A Little Bit More About What I Eat...

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Wow! I certainly received lots of email and comments after posting what I ate last week. I'm really glad to hear that many of you found it very helpful, though it sounds like I need to clarify a few things about my food record.

First of all,  I was trying to be perfectly honest with what I ate; my goal was not to simply put down a week's worth of menus that all of us should eat. Remember, I am all about persistence, not perfection!

One MM groupie was wondering whether or not I had enough variety in the fruits I was eating.  Great question; I am impressed that she was thinking about how important it is to incorporate a wide variety of fruits, veggies, and all healthy foods to assure good nutrition. Let's take a look:  apples, bananas, dried cherries, blueberries, strawberries, orange juice. Yes, a wider variety would have been given me an even better chance at getting even more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than those found only in the foods I ate.  On the other hand, if any of you rotate through 6 fruits throughout the week, that's so much better than the average American!  I'd say you are doing just fine. For me this week, fresh pineapple and pears are in my refrigerator along with the others---it varies each time I shop.

Another comment was that I didn't seem to have enough vegetables. I absolutely love the fact that someone was worried about me eating my veggies!!  Rest assured, for dinner each night, I have at least 3 servings of veggies---I love them!  What I failed to do was to make note of every time I ate a some red pepper, baby carrot, cucumber, or grape tomatoes throughout the day. I do eat plenty of veggies,  5 or 6 servings each day. I like to have them ready to eat to snack on, so don't worry!

Popcorn for lunch?  Really?  Yes!  It would have been a healthier choice if I had used air popped popcorn,  but I had the Boy Scout microwave popcorn on hand. That choice is higher in sodium, which we should all be going light on. If I had gone with the air popped, I would have added much less salt.  Popcorn is a whole grain and a great source of fiber.  It's a starch exchange just like bread, potatoes, pasta, tortilla, crackers, or a bagel. And, I love to make that popcorn/nut/dried fruit trail mix when I just want to munch for lunch.  It gives me something so easy and satisfying to chomp into...It works for me!

"You sure eat alot of yogurt and nuts!" Yes I do, and that is a conscious choice.  I am trying to get lots of calcium to strengthen my bones. Yogurt is not only a great source of calcium, but it also delivers all those great probiotics---and I love it!  The nuts are incredibly satisfying to me.  They bring protein, fiber, and lots of very heart healthy fats. As long as I don't start going overboard,  they'll remain are one of my "go-to" foods.

You may have noticed that I put amounts down for some foods and not for others.  That is interesting. I measure out serving sizes of almost every breakfast I eat, a habit that I developed while losing weight, and it feels right to me to keep doing that.  For the rest of the day, I estimate my portions and that seems to be working well for me to I maintain a healthy weight. I try to listen to my body for cues when I have had enough to eat and stop.

Several of you mentioned that by reading this food log, you started to realize that this was regular food that you could easily eat. Ah, hah! Now, that's exactly what I am trying to help everyone realize!

To your health!