Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Italian Chicken Vegetable Soup
Today's lunch was Italian vegetable soup. I based it off of a WW meal idea and made it my own. To make it, I put some chicken broth (I use water with low sodium, chicken flavored Better Than Bouillon added) in a crockpot. Then add chopped veggies (whatever you have on hand), boneless skinless chicken breasts, Italian-style canned stewed tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasonings. Cook all day on low. About 45 minutes before you are ready to eat, add some whole wheat pasta (I used shells) and shred the chicken breasts and add it back into the soup. Watch the soup so the noodles don't overcook and get mushy. The time will depend on the type of pasta used. (This recipe was originally to be made on a stovetop, so if that's easier, it can be done that way in less time. I just like not having to tend to it and having it ready at the end of the day.) If you try it, let me know what you think!
Cheesy Taco Pasta
Dinner tonight was a new recipe that I found on Pinterest....Cheesy Taco Pasta. Sounds delish, right? It was amazing! The recipe was found here: http://www.emilybites.com/2011/11/cheesy-taco-pasta.html
Cheesy Taco Pasta
Ingredients:
8 oz wheat pasta (I used Barilla medium shells)
1 lb 95% lean ground beef
1 oz packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 ½ c chunky salsa
½ c water
¼ c fat free sour cream
¾ c shredded 2 % reduced fat cheddar cheese
¾ c shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used extra sharp)
Salt & pepper to taste
8 oz wheat pasta (I used Barilla medium shells)
1 lb 95% lean ground beef
1 oz packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 ½ c chunky salsa
½ c water
¼ c fat free sour cream
¾ c shredded 2 % reduced fat cheddar cheese
¾ c shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used extra sharp)
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. While pasta is cooking, place ground beef in a large sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the beef as it cooks. When the beef is cooked, drain any grease from pan. Add the taco seasoning, salsa and water and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes or until pasta is done cooking.
3. Once pasta is done, drain pasta and add it to the beef mixture. Add the sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cheese will melt when thoroughly mixed. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Yields 6 (1+ cup*) servings. Weight Watchers Points Plus: 9 per serving(P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 376 calories, 37 g carbs, 13 g fat, 29 g protein, 6 g fiber
(HHM note: I measured out 1 cup servings and it really did make 7 servings, not 6.) Also, I used extra lean ground turkey instead of the ground beef and I used half of the cheese that it called for. It was still plenty cheesy!
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. While pasta is cooking, place ground beef in a large sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the beef as it cooks. When the beef is cooked, drain any grease from pan. Add the taco seasoning, salsa and water and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes or until pasta is done cooking.
3. Once pasta is done, drain pasta and add it to the beef mixture. Add the sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cheese will melt when thoroughly mixed. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Yields 6 (1+ cup*) servings. Weight Watchers Points Plus: 9 per serving(P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 376 calories, 37 g carbs, 13 g fat, 29 g protein, 6 g fiber
(HHM note: I measured out 1 cup servings and it really did make 7 servings, not 6.) Also, I used extra lean ground turkey instead of the ground beef and I used half of the cheese that it called for. It was still plenty cheesy!
Best.Omelet.Ever.
This was my yummy post-workout breakfast this morning. It is also the one I forgot to post a pic of the other day. Scrambled egg whites, taco turkey meat (w/ kidney beans and low sodium taco seasoning), mushrooms, fat free mozzarella and fresh salsa. I figured it to be about 55 grams of protein.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Asking for help...
Why is it that it is so hard to ask for help, but usually so easy to give it? That's human nature. One thing that I've found to be so important is being able to ask those around us for help as we are trying to get healthy. Find one or two people who you can call on when you need to be "talked off the ledge" (aka you're ready to dive face-first into a huge bowl of ice cream). I have a few friends who I know I can call/text/email when I need support...and I do call on them. Find people who "get it" and who are maybe on a journey to health themselves. I have THE best hubby in the world, and he loves me and wants to do what he can to help me, but he has never struggled a day in his life with his weight or with an addiction of an kind. (I do have to ask him from time to time to keep the junk food out of the house or to not make cookies while I am home). While I still talk to him about my struggles or triumphs, I also call on my weight loss buddies. I saw that a friend just posted on facebook looking for a workout buddy. Great idea! The accountability and the support is huge! Don't forget to ask for help when you need it. It's not a sign of weakness...but a sign of strength and dedication to your goals.
Meal Plan
This is my meal plan for the coming week. I'm going to keep doing WW Simply Filling plan for the most part, which focuses on "power foods" (lean meats, fruits and veggies, whole grains, etc.) since it's worked so well for me the last few weeks.
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