Changing Things Up

For roughly 7 weeks, I've had a revolving menu, but I've stuck with some of the same basic dishes, such as Taco Soup, which is insanely easy to put together, and quinoa salad, which is refreshing and light. I've had many meatless dishes and stuck almost exclusively to ground turkey, chicken breast, and fish as my meats. However, I really feel it's time to switch things up. This past week, I found myself wanting to just skip a meal here and there, not because I don't like the meals, but because eating the very same things or variations of them for weeks on end can get boring. I don't want to feel like I'm in a rut.

Enter some requirements. The meals have to be filling. They have to have good flavor. Acidity is a plus for me. They also have to be somewhat budget friendly. For a soup, I have decided to make Chicken and White Bean Soup, making a few tweaks. Since I've never had leeks, but I'm not super picky, I'll keep those in, but I want to add garlic and mushrooms. For salad, I am thinking along the lines of Chickpea Tuna Salad. I'll just make the chickpea and tuna mixture, pack it into jars, and top with the arugula and then feta to help reduce the chance of the arugula becoming a wet, soggy mass that is inedible.

Since those two meals are only going to cost me 5 points total on WW Freestyle, I have to eat something a bit higher in points to make my goal of at least 13 to 23 points each day. I like that idea! It means I can have a meal that is 9 points or higher, or I can have a nice snack other than fruit or yogurt.

I have decided on a variation of HelloFresh's Grilled Mediterranean Steak. The final count, after deciding to use couscous rather than bulgur, comes to 13 points. Perfect! Not only will I get that fresh, spicy, mouth-watering acidic flavor, but I'll also have a beautiful piece of beef! That's something I can get behind AND I will still have a total of 5 to 10 points if I really want something extra. If not, I get a rollover of 4 points each day toward Thanksgiving.

I can't think of anything better than guilt-free rollovers for Thanksgiving. Except, maybe, Christmas dinner!