Eat Your Way to Fertility: Part 2

Here is part 1 where I talk about the foods I ate that I believe led to baby Scarlett

Today I thought I'd write some of the healthy meals or snacks I lived on when I was eating healthy.  It really is fun to meal plan and try new foods when you change your diet or lifestyle!  Not only that, but you feel so good after eating a healthy meal.  Your body basically thanks you for it instead of punishing you.

Breakfast Ideas:

Scrambled eggs

Fruit

Fruit smoothies sweetened with Stevia

Rice cakes with Smuckers all natural peanut butter and Smucker's Simply Fruit jam

Oikos plain Greek Yogurt with Smucker's Simply Fruit jam mixed in

Oatmeal with honey, peanut butter, or Simply Fruit Jam

Lunch & Dinner Ideas
I would follow a basic formula for lunch and dinner:  Include some type of meat, some type of grain, and some type of vegetable.  Here are some of my favorite combinations:

Soups - There is basically an endless combination of rice other grains, lentils, meat, veggies and broth that can be thrown together for a unique meal when you make soup.  And most soups are healthy.  A quick Pinterest search, and you've got endless ideas.

Salads.  Again, pretty basic.  But throw together some lettuce, meat, toppings, and a sugar-free dressing (Ranch is usually pretty safe, but check the label!) and you have endless meal combinations.  Be creative!  You could make a traditional salad, a taco salad, even a chicken or egg salad served over spinach (just be careful what kind of mayonnaise you use).  Again, a quick Pinterest search yields tons of possibilities.

Marinated meats.  Believe it or not, there are a lot of marinades out there that don't include sugar: honey mustard, buffalo, ranch, salsa, etc.  At least once or twice a week, I would bake marinated chicken breast or pork tenderloin and bake up a bunch of it at once so we'd have leftovers for lunches.  I would serve it with rice and sauteed veggies or a side salad.  Meal planning doesn't get much easier than that! 

Kebabs.  I want to grill these a ton this summer!  Throw some meat and veggies on a stick, season them, and grill them up.  Again, easy!

Burgers, minus the bun.  This is how you will healthily survive summer barbecues.  Throw some onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and mustard on top (no ketchup though..too much sugar!)  and you've got yourself a main course.  

Steak.  I just think it's important to mention that steak is totally fair game.  Yum.  Make sure you watch portion size though!  Again, give it a side of veggies and you have a totally healthy meal.

Snacks

Popsicles made from real fruit in the blender and a sprinkle of Stevia.  My favorite kinds are strawberry-pineapple or peach

Smoothies made the same way as the popsicles (though obviously not frozen).  

Nuts and seeds.  Luke and I both have a weakness for sunflower seeds!  

Trail mix.  I make mine with oats, raisins, sunflower seeds, and slivered almonds.

Fresh fruit

Almond Nut Thins (a tortilla-like cracker) with salsa, hummus, or some other type of healthy dip.  

Raw veggies with Ranch 

For a special Treat:

Sugar free frozen yogurt topped with fruit and nuts!  Yum...

Eating at Restaurants:

Most fast food places are pretty much off limits, but other than that, it is pretty easy to find a healthy meal at most other restaurants.  Again, soups or salads are always good.  Or even steak or chicken with a side of sauteed veggies.  Just avoid pastas, fried foods, breads, and desserts, and you are usually good to go!  Some of my favorite places to eat out for healthy options are Panera for their soups and salads or Chipotle.  Just get a burrito bowl and everything is healthy:  brown rice, beans, meat, veggies in the salsa, lettuce, even the cheese and sour cream are not bad. Again, just watch portion size. 

***

I know these meals and snacks are not rocket science to come up with.  But that is the point!  It is a lot easier to eat healthy than you may think, and it's delicious, too!  I hope these give you some ideas of healthy meals to eat if you are trying to get healthy, or trying to have a baby!  Or both!

Eat Your Way to Fertility: Part 1

[Disclaimer: I am not writing this post to put down modern medicine or doctors.  I know they are totally needed and I have friends who would not be here today if it weren't for medical interventions.  However, I do believe that there are a lot of medical problems that can be solved through a healthy diet.  Diet can be a better solution to certain problems because it goes to the core of the problem where some medications treat the symptom and not the root cause.]

