Tuesday 27 November 2012

What We Ate November 19 - 25



I’ve been struggling lately with a budget versus waistline debate.  My doctor wants me to lose a total of 42 pounds (I’ve lost 15 so far) and has suggested that I limit my calorie intake to 1200 calories/day.  Cooking as much as I do, this is no small challenge!

So far, I’ve managed to stick to my calorie goal most of the time while still cooking regular meals for my fella.  I do that by cooking whatever’s on the menu for the day and then choosing to eat only the parts of the meal that will work with my diet plan.  It’s expensive though.

We’re pretty good at eating on a budget most of the time.  We stretch our food budget by including lots of vegetarian meals based upon legumes and grains, or upon pasta.  Sadly, while nutritious, these meals are also very calorie-dense.  If I wish to eat rice and beans for supper, very few calories can be used for the other meals of the day.  I either fill up on huge quantities of fresh produce (expensive!) or I go hungry (undesirable).  If I wish to spread my calories throughout the day, I end up relying more upon fish and lean meat for my proteins.  That’s expensive too.

We have a very well stocked pantry, with many home canned fruits and vegetables on the shelves.  The problem is that, in order to get the maximum nutritional benefit from canned fruits and vegetables, you should consume the liquid in the jars too.  With fruits, in particular, this means extra calories.

Clearly we can’t go on spending what we have been, so I’ve been faced with a quandary:  I either stick to my goal of 1200 calories/day and blow the budget, or I stay within the budget and exceed my 1200 calories/day. 

I’ve decided on a compromise:  We will return to our frugal pantry meals but I’ll try to maintain healthier eating habits by avoiding sweets, fried foods, and extra starches, and – in order to help make up for the extra calories – I’ll step up my level of physical activity.  (The exercise part will be the hardest for me.  I’ll let you know how that goes.)

In the meantime, here’s what we ate last week:

Monday, November 19:


Tuesday, November 20:
  • Breakfast –  Toasted English muffins, cheddar cheese, apple slices
  • Supper – Homemade yogurt and applesauce for me, tea and whole wheat toast for my fella (He wasn’t feeling well.)


Wednesday, November 21:


Thursday, November 22:


Friday, November 23:
  • Breakfast – Oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisin, diced apples and homemade yogurt
  • Supper – Vegetarian red beans and (brown) rice, carrot and celery sticks, radishes, left over tart from Thursday  night


Saturday, November 24:
  • Breakfast – Farmstead waffles, bacon, poached eggs
  • Supper – Welsh rarebit in multi-grain toast (for my fella), salad greens and sliced tomatoes with herb vinaigrette (for me), Christmas cookies


Sunday, November 25:

4 comments:

Annie at Haphazard Homestead said...

Me to self: That looks yummy! What is it? Looks like corned beef and cabbage in a casserole.

Clicking over to pin it now!

Aunt B said...

Yes, it is the corned beef and cabbage casserole. Thanks for pinning it forward Annie.

Anonymous said...

To help you lose weight you should be eating more frequently throughout the day not just breakfast supper. That might help keep you on budget and also not hungry. Break your supper up and put it in smaller portions through out the day and if you're hungry between have a few almonds on hand (they help to make you feel full) Don't forget lots of water - sometimes we're dehydrated and actually not hungry.

Aunt B said...

I do eat snacks and lunch, made up from leftovers, home canned soup, or fresh fruit and veggies. I just don't include them in the meal plans noted here because they are simply using up what we have on hand rather than planned and prepared for.

I do appreciate the almond suggestion but I have diverticulitis and cannot eat nuts or seeds. I do try to boost protein by eating small amounts of low fat cheese, fat free homemade Greek style yogurt and by including legumes in my diet.

I drink an average of eight 12-ounce glasses of water daily.