The 2020 week 34 menu plan is complete and also completes last week’s fuel cycle. I must admit that this time was not as difficult as in the past, mainly due to finding more satisfying fuel pull entrees. The week ahead is filled with eat again meals as well as some interesting new additions.
Breakfast
The 2020 week 34 breakfast menu has only two new additions. I had hoped to make the frittata weeks ago but it was bumped in order to do the fuel cycle. The new oatmeal recipe simply sounds good, but I need to remember to make it the night before.
Lunch
The lunch menu proved to be oh so easy…eat agains all week. How effortless is that!
Dinner
Several of the dinners for 2020 week 34 are cook once/eat twice meals. Along with the repeats I am anxious to try several untried additions. The Hubby Lovin’ Chicken and Thai Basil chicken were bumped from previous weeks. Hubby Lovin’ Chicken is highly rated from the THM cookbook and I plan to combine the best of 2 Thai recipes to create my own rendition of Thai Basil Chicken within THM guidelines. The new Greek shrimp recipe is very intriguing. My daughter has ordered Green Chef once again next week, so she will be providing our dinner Tuesday.
Greek Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash Pasta
Green Chef Kale Salad with Pork
Hits
I have been making a lot of homemade dressings of late. I stopped for awhile because my mini processor gave out. What I learned is that mixing dressings in a small ball jar and giving a great shake works every bit as well. Store bought healthy dressings without sugar are hard to find and expensive, so I am constantly on the hunt for enjoyable homemade options. My deep S meals this week called for a deep S dressing. Not only did this fit the bill, but it was absolutely delicious on a tossed vegetable, avocado, bacon, and egg lettuce salad. Delish.
This recipe was a real surprise. So often when I make a dinner entree which is an E meal it proves to be unsatisfying in various ways, most likely because I love the heavier S meals with cream, and cheese. This recipe actually provides that creamy flavor with fat free yogurt. It was not only satisfying but also allowed for a rice accompaniment. As I reviewed the recipe more carefully I realized that if served with zucchini noodles it would fall into a Fuel Pull meal. That is really exciting since I rarely have a fuel pull dinner that satisfies.
I had planned a fussless quiche, but since I had provided the ‘Ole Buckeye with some Jimmy Dean Simple Scrambles I decided to try the baobab boost eggs…very satisfying. This is a great way to enjoy egg whites. The nutritional yeast makes a big difference in flavor.
The final fuel pull dinner planned was the lemon garlic chicken. Luckily I served this with an arugula salad. Since the chicken was rather bland, combining it with the salad was a great flavor combination.
Repeat Hits
I have had this gazpacho in the past made both ways…with sour cream and with yogurt. Obviously the sour cream S version is more satisfying, but the FP version of the cold soup is more enjoyable than I remembered.
I love that I can make a creamy (potato-like) soup that is not only low fat and low carb, but very tasty as well.
I have made this chicken only once in the past. Big mistake. It definitely needs to be on the meal rotation, especially since it is a fuel pull, leaving open so many different “side” options.
Food for Thought
I have been using nutritional yeast more and more in my cooking. It is amazing how much flavor it gives to a variety of dishes without the extra calories. Not only does it give a cheesy, nutty, savory flavor without adding those ingredients but it contains powerful antioxidants. In addition it provides additional protein, vitamins and minerals when added to soups and sauces. I add it when sautéing cabbage for great flavor without the calories of a cheese sauce.
Recap
The fuel cycle week has concluded. I can’t say that it did much for a kick start in weight loss, but it did get my focus back to the guidelines of the THM plan. I do find that I have more energy.
The individual meals planned ahead will feature fewer heavy S entrees and sides which unfortunately I have come to depend upon. I have also included at least one E or FP meal each day. Here’s to a healthy week of eating. Bon Appetit!
