Thoughts on nutrition bars

Another Monday in the books!

Another Greek Yogurt delight served in ever-so-classy gladware and eaten at my desk.  To me, eating at home is time that could be spent sleeping.  I know you can’t really see what else is in there because I got a little too excited and went to town with mixing before I could take a picture–but there is blueberries, granola and chia seeds. So good!

AM Snack:

I needed something pre-run and this did the trick.  Today I finally finished off the never-ending bag of cuties that I have been plowing through working on.

Lunch was a veggie/hummus wrap and apple which was delicious but left me hungry about an hour later… so I broke into snack #2 to hold me over through internship and work at the gym.

Thus, the title of the post.  I usually try to avoid these processed bars but this was a free sample from yoga last night, so of course–being the unpaid intern that I am–I threw it in my purse without a second thought.

I have to say, it really was pretty good.  Almost too good… kind of like a chocolate bar but fortified I suppose!  Which was perfect timing because I then realized my multi-vitamin was sitting on the kitchen table at home. Whoops!  That being said, I think this is a better choice than a real chocolate bar or other notoriously bad afternoon snacks (pastry, bag of chips, etc).

apple + pb > luna bar protein > vending machine mystery food

thoughts?

My leftover curry dinner sure was convenient to heat up after a long day.  And much more satisfying than a lazy dinner!

Tomorrow is salad pot luck day at work.  Everyone brings 1-2 fixings and the entire office gets a fabulous and veggie-filled lunch.  A great idea for a special occasion that doesn’t involve cake!

Good night!

 

 

One week down, fifteen to go

Hey there!

Today was a great day.  Lot’s of running around, but all-in-all a solid end to the weekend.  I started bright and early with a fresh and filling breakfast:

I love Chobani greek yogurt!  This is the 2% plain variety so it has just the right amount richness.  Sometimes the fat-free ones just don’t do it for me.  I mixed it together with some berries (frozen) and yummy granola from the bulk bins at Sprouts.  Those dark-colored specks are chia seeds–a newer to me purchase.  I’m working on getting more Omega-3s into my day, so I figured these would be easy to add to oatmeal, smoothies, yogurt, etc. 

Lunch was split into two per usual on weekends… I’m too indecisive to commit to one meal when I’m at home so I usually do snacks instead. 

Meal #1

A lovely assortment of colorful fiber with hummus for dipping.  Those Mary’s Gone Crackers are my latest obsession.  I don’t remember them being THIS good!

Meal #2

Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie aka the easiest/tastiest smoothie there is! No, for real… 1 cup milk, 1 frozen banana (cut in chunks), 1 spoonful PB.  The frozen banana is the key to any great smoothie, let the froth prove it!

I also made it to a wonderful Core Power Yoga class tonight for the second Sunday in a row.  I feel like it’s a great supplement to my race training and it’s just great mentally for me.  I’m not talking one of those 100 degree crazy person classes (although those can be fun too…), just pure and simple yoga that ends with a cold face towel.  Sold!

Pre-Yoga Dinner was a homemade fried-rice of sorts.

I basically threw some mushrooms and carrot shreds in a pan with sesame oil, then added leftover wild rice and an egg and mixed the heck out of it.  Topped with sliced almonds for some crunch! 

I am hoping for a productive week at the office since Food Service starts on February 6th already!  Holy cow does time fly.

One week of marathon training down, fifteen to go.

• Monday–4 mile run
• Tuesday–3 mile run
• Wednesday–Yoga Sculpt (holy shiz this was hard)
• Thursday–3 mile run
• Friday–OFF
• Saturday–6 mile run
• Sunday–Power Yoga

 

 

 

Amazing Grass > Caffeine

Another yogurt bowl but this one had way more goin’ on than yesterdays!

• Fage
• Cinnamon granola
• Chopped almonds
• Raisins
• Cinnamon
• Maple syrup

Had some GRASS on the side in place of caffeine.  Love this chocolate flavor… Note to self: buy canister soon.

