Week 21, Day 3

I love discovering new treats! Yesterday I went shopping at a store I hadn't been to for ages and it was like I'd never been there before. Since I've read the Michael Pollan books, my whole view of food has changed, and this store fell right into line with what I've been learning.

The store is No Name Nutrition (an Omaha store), and I never paid attention before to the fact that in addition to the usual line of nutritional supplements you can find at pretty much any good health store (sorry, but it's true), they carry frozen food. And to my delight they carry buffalo, grass-fed beef, and cage-free, grass-fed chickens. I know Whole Foods carries a lot of good meats, and I love that store. But Whole Foods is about 6 miles from me. No Name Nutrition is 2 miles.

So, tonight we feasted on buffalo hot dogs from The Buffalo Guys. Okay, "feasted" is maybe a bit of an exaggeration. But I felt like having fun by experimenting with new foods I'd never cooked before, and it sure was yummy. No hormones, no artificial colors, no MSG, no nitrates or nitrites, no fillers, just buffalo meat, salt, spices, and beet juice for color. Also no plumping when you cook them. That was a bit of a surprise. I got whole wheat buns at the store, and it took two hot dogs for each bun. I also added lettuce, cheese, and a bit of ketchup. And I'm stuffed. Very filling. The meat was spicy, though not unpleasantly so. It just had enough to give it a bit of pizazz. The flavor reminded me a bit of gyro meat, so I'm thinking maybe next time a light cucumber sauce would be good to try instead of a dab of ketchup. Oh yeah, buffalo hot dogs is definitely something we're getting again!

If you don't have a retailer near you that carries buffalo, you can order online from The Buffalo Guys. It's a little pricey, but totally worth it when you remember two things: 1) meat should only be the side dish and veggies should be the main part of the meal, and 2) eating healthier food saves you medical costs in the long run.

I also got a pound of ground buffalo from a nearby ranch, and I'll have that over the weekend. I'm still debating how to prepare that. Maybe rolled into meatballs. Or maybe some meatballs and some reserved to put in a couple of omelets. Either way, it doesn't have preservatives, so I'll have to cook and use it promptly. I'm looking forward to it! I'll keep you posted on what I do with it.

So...for food today, I had a bowl of cereal for breakfast and a peach smoothie for lunch. Then, of course, the hot dog thingie for dinner. Exercise hasn't been vigorous today, only about 15 minutes of walking. Actually, I don't feel very well -- kind of like I'm catching something. And frankly, I didn't feel like doing much.

Today's Tip:
Food should be fun! I'd never cooked buffalo before, but what fun I had experimenting with it tonight! Sure, it didn't cook up like I expected -- not plumping up like I thought they would -- but that just meant I got to be creative and add some cheese and lettuce, thus making a really yummy sandwich that filled us up well. Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and try new things as you eat different, healthier foods in your efforts to lose weight and work toward a healthier you.