what's your favorite "get back on track" food?
i'm assuming that by monday, we'll all get back in our usual routines once again.... now that we've finished (hopefully) the holiday goodies.... what's your "back on track" foods?
mine: huge salads with either a piece of chicken, fish or meat.... kind of atkinsesque meals..... it's going to hard to stop picking at the sweets, though. i guess i'll have to eat them all this weekend just to get it over with.
and you?
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30 Comments:
a good breakfast, homemade granola with some yogurt
blankplate at 12:47PM on 01/02/09
Chicken fajitas
ocarol at 12:58PM on 01/02/09
I like the salads with protein on top approach, too. My fave is a cliche'. I like low-fat or no-fat cottage cheese with fruit. The salty creaminess paired with the sweet and/or tangy fruit makes me happy.
coffeefrappe at 1:00PM on 01/02/09
Grilled chicken, steamed brown rice and broccoli. Also, marinated tofu that's grilled or seared. Red lentil soup with chiles, curry and ginger over brown rice.
Amandarama at 1:10PM on 01/02/09
I love your definition of "kind of atkinsesque meals"
LOL I got a kick out of that :)
hungrychristel at 1:41PM on 01/02/09
A bowl of sushi rice and sushi-grade salmon sliced thin. Then grill the salmon skin quickly and mix it in with the rice. 1 cup of rice plus 1/2 lb salmon fillet--a hearty but light meal.
annien at 1:43PM on 01/02/09
Not so much getting back on track, but when I cook a lot of something, I tend to want to eat something else. In the midst of a marathon cookie baking day, we had ham sandwiches for dinner. That was one of the best ham sandwiches ever. I'd been dealing with warm sweet smells, and the ham sandwich was cold and not sweet. The lettuce on it was somehow the best thing ever, probably because lettuce is exactly opposite cookies on the food wheel.
Sometimes I'll get into a track (I was going to say "rut" but that's not quite right) where I'll cook a string of similar foods. So we'll have night after night of spicy Mexican dishes. Then I'm done with that, and I'll want poached fish and rice or something equally subtle in flavor.
dbcurrie at 2:44PM on 01/02/09
The best get back on track food is def. a good breakfast. I always go with low-fat or turkey bacon with two sunny-side up eggs. If I go for carbs I add a serving of kashi cereal. For lunch or dinner I defiantly go for the chicken marinated in a tequila, lime, garlic, sugar and cilantro sauce which is grilled on the george forman. Add a side of broccoli that has been baked in the oven at 450 for approx 5 min drizzled in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. FANTASTIC!
pinnixjh at 4:24PM on 01/02/09
I love grilled salmon with a simple salad for dinner. I always feel satisfied and find I don't snack in the evenings after this easy dinner.
Lady Bear at 5:15PM on 01/02/09
Greek salads are my favorite back on track food. The feta is lower in fat than other cheeses and so full of flavor that I'm not feeling deprived. I also tend to sprinkle some black beans or other beans on salads to up the protein content. Hot house cucumbers and sea salt are a pretty decent chip substitute. And for really quick salt cravings, olives and garlic pickles satisfy without any labor. Lucky for me (and for my kids), I'm not a sweet eater, so I can have cookies in the house for them and not be tempted to scarf 'em down.
dhorst at 6:25PM on 01/02/09
@dhorst - yeah, the salt factor definitely helps. i crave salty more than sweet myself.... unless i start eating sweets then i start to crave them. the best thing to do is keep them out of the house....
@pinnixjh - i love the brocolli recipe ... i do that with cauliflower ... but brocolli sounds good. and easy clean up if you line the pan with foil...
pooch at 6:35PM on 01/02/09
A piece of whole grain bread (not processed crap) but a good bakery whole grain with flax , sunflower and other seeds, topped with homemade
peanutbutter which my kids and I make, and a glass of low fat milk.
This is a great dose of protein, carbs, and fiber which gets me to lunch without thinking about the Christmas cookies I froze!
donnie at 7:26PM on 01/02/09
Gotta get away from the sweets and carbs, so I'll be doing a lot of stir frys with lots of veggies and a modest amount of protein.
dmcavanagh at 7:51PM on 01/02/09
Homemade veggie soup and lots of fruits and salads.
beth1 at 8:20PM on 01/02/09
I love experimenting with different foods on weekends or when I have time off work, but I REALLY LOVE a good sandwich piled high with veggies. It's quick, easy, can be different than the last one I had and goes so well with another favorite go-to: soup.
When I have all my favorite sandwich veggies in the fridge, I know I'm back on track because when I'm trying new recipes (on weekends) I tend to only buy the ingredients I need for those dishes so that my "usual" veggies don't go bad.With my sandwich veggies, I can make some of my favorite quick go-to meals: salads, pizzas, pastas, fried rice, noodle dishes (ramen, lo mein, pho) and scrambles (eggs with lots of veggies mixed in.)
