STILL GETTING ORGANIZED IN ORDER TO STAY HEALTHY
-
THIS WEEK: LUNCH (PART TWO)
(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)
Did you enjoy the
first two week’s worth of lunch menus?
Just for fun, since we
are thinking of ways to make a packed lunch more interesting for our families;
why don’t you fill your healthy lunch boxes with a few inspiring poems for the
recipient of the lunch to read?
I’ll
leave you a few examples:
This is one of my
favorites for third graders:
BE GLAD YOUR NOSE IS ON YOUR FACE by Jack Prelutsky:
Be glad your nose is on
your face, not pasted on some other place,
For if it were where it
is not, you might dislike your nose a lot.
Imagine if your precious
nose were sandwiched in between your toes,
That clearly would not be
a treat, for you’d be forced to smell your feet.
Your nose would be a source of dread, were it
attached atop your head, it soon would
drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair.
Within your ear, your
nose would be an absolute catastrophe,
For when you were obliged
to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze.
Your nose instead,
through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin,
Not pasted on some other
place – be glad your nose is on your face!
(Move over Dr. Seuss
and Shel Silverstein; make way for Jack Prelutsky!)
Here is one more that
you could use for any one’s lunch box, it doesn’t have to be a child; but I’ve
actually known many adults who loved poetry directed at children. Aren’t we all just grown up kids? This one will capture the imagination during
the lunch break – a fabulous stress reliever – just what the doctor
ordered!
SUNFLAKES
BY Frank Asch
If sunlight fell like snowflakes, gleaming
yellow and so bright,
We could build a sunman, we could have a
sunball fight.
We could go sleighing in the middle of July
through sundrifts and sunbanks,
We could build a sunmobile, and we could touch
sunflakes –
I wonder how they’d feel?
Okay, enough fun with
lunch distractions; on with our luncheon plans!
Last week we began
thinking about preparing healthy lunches. I spelled out two week’s worth of healthy,
nutritious lunch menus that follow the eating plan we agreed to which
incorporates alternating fast days with moderate days and a feast day every
seven days.
Today we are still
busy incorporating easy, simple, ready-to-go foods into our diets which are
natural and healthy. I am hoping to be
helpful to you by making your food planning organization, quicker, easier, and
healthier; yet still interesting and tasty.
This is all planned out into easy baby steps in order to help you to stick
to a good healthy eating program by eventually presenting the menus, grocery
lists and recipes for a full 30 day's worth of meal preparation. Look the menus over and cook all ahead that
you can. Do the chopping and prep work
on your cook day, so that all you are left with on the day you pack your
lunches is a little extra prep.
At the end of our
sessions about food organization we will make a combined list of all that we
have put together so far, but the way to incorporate this plan right now is by
taking the baby steps of learning to prepare a healthy breakfast, then lunch
(divided into two two-week sessions,) then dinner (also divided into two-week
sessions.) We don’t have to take in
everything in the plan all at one time; that might be too overwhelming. When we are done with seven weeks of baby
steps, we can combine the whole plan together with great ease and have an easy
monthly meal preparation plan and shopping list always handy and ready to go.
No more worrying about
what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
You will have all the bases covered.
No more last minute impulsive grocery shopping, you will have everything
planned out and done ahead. Plus, you
will have many things frozen or canned and put away for extra food when you
forget to follow the plan; or to keep from duplicating your efforts as you go
along in the plan. No waste; and lots of
healthy meals.
We’ve got this!
Now we are moving to Part
2 of the Lunch Session which incorporates Week
Three and Week Four of the plan for lunches. Next Friday in AN APPLE A DAY – 365 DAYS TO A
HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE we will be looking at the first two weeks of a 30 day plan
for preparing easy, efficient and healthy dinners, so be sure to check in on
that Friday.
So let’s keep moving
by getting started with the last two weeks of the lunch plan.
