The School Year Resolution

Though we have just settled into September, everyone seems to be noticing glimpses of fall. We are starting to have some cooler days. The kids have gone back to school. Starbucks is now offering their Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Fraps. It's basically here!

Another way that I can sense the return of fall is my renewed desire for self-improvement. The New Year is perhaps the most popular time to set goals and make changes, but for me, there is nothing like a New School Year Resolution! As a kid, it was the chance to make new friends, buy fresh notebooks, and geek out over new classes with new things to learn. As a teacher, it offered the chance to try out new lesson plans, get to know a new group of (what I labeled) future French lovers, and hit up the Loft for clearance dresses. And being a grad student only combined all this! 

Now that Labor Day has come and gone, I feel as though I can really focus on my School Year Resolution for this fall: Eating healthy, and specifically, cutting down on my sugar intake. 

I'm using two specific apps on my iPhone, "Map My Run" and "My Fitness Pal" to monitor my exercise and eating. Though it's only been a couple of days, I'm already enjoying the process. Map My Run (or Walk) uses GPS technology. I turn it on, put my cell phone in my pocket, and when I'm done exercising the route that I took is mapped out for me, along with my distance, average speed, and calories burned. Then I use My Fitness Pal to keep track of what I eat. It breaks down for me exactly where I'm lacking, and what I might want to cut down on. I think it's really convinced me to start taking vitamins, because I seem to have a real deficit there. (See Myfitnesspal.com or mapmyrun.com for more information!).

Last night was to be Taco Tuesday, a favorite at our house. Instead of scrapping the whole thing, I decided I'd try a healthy twist on it by simply replacing the shells with Romaine lettuce hearts. It was actually really tasty, and neither of us felt too full at the end of the meal! The best part is that, after inputting all of the information into the My Fitness Pal app, it gave me the nutritional information for the meal, which I will share with you here! All items were purchased at Whole Foods. 

Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps

FreeBird Chicken Breast Strips (1 box)

Old El Paso Taco Seasoning, 1 tsp.

Romaine Hearts

1 tomato, diced 

Horizon Organic Finely Shredded Mexican Cheese, 1/2 cup

Lite Sour Cream

The chicken is already fully cooked, but I wanted it hot so I poured a little olive oil in a pan, added the taco seasoning, and cooked the chicken in that until it was hot and well seasoned. I made four "tacos" for each of us, with some cheese, tomato, and a bit of sour cream, and distributed the chicken evenly. Each taco is about 100 calories, about 3.5 grams of fat, and about 12 grams of protein. 

I'll keep sharing any recipes we enjoy! Happy Fall Y'all!