Lunch at home was fantastic!!! My classes zipped by today and Physio was a LOT better. I think she gets that we need a little explanation to go along with the 50 slides! I got home around 12:30 and had fun making this lunch at home and not having to eat from plastic bags 🙂 I pulled out these cute blue curvy plates from Crate and Barrel we got for the wedding to make it extra special.
While I was making lunch, I nibbled on a few of the Kashi cheddar crackers – about 5 (husband and I shared these)
Seared tilapia, avocado and half a slice of chipotle cheddar cheese on homemade rustic bread. SO GOOD!
Broiled grapefruit with a sprinkle of brown sugar –
And a salad made with radicchio, romaine and endive (I LOVE this new Harris Teeter brand Italian lettuce in a bag because it’s so crunchy – I hate soft lettuce!), POM seeds, and 2 tbsp lemon hummus, all drizzled with balsamic and honey
My bag had this radicchio “rose” at the bottom that I used for “edible decor” 8)
Hot tea to drink (the thought of ice water was just unbearable!)
All together for ~500 kcal
We’re off to Costco (our Saturday plans but since they’re calling for a frozen Saturday I’m going to study tomorrow and run errands today). We just got a membership for the husband’s birthday, so I have yet to check it out! We’re on the market for cheap oats and almonds!
I am going to try to get some studying in this afternoon so hopefully I won’t have to tomorrow, but we shall see!
Kelly says
Hi Kath! This is the first time I am leaving you a comment (heard about you through the eatlikeme blog). I just wanted to say that you are an amazing inspiration. It's unreal how you manage to squeeze everything in and stay so positive in the process. Your meal ideas are great and I do plan on giving some a try. Quick question regarding your lifestyle (if you don't mind). We're the same age and I would love to be able to get to bed by 9:30 and wake up for an early morning workout (I love mornings!). But, it seems that social things, homework (I'm in grad school too) and just life in general always get in the way. How do you stay so disciplined? Do your friends support your healthy habits? Do you feel that you constantly have to miss out on fun stuff? Just wondering how you balance it all. Thanks for the fun, great blog!
amy says
What a beautiful meal! Tilapia is such a mild but well flavored fish. I think the idea of pairing it with avacodo is genius! Thanks for the idea.
p.s How do you and your husband only share 5 crackers? We would eat them all and put out more. =)Such will power you guys must have!
Maria says
My OCD side loves that your napkin matches those gorgeous plates. 😉
SawSaw says
What does broiled grapefruit taste like? Does it make the fruit sweeter?
Sarah says
How much water do you try to drink every day? Also, do you count decaf coffee and teas as water?
Shelley says
ahhh that bread looks so good. and you can't beat that ginormous bag of almonds at costco! it's like 5 times the size of a bag at the store, and not even twice the price! or something like that. still. cheap almonds = happy shelley
have a great weekend!
bev says
ditto on the bag on almonds and I get wanuts also. I still am using the oatmeal I got . It's the regular but it is great .
Brooke says
how did you push through hard times in your weight loss (when you felt like giving up)
bev says
Forgot to say in last post that the name of oatmeal is Sturn's organic old fashion oats. They have big bags of dried fruit too . Really cheap. Have a great weekend and stay warm . I'm from Ohio and it's suppose to be very cold ( Single digits ) . Time for soup and homemade bread.
Karen Downing says
Looks great! I've got to try grapefruit under the broiler. It'll be on my shopping list this week.
Steph says
This may be a bit personal, but does eating Gnu bars upset your stomach at all? I want to try them, but 12 grams of fiber per bar sounds a bit high. I know fiber is good for you, but can't too much fiber do strange things to your digestion? Is a high-fiber diet something that your body has to adjust to?
Anonymous says
Wow! If you're on a tight budget, youre meals certainly don't reflect that..
Kim says
To Anonymous: I don't wish to sound negative or judgemental but in my opinion Kath is generous enough to share her culinary/nutritional journey, commentary directed at private info like her financial situation is quite forward and detracts from what, at least, I'd like to be reading out here. On a foodie note, Kath, does the tilapia have a sole like flavor/light/not too fishy? I've never tried it. Have a great weekend everybody, Cheers.
