# Bradley/Brewers Diet Menu Ideas



## BurnsideMommy (Jan 25, 2004)

Truth be told, I'm a bad eater. I'm trying desperately not to pass this onto my kids, and have been making an effort to eat better, and cook (no one taught me how...). So this Brewers diet that we have to be on in our Bradley class is killing me because I have to write down & bring in a sheet of my foods for the week.

I'm constantly running out of ideas of what to make, and just make the same things over. Is there anywhere I can find a bunch of menu's for meals that are healthy and fit the bradley diet? We do eat meat here, and I like fresh veggies more so than cooked, to give you some ideas.

Where can I get more ideas for a better selection?

Rissa


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## kama'aina mama (Nov 19, 2001)

Okay... My Brewer meals.

(Gonna assume we are talking a meal for two adults)

Pasta: From the health food store, Whole Wheat pasta.. I like the rotini, but whatever kind you LIKE. (that's important!) get the water boiling, chop up a head of broccoli, chop up a zuchinni or squash. Grab a jar of Bertinni alfredo suace. ( Pieces smaller than a bite.) Chop up one or two chicken breasts or a couple of cups of shrimp or ????

One burner one is big pot o' boiling water. Burner two a saute pan, lightly oiled w/ olive oil.

Sear the chicken/shrimp in the saute in two or three batches. (If you put too much in at once it doesn't cook as well.) Throw the cooked stuff in a big metal bowl and cover it with a lid or foil to keep warm. When you are cooking the last batch of protein in the pan throw your pasta in the boiling water (which I hope you have salted.) After the saute pan is clear cook the zucc/squash in it. When it is soft, pour in half the jar of sauce and turn the burner down to med low. If space permits return the chix/shrimp to that pan.

When the pasta is almost cooked but still stiff in the center (scoop out one piece, flash it under cool water and taste) throw the brocc (or asparagus or califlower) in with it.

Dump the pasta thru a collinder. Throw it in the big old bowl. Top with the sauce/veg/protein mix. Stir it up. Eat. Leftovers rock for lunch hot or cold.

Other stuff: I would buy a stack of Nancy's brand single serving quiches. That was my good start breakfast almost every morning. (Don't try to nuke em. Nasty. Oven only.) Snack on carrot sticks, apple slices, dried fruit and nuts. Triscuit crackers are actually pretty darn good. Whole wheat, high in fiber and protein (for a carb) Smear em with peanut butter. Or whatever you like to snack on.

Don't obsess over every entry or even the particular day. One day will be a big yellow veg day and another will be a 'screw this, cookies for lunch' day. Just try to improve a tiny bit with eaach step and you will get there.

Remember, the diet is not your enemy.


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## Wabi Sabi (Dec 24, 2002)

bumping this one up because I could also use a little help with Brewer diet menu planning!


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## kama'aina mama (Nov 19, 2001)

Okay... first thing is, are you using your pink sheets? (If you are in a Bradley class, I mean) I found they made things easier. Substituting helped me.
Whole wheat bread for other kinds.
Triscuit or other whole wheat crackers for saltines or even chips when I crave a salty/crunchy snack. Mixed nuts are also a good high protein snack to keep handy.

Half the battle or more is won or last in your grocery cart. Stock up on healthy, high protein foods and snacks. Bring your pink sheet with you to the store a few times. having it right in front pf you will help. (Oh yeah... I need to eat some yellow veg this week. Those crookneck squash look nice.) Have them available and ready to eat and you will eat them. If you want to do something easy/naughty like eatting really processed food to save time on a hectic day try to find a way to work a little protein powder into it (Canned soups, pot pies, jarred pasta sauces, etc) Add some kind of meat/chicken/fish or tofu to salads or other things you like to eat.

Develope some simple habits to make eatting healthy easier for you. For me breakfast was always a huge challenge. The single serving quiches I mentione before saved me. Roll out of bed, turn on the oven. Make my one cup of coffee for the day. Throw the quiche in the oven. Shower. Eat in my robe (quiche, glass of OJ, prenatals.) Dress. Go to work. By making it a simple, mindless habit that required little effort I ate a good breakfast every morning with practically no effort.

I'm just shooting wide here. Is there a specific thing you are having trouble with or just generally hitting the protein count?


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## wendy1221 (Feb 9, 2004)

I'm allergic to milk and eggs, and I only put soymilk on cereal. That said, when I was pg, I bought a ton of boneless skinless chicken breasts or pieces and boiled them and cut them up to throw in things. With brocolli and Ramen (I know, I know, but I LOVE ramen!), with carrots in a big salad. With pasta and veggies (like brocoli, zuchini, etc). I ate a ton of those. It helped. I also snacked on a lot of peanut butter and whole wheat crackers and raw veggies. Am I helping at all? I'll come back if I think of anything. I'm pumping and cruising. It helps me get let-downs if I concentrate on something other than pumping.









Wendy


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## BrooklynDoula (Oct 23, 2002)

I agree that the pink sheets help a lot. I ate yogurt for snacks, carried bags of peanuts and raisins in my purse and ate peanut butter protien bars when my energy got really low at work. For nights when I had no time, Annies mac and cheese is high in protien and I mixed it with broc to make it better and Boca burgers are also a great one (although if you eat meat, perhaps you would prefer the "real thing"). Whole wheat pasta and bread, beans - in soups, in burittos, over collards or kale, etc - are all great.

Good luck.


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## PumpkinSeeds (Dec 19, 2001)

My brewers diet meals that I fit into my diabetic diet(some ideas)

Breakfast:

2 scrambled eggs with chard on a corn tortilla (chard is so good with eggs)

Snack:

1 cup plain yogurt, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 fruit

Lunch:

1/2 pita with 1/2 broiled butterflied chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, cheese sandwich
1 raw carrot
1/2 cup green beans
1 cup plain yogurt

Snack:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 fruit
some whole wheat crackers

Dinner:

Broiled steak (just 2-3 oz or so) on 2 corn tortillas (tacos) with lettuce, tomato, cheese
steamed broccoli

Evening snack:
1 cup of plain yogurt
whole wheat crackers
3-4 sardines

I don't know the bradley diet, but this is a typical day of how I do the brewers diet with my gestational diabetes and it has been really really helpful keeping my blood sugar under control.


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## kama'aina mama (Nov 19, 2001)

It's the same diet, I think. The Bradley Method strongly reccomends the Brewer Diet. The pink sheets we've been talking about are Bradley's weekly diet sheets. They help you track your food, count up your protein grams and other nutrients: green veg, vit C source, grains, yellow/orange veg, fats, water, etc... It's a combination guideline and reminder to eat well.


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## Mere (Oct 1, 2002)

The main thing I was having trouble with initially was getting in those two eggs and the daily salad. Then I hit upon the idea of making up a dozen hardboiled eggs every week and just having them around. Why didn't I think of that sooner? Same with salads - if I do a little bit of prep work after I get home from the grocery store and have all the salad materials ready to go, I'm much more likely to eat salad. Lately I've been making up big salads for lunch with cut-up hardboiled eggs, roasted chicken breasts (roasted and cut up ahead of time) and avocado. Quite yummy, and very satisfying!

I also have homeade granola for breakfast, which helps me in the milk and grains department.


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