Before I start my post today, just let me say that it was in the mid 60's today in Indy. I sat on my screened in porch and drank my afternoon coffee in a short sleeved shirt. I've had my back door and my kitchen window open all day. Crazy, but I'll take it!
Today is the start of our healthy eating program. My husband Steve, was instructed to follow an insulin resistant diet. We are keeping it really simple. I have read two books, The Insulin Resistant Diet and The Schwarzbein Principle. I am combining what I've learned in both books for our plan.
We are counting carbs. With each meal we are allowed 30 grams of carbs but it must be paired with a healthy protein. For snacks we can have 15 grams of carbs as long at it's paired with a healthy protein. We aren't worrying about counting calories or fat. We are trying to eat only healthy fat.
Of course this includes lots of vegetables.
The goal is to eat healthy whole grain gluten free carbs. So we are cutting out a lot of sugar. That doesn't mean I won't sneak a cookie every now and then for one of the carb snacks! I am on a quest to find a good, healthy, gluten free cookie recipe made with agave syrup.
We are also exercising which I've been doing for a while anyway. I do cardio about 5 days a week and 3 of those days I also have a toning workout with free weights. Hubby just has to start doing something! Anything! He has a cardio goal of 3 days a week.
I went to Half Price Books and picked up a couple South Beach Diet cookbooks. They are great! So many of the recipes are already gluten free and of course they are with healthy carbs.
Another goal of mine is to convert my freezer cooking recipes to gluten free. I have been wanting to do this for months, but with the holidays it's just been too busy. I have found very little convenience food that is gluten free. Sometimes I'm just too tired to cook and would love to be able to pull out a tv dinner or something. So I'll have to make my own.
I would love to be organized enough to make a weekly menu. I'm going to give it a shot. I'm really a cook by the seat of my pants kind of gal when it comes to cooking. I am not very good at planning meals. But last week I did make out a menu for this week and the last two nights have been really great because dinner was there on paper! No standing with the fridge door open hoping something will jump out at me. No walking around the kitchen talking to myself hoping an idea will come. It was there on the paper! So, I'm gonna try to keep up with this.
Here are my menu's for the week. It's in no particular order or night. You know if you plan the chicken on Monday and maybe you would rather have the fish on Monday. So I just planed 6 meals per week and each night I'll decide which one I'm in the mood for. I'm leaving the seventh night open. I have to have at least one night to fly by the seat of my pants in the kitchen!
Balsamic Glazed Salmon
Brown rice
Frozen veggies
Mahi Mahi with Parmesan Caesar Glaze
Brown rice with almonds and onions
Stir fried broccoli and carrots
Chinese style steamed chicken
Brown rice
Veggies
Grilled chicken with garlic and olives
Baked potatoes
Green beans
Baked Pesto Chicken Roasted sweet potatoes and onions
Salad
Pork Satay
Brown rice
Asian slaw
Mahi Mahi with Parmesan Caesar Glaze
I love this recipe. I've made it about three times now. It came from a magazine I just discover called Fresh. It's by the makers of Fine Cooking. You can make this with any kind of white fish. The original recipe calls for flounder, but I have made it with both talapia and mahi mahi. I think it would be just as good with chicken too! The recipe calls for grated lemon and lemon juice. I have made it with lime twice now and I prefer it to the lemon, but tonight I used lemon. The original recipe calls for rolling the fish, but I just lay it flat and broil it.
8 skinless white fish fillets
1/3 cup mayonnaise (not miracle whip!)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small clove garlic crushed
2 tablespoon of chopped parsley or cilantro
In your oven, broil the fish several minutes on each side according to what type of fish you use and the thickness of that fish. While it's broiling, mix together the remaining ingredients. When your fish is finished cooking, take it out and spread the top of each fillet with the Caesar glaze. Place your fish back in the oven and broil until the glaze is browned and bubbling. Keep a close eye on it as it only takes a couple minutes to achieve this. Plate this on a bed of rice and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
And just so you'll know, I'm craving chocolate something fierce right now!
