Health-O-Meter
I found this frozen butternut squash on sale at harris teeter for 2/$3! What a time and money saver for butternut squash! I want to do all kinds of crazy things to them, roast them like oven potatoes, mash them into soup, mix them up with cranberries, the list of ideas that popped into my head as I saw them on sale just kept getting larger.
I grabbed two bags that have about 3 cups in each bag!
Health-o-meter: They are sustainable! Sustainable does not mean organic or local. However, these squash cubes were grown on a sustainable farm and packaged into an eco-friendly bag. Butternut squash is actually a great source of Iron, 6% of your RDA in one serving of these cubes! One serving also provides 120% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C and 14% of your Vitamin A
The more I try it, the more I love having squash for breakfast, first it was all kinds of ways with pumpkin , recently it was sweet potato, and now its butternut squash! I added blueberries, banana slices,
cinnamon, and peanut butter.
I really enjoyed the flavor combinations, but I’m sure its not for everyone. I know at least one person that would think its “weird” but I just like to experiment, its fun!
Oooodley noodles with “smart” chicken for lunch.
Health-O-Meter: Smart chicken is from free range, organic fed, hormone free chickens. One serving provides about 140 kcal and 23 g of protein! Chicken is also a source of B-vitamins, which are essential for amino acid metabolism. High levels of homocysteine has been identified as a risk factor for heart disease, among other issues. B-vitamins help in the removal of homocysteine through really fascinating pathways ( but I will spare the details!) which alter it to form other amino acids instead. ( I’m a metabolism nerd I know!) After browning in the skillet, I just added some rice noodles and Newman’s Own Marinara.. ta da.. lunch.
Snack
Celery Sticks and a Medjool Date filled with Peanut Butter.
Health-O-Meter: Peanut Butter provides healthy unsaturated fats, filling fiber, iron (6%) and a good dose of protein in 2 Tbsp (7g). Medjool dates are approximately 60-70 kcals each, this guy was organic. I enjoy grabbing a few of the organic dates from the bulk bins because 4-5 individual medjools cost less than $1 total. One of them can be a great energy provider when paired with peanut butter, which balances the sugar of the date with the protein and fat from the nut butter. Sometimes the pre-boxed dates that come in packs of 20-30 just don’t stay fresh long enough and are expensive ( $6 +)!
Dinner
… it was a healthy choice …
get it.. Healthy Choice
I know , not ideal. I find myself keeping these in my freezer these days (or similar) when I have to eat dinner really late sometimes because of work. I can’t just go to sleep hungry but I don’t need something huge to fill me up for sleeping!
The potatoes were tasty but I didn’t sense rosemary, and the merlot gravy was actually flavorful too!
I steamed Kale my usual fav. way with lemon juice and capers for the side.
Health-O-Meter: It has one serving of vegetables, which is comprised of carrots, green beans, and potato wedges (fairly starchy). The meat was quite good for a frozen entree, and it contained a fairly small amount of fat for red meat (8g total, 4 g unsaturated) and there was 5g of fiber. I don’t like the long list of ingredients, which would be one benefit of making a similar roast at home ( cut down on the ingredients). Overall, I really enjoyed this frozen steamer meal. Sure, there are healthier options but this works for me!
Body:
Yoga Monday! I downloaded Yoga Detox Flow (which reminds me of my favorite class at the gym!) and did it twice plus some other moves as well. It was such a great stretch and I kept focused on my intention the whole time, “Be Present”
Mind:
I feel so overwhelmed but I am taking an organized approach to all this work! I have major thesis research to do, research for MNT, assignments, readings to catch up on, a book review to start, and tons of work for EFNEP… plus my other job! Yikes!
How do you stay organized? Lists? Apps on your phone?
Soul:
Be Present. Sometimes it is so hard to just be present in the current moment, especially for someone like me that daydreams and thinks about all the wonderful possibilities in life. I am just trying to take advantage of every moment I have and the people who I have to share the moments with.
