I know I've mentioned before how much I enjoy serving my family healthy, whole foods. We made the commitment to "clean up" our eating at least to an extent in January, and we were really doing a pretty good job. I was making most things from scratch, limiting sugars and artificial ingredients, etc.
Then I got pregnant . . . and tired . . . and sick.
So I retreated back to the easy stuff - anything that wouldn't make my stomach turn to fix. We got lots of boxed macaroni and cheese, canned ravioli, etc. And there were many days where my entire diet consisted of bagels, cream cheese, and cereal. Yuck.
Where many people are so sick during the first trimester that they lose weight, I did just the opposite. I was unable to allow my stomach to empty, so I just ate all those packaged foods constantly. And getting up off the couch was a joke far too many days. So I gained a whole lot of weight and lost a whole lot of energy right from the start.
Now I'm over halfway through this pregnancy and though my sickness is gone, my energy is still low due to the unhealthy lifestyle I sunk into. Yesterday I went to the doctor. Though she is not concerned right now, she suggested that I "keep an eye" on my weight. I have done quite a bit of thinking and praying about it, and have come up with some steps to get back on the "healthy wagon". I've also gone over these steps with my husband and my mom to see if they agree that it is healthy and logical for me while I'm pregnant.
First of all, my husband and I are more than ready to get back into using mostly whole foods. Are we against the occasional brownie mix, macaroni and cheese, or crackers? Nope. But there is definitely a difference between those and the wonderful benefits (as well as taste, we think!!) of foods that are not so "tampered with". We're to re-committing to eating things directly from the garden and the farm, which should be easier right now than ever since the farmers David helps are willing to share their produce and eggs with us.
Aside from this food adjustment for all of us, here is the list I have come up with to help maintain a healthy pregnancy and hopefully to keep my weight from continuing to skyrocket.
1. Begin each day, 5 days a week, with light to moderate exercise
2. Walk at least 20 minutes with kids 3 days a week
3. Eat protein at all three meals
4. Eat fewer servings of carbs throughout the day
5. Use sugar in my coffee only on weekends
6. Enjoy desserts only on weekends (though I feel I must allow for giving in to the occasional craving or else I might not make it nor would my family!)
7. Eat a piece of fruit at night when I am really hungry for sweets
8. Load up on veggies at meals rather than the carbs
9. Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day
I think this seems to be a realistic list to stick to throughout the rest of the pregnancy. I am really hoping it results in not only my own continued health, but that of the baby's, as well. So far today I exercised before the kids got up, we took a long walk, and I think I've done pretty well on the food side of things. I've even had 5 glasses of water, which is already about 2 more than I drink many days.
What do you think? I've gotten a lot of responses via facebook on how to maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy. Any other suggestions? I feel so much better today already, just having a new outlook on my health rather than saying, "I'm pregnant so I can do this (eat this, sit on the couch, etc.). I'll change after the baby comes."
I'll try to keep updating on how this new routine is working!!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
What's for Lunch? Curried Rice!
One thing I always enjoy is a good stir-fry. Sometimes I actually plan it as a supper and plan accordingly with groceries, but often, the best stir-fries come from a lunchtime question of, "What am I going to do with all these veggies we haven't eaten yet??"
The only thing that has always lacked for me when it comes to this type of meal is that the rice just seems a bit bland. I've tried lots of different techniques - making it a head of time, cooling it, and frying it; using chicken broth instead of water, etc. In the end, I usually end up dousing the whole dish in soy sauce, which adds a huge amount of salt that I don't really need.
The other night, though, I found the recipe to end all my rice frustrations. It's called Curried Rice with Pineapple, and I found it on the back of a "Minute Brown Rice" box. My whole family loved it, and next time I make it for all of us, I will most definitely be doubling the recipe. Today I tried my hand at it again for lunch and it was just as good as the first time.
I changed a few things to suit my family's tastes and preferences - for instance, the original version calls for pineapple chunks. I don't know about anyone else, but my family tends to freak out a bit when there's fruit that is completely visible in a dish that is not very "fruity". So last week it was pineapple tidbits, and today, all I had was crushed pineapple. It worked just as well. Here is my adapted version of this recipe.
