Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

sugar-free challenge

Day 24: National Peanut Butter Day

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Welcome to day twenty-four of the Sugar Free Challenge!

Did you know today is National Peanut Butter Day? Yes! My favorite food has its own holiday. So I declare today to be a day full of finger-lickin (literally. try dipping your finger in peanut butter. Tastes way better than on a spoon) Peanut butter-goodness.

Here is today’s Peanut Butter-Filled sample menu:

Breakfast: Bitter Chocolate Waffles topped with Peanut Butter and Banana Slices. Also try High Protein Cookie Crisp Cereal and PBC Bars.

Lunch: How about a good ol’ PB&J?

Snack: Apple Crisps with Peanut Butter Hummus Dip

Dinner: Homemade Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Dessert: I have plenty of peanut-butter filled options for this course. Above, the Grain-Free Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Sauce is a for sure winner. Also try Peanut Butter Cups and Banana Cream Pie with Peanut Butter Crust.

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

Personal Note: Today I get the stitches out of my mouth, so hopefully I will be able to move my mouth more easily. I feel better and better each day, and was able to do a bit of light exercise yesterday. I’m still on a liquid diet, but hopefully having the stitched removed will help me be able to eat more.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Do you love peanut butter as much as me? What are your favorite ways to eat it, and what are your favorite recipes?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Day 20: Liquid Diet

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Welcome to day twenty of the Sugar Free Challenge!

I’m still on a liquid diet and my cheeks are still huge, but at least the chills went away. I’m completely craving a hot Grilled Cheese and Ham sandwich right now, which is crazy because I never crave bread or cheese…Maybe watching the food network channel’s “Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich” show wasn’t the smartest choice since I cannot eat anything but liquids.

Here is today’s Liquified sample menu:

Breakfast: Liquid Chia Pudding. Kind of like the Tropical Chia Pudding Parfait pictured above, sans fruit and coconut. Simply mix some chia seeds with Almond-Coconut Milk and let sit for 15 minutes.

Lunch: Fresh Squeezed juice. I used 1 apple, 1 bell pepper, 1 lemon, and a few stalks celery. In case your curious, the picture above is the Spicy Tomato Soup Cure (along with a fresh-squeezed juice). I’m staying away from spicy foods so that it doesn’t aggravate my wounds; however, if you have a sore throat or cold, I would definitely give the recipe a shot!

(Pic Source)

Snack: Baby Food. Yes, I just said baby food, but hear me out! It is full of fruits and veggies in a soft form, it has a lot of vitamins and minerals, it’s organic and made from just fruit and veggies (no added dairy/sugar), and it comes in an easy to use pouch that I can save in the refrigerator if I don’t finish it. I simply squirt a bit on my tongue and swallow! The spinach mango pear (pictures above) has been my favorite so far.

Dinner: Butternut Squash Soup. I love it thick and creamy, but I had to water it down a bit so I could swallow it.

Dessert: Magic Banana Ice Cream (sans the cacao nibs in picture).

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Do you have any other ideas for my liquid diet? Have you ever been on one?

Also, do you ever eat “strange” foods like baby food? Laugh all you want, but they are actually pretty tasty!

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Day 19: Chipmunk Cheeks

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Welcome to day nineteen of the Sugar Free Challenge!

Well, the extraction yesterday went fine-I was squeezing my stress ball most of the time and listening to classical music to try and relax. Not to be blunt, but I felt awful all day yesterday. My jaw ached and throbbed, my cheeks were swollen to the size of golfballs, my head hurt, my throat hurt (so I could only swallow water and fresh squeezed veggie juice), my whole body ached, and chills ran up and down my body. Pretty much the same symptoms as the flu.

When I first had braces put on my teeth (years ago), I had the same reactions. This feels a whole lot worse, though! I guess that’s the way my body reacts when it doesn’t like something. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that I feel better today!

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Oat Cakes

Lunch: Steak Salad with Dijon Dressing

Snack: Spicy Tomato Cure (perfect for my healing mouth!)

Dinner: Quiche with Flourless Brown Rice Crust

Dessert: Grain-Free PBC Bars

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Does your body react in a certain way to things it doesn’t like?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Day 18: Butternut Squash Soup

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Welcome to day eighteen of the Sugar Free Challenge!

