"Polyphenols are compounds found primarily in plants, especially in naturally ripened, dark-skinned fruits and vegetables. Current research suggests they may play a significant role in promoting health and preventing disease." Quote from "Made to Crave Action Plan" by Lysa Terkeurst & Dr Ski Chilton.
The list is full of VERY yummy Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seed and additional sources. The downside is that for those of us in a single income home it can get expensive to fill up on the apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, and strawberries that are high in polyphenols. Especially when we live 2 hrs from the nearest Costco or Walmart to buy frozen varieties of them.
My personal challenge this week was to fit as many of these powerful foods as I could into my existing menu. I am using the Weight Watcher Simply Filling method for healthy eating and much to my delight the things that I am learning in MTC Action Plan are things that I have already incorporated into my life.
Back to the food... One affordable fruit with high polyphenol levels is apples. We bought a 5 lb bag of apples for $4.99 this week. (A great deal for our area!) Walnuts are on the "seeds with polyphenols" list as are flax seeds. Cinnamon also made the list for additional sources of Polyphenols.
Putting these into breakfast with my oatmeal was a perfect way to keep the budget intact and still fill up on some really great nutrients!
You are looking at a bowl of oatmeal with an apple, 1 Tablespoon walnuts, flax seed, cinnamon and nutmeg. I got my morning serving of dairy by adding Fat free milk with it. With the Simply Filling plan I only needed to count points for the tablespoon of walnuts 1 PP and the rest fit exactly into the power foods that I eat daily!
And for a snack later...
Yes, Dark chocolate is on the polyphenols list. Today's snack for me is a square of Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt.
“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat” Matthew 5:6, MSG
Thanks for posting what you've tried this week. Love the ideas.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cynthia. I wish I would have actually listed all of the things that we normally put into our meals that are polyphenols. It's pretty amazing when you realize that you are already using them!
DeleteGreat job incorporating those in :) You can also add flax to muffins, yogurt :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Oh, my poor family finds flax in a lot of things :) I actually just sprinkle it on salads too and it's a fairly big hit. Amazing what you can put it in, isn't it? Have a blessed week!
DeleteThanks,for,sharing! I too struggle,with how to eat healthily on a budget and I love your breakfast idea! I too am doing the made to crave action plan and I. So excited! God bless!
ReplyDeleteThanks Debbie! It was fun to see that we were already using them in our regular meals. I think that eating seasonally really helps the budget and looking at the polyphenol list shows me a ton of "seasonal" foods that go on sale. I'm glad you're doing the MTC Action plan too! It's awesome, isn't it? Have a blessed week!
DeleteGreat info here budget wise..thank you!~Mary from Group 31
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary :) Blessings to you!
DeleteGreat ideas! Thank you...I will go in search of dark chocolate tonight!! Are you following WW?
ReplyDeleteHi Linda, thanks! :) Dark chocolate can be a "trigger food" for me so I limit myself to it a time or two a week. Yes, I am following WW Simply Filling plan with a few "tweaks". I don't eat "fake" food (fat free cheese, sugar free, etc.) so I used my weekly points for things like a little bit of real butter or cheese. I initially lose the first 70 lbs doing the WW "Core" program (which was very similar to Simply Fillings). I find that I focus too much on food and think about it every minute if I'm always figuring out points so for me, just eating healthy foods works so much better! Enjoy your dark chocolate and have a blessed week!
DeleteLove chocolate and apples. Sonya from group 31
ReplyDeleteWe eat apples often since they are budget conscious so I was happy they were on the list! (and that dark chocolate is a favorite of mine!) Blessings
DeleteWow, what awesome information. I think I might have a new breakfast dish, and you can't go wrong with a piece of salted dark chocolate in the afternoon.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you Deb! I'm glad that you got a new idea. I really love steel cut oats but they take so long to cook that some mornings I need a "grab it and go" breakfast. Oh, so true that you can't go wrong with a piece of salted Dark chocolate! LOL! :) Have a blessed week!
DeleteSo glad Apple's are on the list. I got some dark chocolate today that was 85% cacao...did not taste good. I think I will try the 60 or 70 % next time. I don't want to waste calories or money on chocolate that doesn't taste good.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I agree that I like the lesser % of cacao in my chocolate. For me, it is more of a "treat" than medicine as it can be a real trigger food for me!
DeleteAll great ideas and everything looks yummy!! Thanks for linking up today!! :) ~Shelly (OBS Team)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shelly. It's always fun to join in the blog.
DeleteThanks for talking about the need to do this on a budget! That is SOO me :) God bless ~ Miriam
ReplyDeleteThanks Miriam! It was fun to see all week what I could add into the existing menu. God bless!
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