The easiest way to change what I ate and become healthier was to find simple things that worked well. Whole wheat pita and hummus, carrots w/ low fat dip, Greek yogurt…lots of Greek yogurt. The evening meals were also easy to change in a simple way because it was the summer. My husband began grilling lean meats like pork tenderloin and skinless chicken breast with the occasional lean cut of beef. To make it easy for all of us, our nightly lean-meat-on-the-grill was partnered with a steamed vegetable du jour. Meals were quick to make, quick to clean up. The weight began to melt away.
But the problem is that I still love food and regardless of how economical – both in terms of time and money – it has been to eat a variations of the same thing every day, I’ve had enough. The weather has changed and my husband is not inclined to grill in the cold and the dark. Steamed vegetables are awesome, but they need something. Anything! Salads with carrots and cucumbers and one of the same two dressings I’ve been eating for months on end have become boring.
My first instinct in response to this boredom with food is to “cheat” more often. The business of the holiday season has been a great excuse to order take out more than once in awhile. And while it is monotonous in its own way, carb-filled old faithfuls like pizza have crept back into the regular meal rotation. I need to make a change before all of my old habits return. Right now I’m exercising to maintain my weight loss and no longer losing weight at all, and I know it is because of food choices. Rather than slip back into the take out habit, I’d like to just become a better cook who can create healthy meals that are also more interesting than what we’ve been eating.
So now I’m asking you for help! What are some of your favorite healthy meals? Feel free to share recipe links or links to posts you’ve written about the topic!