After rejoining Weight Watchers, I knew I wanted to reinstate my Weigh- In Wednesdays posts. On the third Wednesday of every month I'll have a new post/party up for everyone to share workout tips, weight loss thoughts and ideas, and healthy recipes to fuel us on our journey to better health.
I mentioned almost exactly 1 year ago today (here*) that I was hoping to move towards a more Plant Based/Whole foods diet and I thought this would be a great time to check in and see what/ if any strides I've made.
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| Vegetable/Faro soup recipe here |
While I absolutely COULD NOT get my family on board I have found that I definitely eat way less processed foods than ever before. That said... I found that limiting or even eliminating meat and diary was nearly impossible for me... mostly because I didn't like so many of the plant based proteins I've tried. I will eat chick peas but hate all the other beans/legumes I've tried. I don't mind tofu (as evidenced by my nugget recipe I shared last month) but I find that plain greek yogurt, eggs, chicken, and fish are still my main sources of protein.
So I've decided to not worry about it as much and just try to focus on making sure the eggs, chicken, fish, dairy, etc. are as healthy cuts and healthily raised as I can.
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| yogurt with chia seeds, pecans and 1 cup mixed berries |
I actually added yogurt back into my fruit/granola bowls because I found without it, I was starving just an hour or so later. But I'm reading the labels and being picky about what is in my yogurt-- trying to find the "cleanest" plain Greek organic yogurt I can.
I'm still struggling with not cooking myself a completely different meal but most nights that is what happens and I'm learning to cook up bigger batches of "MY" food and eating leftovers the next day (or for several days!).
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| Crustless quiche with basil, spinach, mushrooms and a tiny bit of feta cheese |
We are still only at one vegetarian meal per week and 9 times out of 10 my boys make their own dinner on this night (unless it's plain pasta and sauce... which it pretty much never is!). And even with vegetable soups I often hear "where's the meat?" so this is one thing I'm still struggling to normalize too.
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| They did enjoy this diary free carbonara made with tempered eggs and seasonings |
I am continuing to cut back and cut out sugar, white flour, any and all oils that aren't avocado or olive. I've even made some keto bread using almond flour (though I don't think anyone else even tried it!).
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| It was just okay and not my favorite; plus I couldn't/wouldn't eat the whole loaf myself before it went bad |
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| I made an almond butter and homemade jelly sandwich with it one day |
Mostly I eat lots and lots of fresh veggies and fresh fruits with nuts, lean proteins, and focus on eating a rainbow everyday.
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| herb roasted wild caught pollock with green beans, sweet potato and salad |
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| turkey breast with broccoli and butternut squash |
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| salad with feta, tuna, raw walnuts, pumpkin seeds |
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| Similar salad as the one above but this time I added some flax seed on top too |
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| Veggies and an orange with some hummus |
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| Salmon, sweet potato, zucchini/squash/mushrooms, & a salad with some sesame seeds |
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| salad, sweet potato, squash & chicken tenderloins |
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| Salad with pesto/kale/broccoli quiche |
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| Apple, raw veggies, hummus and Flackers crackers (flaxseed crackers) |
Alec made us a delicious vegetable stir-fry with zoodles when he was home on break:
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| carrots, asparagus, spinach, onion, pepper, celery, garlic, fresh basil |
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| Lots of zoodles |
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| It was so flavorful and had a great variety of textures. |
Linking up with: Spread the Kindness,
Your food all looks so good- I hope your efforts are paying off for you health wise. It would be hard for me to make meatless dinners but almost all of the lunches that I prepare for myself are meatless.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThis is incredible- what a great job- how are you feeling? I am guessing more energy? Keep us posted!
ReplyDeleteI honestly thought I'd have more energy but I don't feel like I do... then again I am exercising and hiking and doing more... so maybe I do have more energy but I'm actually using it!
DeleteSo, how do you feel? Do you sleep better? What changes have you seen? I also don't think I could do the protein subs - they are not good; at least the ones I have tried are not good. I guess you get used to a lot of things. I commend you; it's like a part time job!
ReplyDeleteI definitely sleep better! But yeah, food prep. definitely feels like a part time job.
DeleteZachary hates if we don't have meat meals, but we eat more dairy than meat usually!
ReplyDelete3 of us struggle with eating diary so I try to limit it... but we do an awful job at it.
DeleteI’ve been there before, trying to introduce different foods into our diet, and my family turning up their noses at it. I think you’re doing a good job! I don’t usually make two different meals for us, but I find if I can manage my own breakfast and lunch, then dinner can be whatever. Although generally we are eating non-processed food, my only real downfall is pasta.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I can't give up my pasta... we did swap to a whole wheat version and I'm thinking of trying chickpea versions but we'll see.
