What I Eat

So a few of you asked what I ate in a typical day. It's a fair question, but one I have been hesitant to answer because a.) I hate writing down what I eat b.) I'm not a perfect eater at all c.) Thinking about makes me feel a little guilty for all the crap I eat.

However, since I do eat on the run and eat out A LOT, I thought it might be helpful for those of you who don't have time to cook, live in cities and rely on cafes and restaurant or are in college and rely on dining services for the majority of your meals. Plus, maybe you guys can give me some pointers!

Like I said I don't eat perfect, I grave, I nibble, I mindlessly eat sometimes (okay often times), but I do eat a TON of fresh produce, and I am working on getting bit better. Such as eating almond butter stuffed dates instead of commercially prepared cookies for dessert.

I have posted before on my strategies for eating out:

http://thelittlerunnerthatcould.blogspot.com/2008/03/eating-out-with-out-filling-out.html

and even recorded a few times

on weekends
http://thelittlerunnerthatcould.blogspot.com/2008/03/eating-out-with-out-filling-out.html

http://thelittlerunnerthatcould.blogspot.com/2008/02/lentil-goat-cheese-salad-snack.html

http://thelittlerunnerthatcould.blogspot.com/2008/02/weekend-what-i-eat-wrap-up.html

and on weekdays

http://thelittlerunnerthatcould.blogspot.com/2008/02/what-i-eat-on-weekdays.html

So here are a few general meals that I eat regularly, I am pretty boring and repeat a lot.

Then I'll list a rough idea of my last 5 days

Common Breakfasts:

-fage, fruit, 1/2 cup fiber one or a few ryvita 5 grain crackers
-McDonalds Fruit and yogurt parfait, a few high fiber crackers or added high fiber cereal

-packet low sugar oatmeal, fruit

-kashi go lean crunchy bar, fruit

-beet, spinach, cucumber, celery and ginger juice with a piece of fruit

Lunch

90% of the time I get a salad from the cafe, most commonly it is

spinach, avocado, grape tomatoes, cucumber, and carrots

sometimes I sub the avocado for feta, goat cheese,beans or beets

If I am feeling really hunger I add sundried tomatoes (sublime with avo) and sprouts

+I usually have half the foccicia that comes with the salad or if I am being healthier a piece of fruit or some high fiber crackers (rye crisp, ryvita, ak mak)

Other times:

-grilled veggie wrap with fruit

-veggie sushi roll and fage or carrot soup or edammame

-budget lunch:packet oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, baby carrots

Afternoon snack:

-most often chocolate caramel Kashi Golean bar

sometimes

-lara or gnubar

-Nutritious Creations low fat cookies (don't get addicted these are not great for you and I am almost positive the label is incorrect)

-McDonald's vanilla cone

-fruit and laughing cow/raw almonds

-latte

-veggie juice

Dinner-

If out (probably 3 times a week): see eating out without filling out post

If in:

almost always a huge salad with some kind of protein like cottage cheese, goat cheese, beans, tempeh, or a side of yogurt

then also a carb like sweet potato, whole grain bread, oatmeal pancakes, small bowl cereal (but I really can't be trusted with cereal, so I try to keep it out of my cabinet and in yogurt rather than in a bowl--because one bowl often becomes 3!)

sometimes I skip the salad and have steamed frozen veggies with parmesan or nutritional yeast

I also think frozen dinners are great for calorie and portion control. I mean a panini for 300 calories? woo-hoo. Unfortunately, since going vegetarian two years ago, I have far fewer options. Amy's are pretty expensive and tend to be quite carb heavy, so I really only have frozen meals maybe twice a month. always with a side salad and fruit.

I have always been a huge dessert person and a night time snacker, but lately I have been trying to cut down on that by eating a better breakfast and having my sweet in the afternoon in I need it. However, things I do enjoy while reading in bed (gasp, I know)

ice cream (light or regular, but not premium)

popcorn

fruit

cookies

frozen low fat chocolate pudding

skinny cow treats

frozen bananas

dates stuffed with almond butter

So the last few days:

Friday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Lunch: steamed veggie burrito in whole wheat wrap with no rice ( I ate 2/3) from Bamboleo

Midday:Chocolate Peanut Butter Nestle Toll House Pie that I made for my coworkers birthday

Dinner: At Cafe Deville: Steamed mussels (didn't realize they would use far more than the dash of cream), delicious homemade bread (so worth it, although it is usually not) and steamed spinach (instead of fries)

After yoga (1am) frozen banana--which I didn't need!

This weekend I ate in much more than usually, my plans dinner plans for the last three days have been rescheduled over and over!

Saturday:

Breakfast: oatmeal with a few almonds and unsulfured, unsweetened dried cherries

Lunch: homemade eggplant caponata with parm, plus a cuc, sprout, chard, carrot and kiwi salad with some three grain tempeh sauteed in soy sauce

Snack: kashi bar, there may have been something else sweet or a piece of fruit in there, but I can't remember

Dinner: the same as lunch, I just loved lunch so much, I mixed up the salad veggies a bit!

At the bars: sugar free red-bull vodka, corona, got home at 3am and went straight to bed like a good girl

Sunday:

Breakfast: kiwi and some almonds

Lunch oatmeal pancakes with 1 packet low sugar brown sugar and maple instant oatmeal, plus a few tablespoons rolled oats, 2 egg whites, 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt and cinnamon, topped with jam

snack: double chocolate rice krispie treat

dinner: the last of the eggplant caponata with goat cheese and salad with tempeh, apple

Monday:

Breakfast: fage, peach, kashi TLC bar

Lunch:grilled veggies with hummus and sprouts in a whole wheat wrap, kiwi

Snack: 4 chocolate covered pretzels and vanilla cone from McD's

Dinner:steamed brussels sprouts, side salad, sweet potato with goat cheese and an apple

Tuesday

Breakfast: fruit and yogurt parfait with 2 ryvita crackers, plus adora calcium supplement

Lunch: salad with beets, goat cheese, plum tomato, carrot, cuc and sprouts,light honey dijon dressing, 2 ryvita crackers

snack: apple

Dinner: large salad, pretty much the same as lunch, more steamed brussels sprouts with parm and goat cheese, hummus and whole wheat pita

for my sweet tooth: 1/2 a nutritious creation cookie

Sorry whenever I add photos it screw up the formatting. Maybe I need to do that first, then type!