What's driving all of this? I don't eat badly and I don't eat much junk. But I could eat healthier. So, that's the goal. To kick it off, I'm going see how I feel when I cut out some of the big offenders (like refined sugar). I will report on how it goes and how I feel after the week is through. I'm sure you'll all be waiting with bated breath. ;)
Now, on to the menu!
MONDAY:
- Grilled pork chops
- Whole grain rice
- Veggie or salad
TUESDAY:
- Some sort of big dinner salad...
- Whole grain french bread
WEDNESDAY:
- Bolognese over whole wheat pasta
- Spinach salad with fruit
THURSDAY:
- Leftovers
FRIDAY:
- Something chicken...I'm going to try something new from TJ's, but have to browse the aisles to find that special something
SATURDAY:
- Eat out
SUNDAY:
- Grilled Chicken
- Roasted asparagus or potatoes
- Salad
- OR...if it's not too hot, I really want some Butternut Squash Soup, we'll see how the weather is!
A few menu requests...Candice - cream cheese chicken over pasta...Tamara - lasagna roll-ups and london broiler sammies...Emma - slow cooker orange chicken. I'm going to stop there...I could be requesting recipes from you all day! :)
Time for your menus.
P.S. You guys rock!
25 comments:
My roommate and I went without sugar for a month and I generally felt like I had a bit more energy. I thought it would result in less craving of sweets all around, but that hasn't exactly been the case... Good luck with your experiment!
I try to be pretty sugar-free, except for special occasions. It certainly helps me maintain a healthy weight.
Here is our menu this week:
M: Tofu/veggie stir fry with peanut sauce
T: squash gratin
W: chicken/green chile tacos
TH: roast carrots and green beans with thyme
FR: arugula/basil pesto with whole wheat pasta, topped with a fried egg (so yummy!)
SA: Vegetarian chili
SU: frozen pizza : )
In no particular order again...this week we're on a much tighter budget and I still am in disbelief I was able to shave off about $70 and still got our groceries delivered. *pats self on back*
Liz's Black Bean Chowder {from The Pioneer Woman Cooks site}
Chicken Chipotle Ranch Pasta Salad
Salmon Patties w/ Salad
Chili Dogs
Cheese Calzones
Cheese Lasagna
Egg Drop Soup & Coconut Rice
My neighbor is slowly (and lovingly) trying to get me to switch to a "nutrient rich" diet. She says it allows for only 10% animal protein. I don't know if I can do it, but I definitely see the benefits. That girl has endless energy!
In the mean time though, I'm going to be gorging myself on desserts!
Here's our (lame) menu.
(I'm not really back into cooking mode since we just moved to Japan and don't have all our stuff yet.)
M: Scrumptious Spinach Salad and whole grain bread
T: Eat out (I have a "getting to know the med group spouses" dinner)
W: Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole
R: Taco's
F: BBQ Chicken Pizza
S: Leftovers
S: I think I'll try to get someone to invite us for dinner on Sunday. ; )
Wow, Jane, great idea. My menu this week:
Monday:
Double Fudge Brownies
Tuesday:
Macaroni and Cheese
Wednesday:
Icecream Sundaes with caramel
Thursday:
Home Made White bread with Strawberry Jelly
Friday:
Cheese Cake
Saturday-- what else? Sugar Cookies??
Let me know how the diet goes...:) Miss you!!
I was totally with you until you said dairy. No cheese? How will you live? I am already mostly vegetarian and use whole grains as much as I can but why cut out the dairy? It is better for you than most meats.
so, I'll have to get the scoop from my aunt, but I know when she cut dairy she felt so much better overall...I have to admit, it was hard planning meals without cheese OR flour!! :) anyway, I'll find out the story...there is a reason behind the no dairy part, but I've been putting this off for so long I can't really remember...very educated of me, eh?