Yes, that was kind of an awkward post title, wasn't it?  But I think this is worth posting.

I was watching The Dr. Oz Show the other day, and he was talking about hormonal imbalances in women.  That spurred on the writing of this post.  I was the poster child for hormonal imbalance, going more than a year without ovulating.  I went through a few rounds of progesterone pills and Clomid, and I'm pretty sure those things just served to throw things off even more.

Not only was I having hormonal problems, but I also had extreme allergies, chronic sinus infections and bronchitis, and stomach pains that I'm pretty sure rivaled labor pains.  I'll let you know in a few months.

Along with the medical interventions for my hormonal problems, I was also seeing an ear, nose, and throat specialist to treat my sinus problems.  He was waiting until the end of the school year to schedule a sinuplasty: invasive surgery on my sinuses.

I am so thankful for my parents and in-laws for directing me and giving the means for me to see a chiropractor for nutritional therapy so that I never did have to have that surgery, and I will not have to visit a fertility specialist.  After a few months of changing my diet and lifestyle, my body was back on track:

• I started ovulating within a month of starting "treatment"
• I became pregnant without actively trying after 2.5 years of nothing but
• All of my sinus problems 100% disappeared
• My stomach pains are a distant memory
• I haven't been sick with so much as a cold since I started "treatment."  I should add that your immune system is suppressed during pregnancy, and I also have been working with kids (now preschoolers who like to put everything in their mouths) since September.  All of this during one of the most intense flu seasons ever. Holy immune system boost, Batman!

I guess you could say that I went from being the poster child for imbalanced hormones, to being the poster child for successful nutritional therapy. 

I am at that age where I have many friends who are trying for a baby, and I wanted to share my knowledge! I am not promising that eating this way will get you pregnant right away.  But I am promising that it will really increase your chances!  Especially if you can get your husband to eat this way too! 

Admittedly, I was so desperate that I jumped into these diet changes whole-heartedly, without abandon.  I made some extreme changes, but as you can see above, I got some extreme results, too!  Here is an overview of what I did, that I believe ultimately led to baby Scarlett's existence (at least partly. Ha!):

1. Water, Water Water!  

The first thing I did was cut out every other drink option.  Goodbye morning cup of coffee, glass of sweet iced tea with lunch, and Diet Coke while out to dinner.   With a few exceptions on special occasions when I would order an unsweetened iced tea and then use Stevia to sweeten it, water was all I drank for months.  I kept a 28 oz water bottle with me 24/7 (literally) and made sure I drank at least 2 full bottles each day.  A rule of thumb is that you take your weight, divide it by 2, and drink that much water in ounces each day.

2. Cut the sugar.  

I'm talking about processed sugar here.  All fruit, local honey, maple syrup, and fresh fruit juice are fair game.  Based on the Prism Wight Loss System, my rule of thumb as far as processed sugar goes, was that I looked at the ingredients list on an item, and if sugar was listed as item 5 or earlier, it was off-limits.  For someone with a sweet tooth like me, that sounded absolutely impossible at first.  But once you cut it out, you really don't crave it anymore!  Fruit or 100% natural peanut butter (Smuckers Natural is my fav) would fill the void for me.

3. Cut the white, enriched flour. 

Seriously guys, this stuff might as well be poison.  And it turns to sugar in your blood.  I went for a few months where I cut all flour out completely.  then I started adding in 100% whole wheat flour, but in moderation.  Some good things to substitute to fill the craving are brown rice instead of pasta and rice cakes instead of bread.  To this day I would take a rice cake with all natural peanut butter and all natural Simply Fruit jam over a traditional pb&j sandwich.

4. Nuts and seeds instead of chips and crackers. 

Eat a snack that serves a nutritional punch instead of one with empty fat and calories.  Nuts and seeds include a lot of protein, healthy fats, and vitamins. If you ask me, they make you feel better and they taste better than potato chips anyway!  A little tip that I learned about serving size:  If you buy Emerald Nuts, fill the lid to the top for exactly 1 serving.  The perfect snack!  I personally could live solely on their cocoa roast almonds!  They're a little pricey, but so good!

