Choosing Healthy Foods, Celebration Style
Salmon
Chicken Parmesan
As I’ve said before, this has been a Summer of Celebrations for us. My husband and I are in that strange demographic where our friends aren’t really getting married anymore (soooooo ten years ago). They aren’t really having babies anymore (soooooooo five years ago). And our milestone class reunions have come and gone. However, now we have younger cousins and siblings who are tying the knot and having babies, and parents and grandparents celebrating milestone birthdays. So, this summer, we have spent more than half of our weekends (probably more) attending said celebrations. Celebrating is synonymous with eating. There have been breakfast buffets, luncheons, a Mexican fiesta, and the fanciest party of them all – my grandmother’s 80th birthday party held at the Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln, RI where my cousin Michael is the PGA Golf Pro.
To me, NuVal is like Weight Watchers. Once you get the system in your head, it is always there. While the scores might not be right in front of me all the time, I keep them in mind when making choices. When the invitation to my grandmother’s party arrived, with the meal choices, I knew exactly what to order.
- Salmon: NuVal score of 87
- Prime Rib: NuVal score of 25
- Chicken Parmesan: NuVal score of well, I don’t know. I mean I could tell you what the NuVal score is for a boneless skinless chicken breast (39), but should we really talk about how this is prepared?
For some people, food is the celebration. They might choose the richest or most decadent of the meals because that is celebrating to them. And I like to celebrate with food or wine too. But there is one problem for me. Because I eat pretty healthfully on a daily basis, when I overdo it on an occasion like this, I get a very bad tummy-ache. During the event. And then I am not celebratory anymore. This happened to me when we celebrated this Grandmother’s 50th wedding anniversary to my grandfather who sadly, is no longer with us. The party was at a different location. I ate something that was too rich and I spent the rest of the night wishing I had Mylanta in my tiny little purse. Ouch.
So I guess now that I am a little wiser, I soberly keep to the straight and narrow on the food choices when celebrating. Actually, as you can tell from the picture of the salmon above, it was delicious and very celebratory to me.
So was the asparagus!
But best of all was watching my kids play with their cousin…
and goof around with Papa…
and see my grandmother celebrate 80 years in style!
Question of the Day
When you have a menu choice, what do you choose?
Yesterday’s Winner
Congratulations to Commenter#27 Kristy, the blogger behind Casual Dish! You’ve won the salad dressing kit giveaway. Please send me an email at abetterbagofgroceries@gmail.com with your mailing address so that I can get your prize out to you. Thank you to everyone who entered!
Posted by: Melissa 7 comments
Posted in: Celebrations
Tags: Chicken Parmesan, Salmon
on Sep 1st, 2010 at 7:42 am
I eat a nondairy and nonmeat diet(both because of health reasons). But I’m going to a wedding in a few weeks, I’m going to a traditional new England wedding where my options are lobster, chicken and clams. I might be stuck eating corn on the Cob and salad lol.
on Sep 1st, 2010 at 9:45 am
Yay! Thank you! Sending my info to you! As for your post, I am with you, because I try and stick to healthy choices all the time, when I do go out on a limb and have something fried or fast food I feel terrible…so not worth it!
Your family is beautiful!
on Sep 1st, 2010 at 9:48 am
Usually I do not make the healthy choice! At home I choose healthy options about 90 percent of the time, so when I go out once per week I choose horrible choices. I’m on vacation now, and a couple of nights have eatin my way through Pt. Judith! Yes, fried clams give you a horrible belly ache!!
on Sep 1st, 2010 at 9:50 am
Holy smokes! Your grandmother is GORGEOUS!!!
on Sep 1st, 2010 at 10:02 am
I also eat a non meat, chicken, fish, non dairy diet (expect non fat live cultured yogurt) for health reason and do not diviate for any reason. Sometime I only have salad and veggies to eat.
on Sep 1st, 2010 at 10:08 am
I try to pick a healthy entree and maybe a not as healthy appetizer or dessert(not both) just to mix things up. I like to eat healthy but life’s to short not to enjoy on occasion some rich, decadant foods
on Sep 1st, 2010 at 3:41 pm
I am lucky in that the healthy choice here, salmon, is one of my favorites…..so that is what I would pick regardless of the score. I also love asparagus. (however the picture of that chicken parm looks gorgeous too!!) But not as great as your grandmother at 80!! Wow!! I’ll have whatever she is eating!!