Healthy Start 7 // Day 2

Welcome to our journey with the Healthy Start 7 eating challenge. Before you get started, read all about Day 1. Or just jump right in here on Day 2. And stay tuned for the whole week through Day 7. Plus, come back for all of my yummy original recipes that came out of this healthy eating challenge, like those pancakes from the other day that I want all the time now...Yum!

Really, just thank you for reading any and all posts on my blog. I appreciate it and enjoy!

::Breakfast::

Our meal plan suggested broiled grapefruit for breakfast, however I knew that was not going to fill us up so I opted to try this another day...and I skipped ahead to Day 4's breakfast. Quinoa cereal. I followed the Healthy Start 7 recipe for this (opting for strawberries, pecans and unsweetened coconut as toppings) and it was really good. It was a big hit with the little one. I think my hubby would prefer his steel-cut oats but that's okay with me. This will be a new protein-packed breakfast choice for me when I have leftover quinoa to use up...since quinoa has found a regular spot in my kitchen pantry after this week's challenge.  

::Lunch::

Nothing special today...just leftover salad. We're only a family of 2.5 and my husband ate all of his fresh and raw salads for the week at his work cafeteria. I was so proud of him for sticking to this healthy choice every day. The only time I've ever truly wanted to eat a salad every day, I was pregnant. I craved this homemade lemon salad dressing I make and I had to have it all the time. Haha, I guess I'll have to share that sometime for all the healthy mommies out there.

::Dinner::

This Quinoa and Veggies Stir Fry was definitely tasty and it was a miracle dinner in my book. Okay, shhh...this recipe totally allowed me to get my fantastic other/better half to eat some pretty wild vegetables he'd rather turn his nose up at. 1) mushrooms! He was a great sport and knew they were in there and ate this anyway. He's so committed. 2) eggplant, big wow here...I made sure to peel it as the recipe stated (genius, and why have I never tried that before?) and diced it super small. I also took the advice to buy a small size Japanese eggplant because it wouldn't be as bitter. 3) yellow squash, I normally get a weird look to anything with the word "squash" in it. Don't even know what that's about. 4) tomatoes: these guys are hit or miss but sliced so they don't get too hot inside and sautéed like this, he enjoyed them. 

The big hit in this recipe is the seasoning. There's so many seasoning options you can do with it. I opted for fresh parsley, basil and a special ingredient here that wasn't recommended in the original recipe...we topped it with Sriacha sauce for some kick. Woah! Flavor on so many levels I can't even explain it. Just go make it!