Healthy Meals: The good and the bad

Before I get to the food part of today’s #LetsLunch bunch post, I want to share with y’all some context for why healthy recipes and meals – this month’s #LetsLunch theme – are important to me.

As some of y’all know, about six months ago I started working out with a trainer for the express purpose of losing weight and feeling healthier. Since then, I’ve done a lot of complaining about the torture my trainer, Sami, has put me through and that I keep going back for.

In the midst of most workouts, all I can do is laugh at myself and/or wonder what in the heck I did to Sami in a past life to deserve the punishment she puts me through. But the workouts and torture are paying off.

I feel better, healthier and stronger. All of the numbers related to my weight are coming down. And all of the numbers related to what I can do physically are going up. For example, I’ve lost 25 inches from all of the major measurement spots. I can run five miles on the treadmill in 45 to 60 minutes depending on the day. Dreaded exercises that used to make my arms wobble on the first rep don’t tucker me out until the third round of 12 or 15 reps with a heavier weight. And over Thanksgiving and Christmas, I didn’t plateau or gain weight. No, I lost another three percent of body fat.

So, yeah. Progress. Lots of it. But more to go. Lots of it.

Hand in hand with working out to get healthier and thinner, I’ve had to improve my diet. It was never really all that bad, but my portions were nuts; I’m a post-dinner nibbler; and I have a habit a mindlessly snacking during the day.

In the past few months, I’ve relied on controlled portions, mindful eating and healthy snacks to give me the energy I need to do crazy workouts with my trainer without bogging me down or offsetting the calories burned during my training sessions.

On the good side of today’s Healthy Meals post for the #LetsLunch bunch, is my favorite snack.

Apples, peanut butter and little Italian crackers: Perfect for a light weekend lunch

A big crispy apple, preferably a Honeycrisp, a spoonful of peanut butter and a handful of some Italian crackers called I Taralli al Formaggio. The crackers are optional and actually take this snack up to a light lunch for me. With or without the crackers, I enjoy this snack because it tastes so good and makes me happy.

But a girl cannot live on apples and peanut butter alone. Nope. She needs something more. More varieties of nutrients. Something that’s more fun to make and more challenging because she’s never made it before.

Enter the frittata on the bad side of today’s #LetLunch post.

Oddly enough, this is one of the few egg dishes I’ve never made for myself. And I decided it was high time that I get off my duff and give it a try this week. I wish y’all could’ve been here. First, you might have saved me from my mistakes. Second, if you had just sat back and watched me (which would’ve been fine), you could’ve had a good laugh at the mess I made.

Frittata gone horribly wrong

As you can probably tell from the picture, this didn’t come out right at all. Having screwed up similar dishes before, I should’ve been prepared to avoid some rookie mistakes. But I was tired, a little distracted and wound up totally messing this up.

First of all, my pan was a little too small and a little too hot. Second of all, I used a recipe from Clean Eating magazine, but didn’t really follow the directions because I was halving the recipe and figured that even if I didn’t have one of the ingredients listed, it was fine because it’s a frittata and you can put whatever you want in it. Third, I’m pretty sure the ratio of egg to other ingredients was way off.

So, instead of coming up with a lovely, yummy egg dish. I came up with a burnt on the outside, runny on the inside nasty mess of bleh… I ate some of the slices of purple potatoes, but fed the rest to the garbage disposal. (a huge waste of food, I know, but it was awful. just awful.)

Oh well. That’s the point of The Kitchen Trials. You win some. You lose some. And some you just totally screw up.Guess I’ll just have to try again. After all, if I can eventually conquer the crazy exercises Sami comes up with for me, then surely I can whip up a frittata with some vague semblance of ease after I’ve practiced it a few times.

Now that you’ve read about my crazy antics, I highly recommend checking out the posts from the other members of the #LetsLunch bunch. Posts will be added as soon as they’re available and I’m able to link to them. Or check out the #LetsLunch hashtag on Twitter.

– A Tiger in the Kitchen: Watercress Soup

– Cooking in the Fruit Bowl: Spicy Cauliflower

– Cowgirl Chef:  Mandarin Orange and Arugula Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

– Dreaming of Pots and Pans: Thea’s Quinoa and Veggie Salad

– Free Range Cookie: Mesquite Date Muffins

– Hot Curries & Cold Beer: Curried Black-Eyed Peas, Brown Rice and Beer

– Showfood Chef: Avocado, Grapefruit and Shrimp Tartine