Today my good food choice was...

SAB

Oh, I meant to ask you all...do you use a sweetener to replace sugar?  I am trying to do without but sometimes I need just a bit of sweet.  Has anyone tried sweetleaf or truvia?  Have you heard anything about them?

CorinneM1

Question on the Costco organics...are they also costco sized organics?  Meaning, are the organic berries also in larger packaging?

We have gotten organic chicken ($12.99 a lb, if I recall correctly) from Costco that we liked.

SAB

Well, the chicken at least can be broken down and frozen in small packets, yes?  The berries are manageable sizes especially if you love your smoothies like you do!  I'm having brain freeze on the prices, but they were lots better than whole foods!

sagina

the nutritionist I saw at the oncology office suggested agave or stevia? I don't like sweeteners or sugar too much so I've been ok without - expect for oatmeal, that just needs some sugar of some kind!

SAB I've had Quinoa at the vege restr. here, I bought some in a little package but dont know how to cook it - but your recipe sounds good - can I get it from you?  The way they had it at the restr. was mixed with red onion, cilantro, and lime - they call it tabulie.

CorinneM1

LOL.  Thanks SAB.  Yes, I do love my smoothies.

SAB

Sagina, there's no real recipe but here's a rough guideline:

Sautee diced onions, red and/or green peppers in a little olive oil.  When onions are transparent add diced veggies you like...green beans, brocolli, mushrooms, carrots...whatever you have on hand. When veggies are slightly soft, add quinoa.  (Quinoa is like rice, it is 1 part grain to 2 parts liquid.)  So, if you want to make a nice size pot use 2 cups of grain, and stir it into the mixed veggies.  Add 4 cups veggie or chicken broth.  When the mix comes to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a slow simmer and leave it alone for 15 minutes.  That's it! This is good just as it is.

If you are going to stuff peppers with the mix, you might want to add a tablespoon of tomato paste or some (canned or fresh) diced tomatoes to the above. When the mix is done I spoon it into multi-colored peppers and set them into a baking pan.  Use the remaining tomato paste on top of the stuffed peppers and pour tomato sauce and diced tomatoes in too.  Bake at about 375 until the peppers are cooked.  I think about 30-45 minutes.

Hope that works for you! 

AmyIsStrong

Yum!  I have made quinoa before, but always cooked it in the rice cooker, as a rice substitute. I didn't know you could actually cook it WITH the sauteed veggies. I will try that! It is SOOO good for you.

sagina

SAB~ thank you sooooo much, can't wait to try this tomorrow (won't be home today - attending funeral of 19 year old - brain cancer - cancer sucks....).  She is my new motivation in sticking to a vegan low fat diet. 

today for breakfast, my hardest of the day vegan meals - I am having low sodium veggie soup - but I bought a little box of frozen veggies (not sure why i did that I have a FULL fridge of fresh ones - but I can keep these at work) - I heated up the veggies and added the soup to them.  Not bad....

So I'm guessing you all might have a good recipe for veggie soup?  I know to throw all the veggies in with veggie broth, but I never get the seasoning correct...

SAB

Sagina, 19!!! I know what you mean about motivation.  Every time I put sugar or refined flour in my mouth now I feel like I am really harming myself.I don't really "like" eating healthy, but it gives me the sense that I am doing something positive towards my survival.  Sweet tastes too sweet now, but I still have cravings for it...caught in between

CorinneM1

What I find is once I go back to an "old friend"  aka ice cream, I crave it even more now.  And then of course feel guilty that I had it.  The bowl of mint chocolate chip yesterday?  Not necessary..but I had it and of course wanted another bowl when done.  Ugh.  Its hard, but yes, agreed that I feel better about myself and making good choices when I do pass it up.

Tonight?  I. am. not. opening. the. freezer.

SAB

Be strong Corrine!  Of course I have this bad habit of stopping in to Yogurtland when cravings get bad...after all it's just non-fat yogurt with a reasonable sugar content right?  Not!  Sugar counts are for 1 ounce, not a full cup.  I keep flashing back to the old Seinfeld episode where everybody gets fat on "nonfat" yogurt!  

