Colcannon Irish Potatoes with Dubliner Cheese

Colcannon Potatoes (an Irish mashed potato with Dubliner cheese and greens mixed in.)

1/2 cup beet greens (last of the season from my garden)
1 cup cubed watermelon

Smooth, comforting, filling, and vegetarian!

Marmalade Toast and Hot Chocolate

2 slices whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons elderflower and orange jam (Thanks Ikea!)
1 cup Ghiradelli hot cocoa with hazelnut

It was cold this morning, and this was just the breakfast to get me started! 

Chicken Panang Curry with Jasmine Rice

1 cup jasmine rice (SO flavorful!)
1 cup chicken panang curry (made with coconut milk and curry paste)
tomatoes
green beans
chopped peanuts
fresh basil leaves

Mmmmmm, Mmmmmm, GOOD!  Panang curry is easy to make if you get a little container of the panang curry paste from an Asian store.  It keeps in the refrigerator for months and months. 

Roast Chicken and Salad

3/4 plate of salad with balsamic vinegar dressing
1 serving of roast chicken

So easy.  So yummy.

Cheeseburger and Sauteed Green Beans

1 Cheeseburger (made with Muenster cheese)
1/2 cup sauteed green beans (from my garden)
1 cup green salad

Enjoying the last  few cook outs of summer!

Puffed Kamut!

1 cup puffed kamut
1/2 banana sliced
1/3 cup blueberries

Kamut is a kind of wheat.  With a very interesting story behind it!  My local healthy grocery store sells it as "puffed kamut."  It is much bigger and has a heartier flavor and texture than regular puffed wheat.  It is 30% higher in protein and can be tolerated by people who are otherwise allergic to wheat.  I love it!

Gouda on Sourdough

1 cup fresh mango chunks
2 slices of fresh San Franciso sourdough bread
1 slice gouda cheese

Simple and elegant....and delicious!

Bruschetta!!!

What to do with 2-day old French bread and lovely ripe tomatoes from the garden?  Make bruschetta!

Simple Ingredients:
ripe tomatoes
fresh basil
fresh garlic
cubes of mozzarella
Balsamic vinegar
olive oil

Stir together and let rest for 20 minutes.  Then serve on toasted bread slices.  All you really need in life.  ; )

Mushroom Ragout and Summer Squash

1 cup whole wheat linguini
3/4 cup of mushroom ragout (recipe here)
1 cup sauteed yellow squash (fresh out of my garden!)
1/2 sliced cucumber (also fresh out of the garden!)

I love this time of the year!  It is when my garden finally starts producing and I can just walk outside and pick something to make for dinner.  Only the mushrooms and linguini didn't come from my garden.  The onions, the fresh basil, the cukes,  and the squash all did.

Indian Chickpea Curry and Naan

1 cup delicious (and easy-to-make) Indian chickpea curry
3 cucumber slices (out of my own garden!)
1 piece of "frying pan" naan

This meal is fragrant and tasty.  Still low fat.  Full of protein.  And can be completely vegan! 

Ham and Edam Cheese on Wholegrain

1 ham sandwich with Edam cheese and fresh spinach on wholegrain bread
1/2 sliced green pepper
1/2 sliced cucumber
1/2 cup red grapes

Simple lunch with a variety of crunch and flavor. 

Homemade Mac-n-Cheese with Carmelized Vegetables

1/2 plate homemade mac-n-cheese
1/2 plate carmelized yellow squash, tomatoes, and spinach

A WHOLE plate of comfort food!

Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich

2 slices multi-grain bread
2 tablespoons fresh ground peanut butter
1 ripe banana

Forget the jelly.  Bananas are plenty sweet!  And on a hearty wholegrain bread, you get plenty of complete proteins.  Add a glass of ice cold milk and life couldn't be better!

Peaches!!!

Peaches are in Season!  Eat them on everything.  ; )

Egg and Mushroom Pita

1/2 whole wheat pita
Scrambled eggs with mushrooms and onions
1/2 cup 3 bean salad
1 sliced peach
3 sliced strawberries.

This meal was VERY filling, had no processed sugars, and was high in protein and fiber.  And it was DELICIOUS! 

Asparagus and Grapes

1 bunch of grapes
10 stalks of asparagus
1/2 cup bowtie pasta with peas and cream sauce
1 yummy grilled steak

It's fun to think about your meal in terms of the "side" dishes instead of the protein.  It also helps you remember to make them a substantial and perhaps major part of the meal.

Oatmeal with Bananas, Pecans, and Maple Syrup

1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 banana
5 pecan halves crumbled
1 tablespoon real maple syrup

This simple breakfast cannot be topped!  Well, actually it IS topped....with the most delicious additions.  Oatmeal never tasted better!

Black Beans and Coconut Rice

1/2 cup black beans
1 cup coconut rice (rice cooked in coconut milk and water)
1/2 cup mango
1/4 avocado
1/4 cup mango, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno dressing
1/3 fried banana

Totally vegan.  Delicious beyond compare!

