October 21, 2013.

Today's Check in: 11.7 lbs lost
33 days since starting Nutrisystem
Daily Calorie Target: 1620

Nutrisystem Foods Ate Today.

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Granola Bar: 150 calories
Lunch: Red Beans and Rice: 170 calories
Dinner: Flatbread Pizza: 270 calories
Snack: Chocolate Brownie: 170 calories

Non-Nutrisystem Foods:
Holey Donut Boston Crème Pie (219 calories)
 Mixed Fruit Cup in Water (no sugar added) 40 calories
Rice Cakes (Buttered Popcorn Flavor) 4 @ 35 calories each
I Can't Believe Light 45 Calories
1 TBSP milk, 2% counted as 1/8th cup 15 calories
Tyson Grilled Chicken Strips 3oz 100 calories
spoonful frozen spinach (uncounted)
spoonful frozen mushrooms (uncounted)
Sugar Free Pudding Cup: 60 calories
Reduced Fat Cool Whip: 15 calories
Total Calories:1296

I had a Holey Donut for actual breakfast this morning, so I saved my bar for a mid afternoon lunch. I've found eating light in the morning and more mid afternoon helps with late night hunger. My breakfast granola bar actually tasted pretty good. I recommend this one as is.

Lunch was a bit different. I had the Red Beans and Rice, which was a bit spicy to my taste buds. In order to take away some of the spiciness, I added a tbsp. of butter (fat), a tbsp. of milk (dairy), and a half tbsp. of rice vinegar (acids). All three are common fixes to reducing the spiciness of any number of dishes. I enjoyed the meal after adjusting it. It has pretty good flavor. As long as you reheat with water, the rice and beans have a good texture. The milk also served to make it seem less gummy, creamier, and fresher tasting. The butter....... well butter makes everything better.

For Dinner, I had the flatbread pizza. The crust is a little doughy to my tastes. Next time, I think I will put it in the toaster before I add my foods to it to make it a little bit flakier. The pizza sauce is pretty good too. It's not as salty as I prefer, but since I'm trying to live with less salt I can deal with it as is. The cheese is bland, and I don't like the texture of their cheese. I crave my cheese to be gooey. The cheese product is my main issue with all Nutrisystem pizzas (besides frozen). This time, I chose to make the pizza with a chicken, mushroom, and spinach additions. I microwaved frozen spinach and mushrooms in the microwave until it was soft, and also microwaved frozen grilled chicken strips. I added about 1.5 oz of chicken to the pizza and then snacked on the rest while I put the pizza together and melted the cheese in the microwave. It was very yummy and satisfying. Good fix.

For Dessert, I had the fudge brownie. To me, It had a bitterness from the shelf stable preservative that I didn't like, even though the overall taste is good. That bitterness seems to linger on the back of my tongue. I think maybe adding something to it next time, like a Sugar Free pudding cup and/or whip cream that could hide the aftertaste a bit. I added those to my dinner later because the kids interrupted me and the cat nearly made off with my brownie, so I chose to eat those separately tonight. Anyway, I put it up, opened, on a plate in the fridge for about an hour or so and it seemed to help with that aftertaste.

Introduction

My name is Carol. I'm a 35 yr old mother of two kids, E(5) and M (9). I'm currently on my fifth week of Nutrisystem. I came up with this idea in order to critique the meals I'm eating, and what I do to make those meals easier on the palate. I'm no Gordon Ramsey, but I know what I like and what I don't. So let's get started!