my theory on food is everything in moderation, balance. just 1 week to experiment and then hopefully improve things overall! :)
here's our plan for the week:
Mon- Chicken curry, brown rice, green beans
Tues-Mini Turkey Burgers, Sweet pot fries
Wed- dinner at a friend's
Thurs-Ravioli with three pepper sauce, salad
Fri-Coconut Chicken fingers, green beans, oven potatoes
Sat-Spaghetti squash with tomatoes, feta and garlic, salad
Good luck with your experiment! We'd be hurting without dairy around our house!
jane--you should read The China Study if you haven't already. i wonder if this is what made your aunt give up dairy, cuz after i read it, i went vegan as well. it's a pretty amazing and compelling book. (however, i am not completely strict about being a vegan. for example, if i'm making muffins and it calls for a couple eggs, i don't worry about it since over the course of the 12 muffins it is split amongst, it is not contributing a significant amount of animal protein in my daily tally. The China Study is all about minimizing the percentage of animal protein in your diet for health reasons.)
I'm eating real food again- woohoo! Well, still have to make careful choices, but better than nothing.
Monday:
-Fresh fish from pop-in-law
-Roasted carrots w/ honey
-Salad (for josh)
Tuesday:
-Penne & tomato sauce
-Roasted zucchini
-Salad (for josh)
Wednesday:
-Tomato soup
-Mashed potatoes
Thursday:
-Salmon Burgers
-Chili-roasted sweet potato wedges
-Salad (for josh)
It's back to school/work week for me, so easy does it:)
M: Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
T: Crispy Pesto Chicken, rice, veggies
W: Pot Roast, potatoes, carrots & green beans
T: Leftovers
F: Breakfast for dinner (I'm going to make pumpkin pancakes because I am totally craving fall foods).
S: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, veggies
S: Pork tenderlions on the grill
Jane,
The Lasagna roll ups came from here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lasagna-rolls-recipe/index.html
I had ground turkey w/ Italian seasonings on hand so I used that instead of proscuitto. The recipe made enough for me to freeze half for another night.
The london broilers came from Sam the Cooking guy:
http://www.thecookingguy.com/cookbook/recipe.php?id=398
He's a local San Diegan with a cool show on channel 4. His recipes are super easy and always yummy. I didn't get a chance to make these last week(we just grilled the LB).
Enjoy!
Jane- glad to share a recipe with you for a change!
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken: (from Kraft's What's Cooking Mag)
8 chicken thighs (I use 4 breasts)
3 T. flour
1/3 c. Orange Marmalade
1/3 c. Kraft BBQ sauce
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. grated gingerroot
Coat chicken with flour. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Be careful to not burn it!
As for the menu:
Sesame Beef Stir Fry
"Chinese Takeout" Lemon Chicken
Grilled Cheese & Tomato soup
That's all so far. Good luck with the new changes!
I'm not sure which days we're eating what yet. But here's what I've planned:
Orange ginger chicken, brown rice, steamed vegetables
Whole wheat pasta w/ sautéd tomatoes, garlic, shrimp, cream and Parmesan (a new fave dinner!), spinach salad
Sandwich with turkey, cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato & bacon
Meatball, marinara & mozzarella sandwich, vegetable tray
Pasta w/ leftover meatballs & marinara sauce along with steamed green beans
Jane, curious to see if it makes a difference in how you feel overall. My theory (my mom always says) is also 'everything in moderation'. Here is my menu, still no working oven yet...so its crock pot, stove or eat out!
Tonight we had chicken tostada goop (subst. ground turkey cause it was in the freezer)
mon-Potsticker salad
tues-leftovers
wed-eggplant mozzarella at mom's
thurs-falafel with yogurt dip and pitas
fri-chili pie, salad
sat-eat out maybe
sun-spicy lemon pasta (whole wheat)
cheers.
My menu-
M- leftovers
T- BBQ beef sammies with corn on the cob and salad
W- Pesto, mozz and tomato Pizza
Th- Simple Stirfry
...ok thats as far as I've gotten
Here's the recipe you requested:
(warning, condensed soup is an ingredient)
Cream Cheese Chicken
3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
1 small can cream of chicken soup
1 block of cream cheese, softened
1 envelope Italian Dressing Mix
a little milk to thin sauce
bowtie pasta for four
In saucepan over medium heat, mix soup, cream cheese, and Italian Dressing mix. Add chicken. Thin with milk as needed, and heat through. Serve over pasta.
