Tuesday

Tuesday was a great day. For music! The new Wolf Parade album came out and I am sitting here listening to it as I write this entry. It is good. And it reminds me that if I do not go get concert tickets soon, they will be sold out, and I will be sad. Alas, this has nothing to do with my daily food update. So here it is:

Breakfast: (my favorite breakfast)

1c Kellogg's Special K red berries (110)

1/4c Fiber One (30)

0.5oz slivered almonds (80)

10oz coffee

1c Skim Milk (80)

Lunch:

Leftover chicken- (130) on top of

2c mixed greens (10)

5 baby carrots (chopped) (14)

5 grape tomatoes (10)
1/2c cucumber slices (7)

Light Italian salad dressing (60)

100 calorie microwaved popcorn (100)

Snack:

Greek yogurt (blueberry) (120)

Light string cheese (50)

Fiber fruit leather (60)

1/2 Large Banana (it was too mushy to finish...) (60)

Dinner:

Fish Tacos (I wanted to recreate my favorite dish from the best Mexican place here)

Red Snapper pan cooked with lemon juice, salt, and cooking spray (1oz= 25)
Marinated cabbage and radish (vinegar, water and 1/2tsp sugar) (3)

Corn tortilla (6in) (60)

Chipolte Sauce (3T fat free cottage cheese, 1T Chipolte salsa) (30)
Home-made corn chips!

2 corn tortillas sprayed with cooking spray and toasted (120)

3T guacamole (60)

Dessert:

1 orange (70)

1/2 mango (70)

5 blackberries (10)

1 Dixie-cup ice cream (100)

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Nutrition Summary for June 17, 2008 (CoM)
General (83%)

Energy 1524.5 kcal 91%

Protein 91.9 g 184%

Carbs 228.7 g 176%

Fiber 40.6 g 162%

Fat 34.8 g 54%

Water 1369.4 g 51%

Vitamins (95%)

Vitamin A 12725.2 IU 545%

Folate 430.5 µg 108%

B1 (Thiamine) 1.5 mg 134%

B2 (Riboflavin) 2.5 mg 223%

B3 (Niacin) 31.2 mg 223%

B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 5.5 mg 110%

B6 (Pyridoxine) 2.9 mg 222%

B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 6.0 µg 249%

Vitamin C 171.0 mg 228%

Vitamin D 100.4 IU 50%

Minerals (97%)

Calcium 1093.5 mg 109%

Copper 1.2 mg 133%

Iron 17.7 mg 98%

Magnesium 415.9 mg 134%

Manganese 2.8 mg 154%

Phosphorus 1462.8 mg 209%

Potassium 3406.9 mg 72%

Selenium 59.4 µg 108%

Sodium 2630.3 mg 175%

Zinc 9.1 mg 114%

Lipids (47%)

Saturated 9.0 g 45%

Omega-3 0.6 g 52%

Omega-6 5.3 g 48%

Cholesterol 129.8 mg 43%

Monday

Here is day one. I actually like this extra accountability- although I imagine I will get bored of recording my food 3x... first in the PDA for the study, then in CoM, and lastly here... Oh well. It keeps me honest!

Monday: approx 1600 calories

Breakfast:
2 Kashi Go Lean blueberry waffles (170)
1T JIF Chunky PB (100)
1T unsweetened apple butter (25)
2c Coffee
3/4c Skim milk (70)
Lunch:
WW bagel (150)
1/2 can Lump Crab meat (was supposed to be tuna, but in my groggy morning state, I failed to look at the can until I was opening it and wondering why this can of tuna cost $4.39...) (35)
4 Baby carrots (21g) chopped (7)
1/2T reduced fat mayo (17.5)
1/2T mustard (7)
1/2oz Swiss cheese (50)
1/4c Spinach (4)
Snack:
Orange (70)
Organic FF peach yogurt (120)
1/2 of Aerobar (yummy chocolate- 110)
10 Peanuts (80)
Dinner:
4.5oz Chicken breast (steam cooked BB style in tin foil with teriyaki sauce) (140)
Wild Rice mix (160)
1/2 pat of butter (20)
1/8c chopped walnuts (95)
4oz red wine (95)
************************************
Nutrition Summary for June 16, 2008 (CoM)
General (86%)
Energy 1606.1 kcal 96%
Protein 93.6 g 187%
Carbs 193.0 g 148%
Fiber 28.9 g 115%
Fat 48.6 g 75%
Water 1197.2 g 44%
Vitamins (79%)
Vitamin A 12536.2 IU 537%
Folate 275.6 µg 69%
B1 (Thiamine) 0.9 mg 79%
B2 (Riboflavin) 1.9 mg 171%
B3 (Niacin) 45.0 mg 321%
B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 3.3 mg 67%
B6 (Pyridoxine) 1.6 mg 122%
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 2.6 µg 109%
Vitamin C 85.2 mg 114%
Vitamin D 7.6 IU 4%
Vitamin E 4.2 mg 28%
Vitamin K 93.8 µg 104%
Minerals (92%)
Calcium 1133.2 mg 113%
Copper 1.4 mg 157%
Iron 10.6 mg 59%
Magnesium 605.2 mg 195%
Manganese 2.3 mg 129%
Phosphorus 1291.8 mg 185%
Potassium 2710.7 mg 58%
Selenium 58.3 µg 106%
Sodium 2366.6 mg 158%
Zinc 9.4 mg 118%
Lipids (78%)
Saturated 13.2 g 66%
Omega-3 2.0 g 181%
Omega-6 11.9 g 108%
Cholesterol 137.1 mg 46%

