Wow, it’s already Wednesday… this week is flyin’ by! With Wednesday comes another WIAW post- and this week’s theme is getting back on track.
These are my eats from Monday:
I didn’t have to teach Bodypump at 6:00 am (I teach every other Monday), so I took advantage of that and slept in until around 7:00, and then eventually made my way downstairs. I grabbed a quick handful of trail mix (that we got from the McCormick spice tour) – omg, it was so good. I think that this is the recipe…
For my workout, I decided to run through the choreography for the latest Bodypump release, which launches next month. It’s hard to find the time to learn the new choreography each quarter when you teach so many classes each week- you just have to fit it in when you can!
After getting my muscles all fired up, I made myself some breakfast. It’s been getting cooler around these parts, which makes me crave oatmeal every morning (imagine that!). And ever since I had my oatmeal revelation, I’ve been making the same kind over and over again- because there’s just nothing better. I whipped up a bowl, along with a cup of Dandy Blend with almond milk.
I know that Starbucks claims to have the “perfect oatmeal,” but they are wrong, my friends. THIS is the perfect oatmeal.
Perfect Oatmeal
(serves 1)
2/3 c. water
1/3 – 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk
1/4 c. liquid egg whites
1/2 cup oats (the multi-grain is my absolute favorite kind and I will never go back!)
1 T chopped walnuts
1 small chopped banana
1/3 c. frozen cranberries
1 T Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 packet stevia (or sweetener of choice)
1 tsp blackstrap molasses
pinch of salt
Bring water to a boil in a small pot. Add egg whites and stir, followed by the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 7 more minutes, stirring often. Add more/less liquid depending on desired consistency.
Really, this is the best oatmeal ever. And I credit that to a few things- one being the frozen cranberries! I use this brand:
I buy these year round and put them in pretty much everything- even kale salad! I like them so much better than dried cranberries because they have a very tart tasteand contain way fewer calories and sugar. Dried cranberries have about 130 calories and 24g sugar per 1/3 cup- check out the comparison to frozen cranberries:
I know it’s a little hard to see- but that’s based on a 1/2 cup serving. Not bad- not bad at all! (Heather, I’m counting on you to get these and come up with some fabulous pancake recipes!!)
That breakfast was delicious, and kept me full for hours. Around 1:00 or so, I made myself some lunch. Last week I was obsessed with salads- and this week it’s sandwiches. I got some Ezekiel sesame buns that taste amazingly delicious when toasted, and I’ve been having them with lunch every day! I made a sandwich using a bun, along with some sprouts, tomato, onion, cucumber and fake meat.
Wait- what was that? Fake meat? Yeah- you heard me right. Now, normally I’m not really into the whole “phony bologna” thing (lots of sodium and scary ingredients), but this caught my eye when I was shopping on Sunday.
I looked at the ingredients- and they actually weren’t scary!
The sodium is a little high- but honestly, you only need 1 slice for a sandwich because they are pretty big and have TONS of flavor. I also got a wild mushroom flavor that’s just as good.
I made myself a little raw veggie salad to go along with my sandwich:
This had zucchini, broccoli stalks, heirloom tomato, red onion, basil, balsamic vinegar, pepper and they very last tiny bit of goat cheese in the fridge (sadness).
Quite a delicious pair, don’t you think?
I had this exact same lunch Tuesday- and will probably do it AGAIN today!
I was training a client around five, so I had a snack around 4:00 that would keep me satisfied until dinner time, without making my stomach feel like there was a big brick sitting in it. I received 2 cases of plain Greek yogurt from the lovely folks at Chobani last week, so I’ve been eating it every single day! I decided to try to recreate a version of the flavors of fall dessert from last week, because it was so darn delicious.
I heated up a chopped ginger gold apple, some frozen cranberries, pumpkin pie spice and molasses in a small pot and dumped it on top of my yogurt. And then I topped it with a few chopped almonds and some Erewhon Hemp and Flax cereal (swag from Fitbloggin’!)
I couldn’t help but devour this in about two minutes- it was SO GOOD. And it made my house smell delicious!
