Sunday, January 25, 2009 at 05:45 PM

Rice & Beans

I love the combination of rice and beans! I really should starting eating it more often. It’s SO GOOD!

Tonight’s dinner was a new spin on the usual rice and beans dish. I added steamed spinach, grape tomatoes, soy sauce, and Tabasco to the mix. It was tasty and very filling! Love that! :mrgreen:

A Rice & Beans Lesson

Rice and beans, while being a very simple dish, is also a very nutritious meal. Rice is rich in starch, an excellent source of energy. Rice also has iron, vitamin B and protein. Beans are also protein-rich, and contain a good amount of iron and other necessary minerals, and both offer an important and basic kind of protein.

Animal Protein Versus Vegetable Protein
From bodyforlife2.com 

In general, animal proteins (meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs) are considered good sources of complete proteins. Complete proteins contain ample amounts of all essential amino acids.

On the other hand, vegetable proteins (grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and other vegetables) are incomplete proteins because they are missing, or do not have enough of, one or more of the essential amino acids. Grains and legumes are rich in complex carbohydrate and fiber.

By combining certain foods, like rice and beans, you create a self-made complete protein. When eaten in combination at the same meal (or separately throughout the day), your body receives all nine essential amino acids.

After dinner, Mal broke out the BBQ Kettle chips. I munched on two handfuls while blogging. They’re so addicting!!! 

Lunch

We had quite a few veggies that were about to go bad, so I pumped-up my lunch with lots of them. I made a grilled wrap stuffed with spinach, red onions, snap peas, black beans, cheddar cheese, and salsa. It was awesome! Our Griddler can make just about anything into a nice, neat, delicious sandwich! :mrgreen:

On the side, I had some sliced cucumbers with freshly ground pepper and some (wrinkly) grape tomatoes. 

Before hitting the gym, I snacked on a Quaker True Delights Chocolate Raspberry Almond bar, which was delish! It was sweet and chewy with pieces of chocolate mixed throughout. It was very dessert-like!

It’s Fun to Stay at the YMCA

Mal and I are officially members of the YMCA! We finally signed up after a few free trial visits last week. I think joining together is really going to help us motivate one another, especially since I will need the extra kick in the butt to exercise in the evening. I’m not naturally an evening exerciser, so it’s going to take some extra effort on my part. The Y has some pretty cool classes, which I hope will also keep me motivated throughout the winter. I’m sure you guys will hear lots about our new gym in the coming months! ;-)

I think I am doing some baking tonight! Be back later! 


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Monday, October 13, 2008 at 03:19 PM

Hardly A Day Off

Woah, nelly! It’s been a busy one! I had today off from my full-time job, but I’ve spent almost the entire day working around the apartment (cleaning, laundry, etc.) and planning for the upcoming week. I also have to work at Healthworks tonight, so it was hardly a day off! Now, I’m really glad that I enjoyed myself so much this weekend! :)

Breakfast

I couldn’t decide what I wanted to eat for breakfast this morning. We went grocery shopping the other day, so now we have too many food options! After some debate, I finally decided to have a few different foods for breakfast: an egg, banana with Barney Butter, a leftover Pumpkin Spice Pancake with Smart Butter, and coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts with milk and agave nectar. 

Lunch

Lunch was the same deal: a little of everything. I started with a bowl of leftover Annie’s Mac & Cheese. 

I finished-up with cucumber slices, apple slices, and canned pumpkin mixed with cottage cheese. Lunch was very filling! Let’s hope it holds me over until I get home for dinner later tonight. 

Alright, guys… I’m off! Another crazy week ahead!

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Monday, September 29, 2008 at 08:44 PM

Sandwich Happy

Loonng day… followed by an even looooonnnnger day tomorrow. Yowsahs.

Abs class went well tonight (I’ll post the exercises tomorrow)! There were no stopwatch snafus, and I was much less nervous tonight than last week. I also gave my first Nautilus orientation– a 30-minute session that introduces a member to the first 7 machines in the Nautilus circuit, which provides a full body workout (major muscle groups). The orientation went fairly well, but I think I rushed through it. I was nervous, so I kind of whizzed though the exercises without a lot of explanation. I told the women to let me know if she has any questions once she does the circuit on her own, so hopefully, she’ll contact me if something wasn’t clear. I definitely learned how to improve from my mistakes tonight. Let’s hope the next time is much better!

I arrived home and immediately headed to the refrigerator to whip-up a quick dinner, which ended up being a veggie sandwich on Ezekiel bread with melted Grueyere cheese and maple mustard from Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Vermont. 

The veggies on my sandwich included: thinly-sliced cucumbers, red onion, sprouts, and baby carrots on the side. 

For dessert, I had a pumpkin raisins muffin and a small handful of peanut butter and chocolate chips. I needed something sweet to wash down those pungent onions!

It might look like it, but Mal is not some sort of glowing, paranormal being. My camera is seriously struggling. It’s time to say goodbye. :(

Good night, folks! Another long day tomorrow!

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