This is what our weekly diet looks like these days:
Tuesdays and Thursdays are "no sugar" days.
Tuesdays and Sundays are "no meat" days.
All other days are called "you choose" days.
Breakfasts-
GREEN SMOOTHIES and oatmeal, oatmeal cereal, Cheerios Multi grain or other "healthy" cereal with rice/coconut/almond milk. Toast with peanut/almond butter and honey/jam. Occasionally eggs, breakfast burritos/wraps, whole wheat pancakes or WAFFLES*
Snacks-
I find most of these at Costco: Cliff's Zbars for kids, all natural fruit leathers, chocolate covered berries, pistachios (the kids quickly learned to open and eat them themselves- and love them), carrots and dip (ranch or hummus), chips and salsa, mandarin oranges, apples, bananas, pretzels, yogurt.
Lunches-
Peanut/almond butter and honey/jam/sliced banana sandwiches (whole wheat bread), quesadillas, refried bean and cheese burritos/quesadillas, nachos, tuna melts, simple pastas (whole wheat or spinach)*, leftover dinners, tomato soup and grilled cheese*, vegetarian chili*. Bagel or english muffin cheese pizzas.
I bought the vegan patties at Costco one time- didn't like them too much as burgers, as they tasted a lot more like egg rolls to me- but I love them with a little soy sauce wrapped in a fresh cooked tortilla for lunch.
One Sunday I threw together a skillet "hash" that became one of my favorites- I sauteed some onion and garlic in olive oil, threw in sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, some diced tomatoes and black beans with a little cilantro. mmmm. my mouth is watering!
Dinner-
GREEN SMOOTHIES and...
This is where I need to spend some time pulling together my recipes but as a general list with a few recipes I have handy or have REALLY liked...
* items above can be used for quick/easy ones, and/or for dinner I'll make them a little more "special" in the recipe/effort/ingredients I use
When I started trying to cook more meatless meals I started by thinking about what I already like to eat, and seeing if I could adapt it- it's surprising what you can do. I also found it interesting that foreign dishes are often easiest to adapt. It's us Americans that get caught up in making meat the star of the show.
There are lots of mexican meals that are vegetarian with just beans instead of meat i.e. burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, salads, nachos
There are also lots of italian dishes that are vegetarian- lasagna, risotto, all kinds of vegetables and noodles/pastas different kinds of sauces
Tons of asian dishes can also very easily be made vegetarian- Quinoa is high in protein and can be used instead of rice in many of these to make sure you're still getting lots of protein, I also use mostly brown or wild rice instead of just white rice in many of these. There are lots of variations on stir fry, sweet n sour, teriyaki etc. Indian/thai dishes are some of my favorites because you can use sweet potatoes (which I've fallen in love with), carrotts, sweet peas, other potatoes in all the different curries, soups, etc.
Seafood-
I also cook seafood once or twice a week. I have no major qualms with seafood, so by adding this to our menu it's an easy way to move toward my goal of only eating meat in 5-10% of our diet. I love salmon, mild white fish and shrimp, so it's easy for me. I know some people have an aversion to these though.
Don't stress the rest-
The rest of the time I don't stress too much about meats and sugars. I try to sensible of course, but when we are out with friends and family or celebrating a special occasion I don't want to be constantly saying "NO! We can't/won't eat that!" I still believe that food and dining is often a social and cultural experience and I don't want to be so strict that we can't enjoy those things. I have noticed though, that even in those social or cultural events there are healthier options- and when available I try to choose those.
When we eat out- if I'm craving a steak or burger- I eat it. But I often use this opportunity to explore other no-meat or healthy options. Did you know that I don't even miss the meat in a Costa Vida or Cafe Rio salad? Cafe Paesan, Malawi's Pizza, and other Italian places all have fabulous no-meat dishes. And I pretty much LOVE Rubios fish or salmon tacos. Oooh and Zupas has some great soups and salads. SEE?! There are LOTS of options out there.
"You choose" days spent at home with family I usually try to still reduce the amount of meat we eat. A little meat can go a long way. I try to find recipes that use less meat. By using meat in salads, wraps, casseroles and soups you can often get by with 1-2 servings of meat for a dish that feeds 4-6 people. Bacon and sausage, (though some of the most unhealthy meats) pack powerful punch in flavor and can go a long way! Try baked potatoes with crumbled bacon (and cheese and/or sour cream).
Sweets and treats-
I personally no longer like cheap pre-packaged or processed treats. Seriously. I think Junior Mints and peanut M&Ms with popcorn are the exceptions. I do however like home-made baked/made goods in moderation. I like high-quality dark chocolates. Costco's chocolate covered Acai Berries are my "stash" for a sweet fix. Dekker still loves his sugar in the form of suckers and candies. I let him choose that. Everyone else seems to like the home made more "real" stuff better now too.
I allow honey, maple syrup, and agave even on no sugar days for recipes, and even on PB&Js. I figure the more raw form- the less I need to stress over it.
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