Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Whatcha' Eat Today- Newlywed edition

Getting married is a beautiful thing but, it does come with lots of changes including, when and how you eat.   For some it's the first time you are on your own. You don't have mom cooking meals for you and you have to figure out the eating habits of your new spouse. In our first year together my husband and I ate like college students.  Fast food and late night dinners and I am ashamed to say we had a "goodie" cabinet stocked with family size bags of Doritos, chips, chocolate, gummy candies and many, many other not so good for you "goodies".  So I was curious to ask a newlywed, "whatcha' eat today" and here is what I got. Our food journal today belongs to a 24 year old new bride and recent transplant from Philadelphia to New York. 


When looking at her journal it took me back to those first years of marriage and sorry to say my 20 pound weight gain.
Day 1
Breakfast: None
Lunch: None
Dinner: Italian salad, Pasta with Chicken and mushrooms, glass of wine

Day 2
Breakfast: None
Lunch: None
Dinner: French fries, Buffalo wings
Dessert: Chocolate cake
Day 3
Breakfast: None
Lunch: None
Dinner: French fries and Buffalo wings
Snacks: Klondike Oreo bars, Doritos, Mike and Ikes
Day 4
Breakfast: McDonald's fruit cup and hash browns
Lunch: 10 piece nuggets and fries
Dinner: Buffalo wings
Dessert: Klondike Oreo bar
Day 5
Breakfast: Sausage, egg and cheese bagel with hash brown
Lunch: None
Dinner: None
Day 6
Breakfast: Cereal, milk and banana
Lunch: None
Dinner: Beef Pastelitos ( stuffed fried pastry) and Spanish rice
Snacks: banana, Doritos, clementine, yogurt
Day 7
Breakfast: Cereal, milk and banana
Lunch: None
Dinner: Beef Pastelitos ( stuffed fried pastry) and Spanish rice
Snacks: yogurt, fruit snacks and hot chips.
 I have two words for our newlywed: Mason. Jars.
Mason jars can be used for so many things from crafts to storage but for you I want you to use them for grab and go meals.  Let's start with breakfast.  Yes it's true, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and fuels us mentally and physically for whatever we have to do. But sometimes our schedules have us too busy to cook breakfast so overnight oats are a perfect recipe for you.
Overnight Oats
1/4 cup of dried raisins or cranberries
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 cup of milk ( I use almond milk)
1 Tablespoon chopped unsalted nut
16 oz. Mason Jar
Pour the raisins in the Mason jar then the oats and pour milk over top.  Cover the jar and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.  In the morning sprinkle the nuts on top.  This can be served cold, room temperature or heated up. 
Lunch and Dinner can be made just as easy with these simple Mason jar salads. 
Mason Jar Salad
2 oz. salad dressing
3 oz. of protein ( grilled chicken, tofu, beans etc.)
 Hearty Vegetables: cucumber, shredded carrots, bell peppers
Softer Additions: tomatoes, red onion, broccoli, mushrooms, nuts and seeds
Leafy Greens: Romaine, Spinach, Arugula, Mixed Greens
32 oz. Mason Jar
Start layering the jar with the dressing on the bottom, the hearty vegetables on top of that, the protein next and the softer additions on top of that and fill it to the top with leafy greens.  Cover the salad with the lid and refrigerate. To serve either shake the contents on to a plate or shake up and enjoy in the jar.  Here's what you will have.
Both of these recipes can be made up to two days in advance and you can play around with the ingredients and create your own on the go meals.  I hope this is helpful to our bride's new life and makes food one less thing to figure out in her new life. 
Have you used Mason Jars for meals?  If so what's your favorite recipe?

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