Grilled Haloumi and Cantaloupe Salad

3 slices of grilled Haloumi cheese (a Greek cheese to die for!)
1 cup cantaloupe
1/2 avocado
1 tablespoons lime/mint/olive oil dressing

Eat with a slice of whole wheat bread (for your grains)--and then just float off to heaven because this is SO very good!

Weekend Breakfast

1 cup hashbrowns
1 tomato omelet
1 cup mixed fruit

Nothing says weekend breakfast like hashbrowns and eggs.  These hashbrowns were made with very little oil in a nonstick pan.  They still retained their lovely browned flavor, but without all the extra fat.

Bag Lunch!

1 small bagel
1 tablespoon cream cheese
2 slices deli ham
1 leaf of lettuce
1 thin slice of tomato
1 cup raw baby carrots
1 peach
1 container of yogurt

My daughter needed a bag lunch for camp.  Getting all the elements of a good meal into a bag lunch can sometimes be tricky.  But still remembering that it should be HALF fruits and vegetables and that she needs dairy, too--that made it easier.

Canned Dinner

1/2 cup pickled beets (from a can)
1/2 cup peas (from a can)
1/2 cup peaches (from a can)
1 cup of whole wheat pasta
1 cup spaghetti sauce (made from canned tomatoes and browned beef)
1 tablespoon grated parmesan

Sometimes you just don't have fresh fruit or vegetables in the house.  Maybe you need to go shopping or maybe prices are too high.  But that doesn't mean you can't still fill HALF your plate with a good variety!

Hot Dogs and Coleslaw

1 cup purple cabbage coleslaw with raisins
2 wedges of watermelon
1 perfectly grilled hotdog in a bun

I love adding color (and that usually means more vitamins, too) to a meal.  Purple cabbage does the trick!

Raspberries and Bananas on Whole Wheat Cereal

3 crumbled pecan halves
1/2 banana
1/2 cup raspberries
1 cup whole wheat cereal
1 cup skim milk

Delicious!  I loved the mix of tart and sweet as well as crunchy and creamy.

Grilled Pork Chops and Spinach Salad

1 grilled pork chop with spicy rub
2 cups of spinach salad with peas, sunflower seeds, and blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup of home canned spiced peaches
1/2 slice of pumpernickel toast

The spinach is loaded with iron and the sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E. 

Chicken Salad on Whole Wheat

2 slices of homemade 100% whole wheat bread
1/2 cup of chicken salad (with celery, red peppers, and onions)
1/2 plate of salad with fruit

What a lovely luncheon plate!

Cooking Out Again!

1/2 cup shredded potato and egg salad
1/2 cup 3 bean salad (even better the second time round)
1/2 cup fruit salad
1 perfectly barbecued steak
(and some A-1 sauce)

Summertime is the time for picnic foods!

London Broil and 3 Bean Salad

4 thin slices of London broil
1 charred corn on the cob
3/4 cup of 3 bean salad
3/4 cup fruit salad

A small amount of red meat mixed with some legumes is the perfect combination for getting enough protein. 

Brown Bread and Cantaloupe

1 cup cantaloupe
2 slices of homemade 100% whole wheat raisin bread (made with molasses)
2 tablespoons cream cheese

This was a lovely lunch.  Very satisfying.  And filled with whole grains, fruit, dairy, and iron-rich raisins and molasses.

Cracked Wheat Cereal With Bananas and Pecans

1 cup of whole wheat cereal (I used a brand called Zoom)
1 sliced banana
5 pecan halves crumbled by hand
1 cup skim milk

Boy was this yummy!  No need for additional sugar of any kind.  It had crunch.  It had creaminess.  And the bananas added plenty of sweetness.

Asparagus with Kerrygold Aged Cheddar Sauce

2 slightly breaded chicken tenders (just rolled in breadcrumbs and baked, no egg)
1 slice of garlic toast
Asparagus
Red Grapes
Kerrygold Aged Cheddar sauce

Asparagus was on sale! What a lovely vegetable.  And the cheddar cheese sauce was a tasty addition--as well as my dairy for the meal.

Almond Butter Crackers

5 saltines (only 60 calories--a lot less than a slice of bread)
2 tablespoons fresh ground almond butter
1 tomato with blue cheese and pepper
1 cup of cubed mango
1 cup skim milk

I recently discovered almond butter!  It is a delicious and more nutritious version of peanut butter.  I am also still trying to fill at least half my plate with fruits or vegetables.  The mango alone wasn't enough, so I added in a sliced tomato.  Very simple and very satisfying.

Don't forget to have milk (or a dairy equivalent) with every meal!

Chipolte-summer squash rotini with steamed carrots and salad

1 cup whole wheat rotini
1 cup chipolte summer squash sauce
1 cup salad
1 cup steamed carrots

I decided to use up add some summer squash to my standard spaghetti sauce and then noticed I had a can of "chipolte diced tomatoes" in the cupboard, too.  The result was a delicious, spicy, and hearty sauce that was loved by all. 