Keep Me Honest

I don't know what it is-- I was great this past week- measuring, weighing, etc... But during the weekend it is seemingly impossible for me to accurately assess my food needs and plan accordingly. Here are my confessions:
I went over on Thursday by 200 calories... and I am only taking half of the responsibility :) TE had a softball game that ended at 8:30pm, I had eaten a fiber-one bar at 6:30, but I was starving when the game ended at 8:30. It took us 1hr to get home from the game so by the time we had food to eat it was 10:30pm. I could have maintained my CR prescription if there were no french fries- it was the french fries fault! I actually have not eaten french fries since February. In hindsight, that may not have been wise because on Thursday I did not care about calories, I was eating french fries! To be fair, I did think that I had enough "room" for them-I had ~500 calories left for dinner- so when I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with raw veggies on a pita I thought I fine, but as I know- calories add up quickly and I only analyzed my dinner after I had eaten it... a big no no... Lesson learned. Plan and analyze dinners prior to eating. Especially if meal contains french fries (or other similar high calorie option).
Friday was fine. But I wanted to keep a 100 calorie buffer (1570 cal)- considering the overage- but it did not happen. I also ate 500 calories of pizza (2 slices).
Saturday. Again, no buffer. But I analyzed my calories prior to dinner so I knew how much I could eat. Unfortunately that left no room for Auntie P's amazing pistachio cake. But I thought ahead and saved my piece for today. (I ate it for dinner)
So while I have not gone over since Thursday, I have had no buffer. And my food has been less than healthy (cake for dinner?!). So this week I am going to maintain my 100 calorie buffer. And you, my readers, are going to help keep me honest. I am going to post all foods eaten each day this week. It will be great. Reminiscent of my early days on the diet.

Trend Watch

I picked up the latest Eating Well publication yesterday and found a mention of calorie restriction! CR is totally the latest diet trend :)

The context was not entirely accurate- they mention two ways that you can diet to live longer- 1) Calorie restriction and 2) Maximizing nutrition (ON). I do not disagree entirely with #2... just a little. Let's just say you maximize nutrition (eating all your daily requirements of vitamins/minerals) while maintaining a typical calorie amount. I am sure that would decrease incidence of diseases (diabetes, coronary artery disease, etc.) which would, in-turn, increase life expectancy. But as many CRONies have shown us (1 and 2) you can get 100% RDAs in 1000-1200 calories, leaving at least 800-1000 left for other foods. How would the human body respond to daily averages of eating 1000 "healthy" calories and 1000 "junky" calories? I would also like to know a typical "healthy-balanced" American diet fares on RDAs. This "future study" I would like to see results from is growing- now I not only want to compare CR vs. CRON diets, but also CRON vs. ON, and ON vs. American-Healthy.
Fun with science!

Honest Blogging

I have a confession. I gained 0.2lbs in 2 weeks. It may be nothing, but MH told me there was no "selective blogging" allowed and Rachel agrees.

So there it is. Lazy counting and measuring, eating out more, and that one night (MH's bachelorette party) when I ate my calorie prescription for dinner (and drinks)- all resulted in 0.2lbs of weight gain.

Since then I have been making an active effort to be better about measuring and making more healthy interesting foods that I will be sure to enjoy. It got crazy hot here on Friday, so that has impacted my cooking a bit. Saturday T&S, TE, the pups (*see picture), and I went hiking and the heat severely decreased my appetite. Luckily there was a Dairy Queen on our way home-- lunch was a soft serve ice cream cone! After that we had a Mexican inspired dinner- TB made watermelon margaritas, SB made a 5-layer dip, and I adapted a recipe for Lighter Enchiladas from Cook's Illustrated (no picture because they did not look as good as they tasted...). Recipes below:

Watermelon Margaritas- 110cal/glass

1 Watermelon cut into chunks and frozen
6? Limes- juiced (watermelon and lime juice blended together with additional ice if needed)

Tequila (.8oz per drink)

