Wellness

[Laura14]

@Noel7. Ooohhhh, stealing this. Thanks!!

[Noel7]

You're welcome @Laura14

I have one other suggestion, actually I have a lot of healthy recipes, I might add others, LOL.

I follow healthy food tips wherever I find them, like from the American heart Association and reports on different food.  Every single time, one source comes up as being heart healthy and packed with nutrients, and that's salmon.

I try to serve a salmon fillet once every week.  My husband is not a seafood fan, I am, but even he will eat salmon.

Most of the time I bake the pieces in the oven and top them with something.  DH likes his with a light coat of pesto sauce on top.  I buy the frozen pesto, Armanino Farms (I think that's spelled correctly).

Sometimes just a little olive oil on top (also healthy for us) with some sliced Kalamata olives (Trader Joes) and sun dried tomato strips.  I've started working with turmeric which is another healthy powerhouse for food.

[Laura14]

@Noel7  Please share!  I'm feeling a bit lonely on this thread.  

[Mmsfoxxie]

Not to worry, you're not alone really.  I'm mostly reading as I'm sure plenty of others are.  It's not always the quantity of the posts but the quality.

At some pint, I'm going to try that banana bread recipe.  I have a banana oatmeal breakfast cookie from WW that I've made in the past that I might post later.  Quite tasty.

[Laura14]

Definitely trying this one for breakfast!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

2 1/2 cups rolled oats/quick oats (thanks @Poodlepet2!)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups water

1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree

(NOT pumpkin pie filling-only the real pumpkin!)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

(omit if you don't like them or swap for nuts you do like)

1 1/2 tsps pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

(I would use real extract not imitation)

3/4 dried cranberries OR pick a fresh or dried fruit you do like

(I would use Craisins for ease and some sweetness.  Craisins are dried cranberries with a touch of sugar found by the raisin boxes in most supermarkets)

This recipe also sweetens with 1/2 cup brown sugar.  I don't do sugar at all like this so I would swap out for honey, real maple, stevia or just use the Craisins which already have sugar on them as your sweetener if you are trying to avoid it too.

1. Bring the milk and water to a boil in a saucepan that's large enough to prevent boil-overs.
2. Reduce the heat to low. Add the oats and then stir in all other ingredients except cranberries.  (I would personally not pop in the nuts either if you don't want them soft)
3. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until oats are done and oatmeal is thickened to your liking.
4. Serve with cranberries, either stirred in or sprinkled on top.

Note:  You can do plain microwave oatmeal and then add the rest in and top with nuts and cranberries if you're absolutely not a stove top person and just want to do it the simplest, easiest way.    

[Poodlepet2]

How much oatmeal is used? I'm guessing enough for two portions looking at the amount of water and pumpkin used....

If I have leftover butternut squash, I have used that successfully by running it through a blender-or not. I do love pumpkin, but I hate waste.

Also, I discovered raw butternut squash is delicious for snacking or adding to salads: the sugar content also happens to be lower than when cooked. Same thing for sweet potatoes: I slice raw sweet potatoes thin and spread a little raw almond butter. I love topping my little snacks with thin slices of Apple or pear with a sprinkle of cinnamon or ginger, or both!

Poodlepet2

[Laura14]

@Poodlepet2  Sorry!!  This recipe called for 2 1/2 cups of rolled oats. Good catch!  

[Laura14]

And now for lunch.  Just came across this one.  Quick, easy and gets most of the protein and vegetables in for the day along with some vinegar which always works.

Chicken Salad

Grilled breast of chicken seasoned how you like it

Mix salad of any type of lettuce you like (darker is better for you) along with vegetables you like in balsamic vinegar. I'll bet you could switch out balsamic for another type of vinegar (red wine, apple cider, etc.) if you want.  

Pile the salad in a plate or bowl.  

Place a bed of cottage cheese on top of the salad.  

Lay the sliced chicken breast on top of the cottage cheese and your salad awaits!

I'm sure you could also swap out cottage cheese for ricotta if, like me, you don't like it.

Having said that, cottage cheese is a better option if you are looking to lose weight because it's less calories and fat.  But if you don't like it, you won't eat it.  

Cottage cheese = curds  Ricotta cheese = whey  

Very similar in protein so it's just a personal choice.  Both are real food so they both work in the long run and you're not piling on an entire container here.  Just enough to match the underside of the chicken breast.  A bit more fat and calories won't hurt you in just one meal if you go with the other option so always do that.  It's always better than the processed or fast food you could eat.            

And you don't have to cook a chicken breast either.  Most supermarkets sell sliced cooked chicken in the meat section.  Just make sure you get the plain kind and season it yourself.  You really don't want the ones with additives. 

[Noel7]

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@Laura14 wrote:

@Noel7  Please share!  I'm feeling a bit lonely on this thread.  

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OK

I think we each need to have an overall approach to a way of eating that works to our benefit.

One of the most important considerations for me is to eat a lot of fiber.  Not only is it filling, but there are a lot of health benefits.  Fiber is so important for us. Did you know it helps clean out our arteries?  And it does so much for our digestive system and helps with weight loss.

I have high fiber cereal from Trader Joe's every morning with a little fresh fruit and almond milk.  Cutting way back on dairy is good for us and I do love that almond milk, 30 calories a cup. Oatmeal is also good.

Our best source of fiber is fruit and veg, I try to find veg recipes of things I like, which for me does not include broccoli, lol.

[Noel7]

This is Delicata squash.  I'd never seen it until a year ago.  Trader Joe's has been featuring it and I also see it at other markets.  It's delicious and there are a lot of recipes online for what do do with it.

I cut it in half the long way and bake it in the oven, cut side down so it browns a little.  You can serve it with just a little butter and cinnamon or go for savory if you prefer.

You can also eat the skin, it's so delicate.  I eat the skin, my daughter scoops out meat of the squash.  We like this so much, we usually have it at least once a week as a side dish.

It's a good source of fiber and potassium.