Yum, yum, YUM! What a great dinner I just ate!
Last week I bought these blue corn shells from whole foods and was planning to make tacos in them…..little did I know that I can’t swallow crunchy foods right now! So….I decided to make a big ol’ turkey taco salad instead. With all the good stuff. I had leftover ground turkey from when I made the meatloaf last week (froze the leftovers) so I thawed that out last night and browned 3.75 ounces of it with some organic taco seasoning, also found at whole foods. I also added to my salad 1/2 cup of organic refried black beans, 1/2 cup of brown rice (1/4 cup dry= 1/2 cup cooked), a huge mound of lettuce, a little salsa, and the last of what was in a once full bag of reduced fat cheddar cheese…it turned out to be about an ounce of cheese. I think this was my roommate’s! It was just crumbs though and we share :). Anyways, it turned out really really tasty! Didn’t even need that crunchy old shell! This was quite a filling dinner, and good thing, because I’m off to work! I’ll probably bring some graham sticks with me to snack on later in the night….if I can swallow them. We’ll see…. I’m not going to write this recipe out because there’s really no recipe to it! Just throw whatever looks good in the fridge on some lettuce, brown some ground turkey and you’ve got yourself a dinner!
This dinner was approximately 536 calories.
I took another long (45 minute) walk this afternoon. I don’t think my body is ready yet for an intense and sweaty workout, but walking felt really good and it was nice to get some exercise! After my walk, while I was studying for a quiz tomorrow, I snacked on some popcorn. I have those “100-calorie mini packs” and looove the kettle corn one!!!
I’ve been reading all of your comments on daily caloric intake and thought you might find it interesting that all my food today has so far added up to be 1626 calories. Now, I know I probably will snack at work tonight but I feel quite full and satisfied right now. Every body is unique and different and needs different things. Listen to it and it will let you know when to eat, when to stop and how much of things you need.
Edited to add: oh my gosh, I’m so tired…it’s 9:45 and I just got off work and the kitchen is still a mess from dinner! Nothing I hate more than a messy kitchen!! I better get to cleaning now….as a snack at work I ate one of those little Planter’s Chocolate trail mix bags…I think its 160 calories and totally yummy with peanuts and Nuts & m&ms
Danielle
January 10, 2008 at 11:54 pmOh my gosh I can’t take it any more… so so yummy(-looking) So I have to agree with the other posters in that this is definitely my favorite blog, and I definitely check my share of blogs a day. Great job! Also, I was wondering about your roommates eating habits? The two that I live with are very picky so they don’t often even try what I’m making and usually depend on packaged and frozen food. Basically I’m always cooking for one :). Does your roommate eat as healthy for you? If not, how do you deal with the temptation of the unhealthy food around? And do you ever share meals with her? (Just asking, because if I was living with a culinary student, I’d be all up for sharing!) Thanks so much Jenna! Sorry to hear you’re not 100% yet.
Christie
January 11, 2008 at 12:15 amOk for dinner I made the ricotta/pasta recipe. I went to whole foods today which I LOVE So much I seriously always end up spending hours there. I bought this pasta that is 100 % whole wheat but it is less caloies and cabrs than most pasta, but i bought it because the only ingredients was 100% whole wheat durham flour. I made the dish according to your recipe but I added about 3 oz of grilled chicken, some cooked broccoli, zuccini and squash and it was great!
arimcg
January 11, 2008 at 2:23 amI never think to add rice to my taco salads for some reason – I’ll have to give it a try! Sounds good, and much more filling.
mel
January 11, 2008 at 3:45 amhey Jenna! quick question..I was in the grocery the other day looking for crackers. I usually buy the reduced fat wheat thins but i noticed they have high fructose corn syrup, so I tried to find a different brand. I looked at the whole wheat ritz, the wheat wheat thins, and triscuits and they all have it. my grocery doesn’t have kashi crackers (kroger) what other brands, kinds would you recommend? also, do you ever eat tortilla chips or pretzels and if so what kind? Pretzels are my absolute favorite (even though i know they have high sodium!!) Take care
Melissa
jenna
January 11, 2008 at 11:44 amHi mel,
About crackers….the best thing you can possibly do is just read the ingredients, which is seems you are doing! Look for stone ground whole wheat and NO hfcs (high fructose corn syrup). I love kashi crackers, thats such a shame you can’t find them!!! Also theres a brand called “late july” that makes good ones..its another organic brand. Does your store have a little organic section or carry any organic products at all? I do eat tortilla chips…I love the spicy blue corn chips. I really don’t eat the generic brand because I just like these a lot better. The blue corn is also better for you and is less processed that tostitos. As for pretzels…I usually don’t keep a whole lot of them in the house because I would mindlessly eat the entire bag. I LOVE the honey whole wheat sticks!!! They are not “really” whole wheat but I love them dipped in peanut butter and think they do make an okay snack. A lot better than what most Americans are snacking on these days! Yes, they do have high sodium, but a little won’t kill you 🙂
jenna
January 11, 2008 at 5:46 pmDanielle,
My roommate does eat healthy too, but she’s really never here! She has been going back and forth home (4 hours south) to figure out her job situation so I’m usually on my own for weeks at a time. She loves to bake and cook too…not enough to go into the culinary field though! (she’s a cop!) We used to go grocery shopping together but that was a disaster because the two of us combined in a grocery store would basically buy the entire thing. She’s one of those girls that can whatever she like, whenever she like, and never ever gain an ounce. She used to wonder why I would always weigh my food/ingredients but she understands that that is just what I am passionate about—knowing exactly what goes in my body! Since she’s not around much though all the food in the fridge is basically mine (right now at least) and she doesnt really buy unhealthy things…we both buy a ton of fruit and veggies!!!