So I got my 6-miler in yesterday—the weather was absolutely GORGEOUS!  I knew I was feeling it from the moment I started.  Finished right around 51:30 and it was one of the those occasions when I kind-of just got in the zone and stayed there.

I. heart. running.

Yes I still have the race itch, I just have a hard time laying down the money for one when I know I don’t need to.  Why must they be so expensive!!!! I’m going to bite the bullet pretty quick here anyway.

Marathon Monday in BOSTON today.  How exciting is that?  I would love to be in town on this day because I know how the city just comes alive.  Good luck to all runners who are participating!

Lot’s to get done today and not much time to do it.  Better get moving!

Whole Foods Shop, Pizza + Beer

Yesterday was a fantastic day!!!!

The 5k race went well, I got some good relaxation time in, we made a trip to Ft. Collins to try out a new gym a.k.a. sit in the steam room for awhile, made a stop at Whole Foods, received some FABULOUS news from the fam, and spent the evening eating pizza and hanging out with good friends.

How can it get any better than that?!

A WF trip means that many of our favorite items get re-stocked.

My favorite Greek yogurt.

Bar stash replenished.

GRASS.  In packets for convenience factor–but I’ll probably buy a new container soon.  Pricey, but well worth the investment.

Best. salad dressings. ever. I’m a huge fan of the honey mustard, but we haven’t tried the blue cheese yet and I have the feeling it may be my new favorite.  There are LOTS of salads in my future due to this purchase.  Probably didn’t need all 3, but hey we can’t find these anywhere else and they’re that good.

2 small bags of organic goodies and$86.00 later…. Yowza!  I’m sitting in the car, buckling my seatbelt, thinking about how much good stuff I’ll be feasting on this week when I suddenly get a picture message sent to my phone from my brother’s girlfriend Julie.  Subject: I’m engaged, Picture: hand with diamond ring on finger.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! My big bro is getting married! Lot’s of screeching ensued… Yes, we are 12 years old. CONGRATS to 2 of my favorite people in the world! Love you guys!

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This morning’s breakfast was deeeeeeelicious.  Fage with some vanilla almond granola and peanut butter, plus some iced coffee and grass on the side.

I’m cleaning up my food intake and kicking up my exercise for the last month of school.  More of the good stuff, less of the bad, more running, more lifting, hopefully some Bikram, and lot’s of laughing—shouldn’t be a problem.

Check out this flight I had at Old Chicago last night.

I love having the option of trying 4 different mini beers instead of just sticking to one pint that I might not even like that much.  This was the “Staff Choice” and included Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, Black Fox Saison, and Dos XX Amber.  All very good, minus the semi-flatness of the Dos XX.

There was also some amazing pizza consumed.  I’ve been CRAVING pizza like no other lately so this definitely hit the spot.

I can’t remember the name of it, but it had pepperoni and sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, black olives and red onions. And lot’s of cheesy goodness.

Hmm…So I guess pizza and beer isn’t the best way to “clean up my food intake” but I’m pretty sure that there is no better-tasting food combination in existence.  Any one care to dispute me on this one?

I’m currently finishing up a homemade iced coffee and contemplating a second so I can be extra productive with my school work.  Other plans for the day include cleaning, co-ed softball, a long run (I’m thinking a 6 miler), and a dodgeball championship game.

Lot’s of exciting things coming up in the next couple of weeks!

Mess of a Breakfast

Look at this mess of a breakfast that I whipped up with whatever food we have left in the house right now…

It’s frozen fruit, FAGE, pb, cinnamon and agave all thrown together to make one delicious bowl of goodness.

Great news, I was out and about in town yesterday and found a new organic food store! It’s called SPROUTS and it’s pretty legit for being in Greeley.  I picked up some espresso trail mix (drool), gourmet jalapeno chips, about a million bars, and this new favorite flava of Kombucha:

Gingerade.  Try this now if you haven’t!! Gave me a nice healthy buzz before I went to work.

