It’s time again!  Here are some meal suggestions for the upcoming week with approximate calorie values.  Like I said last week, your calorie budget will likely be different from mine.  Make appropriate adjustments and EAT ENOUGH.  You will sabotage yourself by eating too little as surely as you will by eating too much. Our goals should be to be healthier, not to be the media’s version of beautiful.  We aren’t all built that way and it would be unhealthy for many of us if we did look that way.  My friend Amanda has beautifully delicate bones.  At a size 4, she looks fantastic.  With my medium bones, at a size 4, you can see where my ribs join my sternum.  It’s straight up nasty.  Let’s be healthy and be the beautiful we were made to be rather than the one we’ve been told to be.

For breakfast, you’ll see three meals of steel cut oats.  I like those for several reasons: 1. you can cook several servings at once and just warm them up when you need them, 2. by adding different things, you get vastly different meals, 3. they have a wonderful texture and flavor, and 4. they stick with you, providing good energy for busy mornings.

On this list, you will find crunchy natural peanut butter.  I use the natural kind because I don’t want anything other than peanuts and salt in my peanut butter. Smuckers makes a good one; but, Publix, Kroger and Walmart all sell a store brand.  It does cost a little more than homogenized peanut butter and you have to mix the oil in (or pour it off, like I do), but you’re not getting added sugar or palm oil.

Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning is listed a couple of times.  If you don’t have that in your kitchen, stop right now.  Go get some and don’t let yourself ever run out again.  It’s great on nearly everything and adds either mild or frightening kick depending on your taste buds.  I use it in eggs, on chicken, on fish, on steamed vegetables…..

Thanks for reading and, please, enjoy your food, enjoy your week and share your favorite menus and recipes with us!

Breakfast

• 1 c. fat-free cottage cheese, 1 navel orange – 290
• 1/4 c (uncooked) steel cut oats, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 2 tbsp ground flax seed meal, 1 tbsp raw honey – 324
• 1/4 c (uncooked) steel cut oats, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 2 tbsp ground flax seed meal, 1 tbsp molasses – 324
• 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites, 1/4 c. chopped onion, 1/4 tsp Tony Chachere’s sesoning, 1 c. raw spinach – 110
• 1/4 c (uncooked) steel cut oats, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 2 tbsp ground flax seed meal, 1 sm. mashed banana – 354
• 1 mini bagel, 1/2 tbsp crunchy natural peanut butter, 1/2 tbsp reduced sugar raspberry jelly – 171
• 4 oz Jenny O sweet Italian turkey sausage link, 1 egg, 1/4 c. chopped onion – 237

Mid-morning snack

• 1 apple – 72
• 1 apple, 1 tbsp crunchy natural peanut butter – 167
• 1 stick light string cheese, 1 c. seedless red grapes – 154
• 4 tbsp hummus, 20 baby carrots – 280
• 1 stick light string cheese, 1 c. red seedless grapes – 119
• 1 large banana – 110
• 1 grapefruit – 120

Lunch

• 2 c. iceberg lettuce, 1/4 c. onions, 25 g dark meat chicken, 3/4 c. black beans, 2 tbsp Marzetti Spinach salad dressing, 1 pc Laughing Cow semi-soft jalapeno cheese – 380
• 1 c. raw spinach, 2 c. Italian salad mix, 10 boiled shrimp, 2 tbsp Ken’s Light Parmesan & Peppercorn dressing – 158
• 1 c. fat-free cottage cheese, 1 navel orange – 290
• 1/2 oz deli ham, 1.5 oz. genoa salami, 1/2 slice deli roast beef, 1 c. shredded lettuce, 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese – 221
• 1 c. Italian salad mix, 1 c. raw spinach, 2 tbsp Marzetti spinach salad dressing – 88
• 1 c. Italian salad mix, 1 c. raw spinach, 2 tbsp Marzetti spinach salad dressing, 10 boiled shrimp – 148
• Wendy’s grilled chicken sandwich – 350

Mid-afternoon snack

• 1 whole mango – 65
• 2 oz English Walnuts – 370
• 4 tbsp hummus, 20 baby carrots – 280
• Fiber One chocolate peanut butter brownie – 90
• 1 mini bagel, 1/2 tsp crunchy natural peanut butter – 158
• 1 c. seedless red grapes – 69
• 1 navel orange – 62

Dinner

• 1/3 serving grilled chicken nachos (El Pollo Loco), 6 grilled chicken wings – 582
• 4 oz baked Swai, 2 thin slices bacon, 1 c. steamed collard greens, 1 c. steamed turnip greens, 1 medium baked sweet potato, 1/4 tsp Tony Chachere’s seasoning – 391
• 1 c. collard greens, 1 thin slice bacon, 1/2 c. white beans – 242
• 1 baked chicken leg quarter, 1 c. steamed yellow squash, 1 c. steamed spinach – 248
• 6 oz baked chicken breast, 1 c. red seedless grapes, 1 c. iceberg lettuce, 2 tbsp Ken’s Light raspberry pecan vinaigrette – 324
• 1 c. Italian salad mix, 1 c. raw spinach, 2 tbsp Ken’s light options balsamic vinaigrette, 10 boiled shrimp – 148
• Ruby Tuesday’s Barbecue grilled chicken meal (fit & trim) – 345

Evening Snack

• 1 pc string light string cheese – 50
• 1 c. dark chocolate almond milk – 120
• 1/2 c. fat-free cottage cheese, 1 navel orange – 142
• 3 c. popped kettle corn (Pop Secret) – 105
• 1 pc Babybel 70
• 1 Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich – 140
• 4 oz. Oikos caramel yogurt 110