Food Revolution: week 1 update

Last Sunday I was inspired by Jamie Oliver's debut reality show to help average Americans make a change in the way they eat and think about food. The first week of my very own "Food Revolution" proved to be inconsistent and only partially met. Here begins a weekly update of my progress:

(1) Reduce the number of canned meals I eat for lunch. 5-0 Jamie (myself, not Oliver)! I refrained entirely from giving in to the ease and convenience of canned foods despite the hectic work week, instead choosing to alternate between hearty, homemade leftovers of:

• Premium Angus Roast Chuck Stew with Rice, Potatoes, Carrots, Onion, and Celery (hey, don't judge the two starches, the school cafeteria cooks on Jamie Oliver's show says it's required by the USDA – I don't make the rules!);
• Orecchiette in a Red Wine, Mushroom, Tomato Sauce;
• Corned Beef with Cabbage and Potatoes; and
• Baked Chicken stuffed with Prosciutto, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Cippolini Onions with Mashed Potatoes

(2) Eat breakfast. Or at least just eat something in the morning.

• Monday: Piece of cake! Literally. Ok, so I got an "Easy Pass" card because it was Free Pastry Day at Starbucks. I decided the Banana Walnut Bread would be my breakfast – after all, my goal here is just to eat something, anything, I didn't say it had to be healthy! (That, of course, is the long-term idea, but let's be realistic and start with baby steps, people.) Besides, free food trumps healthy every time!
  

• Tuesday and Wednesday: I brought in pumpkin graham cracker pancakes made lovingly by The Fella over the weekend with every intention to start off the morning right, but one crisis after another swept the morning away. I didn't actually find time to eat these until 4:30pm as a late afternoon snack. Sigh, so much for breakfast!

• Thursday and Friday: I neglected to plan the night before, so I grabbed the hated banana fruit to go. On Day 5 I supplemented the banana with a couple chunks of fancy cheeses leftover from the client dinner we hosted the night before at the office.

All in all, Week 1 was not a total and utter failure. Do I feel less ravenous during the day and night? Not sure yet. I have a lot more work to do to not only meet – but also exceed – the breakfast goal especially, but it's a definitely a step in the right direction.