5 Days of THM Meal Inspiration

I mentioned in a previous post that I am working to overcome a sugar addiction. After making very poor eating choices over and over again last week, I challenged myself to stick to eating 100% on the Trim Healthy Mama (THM) plan for 5 days this week, Monday-Friday. No cheats. Well, it’s Friday afternoon and so far I have made it!

Just for fun, I took photos of some of my meals this week. Maybe these will inspire you that eating healthy can be absolutely delicious! I have enjoyed every one of my meals this week!

DISCLAIMER: I am not the type of person that can eat healthy all the time forever without ever again enjoying unhealthy food. That’s just not me at all. I love trying and tasting good food. However, my sugar binging has been out of control (for example 10 donuts in one setting or 6 cookies, poptarts, and chocolate in one setting, or 3 bags of chocolate covered nuts in one setting). I think we can agree that is not going to be good for me in the long run. Don’t think that all my meals are like this every week. They certainly are not! This is the way I strive to eat most of the time, and then I don’t feel bad when I indulge in not so healthy food.

…oh, and FYI, these are just photos of my first plate of food. A lot of times I went back for seconds! 😉

Monday:
10:00-10:30: 1 egg, 2 egg whites fried in coconut oil, kale, bell peppers; 1/4 cup rolled oats, cinnamon, vanilla, splash of coconut milk; lemon water & vitamins
3:00-3:30: spring mix & spinach salad with chicken breast, egg whites, sea salt, bell pepper & cucumber; 1 cup sweet potato w/ cinnamon, sea salt, vanilla stevia, cocoa powder & a little EVCO (E), water, black coffee
6:45: lemon dijon salmon, avocado, broccoli, cauli & carrots, bite of unsweetened chocolate (S), water
8:00: bite of unsweetened chocolate & natural calm cherry water

Tuesday:
9:30 – egg white/oat fiber “cinnamon rolls,” black coffee, vitamins & water (FP)
12:30 – piece of quest bar (FP)
1:45 – joseph’s pita w/ pizza sauce, mozzarella & pepperoni; spring mix salad w/ snap peas, cucumber, bell pepper, zephyr squash, a dollop of greek yogurt & gwen’s ranch seasoning; no bake fudgy cookie; water (S)
4:00 – 1/2 quest bar & water (FP)
7:00 – spring mix & chicken breast salad; tomato w/ LF cottage cheese, okra, bell pepper & snap peas; water (FP)

Wednesday:

10:30-11:15: pumpkin spice egg whites & oatmeal bowl (E), black tea, water & vitamins

2:15-2:45: Joseph’s pita w/ 2 fried eggs, ham, pepperjack & roasted peppers; kale chips; no bake fudgy; water & black tea (S)

5:45 – part of quest bar (FP), water

7:00 – Newk’s salad with grilled chicken, ham, eggs, gorgonzola, parmesan, capers, cucumber, artichokes & banana pepper over romaine (S); unsweetened tea w/ lemon

8:00 – piece of quest bar & piece of unsweetened chocolate (S)

Thursday:

10-11:00 (S): 2 servings frittata, 2 servings pumpkin pie cake, black tea & water

2:00 (E) – huge spring mix salad w/ chicken breast, cottage cheese, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, banana pepper, and a sprinkle of fresh parmesan; water

3:45 (S): 3 no bake fudgy cookies, skinny chocolate, greek yogurt, black tea & water

6:30 (E): Chicken breast w/ a very small amount of skin, red lentils & curry, a small sweet potato, steamed broccoli & okra; water

9:30 (FP): mug brownie w/ cottage berry whip & FF reddi whip

Friday:

9:45 (S) – 1/2 banana 000 yogurt w/ cocoa, frittata, sausage, skinny cherry chocolate, water & vitamins

11:30 (FP) – part of quest bar

2:15 (S) – Alaskan sockeye salmon, spring mix, avocado, banana pepper, capers, fresh parmesan, lemon juice & ranch seasoning; raw okra; water; no bake fudgy cookies

Some victories this week were…
– NOT giving into sugar cravings, especially on Thursday when my weekly crazy sugar binge normally happens (not sure why it seems to be Thursdays… maybe I am just worn out by then?)
– Staying on plan even when eating out with friends on Wednesday
– Avoiding chocolate samples & other off plan samples in the grocery store
– Remembering to take my vitamins
– Feeling more energetic and not crashing due to unstable blood sugar

Eating well has so many benefits! Hope you have been inspired!

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Frugal Friday: Slow-Cooker Meat Lover’s Chili

It was around 100 degrees outside yesterday… and I made chili for dinner. Who says chili is only for cold weather? I love chili almost any time of year. But can I tell you a secret? I don’t love beans in chili. I know that some people do, but it’s just not my favorite. However, we live on a pretty tight budget around here, so I found it vital to come up with a beanless chili recipe that didn’t break the bank… even though it’s a cheaper cut, quality grass-fed ground beef is expensive! The ingredients in this chili may surprise you, but trust me, you won’t be disappointed by the flavor and it is packed with nourishment! To top it all off, this recipe is one you can throw in the slow cooker, so it’s very simple to make and not very time consuming. *ding, ding, ding!* We have a winner!

So, what is this surprising ingredient? Beef liver! Now, before you “x” out of this page in disgust, please know that I am not a lover of the flavor or texture of liver. However, in this recipe the bold flavors of the tomatoes, chiles & spices completely mask the flavor of the liver while still giving you the nutritional value and making your wallet smile. Beef liver is not only a super-food powerhouse, but also very economical to purchase. I am all about combining nutrition, good taste & smiling wallets, aren’t you?

This is seriously my favorite chili recipe now. I don’t know if I will ever make another chili recipe again! Hubby also loved this chili & had no idea that there was liver hidden in it.

(Photo to come soon… I forgot to take one yesterday)

 

Frugal Slow-Cooker Meat Lover’s Chili
(Paleo, Gluten/Grain Free, Dairy Free, No Beans)

Ingredients
1.5 lbs uncooked ground beef (I use frozen)
1 lb uncooked beef liver (I use frozen)
1 28oz can diced tomatoes (preferably BPA free)
1 7oz can green chiles
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2-1 large onion, chopped (depending on how much you like onion)
1 cup of chicken broth (homemade is best)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2-3 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Instructions
1. Place ground beef and beef liver into your crockpot, on opposite sides. Set slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours. If you are using already cooked ground beef and beef liver, you can skip this step.
2. After 3-4 hours, carefully spoon the beef liver out of the crockpot and into your food processor. Puree well.
3. Add the beef liver back into the crockpot along with the rest of the ingredients in this order: onions, garlic, tomatoes, chiles, spices & chicken broth.
4. Give a light stir (you want to mix it a little while keeping the meat and onions near the bottom of the cooker), cover & set on high for another 2-3 hours.
5. Serve as is or optionally with rice, avocado, cheese, organic corn, etc. as meet your dietary needs… and you could even serve over cooked beans if you have bean chili lovers in your family! If you are grain free and/or paleo, you could serve over cauliflower “rice” or zoodles (zucchini noodles). Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Simple, frugal, and oh, so yummy!

Tell me in the comments: Do you prefer your chili with or without beans? What other ingredients do you love in your chili?