WEIL FOOD PYRAMID

I have been using the Dr. Weil Anti-Infammatory Food Pyramid as a guide for changing my diet.  I didn't manage to hit all the marks this week because this all requires a lot of planning and preparation. 

I can report that I only had 2 eggs, 1 serving of chicken and several servings of salmon.  I had 3 servings of whole wheat pasta, 2 servings of brown rice and, as I thought might be an issue, 6 pieces of whole wheat bread.   Now that I put the bread in the freezer, it will be easier to curb those grab and go visits to the bread drawer!

I bought soy milk but that was the extent of my soy so far, I'm working on it.  I am not a tofu fan but I am going to see if I can find ways to add it to my diet.  I was a bit over on the dairy protein and way under on the beans & legumes.  I am good on the fruits and veggies.

So the problem is that  it's more work to get the protein into the proper range.  I went to the library and got a couple of cookbooks, so I will start trying recipes, including some with tofu and many with beans.

I think the biggest change is that I am off sugar and that I have gone out twice and have been fine finding and making good choices.  Even at the fair on Monday I got a grilled fish taco on a corn tortilla.  I really prefer flour tortillas and use whole wheat at home, but I ate the corn tortilla and it was fine.  I asked for no sauce and some extra cabbage on the taco and they were very nice about it. 

I sniffed my son's garlic fries but didn't eat one.  I would have liked the frozen lemonade (it was hot!) but I brought a container of iced tea and stuck with that.  The next time we went out I had a blackened salmon sandwich on a whole wheat bun.  It was great though looking at the bun I am not sure it was really whole wheat - next time out  I'll try the "lettuce as bun" version!

So I made it through a week and now I am gearing up for the long run.

A RECIPE TO SHARE

I have been stumbling along - some days on plan some days not so much.  I am in maintenance mode in that I am not gaining or losing weight - except that I need to lose about 75 pounds or so before I am actually, happily, in the position for maintenance!!

Anyway - with my schedule it has been important to have things I can make in advance to tuck into my bag for dinner at work.  I ran across a recipe for baked egg rolls and I thought it was a great way to get more veggies in and an easy, portable food for work.

I was showing my sister the recipe and then telling her all the changes I made to it.  She pointed out that I had changed the recipe completely - so I wrote down my version.

2 packs egg roll wrappers

1 package bagged coleslaw (the mix with carrots and red cabbage)

2 chicken breasts or other meat of your choice, minced small

1 bag or bunch fresh spinach

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

1 bunch green onions, sliced

2 or more cloves garlic

minced ginger

chopped cilantro, to taste

Sesame oil

Soy sauce

Heat a large, deep skillet or wok with a little bit of oil until hot.  Add the minced chicken and stir fry until no longer pink.  Add the minced garlic and ginger and about 3 T of soy sauce to chicken.  Then add chopped onions, water chestnuts, coleslaw and spinach.  Take off heat and mix together all the ingredients.  Add about 1 T sesame oil and cilantro if you like.

Let this mixture cool, stir it around to keep it from wilting too much.  Get a little bowl of water ready and take the wrappers out of the package.  The package has directions on how to fold and roll the egg rolls using a bit of water on the edge to help seal the little packet.  I use a serving spoon to scoop up about 1/4 cup of the mixture for each egg roll.

Roll up according to the directions and [place on a baking sheet which has been sprayed with vegetable or olive oil.  Roll them around so they are coated with he oil, or spray the tops before baking.  Leave room between each roll for the air to circulate while baking.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, turn each roll over and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the rolls are turning a bit brown and crispy.  Cool on wire racks and then put in airtight containers in the frig.  They can also be frozen.  I like them cold from the frig, but they are also very good when crisped up in a toaster oven.  They can get a bit dry after a few days - so you may want to try them with the dipping sauce of your choice.

The way I make them I calculated the calorie count at about 93 calories each.

Of course this is the perfect kind of recipe to tweak and make your own with your favorite ingredients.  The original recipe called for shrimp and Oyster Sauce  - it was too fishy for me so I started experimenting. 

Let me know if you come up with an interesting version!