Quick Food for a Vacation

Sandwich ingredients

Here we are on a mini-vacation.  Didn't know if we'd make it, but we are at the beach.  We have a double challenge with our food.  We are still participating in the No Takeout Challenge.  Now, we have to keep it going while on vacation!!!

Anyone who has gone on vacation knows what it's like to figure out what to eat and/or prepare in the way of meals.  It's a struggle to come up with quick snacks and meals.  It's a struggle to come up with something that everyone will enjoy.

The easiest thing to make is a sandwich.  Each family member can customize their own sandwich.  I brought sliced turkey breast, bologna, cheese slices, mayonnaise, and mustard.

Dinner meal ingredients

Then, there are pre-packaged items.  Uncle Ben's Ready Rice, Wolf Brand Chili, and Ranch Style Beans are among the items we brought with us.  My hope is that we can buy some meat at the local grocery at the beach.  We made sure to rent a room with a kitchenette so we can cook some of our own meals.

Easy pastas

For something a little more quick, we brought macaroni and cheese and soups in cups.  The room, fortunately, has a microwave.

Healthier meal alternatives

Baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and spinach can be dipped in the ranch dressing I brought with us.  Mott's Healthy Harvest apple sauce comes in handy, too.  All we need to do is make sure to provide some plastic spoons.   Strawberries, green grapes, and red grapes are perfect fruits to go.  All we did was to containerize the fruits and veggies with either baggies or plastic reusable Rubbermaid containers.

Snacks in bag

Finally, we had portioned out a few snacks.  Among the choices were cereal, chocolate animal crackers, and raw almonds and walnuts.  I love Cheerios and so do the kids.  I eat the walnuts because they are filling and good for you.

Well, thanks for reading about our quick foods for a vacation.  I hope you got some ideas for your vacations.

 

What about you, my readers? Do you like salads? Do you like grapes?  What about chili or Cheerios?  I encourage you to get creative with quick meals.  Don't shy away from allowing your family members to eat what they want to eat, as long as they are eating from the recommended food groups, too.

May God bless you with His peace and wisdom, my beloveds.

This has been an entry for Saturday Spreads. I hope you enjoyed it!

Seven Reasons to Accept the No-Takeout Challenge

Cutting cost of food by cooking instead of eating takeout.

I have been thinking about buying less takeout.  It's been a big challenge.  I recently found out about the No-Takeout Challenge through Facebook.  I joined up with other participants.  Finding support is vital to accomplishing such a goal, and I hope to help others, as well.  

Here are some reasons why I have finally decided to take the plunge:

1. Save money.  I like to have money for emergencies.  I know they come up all the time.  Take, for example, the breaking down of a small appliance, like the toaster.  I'd like to be able to replace it, without worrying about what won't get paid.

2. Go on vacation.  I like going to the coast.  I like staying in a decent motel.  I like having enough money to get to the coast.  I like having money to buy food, while at the coast.

3. Pay down debt.  I would like us to pay off some of our small debts.  My hubby is still paying for the laptop I use.  I would like to have a few less bills to pay.  Getting one debt paid off at a time is a manageable goal.

4. Eat healthier.  With takeout food, we never know what is used.  What oils are used?  How much salt is added?  What is added into the taco meat?

5. Buy better food products.  With the savings, I can afford the grassfed cattle beef.  I can choose meat that has no antibiotics or hormones.  I can buy the raw milk and fresh eggs.  I can buy more fruits and vegetables, too.

6. Work on house projects.  Maybe we can finally finish some of the home improvement projects.  How about the trim for the walls?  How about painting some rooms?  How about making the utility room more homey? 

7. Gain more discipline.  I know that the savings from avoiding takeout will not be very large.  It can be substantial enough, though, to improve our health.  One friend said she and her family lost weight after avoiding takeout for three months.  More than anything, I wan to prove to ourselves that we can accomplish a goal.

I've accepted this no-takeout challenge beginning today, July 1st to December 31st.  It is not going to be easy, but I know it will be worth it.  I want the many benefits that can come from not eating out.  If you want to know more about the challenge, you can visit the SIX Month Money Challenge Facebook page.  If you would like to join, please like the page and join the yahoo group that accompanies it, as well.