So I’m totally supposed to be doing school work right now (WTF right? It’s spring break, I know).  But instead I’m writing up this post because it’s just so much more enjoyable.

Does anyone have crazy spring break plans? My next few days are about to get very interesting I think…

Recap later!

EARLY rising.

5:30am comes quick when your on the up-and-up from caffeine-induced studying and can’t fall asleep!!!! Oh well… I’m here right!

I had Fage with strawberries + pumpkin spice granola and agave for breakfast.

And this lovely Green Ginger Tea.

I’ve got a jam packed 5 hours this morning, but then I get a nice long break in the afternoon.  Hopefully I can get a good amount of work done so I don’t have to stay up late tonight.  HOPEFULLY.

4 more days!

Opinions on Trader Joe’s

Homemade Broccoli Cheese soup!!!!!  I’m liking this whole “having food waiting for me when I get home” for all meals of the day.  Buddy (Jess’s brother) made this last night so we would have it for lunch/other meals throughout the week and it’s really really good.

I had chips and salsa on the side because we rarely buy chips anymore and I’ve been craving them like mad.

Mid-afternoon/pre-boot camp snack–1/2 Fage, granola, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon and agave:

And pure comfort food for dinner:

Spaghetti, homemade garlic bread, and salad with TJ’s Goddess dressing aka my favorite dressing ever.  I just read an article that says 80% of Trader Joe’s products are sold under their label but aren’t made by them.  News to me!  This dressing is one of those products supposed products and the ingredients are EXACTLY the same as Annie’s Goddess (which is double the price).  It can’t be proved that this for sure, of course, but it’s easy to guess which brands make what.

Check out the article here to find out which other products made the list. Read the comments at the end too, they’re pretty thought-provoking.

I personally love the style of Trader Joe’s.  They sell all of the foods that I like but at reasonable prices (prime example, almond butter). I’m convinced that anywhere you can get good-tasting $2 bottles of wine just can’t be bad.

Some may argue that it supports the “big box” corporations, but I think they follow good business principles and they seem to be environmentally conscious and community involved.

Opinions on TJ’s?

p.s. I think the Bachelor is a toolbox

Overnight Oats + Good Mood.

Good morning!

I’m not exactly sure why, but I’m feeling extra happy this morning.  Love days like this… I just have good vibes.

I got a great night’s sleep and woke up to these waiting for me in the fridge

I made some overnight oats with 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup vanilla soy, and about half a container of Fage that was left over.  After sitting in the fridge all night, it turned creamy and mousse-like.  This morning I added more soy milk to thin it out, plus cinnamon, and agave nectar. Topped with pumpkin spice granola and melted PB.

This was good and something I would suggest for people who don’t have a lot of time to spare to make breakfast in the morning.  The only negative is that now I’m COLD.  Drinking some Awake tea to warm me up.

Random thought: Does anyone else like their hot drinks steaming hot?  I usually can’t even make it through a cup of coffee/tea without reheating it in the microwave because it cooled down too much.  Weird I know.

My knees are definitely feeling the wrath of racquetball from yesterday so I really need to keep exercise low-impact today.  For real.   Any suggestions?  Remember that low-impact doesn’t necessarily mean low-intensity.

Examples: Walking, hiking, step aerobics (no jumping), yoga, aqua aerobics, elliptical, weight lifting, rowing… Basically anything where both feet don’t leave the floor at the same time.

Even though I only have 1 class on Tuesdays, they always get super booked up with work appointments and suddenly it’s one of my busiest days.  I’m going from 8-12 and 1-6:15… And we’re having SALMON for dinner tonight.  One of my faves!

Have a fabulous Tuesday:-)

Playing catch-up.

It sure is tough to get back into the swing of things after taking a long weekend and missing 2 days of school… I think I’m finally almost there.  I’m taking a short break from the books to recap some things from the last couple of days.  First off, check out the new kicks! Saucony Pro-Grid Triumph 7.