5. Fat is good!  

Healthy fat, that is.  Healthy fat helps your body absorb the nutrients you eat.  It also gives your body energy. A diet lacking fat can put your body in starvation mode, which actually makes you store fat and gain weight!  Good fat comes from natural sources.  Some good examples are: avocados, nuts, seeds, and eggs.  Eggs are basically a super food.  Between scrambled eggs for breakfast and hard-boiled eggs on salads, we went through an average of 1.5 to 2 dozen eggs a week over the summer between the two of us!  

6. Don't forget the meat and vegetables!  

I've talked a lot about eating fruits and healthy fats, but meat and vegetables are important too.  As far as meat goes, I didn't give myself any specific restrictions, besides eating in moderation, because the protein was so good for me.  The only restriction I put on vegetables, was that I tried to restrict or at least limit my consumption of potatoes, because of the amount of starch in them.  Make yourself try some new or unique veggies...you will probably find a lot that you love!

7. Don't over-indulge.  Don't under-indulge.

Too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing.  Pay attention to serving sizes, and track your calories.  Based on my body weight and lifestyle, a healthy amount of calories per day for me was right around 1,200. I used the My Fitness Pal app to find out a healthy amount of daily calories, and to track my calories.  Just as important as making sure you don't eat too many calories, is making sure you don't eat too few calories.  Food is fuel for our bodies, just as gas is fuel for our cars!  If we don't get enough nutrients and calories, things start shutting down.  Often, one of the first things to shut down is our monthly cycles!  So make sure you are a healthy weight, and getting enough healthy calories, especially if you are trying to have a baby.

8. Healthy eating does not equal boring eating!  

On the contrary, it forces you to be creative.  I found myself looking forward to grocery shopping and meal planning because I couldn't wait to try new and creative food combinations or recipes.  Tomorrow I'm going to post some of my favorite meal and snack ideas. 

***

Those are the main principles I used to literally "spoon my way to health."  (I Love Lucy reference!)  Honestly, I am not eating this healthy anymore.  I got a little lax with my diet when grad school started, and then Scarlett decided to wreak havoc on my body to the point where I couldn't keep anything down.  And I haven't quite gotten back on track since then.  I am still eating a ton of the good stuff, but I've added in some of the not-so-good stuff too.  As soon as she's born, I plan on going back to my manic, healthy ways.  First of all, to get back to a healthy weight, and second of all, to start the long preparation for baby #2!  No, we are not planning on having our children super close together, but I want to get a head start this time!  I don't want to wait another 2.5 years after we start trying! (Although it is ultimately in God's hands, and I trust His timing!)

Anyway, if you are currently trying for a baby, or even thinking about trying for one soon, I highly recommend changing your diet if you aren't already eating healthy.  You probably don't need to be quite as gung-ho as I was, but I guarantee it will help you have a better chance of conceiving and having a healthy body with which to carry a baby!

*One more thing that I feel I should mention!  I was taking a lot of nutritional supplements while eating very healthy to help even out my hormones.  The supplements were made of 100% whole foods, and I think they served to boost my nutrition even more.  If this is something you are interested in, a lot of chiropractors practice nutritional therapy as well, and could help you decide which supplements you need.  If you are local to me, I have an amazing, amazing, AMAZING recommendation for one!  Let me know if you want more info!

Strawberry Banana "Mock"shake

I am on a bit of a high this week: we had our first weigh-in last Sunday for Prism, and I lost more than I expected!  I actually weigh less now than I did on our wedding day, and am .6 lbs away from my goal weight!  Also, I lost 2 inches around my waist!  (I also lost almost 2 inches around my bust.  What?!  I didn't need to lose ANY there, and hope I don't lose anymore! haha).

The fact that I basically hit my goal weight during phase 1 makes me really want to make a new goal weight, and lose 5 more lbs.  But I know that's a slippery slope, and I'm happy with the way I look and the way my clothes are fitting, so I'm going to simply work on maintaining during the next 6 weeks.  and if I happen to lose a little more, then great!  But that's not my goal. 

I was getting slightly tired of eating healthy, and even cheated a bit last week and had a few scoops of ice cream.  But after hearing that I've lost weight, I feel like I hit my second wind in this program!  I got more excited about having a healthy menu, and trying new recipes.  

Also, it helps that in the next phase of the program I'm allowed to have whole wheat flour, baked or boiled potatoes, and sugar-free frozen desserts!  You have no idea how excited I am to eat sugar free chocolate pudding!  

