We just finished eating dinner and I announced it got an A+ in my book, which if you saw Nate's astonished face you would know I don't give out very often. I'm a tough critic to my meals. However, I also made what I found to be an exceptionally dismal meal the night before, so the sharp contrast could have made my rating slightly higher.
It was good, really good.
And healthy.
I pulled together two recipes I've been wanting to try. A harvest turkey burger from our Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals cookbook and a southwestern black bean salad I saw on Pinterest. So we had our burgers on whole wheat buns and used our black bean salad as a salsa with some tortilla chips. The whole meal was tasty, light, and satisfying. Below are both recipes in case you would like to try them too.
I've really been mulling over my health choices and also the direct effect it has on Nate. As I am the one preparing meals 98% of the time now, what I prepare and serve really does impact Nate's health too. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't feel like I've been slowly killing off my husband over the last year and a half. Not by a long shot, but on the flip side I have not utilized my powers for exceptional good either. I have not made decisions that are best for me either when it comes to food and health.
Nate and I realized soon after getting married, we had different concepts of what a meal consisted of as our family of origins were different. Nate has a genuine sweet tooth and lacks a sense of completeness without a finishing "dessert" of some sort. He has noticed recently, that "dessert" can be as simple as an Andes Mint to help satisfy his craving. But it's there. But I don't have that same need. I only think if desserts for special occasions. So he has adapted to having desserts less because I don't have them available with every meal, while I have had adapted to having more desserts than I have ever had before in my life, because I do try to be sensitive to his need and have made an effort to have desserts available more often.
The problem then is for me, I end up eating desserts because it's there not because I necessarily even want it.
I've really been chewing on some health ideas and have been reading a blog from a nutritionist in TX (http://lindawagner.net/blog), and have found it really inspiring. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you I'm not having desserts ever again. But I have really been convicted that the choices of food and health are mine. What I put in my body has a direct effect on how I feel.
After thinking about some of the ideas I was reading, I've decided I want to make a change to my breakfast routine for the rest of this week. I start tomorrow. Instead of the normal bowl of cereal and coffee. I'm trading it in for a smoothie. This way I'll be starting my day with fruit and greens (incorporated into the smoothie too), which can never be a bad thing. And I'm going to see how I'm feeling at the end of the week and reassess.
And, I asked Nate if he would like to join me in my quest for health by participating in a new breakfast routine with me. And he agreed. I think it might be because I used the word "quest". I think men are instantly drawn in by that word and a sense of adventure it brings. But I know Nate also seeks a healthy lifestyle too as we have both had weight struggles, but have both expressed a deep desire to live healthy lives. But I'm recognizing my part in helping us make these choices.
See...I can use my powers for good and not evil.
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- Rachel Ray's Harvest Turkey Burgers
- 1 lb ground turkey breast
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, stripped and fine chopped
- coarse salt, to taste
- fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 2 scallions, fine chopped
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1/2 small zucchini, fine chopped (or shredded)
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 4 leaves green leaf lettuce or 4 leaves romaine lettuce
- 1 vine ripe tomato, sliced
- 1 cup store bought refrigerated creamyranch dressing or 1 cup herb salad dressing
- 4 crusty rolls, split
Directions:
Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl and form into 4 large patties. Brush with olive oil and cook 7 minutes each side over medium high heat in nonstick pan. Serve on split buns with lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing.
Southwestern Black Bean Salad
Servings: 12 • Size: 1/2 cup • Calories: 106 • Old Points: 2.5 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 105.9 • Fat: 6.0 g • Protein: 3.2 g • Carb: 13.0 g • Fiber: 3.6 g Sugar: 1.2 g
Sodium: 137.8 mg
Ingredients:
Calories: 105.9 • Fat: 6.0 g • Protein: 3.2 g • Carb: 13.0 g • Fiber: 3.6 g Sugar: 1.2 g
Sodium: 137.8 mg
Ingredients:
- 1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 9 oz frozen corn, thawed
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 small hass avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1 lime, juice of
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp cilantro
- salt and fresh pepper
Directions:
Combine beans, corn, tomato, onion, scallion, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix with lime juice and olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes. Add avocado before serving.