Curried Pineapple Rice
1 8 oz. can pineapple tidbits
water or chicken broth as needed (about 2/3 cup)
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. olive or canola oil
1 c. uncooked brown rice (instant)
1/2 c. toasted sliced almonds
Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Add broth or wtaer to equal one cup liquid. Set aside.
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Saute curry powder and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
Add pineapple juice mix and tidbits and bring to a boil. Stir in rice; cover and remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Top with sliced almonds and, if desired, sliced green onion.
As I mentioned earlier, I make stir-fry quite often, and it's almost always a result of leftover veggies that need to be used. On our trip to Costco, however, I found this bag of frozen veggies for a very reasonable price. That's 5.5 pounds of stir-fryable greatness!! Eat it the way it is or add some meat such as chicken or pork - it all works for me!
You could also add chicken directly to the rice to make it a meal, with some steamed veggies on the side. But here is my favorite way to enjoy it - what we had for lunch today. Fortunately we have about one serving left, and I just may eat it for a snack later this afternoon!
As far as my stir-fry sauce, I don't have a particular recipe to which I adhere every single time. I think that there are some elements that are a necessity, though.
1. Something to slightly sweeten and counteract the saltiness of the soy sauce. I've used brown sugar, pineapple juice, honey, mango juice, etc.
2. Soy sauce
3. Thickener - I prefer to use cornstarch as it works more quickly and you can use less than you would flour.
I've thought through what I use most often and here is what I've come up with for a recipe.
Stir-fry Sauce
1/4 to 1/3 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. water
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 T. cornstarch (more or less can be used, depending on how thick you prefer it to be)
Whisk with a fork and add to stir fry once veggies are done to your liking. Let sauce come to a boil and allow it to thicken for 1-2 minutes. Stir to coat veggies and meat.
Even if you have never been a fan of or haven't even tried curry, this is a good dish to start out with. I hope you and your family enjoy it just as much as we do!
The only thing that has always lacked for me when it comes to this type of meal is that the rice just seems a bit bland. I've tried lots of different techniques - making it a head of time, cooling it, and frying it; using chicken broth instead of water, etc. In the end, I usually end up dousing the whole dish in soy sauce, which adds a huge amount of salt that I don't really need.
The other night, though, I found the recipe to end all my rice frustrations. It's called Curried Rice with Pineapple, and I found it on the back of a "Minute Brown Rice" box. My whole family loved it, and next time I make it for all of us, I will most definitely be doubling the recipe. Today I tried my hand at it again for lunch and it was just as good as the first time.
I changed a few things to suit my family's tastes and preferences - for instance, the original version calls for pineapple chunks. I don't know about anyone else, but my family tends to freak out a bit when there's fruit that is completely visible in a dish that is not very "fruity". So last week it was pineapple tidbits, and today, all I had was crushed pineapple. It worked just as well. Here is my adapted version of this recipe.
Curried Pineapple Rice
1 8 oz. can pineapple tidbits
water or chicken broth as needed (about 2/3 cup)
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. olive or canola oil
1 c. uncooked brown rice (instant)
1/2 c. toasted sliced almonds
Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Add broth or wtaer to equal one cup liquid. Set aside.
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Saute curry powder and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
Add pineapple juice mix and tidbits and bring to a boil. Stir in rice; cover and remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Top with sliced almonds and, if desired, sliced green onion.
As I mentioned earlier, I make stir-fry quite often, and it's almost always a result of leftover veggies that need to be used. On our trip to Costco, however, I found this bag of frozen veggies for a very reasonable price. That's 5.5 pounds of stir-fryable greatness!! Eat it the way it is or add some meat such as chicken or pork - it all works for me!
1. Something to slightly sweeten and counteract the saltiness of the soy sauce. I've used brown sugar, pineapple juice, honey, mango juice, etc.
2. Soy sauce
3. Thickener - I prefer to use cornstarch as it works more quickly and you can use less than you would flour.
I've thought through what I use most often and here is what I've come up with for a recipe.
Stir-fry Sauce
1/4 to 1/3 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. water
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 T. cornstarch (more or less can be used, depending on how thick you prefer it to be)
Whisk with a fork and add to stir fry once veggies are done to your liking. Let sauce come to a boil and allow it to thicken for 1-2 minutes. Stir to coat veggies and meat.
Even if you have never been a fan of or haven't even tried curry, this is a good dish to start out with. I hope you and your family enjoy it just as much as we do!
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