So much of life seems random. We all encounter unexpected challenges. Planning what we can is a way of keeping a grasp on the reins of life, even if it is just our meal planning.
A few days ago, I made Herb-Crusted Chicken Thighs with a Feta Sauce and Mexican Corn as a side dish. It was a great meal. But although I knew that I would only need 4 pieces of chicken for the meal, I prepare eight pieces. “Planned overproduction” is a nicer way of saying “I made leftovers.” When you plan for this, it makes meals later in the week much easier and quicker to prepare.
Today’s lunch is a salad based on that earlier meal. I made a base of Napa cabbage, baby spinach and mixed greens. I topped it with one portion of Mexican corn, one Roma tomato diced, and 1/4 cup fresh blueberries. I topped that with one chicken thigh, cubed. For a dressing, I used one portion (1 tablespoon) of the feta sauce and thinned it with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Nutritional data for this meal:
Calories: 523
Fat: 35.3g
Sat fat: 8.1g
Chol: 89.8mg
Sodium: 729mg (almost from the Mexican corn)
Carbs: 33.5g
Fiber: 9.1g
Protein: 24.1g
My running is improving daily. Today I broke the 10 minute mark (jogged for 10:02, which is 0.87 miles at 5.2 mph) and felt really good about it. My knee started to hurt a little at about the 3 minute mark, but I pushed through it and the pain resolved. I think I need to make sure I am warmed up better next time.
It helps to have music to help me push through the discomfort. I am not close to the point where jogging is “fun” yet. It is still work, but with the right music on my iPod it becomes less work and more of a achievable goal. Here is one piece of music that has helped me make progress: