the 100th post!

On the menu for this evening (which I am currently eating):
2 Cajun Turkey burgers (with diced onion, mushroom and jalepenos inside)
atop half a Weight Watchers Bagel each, and smothered in Jarlsberg Light Cheese (1 pt a slice!)

YUM-O! And for lunch tomorrow is left overs from LAST night's dinner: brown rice, black beans with chopped onions and garlic and jalepenos and jumbo shrimp.

I eat healthy. But eating healthy is very expensive. As I get ready to move into my own apartment, I've been budgeting my money in the new year and really trying to figure out where it all goes. I found out last night.

Food.

In the month of January alone, I've already spent about $217 of my money JUST on groceries. I still have another week left and another food bill. I usually buy fresh veggies and meats, some dairy products and then the left over items are dry goods like Kashi Bars, breads and whole wheat pastas. I buy WW microwave meals on sale. I've been purchasing a lot of soups as the cold weather is perfect for it.

Today I discovered the wonders of FROZEN veggies. In researching if fresh is better than frozen, I came across a ton of info that suggests frozen is equal to, if not better than, fresh veggies:
Google Answers

The vitamins and nutrients in fresh fruits and vegetables break down
over time as they are exposed to light and air. Considering that some
produce arrives at the grocery store up to two weeks after harvest,
and often sits on the shelf for some time thereafter, frozen produce
can actually be BETTER than "fresh" in some cases. In addition, fresh
produce may be improperly stored in transit and in-store, resulting in
lost vitamins. Don't worry too much about nutrient loss in frozen
produce: it's generally processed and flash-frozen close to the source
of harvest, retaining its nutrients.

When buying fresh produce, look for what's in season and locally
grown, as these selections will be freshest and relatively high in
nutrients. Buy your not-in-season produce frozen to keep a good
variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet while not compromising
nutritional value. Note that frozen vegetables which have been thawed
and refrozen will not be as nutritious as those kept frozen.

Finally, should you decide to entirely forgo fresh produce for the
ease and convenience of frozen, rest easy - the International Food
Information Council says that fresh, frozen and canned vegetables are
basically identical in nutritional value (though canned produce is
often higher in sodium). Some people prefer the taste of fresh
produce, but if this isn't an issue for you, continue to eat your
frozen veg with a peaceful mind.

I figured I might as well make this fatgirlblog informational for you. I would get bored just reading about how I drank the weekend away or didn't lose the weight I had hoped to, if I were you. I know some of you stalk just to check up on me and see how I'm doing. Now I can give you some additional reading that will help you too!

Next time: Did Jillian go back down to 163 or less? And what kind of music is the best to work out to? ALSO-the benefits of turkey sausage.