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Sunday, November 28, 2010

Planning Meals

This is Hubby, Dr. Ken, too smart for his bridges. If I didn't plan my meals carefully, he'd open cans. Yes, he has his stash of emergency food that I would never touch.  If I didn't plan his meals carefully, he'd fill up on whatever.

Hubby is diabetic, and balanced meals, controlling carbs and fats, and daily exercise are his main medicine.

He is also a foodie!

I plan our meals with these principles:

1. Use up what's already in the kitchen.
2. Serve fresh vegetables every day, for most meals.
3  Emphasize  lean sources of protein such as legumes, fish and poultry.
4. Eat locally grown, and in season  products, whenever possible.

On our plates, vegetables take up half the space, then protein, and finally,  starch. 

Breakfasts and snacks look like this:

one egg, one piece of toast, tomato--------------------------cucumber and cheese cubes
one pancake, berries, 1/2 C cottage cheese-------peanut butter and 1/2 apple
lean ham wrap with one tortilla, one orange----------           hummus and toast point
toast with ricotta cheese, half a banana-----broiled tomato/bacon on muffin
oatmeal with cut-up apple, milk-------------turkey, green peppers quesadilla

So, my shopping list will have the usual:
eggs
tortilla/bread/muffins, all all multi-grain
fruit
milk and cheeses
peanut butter
hummus (make your own if you can!)

Breakfasts and all meals are small, and so are the snacks we eat if we get hungry before the next meal.

For lunch and dinner:

Salads with grilled fish or chichen, or legumes.
Soup-homemade stock with added sauteed vegetables and similar protein or half a sandwich with protein
Pasta, rice, barley, cous-cous, farro,  with legumes, greens, or  meat sauce


I have a rotating set of recipes and spice up the menu once in a while by adding new vegetables, a different starch.

Open the refrigerator today and pull out everything that needs to be used up and invent a dish. Look at the item, and ask yourself, what goes well with this?  What can I add to spice it up? 
Try to recreate something you had at a restaurant, at a friend's house.  The more you cook, the better cook you will become.

5 comments:

  1. Good morning! I am hoping my sister will read your post today. I have sent out the alert. She is diabetic and follows no rules whatsoever. I believe she is what is referred to as non-compliant? She manages to keep glucose readings at a normal rate, takes three different meds and firmly believes if her A1C is below 6, she is just fine.

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  2. Thanks for the post. This is advice we can use. I will actually print it out and use it. My husband's readings have been high. He has been eating way too many carbs and fats. I have to get serious about the meal plans. Your post is very informative and encouraging.

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  3. Another blog! I think you and I have the same ideals when it comes to food. Love this blog. I don't know how you gals have more than one ... I can barely keep one going. Thanks for visiting and I will be back. Love new ideals for dinner!

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  4. Great principals and meal plans! I don't usually plan my meals. I eat a light breakfast, fruit and yogurt, and maybe a slice of French toast, a salad or wrap for lunch and whatever I'm in the mood to cook for dinner. Usually seafood and veggies. And I rarely snack or eat desserts.

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  5. Great meal plans. I really need to get better organized. I seem to be good one week, off the next.

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