Today’s lunch was the opposite of yesterdays: calorie-light foods but LOTS of them: squash, tuna, grapefruit, plain yogurt and some crackers. It was delicious! I saved the yogurt until after my walk because I was quite full after finishing the first parts.
This butternut was seriously just as good as a piece of cake. I LOVE squash! I added a little brown sugar and cinnamon.
Salmon salad:
Kashi crackers (2/3 a serving)
Grapefruit:
And yogurt with pom
All together for 517 kcal:
Walk
I’ve been begging my colleague to go walking with me for months now and she FINALLY went!!! (Hi Susan!) We had a blast chit chatting and the 45 minutes just flew by. I was warmer today in my Land’s End Polar jacket 🙂
Tea
Had hot green tea around 10:45 again
Dinner + New Friends
Over the holidays I got an email from a blog reader who is on her second year at Winthrop doing the R.D. program – where I’m headed to grad school in a few weeks! We’ve got two classes together! We’ve been emailing back and forth and have LOTS to talk about so we’re meeting for dinner tonight at EarthFare, my favorite grocery store and salad bar. I can’t wait to meet her! And I can’t wait to have an EarthFare salad too 🙂
Along the same lines, I got another email from a reader who lives in Charlotte too. Turns out she lives ACROSS THE STREET from me!!!!!!!! (Well, across a big street – but walking distance). I’m hoping we can go on some walks in our neighborhood 🙂 We’re having lunch on Saturday – at EarthFare!!! Haha.
Can you tell I love this place? It just turned out that my dinner/lunch meetings were back to back, but I don’t think either person has been to EF so hopefully they’ll love it as much as I do.
I’m so excited to have new friends!
Courtney says
Hi Kath! Thanks for the quick reply about the calories in cooked noodles. Your butternut squash looks out of this world! Do you buy an actual squash and cook it yourself and just keep the cooked stuff in the fridge or do you buy your squash frozen? Any tips for cooking butternut squash? Again, I don’t have a food scale, so if I cut portions in half (have 7 Kashi crackers instead of 15) can I just divide the total cals 130/2 and figure that 7 crackers is about 65 cals? THANK YOU
Becky says
Hey Kath,
I was going to try to make your Split pea soup recipe tomorrow night for dinner. How important is the half and half to the recipe? Do you think it would turn out OK with out that addition, or perhaps with a little milk or fat free half and half? Thanks!
Becky
Kath says
Courtney,
We buy the squash whole and roast it ourselves. It just takes about 45 minutes in the oven. Go to Green Light Bites (in my links) and watch Roni’s Butternut Squash video for instructions! And on the Kashi crackers, just half the calories – you’re only eating half!
Becky,
You could easily leave it out or add milk. It just makes it a little sweeter and creamier. I would just add some milk or soy milk – or you could really leave out all the dairy. We didn’t add much, so it won’t really change the recipe
Kath
Sara says
I am so looking forward to buying some squash tomorrow and cooking it on the weekend! I was anxiously awaiting this post of yours to see what you did with it for your lunch. I bet it tastes delicious with cinnamon and brown sugar and I can’t wait to try it!
That is awesome that two of your readers are so close! I would love having at least one person near me who would like to go for a walk or run and out for lunch for something healthy and exciting, but none of my friends or family seem to be very interested!
Maran says
Yay for blog shout out! I am so excited for our lunch on Saturday. Turns out North Carolina is weird and their DMV isn’t open on Saturday so I am free whenever. Ooh and yes to the walks! =)
anouare says
Hey Kath, I have a question for you.
I noticed that you dont drink that much milk. I am personnaly concerned about a lack of Vitamin D in my diet which is hard to get from food and there isnt that much sun here in Montreal, Canada during winter time ! I dont want to take any supplements and I hate the taste of regular milk. I only have it in my oatmeal and cereal. I drink soy milk sometimes but I dont want to abuse that neither. Do you or any body else have any ideas of low-cal / low sugar additions or sneaky ways that could make milk more tolerable to me taste wise?? And do you worry about getting in your daily value of Vitamin D??Sorry for the long question !
Thanks for the great blog !
Shelley says
here’s a motivational article for anyone trying to get started on exercising:
http://www.active.com/women/Articles/Starting_From_Zero.htm
It seems like a lot of people reading this blog already do exercise, but I wanted to share in case there’s someone who might need some inspiration! It’s kinda more focused on running, and I’m always trying to get people hooked on running b/c I love it so much haha.
Shelley says
hey anouare, I like Carnation Instant Breakfast in my milk. They sell it in vanilla and chocolate, and they do have a no sugar added version, though I always buy the regular kind. Or, for less calories (and less vitamins) you might try the flavored Splenda they make for coffee. I’ve never tried it, but I imagine it would make milk taste better.
Kath says
Sara – Hope you like the squash!
Maran,
See you Saturday!
anouare,
I have milk for breakfast most mornings, although it’s usually about 6-7 oz (1/2 cup in oats and 2-3 oz in tea/coffee). I also take a daily multivitimin to get some more that way. I usually have yogurt at lunch for more calcium or later in the day. As for milk, the CIB suggestion is great. I love milk as hot chocolate with CIB or Nesquik. You can also put it in smoothies, which I drink a lot in the warmer months. Lastly, you can put it in soups if you make those often for a creamier base. That’s all I got!
Shelley,
Thanks for the article!! I love to run too and am SO glad my foot is well enough to run these days.
Kath
Ala says
That is SO exciting about the new friends you get to meet! Such a small world isn’t it? I can’t wait to hear how it goes. It is always nice sharing our interests with like-minded people! Have fun 🙂
bev says
I too love the squash . i baked it last night just like Roni and had this wonderful creamy squash . i made homemade pizza with whole wheat tortilla and put tomato sauce and I spreaad the squash on it with veggie toppings. My husband never knew …Ha ! Can’t wait to fix the Spaghetti squash and sauce.
rivermomx3 says
After seeing your spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce, I was SO excited to try it. I had roasted one over the weekend so I had it in the fridge. Unfortunately I had already sprinkled it with cinnamon sugar, but I was so anxious to try it, I didn’t care. It was delicious!
And it’s funny, Bev, that you mentioned squash pizza, I just stumbled upon a recipe for that today, I can’t wait to make it this weekend!
Kath says
This is the husband here with a note to Becky RE: Split Pea Soup
If you add milk to the recipe, make sure it’s fairly warm when you add it. If you don’t it will curdle and ruin your soup. The best way to warm the milk is to “temper” it by putting the milk in its own bowl, and slowly adding some of the soup mixture to it. Then, when it’s warmed a bit, pour it all into the main pot.
The higher the fat content of the dairy, the less need to temper it.
Jem says
Hi there! Kath, I had to write about my dinner tonight because I think it’s right up your alley…I sauteed shrimp in EVOO and fresh garlic, then sauted zuccini, yellow squash, tomato, italian parsley and lemon juice. I dumped all of that on top of 1 oz. whole wheat linguine and 1 oz. spaghetti squash. Volumetrics delight!
Kath says
Jem,
Sounds wonderful!!!!!!!!!
K