On top of that, I made a delicious dessert after lunch yesterday: a strawberry banana "mock"shake.

It's a "mock"shake instead of a milk shake because it does not include milk or ice cream.  Here are the details:

Ingredients:

10 Strawberries

1 medium banana 

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 packet Stevia sweetener

Serves: 2

Calories:137

Directions:

Cut up 10 strawberries

And a medium banana

Throw 'em in the blender with 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt (it has to be plain.  ANY flavored yogurt is filled with sugar, and you might as well be eating ice cream!)

Throw in 1-2 packs of Stevia sweetener, depending on your taste, and blend it all until liquified.

In about 5 minutes, you have a delicious dessert that tastes just like a milkshake!  With all the vitamins of fruit, and the protein of Greek yogurt.  And all only 137 calories (if you divide it in 2.  One person could easily eat the whole mixture, in which case it would be 274 calories. Not that I'm speaking from experience, or anything).

(Sorry for the bad picture quality.  I've got to start using a camera instead of my iPhone all the time)

This is so smooth and delicious!  Next I'm thinking about trying a chocolate peanut butter "mock"shake for those days when I just need to satisfy my sweet tooth!  

Carb-Free Pizza Crust

My mom and I, while doing the Prism Diet, keep saying that giving up wheat has been a breeze.  We don't miss bread or pasta or even chips.  There is only one thing that's been really hard to give up...

Pizza.

I've been dying for some pizza!  To be fair, in about a week we enter phase two of the Prism Diet, which means we are allowed to eat whole wheat flour.  So if I could have just held out a few more days, I could have satisfied my craving. 

But what can I say?  Sometimes a girl just needs her pizza!  

I had picked up a recipe for carb-free pizza crust at one of our Prism meetings.  On Friday night I decided I just couldn't wait any longer, and that I was going to try this crazy pizza dough concoction. I have no clue where the recipe came from, so I don't know who to credit!  But I'm going to commit a blogger faux-pas and post the recipe anyway.  It was that good.  

**Please be forewarned that the texture of the crust was not the same as normal pizza crust.  But if you're trying to avoid the poison that is white enriched flour, this was a darn good substitute.  The crust was soft on the inside and very thin, but I still thought it was delicious and it totally satisfied my pizza craving. 

(We won't talk about the fact that I had horrible stomach cramps afterward because of the amount of cheese in this recipe.  I knew I would be sick afterwards because of my milk sensitivity, but I was so hungry for pizza, I was willing to sacrifice feeling well for the night.  I know, I know...that's just sad!)

No Carb Pizza Crust:

Serves: 8

Calories: 210 per slice (this includes Ragu pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and 1 slice of pepperoni)  

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese (room temp)

2 eggs

black pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Butter a 9x13 baking dish

3. Blend cream cheese and eggs and season with pepper and garlic powder.  Add Parmesan cheese and stir until combined.  Pour into buttered baking dish.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

5. Raise oven to 400 degrees F once the crust is out. Let the crust cool for 10 minutes. Then add desired toppings.

6. Bake for 8 more minutes until cheese is bubbly.

***

Like I said, it was yummy.  Here is a picture of the "crust" before I put it in the oven.  Weird, right?

The finished product.  See?  Looks like real pizza crust!

If you're trying to avoid wheat like I am, make this next time you're craving pizza!

**Just take note that there are quite a few calories in this pizza, so eat it in moderation!  I had 2 slices last night and it totally satisfied me.  I couldn't afford anymore calories than that in 1 meal!

Health Update

It's been awhile since I've updated on my health and the Prism Diet.  And for the most part, things are going great!

Let's talk about allergies first.  I feel like I have discovered a secret that everyone needs to know about!  My health has taken a complete 180 as far as my allergies are concerned.  A couple of months ago, I had to make sure I had my inhaler with me at all times, and would use it every 4 hours.  I'd wake up multiple times in the middle of the night having violent coughing fits.  I was completely congested.  We couldn't even open our windows, or else I'd pretty much be up all night, unable to breathe, and coughing like crazy.

About 3 weeks into the program with my chiropractor, things started really making a change.  I was not eating much sugar or dairy, and no wheat at all.  I was also taking a supplement called Antronex, which supports the liver and also the body's natural antihistamine function.  And now, 7 weeks after starting, I feel better than I have in over a year.  All without the help of allergy pills, more steroids, more antibiotics, or my inhaler.  I have no side effects!  I am still in awe.

