Foods That Help Me

I'm not big on following recipes, so you probably won't find too many of those here. I do want to share some foods that I buy or make time and time again that really help me stay on track. I am hugely sensitive to foods as triggers and I find that bad choices beget bad choices for me. The opposite is also true, fortunately. Here are some foods that have kept me in line.

Eggs. I love me a scrambled egg breakfast (or lunch or dinner). Having eggs in the morning is a good anchor for me. I like to do them in the microwave on the days I have to leave the house at 6:20 am: spritz a small bowl with cooking spray, add one egg, whisk it up, put it in the microwave. There's a learning curve here because the size and shape of your dish and the power of your microwave dictate the cooking time.  It takes mine about 45 for a wide, shallow dish in an old-ass microwave. Experiment.

Crystal Light lemonade. OK, say what you will about artificial sweeteners, but this and a very occasional Diet Coke or Starbucks Skinny Latte are the only fake stuff I indulge in. For some reason, though, Crystal Light lemonade really does the trick for me. I like it in the afternoon when my energy is flagging and I feel like the sourness gives me a boost. Placebo effect I'm sure, but at least I get some water in.

Healthy 8 pre-cut veggie mix from Trader Joe's. This is carrots, radishes, jicama, broccoli, peppers, and some other stuff all diced up small. I saute it, sometimes with half a chicken sausage link, to have with an egg for breakfast (or lunch or dinner). Something about it tastes buttery and delicious. I pretend it's home fries.

Cheese. The real stuff or sometimes Laughing Cow or similar. Never underestimate the cheese and cracker snack, expecially when there are some Points+ BARGAINS in the cracker department: four saltines for a point, AkMak crackers are 3 big ones for a point.

Bananas. I have a hard time staying on the fresh fruit wagon, but they're always palatable, no matter what the season, and they're dirt cheap. Adding a banana to any grab-and-go meal makes it feel heftier. A skim latte and a banana is a good snack when you're running around hitting sale racks on a Saturday afternoon.

Soup. OMG soup. There are alot of soups you can have a huge portion of for not many points. My fave: chicken broth in which you simmer two TJ's turkey meatballs, two tablespoons (dry) TJ's Harvest Grain mix (couscous, orzo, quinoa blend), and a handful of greens like kale, chard, or spinach. Huge serving, five points. Also, Campbell's has an all-natural butternut squash soup that I like to heat up with a sliced chicken sausage link. Whole can + one sausage= 9 points, but half of this is a good lunch with a veggie on the side.

TJ's frozen Grilled Eggplant Parmesan. It's seven points for the whole thing but I like to eat half with a turkey meatball or two on the side.


That's just a little glimpse into the things I buy again and again. Tell me what foods work for you!