If you gathered up all
of the kitchen equipment previously listed in Weeks One and Two for the Lunches
you will not need to chase down any more kitchen equipment to prepare the
lunches for Weeks Three and Four. I have
not reprinted the equipment list because you can simply refer to it in the
above links that I mentioned earlier. Here
are the menus, grocery list and recipes for Part Two – Weeks Three and Four for
Preparing Lunches:
MENUS – FOR WEEK THREE:
Day 15 - Fast Day: Hot and Sour Soup
Day 16 - Moderate Day: Pesto Arugula Wraps
Day 17 – Fast Day: Honey Walnut Power Salad
Day 18– Moderate Day: Chicken, Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad
Day 19– Fast Day: Roasted Tomato Soup
Day 20 – Moderate Day: Chicken, Bacon and Blue Cheese Wrap
Day 21– FEAST DAY! (THIS IS YOUR FEAST DAY - EAT OUT IN A
REASTAURANT AND TREAT YOURSELF TO WHATEVER YOUR HEART DESIRES! )
GROCERY LIST FOR WEEK
THREE:
(Note: Always check to see what you have left over from the previous
weeks before buying this list. Once you
have been through a month of the plan, a lot of the dry goods will last for
several weeks. Many items on this list
will carry over to week four, so they are not listed in the week four grocery
list to eliminate duplicate buying.)
3
quarts chicken broth
1
pint shitake mushrooms
1
(8 ounce can) bamboo shoots
8
ounces firm tofu
1
jar minced garlic
Grated
ginger
Balsamic
vinegar
Rice
vinegar
Chili
sauce
Soy
sauce
Brown
sugar
1
box corn starch
18
cage free organic eggs
1
quart extra virgin olive oil
Pepper
corns
1
bunch green onions
1
8 pkg. (10 inch) flour tortillas
1
jar pesto
12
ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced thin
1
large bunch arugula (3 ounces)
4
sticks butter
1
large yellow onion
Seedless
red grapes
Edamme
1
box steel oats
Walnuts
Honey
Fresh
baby spinach
Crumbled
blue cheese
Sea
salt
8
ounces orzo pasta
Part-skim
ricotta cheese
Sour
cream
1
bag lemons
2 ears fresh corn
1
medium red onion
1
whole hen (cook the hen on cooking day and cut it up and chop or shred for all
recipes)
Grape
tomatoes
1
bunch fresh basil leaves
Ranch
dressing
Romaine
lettuce leaves
RECIPES FOR WEEK THREE:
HOT AND SOUR SOUP
Ingredients:
4
cups chicken broth
4
ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced thin
1
(8 ounce can) bamboo shoots, drained and sliced thin
8
ounces firm tofu, drained and sliced in ¼ inch strips
2
Tablespoons minced garlic
3
Teaspoons grated ginger
1
tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3
tablespoons rice vinegar
1
tablespoon chili sauce
3
tablespoons soy sauce
2
teaspoons brown sugar
2
tablespoons corn starch mixed into 2 tablespoons cold water
2
eggs lightly beaten
2
teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2
teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4
green onions sliced
Directions:
Bring
the broth, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu, garlic, ginger, vinegars, chili
sauce, soy sauce and sugar to a boil in a large sauce pan over medium-high
heat, reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes. Mix in the cornstarch and water mixture and
simmer until the soup thickens a bit, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the eggs in a thin stream
while whisking the soup. Mix in the
extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and green onions. Remove from the heat and pour into thermos
with attached cup for carrying in your lunch tote. (Freeze the soup that is left
over for another meal.)
