Chipotle Steak Salad

One of my favorite things to eat!!  I'm craving one right now, just thinking about it!  

Chipotle's Steak Salad!!  Yummm!! 

If you go to:  http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/menu/nutrition_calculator/nutrition_calculator.aspx  you can input what you want to get and see how many carbs it is as well as everything else.

When I'm craving Chipotle I usually get their Steak salad with brown rice, black beans, sour cream, cheese, and the vinaigrette.  If you plugged all that in, you can see my carbs are Really high!  Too high in fact, but I know that if I eat only about half of this, then I will be cutting my carbs almost in half, and that's do-able for me.  (I usually can only eat about 1/2 or 3/4 of this anyway).  Or I will do without the brown rice or substitute the dressing, or both.  You've got to pick and choose, and think about what you can do without and what will make your levels go up. It's all about the portions! I know that when I want something like Chipotle, I've got to have some self control in how much I eat.

I just wanted to show you that you can have what you want or are craving.  You just either have to have it in moderation, or portion it out.  More protein and vegetables than carbs.

Hope this helps!  Enjoy your Yummy Chipotle Salad!  :0) 

Mini Quiches

I found this recipe while watching TV.  It was a short clip on this simple recipe and I've kind of tweaked it a couple of times, to how I like it and how it works for me.  So you can play around with this recipe quite a bit with new variations.  I added an avocado with mine, because I Love them, and because being on this diet I don't gain much weight, so I was told to eat the "Good Fats" aka: Nuts, Avocados, and Butter (just to name a few), to start gaining weight.  

INGREDIENTS:

• A Muffin pan 
• 4 Multigrain and high in fiber bread 
• About 2 Large eggs 
• Milk (if your diet allows you to add a little bit)
• Diced Spinach (a little goes a Long way, I always end up with extra.  I take a little bit at a time and chop it up and add more if I need to)
• Colby Cheese 
• S/P
• Avocado (Optional)

Spray your muffin tin with Pam or the cooking spray of your choice, and Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  

Cut a circle out of your bread, big enough to fit in the bottom of your muffin pan.  I use a cup or whatever I can find that fits the size close enough.  (If your circle is a little big that's ok, you just kind of stuff it in there).  Lay your bread in the muffin tins as your base.  If it pops up that's okay too, it will go down once you pour the mixture on top of it.  

In a bowl, mix together eggs, diced spinach, milk, s/p, and cheese.  Pour mixture over the bread until it's about 1/4 from the top.  The bread will tend to soak up some of the mixture so you can go back and add a little more if you'd like.  Sometimes I'll top it off with some cheese on top. 

Place in the oven and bake until golden brown.  About 10-15 min.  

Let it cool and then eat and enjoy with an avocado!!  This has become one of my favorites and a staple in my house!!  

2 eggs makes about 4 mini quiches.  

Note:  I am able to add a little bit of milk to mine, because I'm not using the whole piece of bread for each mini quiche.  Even still be sure to test your levels and see what works for you.  One quiche might be the only amount you can eat, but they are filling, and my kids like them too! 

El Pollo Loco's Grilled Chicken Salad

I was running around trying to get all my errands done and realized I hadn't eaten anything in a long time.  So I drove through El Pollo Loco and got a Grilled Chicken Salad WITH the creamy cilantro dressing.  Hoping there was enough protein and vegetables, that my numbers wouldn't be high (and not really caring as much at this point because I was So hungry), and guess what?  My numbers were low, almost too low.  I probably could have had something else to eat with this particular salad.

Nutritional Information (w/o dressing): 

Serving Size	13.18 oz
Calories	240
Calories from Fat	70
Total Fat	8g
Saturated Fat	2.5g
Trans Fat	0g

Cholesterol	75mg
Protein	26g
Carbohydrates	19g
Sodium	570mg
Dietary Fiber	3g
Sugars	4g

Nutritional Information (w/Creamy Cilantro Dressing):

Serving Size	13.18 oz
Calories	680
Calories from Fat	490
Total Fat	54g
Saturated Fat	10g
Trans Fat	0g

Cholesterol	110mg
Protein	28g
Carbohydrates	22g
Sodium	1160mg
Dietary Fiber	4g
Sugars	7g

I almost never use all of my dressing.  At the location I go to by my house, they give me a generous amount, which I Love!!  (I'm Totally a dressing kind of girl).  I can always eat a whole salad and I use about 1/2 or 2/3 of my dressing.

Low Carb Chicken Enchiladas

Okay, so I saw this recipe on Pinterest and had it last night!! Sooo Good!!  And it IS Low Carbs!!  I found the blog that it came from so I am going to share the link, since this is NOT My recipe:
Dashing Dish
So if you want the Full details of how this recipe came to be and ALL the facts, it's all on that link above.  I will give you the Beautiful picture it came with and a little description and facts.

