Days Five & Six

The last couple of days were a little busy and hectic. One of the reasons I ever went on diets like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem is because preparing food from scratch can be time consuming. Plus there is the added chore of creating meals as opposed to browsing through some packages of premade meals and simply popping one in the microwave for a few minutes. 

Having foods prepped ahead of time saved my life this week. For example, cooked brown rice, hummus, and canned beans made for some quick meals. Like this dish.. I warmed up some brown rice and red kidney beans in the microwave, and then I added a big dollop of hummus and a handful of micro greens. The hummus has lemon powder in it, which gave the dish a bright, clean flavor. I imagine a squeeze of lemon on plain hummus would have the same effect. It was delicious and satisfying.

Or how about on Day Two when I sauteed some asparagus in vegetable broth, and then added cubed, cooked sweet potato chunks and rice with some Bragg's Amino Acids. Simple! A little sweet, a little salty, and very satisfying. 

My goal is to find ways to eat healthy, simple, easy to prepare foods. These foods do not have all the flash your taste buds are used to when you eat some processed food containing MSG. But with the right amount of herbs, spices, and interesting food combinations, you can create some tasty meals. 

And here are the vegan cabbage rolls I have been blogging about all week:

I would make more sauce for the topping of the cabbage rolls if I were to make them again. Nevertheless, having these babies in the fridge ready-to-go has also saved me a ton of time. 

Washing vegetables and peeling them to have ready to go at a moment's notice has helped keep me on track as well. 

Eating whole foods definitely plays a huge part in regaining one's health, but adding in some exercise is helpful, too. A week before starting the vegan diet, I began working out with Bob Harper's Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga DVD. I did not lose any weight until I started this diet, but I have noticed that my muscles are not so tight upon waking in the morning. I am also feeling stronger, taller, and my posture is improving. Along with the yoga, which Gerald now does with me four times a week, I walk briskly for 20-40 minutes five days a week. 

You most likely will never hear me talk about taking any boot camp classes. I like my exercise to be challenging, but doable as well. I feel walking and yoga are very natural forms of moving the body, and I am quite content with them for now. 

It is almost time for my weekend, and I will have the opportunity to conjure up some new recipes and buy the necessary supplies. I hope you will continue with me on my journey to health and wellness. 

Here is what I ate:

Day Five:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with figs, meatless breakfast patty, coffee with soymilk.

Again, I cooked the 1/2 cup of oats in 1 cup of soymilk per manufacturer's instructions, omitting the added salt. (Note: the soymilk heats up quickly, so keep an eye on it). In the remaining minute or two of cooking, I added chopped up dried figs (six of them), and then sprinkled some cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg into the mix. I shared with Gerald, and so I ate about half of what was made. He enjoyed a toasted slice of Dave's Killer Bread with apple butter instead of a meatless breakfast patty. 

Lunch: Brown rice, red kidney beans, micro greens and hummus. (Pictured above).

I really just eyeballed the portions of each ingredient. I would guess that I used ~1/2 cup of brown rice, added ~1/4 cup of the beans, and then microwaved them for ~2 minutes. I then tossed in a small handful of the greens and a couple dollops of hummus and stirred it all together. 

Dinner: Vegan Cabbage Roll. (Pictured above)

Details on how to prepare these are listed under dinner from Day One. I find reheating them in the microwave at 50% power for 3 minutes warms them through. I like my food hot, but not so hot it scalds the inside of my mouth.

Snack: 1 Ezekiel tortilla, salsa, and peanut butter. 

Someone was eating tortilla chips at work that night, and I was tempted. I came home and cut a tortilla into four triangles and placed them in the toaster. Our toaster holds bread slices (or tortilla triangles) in place in the center of the toasting area so that nothing gets too close to the heating elements. This was truly an experiment that happened to work out. The "chips" came out crunchy and a little chewy. I then dipped them into a medium salsa I buy at Whole Foods, the 365 Brand. It is all vegetables, no added oils or sugars. It satisfied my desire for chips and salsa. The peanut butter came in an hour or so later. Having been a rushed, stressful day, I just craved one of my favorite indulgences. I get the kind of peanut butter that is just roasted peanuts and salt, so I do not feel too bad about it, but the fat content was high. I just ate it by the spoonful. (My shameful moment revealed. But still vegan!).

Day Six:

Breakfast: Cabbage Roll! Coffee with soymilk.

So, Gerald did not eat as much of the cabbage rolls as he said he would. His excuse is that they make him poop too much in the morning. I know the rule for leftovers is they should be consumed in 2-3 days, but we have Lock-N-Lock containers, and I am hoping the food is staying as fresh as the makers of the containers promise it will. I do not plan to make such a large recipe again, knowing I will probably be the only one eating it!

Snack: Smoothie.

I used ~1/2 cup of orange juice, ~1/2 cup of soymilk, 1-1 1/2 cups of raw kale, 1/5 block of silken tofu, ~1/4 cup frozen mango chunks, and 1/4-1/2 cup of frozen mixed berries. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I use a VitaMix Blender which blends the ingredients to a substance that rivals anything they make at Jamba Juice. Perfection, really.

Lunch: Veggie Wrap

I spread hummus (a couple of dollops) on a warmed Ezekiel tortilla and topped it with vegetables I had sauteed in vegetable broth: One whole zucchini, 1/2 red bell pepper, 5-6 cherry tomatoes sliced in half, julienned basil leaves, about 5, and garlic powder. Honestly, it is a big pile o' vegetables, and so I eat some of them down before I can comfortably roll the tortilla creating a wrap. 

Snack: Silk brand chocolate almond milk, one 8-ounce serving.

I have tried their soymilk version, and I saw one of these in a cooler at the grocery store yesterday. It was good and helped to satisfy my chocolate craving, but I think the soymilk version is richer. 

Dinner: Garden salad with Annie's Naturals dressing, cabbage roll.

I am fond of red leaf lettuce, and to that I added slices of cucumber, red bell pepper, carrot, and micro greens. I usually add tomatoes to my salads, but I figured that since I ate some in the veggie wrap and there would be tomatoes in the cabbage roll, I would skip adding them this time. I am also on a kick with Annie's fat free mango dressing. It is light and not too sweet. 

Snack: Banana.

I like my sweets, and after having been on Nutrisystem for some months, I became accustomed to a little treat after work. The banana filled the void quite well. 

Now on to Day Seven.....