Yeahhhhhh boy.

These are ones I’ve been wearing for the last 2 or so years, but the newer model and a flashy new color scheme.  I’m in love.

I got in a decent 5-miler today but for some reason my achille’s has been bugging me lately so I didn’t take it very fast and I definitely took a couple of walk/stretch breaks because I didn’t want to push it.  Blah.  I’ll admit, I feel really slackerish on days like these but I know it’s the safe thing to do.  Slow and steady, right?  I can’t believe I just said that….

Anyways, here’s what I had for food yesterday and today:

Tuesday

Cinnamon puffins, pumpkin granola, vanilla soy, a banana and the star of the show, this new find from TJ’s.

Yum.

Lunch was a veg sandwich stand-by.  I rarely go home for lunch, so when I actually have the time, I make sure to utilize the toaster oven (melted cheese makes everything better!).

Sabra roasted garlic hummus (the best), muenster cheese, spinach, sun-dried tomato, bell peppers, and cholula on ezekial bread.

And this salmon that I threw together for Tuesday’s dinner may just have to end up on the recipe page because it turned out pretty amazing…

I used my new peanut butter from Hell’s Kitchen.  So moist and flavorful!

Wednesday

I don’t know what it is about greek yogurt, but when I have it for breakfast it seriously holds me over better than anything else–even oatmeal I think.  This morning was no different… I ate at 6:00am and didn’t even thinking about lunch until 12:30ish when I had my first break.  That’s some serious staying power.  Check it out:

Fage is the best greek yogurt there is.  I’m not sure why they haven’t jumped on the organic train yet, but it’s as creamy as frosting and has 20 g of protein and 25% of your daily value of calcium in just one serving.  I would imagine that this is a weight-loss patient’s dream food.

I like it with granola, fruit, melted peanut butter and some agave nectar for just a little bit of added sweetness.  Yogurt and granola may possibly be the best food combination there is.  Onward!

Lunch was a veggie wrap, and some dried mango but my picture is nowhere to be found.  I know I took one!!!!! Strange…

And last but not least, this homemade Chicken Fiesta Soup.

Jessica’s mom made this for us when her family came to Colorado for Thanksgiving and we raved about it so she gave us the recipe (simplest soup recipe ever!).  We finally decided this was the week we were going to make it.  Ingredients?

• can of black beans
• can of refried beans
• jar of salsa
• frozen corn
• whatever broth you have on hand
• shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1/2 box spanish rice + seasoning packet

That’s all!  Love this recipe.

Time for me to get ready for a phone interview that I have tomorrow afternoon.  Hmmmm should be interesting.  Night!

12 hour shift

So glad to be home after such a long day!  I was gone from 7:30am-7:30pm with not much down time so this was eaten throughout the day in parts… I guess you could say I pulled a 12 hour shift on campus, so I came prepared.

• Veg wrap (hummus, spring mix, tom, avocado, cuke)
• Pink Lady
• Peach CHOBANI
• Cinnamon LARABAR

Dinner consisted of this, except it was the garden herb flavor.  Just had this picture on my computer already and decided to roll with it.  I think I’ve tried them all and Garden Herb is my hands-down fave.

Alexia organic fries were on sale at Whole Foods this weekend so we figured those would go good with the burgers.  So here’s your burger and fries, made slightly more healthy? May not look like it, but this was really good.  And it was exactly what I was craving.

Day’s worth of meals… not too hard to do.  I think I can handle this.

As far as exercise today, I did 2.5 m on the treadmill before I needed to stop because I felt like my stomach was about to burst open!!!!!! May or may not have had too much fiber today… although it’s not much different from what I usually take in.  So confusing!

Anyways, it was fine by me because I taught boot camp and full body fit and there was enough cardio involved to get me a decent sweat overall.

Biochem time! Lot’s of  fun.  See you for breakfast!