People are regularly asking me what I eat in a run of a week. Breakfast is usually cottage cheese with berries or a high fiber cereal with low fat yogurt instead of milk. For snacks it's usually a fruit, nuts or piece of cheese and then a mix of protein and veggies for lunch and supper.

The biggest hurdle for our family was to stop eating out during the week. Before we started taking our health seriously, we would easily eat out at least once a week at Swiss Chalet and probably pizza another night as quick supper solutions. Now we cook at home every night and if I'm in a pinch for a meal I'll make protein shakes for Gord and I... and tuna sandwiches for the kids! Though every couple weeks I'll take the dudes out to McDs as a treat (I'll grab something from home instead).

On the rare occasion that we eat out with friends at a restaurant, the next day I always feel bloated from the sodium in my system. The sauces in restaurants are delicious but a killer on your system. We use spices instead of making sauces and we rarely cook with butter or margarine (it's usually olive oil).

Here are a couple examples of meals that I have eaten in the last couple of days.

My good friend and booty sister (Paula) gave me this amazing recipe for green beans. Lightly steam the green beans, brown a handful of pine nuts in olive oil, once brown add green beans to pan, add garlic, pepper and salt to taste! Result… Best green beans EVER! I baked salmon as the protein for the meal. Spread 1 teaspoon of honey Dijon mustard over salmon, then put 1 tablespoon of chives, 1 teaspoon of basil and 1 teaspoon of tarragon! WOW delicious and nutritious. Total prep time, 20 mins.

Another great veggie concoction from Paula was grilled zucchini bake. Toss zucchini in olive oil, grill it, then place in a bowl with cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. Sprinkle with pepper and parmesan cheese and bake for 15 mins. For protien... a grilled turkey burger (has egg whites and bread crumbs – to give it more of a “burger” consistency), worchester sauce, garlic and parsley. Voila a burger. Total prep time, 20 mins.

Today after hot yoga I ran over to Pete's Fruitques and picked up this delicious snack. Sweet potatoes with dried cranberries and maple covered pecans. I think Pete went a bit heavy on the maple syrop... so I plan on trying to make this at home because it's a fabulous combination together. Though any weight loss guru will tell you to stay away from white potatoes... sweet potatoe is one of the most healthy root veggie you'll find.



Gina and I are always swapping recipe ideas when we work out... she's the only other freak I know that likes to take photos of the food she prepares (sorry for the lack of presentation in these photos G-PAIN... I was pressed for time... no parsley sprigs for flair in these photos *hahaha*)!

I've always been easily excited over food (hence my weight problems)! Paula and I have been friends for a very long time now… probably close to 15 years. We were both hardcore bakers for years and always swapped recipes. Now that we both changed our lifestyles significantly, we still discuss recipes all the time, but now they are healthy meal choices instead of indulging desserts. Funny how things change.