What I Ate Wednesday #7 - A Simple Day on Plan

Long time no blog! Most bloggers provide an excuse here >< as to why they have been on a blog hiatus. I don't really have an excuse, I've just been neglecting this hobby of mine. With my triumphant blog return I thought I'd give you readers something I know you enjoy, and that is creeping my daily eating habits! I find these posts are always quite popular. So without further ado....
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Today I was able to stay on plan and within my daily point limits. My entire eats for the day came to 37 Points+. Here is how I did it:

Breakfast, 8 Points+: 

• 2 slices of WW multi-grain bread
• 2 poached eggs
• 1 tsp low-calorie margarine 
• Eggs were topped with shredded asiago for flavor

Morning Snack, 7 Points+:

• 13 Mary's gluten free crackers
• 2 Babybel Gouda cheese pieces
• plum

Lunch, 5 Points+: 

• 1/2 chicken breast on a WW wrap
• Topped with lettuce, tomatoes and Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing sauce

Afternoon Snack, 3 Points+: 

• Oikos Greek yogurt
• pear

Pre-Dinner Snack:

• Banana

Dinner, 14 Points+:

• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1/2 cup arugula topped with chicken/pepper saute & asiago shreds 
• (Saute- Chicken breast, bell peppers, onion, kalamata olives, EVOO, Italian dressing)

Evening Snack, 1 Points+:

• 1 white cheddar rice cake

Today I dipped into my weekly points and have no guilt. I like to use my 49 points throughout the week to keep me satisfied. This is opposed to eating them all at once.

How do you manage your weekly points?

Steak, Sweet Corn & Avocado Salad

I hope everyone has been making the most of their summer so far. I can’t believe we are already counting down the days till September. The stores are stuffed with school and Halloween supplies, and believe it or not, some trees have already started to turn color here in Parry Sound. This summer has once again gone by like the blink of an eye.

Since Dan and I just moved to our new town with only weeks of summer to spare, we have been trying to utilize our time wisely.

Last weekend I made a point of making a trip to the local beach. Which, must I say was the most beautiful beach I have been too. Crystal clear water and you didn’t smell like sewage when you were towel drying! Oh Lake Ontario, I do not miss you...

We've also been trying to fish whenever the opportunity arises. For example, tonight Dan fished our local harbor while I ran by the waterfront during sunset.  We both enjoyed the sunset over the water while being blessed to enjoy our favorite hobbies simultaneously.

Most importantly, while I’ve been here I have been trying to enjoy some local beverages. Muskoka is popular not only for their beautiful views and waterfronts, but also for their local coffee and beer breweries! I’ve become a slight addict to the Muskoka Maple blend made by Muskoka Roastery Coffee Inc. The coffee has a medium/bold flavour with a hint of maple aftertaste. It is such a great way to start your day around here. Also, I most recently had the opportunity to try the local beer, Mad Tom IPA by Muskoka Brewing Company.  They have numerous hand crafted beer varieties, but this one inspired me to cook my latest recipe with its seriously bold citrus flavors.

Dan was raving over this recipe because it not only satisfied his steak craving, but it gave a Mexican vibe which we both love.

Steak, Sweet Corn & Avocado Salad

• 2 medium pieces of steak (we used 250 grams of strip steak)
• 2 cobs of corn
• 10-15 heirloom tomatoes (grape sized)
• 3 green onions
• ½ cup pea shoots
• 1 avocado
• 2.5 ounces feta cheese
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• Juice of 1 ½ limes
• Pinch of sugar
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Grill steak until medium rare; set aside to absorb its own juices. Boil corn and set aside to cool. Chop tomatoes, green onions, avocado and feta cheese and place in large bowl, top with pea shoots.  Remove corn from cob and add to bowl. Slice steak into bite sized pieces and add to vegetables. In a separate small bowl mix yogurt, lime juice, salt, pepper and sugar together and mix until well blended.  Add dressing to vegetable and steak mixture and stir until well coated.

Serve with your favorite beer or a nice glass of white wine.

This recipe is packed full of protein and healthy fats. There should be no guilt while eating this yummy summer BBQ recipe!

This dish is 14 WW points per serving, and it makes two man sized portions. Or, it could easily make 3 lunch sized portions at 9 WW points per serving. 

Enjoy!