Another reason I started going to the chiropractor was for my fertility issues.  I'm on a number of supplements to support my adrenal and thyroid glands, because they are not functioning properly.  And without going into too much detail, I'll just say that the supplements plus dietary changes have really gotten my body back to doing what it's supposed to be doing, and I'm really excited!

And finally, the other thing I wanted to "fix" was my stomach, and the major pain and cramping that I've been experiencing on and off for almost 3 years.   Unfortunately, we haven't quite nailed that one down yet.  We did discover that I'm very lactose intolerant (which I kind of already knew), so I'm really limiting my dairy consumption.  However, this weekend my stomach pains were the worst they've ever been.  I have been drinking a bit of Diet Coke, and adding Stevia or Ideal sweeteners to things.  So my guess is that it's either the caffeine or the sweeteners that are irritating my stomach, and I might just need to stay away from them.  I guess I just have a really sensitive stomach, and I'm going to have to watch what I eat for the rest of my life in order to avoid being sick all the time.

As far as weight loss goes, I've lost about 12 pounds since a year and a half ago, when I was my highest weight ever, but about 7 pounds since I actually started the program.  I feel great, and my clothes are fitting much better, and most of my pants are getting too big.  I am really excited about this, and it is great to not be dreading swimsuit season this year!  I a starting to run 3 days a week to get a little more toned as well.  My goal is to look the same, and be the same weight as I was on my wedding day.

Just to touch on the Prism Diet a bit...it's been difficult!  The diet is extremely strict and rigid.  However, I'm finding a lot of great things that I can still eat.  Here's an example of what I might eat on a normal day:

Scrambled eggs and fruit for breakfast

A salad and some form of protein for lunch. For example, yesterday I had a salad of spinach, strawberries, sunflower seeds, and balsamic vinaigrette, with a few slices of leftover pork tenderloin.

For dinner I usually make some form of protein, vegetables, and a starch.  Last night I baked chicken marinated in this honey mustard sauce (it's like my favorite thing right now), sauteed yellow squash and onion, and brown rice.  

I also usually have a snack sometime in the evening.  Some examples of the snacks I've been eating lately are: grapes, strawberries, nuts, oatmeal, or anything with peanut butter (all natural) if I still have a lot of calories left for the day (I am trying to stay between 1,000 and 1,200 calories per day based on Prism's requirements).

Overall, I'm feeling great and seeing great improvements in my whole life.  From being able to go outside for more than a few seconds without wheezing for the rest of the night, to having softer hair and stronger nails.  I don't think I'll ever go back to my bad eating habits, because I feel like a new person!

What I'm Eating

Before I get into some of the yummy things I've been eating lately, let's recap the things I'm not eating:

• No wheat.  Most wheat is not allowed during the Prism diet (which started Monday) and avoiding it will also help my thyroid to work better.
• No sugar, basically.  This is per Prism's requirement.  I am  only allowed to have products that contain sugar if it is listed 5th or further in the ingredients list.
• No milk.  I have a milk sensitivity, and it is probably making my allergies much worse.  This is is surprisingly proving to be the most one difficult for me.  

Okay, so if those are the things I can't eat, then what the heck is left?!

I've actually been very shocked these first few days of Prism at how much I am finding that I can still eat.  And I'm really enjoying it!

Basically, I've been eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, rice, and meats.  I've been loving rice cakes with Smucker's all natural peanut butter, and sometimes with Smucker's strawberry Simply Fruit spread too.  Yum.  I like that for breakfast when I don't have eggs, because it fills the void where toast would normally be. I also like to have two for lunch sometimes in place of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I just have to be a little careful, because peanut butter is pretty high in calories. 

As far as snacks go, I've been on a huge strawberry kick these past few days.  As I've mentioned before, I'm not a huge fruit person.  But I do love strawberries!  I'm going to have a field day when they're in season here!  I see many trips to White House in my future.

Also, I've been really enjoying those cocoa roast almonds I talked about a couple weeks ago.  I have to make sure I eat just one serving, because I think I could seriously eat the entire container in one sitting if I let myself!

And I discovered these almond nut thins in the organic section of Giant Eagle: they were on sale for $2 a box!  And they are made with almonds and rice flower, totally sugar and wheat-free.  I am technically not allowed to eat them during this stage of prism since they are crackers/chips, but I'm going to remember them for later.

