkin.
3) Next, add a sprinkle of friendship, around 2 types: grated cheese and shallots, or toasted nuts and mango slices, feta and semi dried tomatoes, snow-peas and alfalfa,or...
4) Then add a drizzle of dressing to have a 'salad delich': pesto, or a vinaigrette, yogurt, or...
Do these four and you get = salad delicious! - With no 'salad burnout' and a different type to try and/or look forward to next time.
Breakfast: Rice thins with honey and our fresh juice. - twas a bit light on today.
Lunch: Salad wrap.
Afternoon: Gluten free cupcake and a coffee.
Dinner: Went to friends house and ate salad with a touch of chicken, I won't tell you about the choc-mint ice-cream we had for dessert!!!!. (Thank you my friends it was lovely.)
The 7:54 Moment: Yep, yesterday I completely fell off the food plan wagon.
The fall was delicious. We all have our 'oops' days and when it comes to eating healthy, we are going to have days when our cravings really do get the better off us.
I am learning that, if you eat well for 90% of the time then when you have a delicious, 'fall off the wagon' moment the damage is not going to be huge and you can indulge guilt free.The challenge is not to start compromising on what else you might get away with, because before you know it you've put on 5 kilos and the eating plan is non existent. It happens really quick! - I won't mention the chocolate I ate either, big dope!
You simply get back on the food plan wagon and keep going.
3 tips to help you get back on:
1) Cook and eat your favorite yummy health plan foods. i.e. Wrap pizzas, your fav salad,...
2) Ask your hubby or friend for some encouragement, tell them what you need to hear. i.e."You can do this", "You are looking great", "I'm in this with you", "That big old cheeseburger is going to make you feel heavy inside and line your throat with grease", ...
3) Try all the clothes that don't fit in your wardrobe - this will defiantly get you back on the wagon. Be warned it may leave you feeling down and reaching for the chocolate anyway!!!! lol
4) Have a picture on your mirror of what you want to look like (realistically) and know that each healthy step you take, you are one step closer to the goal.
I am also learning that if you are having a moment when a big old ice-cream, cream sundae has tempted your taste buds try and look for the most healthy option if you can to help satisfy those buds. Try my recipe below.
Breakfast: Rice Thins with honey, cubed fruit and our fresh pineapple and pear juice.
Lunch: Salad.
Afternoon Tea: Homemade cappuccino made on 1/2 Zymil and 1/2 Soy milks.
Dinner: Rice-paper parcels with asian broccoli, peanuts, radish, onion and water chestnuts. Sweet chilli drizzle.
RECIPE:
Tempting Sunday.
Fruit of choice: mango, berries, peaches, pineapple, ...
1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
1/4 cup whipped cream.
Gluten free cake cubes
Toasted nuts of choice: almonds, pistachios, macadamias.
Honey.
Mix 1/2 cup of the Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup of cream.
Place your fruit in the bottom of the glass then sprinkle some nuts and honey over the top. Next, place 2 cubes of cake on top and follow with a dollop of the yogurt, cream mixture. Place more fruit, nuts, and 2 cubes of cake on top and follow with more yogurt. Do this until the glass is full with the yogurt cream being the last layer. Sprinkle with nuts, honey, and then eat.
Gluten Free Cake. - For Cake Cubes
1 cup gluten free self raising flour
2 eggs
80g soft butter
1/3 cup of milk with a squirt of lemon juice in it
1/2 cup castor sugar.
1 teaspoon of vanilla or vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon of custard powder (optional)
2 tablespoons of almond meal (optional)
Place all ingredients into a bowl and beat on high until mixture is smooth. Spread mixture out into a square or rectangle slice tray. Place in oven and cook until top springs back or golden on top (around 10 - 20min). Remove from pan and allow to cool then cut into 3cm cubes.
Note: you can freeze the remaining cake cubes ready to use another day.
Both recipes, Copyright 2010 Elizabeth Findlay.
See you tmrw. xx