Doesn't this look just Amazing and Sooo Good!!!   Well, it is!!!  And they take a Lot better of pictures than I do.  Lol

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups Chicken breast (cooked & shredded)
• 1/2 cup Canned diced tomatoes 
• 3/4 cup Enchilada sauce
• 1/2 cup Salsa
• 1 tsp Enchilada seasoning (or taco seasoning)
• 1/2 cup Low fat cottage cheese, blended smooth OR 4 oz (1/3 less fat) cream cheese softened (I used the cream cheese)
• 1 cup Corn
• 1 cup Black beans
• 4 High fiber tortillas (cut into quarters)  (I actually used regular tortillas and my Glucose levels were still fine) 
• 1/2 cup Shredded mozzarella or reduced fat cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cup Chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9x9 inch baking dish w/Pam or whatever you choose.

1. In a medium bowl, mix chicken w/the 1st 6 ingredients. In separate small bowl, mix corn & black beans.
2. Pour the chicken broth in a shallow bowl.  Dip the tortillas in the broth, just long enough to get them moist (like you would with French Toast)
3. Layer 4 tortillas on the bottom of your dish.  Then add the chicken mix, and then the corn and bean mix.  Repeat these layers (Tortillas, chicken mix, corn & bean mix) ending w/the tortilla layer. 
4. Top w/shredded cheese
5. Bake for 25-30 min or until cheese is melted. 

Carbs: 20g, Fiber: 5g, and Protein: 31g

So try this out!!  I Know you won't regret it!  The ingredients seem like a lot, but it's not.  It's Really easy to make!! 

Cheese and Egg Sandwich

So I grew up making these.  It's fast and easy.  Being a mom and trying to get things done and clean and whatever else, this is nice when you need to make something quick to put in your mouth, to feed your hunger, and your growing baby.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 slices of Mulitgrain, High in Fiber Bread
• Monterey Jack Cheese (or cheese of your preference) 
• 1 Egg 
• S/P
• Butter

Toast your bread and butter it.  Crack your egg in a microwavable bowl, add Salt and Pepper to taste and whisk. Then stick it in the microwave for 1 min.  Slice some cheese to put on your bread and then add your backed egg and Voila!!  Your fast and yummy Cheese and Egg Sandwich!  How easy is that!! :0)

Breakfast Burrito

I'll make these in the morning sometimes or my husband will cuz for some reason they seem to taste better when he makes them.  :0)

For me, I'm still playing around with the ingredients. Sometimes my glucose levels are fine and sometimes they spike a little.  Once, I figure out what makes the difference I'll be sure to post it.  I'm thinking if I use 2 eggs my numbers seem to be better.  I'll let you know.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Flour tortilla (Wheat is better and probably won't make your levels spike, but I can't stand the wheat, I've tried many times.  So if you do, let me know if it makes a difference for you or not.  I'm curious)
• Monterey Jack Cheese (Or cheese of your preference)
• 1 Egg (2 Eggs, if your dietician lets you) 
• 1 slice of Lunch meat (I usually use Turkey, you can use whichever you'd like.) 
• Salsa
• S/P (Sometimes) 

First, I spray pam in my pan. Then, scramble my eggs and sprinkle some cheese and mix it up.  I also cut up my meat and distribute that as well and mix it in pretty good.  I'll add Salt and Pepper if I want.  Once the egg mixture is to my liking then I place it in the middle of my tortilla, add my salsa and a sprinkle a little more cheese on top of the salsa, then roll it up like a burrito.  Fold in the top and bottom then roll the sides, so nothing can fall out.  (I hope that makes sense.)  Place it back on the stove in the pan and let the heat kind of seal up the fold, so it keeps everything from falling out when you go to eat your burrito.  So when it's getting a little brown on the tortilla, then it's done.  Put in on a plate and enjoy!!  

The only real Carb in this, is the tortilla and depending on how much salsa you put in your burrito as well.  The rest is pretty much Protein (Cheese, Egg, and Meat). So that's why it shouldn't spike your glucose levels too much.  But like I've said before, everybody tests differently, and even each pregnancy is different.

This is one of my favorites!!  I'll try and get some pictures the next time my husband or I make it!! 

Activia Yogurt

This is a perfect snack to have in between meals.  The Light brand is better than the regular and it tastes the same.  Plus, it's good to help regulate your digestive system if you need it.  Sometimes that's a problem when your pregnant.  It has been with some of my pregnancies.  

There are a variety of flavors and some of the Nutrition Facts is a little bit different, but not enough to make a difference.  If you're not sure, just check the Nutrition Facts real quick before you buy it while you're at the grocery store.  

I absolutely Love these!!