A Healthy Habit Journey: Post #15 from the SIL – Eat More Fat

Just a reminder: These Sunday guest posts are part of a series my sister-in-law is writing as part of a Healthy Habit Journey she is doing for the year. She relates her experiences trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle one habit at a time! Enjoy!

Healthy fat, that is.  July’s Cooking Light Challenge is to eat more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (i.e. the “good” fats that you find in fish, nuts, olive oil, avocado, etc.)

I’m ALL about that challenge.  I’m Greek and I’d die without olive oil and seafood.  I eat olive oil every day.  EVERY DAY.  I put it on all my veggies, use it to sauté food, and use it so my food doesn’t stick to my pans when I bake.  Sometimes it is PAM olive oil spray, sometimes it is extra virgin, and sometimes it is just regular olive oil.

Don’t get me wrong- I have a special place for truffle oil and sesame oil and grape seed oil and flax oil.  But olive oil will always be my favorite (especially when I find “infused” ones with garlic or rosemary or such).

I went to Dallas again to visit my friend Alischa and we hit up the farmer’s market.  I used my bounty all week to make amazing foods.  I bought an heirloom tomato to make a semi-caprese salad to go with sweet potato fries and a burger.  There is avocado smashed under the burger and stone ground mustard under the tomato, but you can’t see it.

The Hubby hates veggies.  It’s very hard to cook for us when we have very different cravings for dinner.  I wanted to eat my entire farmer’s market bounty and he hates tomatoes and zucchini (how can you hate gold bar zucchini?).  This was the result of our dinner on Tuesday:

Not my proudest moment, but I was happy with my veggies and he was happy with his beer battered fish sticks.  I did make a bean salad for us though (his without tomatoes) and he LOVED it.  Was it doused in olive oil and vinegar?  Oh yes it was.

I generally snack on almonds (good fat) during the day with fruit or yogurt and I’ve tried to get more non-cholesterol protein in me (i.e. the bean salad).  Eating super healthy has made me feel amazing these last two weeks especially since I’m struggling with the allergy shots (they are really knocking me out).  I still haven’t had any wine; I had half a red beer last night to go with our “breakfast for dinner” meal (that is Miller lite with V8 or tomato juice for you non-Okies; you may also sub in Coors lite).

I’m still going to yoga twice a week and strength training twice a week.  I also now do 20 minutes of strength training at home on Saturday or Sundays.  Cardio (walking) has dropped back to 5 days a week instead of everyday (I’m usually too tired on strength training days to do cardio).  PLUS, I’ve still been standing at my desk for 3-4 hours per day which really makes a difference.

On Saturday, (in honor of “eat more fat”) we went out with our friends to the new Creole restaurant that opened in Edmond- Bayou Grill and Bakery.

Sorry, no pictures.  I got the tilapia with a sweet potato and salad with balsamic vinegar.  I also had a Hurricane- it tasted just like the one I had in New Orleans at Mardi Gras circa 2003.

We sampled their fried green tomatoes, crab cakes, and oysters.  Our friends got the sampler combo and tried the shrimp creole, crawfish etouffee, jambalaya and gumbo with red beans and rice.  The Hubby had their fried chicken and okra.  We all split the Turtle Cheesecake and Chocolate Pecan pie.  It was really good and they had live jazz music.  The best part?  The service was IMPECCABLE.  Nicest servers we have ever had in Oklahoma.  We will go back!!

QUESTION:  What is your favorite healthy fat? Any recipe ideas you’d like to share?