Last week Z had three and a half great days at school. One was rough, and one would have been great, had it not ended with four six year olds in a wrestling match during recess, one of them being my z-man. All in all though, I’d say it’s going well.
This weekend was Z’s birthday party, so needless to say we had our fill of sweets and treats and all kinds of unhealty additives. But with that behind us, we both embarked on our journey to whole food health with optimism.
This weekend was Z’s birthday party, so needless to say we had our fill of sweets and treats and all kinds of unhealty additives. But with that behind us, we both embarked on our journey to whole food health with optimism.
It took me most of my evenings last week and a good part of the weekend to plan, and gather, and plan, and learn, and plan, and learn some more about what we would need to embark on our new eating style. I began introducing things here and there last week, but today has been our first full day on the plan.
The day began with eggs and a caffeinated protein smoothie. Protein for alertness and caffeine is the stimulant replacement. The plan says to use coffee, but after much trial and error I’ve altered ours to the following recipe.
CAFFEINATED PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
serves 2
1.5 c brewed black tea – chilled
½ banana - frozen
½ c strawberries – frozen
½ c blueberries – frozen
¼ c egg white protein powder
Blend, and serve
mmm, mmm, good. It actually is the best protein smoothie I’ve made so far. I'm using frozen fruit and not adding any ice. The best way to freeze bananas is to peel and put them in a ziploc bag prior to going into the freezer... peeling frozen bananas is hand torture! The egg white powder creates a light and airy consistency and has no flavor, which is good. This smoothie is sweet, but not too sweet, smooth, and easy to swallow. Z's still not all that crazy about it, but he did agree that it is the best one so far.
For lunch we had grilled chicken salad, with field greens, spinach and cucumbers with vinaigrette dressing. I'm lucky that Z has always enjoyed a good salad. The chicken was prepared last night on the george foreman and set in the fridge. I sent along an afternoon snack of sliced granny smith apples, peanut butter, and a handful of grapes.
When I picked him up at 3:00, the little z-man was STARVING! So I offered edamame, broccoli, and hummus which wasn’t enough to abate the hunger monster. So a quick trip to Sprouts was in order. Luckily, the small whole foods market is just down the street on the corner. I was happy to find organic whole wheat bread, with no preservatives or any of that other stuff we can't have. Since whole grains, including whole wheat, are acceptable on the meal plan, I was pleased to be able to offer a peanut butter and banana sandwich… which Z was most pleased to accept. After scarfing it down he asked for another, but once sandwich number one had sufficient time to settle, he was satisfied. I didn’t have the same hunger, but found myself in need of an extra large cup of joe.
From now on, we will be doing a little more rice and bread during school… salad and fruit isn’t enough for a hungry mini-man. Therefore, I'm adding bread baking to the list of things I need to learn how to do.
By dinnertime, I was hungry. The most challenging part about this endeavor for me, has been figuring out what to cook and how. I love to bake, and I can follow a recipe pretty well, but spontaneity in the kitchen has never been my forte. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much success in finding recipes for entire meals free of all dairy, sugar, starch, and/or something from a can or box. So, I’ve had to create a few recipes by changing up a little bit of what’s already out there.
Tonight was stir fry. I set two frozen chicken breast out to thaw in the refrigerator this morning, so they were ready to wash and go. I sliced them thin and tossed them in the wok with a smidge of evoo. When the chicken was cooked I moved it to a paper plate, and added half a sliced onion and julienned carrots to the wok with a little more olive oil. Once the onions started to carmelize I added some sea salt and pepper, and it was looking so good that I chopped up some broccoli threw that in as well. I decided to try a sprinkling of coriander and ginger because they sound oriental. By the way, Target has small bottles of organic spices for around a dollar each! I bought a few over the weekend and plan to give them a whirl.
The day began with eggs and a caffeinated protein smoothie. Protein for alertness and caffeine is the stimulant replacement. The plan says to use coffee, but after much trial and error I’ve altered ours to the following recipe.
CAFFEINATED PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
serves 2
1.5 c brewed black tea – chilled
½ banana - frozen
½ c strawberries – frozen
½ c blueberries – frozen
¼ c egg white protein powder
Blend, and serve
mmm, mmm, good. It actually is the best protein smoothie I’ve made so far. I'm using frozen fruit and not adding any ice. The best way to freeze bananas is to peel and put them in a ziploc bag prior to going into the freezer... peeling frozen bananas is hand torture! The egg white powder creates a light and airy consistency and has no flavor, which is good. This smoothie is sweet, but not too sweet, smooth, and easy to swallow. Z's still not all that crazy about it, but he did agree that it is the best one so far.
For lunch we had grilled chicken salad, with field greens, spinach and cucumbers with vinaigrette dressing. I'm lucky that Z has always enjoyed a good salad. The chicken was prepared last night on the george foreman and set in the fridge. I sent along an afternoon snack of sliced granny smith apples, peanut butter, and a handful of grapes.
When I picked him up at 3:00, the little z-man was STARVING! So I offered edamame, broccoli, and hummus which wasn’t enough to abate the hunger monster. So a quick trip to Sprouts was in order. Luckily, the small whole foods market is just down the street on the corner. I was happy to find organic whole wheat bread, with no preservatives or any of that other stuff we can't have. Since whole grains, including whole wheat, are acceptable on the meal plan, I was pleased to be able to offer a peanut butter and banana sandwich… which Z was most pleased to accept. After scarfing it down he asked for another, but once sandwich number one had sufficient time to settle, he was satisfied. I didn’t have the same hunger, but found myself in need of an extra large cup of joe.
From now on, we will be doing a little more rice and bread during school… salad and fruit isn’t enough for a hungry mini-man. Therefore, I'm adding bread baking to the list of things I need to learn how to do.
By dinnertime, I was hungry. The most challenging part about this endeavor for me, has been figuring out what to cook and how. I love to bake, and I can follow a recipe pretty well, but spontaneity in the kitchen has never been my forte. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much success in finding recipes for entire meals free of all dairy, sugar, starch, and/or something from a can or box. So, I’ve had to create a few recipes by changing up a little bit of what’s already out there.
Tonight was stir fry. I set two frozen chicken breast out to thaw in the refrigerator this morning, so they were ready to wash and go. I sliced them thin and tossed them in the wok with a smidge of evoo. When the chicken was cooked I moved it to a paper plate, and added half a sliced onion and julienned carrots to the wok with a little more olive oil. Once the onions started to carmelize I added some sea salt and pepper, and it was looking so good that I chopped up some broccoli threw that in as well. I decided to try a sprinkling of coriander and ginger because they sound oriental. By the way, Target has small bottles of organic spices for around a dollar each! I bought a few over the weekend and plan to give them a whirl.
When the veggies were all steamed and tender, I returned the chicken, and at the last minute chopped up some parsley and tossed it into the mix. We ate it over brown rice, and it was really, really good. It lacked nothing. The carrots and onion were my favorite part, but everything was fresh and delicious. The best part was, I didn’t have that parched and tired feeling you get after eating traditional stir fry. I felt great, energized, and ready for our outing to the park. In fact I still feel great! Z enjoyed it as well, but with his hunger at ease from the afternon snack, there was plenty left over for my lunch tomorrow. Z, however, will be getting a peanut butter sandwich.
Day one was good, and to my relief not difficult!
Wok on.
Carrie
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