Monday, Monday, Monday!

What should I eat?

Does this thought sound familiar to you? Yeah, it's a constant when I DON'T MEAL PLAN! Sunday was a pretty busy day, and I didn't get to have my time to meal plan. So, my beautiful chalk calendar...is blank. I'm truly winging it this week. Why? Well, #1 I didn't get the chance to set time aside and #2 We are low on groceries, so I've got to make do with what we have until next paycheck.

Any of this sound familiar?

On TOP of those 2 reasons, I have to be creative and challenge myself because I have quite a few low-carb days this week. So no easy reaching for sandwiches or fruits or chips or pretzels or tortillas. Nope, I've got to use up my veggies and get down with my protein.

Meal #1 was a different twist on my typical Triple Berry Treat. I don't have any more berries, but I DO have a cold can of mandarin oranges sitting in my fridge...

Viola! 1 whole can of DRAINED mandarin oranges,  1/2 cup 1% Cottage Cheese, 1/2 cup Fage Total 0% Nonfat Greek Yogurt, 1/4 cup FLAVOR FAVE: Kashi Go Lean Clusters: Vanilla Pepitas, and a couple dashes of zero calorie sweetener. Yummy use of 5 smartpoints.

Second meal of the day I turned to unsalted nuts and a protein shake. I did 2 T of unsalted nuts for 3 smarptoints and again made a 3 smartpoint chocolate shake. I've mentioned the recipe in previous blogs, so take a look!

I savored those nuts and I savored the shake. With smaller meals, i.e. low carb meals, the key to not feeling deprived is taking the time to really TASTE the meals and all the flavors, as well as drinking your water. Remember? Miss Fish over here guzzling at least 128 oz of water a day. Yeah, a ton...But I would seriously suggest work on your water in-take...8-8oz glasses a day. Flavor it if you have to, but get your water in!

I was still feeling a little hungry in between my second and third meal, so I grabbed a bag of pre-portioned sugar snap peas, green beans, and mushrooms. While my green beans and mushrooms were steaming in the microwave, I snacked on the sugar snap peas. Convenient, yes? Once the microwave sounded, I added some seasoning to the veggies and enjoyed that little bowl. Totally held me over until lunchtime.

Third meal of the day was a low carb recreation of my Baja Bowl I had on Saturday. (Fast Forward-Man, that Baja Bowl...probably something I am going to get again on Saturday, even though I've already recreated it twice now).

Low Carb Imitation Baja Bowl (5sp)
4.1 oz of rotisserie chicken breast
1 individual cup of GoodFoods Chunky Guacamole
1-1 1/2 cups Riced Cauliflower

Mix all ingredients together in a pan and cook until fully heated through. Enjoy

Now I ate that Baja Bowl with a light string cheese stick to make my meal a whole 6 smartpoints. Not very colorful, but it WAS my first try at making the stuff.

*Fast forward to the next day, and I recreated it with even MORE flavor and MORE color!

Low Carb Imitation Baja Bowl 2.0 (5sp)
1/2 c green peppers
1 cup riced cauliflower
1/2 T Low Sodium Taco Seasoning
2 T salsa
1 individual cup of GoodFoods Chunky Guacamole
3 oz rotisserie chicken
1 Laughing Cow Spreadable Cheese wedge in Light Swiss

Place peppers and cauliflower in a pan to cook. Add taco seasoning and 2 T water to help the veggie cook and absorb the taco seasoning. Once water is evaporated, add salsa, guacamole, chicken, and cheese wedge. Stir ingredients together, mixing and mashing as you go, so that all ingredients start to blend together. Meal is ready when cheese is melted and blended with the rest of the ingredients.

My 2.0 version was delicious and I loved the peppers that I added. I seriously can't wait to make this meal again.

Now, rewind with me to my original day where I'm coming up on my 4th meal...which happen to fall at dinnertime. Earlier, I had grabbed 2 HUGE salmon fillets out of my freezer to use, and stripped the skin and cut them into 8 small fillets. I called up my dad and he gave me the suggestion of making a ginger soy marinade and then cooking the fish. All I needed to do was use the same base as my stirfry...

Salmon Soy Marinade
1/2 cup Rice Vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 T oyster sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 fish sauce
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T zero calorie sweetener
1/2 T Agave Nectar

Place salmon fillets in large gallon bag with a good drizzle of olive oil and a few shakes of 21 seasoning. Pour in marinade and close bag. Make sure all fillets are coated and place bag in bowl in the fridge and let set until ready to use for dinner.

My marinade sat on those fish for about 5-6 hours...and when I pulled those babies out to grill...they tasted AMAZING. My sister Cookie, who HATES fish...asked for a second helping!

While my family had white rice with veggies, I switched my rice for some riced cauliflower and had a 3 smartpoint dinner.

Yeah, that left me with 9 smartpoints for my last meal! I was pretty hungry by the time my 3 hours of waiting were up, so, I decided to indulge in my Fage Total 2% Lowfat Greek Strained Yogurt with Honey

It. Was. Worth. ALL. 9. SMARTPOINTS. It was so yummy, and that greek yogurt really filled in the cracks of my hunger pangs.

I had 30 smartpoints for the day, feeling satisfied and quite proud of the meals I had "winged" that day.

Don't be afraid to TRY, because you never know what the outcome will be if you don't!
Happy eating,
Camille