PESTO ARUGULA WRAPS
Ingredients:
4
(10 inch) flour tortillas
1
cup pesto
12
ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced thin
6
cups arugula (3 ounces)
Directions:
Lay
tortillas on a work surface. Spread each
with ½ cup pesto. Place a cheese slice
on top of the pesto. Cover cheese with
arugula. Roll up the tortilla and press
the edge to seal. Secure with a
toothpick. Slice the roll into 1-inch
pieces, removing toothpick when no longer needed. (These freeze nicely. If you are going to freeze; save the slicing until
after they are frozen, it is easier, then let thaw for serving)
HONEY WALNUT POWER SALAD
Ingredients:
2
tablespoons butter
½
large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2
cups seedless red grapes, washed and cut in half
2
cups Edam me
1
cup uncooked steel oats (or any grain)
¾
cup walnuts
¼
cup honey
¼
cup water
Fresh
baby spinach
Crumbled
blue cheese
Sea
salt to taste
Directions:
Melt
the butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat.
Add onions and sauté on low for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally,
until onions are soft and golden brown.
While onions are cooking, pour steel oats and 2 cups water into a
saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for
15 minutes until most of the moisture has absorbed and the grains are soft
enough to eat. Let cool for 15
minutes. When onions are done stir into
the steel oats so the butter is absorbed by the grains. Season with sea salt. Combine grapes and edamame in a large mixing
bowl. Add cooled bulgur and
walnuts. Whisk water and honey. Pour over mix and stir well. Add fresh baby spinach and crumbled blue
cheese just before serving.
CHICKEN CORN AND TOMATO PASTA SALAD
Ingredients:
8
ounces orzo pasta
1-1/2
cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1
cup light sour cream
2
teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
¼
cup fresh lemon juice
1
teaspoon salt
½
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾
cup fresh corn kernels (sliced form 2 ears of corn)
½
medium red onion, diced
2
cups shredded cooked chicken
1-1/2
cups halved grape tomatoes
½
cup thinly sliced basil leaves
Directions:
Cook
pasta in a large pot of boiling salt water until tender. (Approximately 10
minutes.) Drain and rinse thoroughly
under cold water until cool. In a medium
bowl whisk together ricotta, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and
pepper. In a large bowl, toss together
pasta, corn, red onion, chicken, tomatoes and basil. Add ricotta-lemon dressing to pasta mix and
stir to evenly coat pasta Season with salt and pepper to taste.
CHICKEN BACON AND BLUE CHEESE WRAP
Ingredients:
2
cups cooked chicken, cubed
½
cup ranch dressing
3
tablespoons blue cheese crumbles
½
cup halved grape tomatoes
1
and ½ tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4
10 inch tortillas
Romaine
lettuce leaves
Directions:
Combine
the chicken, dressing, blue cheese crumbles, bacon crumbles, grape tomatoes and
basil in a medium bowl. Line each of the
4 tortillas with lettuce. Distribute the
chicken over the four wraps. Roll and
fasten with a toothpick if needed to keep the wrap together.
MENUS - FOR WEEK FOUR:
Day 22 – Fast Day: Creamy Tomato
Tortellini Soup
Day 23– Moderate Day: Hummus Spiral Wraps
Day 24 – Fast Day: Egg Drop Soup
Day 25 – Moderate Day: Mexican Bean and Rice Salad
Day 26 – Fast Day: Kale, Grapefruit and Toasted Hazelnut Salad
Day 27- Moderate Day: Hawaiian Pasta Salad
Day 28 – FEAST DAY: YOU MAY EAT OUT AND HAVE WHATEVER YOU
DESIRE. THIS IS YOUR FEAST DAY.
CONGRATULATIONS ON A MONTH’S WORTH OF HEALTHY BREAKFAST AND
LUNCHES! YOU DESERVE A GREAT REWARD, SO
BE KIND TO YOURSELF!!!!
GROCERY LIST FOR WEEK
FOUR:
(Note: Always check to see what you have left over from the first three
weeks before buying this list. Once you
have been through a month of the plan some of the dry goods will last for
several weeks. You will have many of
this week’s items left over from week three grocery list, so they are not
listed again here.)
