Saturday, April 17, 2010

Microwave Oats

It's the weekend!



After making the kids Millet toast with peanut butter and turning on Saturday morning cartoons, I got to making my breakfast. After looking back at previous posts, I realize that it looks as though I don't eat breakfast. Not true. Breakfast is actually my biggest meal and the one I look forward to the most (as in I go to bed thinking about the following morning's breakfast).


Today's was the usual hot cereal mix. I know that everyone says that stove-top oats are so much better than microwave ones, but I like my microwave oats. I think they taste just as good and anything that saves me time in the morning is welcomed (sometimes I don't even shower until 3pm).



To make my cereal I mix Steel-Cut Oats with Roman Meal Hot Cereal. I found that this is the only "bowl" big enough to microwave my oats in. I have had many oat explosions when I have used to shallow of a dish. Because I weigh out my cereal, I simply put the dish on my food scale and add the ingredients.



  • 20g Trader Joe's Steel Cut Oatmeal (75cal, 1pt)
  • 36g Roman Meal Wheat, Oats, Bran, Rye and Flax Cereal (110cal, 1pt)


I never measure out my water. I just put enough in the bowl to cover the cereal completely. Microwave for about 4min. Depending on how much water I put in sometimes more, sometimes less. If I am cooking them the night before I leave a little more water in them as they soak it up in the fridge overnight.


I pour the cereal into the bowl and add my toppings.
  • 1/4 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (10cal, 0pt)
  • 1/2 Tbsp Chia Seeds (~30cal, opt)
  • Cinnamon

Delicious. Today's cereal was served with half of an orange and a Flat-Out Wrap (90cal, 1pt) with 16g Better N' Peanut Butter (50cal, 1pt).





Last night's dinner was another easy one. I had four packages of Trader Joe's Baked Not Fried Eggplant Parmigiana in the freezer. They always seem to fall out of the freezer when Jeff opens the door (eliciting some lovely words for Conner to repeat to his Sunday School teacher) so I was asked to please start eating them before they end up in the trash.
It does not look very appetizing, but it tasted great.
Baked Not Fried Eggplant Parmigiana (160cal, 3pt).
I added spinach to the top for some extra green.
On the side I had some broccoli and a slice of TJ's Whole Wheat toast (90cal, 1pt). I always seem to pick at the toast so that is why there are some bites already out of it.


Of course there was a salad too. It is much smaller than my usual "platter", but I was feeling lazy.
  • Mixed greens
  • Mushrooms
  • Cucumbers
  • Tomatoes
  • Carrots
  • 14g goat cheese (40cal, 1pt)
  • 2tbsp Whole Food's Fat Free Balsamic (2ocal, opt)


I might have had a chocolate Vitamuffin (1oocal, 1pt) with a scoop of Mocha Light Ice cream (100cal, 2pt) AND Vanilla Light Ice cream (100cal, 2pt) AND 7g mini chocolate chips (40cal, 1pt) topped with 15g of Reddi Wip (15cal, 0pt). I think I was hungry from my run earlier, but I stilled stayed in my calories and points for the day so it was all good.

That is one of the reasons I wanted to start this blog. I think people think that I don't eat and that is how I lost weight, but it is quite the contrary. I eat a lot, I just try to find a good balance. I also eat a veggie based diet. Whole grains, veggies and low-fat dairy seem to work for me. I do ALWAYS have dessert and I usually have a "cheat" day on the weekends. I know that some feel that "cheat day" is not a good term, but that is exactly what I feel it is. It gives me a break and allows my body a little shock that seems to keep my metabolism going. I did not do this as much when I was losing, but now that I am maintaining, my weekly "cheat day" works for me. I am off to a class at the gym and then who knows what is on the agenda for the day. I hope you have a relaxing Saturday.

Do you have a "cheat day" or do you give yourselves little treats throughout the week?

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