Thanks for reading this entry.

How about you, my readers?  How often do you buy takeout?  Have you ever tried not buying takeout?  What's the longest you've gone without takeout?  I encourage you to see how you can cut out takeout.  I think it's worth a try.  The benefits are endless.

 

May God bless you all with His wisdom and peace.

This entry has been part of the Family Fun Fridays series.

Fructose & Other Ingredients in Our Food

Bran Flakes Cereal comes with fructose.

Ingredients for bran flakes cereal.

I have been trying to get healthy.  It is a deep struggle, muddling through the information that is out in the world.  There are so many choices of foods in the supermarket.  I have been praying for God to point me to the truth.  Slowly, I have been digesting the information that is out there.

I had posted about using bran cereal, specifically the one shown above.  I had heard that bran cereal is good for you.  That has not changed.  What has changed is that the particular one above has high fructose in it.  I did not catch that when I bought it; I threw it out immediately, after seeing a lengthy video about fructose.

You can see the video in www.youtube.com.  

Just click on 

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

"Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin. Series: UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public [7/2009] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 16717]"

The doctor claims that fructose acts like a fat and an alcohol, which hurt your body in countless ways.  He said that there is an epidemic of 6 month old babies, yes, babies, with obesity.  Why?  He claims, with research, that the cereal and juices given through WIC, the program Woman, Infant, and Children, is giving those babies highly sweetened foods.  Further, he shows the chemical reactions that the fructose does to the body, with diagrams, to show how the liver tries to process this terrible ingredient.

That was a full load to learn in one sitting. I saw that hour and a half video. I'll admit that I got lost on the chemistry of the doctor's explanation. I also had a whole load of emotions.  I recommend that everyone see this video; you will then understand my frustration.

I am trying to get healthy.  I am trying to keep my children healthy.  It angers me that I can't get healthy because of the food and their additives. I think I am also saddened that greedy companies don't care about our health, just their money. What do I do with this anger?

 

12 teaspoons of sugar.

12 teaspoons equals almost 1/4 of cup of sugar

 

Anyone who knows my husband, has seen him with his usual can of Pepsi. I had heard that each can of regular Pepsi uses about 10 teaspoons of sugar. I might be wrong; I might be right. I just found a table online that says Pepsi has about 10 teaspoons of sugar. I use about 1-2 teaspoons of sugar for a cup of tea or coffee, but my husband heaps a lot of sugar; I think he might be addicted to sugar.

 

Here is the table I found, which lists other soft drinks as well:

Amount of Sugar in Various Kinds of Soft Drinks

Goober grape that my youngest son loves to eat.

My husband also likes and introduced Goober, which is peanut butter swirled with grape jelly, to my kids. Guess what Goober has? Yes. High fructose corn syrup is one of the ingredients.  I need to wean my son of off that poison.

Opening my Facebook this morning brought me another piece of information. Supposedly, other "good" ingredients, like added vitamins and minerals are not good for you. In fact, they are considered dangerous. They have been banned in other countries. I'll let you read the article so you can see for yourself:

Breakfast Cereals and Junk Foods - Poison for Our Children

"Andreas Moritz is a writer and practitioner in the field of Integrative Medicine. He is the author of 13 books on various subjects pertaining to holistic health, including The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush, Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation and Cancer Is Not a Disease. His most recent book is titled 'Vaccine-Nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time'."

What is one to think?  What is one to do?  I am putting this information together to inform.  I'm not here to scare anyone.  I am simply using my anger in a positive manner.  

After seeing all of this information, we can do one of two things.  We can pretend that this information is wrong.  We can act on this information.  We can vote for what we really want--fresh food in the form of fruits and vegetables.  We can vote with our dollars by buying the fresh food and growing it ourselves.

How about you, my readers?  What foods are you buying and/or growing?  Are you trying to buy the right snacks?  I know that the information about foods can be quite frustrating.  I pray that you seek out the best foods for the sake of your health.  The children in your life are also depending on you to choose the best foods for them, too.