So, have you tried no sugar added ice cream? 

sagina

Well friends, I went to the funeral yesterday and sang at it - that was the hardest one ever....but as I sat in the back of the chapel after I was done singing, I had a chance to watch everyone and listen....and I thought to myself this beautiful little girl that leaves a baby behind didn't even get a fighting chance...then I started to think about my food vices, my lack of exercise, and I thought what the hell am I doing - Then I started thinking about my best friend and cousin we lost two years ago to adrenal cancer - from dx she lasted four more months....and well, wouldn't she love the chance to eat better and exercise right now?  I 'm so mad at myself - I was completely vegan from March to May - then rads knocked me on my butt and it was a little easier to make excuses to eat this or that.

So Jennifer and Yvette are my new motivators, and this way when I reach for something that is not in my goal plan (getting healthier) or when I say I'm to tired to leave the house in the evenings to walk or exercise, I'll picture their beautiful faces and get my a** in gear.

So please keep up with this tread, you are part of my motivation too.

So yesterday at a Mexican restaurant (I live in Texas) I had vegetables fajitas - grilled carrots, zucchini, onion, bell peppers and mushrooms.  It was fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!! How do you post a pic here? I took one. 

AmyIsStrong

Sagina - Very inspiring post. There is nothing like a funeral to get you to re-evaluate.  And I do feel that it honors the person who is gone when we press on in their memory.

Tonight I am running in my first 5k in many years (since way before bc). I was never very fast but am even slower now  but at least I will DO IT.

It benefits the local breast cancer coalition, which was very helpful to me when I was first diagnosed. I signed up as a survivor - not sure if they will acknowledge that in any way at the race, I hope not. I just want to blend in and hopefully not be LAST.

So that is my healthy choice of the day - not a food choice, but still counts, I hope.

 

CorinneM1

I haven't tried no sugar yet...but I am going to try to find a no sugar, no soy, no dairy ice cream.  If that even exists. It was 1/3 less sugar ice cream though

I am trying to cut out dairy as much as possible, and feel as guilty about the diary as I do the sugar. 

Thinking that Whole Foods might be my best bet to find this. 

AmyIsStrong

I think there is one called "Rice Dream"  - but it is STILL going to be sweetened with something - either honey or another natural sweetener (which have the same problems to us as sugar does) or an artificial sweetener which presents a whole other set of problems.

I think that there is no magic bullet - a sweet item that has no down side. The only solution I can see is to eliminate sweets except for occasional treats. 

sagina

Hi friends, eating my lunch at my desk.  I went to whole foods Tuesday and bought a few different components to make lunches - so today it's mixed greens and spinach with half a portabella (that was stuffed with peppers - i just sprinkled the peppers on the salad and cut up the mushroom) with cherry tomatoes, sprinkled with walnuts, drizzled with Whole foods "healthy" brand no oil balsamic and topped with steamed asparagus. 

I also have an appt with a chiropractor that a few people at work go to.  Talk with her on the phone, after my eval today she said if she can't help me she knows some good message therapists.  She also believes in vitamins etc for healthier living.  She sounds like a neat person anyway - should be an interesting visit.

SAB

Sagina, I'm sorry for your loss, it is so sad.  You inspire me to try harder...Anti-cancer said that in addition to diet as little as 3-5 hours of brisk walking can cut recurrance rates for bc significantly.  Walked this morning, then came home to leftover whole wheat pasta and then fruit. 

I am working hard on sugar, but still have not been able to find definitive info on Stevia.  Went to a veggie restaurant the other night (felt like an outsider, like I should be wearing dark glasses and a fake moustache) and tried a little and it was pretty good. 

SAB

Hi ladies...anyone still looking at this thread?  I wanted to check in to tell you that I had a health panel run a couple days ago and my blood levels have improved--total, hdl,ldl, ratios and sugar have all improved after less than a month on my diet.  My total cholesterol has dropped by almost 30 points in 3 weeks.  So keep up the good food choices, it really does have an impact!!!

sweetbean

SAB, that is great!  Congratulations!

