Memorial Day Weekend...keeping it light

Memorial Day weekend!  A wonderful weekend to honor our heroes...full of family, friends, and all around good times.

Mr. PT and I had a fantastic weekend filled with biking, trail running, wine drinking with friends, beer drinking with family, and of course, eating!

I am sure you found yourself making some interesting food choices this weekend.  Green salad or macaroni salad?  Watermelon or Jello?  Chocolate chip cookies or fresh strawberries?

This is a weekend in which the 80/20 rule can really make a difference.  Choosing fresher, natural, and healthier foods 80% of eating opportunities will preserve your waistline and your overall feeling of wellness after a long, fun weekend.

Here is a sample of foods I ate this weekend that fall into the 20% category that I do not feel guilty about:
-3 glasses of white wine
-1/2 ice cream sandwich
-1/2 serving restaurant french fries
-1/2 dark chocolate covered graham cracker
-3 beers
-several bites of decadent brownie and bumbleberry tart (shared between 4 at a restaurant)
-bagel with cream cheese and jelly
-single serving of black raspberry chip ice cream (yum)

Not too bad, right? Although I did not get a photo of everything else I ate this weekend, here is a glimpse of a few dishes I had that fell into the 80% category.

 Bruschetta with fresh strawberries and sweet potato fries

Salsa and guacamole with chips, berries, and bread with...

 

caprese dip!

Intertwined with these homemade dishes was a lot of fresh fruit, copious amounts of water to keep hydrated, 1/2 black bean burger at a restaurant, pizza and hummus dip at another restaurant...and well, you get the point.

The weekend ended on a bang with...

Fresh green salad with radicchio, baked chicken tenders, walnuts, goat cheese, roasted beets, broiled potatoes with rosemary and dill, and a big chunk of watermelon.

So I guess my point here is that you can celebrate the long weekends by eating some treats, but try not to push your health to the side for 3 days straight.  It makes for a rough Tuesday.

Combine with active party activities!  Get a vball, bball, or fball game started.  Throw some cornhole or bocce ball. Go jump on your kids' trampoline for a while.  Exercise doesn't always have to be a planned effort!

Stay tuned for beet recipes!