Maybe this would be a dish you could try, say, next week. :)
Our menu this week is as always a work in progress...
M--grilled buffalo chicken & salad
T--Meatballs & spaghetti
W--leftover meatballs
TH--chicken fajitas w/homemade pico and guac
FR--either meatballs subs (with leftovers, if any) or grill some hotdogs and corn
SAT--grilled pizza (might try a cheeseburger pizza for my husband)
SUN--eating out
I am going to try to go back to planning. It was easier when I had no children!
Mon - green noodles (thanks This week)
Tues - potato noodles with Wurst (I am in Germany after all!) & zucchini
Wed - baked tofu with panko & salad
Thurs - homemade margarita pizza
Fri - eat out or hubby decides
Sat - coconut potato curry with basil
Sun - bulgur with mushroom sauce & herbs
Monday
Petite sirloin steaks with Southwestern rub, brown rice, sautéed peppers and baby spinach
Tuesday
Whole wheat spaghetti with asparagus-lemon sauce (ala Sara Moulton on the Food Network — I also add the juice of the lemon that is zested in the recipe)
Wednesday
Pitas with grilled chicken, Greek salad and TJs tzatziki (again)
Thursday
Spinach (I bought a big package of baby spinach at Costco yesterday, so that’s why it’s in almost every meal this week) walnut pesto risotto and grilled zucchini
Friday
Leftovers
Mon: Sweet and Sour Chicken stir-fry
Tues: Quesedillas
Wed: Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, corn on the cob
Thurs: Italian Pot Roast, pasta, crusty bread
Fri: Leftovers
Sat: BBQ, Jitters Pasta Salad, Corn (again)
I've been dairy-free for the last two and a half months since my last baby was born. My babies are so colicky if I have any dairy while I'm nursing them. So painful! I love cheese and other dairy.
Wow...since we LIVE on a dairy farm, I am sure my husband would be a little upset if we cut dairy from our diet. :) I am interested to see how you feel after one week. Here's our menu:
Sunday: In N Out Burgers
Monday: Fish and chips with a salad
Tuesday: Steak, potatoes and veggie
Wednesday: Lasagne and salad with bread
Thursday: We're traveling in our trailer from Wed to Sat, so we'll be at the San Luis Obispo farmer's market. It's fabulous!
Friday: Out for dinner at Artisan for my birthday, which is Thursday. We'll have the kids along...I am interested to see how they do in a cloth napkin restaurant. Call me brave.
Saturday: We will be at a wedding.
When I was in Korea this summer, I don't think I had any dairy the whole time I was there (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.), it was the best I've ever felt. Actually come to think of it, I don't think my sugar and flour intake was very high either. Just veggies, meat (pork and fish mostly), and kimchee. I felt SO good and swore that when I came back to the states, I would change my diet...hasn't happened yet. Maybe soon though! Can't wait to hear how your week went!
Hi Jane,
I admire the determination ... as I'm now 5 mos pregnant (and work for the company that makes M&Ms!) I think I would actually die without a little sugar now and then. Not sure it can be scientifically proven. :-)
Thanks to all for the great recipes, I just pulled a few off to print so I can refresh my usual weekly menu plans with some new ideas!
My menu this week:
Monday - I was traveling so it was takeout
Tuesday - chicken soup and salad
Wednesday - grilled chicken breasts, grilled zucchini, rice
Thursday - I want to do something with leftover taco meat, thinking nachos with meat, cheese, beans, lettuce, tomatoes all piled up sort of like 'taco salad'
Friday - on the road again!
I just want to say, I love all of your comments, menus, ideas, recipes, EVERYTHING. every week I'm just so happy to see all your great comments. it's amazing. THANK YOU!
ps - still haven't broken no refined sugar/flour/dairy rules this week...but it's not easy! more on that later...
What a coincidence that you posted about this diet. I just decided to try going off dairy to see if it helps my baby be less colicky, so I'm eager for a report! Any ideas/tips would be appreciated!
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