Emma115

I haven't made this in a long time.

Hi Jenny! I think it's great that you are reassessing how much food you need to eat to feel satisfied. As far as eating the 5 servings of fruits and vegetables go, I personally think it's important. I plan my meals and snacks around doing so and have been for long enough that it's a pretty easy habit. Keep in mind that you only need 1/2 cup of most fruits and veggies to make a serving. You may be eating more servings than you think. Other things that I think help: You could make unsweetened applesauce, fresh fruit or cut up veggie a snack and have them ready in the fridge at home and work. Start your day with a banana (1-2 fruit servings) While cooking your meals and add lots of extra veggies. You could also post a menu and we can give you feedback!

Thanks for the reminder and update! You are an awesome buddy and I am so impressed with your efforts on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and your determination to do the 100 mile ride!

This inspired me to use up an open bag stir fry veggies from Costco and make your soup. It turned out really well and I will enjoy eating it!

20 oz lean ground turkey 1 cup carrots, diced 3 stalks celery, diced Large onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2-3 jalapenos, diced 2 c colored bell peppers, diced 28 oz can crushed tomatoes 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste 3 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed 2 1/2 cups water 2 tsp fennel seeds 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tablespoons chili powder Brown turkey with vegetables. Once turkey is cooked and vegetables are tender, add spices, tomatoes, water, and black eyed peas and simmer 45 minutes. Serves 8-10 My Review: This recipe was a nice change from regular chili. The fennel seeds added a really interesting flavor, almost making it seem like turkey sausage. I adapted this recipe from one in Shape magazine and it was a little too spicy with 3 jalapenos. I would use 2 next time. I also used the frozen bell peppers from TJs/Target and they were really easy to cut up while still frozen.

Thanks for bumping this Kristy! I made it today and it was really good!

Bump!

Way to go Bridget!!!!

This is a great post! I've been under my WW goal since March 2006 and certainly have found that there is a difference between my lowest achievable weight and maintainable goal. I can maintain 135 pretty easily in the summer when I'm really active but it's much more realistic for me to maintain at 140 when I am busy and inside in MN in the winter.

I made this for dinner and added a package of chicken that I had cooked and diced. It was really good. The feta was a nice touch.

Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 cups chopped white onions 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 1 cup quinoa,* rinsed, drained 2 teaspoons chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cup water 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided Crumbled fat free feta cheese (optional) Preparation Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and red pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in next 4 ingredients. Add water; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until quinoa is almost tender, about 14 minutes. Add beans and 1/4 cup cilantro; cook uncovered until heated through and liquid is fully absorbed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro and cheese, if desired. Serves 4-6 I haven't tried this recipe yet but thought it looked really good.

I did not care for this soup at all.

If you have a Trader Joes near you they have a frozen organic brown rice that is bagged in 2 serving sized bags and you just cook it in the microwave for 3 minutes. It's excellent!

Well done!

Garlic, rosemary, balsamic vinegar, and Parmesan cheese deliver authentic Mediterranean flavors. Yield 6 servings Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups finely chopped onion 8 garlic cloves, minced 4 cups water 1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 3 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, optional Directions: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water and the next 5 ingredients (water through tomatoes), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Place 2 cups soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 cups soup. Return all pureed soup to pan. Stir in the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Spoon 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese if desired. Recipe from cooking light Nutritional Information (including cheese) Calories: 373 (22% from fat) Fat: 9.1g (sat 2.1g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.6g) Protein: 15g Carbohydrate: 59.7g Fiber: 11.4g Cholesterol: 5mg Iron: 3.7mg Sodium: 955mg Calcium: 197mg Emily's notes: I really liked this recipe from Cooking Light. I used my hand blender to blend to a slightly chunky consistency. I also left off the cheese on mine and it was still wonderful.