Kudos!

I am so proud of Tom and yet we do have some work to do. He has been compliant and has worked hard to reduce his cholesterol numbers to something acceptable but ... (you knew there was a 'but' didn't you?) ... I realized today we have a little bump to jump over.
Tom worked overtime last night meaning he got home about six o'clock this morning. He was ready for breakfast and usually has 4 - 6 eggs, probably a half pound of bacon, toast, and a V-8. With me cooking he found on his plate one egg and two eggs-worth of EggBeaters about two servings of baked ham and a whole wheat English muffin with a bit of butter ... oh, and his V-8. Since I not only reduced his egg consumption, but also substituted egg whites, I did squeeze some catsup over his eggs (gag me with a spoon!!). I wasn't trying to pull a fast one on him ... he knew I would prepare when he needed. But the sad part is ...

... because I did not lay out his food for him (yeah, even I get busy BUT I did tell him there were BBQ boneless ribs and bowl of broccoli/carrot mixed vegetables in the frig - he forgot) he stated, rather matter-of-factly, that he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast because he wasn't sure what he should eat. It nearly broke my heart.

So, it was time for a heart-to-heart ... I complimented him on his efforts ... and told him he didn't have to worry too much about what he ate ... because ... more often than not he's right on. He said he almost made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but only liked it on white bread and he had recently bought a loaf of soft wheat bread. Then when I explained it wasn't much better than the white bread he prefers we both agreed I'd add HIS white bread to the shopping list.

I don't ever want Tom to think he can eat something ... until he gets the hang of all this, I'll be sure to have his meals planned out better for him. Options ... it's all about options.

This week's menu include:

• Stuffed peppers with red rice, spicy ground turkey, beans and cheese
  
• Chicken with fresh mushrooms/vegetables stir-fry
  
• Baked tilapia with new potatoes and vegetables
  
• Chili - made with ground turkey and beans
  
• Spaghetti (OK, he can have a couple meatballs!!) with a side salad
  
• Apple-Pecan salad with chicken, bleu cheese, spiced pecans and a lovely pomegranate dressing
• Stuffed Cabbage - vegetarian meal