Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Day 68

Still having trouble figuring out quick, easy dinners for me alone and (ideally) for the kids as well. Tonight we just had some whole wheat pasta with no sugar added pasta sauce. Other thoughts are very welcome!!

Another thing I'm searching for thoughts on is something warm to drink that's not tea. I like tea a lot, but sometimes am feeling like something more substantial, but warm. Obviously hot chocolate is out, so other ideas?

Finally, one BIG area that I need help on. Two weeks from tomorrow I fly to Thailand for work for ten days. I'm not so worried about what I'll eat once I get there (although I am not holding my breath that they'll have brown rice, so that will be hard). I am REALLY worried about what to do while I'm on a 15 hour plane ride, then a two hour layover in Tokyo, then a 7 hour flight to Bangkok. What can I bring with me for the loooonnnggg trip that will last a while and keep me from eating whatever they pass out on the plane? Nuts are an easy one, dried fruits, baby carrots and other cut up veggies for at least a little while, cereal like Cheerios...other thoughts??? Normally I would hit the gift shop at the airport and buy chocolate bars, bags of candy, etc. That obviously won't work, so I have to make sure that whatever I bring will make it through security too. Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

6 comments:

  1. Hi
    Looks like you are speeding along the right track. Planning ahead is the way to go. Most airlines have special meals that you can order ahead, if they don't have healthy options try to see if they have diabetic options. A thought for a warm drink is homemade hot chocolate. You can make up your own with skim milk or soya milk, cocoa powder and a sugar substitute of choice. You can find recipes online. Bring things to distract you on the plane crossword puzzles, a book ( Dr. Albers 50 Ways to Soothe without Food) or a stress ball to squeeze. Remember not to sit still for long periods to keep circulation going.Get up and go to the bathroom even if you don't have to go so you can stretch and move. The best advice I ever got is to drink lots of water. You can get very dehydrated on a long trip and that makes you feel miserable. Hope your trip goes well. I have lost 7 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks. I am working hard on automating breakfest and lunch and not stress eating. 218 now . My new theme song is the CTV broadcasting Olympic song " I Belive". I close my eyes and listen to it. We will do this.
    Diana

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  2. Just discovered these awesome bars: Pro Bar
    http://theprobar.com
    A whole food granola bar - lots of tasty nuts and fruits. Quite a few calories in each one so you have to be judicious, but it really does work as a "whole meal replacement" as advertised.

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  3. Can you have sugar free soy, rice or almond milk warmed up with cinnamon? Quick healthy meals are so hard, especially that kids will eat. I just looked online under healthy quick meals and found a site that looked cool. Have you every tried tempeh? It has a nutty texture and you can't eat a lot, and very satisfying. Just use in place of meat, in spaghetti sauce etc. Have fun in Thailand

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  4. I wonder if mulled apple cider (without any spike!) would be good... especially unfiltered, so get some fiber from the apple pulp.

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  5. Just saw your mention of the trip... I just flew coast to coast with a layover and a delay - took about 15 hours. I packed a bag of baby carrots and broccoli crowns with a couple of whole wheat pitas, all to dip in hummus. I'm sure the guy sitting next to me wasn't thrilled by the garlic scent, but it was really tasty and satisfying! : ) Also made a couple of dry sandwiches and took mustard packets to put on them when I was ready to eat (that way they didn't get soggy).

    Have a great trip!

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  6. Hey Jen. Catching up on your blog for the last couple of weeks. I'm so proud of your weight loss - you are doing great! And happy to hear that your BP is down.

    Here are a few of my quick/easy dinner ideas, especially for when Michael is traveling.
    * The boys LOVE breakfast for dinner. I do a "toad in the hole" for them (put a little of the healthy oil spread on a piece of wheat bread, cut a hole in the middle with a small glass, toast it in a pan, then crack an egg into it. I just spray the pan with Pam so very little fat. They love to dip turkey sausage in the yolk, and then have fruit on the side. When M is out of town (he's allergic to eggs), they beg for breakfast for dinner. I do scrambled egg or egg white with veggies for myself with wheat toast, sometimes the turkey sausage.

    * Whole wheat pita pizzas. I use the sneaky pasta sauce, but any pasta/tomato sauce is good. I do cheese or turkey pepperoni for the boys, and put some veggies and lowfat cheese on mine (I actually measured out the cheese when I was doing WW, but don't worry about it now when I'm PG :). Takes about 5-10 to prepare and 10-15 to bake. I have a pizza stone, so it makes it crispy. You have to check the labels on pitas, and do NOT use flatbreads - they ahve a ton more calories. You can get a whole wheat pita for about 140 calories. The boys don't notice that this is healthy pizza, not pizza place pizza. They eat a salad or carrots and "white stuff" on the side.

    * My boys are pretty good about eating fish, espeically the tortilla encrusted tilapia from Costco. Might not be the very best choice for you, but you could do a different piece of fish and have that for them. They LOVE it. Takes about 15 minutes to bake (I up the temp from what the box says and it cooks more quickly and is crispy), and I do frozen vegetables or avocado on the side.

    For the plane, I love Kashi's TLC Chewy Granola Bars. Lots of protein and fiber, unlike most granola bars, and only 140 calories. Only granola bars I eat, and I always take them with me when I travel. The protein helps it stick with you. I also take clementine oranges - less likely to get smashed or bruised than bananas or apples, easy to peel, and doesn't need to be refrigerated like some veggies.

    Good luck!!

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