What I Eat

Serves: 1

Ingredients:
1 box blueberry muffin mix that makes 12 regular size muffins and the ingredients to make it. The one I buy is made with an enriched flour, because I haven’t found one I like that is made with whole grains.
¼ cup 100% orange juice, optional
16 oz. sour cream
1-1 oz. packet ranch dip mix
fresh vegetables, such as: carrots, celery, and cucumbers
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
1 splash milk
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 brown and serve sausage link, like a frozen brand you can heat in the microwave

Directions:
Combine muffin mix ingredients. Stir in orange juice, if desired. Fill muffin cups and bake according to package directions. If you do add the orange juice, the tops of the muffins will only get golden brown around the edges when baked. Combine sour cream with ranch dip mix. Wash and cut vegetables. In a bowl whisk together egg, milk, salt, and pepper. Microwave butter until melted. Brush some of the butter in a small skillet. Pour the egg mixture in the skillet. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until eggs are set. Cook sausage according to package directions. Cut a muffin in half and brush with butter. To stay under 10g sugar, I eat the egg, sausage, and veggies with 1 tablespoon of dip and ½ muffin. Have with a glass of water. Store the leftover muffins, dip, and fresh vegetables in the refrigerator. When I want a snack, I have ½ muffin with 1 serving (according to nutrition label) lightly salted cashews and 4 oz. milk. Or, I have the dip with fresh vegetables or crunchy veggie chips made with ingredients such as: potato flour, tomato paste, spinach powder, and beet powder.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
8 oz. Mostaccioli noodles (see what I have to say about pasta on my TIPS page)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
½ cup jarred spaghetti sauce
½ lb. lean ground beef (I buy 93% lean/7% fat)
Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, brown ground beef and break it into small pieces in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook ground beef until it is no longer pink. Drain grease out of the skillet, if there is any. Mix your favorite spaghetti sauce with the ground beef and let simmer until pasta is done. Drain pasta. Mix with vegetable oil, so it doesn’t stick. The pasta and the sauce contain sugar. Look at the nutrition labels to see how much you can have of each and still stay under 10g sugar. Top pasta with meat sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Have with a glass of water.

I ordered a salad similar to this at a fast food restaurant. I tried to recreate it at home, but sometimes I put different things in it according to what I have when I make it, such as: celery, carrots, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, grapes, raisins, cheese, and different nuts and seeds. I use the chicken leftover from my Baked Chicken, Parmesan Spaghetti Squash, and Sugar Snap Peas recipe.

Serves: 1

Ingredients:
Caesar salad kit, to taste
shredded chicken, to taste
1/4 apple, rinsed and chopped
3 large strawberries, rinsed and chopped
1 handful blueberries, rinsed
1 handful pecans
granola, to taste

Directions:
Assemble the Caesar salad. The kit I buy comes with lettuce, Caesar dressing, croutons (which I don’t eat if they’re made with enriched flour), and grated Parmesan cheese. Use the dressing sparingly. Top with chicken, fruit, and nuts. Sprinkle with granola. Have with one serving (according to nutrition label) of milk.