A Good Day Menu

[Dia Minha]

Just know that in order to make the following statements clear I'm just going to give you a list of foods I eat when I am having a good day. I'm not back on plan completely yet, so, this is a sample of what my food intake would be if I was. Does that make sense? I just had to make sure I stated that or it would feel like I was posting a lie.

Early Breakfast - Meal replacement shake with added fiber and flax seed.

I do this first thing in the morning, because I wake up thirsty and hungry. If I drink water before eating I tend to get an upset stomach. This gives me just enough so that then I can start a load of laundry, workout, drink water throughout my workout, shower and dress, without feeling faint.

If you find yourself thinking about food all the time, a really good thing to do is choose one or two meals and just eat the same thing everyday for those meals. This is what I do for breakfast and lunch. However, I tend to get bored with it after about 3-4 days. So, I will eat the same thing for breakfast until I just can't stand it another day and switch.

Breakfast

Menu 1: Shredded wheat with skim milk and a sliced banana.
Menu 2: Fiber One Cereal with skim milk and berries.
Menu 3: Cream of Wheat made with SF, FF hot chocolate, skim milk and added fiber, and grapefruit.
Menu 4: Two scrabbled eggs, hashbrowns with peppers and onions and SF, FF hot chocolate made with skim milk.

Lunch

Lunch is one of the times I will fix something else for the kids. However, they are getting old enough now to pretty much take care of it themselves. I just keep some things on hand that are easy for them to do and then fresh fruit and veggies.

Menu 1: Left overs from the night before.

If there are no leftovers I will do one of the following

Menu 2: Sandwich wrap made with a Flat Out (a tortilla like bread with tons of fiber). I'll make like a salad with lettuce, tomato, peppers, onions, cucumber, olives, thawed frozen peas, then use a little ham, tuna, or chicken, a little bit of cheese and a tablespoon of LF dressing. Sometimes for variety I'll sprinkle in some sunflower seeds.

Menu 3: Salad, which is just like menu 1 except there is no Flat Out. Instead of using croutons I use 94%FF popcorn (I know it sounds odd, but it is delicious and can count as a whole grain)

Menu 4: Fruit salad This could be just whatever fruit I have on hand mixed with yogurt. Sometimes I'll add chopped almonds or granola on top.

Menu 5: Stir Fry Again whatever fresh vegetables I have on hand sauted in olive oil, sometimes whatever meat I have on hand and already cooked and served over couscous or ramen noodles. (Yes Ramen noodles. Just note that 1/2 package is a serving and check your labels, there are brands with less fat and more fiber.)

Snacks

Fresh fruit, veggies, whole grain crackers, nuts, yogurt, you know healthy stuff. I try and use snacks to feel in my missing 8 healthy guidelines.

Dinner

These are my families favorite layered dinners. I just keep everything seperate and they fix up there own plate

Taco Salad - Lettuce, fresh salsa (has your tomatoes, peppers and onions already chopped up for you), seasoned extra lean ground beef (cook drain fat and rinsed with hot water) with a can of kidney beans, corn, cheese (I use FF the family uses regular) chips (I might leave these off depending on how many points I have) and sour cream (I use FF the family uses regular)

Grilled Chicken Salad - bagged salad, top with more veggies like tomato, cucumber, peppers, onions, peas, etc. then chopped still warm grilled chicken, and grated cheese (I use FF the family uses regular) LF or FF dressing

Baked Potato Bar - topped with carmalized onions (thinly sliced onions sauted in olive oil until they start to blacken, the longer you cook them the sweeter they get), steamed broccoli and califlower, diced lean ham, cheese, sour cream.

I don't think any of these need an explanation

-French Toast with Fruit and yogurt or sometimes a smoothie
-Tamale Pie with fresh coleslaw
-Roast and potatoes with steamed veggies
-Beef fajitas with whole wheat tortilla or served on top of couscous with sour cream and sliced avacado
-Stir Fry with brown rice
-Spaghetti with whole wheat pasta with grated zucchini in the sauce and green beans on the side.
-Potato Pancakes (recipe on zucchini thread) with unsweetened applesauce.