Vegan Avocado, Chard & Asparagus Quinoa

I thought to come back from my posting hiatus with an amazing recipe. Since summer is right around the corner I've been experimenting with good pot-luck dishes and salads. This dish features my favourite local winery's Pinot Noir vinegar. If you haven't had their wine, I strongly suggest you pay them a visit. You will not be disappointed! Flat Rock Cellars is located on the Beamsville Bench.

This recipe I found online while looking for vegan dishes that were packed with protein and low in WW points. I've tweaked it a bit, so here is my rendition.

Vegan Avocado, Chard & Asparagus Quinoa

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups swiss chard
1 small red onion
10-12 stems of asparagus
2 tbsp quality olive oil
1 ripe avocado
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp's of Flat Rock Cellars - Pinot Noir Vinegar (or any other quality vinegar you can find).

Directions:

Cook the quinoa. Saute the asparagus, onion and chard in one tablespoon olive oil until cooked. In a small glass or jar mix the other tablespoon of olive oil and vinegar together. Once everything is ready mix the quinoa, asparagus, chard, and vinaigrette in a large bowl with the avocado. Season with salt.

This recipe makes 2.5 large servings. For each full serving it is only 10 PP+.

Enjoy!

Southwestern Beans on Toast

As we are headed into spring, I am continuously looking for new and exciting light recipes. These southwestern beans on toast are satisfying and make for a quick work night meal that is packed with protein.

Southwestern Beans on Toast

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

4 slices Italian bread

1 1/4 cups grated low-fat cheddar cheese

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

 

Directions:

• Preheat broiler in oven
• Heat a saucepan over medium. Add oil, then chili powder and cumin. Cook for 1 min. Add broth and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces slightly, about 6 min. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
• Arrange bread slices on baking sheet. Top each with cheese. Toast in upper third of oven until cheese is melted and edges toasted, 2 to 3 min. Remove bread to plates. Spoon beans over top. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with Fresh Tex-Mex salad.

Makes 4 servings at 7 PP+ per serving.

Tex-Mex Salad

Ingredients:

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp minced ginger

1/8 tsp salt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 cup baby spinach

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1 firm, ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

 

Directions:

• Whisk lime juice with honey, ginger and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in oil until combined.
• Add spinach, red onion and avocado. Toss until well coated. Divide among 4 plates and serve.

For the salad, I would count all veggies as free, and only count the oil, honey and avocado into my daily points. This calculates the salad to be 4 PP+ per serving.

Total PP+ for toast and salad = 11 PP+ for the entire meal. I served two pieces of toast and used some of my weekly points for a total of 18 PP+.

Enjoy!
recipes adapted from: chatelaine.com

Almond Pear Sandwich

My co-worker and I are currently doing a lunch exchange program (that's a topic for another blog post), and this is the sandwich I brought for us today.

 

I was skeptical of the recipe at first; goat cheese, apricots, almond butter.. what in the heck? But the mix was delightful for my taste buds and made me wanting to go back for more. This will definitely become one of my lunch go-to's in the future.

The best part? 10 PP+ per serving. Not bad for a gourmet lunch that satisfies every craving. 

Almond Pear Sandwich

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup almond butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp honey
8 slices 100% whole grain bread, I used sunflower red fife bread
1 pear, preferably Anjou, thinly sliced
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
2 oz semi-soft goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

In bowl, whisk together almond butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and honey. Spread almond butter mixture on 4 slices of bread. Top with pear slices, apricots, goat cheese, and remaining bread slices. Slice in half if desired.

Serves 4
recipe from alive.com

Enjoy!!

What I Ate Wednesday #6 - Too Many Carbs!

Carbs - they are nasty little buggers aren't they?

I don't know what came over me today, but I was craving them like crazy. Fortunately I stayed within my allocated WW points; but now I'm left feeling full, blah and bloated.

Here were my eats for the day:

Breakfast, 8 Points+ (7:30 am):

• Mango smoothie; 1 cup skim milk, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 cup frozen mango, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 banana
• Tea
• Vitamins 

I think breakfast was my downfall today, I normally would add protein powder but I was out of vanilla whey. When I don't start my day with a good dose of protein I tend to get really hungry come noon and in the evening.

Snack, 2 Points+ (10:00 am):

• Fibre 1 - 100 calorie peanut butter bar
• Banana

Lunch,  11 Points+ (12:30 pm):

• Subway 6 Inch Ham sub with all the fixin's.

This is always my treat meal after each weekly weigh-in.