Greg was in Chicago for work, so I was on my own for dinner. Usually I make breakfast for dinner when he’s gone, but I wanted to use up some leftovers that we had in the fridge instead (which also made it really easy to throw something together quickly). We had made taco salads using ground turkey that was seasoned with the McCormick Fiesta Lime blend on Saturday night, and had enough meat left over for another serving. I chopped up a big, delicious taco salad, topped with a little Greek yogurt (I had saved a big spoonful from my snack), salsa, and some tortilla chips.
I also had a small sweet potato- which looks super ugly, and only tasted okay since I cooked it in the microwave instead of the oven.
I made up for the lackluster sweet potato by having a lovely little dessert.
I know- it looks odd. Trust me, it was fabulous. I mixed up some cocoa powder with peanut butter and a splash of almond milk, spread it onto a rice cake and froze it.
Still gotta have that something sweet after dinner- but at least I can feel good about this. 
Are you a cranberry fan? What’s your opinion on “fake meat?”
You’re right the stats and ingredient list on the fake meat isn’t bad! I usually use fake meat for “fast food” situations–when I have no desire to cook and/or I need a meal prepared quickly. I figure, every once in while is not a big deal, but I certainly don’t rely on them on a daily basis–I try and stick with whole foods. But I’ll keep my eye out for these, because it looks like this option is much better than some of the others I’ve seen.
The ingredients are not scary, and oh man… the taste is great! Again, it’s not something I would eat every day, but definitely good for something quick (even just grabbing a slice or two for a snack). I am definitely with you on “whole foods” as much as possible. You should see my grocery cart when I shop- I rarely go down the center aisles! (I’m sure yours looks very similar!)
i’m crying cause i want that field roast and bun. damn you gluten. But at least you can enjoy it for me. haha, i am pathetic.
You’re not pathetic, silly! I wish you could try them too. At least Udi’s makes some pretty darn good bread, right?
Do sprouted grains bother your tummy? (I know a few people that have a hard time with gluten, but can eat Ezekiel with no problems since it’s sprouted grains…)
I’m in complete awe of all your meals. Everything looks absolutely fantastic, and ridiculously delicious!!
Ha! Life is too short to eat anything BUT delicious food, right?
Oh my goodness your salad with cucumber, tomato and zucchini looks SO good. And your sandwich, of course. I’m a big fan of Ezekial bread. I will def be picking up some of those buns.
The buns are SO good- but the sesame seed bread is still my favorite ever.
And man, I’m on such a raw zucchini kick lately… just be sure to slice it THIN
Everything you ate look so fresh and delicious! I wish I had the patience and drive to make myself meals like this!
Taking time to make good meals is non-negotiable to me. But seriously- lunch and breakfast took all of 5 minutes to make. I don’t waste any time!
Its funny you bring up fake meat. On the way back from the shore, I finally made it to Roots Market where they sell Beyond Meat!! I had read about it on NPR and NYT, and had been dying to try it. Although the factory is right down the road, it is only slowly being rolled out across the country, and Roots is the only store on the east coast that has it. I have yet to actually make a meal with it, but from just sampling, its alarming how much it tastes like chicken. But the best part is that the nutrition stats are great, it DOESNT have a bunch of bizarre ingredients (check it out http://beyondmeat.com/products/), and it’s delicious. Really, once its in my store, I may never eat chicken again. So I guess the short answer is: I love this fake meat. Now, if I just had one of those super sesame-y buns to put it on…
I am so obsessed with trying Beyond Meat- and haven’t yet! I completely forgot about it when I was at Roots a few weeks ago! UGH- i need to remember! I contacted them a while back to see if they wanted to do something with the blog- but they are working on expanding more first (like, they don’t want me to write all about them and how great they are if no one can buy their products!)
I stir-fried some yesterday!! Oh man. Hands down the best non-meat meat Ive ever had. Easily. Honestly, I think I like it even more than real chicken. And the possibilities are endless…It kills me that its right there in Cumberland and I cant get ahold of it!!
Wow- can you come cook for me every day? I love those cranberries, but they’re so expensive where (and when) I can find them. Boo.
The Field Roast brand got really great reviews when the Washington Post did a review of all the fake meats…it might have been Thanksgiving time last year…oh, yes it was: http://www.washingtonpost.com/2011/11/21/gIQAFehqhN_photo.html)
The rice cake dessert is genius! I’m avoiding PB right now, so I’m trying to think of a good alternative….I guess I could try pumpkin or greek yogurt….probably not quite the same.