Treats

I love the fact, that on the WW plan you can have treats and not be cheating. I just always try to choose a healthier option. Like low fat ice-cream with fiber and fruit, or cake made with applesauce instead of oil, or fresh fruit layered with SF, FF pudding topped with Cool Whip Lite.

I have had a hard time deciding if I was giving enough information, yet, then I felt like I was giving too much. So if you have any questions just ask. That would be easier then me trying to go over and explain it all in every detail.

Enjoy!

Dia

[Dia Minha]

To make something a little more clear. For dinner I do not fix something different for my family than I do for myself. I fix one dinner and each individual just eats what they want of it.

However, when it comes to breakfast and lunch it is kind of a fix it yourself. So, there are days that we each eat something different, for those two meals. I just keep it simple enough so that it doesn't take any more time then fixing one big meal.

Dia

[Dia Minha]

I can't believe I forgot the best snack ever. POPCORN!

I use 94% FF microwave popcorn and then sprinkle ranch powder dressing over it. I also like taco or chili seasoning. I have also combined ranch and taco and it is yummy.

I keep meaning to try the different seasonings at Macey's, but the nutritional information is not on the jar. I need to look it up online, but I keep forgetting what the brand is before I get home. However, there is sour cream and onion, cheese, and several others that look really good.

Oh and sometimes I air pop it and then spray it with Pam spray or spritz it with a little olive oil and then sprinkle.

Dia

[runamyrun]

Your meals sound yummy! Thanks for sharing. It was nice to see that eating balanced and healthy meals can still be normal and yummy. Sometimes we eat well and sometimes we don't.

[Dia Minha]

Yes, normal. Normal being defined as what you are use to. That is why I say that it is better to start where you are and make what you usually eat healthier.

Like with pizza. If you like pizza don't quit eating it. Just find a way to make it healthier. I will either make my own crust and use part oat bran or just add Fiber Sure and then make the crust thinner or I have even used the Flat Outs mentioned above. I use lots of sauce, a little cheese, sometimes just a little meat and sometimes none and then load it up with veggies. I love mushrooms, olives, broccoli, peppers, onions, etc.

Dia

[sunrisegirl]

Yummy stuff! It's fun finding out what other people eat. Those sound like some good ideas that my kids would acually like! May I ask what kind of meal replacement drink? Is is like a carnation instant breakfast or what? That sounds like something I could use too.

[Dia Minha]

Sunrise, it is called Attain. I get it through my mom who is a melaluca representive. Really you could use just about any meal replacement mix and you would get the same benefits. I use this, because my mom will buy it for me. If I run out and her order is not in I'll just grab a Slim Fast.

You could buy the powder slim fast and blend it in the blender with a little ice, 1T flax seed, 1t Fiber Sure and it would basically be the same thing. Sometimes I'll add fruit too.

Dia

[Meticulous madness]

Yes! Thank you so much Dia, for all your good ideas & for sharing what works for you and your family!!!

[smed]

I love all of these great ideas. Hey DH my brother also uses one of his oils I cant remember which one I think it is canola oil and they melt some chocolete chips in it and pour it over there popcorn. They love this! they say it is really messy to eat but so yummy. I havent' tried it yet but cant wait to. I also cant wait to try the ranch and taco seaon over popcorn Yummy!

[Dia Minha]

Yummmmm! Chocolate popcorn. Two of my favorites. I'm going to have to try it.

Dia

[5ft Diva]

I've heard the ranch and taco seasoning is delicious, never tried it myself though.

[Dia Minha]

We had chicken fajitas tonight and I realized I forgot to mention that we use a little meat, either chicken or left over roast, then I add a can of black beans. If you chop up your veggies and your meat in smaller pieces the black beans just fit right in and it's easier for the kids to eat.

Dia