WIAW: Lower sugar foods

I don’t have a Tuesday Shoes-Day post for you, but I did just get a new pair of shoes in the mail today and bought a cute new pair of sandals on Sunday.  I’ll show them both soon

And yes it’s technically Tuesday, but I’m going to post my What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW) a lil’ early if that’s okay. 

But before I do that, I want to mention that I have successfully completed two days (out of the 8 weeks) of Tina’s Best Body Bootcamp (BBB) and I’m lovin’ it.  I’m not overly sore (thanks to all those personal training sessions) and the exercises are not ones I typically do so I’m entertained.  We’ve hit both the upper body and lower body and Wednesday is all about the core, to which I say bring it on.  I love working my abs.

Alright, back to WIAW – as I noted last week, I am trying to reduce my overall sugar intake, which requires revamping my eats just a bit. 

I’ve been desperate to find protein bars with a smaller sugar count.  How could I forget NuGo Slims?  They were kind enough to send me some about a year ago and I revisited the stats and am so pleased: 

The brownie flavor is my fave with the roasted peanut a close second.  And they’re sold through Soap.com — partner company with Diapers.com — so they are super easy for me to get with the ridiculous amount of things I purchase from the latter.  You can also get them at Whole Foods.

Another option is the Promax Lower Sugar bars.  They have 9g opposed to the typical 20g (?).  Given the choice between the two, I’d go with the NuGo though.

Earth Balance coconut & peanut spread:  wow!  This stuff is good.  If you’re  coconut lover, then you will surely appreciate the subtle coconut goodness that is in this mild, smooth PB.  It’s delish.  Pricey, but delish.  I even hooked a friend on it…sorry Jennifer!

SO Delicious coconut milk.  Again, in my quest for lowering my sugar intake, I’ve been exploring other milks.  This coconut milk is awesome.  Again, fabulous mild flavor and only 45 cals in 1 cup!  Oh and 1g of sugar per serving.  Not too shabby.

Finally, Trader Joe’s Greek Style 2% plain yogurt.  More great stats (1 cup):  160 cals, 5g sugar, 24g (!!!) protein.   This is super thick and creamy.  Yum!

A typical day of lower sugar meals:

• Breakfast: Brewed coffee with 1 tbsp sugar free creamer (<—not healthy, but not giving it up!), 1/2 cup old fashioned oats with about 50 cal scoop of vanilla protein powder, and a dash of cinnamon
• Lunch: Lentil quesadilla using TJ’s precooked lentils, a La Tortilla Factory low carb tortilla  with sharp cheddar shredded cheese (<1/4 cup) and topped with a hefty serving of spicy salsa
• Snack: 1 cup TJ’s Greek style yogurt with 1/4 cup fresh blueberries and more cinnamon
• Snack (2): ~16 almonds
• Dinner: Homemade soup (white chili chicken was a great one that my MIL made..yummm)
• Bonus: 1 glass red wine

Stats (rough estimate) = ~1400-1500, protein ~80g, sugar ~18g

Okay, your turn, what lower sugar foods are you loving? 

Are you participating in the BBB?

Curried potato stew

There is a chill back in the air in NorCal and I couldn’t be happier!  The fact that it is about 45 degrees and raining tickles me pink.  Yeah I’m weird like that.  I guess you can take the girl out of WI but not WI out of the girl

It’s days like these, that make me want soups and stews.  I made this Wed night and it was delish!

MMm, soup

Cooking Light Curried Potato Stew

• 1 large onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 cups peeled diced potato
• 3 cups butternut squash
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp red pepper
• <1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup frozen peas thawed
• 1 can diced tomatoes (with liquid)
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk

The cookin' goods

The midpoint

The feast

Since I didn’t change anything about the recipe, I probably should not post the directions verbatim.  But like any stew, there’s not much magic to it when you just toss everything in.  The only ‘hint’ I have is to lightly nuke the tators before cutting — this will speed up the cooking time on the stove as well.

The star

Oh and be warned, somehow this recipe made quite the mess!

The mess

Now I’m equipped with leftovers and ready for the weekend. 

In the meantime, I need to go get myself a Venti Non-fat 4-pump vanilla latte because nothing makes cold weather more bearable than coffee!

Are you a Cooking Light fan?  Or do you prefer another cooking magazine?

Favorite rainy day activity? Mine are (in no particular order): reading, coffee runs, movies, shopping, and mani/pedis (hmmm, not all that different from a regular day!)