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.