DeleteThe salads looks delicious and your snacks are inspirational: that is usually and area where I make bad choices. My two youngest are the pickiest when we fast from meats during lent and I often end up giving them Mac and cheese or egg on toast for their dinner.
ReplyDeletewww.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thank you! I have a few picky eaters too; especially when it comes to meatless ideas since they are not big vegetable eaters.
DeleteThat's awesome!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHi Joanne, thanks so much for hosting weekly.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am not plant based - I do use a fair amount of it and as our son and his family are vegan, we do make a lot of vegan food. Love your food, thanks for sharing with us.
My entries this week #1+2
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Thank you so much for linking up with me!
DeleteHi Joanne, I remember when you started this and can't believe it is 1 year ago! You are certainly doing well and your meals look nutritious and well balanced. Well done you!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you so much! I honestly thought it had only been a season or so and was shocked when I looked back to see when I had shared about going plant based!
DeleteGood for you. I need to do a bit more of this!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteYour foodies look delicious. Hubby is diabetic so I try to prepare diabetic friendly recipes. Which is similar to your cooking. Thanks for the linky party. Linked up #44
ReplyDeleteYour salmon patties look so good!
DeleteYour food looks so fresh and delicious! I would have a really hard time cutting out meat and dairy for the same reason.
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you!
DeleteHi Joanne, wow you're doing such a great job with your food and recipe choices! I was on a roll with healthy eating and planning too until my fall and the cyclone were enough to rock the boat and send me off track. Hoping to get back on track again soon and your post has certainly inspired me to do so. Thanks for linking up with #WWWhimsy - have a great week! xo
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you! It is so easy to get off track, isn't it?
DeleteIts so impressive!! We do eat meat (i love my steaks) but we.stick with high quality grass fed.
ReplyDeleteTrader Joe's has a fabulous yogurt that we love and it's part of our morning meal too!
Xoxo
Jodie
Thank you! I definitely try to stick to grass fed beef too.
DeleteYou are doing great and all this food looks so good. I like it all, but just need to do a better job about having all the snacks/meals prepared.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThe food looks amazing….fresh and colors of the rainbow.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI'm so impressed by your commitment to this way of eating, Joanne! I've committed to a very high protein diet, and it's paying off (finally). I do need to do a better job of eating the rainbow, but I just don't like that many vegetables. I need to take photos of your photos to remind me!
ReplyDeletehttps://marshainthemiddle.com/
Thank you! I have upped my protein intake too.
DeleteThese meals look amazing. I know that when I eat this way I feel so much better! Thank you for the ideas. I think I'm going to add a lot of these ideas to my grocery list this week!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteEverything looks delicious, with the exception of the almond flour bread :). I bake my own bread, and yes, I do eat white bread too, I just use the very best flour. Your situation with your family sounds just like mine. I get the "where's the meat?" question quite often too. It's hard when you want to make dietary changes but the rest of the family isn't on board. I often have to cook two different meals, and I hate it.
ReplyDeleteI do too! But I'm resigned to it being that way for now... hopefully they'll slowly come around.
DeleteI was a vegetarian (ate eggs, cheese and sometimes fish) for years before I went plant-based 4 years ago and even now I find that I will eat feta cheese when eating out. I find it do-able but I like all kinds of beans. I find we eat a lot of lentil type soups for protein. I went back to WW in January and have lost 10 pounds!! Your meals look healthy with lots of vegetables and fruits. Enjoy!!
ReplyDeleteI have never even had lentils! I do have that on my list of foods to try though along with tempeh and miso.
DeleteYour meals always look so delicious - it is hard to believe you haven't been able to get the men on board. Although, my husband is still one percent "where's the meat"...but my meals are not nearly as tasty looking as yours!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you!
DeleteI'm impressed with all the strides you have made, Joanne. Clean eating is challenging in our society and more so, when the family isn't on board. Much like you, I rely on meat and/or eggs most days to help me get the protein I need, but I am paying much more attention to how that meat was raised. Your meals look delicious!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWe do use a lot of "fake meat" in our meals -- especially veggie ground round and beef-less tips. I really love some of those soy substitutes but they are probably heavily processed... And after seeing all your pictures, now I'm really craving a good green salad!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you!
DeleteYour photos make veggies look so good. I wish I could get PC to eat more of them. I really like zoodles and imagine I would like them mixed with all the goodies you added to them. We have a whole bag of chia seeds we bought when we read they can help fight off prostate cancer. Need to sprinkle them on my yogurt breakfasts. Christie was talking about overnight oats in a recent post. She topped them with a dollop of peanut butter! Sounds so good. I must be hungry!!
ReplyDeleteI have her overnight oats bookmarked to try this week!
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