Snack, 2 Points+ (3:00 pm):

• Oiko's Greek Yogurt - Cherry 0%

Dinner, 13 Points+ (6:00 pm):

• WW recipe; Sweet Corn and Shrimp cakes. This was a recipe FAIL. I was really hoping to blog about it, but frankly - it tasted gross.

So to satisfy my taste buds, I finished off my dinner with:

• 4 triscuits
• 1 piece light laughing cow cheese
• Kellogg's Crisp Bar

Total Points+ used: 36

You live and learn while on this plan. All foods are not created equal. Though you may stay on track and stay within your daily points, you can still make food choices that may not work for you and your body. That's exactly what I did today and I can't wait until tomorrow to make better choices.

On that note, let me leave you with this quote which I find most inspiring on days like this:

 

Have a great evening everyone!

Quinoa-Chicken Burgers

I don't know what's in the air, but I've had quite the productive weekend this weekend. I've organized numerous cupboards, did a ton of laundry, grocery shopped, went to spin class, organized my office and had a chance to whip up a recipe today. It must be the New Year, I feel revitalized!

I had some ground chicken in my  freezer I didn't know what to do with. I've read a lot about quinoa burgers and have wanted to try them out for awhile, so I thought this would be the perfect combo. What's so great about this lean alternative to beef burgers is they are less greasy, full of fibre and packed with over 20 grams of protein per patty.

I try to use quinoa as much as humanly possible. I love it! Not only is it a nice change to the boring rice that we are used to, but it is jam packed with nutrients. It's a complete protein source which is great for vegans/vegetarians, but it is also packed with fibre.  phosphorus, magnesium and iron.

Oven Baked Quinoa-Chicken Burgers with an Avocado

Ricotta Dressing & Salsa

Ingredients:

1 package ground chicken or turkey

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp coriander
1 small avocado
1 cup light ricotta cheese
Dash of salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix chicken  (or turkey), quinoa, cumin, cayenne pepper and coriander in a medium bowl. Shape into 5 patties. Place on parchment paper and cook in oven for 30-40 minutes, flipping about twice during cooking. Cook until patties have a nice golden crisp.

For avocado dressing; place avocado, ricotta and salt in small food processor. Blend until smooth.

I prefer to use the thin burger buns over the regular ones, plus they are only 4 points+ and very hardy. Top your burger with the avocado dressing and a tablespoon of salsa. Serve with a side of coleslaw or salad.




Quinoa-Chicken Burger: 6 Points+ each
Avocado Ricotta Dressing: 1 Points+ per Tablespoon

My entire meal as pictured above (1 burger, 1 cup broccoli slaw) was only 12 Points+, amazing!

Enjoy!

Spanakopita Triangles

Who doesn't love a great Greek dish every now and then?

I made these low-point Spanakopita Triangles for my friend's New Years bash and they were a hit. The men even continued to eat them once they found out they were low-fat. That's a win!

These little 2 point snacks are not only good as an app, but you can pair them with a Greek salad for a filling meal. The best part? When you have 2 they are only 3 points!

Opa!

Spanakopita Triangles

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 cup low-fat crumbled feta cheese
• 1 package of thawed (frozen) chopped spinach - drain as much water as possible
• 1 small diced onion
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dill
• 8 pieces of thawed (frozen) phyllo dough

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Thaw phyllo dough according to box. Thaw spinach in microwave or leave in fridge overnight. Mix first 8 ingredients in large bowl, set aside. Place 2 pieces of phyllo dough on parchment paper, spray cooking spray or brush light butter between both sheets. Use pizza cutter to cut dough into 5 vertical strips. Place large spoonful of mixture at bottom of each strip and roll according to diagram below.

Place triangles on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Spray triangles with cooking spray, or brush with light butter. Bake for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Points+: 2 per triangle

As mentioned, eat alone as a snack or pair with a Greek salad. These are freezable in an uncooked state. So pop a few in the freezer and then pull them out and pop in the oven when you are in the mood for a quick bite.

Enjoy!

What I Ate Wednesday #5 - WW Edition

Happy Wednesday!

I hope you are all recovering from New Years and are back on track after the holidays.

My WIAW format has changed now that I am tracking with WW again. So instead of the calorie count and distribution I will be noting my meal points and daily points instead. I hope this gives some other WW member's an idea of what a daily menu should look like (or on my bad days, perhaps what your day should not look like). I try my best to stay on top of this weekly post, but usually fail as I have a hard time remembering to take photo's of my food. That being said, one of my blog resolutions for 2013 is to post my WIAW weekly.

