If we don't make a plan, then how can we stick to it? If we don't choose a road, then how do we know when we're at the end of it? I know where I want to be so I better make a plan to get there. Planning my meals is all a part of that. I don't like to plan too hard...my mind is pre-occupied with enough dealing with a 2 month old and one with medical conditions at that. So, I am not going to get too freaky about fixing all of my nutritional flaws right now. I think that is a big mistake of too many dieters...we try to go from black to white. We label our food as "good" or "bad" and we label ourselves as either "failures" or "successes." A lifestyle of health is not that way.
I've found that if I plan my week of meals and what I will make my family on the weekend when I am NOT hungry, I will make a list. Then, if I stick to the list, I bring home only the foods that will help me to stick to the plan. Here's one of the fallish dinners I have planned for this week. I use extra lean ground beef and use black beans and kidney beans both. You could use lean ground turkey too or just use more beans and make it vegetarian. Pumpkin is an excellent source of vitamin A and has fiber in it as well. The yummy beans have fiber and protein. This is a well-balanced meal. I love to serve it with fat free or lite sour cream on top and sprinkled with a bit of reduced fat cheddar cheese. Let me know if you try it!
Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients
* 2 pounds ground beef
* 1 large onion, diced
* 1 green bell pepper, diced
* 2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
* 1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice
* 1 (28 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
* 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
* 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1/4 cup white sugar
Directions
1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook beef until brown; drain. Stir in onion and bell pepper and cook 5 minutes. Stir in beans, tomato juice, diced tomatoes and pumpkin puree. Season with pumpkin pie spice, chili powder and sugar. Simmer 1 hour.
You can also use grass fed beef which is actually leaner than ground turkey and has lots of omega 3's.
ReplyDeleteJamie, The recipe for me, was very yummy and had really good flavor. Unfortunately at my house whenever I try something new it is almost inevitable that my husband will not like it, especially when it deals with spices. He, as I predicted, did not like it :( He felt that there was too much of the pumpkin spices so maybe if I do it again I will do 1/2 tbs. My oldest daughter Alana did not like it either but Abby( the baby) ate her whole portion. Thanks for posting the recipe, I like to try new recipes at least a couple times a week.
ReplyDeleteOr you can use grass fed elk, deer or moose...which is even leaner! :o)
ReplyDelete