What's for Dinner

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/1539/low+gi+lentil+patties+with+roast+tomato+sauce

(this isn't my photo-disclaimer)

Well, it's time to pull out the low GI recipes again. Last year, while pregnant with Josie, I seemed to have gained weight more quickly in my first and second trimesters which the Chinese doctors warned me against. In an effort to eat healthy, and to get the required protein grams I needed on a vegetarian diet, I asked a friendly Aussie doctor what to do. He suggested low GI. So, I went in search of recipes and began cooking meals like this for dinner. It seemed to have worked and by the time Josie was ready to be delivered, I had only gained 23 lbs for the entire pregnancy. That was the happy part. The sad part is that removing these 23 lbs while moving back to the US and spending most of my time at home cooking. After moving to Vancouver and adopting a 3x a day walk schedule plus during the first few weeks eating very simply and healthily, I was 3 lbs away from being pre-prego weight.

Then we got pregnant again. And Dave started shopping "the sales". Who can turn away $0.99 cent pasta prima vera packages or a huge pack of oreos for a dollar? We have cases of mac and cheese and free bread from Regent. We've cleaned out the $0.59 cans of soup and the large cases of pasta. And Dave has his own snack drawer too-- full of granola bars and pudding snacks and chocolate covered raisins. I stay away from there. But when it comes to making a meal, I'm dumbfounded. We've had too many grilled cheese sandwiches with soup from a can. Too many frozen pizzas. (they were good, and cheap too) And I've started to feel the sluggishness of unhealthy eating.

The pregnancy cravings-- they can all be satiated here. There's no 5 flights of stairs to climb down and up and a mile to walk to get that bubble tea. I can have chocolate milkshakes and pickles for lunch no problem from my own frigde. And now that the dog is "on vacation" (she's gone to Vancouver Island for a month) the early morning and afternoon must walk the dog job is obsolete. And I'm tired, oh, so very tired. You can see where this is leading. $0.99 pasta packets for dinner. Oreos and milk for a snack. Sluggishness.

Well, we've scrutinized our budget and spending and have come to realize that though those "sales" are such a "great deal", perhaps buying only fresh food for the next month might be just more advantageous to our budget and health in the long run. As is pre-planning the week's meals so when I'm exhausted or nauseous at the dinner making hour, the decision is already made and we can have healthy meals. And of course, getting my butt out the door for a walk in those lovely woods.

All this to say, these lentil patties are one of my favorite recipes. The cherry tomato relish makes it delicious, especially when the tomatoes and basil come from your garden and are fresh as they were this summer. It's good with regular burger toppings as well. Or salsa. And, it's baby friendly. Josie just put away an entire burger herself. In between sending text messages to Dave all by herself. Seriously. She managed to send him something while I was frying up the patties this afternoon with my phone.

Don't ask how. I have no idea.