For my weight, height and weight loss goal I have been allocated 29 points to consume per day. In addition, 49 weekly points to be distributed throughout the week however I may choose. I personally like to split these up during the week eating about 30-35 points per day, and any remaining weeklies and activity points I consume on the weekend.

Here were my eats for the day:

Breakfast, 9 Points+ (7:30 am):

• Banana bread quinoa  I used Almond milk to sub in for creamer to lower the WW points. I had a large serving of 1 1/4 cup.
• Tea
• Vitamins

Snack, 3 Points+ (10:00 am):

 

• 1 container PC blue menu Finesse 0% yogurt
• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1 TBSP chia seeds

Lunch, 5 Points+ (12:30 pm):

 

• Salad; 2 slices Roast beef deli-meat, 2 cups arugula, 1/4 cup green beans, small handful croutons, 1 TBSP blue cheese dressing
• 2 pieces light laughing cow cheese

Snack, 3 Points+ (3:00 pm):

 

• Kellogg's thin crisp bar
• Apple

Dinner, 11 Points+ (6:00 pm):

 

• 1 piece grilled chicken breast
• 1/4 cup brown rice
• Cranberry sweet-potato bake
• 1 TBSP Kraft fig balsamic dressing

Post Workout Snack, 4 Points+ (8:30 pm):

 

• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/4 piece raw avocado

Total Points+ used: 35

Activity points earned: 5 - treadmill running

What are you doing to get back on track after the holidays?

Pan Fried Steak with Avocado, Corn and Black Bean Salad

All I can say is Yum!

Dan and I made this Weight Watchers recipe on the weekend and it turned out fabulously. WW recipes are usually hit and miss. I sometimes wonder if anyone had even tried the recipe before they published it.

Luckily with my few tweaks this recipe was a hit and we will definitely be making it again.

Here is my version:

Pan Fried Steak with Avocado, Corn and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:

for steak:
400-450 grams raw lean steak (approx. 1 large boneless steak)
1 medium clove of garlic
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
pinch of salt
pinch of ground pepper

for salad:
1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
1 cup cooked corn (we used frozen opposed to canned as they are more crunchy)
1/2 medium diced avocado
1 cup rinsed, drained, black beans
4 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
pinch of salt
pinch of ground pepper

Pre-heat pan to medium-high.

Score steak on one side; rub garlic over scored surface. Brush steak with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Let steak marinate for 10 minutes.

Combine salad ingredients in medium bowl, stir and put aside.

Pan fry steak to your liking, we did approx. 5 minutes per side. Once steak is cooked set aside for 10 minutes to allow it to absorb its juices. Thinly slice steak into thin slices, portion into 4 servings. Plate salad into 4 servings (about 1/2 cup per portion). Serve with 1/2 cooked brown rice on the side.

This recipe is only 9 PointsPlus per serving including the rice. Amazing and filling!

Enjoy.

p.s. Like my picture? I finally bought white plates to showcase my food. :)

Weight Watchers Commitment

Since achieving my lifetime Weight Watchers member status, I've stopped tracking my food all together. It's been about a year and a half since goal and I've done really well staying on track with my weight fluctuating up and down about 5 lbs.

One thing I've learned is you need to be able to adjust your eating habits to coincide with your activity goals, and when I was training for my marathon my food intake changed drastically compared to when I was losing weight. I was eating nearly double (if not triple) what I was before. Now that I am no longer in intense training, I need to once again change my eating habits.

I've decided to get back on the tracking train so I can get in the habit of how much food I should be eating for this low-medium activity level. I've put on 6 lbs since the marathon, and I need to shed that and get back to reality. The key to weight loss and maintaining is recognizing when you are falling back into old habits and nipping it in the butt as soon as possible. There is no need to get depressed and continue on that negative track. You need to remember how happy you were when you were at goal weight, and that is all the motivation you need to get through a bad eating day, week, month or lifetime.

 

Upon re-signing up, I've noticed they have a new weight loss plan called Weight Watchers 360. I was a little disappointed as I soon realized the tracker and program was identical to the Points Plus program. So, if you were once comfortable with the Points Plus program, don't be discouraged because nothing but some marketing has changed.

I wish you luck with any weight loss/maintenance program you choose. Please stay posted for some new WW recipes I will be posting in the New Year!