What Does a Dietitian Eat? Part II (Day 2)

Day two looked like the following:

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with banana, almonds, brown sugar, flaxseed; ½ cup cottage cheese with pear syrup; skim milk; water
• Lunch - Pressed ham and cheddar sandwich on a wheat bun with spicy mustard, lettuce, and thinly sliced apple; ½ of an apple; water
• Snack - Vanilla yogurt with stewed mixed berries
• Dinner - Salad with baked chicken, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrot, green onion, crushed pita chips and feta dressing; water
• Dessert - ½ apple

Approximately: 1534 calories (23% fat, 27% protein, 50% carbs); 15 g saturated fat (8%), 185 mg cholesterol, 25 g fiber, 1417 mg calcium

My target numbers: 45 - 65% carbs, 20 - 35% fat, 10 - 35% protein (less than 10% saturated), at least 25 g fiber, less than 300 mg cholesterol, at least 1000 mg calcium

Comments: Day two and still no coffee...I'm going to brunch Saturday morning so I may let myself have a cup then, but not until. I had a smaller bowl of oatmeal this morning and after eating it (and drinking a glass of milk), I still felt hungry. So that's when I decided on the cottage cheese. I sweetened it with a little juice from some canned pears that I reduced to a syrup.

Lunch was yummy and filling. Yes, I do put fruit on my sandwiches sometimes! I really like apple/pineapple/pear and ham together. I couldn't find 100% whole wheat buns at Whole Foods, just regular wheat. What's the difference? Well the first ingredient on the list is organic wheat flour, followed by filtered water, organic whole wheat flour, etc. So the first ingredient isn't whole wheat flour, but there is some...and some is better than none! Each bun still has about 2 g fiber, which is acceptable.

Dinner was very filling too. The dressing that I've been using on my salad is delish! If you like feta, please give it a try!

Creamy Feta-Red Wine Vinegar Dressing
adapted from davidlebovitz.com (he wrote the ice cream book that I love)

Makes about 1 cup (or 8 2-tablespoon servings)

4 ounces feta cheese
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon finely-chopped fresh oregano (or a pinch or two of dried oregano...Italian seasoning would work too)
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons water
salt and black pepper

Mash the feta, vinegar, and oregano with a fork until fairly smooth. Mix in the olive oil and water, until smooth. Taste first (because the feta is already salty) and then season with salt and pepper. This dressing will keep for four days in the refrigerator. (After mashing the feta, I added all ingredients to a jar and shook it to combine everything else).

Per serving (2 tablespoons): 69 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated), 1 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 2 g protein (exchanges: 1 ½ fat)

Comments: The original recipe says it makes 3/4 of a cup, but I ended up with about 1 cup; David suggests serving it 1) over a Caesar-ish salad with romaine lettuce, red onions, and garlic croutons, 2) alongside tabbouleh, 3) mashed with canned tuna fish and chopped capers or green olives and scallions, 4) drizzled over a plate of seasonal tomatoes with fresh chopped oregano, 5) tossed with a mix of winter greens, slices of pear, and toasted pecans, 6) over grilled chicken breasts or tuna steaks, 7) with falafel, or 8) as a dip for toasted pita chips, radishes, or raw vegetables. Its pretty good on my salad too!