CooksForOne at 9:30PM on 01/02/09
breakfast: plenty of fruit and a couple of hard boiled eggs
lunch: a big container of cut up veggies, a small piece of cheese and some whole grain crackers, a handful of dried fruit and nuts
dinner: a big bowl of romaine lettuce with fat free homemade dressing, roasted veggies, a bowl of yogurt
only water to drink except in the morning when i have a cup of tea with lowfat milk
the thought of it makes me so depressed but starting monday that's what i'll be living on -- my pants are tight!
cybercita at 9:38PM on 01/02/09
Soup.
pjracz10 at 10:11PM on 01/02/09
Coffee in the morning, fruit and salad for lunch and dinner. Do this for about four or five days and then I'm pretty well set back on track ; )
floridagirl at 10:19PM on 01/02/09
breakfast: coffee or tea + homemade granola (must make more!), plain yogurt, berries, milk, cinnamon, and a light drizzle of agave nectar
lunch: salad (mixed baby greens, cukes, sunflower seeds, nuts, raisins/cranberries, goat cheese), changing up the add-ins a little throughout the week so it doesn't get too dull. leftover soup in addition to that sometimes, if I have it.
dinner: not sure yet. I won't get back from vacation until Sunday afternoon, so this really depends on when I can get to the grocery store/how much I can carry if there is still a few feet of snow/ice on it when I get home, hah! Since I'll be cooking for one this week, I'll probably make butternut squash soup early in the week. I also have some supertasty black bean chorizo soup in the freezer, so I may bust that out out of convenience. Basically with getting back on track with dinner, I pay a lot more attention to portions.
joyyy at 10:41PM on 01/02/09
Back on track for me is usually coffee and oatmeal w/fruit for breakfast and brown rice and veggies for lunch and dinner. Snacks are either full fat organic yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit. It works well, plus I really like it so I don't feel like I'm being punished. It's what I had today.
chisai at 12:54AM on 01/03/09
After eating rich holiday food, both sweet and savory, I usually crave foods that have a high water content.
For breakfast: a nice bowl of fresh fruit salad with Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of nuts.
For lunch and/or dinner: some type of brothy soup made with legumes and veggies and a mixed salad with a bit of cheese
For snacks: a piece of fresh fruit, a hard boiled egg, a small container of yogurt, or nuts
My breakfast and snack choices are standard for me. I will probably grow tired of the soup/salad combo after 3-5 days and revert back to my usual eating habits.
Esmeralda at 8:37AM on 01/03/09
I'm definitely going the soup-and-salad route as well. I also agree a good breakfast is key. I bake mini-omlettes in a muffin pan so I can just take a couple with me to work.
For snacks, I'm in the yogurt with granola camp, or mini-corn muffins with a little added protein powder -- to avoid the 3 o'clock slump.
I don't really believe in 'diets' or deprivation, but after 'indulging' myself over the holidays, I think it's going to be all about portion control for a while!
suthungirl at 11:50AM on 01/03/09
I definitely do not diet. That is a recipe for disaster in my world. The holidays are over, so the wine goes away for the most part, I will keep my main meal to mid day and will regularly have clear broth soups and salads with grilled protein of some sort.
But First? I am having a big juicy burger with all the fixings!!
izatryt at 12:39PM on 01/03/09
I don't have any special "get back on track" food. We don't really get "off track" to begin with, I guess. Once the holidays leftovers are gone, it's business (or dinners) as usual. No more champagne and caviar (at least, until Valentine's day), but other than that - nothing special, really.
brooke29 at 1:26PM on 01/03/09
Soup! I'm making a chicken soup today - maybe cream of chicken, if I can figure out how. Something nice and warm and tasty for the cool weather.
It's winter, and to me that means lots of soups and chilis and stews and other big-pot meals - anything served with a ladle.
minstrel at 2:29PM on 01/03/09
Beans and rice, oodles of celery, and fat-free cottage cheese. Three (well, technically four) of my favorite foods, so I don't feel deprived.
TheCheapChick at 7:04PM on 01/03/09
We definitely re-focus on healthy eating in my apartment after the holidays. I crave foods with a higher water-content, so it's not usually too hard to shift away from the heavier fare. I got 2 soup cookbooks and a whole grains cookbook for the holidays, so I've been cooking soups to eat with honey whole wheat bread. Delish! Red onion, tomato, and wine soup is the favorite so far, and made almost entirely of a fruit and veg.
I have consumed what feels like enough cookies to last until next Christmas. Or at least next weekend.
littlestcapy at 12:21PM on 01/05/09
@littlestacapy -- would love that recipe for the Red Onion, Tomato and Wine Soup -- sounds yummy. Care to Share?
juliebugsmama at 12:45PM on 01/05/09
I never really fall off track because I have hard-core will power... but my healthy food staples include fish, spinach, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, sea weed, mushrooms, eggplant, cabbage, asparagus, green beans, grass-fed beef, bison, elk, ostrich, vension & lamb.
Giasbash6260 at 10:57PM on 01/06/09
@juliebugsmama--Two days later, I have managed to remember to dig out my recipes. Sorry for the delay! This is from Deborah Madisons Vegetable Soups cookbook (one of many winners from that collection!) Anyway, RED ONION SOUP WITH TOMATOES AND RED WINE:
2 tbsp butter
6 large red onions, quartered and sliced crosswise (about 3 pounds)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
several thym sprigs or 1/8 tsp dried
2 bay leaves
2 cloves
4 parsley branches
2 tsp minced rosemary
1 tbsp tomato paste
1-2 cups full-bodied red wine
1 cup ground or finely chipped tomatoes (such as pomi)
8 diagonal baguette slices
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
1. Melt the butter in a wide soup pot. Add the onions and 1 tsp salt, the herbs, and the spices and cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid released by the onions has evaporated, about 30 minutes. Toward the end you need to be near the pot and stir it frequently. Cook until the onions are very soft and a glaze has built up on the pot.
2. Stir in the tomato paste, then pour in the wine, scrape the pot, raise the heat, and cook until the wine has bubbled away, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove the parsley and bay leaves.
3. Preheat the broiler. Pour the hot soup into a large earthenware casserole. Lay the bread over the soup, cover with the gruyere and then the parmigiano-reggiano, then broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve immediately!
littlestcapy at 2:33PM on 01/07/09