Alex says
Kim,
Thank you for saying something! I completely agree with you. I was going to say something yesterday (I think it was) when another person had made a financial comment but I didn't think I could do it nicely. I'm glad you did, though, because you managed to do so tactfully. 🙂
the husband says
Sorry both of us have been remiss at responding to comments.
RE: expensive meal? Homemade bread (25 cents a loaf), buy one get one free cheese slices, a grapefruit that was given to us, store brand bagged salad greens, frozen tilapia from walmart… the only "expensive" items were maybe the avocado (.5oz worth) and hummus (1oz).
Speaking of homemade bread, someone asked about the Rustic bread. I'll just say that it took about 19 hours to make (12 of which were just waiting for the pre-ferment to ripen, and another 4 hours for rising). So if all that still sounds appealing, I'd be glad to share the recipe!
RE: whole-wheat pizza crust. I haven't ever made any kind of bread with 100% whole wheat flour. Unfortunately it just doesn't have the leavening power that bread flour does. I've heard various explanations, such as the extra bran punches too many holes in the gluten strands, but I'm not sure I believe it yet. I really just need to experiment, but right now I've been busy with learning some of the techniques in Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread. I love the book so far – it's a good teacher and very explanatory. He has a pizza crust recipe that I'd like to try the next time we make it. The more I read, the more I realize that the extra time devoted to making pre-ferments and long rises contributes unmeasurable benefits to your bread making. I don't think I'll be going back to many breads that I can make in less than 3 hours.
By the way, just wait til you see what I'm making tomorrow. (of course, now that i've said that i'm sure it will be disastrous).
To the kitchen!
Karen L. says
Right on, Kim and Alex! Let's keep this culture fun and supportive!
Kathryn says
hey Kath – I am really curious about calorie count. I know everyone asks this, but i see so many different answers, i figured i would get your opinion.
I do not know how many calories to eat! some websites that I should eat 2200 to still loose weight for my numbers…
I am 5'11, 157pounds and moderately active…
I do a step class 1-2 a week, power yoga 1 hour a week, Active ( a mix between step, weights, & abs)4-5 hours a week, treadmills about 1hr a week and some weights… basically 1 hr 6 mornings a week and some evening work…
Other websites for this activity and my numbers say i should eat 1200 calories for loosing weight
I just want to get to 145 in a somewhat decent amount of time….
Its not like i don't know how to loose weight, i used to be 230, just these last 12 pounds wont budge… for the past year and a half
sorry for the vent and loooong question, i just dont know what calorie count i should stick to… oh yea, i also currently eat between 1600-1900 a day.
Thanks
Kath says
Kelly,
I have no idea how I fit it all in, but I guess my best answer is I made exercise and cooking/food prep a high priority because I love both and they make me very happy and content with life. I'm learning how to squeeze the homework in. I try to plan lunch dates with friends (I'm going to dinner with one tomorrow night!) and don't really "party" a lot, which equals late nights. And I guess I don't plan too much for weeknights so I can study/go to bed early/etc. and save fun events like wine tastings and dinners out for the weekends. Thanks so much for reading the blog!
Amy,
Thanks! I like avocado on anything 🙂 The crackers are hard to resist, but that's why I put about 10 on a plate and put the box out of reach!
Maria,
I think my OCD side agrees with yours 😉
SawSaw,
Broiled grapefruit is just warm grapefruit. If you put some sugar on top, it kind of caramelized, but not a huge difference. I just didn't want cold grapefruit and broiling with brown sugar (and ginger is good too!) seemed like a better alt. than the microwave.
Sarah,
I used to be much more scheduled with my water when I was working. I'd say I got about 100oz including coffee/tea at work. I have to admit I'm not doing as well now that I'm in school because I HATE going to the bathroom and having to bring my backpack and all with me. I drink a 24 oz bottle during my workouts and I try to drink water with every meal (12 oz or so) and have 2-3 cups of tea throughout the winter days. In the summer I'm guzzling ice water a lot more. I think using a straw really helps me to drink more too. If I had to ballpark over the past week of classes, I'd guess I've been kind of short on water intake at around 70 oz.
Costco report coming soon!
Brooke,
I just kept going through the motions. I knew what I had to do. I REALLY believe in food journals – checking in and writing things down really kept me accountable. I also never deprived myself at special occasions during my weight loss, which is why it took me longer than most people. It was a slow steady drop, but I enjoyed myself along the way and never felt deprived.
