Day 5 - The Daily Plate/Eat Smart bagged veggies

I found a great web site today called The Daily Plate which makes looking up nutrition info on foods super easy. Here's what I had to eat today.

7AM -  Apple (on the way to a delivery) - 55 cal

10AM  Amy's Spinach Tofu wrap  (between patients) 310cal

2PM    Moroccan Stew - (between patients) 170 cal

3 cups coffee with skim milk, 75 cal

5PM   Grilled tuna sandwich with spinach, on whole grain bread - 400 cal

7PM   Stir fried boneless chicken thighs with broccoli, snap peas, carrots on sticky rice - 400cal

Total 1410 cal

Obviously , my calories were mostly at the end of the day, which is one reason I had to make the tuna sandwich before dinner - I was fairly hungry when I got home. Clearly it would have been better to eat a "beefier" lunch, but today was one of those days when lunch was missed in favor of work. A diet no-no. I'll have to make sure I have some cashews or similar high protein snacks, for the next crazy day.

All in all not bad, and I am not famished as I write at 9:30 PM. Actually I was surprised at the 1410 calories, since I felt like I ate a lot at dinner, but it was 70% green veggies, which don't add many calories but are filling a full of nutrients. 

One last note, though I am usually a chop it yourself kind of guy, I opted tonight to use a bag of Eat Smart Vegetable Stir Fry from the fresh produce section, which had broccoli florets, snap peas, shredded broccoli, carrots and red cabbage. The packaging uses the new BreatheWay technology that keeps the contents from getting soggy and rotten, and I have to say works beautifully. The broccoli and peas were super crisp, much better than the one I usually get under the sprayers in the fresh produce aisle. As if they came right out of the garden.  

I tossed the whole bag into a very hot Chinese wok after the chicken, canola oil, garlic & ginger, and a dash of soy. The cooking process took about 60 seconds, but then I have a pretty powerful stove which scares my wife. Your mileage may vary. 

Note - While Chinese restaurants usually use peanut oil for its high smoking point, canola may be a better compromise for health and high temperature. Extra virgin olive oil smokes at too low temp and is waste of money for this purpose, since the delicate flavor you pay for is lost in the fire. Grapeseed oil is also an option, with a neutral flavor and med high smoke point.

The label on the veggies says they can be microwaved in the bag by piercing the bag with a fork and 'waving them for 3-4 minutes. These can then be added to precooked meat chunks (think leftover steak, chicken breast or pork chop) with a dash of soy sauce from one of the little packets that most of us have in a drawer somewhere, for a great low fat, high nutrient/fiber meal. No excuses not to eat something fresh and green and hot, even at work! 

Just a suggestion.