Dinner is definitely the most challenging, yet most fun meal to plan.  Here are some things I've made lately:

One night I was really hungry for tacos, but obviously couldn't use a taco shell.  So I just put down a bunch of lettuce, and piled all the toppings on that.  It was delicious, and totally hit the craving.  (This was before I found out I couldn't have milk).  Admittedly, this was before I started Prism and calorie counting, so I would probably really watch my portion size next time, because I'm sure it's full of calories.

It's warming up here a lot this week, and I thought burgers would be perfect.  So Luke ate his the normal way, and I ate mine without the bun (and sadly, without cheese).  I piled it with lettuce, tomato, and sauteed onions.  I couldn't use ketchup because it contains sugar, but did you know mustard not only is sugar free, but it has 0 calories?  I was excited to see that!  I told Luke I thought my burger actually tasted better without the bun because I could taste it more.  And I didn't feel bloated afterwards from all that bread.  I served it with rice and sauteed yellow squash and onions.  It was a delicious and felt totally summer-y.

I found this chicken and rice soup on Pinterest a long time ago, and have been wanting to make it.  

Source: picky-palate.com via Jessica on Pinterest

When I realized it was Prism-friendly, I made it last weekend.  It was really good, and really low in calories! Totally filling, too.  Here's my picture, which again, looks nowhere near as good as the original one.  I can't figure out if I'm a bad cook, or if my iPhone camera just isn't doing these soups justice.  Hopefully it's the latter, because I thought it tasted pretty good! (I promise the chicken was cooked completely...I don't know why it looks kinda pink in this picture!)

Finally, last night I tried a recipe our Prism leaders shared.  I didn't take a picture, but it was basically just chicken with sauteed peppers and onions with salsa served over brown rice.  It was really good!  I have some leftovers for lunch, and I kind of can't wait to eat them later :-).  

Well that's about it for this week.  I've been going pretty strong with Prism since Monday, and have been staying under my calorie limit pretty well.  Unfortunately it's going to be really hard to do that with Luke's birthday (we're celebrating tomorrow evening).  It's kind of sad that I'll have to avoid the cake, but I guess it will be worth it in the long run.

Let's Talk About Food!

Now that I've started eating a lot healthier, I'm finding that there are tons of delicious things to eat that aren't processed or full of sugar or carbs.  I thought I'd share a few of my new favorite snacks or dishes I've found this week.

For Breakfast:

Eggs

I like them either scrambled or hard-boiled.  Eggs are full of protein, they fill you up, and they cut down on cravings.

Fruit

They give me a little something sweet for my sweet tooth.

For Lunch:

Salad - lately I could live on salads with lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, tomato, avocado, and Ranch dressing.  I found a Ranch dressing in the organic section of my grocery store that is Prism friendly. And I'm told there's one at Aldi's too!

or...

Plain rice cake(s) with peanut butter. This also helps to satisfy my sweet tooth.

For Dinner:

Brown rice, veggies, and meat. 

Tonight I blanched some broccoli, then topped it with parmesan, garlic powder, and salt, and roasted it.  It was delicious! (sorry for the blurriness, I cropped the picture on my iPhone, and I think that's what did it)

Snacks:

Sunflower seeds (even though they do contain some calories and fat, nuts and seeds have tons of good stuff in them!)

Fruit, again

Nuts, including my new favorite thing...

Cocoa roast almonds

  

These are seriously delicious.  And I'm told they are Prism friendly!  I'm sure I will be snacking on these a lot (in moderation, of course).  If you haven't tried them, please do!   You'll thank me later!

Favorite restaurant meals:

I thought I would have a hard time finding healthy options at restaurants, but it hasn't been too difficult so far, and it's fun to try things on the menu that I haven't tried before.  

This is for the locals, but at Grinders I tried the Island Teriyaki rice and veggies.  It was delicious, and I will definitely be ordering it again!

At Panera, I tried the Greek salad for the first time, and it was so good!  I want to go back soon and order it again.  If you've never had it, it's Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese, red onions, Kalamata olives, pepper, and Greek dressing.  

What are your favorite go-to healthy recipes or snacks?  I am so new at this, and I love hearing new ideas!