the cooking cure: days 5 and 6

Yesterday's Cooking Cure assignment was to write down what I ate for lunch all week.  Since I log my food everyday, that was easy.  I've started to notice that when it comes to lunch, I have a pretty good variety, unlike breakfast (by the way, I'm happily eating my made-ahead breakfasts this week!).

Today's assignment was to go through and cross off anything I'm tired off, don't like, or just want to eliminate.  Vegetarian Sloppy Joe was the first to go.  I bought a box of this from a website I use to order my high protein hot chocolate and bariatric vitamins.  I used to eat it when I was on Medifast, but post-surgery it's just...BLECH.  I think what made it OK before surgery is that I could drink something while I ate it. Not so anymore.  It just seemed so thick and tomato-y.  I was longing for a drink of water.  I did cave and take a sip, but just a sip to wash it down.  I may try one more and add more water to the mix.  Next to go was the cashews.  Cashews are good and have some healthy fats, but they're just too high in calories.  I have a bag in my desk at work and find myself reaching for it in between meals.  Since I don't have a scale there I have no idea how much I'm eating.  I measure out one ounce over the weekend and I now know I was eating at least three ounces at work.  Doesn't sound like much, but that amounts to 510 calories!

I then had to go through and decide which foods I'd like to keep.  It's probably surprising to see a frozen dinner circled, but I have to say this was very good.  The chicken was actual chicken breast.  Not at all processed or mushy.  It was whole.  And there was a decent size piece of it.  Not just three bites' worth like other diet frozen dinners.  That's why I chose to keep it.

I also had to write down some foods I want to have more often and three goals for lunch in general.  Now that I can eat salad, I would like to take some for lunch once in awhile.  I'm a "garbage" salad person, though.  Meaning I like to add lots of toppings and drown it in dressing, which makes it more calories than a cheeseburger.  My plan is to go to Whole Foods (a.k.a.Whole Paycheck) and buy a few of their smallest salads, like goat cheese and walnut.  I also would like to grab a couple of their side dishes.  This should help me to avoid eating out by always being prepared.  I almost never brought lunch to work pre-surgery, but I'm faithful about it now.  I don't want to fall back into a pattern of ordering lunch out.  I plan to make tuna salad more often.   I like to top a couple of crackers.  And finally I want to start adding whole meats, like chicken and turkey breast, rather than buying lunch meat.

Tomorrow's assignment is to find five recipes I want to make.  I don't know if I will find five since my goals are more about being prepared and always bringing my lunch, but I'll see what I come up with.

For anyone who wants to check out The Cooking Cure, here's the link.