Nothing too exiting today, I'm afraid.
Today I went grocery shopping. Typically I really hate it. The menu planning, the list making, the shopping, and the making sure I got everything... putting it all away... argh! Hate it.
Interestingly, Going Primal saves a ton of time in the grocery store. A friend of mine (hi, Sarah!) gave me a great tip: No menu planning is needed. Since most meals are a meat with vegetables, almost anything goes, so just shop the perimeter of the grocery store, and stock up on what's on sale, or the things you really want. Through together when appropriate. Awesome!
I start in the produce section, go to the Organic section, and throw stuff into the cart. There are some things I need that I am unable to get at my local grocery store, so while I try to stay as clean as possible, I can't at all times... but I figure a non-organic cherry tomato is much better than a box of donuts. Well, that's what I tell myself. I don't know that my mouth believes it.
Then we get the cheese, broth, and other misc items needed. Onto the meat... I grab a few things, whatever looks good that day. Then I hit the egg/dairy section, and just toss in a few things. Then we're out the door! It takes about 35 minutes. Pre-Primal trips took closer to an hour to go through the store, then another twenty to check out.
And I might add I am only paying approx. an extra $20 per week. Well worth it to me ... no menus, and extra time to boot!
The one issue that does take a bit of time is the cutting up of all the produce once you get home. You will say "there goes the saved time!" but, not really. If you're like me, you can really multi-task while you're at home. Liiike, you could chop celery *and* watch Dr. G on TV. Or skype with your sister while you're slicing up the onions. Can't do those things at the grocery store!
Okay, so the kids went back to school, so it's Lunch Box time!
Breakast: Fruit and nuts
Lunch: Grilled chicken breast
Snack: a few fresh vegetables
They had a light lunch box today since I hadn't been to the grocery store at the time of packing them. They seemed fine with it though. They were hungry when I picked them up. So the quest of "what to pack that they'll like, and will last them all day" is still underway. PLEASE, give me suggestions! Not just "kids like" but what packs the most filling punch within the smallest package. They don't seem to eat a whole lot at a time. And they don't have many other chances to eat throughout the day.
I was headache-free for most of the day. It seems to come back around 6ish pm, but nothing terrible. And today I've just dragged. But! I still feel better overall than I did Pre-Primal.
The kids seem to be doing a bit better today as well. Woohoo! And I'm still waiting on a report from Tom. He did make all his own meals today, which is great, because I didn't have time to do it. And we don't want him to starve.
I guess there is a light at the end of the tunnel :)
Good for you Heather.
ReplyDeleteMy cat just stepped on the keyboard and I lost what I was writing.
Here is a good snack: slice a banana in half, spread with almond butter or whatever butter you like, then grate some dark chocolate over the butter, top with the other half and freeze. Cut the banana into slices and keep frozen in a bag for some yummy sweet snacks.
You might just be my new best friend! ;)
DeleteSlices from a block of cheese is one idea.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a dehydrator (and an apple de-core-er - see below), dried apple or banana slices is another idea. They have probably more carbs than suggested, but better than hunger, in my opinion. Fruit carbs are still better than processed carbs. Sprinkle some cinnamon onto the slices prior to drying. I slice apples into 8 slices then each of them in half again. Bananas are cut about a centimeter in width; cinnamon optional.
http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Easy-Grip-Apple-Slicer/dp/B000SOAT0Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326976244&sr=8-2
Lots of good fat keeps you going through the day. I recommend mixing up a big batch of guacamole (avocado, lemon juice, salt and pepper), to add to the veggies for a snack. Roast some vegetables to go with that chicken breast. Roasted kale or broccoli taste suspiciously like junk food and REALLY fills me up. (drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees). Make sweet potatoes. There are infinite ways to cook sweet potatoes and they are so good for you. My favorite: fries, muffins, pancakes, all paleo!
ReplyDeleteguacamole also comes in the little 100 cal packs for lunches, not as organic but sure sure is easy
DeleteI like to roast asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower (smothered in turmeric)... I love broccoli, but I've never roasted it--I'll have to try that. Here's what I do with sweet potatoes: chop into sticks or rounds, drizzle with olive oil, coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper and a lots of Cajun spice blend (this is in a Pyrex dish). Cover with tinfoil and roast at 400 until they are soft--they are like CANDY.
DeleteNote: sticks together better if you butter both sides of the 2 banana slices.
ReplyDeleteI read Wheat Belly (God bless Dr. Davis)in November and then have segwayed to paleo/primal since first of December. I am 63 yr. old woman, good health, exercise, ate OK. Now, I can't describe how wonderful I feel--my aches and pains are gone, my GERD is gone, my muffin top is going away fast I have more energy, I don't feel wobbly and feverish in my leg joints and I walk and move easier and more confidently. About 2 weeks in, it was like some little room darkening shades behind my eyes rolled up suddenly and I was clearer thinking and almost joyous in mood--when in winter I am blah, blah, blah and not so joyfully adding to my spare tire area. Then I noticed my pains were gone. My feet didn't even hurt when I got up and put my feet on the floor. I work with the public, and got to admit: I am nicer. Ha. A friend noticed I was much more "vivacious" and wondered what was going on. I told her. I had cut down on flour and sugar earlier in the late summer and fall and added more protein, so I didn't have the carb flu. I have always felt better and lost weight on a low-carb diet. Gave up cereals in the morning for breakfast years ago since it always made me hungrier so I switched to cheese and "healthy whole grain" crackers. It helped but now I am wheat-free I don't miss that stuff now.