1
yellow onion
1
(28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2
(15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1(15
ounce) can tomato sauce
1
quart heavy cream
Sugar
Dried
oregano
Dried
basil
Nutmeg
Grated
Parmesan Cheese
1
(20 ounce) package cheese tortellini
Fresh
Basil Leaves (1 bunch) (Freeze what is left in ice cubes to reuse)
Roasted
red pepper spread
Bag
of carrots
1
container baby spinach
Edamame
soy beans
2
ripe Avocados
1
bunch green onions
White
pepper
1
pint mushrooms
6
ounces of basmati and wild rice
1
can mixed bean salad
2
red peppers
Small
Bag of limes
Cajun
spice mix
Small
bunch coriander
2
pink grapefruits
1
small red onion
1
pint plain Greek yogurt
8
ounces baby kale leaves
1
ounce toasted hazelnuts
8
ounces bow-tie pasta
1
(14 ounce) can pineapple tidbits
1
pkg. deli ham
Mayonnaise
Dijon
mustard
Pineapple
juice
Cider
vinegar
Garlic
powder
RECIPES FOR WEEK FOUR:
CREAMY TOMATO TORTELLINI SOUP
Ingredients:
2
tablespoons olive oil
1
medium yellow onion, diced
2
garlic cloves, minced
1
(28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1
(15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (reserve ½ cups for garnish)
1(15
ounce) can tomato sauce
3
cups chicken broth
¾
cup heavy cream
1
teaspoon sugar
1
teaspoon sea salt
½
teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
½
teaspoon dried oregano
½
teaspoon dried basil
¼
teaspoon nutmeg
½
cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1
(20 ounce) package cheese tortellini
Garnishes
(if desired)
Additional
Parmesan Cheese
Diced
tomatoes
Fresh
Basil Leaves
Directions:
Heat
extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat in a stock pot. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté for another
minute. Remove from heat. Transfer mix to a blender. Add the 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes. Blend together for 30 – 45 seconds until
smooth. Pour the puree back into the
Dutch oven. To the puree, add 14 ounce
can of diced tomatoes (remember to reserve ½ cup for garnishing), can of Tomato
sauce, chicken stock, heavy cream, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and nutmeg. Stir well.
Heat over medium high heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce to medium heat and continue to simmer
for five minutes. Add the Parmesan
cheese and tortellini. Bring back to
medium high heat and bring back to a simmer.
Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for five more minutes. Remove from heat and ladle into bowls. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese,
tomatoes and basil if desired.
HUMMAS SPIRAL WRAPS
Ingredients:
10
inch tortillas
2-3
tablespoons roasted red pepper spread
Handful
of shredded carrots
Handful
of baby spinach
Splash
of olive oil
Splash
of lemon juice
Fresh
ground pepper
Edamame
soy beans
Avocado
slices
Directions:
Spread
the hummus over the tortillas. Add the
ingredients in a thinly spread layer – distribute evenly. Roll up the tortilla tightly. Slice into one inch thick rounds. (The extras
can be frozen and used later. I often
double the recipe to make some ahead so I don’t have to make this recipe next
time.)
EGGDROP SOUP
Ingredients:
3
eggs, lightly beaten
4
cups of chicken broth
1
tablespoon of corn starch
½
teaspoon grated ginger
1
tablespoon of soy sauce
3
green onions, chopped
¼
teaspoon of white pepper
¾
cup of mushrooms, sliced
Directions:
Reserve
½ cup of the chicken broth and mix with the cornstarch until dissolved. Place the chicken stock, ginger, soy sauce,
green onions, mushrooms and white pepper in a pot and bring to a boil. Add in the cornstarch and chicken broth
mixture and stir. Reduce heat to s
simmer. Slowly pour in the beaten eggs
while stirring the soup. The egg will
spread out into ribbons. Turn off the heat
and garnish with a few more chopped green onions. Pour into your lunch thermos with the cup
attached and reserve the left-over soup frozen in the freezer for use later.
