Sun will be setting on summer this coming weekend. If not the calendar summer, at least the summer of tourists and traffic jams and crowded restaurants. It’s hardly Fall even though the calendar has flipped over to September. Lingering heat and humidity still rule the day. Mentally, however, I’m ready for the change.

Mindset is an interesting thing. The water remains warm and the sand is tantalizingly free of the summer throngs, but the beach holds no lure.

Speaking of mindset, with Weight Watchers whispering in my ear, I’ve been thinking about what to make for a weekend cookout. Might be more of an emphasis on vegetables and fruit than in years past. Grilled chicken is always good. Summer squash casserole in place of potato salad. Ratatouille or roasted root vegetables on grilled slices of homemade sourdough bread can hardly be called diet food. We’re not talking carrot sticks and celery here!

That’s the thing I like about Weight Watchers. It’s nutritionally sound, and the focus is on real food. All vegetables and fruits are 0 points on their current plan. I like that. Carbs are pretty high in point value, and I’m not crazy about the 4 point rating on the glass of wine, but it is what it is. Nothing is really off limits, but it does make you think about making reasonable choices on a daily basis.

My interest in spiralizing has really come in handy lately. Eliminating the carb factor of a pasta dish by substituting zoodles, or cutting it in half by using half spaghetti and half spiralized zucchini is huge. It also allows creativity to enter into the focus on vegetables in one’s diet.

Last night, we had a simple stir-fry (mostly vegetables, a little leftover cooked chicken) over brown rice. Tonight: chicken and broccoli over spoodles! I might fiddle with my original recipe a little. Perhaps cut the butter, flour thickening agent down to one tablespoon each. Living with Weight Watchers is not a bad thing at all.
https://saltwaterinfluenced.wordpress.com/2015/03/02/chicken-and-broccoli-over-spoodles/