Challenge Day 24

So tonight I made some chicken corn chowder.  It was really yummy.  I'm not sure it was very healthy although I have stuck to my rules of no fried foods.  The chowder tasted like a glorified creamy potato soup and I loved it.  It was warm and sweet with a touch of bacon.  I will definitely be doing it again.  Monday I began wallking for exercise.  I am so sore.  My left hip is killing me, but I guess that means it is working.  I hope to continue the walking and even bump up the speed and distance before long. 

Challenge Day 22

I must say that while I thought blogging about my eating habits would help hold me accountable, it really hasn't.  I am happy to say that I have remained mostly faithful to the "rules" I began with.  No more cooking fried foods and less sugar.  This family still has a long way to go to healthy living.  Thankfully, my girls are very active.  They love to swim and participate in different sports.  All three are talented and typically find themselves involved in multiple activities.  With that said, I realize that fighting obesity and diabetes is a tough fight but with the support of good friends and family, this is one I intend to win. 

Challenge Day 20

Bad habits really are hard to break.  Our house is for sale and today we had to show the house so instead of staying home and working on school and eating what was planned, I loaded up the girls and headed to the mall.  So wrong on so many levels.  First, I spent way too much money on things that were "needed". Then, we had to eat a bite since the showing was at noon and of course the only place to eat at the mall is Chic-fil-a.  I asked for a grilled chicken wrap but they do not carry those at this particular location so I settled for a chicken sandwich and diet coke.  Not too bad I guess, but then as we were shopping I really needed a white chocolate mocha from Starbucks.  While the new way of eating was thrown out the window, I must say that a shopping day with the girls was great therapy and satisfied a much needed break from school work.

Challenge Day 17

So far, I have been able to completely eliminate fried foods.  I haven't missed them at all if truth be told.  I am working very hard to rid this house of all sweets that contain great amounts of processed sugar.  We have switched to splenda as much as possible and the girls have not noticed too much.  Last week, I bought some water flavoring.  We have used the strawberry/watermelon and the girls are drinking lots more water.  I highly recomend the peach for tea. You just add a drop to a glass of unsweet tea and it taste like Olive Garden's peach tea.  I love it and there are no calories in the flavoring.  You can buy the flavors at Winn Dixie above the kool-aid.

Challenge day 13

While I am trying very hard to stay away from fatty foods and sweets, I have not lost a single pound.  I'm feeling a bit frustrated.  I think it could be because I find myself eating way more at one sitting.  So, my goal this week will be to eliminate all sodas and begin some lite exercise.  Most likely walking more than my quarter of a mile each day.  I have discovered two new healthy recipes that I like.  Tonight, I made spaghetti with turkey instead of beef.  It was a great alternative that I am going to continue.  The girls did not even notice.  Last night I tried an asian tilapia with gingered vegetables.  I enjoyed it more than the rest of the family.  Here is the recipe for those that are interested. 

1 Tbsp.  brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chinese five-spice powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves ( I used tilapia fillets instead for some variety in our diet.  stick with the chicken)
2 cups fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 medium carrot, julienned
2 tbsp. orange juice
2 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. minced fresh gingerroot.

Combine the first five ingredients and rub over the chicken.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Grill the chicken, covered, over medium heat turning after 7 minutes until juices run clear.  In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray combine the remaining ingredients.  Cook and stir over medium high for 5-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Serve with chicken.

Taken from Healthy Cooking magazine, May 24, 2010 issue, page 18-19.

Challenge Day 11

Today was a great day for food.  We ate lots of fresh fruits and veggies.  My children even ate some celery and apple slices with peanutbutter at lunch.  For dinner tonight, my husband and I enjoyed a grilled chicken salad with a greek vinegratt dressing, so good.  The girls included some mac-n-cheese and chicken wraps instead of salad.  I do find that eating healthy can be more expensive.  However, I'm convinced that eating healthier will pay big in the long run.   

Challenge Day 9

Today we spent 7 hours in a car traveling home from Tennessee.  Needless to say, my diet was made up of Krystal burgers, gross, potato chips and peanuts and an ice cream bar.  I must admitt that I am very excited about being home so that I can better control what we eat.  Oh well, we kick back in gear tomorrow.

Day 7 of summer challenge

It has been very difficult to stay focused while visiting family in Tennessee.  I have felt like I am on vacation and all foods have been acceptable.  However, I did have the opportunity to try a very healthy turkey burger on Saturday evening while visiting my son and his family.  My daughter-n-law and I tried a new recipe we found from Rachel Ray on the food network.  It was delicious and I finally felt good about the food I was eating.  My girls enjoyed it too even though they stuck with the traditional beef version.  I am looking forward to sharing this healthier alternative with my husband when we get back to Mobile.  Following is the recipe for anyone that would like to try it.  You can find the actual recipe at www.foodnetwork.com/rachaelray.

1lb. ground turkey
1     small package frozen spinach
1     small container of feta cheese

Thaw and drain the spinach very good.  Mix turkey, spinach, cheese together in a bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Roll mixture into balls and flatten to make patties.  Grill or fry until done.  Place on whole grain bun and dress as you like.  Enjoy!

Yummmmmmm!

Day 2 and 3 of summer challenge

On Tuesday, I made a baked chicken with apple cider vinnegrett.  My husband and I thought it was delicious.  We will definitely be doing that again.  My girls removed the apples and onions from the top and added catchup to their chicken.  Gross, is all I can say.  So far, we have cut out our fried foods and none of us have missed them too much.  However, since we are in Tennessee this weekend, I have already encountered lemon cheese cake tarts and cinnamon buns, yum!  My plan is to make sure and limit the sweets and eat lots of veggetables from mom's garden.  The tomatoes are looking really good. 

Challenge Day 1

Today we began a challenge for our entire family. I have watched my mom live with diabetes for thirty plus years and we have decided that in order to break this terrible cycle, we must first begin by changing our eating habits.  The first and easiest change I am making to our diet is cutting all fried foods.  No more french fried potatoes, fried chicken, fried pork, or fried seafood.

Our first day of the challenge was quite simple really.  We ate lots of fresh fruit and veggis.  For dinner, instead of pork chops battered and fried, we ate baked pork chops, fresh steamed broccoli, whole grain bread rolls and fresh fruit.  It was a success. The pork chops were tender and flavorful and everyone tried a little of each dish.