Day 17: November 27

Day after Thanksgiving dinner. Simple homemade tomato sauce with ground bison. I doubt I would have had the salad before portion plates. It makes me want to think of something for each dish. 

Before Portion Plates

I would consider myself in the very infancy of my health journey. This is not the first time I've have needed to start over, but I'm hoping with transitional changes, it will be the last and I will be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Over the last few months our family has committed to healthy living. We are learning about meal prep, I am reminding myself that there are no magic wands or instant fixes and since we are doing this as a family, enjoying the growing we have experienced so far.
When I heard about this project, I couldn't wait to be part of Portion Plates. To build a community, a support group and reflection to assist in my journey for healthy living.
I included some shots of what I've been doing over my last week before starting. Simple, healthy meals, meal prep so we can still eat well when we are in a hurry and still enjoy a healthy dinner together.
Every day is a new start, here we go!

Before Portion Plates - Last meal before portion plates tonight! Same recipe as mentioned in myprevious post.

Before Portion Plates - Poor breakfast choices.

My breakfast consists of a granola bar on the way to work which I eat while driving. Then a cup of coffee when I get to work. I don't know if I can give up my coffee, but my main "goal" for portion plates is to eat breakfast every day at home on the plates. This might mean pre-made breakfast items (muffins or parfaits made the night before), but that is a step in the right direction compared to my granola bar!

Before Portion Plates - Dinner 11/7

Meals before Portion Plates- For this meal I went to my mom's for dinner and had homemade chicken fried rice. It was delicious... but not what I would call well portioned.

Dinner before portion plates - 11/9

Tonight I enjoyed Rotini pasta with Bertoli Alfredo sauce, seasoned chicken, and broccoli. Topped off with Parmesan. All of the ingredients I bought from the Walmart Neighborhood Market. Pasta was in box, chicken was bought fresh - I seasoned it with grilling seasoning and salt/ pepper and cooked in a skillet, alfredo sauce was in a jar, broccoli was frozen in a bag, and Parmesan was in a container. The whole meal I made in a large batch so that I could enjoy it throughout the week in order to save time. No picture tonight because I devoured it upon arriving home from work. :)

2 days!

And the countdown begins! We will be sharing our first Portion Plates dinner November 10th! Pictures to follow...stay posted!

Before Portion Plates Dinner: November 8

Shrimp creole- I made the tomato sauce with Bemis garden tomatoes about a month ago when it was in full bloom and froze it. It feels anticlimactic to cook a good dinner and eat alone, but lots for leftovers. 

Lunch before portion plates

11/8 - lunch at work while working on my schedule. White tortilla with fresh green peppers, jalapeños, and Kraft shredded cheese. Top off with an apple and some hot sauce for the tortilla. All fit onto a very small plastic plate - yes there's a plate under there somewhere. All bought from Walmart Market - this particular store primarily sells food. I love how when you walk in you're surrounded by fresh vegetables and fruit right at the front doors. Taste, convenience (really quick & easy to make), and cost were factors for this meal.

Dinner before portion plates

Dinner while reading National Geographic tonight- 3 corn tortillas layered with retried black beans, salsa tomatillo, and feta cheese. I made the tomatillo sauce using ingredients from the Bemis garden. Tortillas were made locally at Supermarcado Nuestro Familia. I usually make the beans, but tonight speed won out and I opened a can.

Lunch before portion plates

My lunch at work the other day: a cup of popcorn. I did not have time to prepare anything the night before, and my work has a popcorn maker in the break room. Convenience, cost (free), and time were factors for this meal. 

Lunch before portion plates

11/1 - lunch at work. Microwaved leftovers from dinner the night before - my boyfriend and I went out for Chinese. Mixed vegetables with fried Kung Pao and Orange chicken with crab Rangoon. Convenience and taste were the primary factors for this meal. However, now that I mentioned convenience, my boyfriend and I drove 20min to eat at this restaurant the night before - even though there were closer Chinese Restaurants. We just really like the taste of the food at Panda Express and I guess we were weary about trying a new restaurant.