May God bless you all with His wisdom and peace.  

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

 

Eating Colorful, Healthy Foods

Colorful foods help you want to eat healthy.

It's been said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  I say that the way to feed my loving husband is through providing visually appealing foods.  Adding rich tomato sauce--a red color--into rice is good for a man's prostate.  It appears delightful even though I add real garlic (helpful for the immune system) and other good spices.  My husband gobbles up the food with his eyes before he even puts a spoonful of it into his mouth.

Today, I want to discuss the importance of a balanced meal.  What is a balanced meal?  Well, you need to have your carbohydrates (or starches), protein, and veggies.  Here, I have chicken soft tacos with beans and rice.  I'm not going into detail about how to throw it together.  

I just want you to look at the colors.  Isn't it beautiful?  If you are a visual person, then you are enjoying looking at that plate full of colors.  I learned a while back that to get someone to eat your food, you should use different colors to have a good food presentation.  Here, you can see the yellow, orange, brown, green, and red calling to you to eat it.  

I bet you're drooling!

You can also see that the plate is colorful.  I thought it added a nice touch to the dinner that was on it.  Notice that the plate is not big, either.  I did that on purpose.  We need to eat smaller portions, and a small plate helps you do that.  

Did you know that you should only eat the amount of meat or cooked grain that fits in the meaty part of your hand? Yes, your palm.  That means that your meat slice should be lean, not thick, and be the size of your hand, minus your fingers.  If your dinner time calls for only one or two meat portions, check it against your palm.  That will give you a good indication of how much protein or starches you should eat in one meal.  

Of course, if you are eating small meals throughout the day, as some doctors and fitness books recommend, then you would probably only eat one portion of protein.  Just make sure to  match up a protein with a good carbohydrate, especially if you are diabetic.  In this case, I matched each meat to a corn tortilla, which is better than the white flour tortillas.

Beans have both carbohydrates and proteins so it can really stand alone, but I'm a Mexican American and used to eating a meat entree with some kind of pasta (like rice, shells, elbows, or vermicelli) and beans on the side. 

Adding the roughage of spinach helps the food push through your body, and the tomatoes are good for you, too.  Tomatoes are good for your eyes.  My eye-sight began to improve when we grew tomatoes in our garden and ate them.  The avocados provide the fat that is good for your body.  I even sprinkled a little lemon (which has vitamin C) juice on the avocado.

I've come a long way from my earlier days of cooking.  That was about 15 years ago.  I am not perfect, but I have striven to provide delicious, wonderful-looking meals.  I have tried to balance them out with a good drink and a fruit on the side.  I don't always get to make my meals totally healthy, but I am hopeful to get  there some day.  For now, adding good veggies, like spinach and tomatoes, is a step in the right direction.

How about you, my readers?  Do you prepare your foods for all of the senses?  Do you try to make it taste and smell delicious?  I encourage you to include the different colors of the palette.  It just might make it more fun to eat a healthy meal.

God bless you with His peace, my beloveds.

This has been an entry for Saturday Spreads.  I went link-crazy, but I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

Decisions About My Diet

Diet help is a book on my shelf-- I decide to use it.

I am making important decisions to my diet.

There are habits I need to drop and some I need to add.  Years ago, I heard Dr. Phil say that in order to lose one habit, you must replace it with a positive one.  I want to get away from eating junk food which is convenient time-wise but harmful to the body in the long run.  Drinking caffeine gives a sudden energy lift, but I crash several times in the day.  That's why I am researching.

I want to get healthier.  Yes, I want to lose weight.  Yes, I want to be thin.  I just want to make sure to keep my mind focused on the right goal.  I don't want to starve myself to get there.

I want to reread some of the books that are already on my bookshelves.  To lose the initial 30 lbs., I used the tips in those books.  It's time for me to read them again.  I want to revisit books like: You, on a Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.   