Oh- thanks for the link! I’ll head right over to read that! The cranberries are ALWAYS on sale at my local organic co-op. It’s usually like 2 for $6 or something like that, so I stock up!
Definitely use Greek yogurt, or just milk instead of PB. It will be just as good!
The perfect oatmeal… it really is perfect! Lauren let me try her’s
You’re too kind.
I owe you a bowl of it!
I’m not big on the whole fake meat thing but I have had a few good fake sausages before. But in general, I like to stay away from most fake meats part because I stopped eating meat because I don’t like the taste and part because I don’t like all the stuff they put in it.
Definitely try this brand- nothing scary in it at all! And man, it tastes SO good!
That oatmeal looks delicious! I’m going to have to try it.
And I am a HUGE fan of cranberries, but usually don’t start my obsession with them until late November!
If you do, let me know what you think!
Love the apple/spice/yogurt combo.
I stick to the real thing – Whole Foods in-house oven roasted turkey is my go-to lunch meat.
Ohh where do you get that? In the deli? Or the prepared foods section?
I love rice cakes with protein ‘sauce’ –soo delicious!
Yogurt is a great snack–with a bit og granola/nuts. YUMM! Your eats look awesome.
p.s. YAY for BP 83!! I LOVE it so much.
I can’t believe i have to wait another MONTH before it launches. I get so antsy before it’s time to launch a new release- I just want to teach it already!
I eat a little fake meat here and there. But I’m afraid of most of it! Lol. Learning new choreography sounds so fun, but I bet it takes time!!
Try this “meat” and you won’t be sorry! Nothing scary at all.
You’re doing an awesome job with your eating – very clean!! I haven’t seen those Fieldroast sliced “meats”, but I LOVE their sausages. I think it’s the best out there (and honestly I wonder if Tofurky has gotten better to compete). That sandwich looks amazing, so I’ll be looking for those slices now.
I haven’t looked at the ingredients on Tofurky lately… have they changed?
I think the slices might be a new thing. I hadn’t noticed them before this weekend (but wasn’t really looking either). My friend that works at the organic market was there and pointed them out to me.
Lauren, your eats look fantastic!! Kudos on creating new habits for yourself – it’s about progress, not perfection.
I remember buying a bag of fresh cranberries a couple years ago (my (Chinese) family never really eats them) out of curiosity and being really disappointed… They were so hard and weird. :/ But you’ve inspired me to give them another shot!
Yeah- the fresh cranberries are not my fave. Even other brands of frozen ones are not as good. THESE are awesome.
I have been wondering about those Ezekiel buns for quite some time now! Glad to hear they’re delish
They are very tasty- but the sesame seed bread is still my fave!
I think I want to eat pretty much everything you posted here. Love the apple mix on the Chobani especially and your burger is making me hungry! Delicious eats! X
Frozen cranberries?! Must find immediately!!!!
I love the stahlbush brand. I use them for all my frozen fruit and veggies.
I know! Stahlbush just tastes better!
I love cranberries in my oatmeal! Fake meat is okay as long as it is gluten free, soy free and gmo free.
[...] As you may know (or can probably tell from various food photos that I post)- I love sprouts. I love them in sandwiches [...]
Fake meat is a call (as I sit here eating a veggie burger). It’s great in a pinch, but let’s face it, it’s pretty highly processed. I’ve tried the brand you mentioned above but wow, it left me gassy!! (LOL…TMI, I know).
I love your blog!! My favorite yoga teacher lives out in DC (Kimberly Wilson).
Wow, every one of those meals looks absolutely amazing! That oatmeal sounds to die for. Thanks for the new food ideas
[...] little while later, I whipped up a batch up perfect oatmeal, sans egg whites (I didn’t have any left). I let my oatmeal to swim a little bit of almond [...]
I’ve really wanted to try field roast whenever I see it at Whole Foods, but it’s so gosh darn expensive! But man, that lentil sage one sounds fantastic! Hmm, maybe I can scout out some online coupons or something!
And I’m totally on the cranberries! I’m just holding out a little bit longer until we get into more of the “winter flavors” before I dive in, but I have a bag in my freezer now just waiting to be morphed into some deliciousness!
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