February 27: Kroger Private Selection Sauteed Vegetable Lasagna and Roasted Peppers Sandwiches

It’s that time of year again: Lent. I have learned from 12 years of experience to not give up chocolate/sugar/sweets this year. I prayed about what I should sacrifice. I opened the refrigerator on Ash Wednesday, and my spirit said meat was the sacrifice this season. The first few days of Lent were rather traumatic because I have been craving beef for the longest. Ever since I started eating it again a few months ago, it’s like my body screams for hamburgers and steaks. Anywhoo…so, I made a grocery run on Saturday. I purchased green, red, and yellow bell peppers, a red onion, carrots and sliced mushrooms to roast for sandwiches. I was inspired by a sauteed vegetable sandwich at a local sandwich shop. I also hit up the frozen food aisle to stock up on vegetable stir fry, vegetables, and vegetable lasagna for those days when I have neither the time nor the desire to prepare fresh vegetables.

So, Monday night, I cooked the lasagna and roasted the vegetables. I did not feel like peeling carrots and I forgot about the mushrooms, so it turned out to be just peppers and onion. I coated the veggies with a little olive oil and sprinkled liberally with dried herbs. The vegetables cooked at 375 F until they became wilty (about an hour). The lasagna was only supposed to cook for 60-70 minutes. It turned into more like 90 minutes. For some reason, the center cooked really slowly. I used a thermometer to measure the internal temperature. After 50 minutes, the center was only 80 F while the rest of the lasagna was 120 – 130. The box recommended an internal temperature of 160 F.

I will say, the extra 20 minutes, while annoying (because I didn’t want to eat at 8:30 pm) was worth the wait. The lasagna was cheesy, flavorful, and hearty. I wouldn’t have expected the latter for a vegetable lasagna. The vegetables were carrots, zucchini, and yellow bell peppers. I think there is spinach, too, in the ricotta cheese layers. For $1.03 per serving, I really can’t complain. The size of the lasagna is ideal for a single person, though I was skeptical with the smaller box. Kroger has a bad habit of over-estimating the number of servings a product provides. But, as I said, I was pleasantly surprised. With a salad or additional vegetables as a side, the lasagna could feed 4 people easily and still have a couple of pieces left for seconds/leftovers.

Tuesday, I had a sandwich for lunch. Not such a good idea. First, I used sourdough bread from the bakery. I scooped out most of the bread so I could pile in more vegetables. I wrapped the bread separate from the vegetables and provolone cheese. I warmed the veggies and cheese in the microwave then built my sandwich. The sandwich was awesome. It was well seasoned, the cheese and bread added nice flavor and texture. The problem was the sandwich was soOoOoo messy. Juice from the vegetables dripped all over the plate and my hands. The bread was a little too doughy, so I will have to experiment with other breads. I probably should have toasted it in the oven, but I didn’t.

So, overall, I’m enjoying this vegetarian thing. I will likely begin to buy organic fruit and vegetables since I will consume much more than I normally do. I am looking forward to trying different vegetables. Next on my list is colored cauliflower; Kroger sells purple, orange, and green. I’m quite sad, however, that I will not be able to indulge shamelessly in corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day. Technically, I can have meat on Sundays, but I think I can manage one year not following my tradition. I can still have the cabbage :o) I don’t add potatoes and carrots to my brisket and cabbage; this year I must make an exception because cabbage soup is so unappealing. I’m curious to see what God has planned that it was placed on my heart to give up meat.

March 11: Pringles Lightly Salted Original

It’s been a few days since the beginning of Lent. Since I gave up excess sodium (i.e, >1500 mg), I have had to be much more diligent about watching what I put into my mouth. I’ve pretty much abandoned looking at any line on the nutrition label except for sodium. When I went to Kroger Thursday, I made sure that nothing I placed into my cart had more than 400 mg of sodium per serving. The choice basically relegated me to fresh meats and produce, which is fine. My blood pressure has paid the price for overindulgence in convenience (i.e., pre-packaged overly processed food and fast food).

Since I planned to make peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches for lunch, I ventured down the potato chip aisle to see if I could find some affordable, low sodium potato chips. And wouldn’t you know it: Pringles Lightly Salted, withc 50% less salt than their original chips were on sale 4 for $5. Each serving, which is a gracious 16 crisps, has only 75 mg of sodium! I bought two super stacks.

I had them for lunch for the first time yesterday. The texture is the same as other Pringles. If you’ve never had Pringles, then Baked Lays would be another brand with a similar texture. With the original flavor, the chips are kind of bland. I would prefer a flavored low sodium chip, but I still find the flavor enjoyable. Besides, it’s the flavor that usually drives up sodium content. I’m just happy potato chip manufacturers are getting with the program and offering low sodium options as well as reduced fat choices. As I said earlier, I haven’t paid much attention to the other nutrition values but they weren’t alarming. Often with reduced anything (e.g., fat, sodium, sugar), another line item takes a bump to compensate for flavor. Unfortunately, this particular brand of Pringles is not listed on their website but the nutrition information is here. At least I couldn’t find it after 5 minutes of browsing and a deliberate search. But if you like chips and need a lower sodium option, Pringles Lightly Salted in the original flavor is a good choice.

An added bonus for my Lenten sacrifice is that I’ve lost 3.4 pounds since Wednesday! The only thing I have changed is that I’ve limited my sodium intake to 1500 mg or less. I attribute the weight loss to the fact that my body no longer has excess sodium to retain unnecessary water weight. It’s just the first week of Lent, so we’ll see what I’m talking about a few weeks from now, particularly as I travel for a conference and for a vacation. I imagine it will become exponentially more difficult to keep my sodium intake low when other people are preparing my foods.

March 9: Limiting stress and sodium intake

Lent begins today. I have celebrated Lent consistently for the last 10 years. Almost always I give up something during the 40 days and nights during this holy time. This year is no exception. I knew that I wanted to do something to help lower my blood pressure back around 120/80. I have been pessimistic lately with regards to American politics and the economy. I have pedestrian rage, which is like road rage only I walk instead of drive. I have a high sodium diet even when I exclude daily Lean Cuisine entrees for lunch.

So, for Lent I have decided that I’m going to limit my daily sodium intake to 1500 mg or less and make a concerted effort to better manage my stress. I think making it through the next 40 days will be more challenging than when I gave up chocolate. That’s saying a lot. My primary motivation for lowering my sodium intake and finding better ways to manage my stress is of course physical health. What I really want to say 40 days from now is that I developed and honed life-long skills of eating healthier meals and coping with stressful situations that are way beyond my control.