Gouda and Red Onion Crisp with Cantaloupe

Green Salad and Cantaloupe make up half the plate.  Gouda and red onion cheese crisp on whole wheat tortilla make up the grain and protein and dairy.   Happy eating!

Mango on cereal?

1 cup frosted shredded wheat (the frosted part isn't so healthy)
+
1 cup chunked fresh mango

= YUM

Pizza Night

1/2 plate of salad

some sprinkles of blue cheese and a teaspoon of ranch dressing

1 slice pepperoni pizza

Pizza night is easy.  Just fill half your plate with salad first and when you've eaten that, you aren't so hungry for that 2nd or 3rd piece of pizza.  ;)

Strawberry and Kiwi Cereal

1 cup corn chex
1 cup skim milk
1 cup mixed strawberries and kiwi

Even with cereal, I try to remember that at least 1/2 my plate should be fruits or vegetables.  Trying some new combinations has turned out delicious!  (Bananas aren't the only fruit that goes on cereal well.)

Simple Spaghetti

1 cup whole wheat linguini
1 cup homemade hamburger spaghetti sauce (brown hamburger and onions and add 1 can stewed tomatoes and 1 can tomato sauce plus spices)
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
1 steamed broccoli "tree"
1 cup skim milk

It was a very busy night.  This threw together in a flash.  I didn't even bother to cut up the broccoli.  But it was yummy!

Mexican Fiesta

1 cup watermelon chunks
1 flour tortilla
2 tablespoons seasoned beef
1 cup or more of tomatoes, lettuce, and cilantro
1 tablespoon shredded mexican cheese blend
4 tortilla chips
1/2 cup of homemade bean dip (refried beans and salsa)
1 cup of skim milk

I love chips, but can easily eat too many if the bag is left open.  Giving myself just 4 on the plate as part of the grains is a great way to enjoy without overdoing.  Beans and beef are the protein in this meal.  And the tomatoes and lettuce play a major role in the taco--not just some sprinkles on top.

What to drink?

Today's "plate" is not a plate at all.  The new recommendations suggest that we not drink so many sugary drinks with our meals or in between.  I love juice.  I love soda.  But they are high in calories and tooth-decaying sugar.

Here is a simple pitcher of water with lemon slices and a couple of sprigs of mint from my garden.  It didn't lack for flavor at all and gave that satisfying feeling of having a nice drink with dinner.

Picnic Fare

3 oz steak, grilled
1 cup mixed melon salad
1/2 cup sauteed fresh spinach
1 ear of charred corn on the cob
1 cup of skim milk

In this meal, the corn on the cob served as the whole grain.  And what a yummy whole grain it was!

Ham and Egg Bagel with Santa Claus Melon

1 cup cubed "Santa Claus" melon
1 onion bagel
1 scrambled egg
1 thin slice deli ham
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1/2 cup chopped lettuce
1/2 Roma tomato sliced
1 cup skim milk

Blueberries and Puffed Wheat

1 cup plain puffed wheat
1 cup skim milk
1 cup mixed blueberries and raspberries

A bowl of cereal proves hard to follow the "my plate" guidelines.  But since half your plate should be fruits and vegetables, I decided my bowl should be at least half fruit.  The milk and whole wheat puffs have to double up as the protein, dairy, and grain for this breakfast.  But it was very filling and I didn't miss the added sugar of regular cereals at all!

Spinach Grapefruit Salad and Pita Pizza

1 cup fresh spinach
2 tablespoons gorgonzola blue cheese
1/4 cup of fresh grapefruit sections
1 teaspoon poppyseed dressing

1 whole wheat pita
1/2 of a thinly sliced tomato
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella  cheese
several basil leaves

Tomato and Cilantro Omelet

1 fresh egg (from my neighbor who keeps chickens)
1 Roma tomato cut up
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 grapefruit
1 slice homemade whole wheat toast
1 cup of skim milk

SOOOO yummy!

Whole Wheat Linguini with White Clam Sauce

1 cup whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup white clam sauce
2 teaspoons grated parmesan
1 cup steamed broccoli
1/2 cup home canned apricots

Whole Wheat Pita and Hummus

I am so terribly happy that the pyramid is gone!  Hurray for Mrs. Obama introducing something sensible again.  It is almost as easy as the 4 food groups!


HERE is where you can go to read the official "My Plate" website. 


This blog will log my journey to better health by showing you at least one plate a day of what I am eating, while trying to follow the new guidelines. 


Feel free to comment!


Here is my first day:

1 whole wheat pita, toasted and cut in triangles (grains)
4 tablespoons of sun-dried tomato hummus (proteins)
1 cup fresh sweet cherries (fruits)
7 baby carrots (vegetables)
1 cup of skim milk (dairy)


I wasn't hungry at all after lunch!