Since Madeline was born almost 10 months ago (where does the time go!?), I've been on a wonderful healthy ride and weight-loss journey. Not just to lose baby weight and additional poundage, but to eat well and build strength and muscle. I don't diet. I'm not good at diets. I'm also not good at following orders of being told what I can or cannot eat. I love good food, and I love to eat. Eliminating every bad food from my life is simply not an option.
That said, since balancing exercise with a healthier approach to eating, I've lost weight, I have more energy and I feel good. And there is still a way to enjoy healthy foods without sacrificing taste. Speaking of sacrifice -- I don't. Sacrifice, that is. I still enjoy treats and the occasional junk, but when I eat it, I make sure to over-indulge in the good stuff to make up for it.
One trick I've taught myself is to over-compensate on the protein to avoid over-indulging on the carbs. There was a time I would have toast for breakfast, pizza for lunch and pasta for dinner. Too much bread! So while I'm not in a position to never eat pasta again (I love it!), I ensure if I have pasta, my other meals are protein packed and limited in carbohydrates.
Pretty simple, right? If you have bread for breakfast, avoid having it for lunch and very little at dinner. Or vice-versa.
Today I had peanut butter and toast for breakfast, and I'm making fish with rice for dinner, so I didn't want any carbs for lunch. So I made a DELICIOUS protein-packed salad that will fill me up and sustain me until a snack later on. There are no rules, just use what you have!
In a large bowl, I mixed a can of bean medley (drained and rinsed), a can of tuna in water, an avocado cubed, half a can of sliced olives, chopped parsley, a handful of heirloom tomatoes (halved), evoo, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a squirt of lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Toss it all together and it's done. Oh, and I also threw in 2 handfuls of Hemp Hearts for good measure.
This salad will just get better as the flavours come together and will be perfect for leftovers, or tomorrow's lunch. It even got the approval of my 3-year-old.
What are your favourite protein-packed meals?
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