 

I previously posted that I lost 30 lbs.  You might think this is a lot of weight, but I am not at a healthy weight, yet.  At my height of 5 feet  and 1 3/4 inches, 175 lbs. was too much.  I am now at about 140 lbs.  Since I am a woman, my optimum weight is about 117 lbs.  You see, 5 feet equals 100 lbs., plus 10 lbs. for the 1 full inch, and 7.5 lbs. for the 3/4 of an inch.

I could lose up to 23 lbs. for my petite frame.  Of course I may never get there or stay there, if I ever reach that weight.  I would be happy to weigh 127 lbs.  That means that 140 lbs. minus 127 equals 13 lbs. to lose.  That is doable!

My goal could be to lose one to two pounds per week.  Of course, I am tweaking my food plan.  I also need to tone away the flabbiness.   My body needs to adjust to the changes in my diet.  Finally, I must find and use the new tips I find.

There are some things to consider.  It is not the number of pounds that is the main focus.  A healthy lifestyle is my aim.  I think that for a long time I had been depressed and did not care for myself.  I am reaping the results of that decision, and I want to reverse the damage.

How about you, my readers?  Do you own the book I mention?  Do you own any of books of the series by Dr. Oz and his colleague?  Have you ever watched his show?  I hope you do because the books have loads of useful information to help you get healthier.

God bless you all with His peace, my beloveds.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

Making the Most of Leftovers

At least 6 containers of frozen leftovers--for one week.

With being a mom full of responsibilities, it is sometimes tough finding the time and energy to cook up the best meal.  That's why it is a good idea to stretch that meal that you do take the time to create.  Stretching it for another mealtime is very important.  Let's take, for example, that hearty soup that hubby can't take to work.  Well, why not freeze the leftovers for another dinnertime?

It is important to keep in mind the containers you will be using.  Some of the containers I bought were for frozen veggies.  I think that, even though they are a little more expensive, they are worth it if they can keep your food from getting freezer burn.

Taco meat labeled and dated

Another thing to consider is the dry erase markers.  You need to label the contents and the date for the food you will be storing.  It is worth the extra time you take to label those items.  You don't want to wonder months later what mysterious food lurks in your freezer.  I have several of those markers (within reach) hanging on my refrigerator and/or in the utensils drawer.

I hope this helps you out when thinking about stretching the food budget.  I know that many of us are watching as food and gas prices go up.  We can't do anything about that, but we can find strategies to stretch our dollars by not letting our food go to waste.  It is worth the extra time and effort to put away some leftovers so that we can use them later.  It will help you resist the temptation to get takeout, which we can't really afford.

How about you, my readers?  What do you do to stretch your budget?  Do you freeze leftovers?  I hope you will consider it?  You just might save $100 from your grocery bill.

God bless you all with His peace, my beloveds.

Our Favorite Dinnertime Meals

My favorite meals involves beans and rice.

What does my family love to eat?

It is difficult at times to make a meal that all of the family will enjoy.  One person may want something different from the others.  I often have to make a meal that has different components to it.  Then, one person can leave out or add any ingredient if they like. A mother and/or her helpers often have to tweak the meals to accommodate everyone.

For example, when I make spaghetti, I leave out the sauce from the ground meat.  My younger son and I love the sauce on our pasta, but the others sometimes do and sometimes don't.  I don't bother to make meatballs, either; they're too time-consuming to make.  Then, we made some toast, adding butter.  For mine, I add a sprinkling of garlic.

My children also like to eat tacos of various kinds.  I like that they are versatile.  The kids can add any ingredients they like.  One daughter likes lettuce.  The other daughter likes tomatoes.  My youngest son likes a cheese taco, while the older one likes ground meat with the shredded mild cheddar in it.  My husband and I like to add avocado, to which I add a few drops of lemon.

Some of them like cheeseburgers.  Two of my children--the oldest ones--like cheeseburgers.  All of them seem to like chicken nuggets.  Some of us like the nuggets with or without barbeque sauce.  Of course, we need our fries, and again, some like ketchup and some don't.

What about you, my readers?  What do your children like?  What does your significant other love to eat?  Can you see the value of making your meals with choices?  I just love the challenge of having everyone eat a meal together, one that everyone can enjoy.

Peace to you, my beloveds.