I am right now eating sauteed Kale & chard with quinoa and garlic.  Plus a side of broccoli.  After lunch, I will treat myself to one square of 88% dark chocolate.  And later, I will juice!  Feeling good!

CorinneM1

Wow that is amazing SAB.  I come to this thread, it help me motivated and continue to make good, better or best choices when I decide what to eat.

Good choice today was 3 farm fresh eggs with shiitake mushrooms and 2 pcs of Ezikeil bread.  I am having green tea as a snack now.  Last night I had a veggie chili (just beans, no meat) and am thinking about what to make for dinner tonight.  I feel a cold coming on, so I might go and get myself a big bowl of veggie soup from a nearby vegan restaurant for dinner.

SAB

So hard to control myself with chocolate, so I bought a bag of seperately wrapped ghiardelli intense dark chocolate squares.  One square is 55 calories, 5 grams of fat and about 3 grams sugar. Very nice treat, and portion controlled for us weak people out here ! I read that it has lower glycemic index than a slice of white bread, and about as many polyphenols as a glass of red wine or a cup of green tea. Finally, chocolate I can feel good about! Not supposed to take it with dairy though, so I have to stop having it with coffee (one of my vices that I will keep.)

CorinneM1

SAB, that is my vice too that I can't give up.  I use 1/2 n 1/2 in my coffee.  I make sure to purchase organic/no hormone 1/2 n 1/2, but I can't do black.  I don't use sugar.

I figure if I gave up wine, red meat and bacon and really try to limit dairy, a little every morning calms the naughty girl in me.

SAB

In the kitchen this morning.  Made my DH and DD multi-grain pancakes and fruit, then turned to the beans I soaked overnight...vegetarian chili for our dinner (lots of turmeric and pepper) with brown rice, guacamole and whole wheat tortillas. I hope everyone is enjoying a nice weekend!

SAB

Corrine-I must have had your veggie chili simmering in the back of my mind all week!

CorinneM1

Made another batch of scramled eggs with shiitake mushrooms and Ezekeil bread for breakfast.  Lunch was a masala veggie burger on paratha bread.  Blueberry banana smoothie as an afternoon treat.

Tonight we are going out to dinner and I checked out the online menu, and I think I am going to have this:  pan roasted baby eggplant stuffed with red peppers, onion, tomatoes, garlic, pine nuts with rice pilaf.

sagina

yummmm you all make me hungry to stay on my diet! thank you so much for the quinoa recipe, i got brave and cooked it!  It was so easy and such a versatile food, I used it as a side for zucchini, squash mixture - then the next day I made a tabulie of sorts - quinoa, shallots, cilantro, tomatoes, and lemon juice.  today I took the rest and made "guacamole" - same recipe as above but lime juice instead of lemon and added a cut up avocado.

My food was boring today other than the quinoa - got together with the family so had a mixed salad, grilled zucchini, and my quinoa mix.

I'm going to whole foods on my lunch break tomorrow to gather goodies for the week! Any protein ideas for simple lunch preparation at work?

SAB

Sagina-So glad that worked out for you! Um, lunches are the hardest for me...maybe yogurt with nuts and fruit?

sagina

Maybe I'll spinkle my salads with quinoa! No yogurt for me, trying to do the vegan thing. I do like walnuts in my salads too. I guess I'll head to whole foods and read some labels!

CorinneM1

I just tried seitan for the first time from the WF hot buffet bar.  I liked it!  I plan on picking some up from Whole Foods this week.  I am thinking a cold buckwheat noodle, scallion and seitan salad?  I have to find receipes on how to make at home.

sagina

I tried mock chicken salad from whole foods today! holy smokes, I thought it was going to be gross....it wasn't!  It was soy nuggets seasoned with cucumbers and onions, and parsley with a vegan mayo....Yeah protein!

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