Go to the Wheat Belly Blog and go to breakfast on the left side and click on One Minute Muffin: you get a yummy muffin you can jazz up many ways--use as a sandwich base, make it sweeter, add nuts, etc. (read the comments) Shoot, here is the link:
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/recipe/muffin-in-a-minute/ I think the kids will love it. Uses ground flax seed. I take the ingredients in a mug along with the egg and microwave it for a snack at work. I made it for my husband one Sunday afternoon and we were not even hungry for the steak I was going to make by evening! Very, very filling.
Keep it up, and I also noticed how easy it is to shop. Many aisles at the grocery I don't even go down. I am trying to move my husband to this eating via the good meat. We didn't eat deserts much anyway.
My biggest problem with grocery shopping since putting everybody on a primal diet is just buying ENOUGH to last all week! I have 7 kids (6 boys) and it's a challenge. One measure I have taken to ensure that they are not eating ALL day is to have them add almond butter or sunbutter to their fruit. So if they want an apple, they need to spread slices with almond butter. A really yummy snack we've found is almond butter and frozen blueberries... but messy! LOL It will turn everyone's mouth blue. Probably not good for lunchboxes. But my kids will eat almond butter and sunbutter off a spoon, too. That's our family "I'm starving" cure.
ReplyDeleteHard-boiled eggs are also favorites, and my kids like macadamia nuts, cashews, and pistachios.
ROCK ON. I love apples smeared with almond butter. Hard boiled eggs and the nuts you mention are right on too. But I hear you--like Heather says, grocery shopping is easier/less complicated, but how to get enough to keep you going... it's a challenge when you can't just hand the kids a bag of chips.
DeleteMarksDailyApple has recipes for making your own jerky--I bet that would be good. I think you just cut the chicken or meat into a strips, marinate and bake for a while.
Also, if you can find a source of free roam chicken--I know bodybuilders who bake up a whole pan of chicken thighs at once. You might find a nice Indian yogurt marinade recipe if you Google it, to lend a nice savory note.
Awesome ideas, thanks so much all!
ReplyDeleteTuna salad and chicken salad are lunchtime regulars for me. Add some almond crackers:
ReplyDelete1 cup almond meal.
1 egg white. (Save yolk for another meal)
Mix and roll thin between two sheets of parchment paper. Use a pizza cutter to divide crackers (don't pull apart),and bake at 275 until toasty. Break apart along seams.
I usually salt mine before baking, and I also occasionally mix in other flavors like black pepper and garlic powder. Once I added caraway seeds which made my crackers taste like rye bread and was great with chicken salad.
Trader Joe's has good cheap almond meal if you don't want to make your own or pay too much at another grocery store. When I go out of town to visit friends, I stop at their Trader Joe's and stock up for a few months at under $4 per pound (compared to $10 per pound at my local Kroger).
ReplyDeleteYeah, I LOVE almond meal. I make pancakes with it:
Delete1 cup almond meal
3 eggs
1/4 t. vanilla
1/4 t. cinnamon
1 cup (or more) blueberries
Recipe adapted from MarksDailyApple
I think they need more for breakfast--fruit and nuts won't hold them for very long. Make the sausage/egg/chard bake on marksdailyapple and send a square with each kid for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteFind a veggie that all the kids like and make huge pile of it--each kid can have chicken/fish/whatever on a big pile of vegetable (filling).
On my site I am posting primal recipes I find online and try out:
http://susanslattery.com/journal/
Mostly I am trying to eradicate all sugar.
Here are the ingredients and basic instructions for the breakfast bake:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/sausage-egg-breakfast-bites/#axzz1jwddUGy3
Also, vitalchoice seafood sells delicious wild salmon sausage:
http://www.vitalchoice.com/shop/pc/viewCategories.asp?pageStyle=h&idCategory=272
Do the kids like canned fish? Tuna fish/sardines/canned salmon? I LOVE a pile of steamed broccoli with some canned salmon.
Another filling breakfast idea--organic apples in sections and a container of almond butter for dipping--I used to eat an apple and 2 or 3 tablespoons of almond butter and it would really hold me for most of the morning!
Eat more fat! It is filling and growing kids need it for EVERYTHING! Brains, nerve coatings, eye balls, cell membranes, hormones etc are all made of or from fats. Use chicken thighs instead of breasts, make eggs in butter, cover roast veggies in bacon drippings, make hollandaise and eat it on roast beef. Yummy!
ReplyDelete:) I lost your blog from my reader somehow, and am just now catching up! Sorry! Thanks for the shout out.
ReplyDelete