On Eating More Veggies

I think that I have said like five times that I was going to write a post about us eating a more plant-based diet.....well here it is folks! So, what is the reasoning behind this? My sweet hubby has got high cholesterol. Whomp. Whomp. We are 100% opposed to medications for this issue, Steven is 31 and I don't want him to become dependent on medicine. However, the issue could stem from genetics and he will always "have" high cholesterol OR it could really be that his eating habits are THAT bad when I'm not cooking ;)

But let's move on from that! After scouring the internet for days and reading some "out there" facts and seeing a lot of repetition, we decided that the fish oil + largely plant based diet + exercise was the correct route to take.

So after the internet, I then took to Pinterest to start looking for vegetarian recipes!! I also skimmed my vegan cookbook for ideas too!
What do we eat in a day?

Breakfast:
Hard Boiled Eggs
Kashi Trail Mix Bars
1/2 apple + peanut butter
Kashi Cinnamon cereal + almond milk ( we haven't drank regular milk in a long time! I buy Silk unsweetened, vanilla almond milk, 35 calories + 3 sugars! )

Lunch ( this is what I pack for Steven )
Veggie Sandwich ( nuts+seeds bread, jalapeno+cilantro hummus, cucumber, red pepper pieces, spring mix and sriracha )
Sea Salt + Black Pepper Triscuits
Mix of almonds or walnuts

Snacks:
Okra Pickles
Mini Sweet Peppers + hummus
Smartfood light cheddar popcorn
Kind Bars - THESE are my favorite flavor 
Since cantaloupes are in season right now, my favorite thing to do is sprinkle a little sea salt and pepper over some! Delish!!!

Dinner:
We eat a lot of "bowls", so the main layer will be romaine lettuce, and I try to use avocado or beans in most recipes for good fats and protein. The portabello steaks are on repeat and we love anything with a mexican twist! THIS salad dressing has a great flavor and its yogurt based so that caloric content is just a little bit better! Here's a few picks of what we've had lately:

Portabella Steaks!

Simple Salad + Summer Pasta

Greek Salad + Veggie Couscous Casserole

Tex Mex Bowl

Insert Random Title Bowl

Portabella recipe: HERE

Simple Salad: Spring Mix + Cucumbers + Tomatoes  + Garbanzo (chick peas) Beans
Summer Pasta: Whole wheat rotini + roasted kale + roasted red cabbage + tossed in pesto sauce

Greek Salad: Spring Mix + Feta + Chopped Sweet Peppers + Calmata Olives
Veggie Couscous Casserole: 1c Cooked Cousous, 1 bag steamable veggies, 1c italian cheese and chicken or veggie broth. While couscous is fluffing, cook veggies in microwave, heat oven to 350, mix all ingredients (only use 1/2 c cheese), use broth sparingly if mixture seems dry, spray casserole dish and cook for 10-15 minutes. In the last few minutes pull out and top with the other 1/2c cheese!

Tex Mex Bowl: Romain lettuce + Cowboy Caviar + Brown Mexican Rice + Avocado

Insert title here bowl: HERE

So there you have it folks, us eating more veggies! Now don't get me wrong, there is still meat in our diet. I will still cook chicken and we ate burgers (turkey) at the lake over the weekend. I had a #7 at Chick Fil A yesterday. I REALLY wanted a #1, but I knew that the grilled was better for my waistline for the beach this weekend. The hardest thing is to NOT buy cheese and pimento cheese. Cheese is a weakness for both of us, but with the fat + cholesterol ratio, its something that needs to be in our diet sparingly.

Will we eat like this for forever? We probably should! And I want to keep eating like this throughout the summer, I love a light and easy meal. Not to mention my debit card isn't cringing every time I swipe it at the grocery store!

I'm off to grab a Mediterranean wrap from the Publix deli for lunch! And a diet coke too :) DC's may be bad, but they're oh so good!