Steph,
Experts recommend adding fiber by 5 grams every few days until you reach the recommend amounts. I don't really notice a difference with Gnu bars, but I do try not to eat anything else high in added fiber when I do eat them. Just be sure you drink a big glass of water with it.
Kim,
Thanks for your comment. Tilapia is one of the lightest fish out there – it's very mild. I love it and it's great because you can change the flavor easily.
Alex and Karen,
Thanks!
Kathryn,
It's very difficult to give you a number over the internet – especially since it's hard to find the right number even after a full analysis. Have you thought about seeing an R.D. in your area? She/he could probably give you a really close estimate based on ALL of your lifestyle factors. Good luck – and congrats on the weight loss so far!!
Kath
Molly says
This is one of my favorite meals of yours so far! Two questions:
How did you make / where did you buy the lemon hummus – just original + lemon juice? YUm
I notice you eat a tiny bit of avocado at a time. How do you store the remainer? Any tricks? I know keeping the pit with the remaining leftover avocado should keep it good, but mine still goes brown.
Mariposa says
i hit submit before I saw not only my spelling mistake, but before saying that I like how upbeat you keep the blog, it is refreshing, especially the "happy busy"!!! i thought that today while i was flying around work.. 🙂
the husband says
We just put the avocado in a tupperware and if it turns brown oh well. And you may already do this and is probably obvious to everyone but I thought I should say you don't want to remove all the flesh from the skin and then store it… just cut off wedges as you need them.
Kath says
Right on Mariposa about finding sales (and, um, going to Costco!) Thanks for the compliments!
Molly,
Sadly I did not make the hummus. It's Cedar's brand (I think!?) and I got it at Fresh Market. I don't like a lot of store-bought hummus, but I really like this kind.
Kath
bev says
Husbad, Thanks for the response on the bread…I would love the receipe if you don't mind. I do have bread flour , if it calls for that. I made a bread that took along time but was simple to do. When it was done proofing you bake it in a very hot enamel pot . i was wondering if this was the same bread ? So excited when I went to Whole Foods and found Frienship whipped cottage cheese. i hoped I got the right one. I thought about the no sodium but changed my mind. They had sour cream too
Elizabeth says
While you are posting recipes, I would love your whole wheat pizza dough recipe. All your breads sound wonderful, and have inspired me to try one of my own tomorrow! Thanks for the wonderful blog!
Ala says
Hi Kath,
I love, love, love the meals you make everyday and the care you put into them. Although, Imust admit- the thought of myself replicating the types of meals everyday is a bit overwhelming! i am just curious how long you spend each day prepping and cooking meals?
Kath says
Ala
Thanks! It’s actually not as time consuming as it look. This lunch probably took like 15 minutes to assemble? The soup we made for dinner took about 30 minutes of prep and an hour to simmer, which we spent doing other things. It certainly helps to have a partner to do half of the work, but with some advance planning you can be just as organized. I’m a HUGE believe in prep days – chop your veggies, cook rice, make a soup, bake a squash and when you come home from work or school starving it’ll be much, much easier to throw together a meal.
Kath
Mariposa says
Kath,
I understand what it’s like to be on a ahem, tighter bugdet. I’m a single mom with TONS of food allergies, so I’m all about the homemade stuff! And I am happy “the husband” addressed that so-called expensive meal. People think it’s too much money to eat healthy… sometimes it is, but more often than not- the things we can eat a lot of (whole grain pasta, homemade- or not- breads, fruits and veggies) are good for us, and pretty cheap too! What people have to do is research. Buy everything on sale, go to farmers market, eeat produce thats in season, etc. I could go on for days! 🙂 And they should also understand that sometimes you need to spend money on food to eat healthy. But isn’t your health worth it???? Eat right and work out now- so that when you are 50 you are not spending who knows how much on blood pressure meds, diabetes testing, physical therapy etc… again… i could go on and on… sorry this was such a long post. And probably didnt need to be brought up again, but I figured it might shed some light for some people. HEALTH first! 🙂
Karen L. says
Avocado Preservation Tip: After mashing my avocado, I squeeze a bit of lime to prevent the remaining portions from turning brown. (One avocado usually yields 4 two tablespoon servings and lasts in tupperwear for several days.)