I have to tell you that I skeptical about my split pea soup. It looks a bit like baby food, but I tell you its delicious! It is so filling that just a 1/2 cup of it was enough for me for this last meal.

My plan is to treat this whole eating thing not as a diet plan, but as a temporary shift in eating habits. I've been listening and reading a lot on how Americans have really upped the portion levels in the last few decades and have the three squares a day down pat. A program on NPR last week (I wish I could remember more about the program) had a health official talking about the Joy of Cooking and how in the original version, their chocolate chip cookie recipe yielded 2 dozen cookies. Today, the unchanged recipe is listed as yielding a dozen cookies! That hit home with me. I have decided to dispense with the "three squares a day" in favor of five smaller meals with a handful of nuts in between instead of peanut butter and toast! For instance, this morning I had the Go Lean hot cereal with a cut up banana and flax seeds in it. 3% fat, 20% protien, and 16% fiber. That was just a few hours ago. I just came back from walking the dogs and I had a 1/2 cup of my pureed split pea soup. Its 1pm and I am totally full. We'll see how long this lasts. It'll be a week tomorrow. \

For the split pea soup I sauteed 1/2 a yellow onion in a tablespoon of olive oil and then added about 2 cups of rinsed and picked over dried split peas, the leftover red lentil and green bean salad I made two days ago, a handful of shredded carrots, and low sodium chicken broth. Then I added a capful of curry powder, salt and pepper to taste and I think that's it. The soup has to cook awhile for the peas to cook (I suppose you could soak them overnight) and I found myself adding more chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
After I covered it and it simmered for about 45 minutes, I let it cool and then liquified it. The soup is super thick and really tasty, a real rib sticker.

Around 4pm, I will cook a 96% lean burger with lowfat cheese and then have a spinach salad with tomatos and carrots around 7 or so. Perhaps a half a grapefruit before bed.

Since Greg has to eat this way too for his high blood pressure and reflux, its been easier to stay on this new eating plan. I feel better already. About 2 months ago I cut out bottled iced tea from my diet, so I am not craving sugar as much as I have in the past.

Eating this way makes it easier to survive going out too. We treated ourselves and went to Seng Thai last night and I tried to be as good I felt nessesary, So I had the Thai chicken with carrots and pineapple with brown rice. Tastes good, not as bad as a pizza! We drank water and skipped the pot stickers and cripy potatoes :-( But it was mmm mm good.