Splash of orange juice (per drink) to taste

Salt for rim

Adapted Enchiladas - 350cal/2 enchiladas, serves 6

Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce (1 bottle)

1lb Chicken tenders

3oz Pickled canned jalapenos, chopped

2 cups 50% fat Mexican style shredded cheese (can also use cheddar)

12- 6in Corn Tortillas

Cook chicken tenders in enchilada sauce until cooked through (12min)

Remove chicken from sauce and let cool

Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred by hand or using fork/knife

Add jalapenos, 1/2c enchilada sauce, and 1c shredded cheese to chicken-- mix well

*Very Important Step* Microwave corn tortillas until hot and pliable on a plate covered with plastic wrap- this will severely impact the rolling of the enchiladas

Spray each warmed tortilla with cooking spray on both sides

Fill tortillas with 1/4c chicken filling

Roll tortillas and place seam down in a greased 9x13in pan

Spoon remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas

Cover enchiladas with remaining 1c of shredded cheese

Cover pan with aluminum foil

Bake at 350 for 30min

Enjoy with guacamole, chips, salsa or whatever you would prefer!

All quiet on the CR front...

I have started 2 different posts-not recipes- writing about what has (not) been going on recently. They bored me while writing them, so I decided to spare my readers from reading them :)
Last week was uneventful-- after returning from Montreal I neglected to go food shopping so I did not eat very well. As a result I was hungrier than usual. I also ate out more than I do in a typical CR week. I usually eat out once a week, last week I ate out 3 times! I balance/record those meals by adding ~1T oil to whatever I see/know is on my plate.
This week I did go food shopping but I have been feeling uninspired, so I am eating all of my favorite meals. Cereal with nuts for breakfast, turkey sandwiches for lunch, and something "interesting" for dinner. Tonight I am making the turkey meatloaf again.
Pretty boring.
I think I needed some down time after my self-induced hysteria, so I am just maintaining...
Hopefully next week will be more exciting :)

Amazing Buns

These were so good they deserved their own post :)

The chef's at Cook's Illustrated took their original recipe and tried many variations until they found the perfect combination of ingredients that tasted great while still being light.

I rarely "really" bake- I like boxed items (brownies, cakes, etc)- so I was feeling the pressure. It requires yeast, making a dough, rolling it... all things I never do :) Thankfully MomE and Auntie P bought me a 11c Cuisinart food processor with dough blade for Christmas. That made it much easier.

From Cook's Illustrated- Light Recipes Spring 2008

Guilt Free Cinnamon Rolls- 250c per roll (14 rolls made, 12 rolls iced- I scrapped the ends)

*Depending on the humidity the dough may need up to 1/4c extra flour

Dough
Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/3c warm skim milk (110 degrees-- I actually took out my thermometer for this one)

3T Maple Syrup

2T unsalted butter, melted

3.5c unbleached all purpose flour, plus extra for work surface

1 package rapid-rise or instant yeast

1t table salt

Filling

1/2c (3.5 oz) packed dark brown sugar

1/4c (1.75oz) granulated sugar

2t ground cinnamon

1/8t table salt

1T unsalted butter

Icing

1c (4oz) confectioners sugar

4T light cream cheese (I only had 1/3fat, which added fat and calories to the recipe)

1T skim milk

1/2t vanilla extract

Dough:

1) Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 200 degrees. Once heated turn off. Lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray. Coat 13x9 dish with cooking spray.

2) Mix milk, syrup, and melted butter together in large measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt together in food processor (or mixer with dough hook). Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together increase speed to medium and mix until shiny smooth (4-6m) Dough will be sticky, if it seems too wet add additional flour. Turn dough ball onto heavily floured work surface, shape into a ball and place in greased bowl. Cover and let rest in warm oven for 10m.

3) For filling. While dough is resting mix sugars, cinnamon, salt and melted butter in medium bowl until incorporated.

4) To make rolls. On lightly floured work surface, roll dough into 18x12 inch rectangle with long side facing you. Sprinkle sugar mixture over dough, leaving a 1/2in border. Lightly press sugar into dough. Starting at the edge nearest you begin rolling dough. Brush border with water, and press dough to seal.

5) Using a chef's knife (thanks to TE we have one!), slice dough into 12 rounds (I made 14), then place in prepared pan with cut side up. Cover pan with plastic wrap coated with nonstick spray and return to warm oven until buns have doubled in size (30-40min)

6) Remove pan from oven and heat to 350. Remove plastic wrap and bake buns until they are deep brown (20-25m), rotating pan front to back halfway through baking (oops, I forgot to to that...)

7) For the icing. Whisk sugar, cream cheese, milk and vanilla together until smooth. Turn rolls out onto a rack, flip the right side up, cool 10m then spread icing over buns. Serve hot or warm.