Welcome to another celebration of fabulous food made healthier!
Last week Linda from Kitchen Therapy shared a healthy Wild Rice Chicken Soup that can be made in a pressure cooker or on your stovetop – perfect for all the cold nights we’ve been having. It also looks like a perfect make-ahead soup that could be frozen and reheated easily. For dessert, try gluten-free Coffee Almond Cookies from Winne of Healthy Green Kitchen.
My Submission
If you haven’t seem my simply elegant dessert – Orange Segments topped with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream – take a minute to check it out. There’s also a tutorial on how to segment an orange just in case you don’t know how.
My Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Weight in 2010
Last week, I shared some basic tips for maintaining your weight – or loosing some – so you don’t have to ‘resolve’ to loose weight in 2011. This week, I want to address the importance of meal planning.
For me, there’s nothing worse than standing in front of the refrigerator, door open, belly growling, with no idea what to eat. I find myself trying a bit of this, a little more of that, and before I know it I’ve eaten more than I wanted yet I still don’t feel satisfied.
Meal Planning
Planning meals ahead of time solves this problem. Every week I plan meals for the following week and then compile a grocery list. At first, it took a lot of time and thought but now it’s almost second nature. Breakfast and lunch are always variations on a theme. I make dinner a little more interesting and do some test cooking for new recipes to post here. I also cook extras, some of which I freeze for later or use for lunches.
Having a system that works is key. At first, I kept a notebook and compiled all the recipes I needed for the week. Detailed notes helped me remember what worked and what didn’t, how much time different meals took to prepare, and what I wanted to change the next time I made it. The longer I did this, the easier it got. Today I put the meal in my Google Calendar and note any recipe I might need.
What do you do to meal plan?
When you link, please tell us who you are and what you’re cooking . For example, I would enter:
Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten Free – (Orange Segments w/Vanilla Bean Ice Cream)
Please link to your individual post, not your homepage and link back to this post so that your readers can find the recipes here. If you find that your link has been deleted it’s because it doesn’t link to your post or you haven’t linked back here. E-mail me with questions or if you need help.
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Sandy Gillett
posted on January 11, 2010 at 9:55 pm
You’re right Amy. I have to plan or I do not have a clue what to prepare. My husband asks me every day about 3pm “What’s for dinner?” My entire day goes much better if I know what we’re having for dinner. I just feel so much more organized and in control. Right now I’m only planning a couple of days at a time but I look forward to the day when I can plan an entire week and then beyond that even. Love the new direction and posts for SSGF. Thank you.
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Liz@HoosierHomemade
posted on January 11, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Looks like Taco Soup is a hit this week
Thanks for hosting!
~Liz
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Stephanie
posted on January 11, 2010 at 10:16 pm
I’m terrible at meal planning! I appreciate the ideas you’ve offered. I’m going to start keeping a notebook. I really would like to get on top of being prepared for lunch/dinner. It’s tough trying to make food that’s good, gluten free, healthy AND inexpensive all at once!! You’ve got some great recipes on your site though
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Aubree Cherie
posted on January 12, 2010 at 6:18 am
Hi Amy!
I’m new to your Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, but I’ve been coming to your site recently to enjoy your recipes. Just last year I started eating differently due to dairy and gluten intolerance’s (I also took sugar off the list for weight management and to stop my sugar headaches/cravings). Your site has been a favorite of mine ever since I came across it; I’ve had a chance to try some of your recipes and have loved them!
So in short, I just wanted to say “thanks!”; you’ve been an inspiration to me! (And are a big reason why I’ve finally started my own blog- simple and small as it may be:))
~Aubree Cherie
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Amy Reply:
January 12th, 2010 at 6:53 am
@Aubree Cherie, Hi Aubrey – Thank you! It’s so nice to know that you have found something that works for you and that you’re now helping others. I’m so glad you decided to join in. Hugs!
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Alta (Tasty Eats At Home)
posted on January 12, 2010 at 8:25 am
I too feel better if I plan meals for the week. This is routine for me now – I tend to assess what’s left in the freezer and pantry that I can incorporate in a meal for the following week, and I also consider what recipes that I saw that really tempted me lately, and work to incorporate those ideas into the meal plan. If I don’t have a meal plan, I too often resort to unhealthy/costly choices (eating out) or as you said, munching on stuff without realizing how much I’ve really eaten.
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Susie's Homemade
posted on January 12, 2010 at 10:30 am
I think meal planning is the best way to stay on track:-)
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Linda
posted on January 12, 2010 at 11:44 am
There are times when a menu serves me well, but most of the time I find I do better with a very loose idea of what I’m going to make. I wrote a post on that once. I actually spend less money that way, and I get more creative.
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Amy Reply:
January 12th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
@Linda, If my pantry, fridge, and freezer are well stocked I can pull together something healthy and nourishing in a flash. It took a while for me to learn that skill.
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Winnie
posted on January 12, 2010 at 11:48 am
I’m not all that great with meal planning. My kids’ schedule is so busy (plus my husband commutes a long distance) so these days we aren’t all home for an “organized” dinner nearly as much as I’d like. I do try to plan a few main meals I’ll make during the week that will yield healthy leftovers that we can all eat when it works, and then I fill in with spur of the moment stuff…it’s what works for me right now…
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Amy Reply:
January 12th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
@Winnie, That sounds like meal planning to me. Sounds like you have a well stocked pantry and fridge/freezer to help on those busy nights.
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Morgan
posted on January 12, 2010 at 3:12 pm
I have to make a meal plan or I will go through a drive-thru. It can be time consuming but I have a pretty good system going now. I keep a binder with recipes in page protectors. I keep a pen and blank menu plans and shopping plans. If I try a recipe and it stinks, I throw it away. If I make changes, I write it down on the recipe. If I love it, I give it a big smiley face. Each week I make my meal plan (carefully considered what is left in the fridge and pantry) and the make out my shopping list. Everything is in one big, pink binder and it keeps me on track.
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Ashlie
posted on January 12, 2010 at 6:01 pm
I’ve been following your blog for a while. This was my first timt trying to add a recipe or a link to recipes on my blog – I think I did something wrong, sorry!
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Amy Reply:
January 12th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
@Ashlie,
I’m so glad you decided to join in! Your dish sounds fabulous!
No big deal – it happens all the time. I just deleted the extra entries. I still make errors when I enter links sometimes.
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Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen
posted on January 13, 2010 at 12:21 pm
You are so right about the meal planning!!! It helps so much!
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Cara
posted on January 13, 2010 at 6:58 pm
I totally agree with meal planning. There’s no way I could maintain my weight, fuel my workouts,and enjoy a variety of crazy-delicious foods without planning!
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