apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

When I go back home for the holidays they have these really cheap but good fruit markets that get whatever random items are cheap/available/fresh. I buy what looks good and then spend the next couple of weeks cooking from that leaving any meat to a minimum. The key item that always gets made is a stir-fry, with pork tenderloin if any meat at all. The best part is the flexibility of the ingredients---pretty much anything will work and no one ingredient is critical.

Each day, make a bunch of greens (kale, collard, turnip, mustard, chard, whatever) the centerpiece of the meal. Only a small amount of meat is used. The focus is on the greens. I do this each day, and the dish usually is enough for my lunch and my dinner.

There are many ways I define eating light, but the most basic one is eating food that I have cooked rather than eating out. I haven't eaten out or ordered out since Jan 5, and it feels great.

One more specific thing I do is try to cut out carbs from dinner. Not that all carbs are bad, but if I would usually make fish, rice and a veggie, I'll eat the fish and veggies and hold the rice.

Also, lots of beans and lentils. Mmmm.

I begin most mornings with steel cut oats slow-cooked with a cinnamon stick. I also keep a well-stocked pantry of quality spices, oils and dressings to season whatever vegetables I find at the farmers market every week. Now if only I had an herb garden...

More emphasis on veggies and lighter proteins (fish, seafood, and poultry) for my meals in addition to more meatless meals: more beans, lentils, pasta, etc; less butter and cream used in soups and sauces if at all; more citrus. It is a challenge this time of year only because the weather is so conducive to hunkering down with something warm and rich but I've discovered that a warming meal doesn't necessarily need to be heavy.

I focus on whole foods, and try to cut out most of the processed food. Every meal my goal is to eat 75% veggie, and 25% lean protein. I literally take my plate and visually divide it. I also try to eat at least 50% raw foods, i.e. large salads, raw veggies, and nuts. Also not eating out has me gaining weight in my wallet, and losing weight on my hips =).

I don't eat meat to begin with, so "eating light" is something I regularly do. But, when I eat lighter, I'll usually do soup and salad for lunch.

For example, yesterday's lunch (I went out to our campus cafeteria) I had couscous salad with tomatoes, marinated veggies and fruit salad alongside a bowl of vegetable soup with French bread. It was light, flavorful and filling.

Faith, I'm at it again! I am going to hunt down the recipe for that picture! It's making me hungry :)

Okay - it's Hiyashi Chuka, a Japanese summer specialty noodle dish. However, there are some nice Korean soups that are garnished like this that would be perfect for the cold winter. (last week it felt like summer here in california but this week we need to warm up!)

Popcorn. Very lo-calorie and also quite filling.

I start with Michael Pollan's rule - don't buy anything at the grocery store that has more than 5 ingredients. And I try to spend make sure that at least half of my grocery bill each week is produce.

Also - set aside a chunk of time each week to cook three or four dishes and pack up my food into lunch containers. Almost anything I make at home (if I follow the grocery store rules above) will be better for me than eating out. And its much easier to avoid the cheese steak sandwich shop on my way home if I know there's a potato gratin and mexican coleslaw in the fridge.

And I recently found a bag of edamame in my freezer. I had forgotten how much I love and crave them. As good as popcorn and just as fast.

Since my husband had to have his gallbladder removed, we'ved moved to a VERY low fat diet and have lost a lot of weight together. Our best tip? We've completely cut out all fast food, started planning meals in advance and adding a lot more fresh vegetables. We also get in the kitchen and cook together which makes it easier to support one another.

The biggest thing is to have quick, low-fat dinner options in case you come home from work exhausted and don't feel like cooking. Those are the nights it's tempting to get take out, but if you can easily throw some chicken on the grill and steam some quick veggies then you don't have any excuses!

if you tend to eat too much, regardless of what you're eating, there are a few ways to 'trick' your brain:
- make meals with distinct separate components: pasta with a side salad versus pasta with veggies mixed in; a meat dish, a veggie dish, and a grain dish versus a stir fry served in a pile. bonus points if it's served in courses.
- keep a lot of texture in your food: don't overcook veggies, add crunchy items like nuts. it's easy to eat a lot when you don't even have to chew!
- use the small plates, even if you go back for seconds. on a huge plate, even a double portion can look stingy and you'll be convinced you won't be full before you even start eating.