MEXICAN BEAN AND RICE SALAD
Ingredients:
6
ounces of basmati and wild rice
1
can mixed-bean salad, drained and rinsed
1
bunch of green onions, chopped
1
red pepper, chopped
1
avocado
Juice
of one lime (save some wedges for serving)
1
teaspoon Cajun spice mix
Small
bunch coriander, chopped
Directions:
Cook
this ahead on cooking day and reserve in refrigerator. Just follow package instructions for cooking
the rice. Drain, then cool under the
cold running water until completely cold.
Stir in beans, onions, pepper and avocado. Mix the lime juice with the
Cajun spice mix and some black pepper.
Pour over the rice mix, stir in the coriander and serve with extra lime
wedges. This can be stored in small
mason jars or air-tight containers in the refrigerator until time to pack in
lunches. Left-overs can be used at
dinner time.
GRAPEFRUIT AND TOASTED HAZELNUT SALAD
Ingredients:
2
pink grapefruits
½
small red onion, thinly sliced, divided
¼
cup fresh lemon juice
½
cup fat free plain yogurt
2
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½
teaspoon kosher salt
¼
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8
ounces baby kale leaves
1
ounce toasted hazelnuts, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
Directions:
Peel
and segment grapefruit; reserve 3 tablespoons juice in a large bowl. Mince 2 rings of the onion. Add to grapefruit juice with lemon juice,
yogurt, oil, salt, and pepper. Whisk
until well mixed. Toss in kale. Top with remaining onion, grapefruit and
hazelnuts. Store in mason jars or
air-tight containers until time for lunch packing. If you have leftovers these would make a good
salad side at dinner time.
HAWAIIAN PASTA SALAD
Ingredients:
8
ounces bow tie pasta
1
(14 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, juice reserved
1
red pepper, diced
2
cups diced deli ham
1
green onion, thinly sliced.
DRESSING:
½
cup mayonnaise
¼
cup sour cream
1
tablespoon Dijon mustard
1
/3 cup pineapple juice
1
teaspoon cider vinegar
1
teaspoon honey
¼
teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly
ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook
pasta according to package directions.
Drain and run under cold water.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and
gently toss with dressing.
Refrigerate. Store what you will
need for lunch in a small mason jar and put into insulated lunch pack with an
ice pack on the day you will have it for lunch.
This can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days. Save what is left over for a side with some
of your dinner on the same night.
DAY 30 - FEAST
DAY! GO OUT FOR PIZZA TODAY – OR
ANYTHING YOU LIKE. HAVE DESSERT!!!
CONGRATULATIONS ON MAINTAINING A
HEALTHY BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR 30 DAYS IN A ROW!!!! LARGEST PART OF THIS MISSION IS ACCOMPLISHED.
LAST
THREE LUNCH DAYS OF THE MONTH; DAYS 29-31:
For these three last days mix some of
the sandwiches and muffins and leftover soups you already have frozen in the
freezer from breakfast and the previous lunches. Also use any leftover salads from any of the lunches
earlier in the week and/or anything easy-to-pack in jars or air-tight
containers for easy lunches. This will
cut down on food waste. You need not
make another run to the grocery store, just empty the refrigerator and check
the freezer. You will have plenty of
leftovers and things that have been frozen ahead by now. We don’t want to be wasteful, with our money
or our food. As my mother used to say;
“There are starving people in other parts of the world – use what we have!” Too easy!
I hope you enjoy these
last two weeks of the lunch menus, along with having the grocery lists and recipes
for healthy lunches. I will continue on
the subject of organizing our food with two weeks of dinners next Friday in AN
APPLE A DAY – 365 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE. Be sure to check into the IN SEASON BLOG to
see what is next.
I am excited about
these new lunch menus!
I truly hope they make
your lunch planning and grocery shopping easier and healthier.
Doesn’t it feel good to get all of
these packable lunches organized and ready to go whenever we need them? It will surely be nice when lunch time comes
around. No more breaking the budget with
eating out, and no more wondering what to fix next. If you follow the handy grocery list for each
week all of your groceries should be one hand and readily available when
needed.
We are making progress!
Let’s meet here again next Friday to
discuss organizing our dinner dishes.
Bon Appétit’!