Thanks for all your words of advice for my wisdom teeth extraction! I pre-scheduled this post, so I am probably getting them extracted while you read this.

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Mini Frittatas

Lunch: Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing, Hard Boiled Egg, and Socca.

Snack: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Apple

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

Dinner: Butternut Squash Soup (the recipe I promised yesterday).

Print
Butternut Squash Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 4-6 servings

Calories per serving: 100

Butternut Squash Soup

~This butternut squash soup is super creamy without the cream. It is thick and full of flavor. If you enjoy curry, feel free to add a dash or two in while simmering. Dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, soy-free, nut-free, and sugar-free.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
  • 3 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
  • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400*.
  2. Slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and place on baking sheet, skin up. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the squash is very tender.
  3. In the meantime, chop the yellow onion and saute with oil until browned.
  4. Scoop the flesh of the butternut squash out of the skin and place in blender with onions, milk, broth, and spices. You may wish to split the soup into different batches before blending. Puree until smooth and pour into large saucepan.
  5. Simmer for a few minutes to warm, and serve. You may serve with a swirl of coconut milk and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2012/01/18/day-18-butternut-squash-soup/

This recipe has become a favorite of mine. I’ve made it about three times already! It is super creamy without any cream, and it has just the right balance of spices to compliment the squash without overpowering it. I also love the thickness. You may wish to make several batches and freeze for future use! For instance, when you get your wisdom teeth extracted and are on a liquid diet for a while…

Health Benefits:

  • Butternut Squash: Contains many antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and is low in calories and high in fiber. Contains more vitamin A than pumpkin, which is essential for vision health and healthy skin.
  • Coconut: Coconut is widely misunderstood because of it’s high fat content; however, coconut’s saturated fat is made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chains are easy to absorb and digest, and are converted quickly into energy. This means that the body has no opportunity to store the medium-chain as fat. Coconut is also a great source of dietary fiber with a whopping 5 grams per oz!
  • Nutmeg: This spice has strong antibacterial properties, and it is effective in killing a number of cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth. Contains eugenol, a compound that may benefit the heart. Nutmeg can help to combat asthma and relax the muscles.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What is your favorite way to eat squash?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

 

Day 17: Goodbye, Teeth

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Welcome to day seventeen of the Sugar Free Challenge!

Tomorrow I am having my wisdom teeth extracted-eek! I will not be “put to sleep,” nor will I have laughing gas. However, they will numb my mouth so I won’t be able to feel it. I am going to a dentist who is more holistic, so I will take a dose of magnesium and L Tryptophan to ease my anxiousness. Trust me, I will be anxious. Shots in the mouth scare me, and they hurt! I’m planning on bringing my ipod to listen to during the surgery so that I can get my mind of my teeth (and so I don’t hear any drilling or whatever they use…).

I’ll be on a liquid diet until my mouth heals, so plan on a extremely yummy soup recipe tomorrow! (see picture below)

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Latte Granola

 

Lunch: Butternut Squash Soup (recipe coming tomorrow!)

Snack: High Protein Sweet Potato Spice Cookies

Dinner: Veggie “Quesadilla.” Brown rice tortilla filled with sauteed veggies and black beans.

Dessert: Chocolate Covered Fruit and Nuts

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Have you had your wisdom teeth extracted? Any words of advice??

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Day 16: Processed vs. Whole Food Sugar

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Welcome to day sixteen of the Sugar Free Challenge!

Today’s Reason to be Sugar-Free: 

Processing techniques have created sugar that has been extracted from these whole, natural foods, and is devoid of essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre. A simple way to understand this concept is to consider a large chocolate bar and a can of soda. Together they contain approximately 100 grams of sugar. If we want to eat the equivalent of 100 grams of sugar from whole apples, we have to eat approximately 6-7 medium apples. Of course, many of us become full in eating just a few apples, but we are more than capable of eating a chocolate bar and drinking a can of soda in one sitting. So by eating foods that have been processed and concentrated, we put a great deal of stress on our organs, which is a significant cause of low energy and illness. ~Dr. Ben Kim

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Fried egg (coconut oil) atop a bed of sauteed kale, bell peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

Lunch: Plum Socca Tart with Rosemary

Snack: High Protein Cookie Dough Dip

Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken with Olives and Artichoke

Dessert: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What is your opinion of whole fruit sugars vs. processed sugars?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist.