Friday, January 29, 2010

A Tale of Three Meals

Along with looking for a new job, I've been very focused on getting in quality workouts and eating well this week. My theory is that if I don't take care of myself I'll feel less confident when going to a job interview and then I won't perform as well as I would otherwise. Also, I got a bit of a wake up call when I stepped on the scale at the gym last Saturday morning. A decrease in physical activity due to my injuries + holiday treats = unflattering results. Truthfully though, more than the scale, I just wasn't feeling good. So, I've stepped it up quite a bit this week and have been making sure that I'm eating healthy, well rounded meals with limited snacking (and at that, only healthy snacks - veggies, fruit).

So, here we go. The Thursday Food Run Down:

I start each morning before a workout with an akmak cracker. If you haven't tried these, you really should. They're high in fiber and protein, relatively low in calories and fat (no saturated). They are hearty and very tasty. Great for eating with a bit of peanut butter (which I do before more intense workouts), honey, any good spread probably.

After yoga, I came back and had the standard breakfast I've had almost every morning this week and often have during the summer. About plain ff yogurt (or low fat), a banana, a bit of flax pumpkin granola, cinnamon, ground flax seeds, and a few sliced almonds. Doesn't look very exciting because of the lack of colors, but it is very tasty and satisfying!
Next was lunch. I've been having vegan burgers but yesterday I did a little cooking and grilled up a few slices of eggplant (low in sat. fat and cholesterol, good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Thiamin, Folate, Potassium, and dietary Fiber. BUT, I've just learned that it is very high in sodium and a good amt of the calories come from sugar.) and some onion. Then I put these on a sandwich thin with avocado on one side, hummus on the other and some great leafy greens. On the side, I had carrots, zucchini, and an apple. DELICIOUS!!
For dinner I was able to check off one of my 'healthy to do' list items! I've never cooked lentils before but have had them a few times. The legumes are very high in fiber and folate. I used green but other colors (red, black and orange) are also high in antioxidants. I found a recipe on 101Cookbooks, and with a few alterations made a hearty but healthy lentil soup for dinner. Very few ingredients (lentils, tomatoes, onion, kale, olive oil, water, and salt), which is great, but it also made plenty to have for a few more meals! Oh, and we topped ours with a little bit of avocado rather than the sauce the recipe calls for. Woody approved, so it may show up in our kitchen again! The one downfall of this meal is that while I had a pear on the side, we also had quite a few saltines with the soup. I would have preferred a whole wheat roll or something not so processed, but we had these on hand. Still, it was a pretty healthy meal.
We're still working our way through the awesome shipment of Florida oranges and grapefruits Woody's mom sent us, so I had an orange later for dessert!

Question of the Day: What's your favorite healthy meal?

12 comments:

Jocelyn said...

Wow. That burger creation you made. looks pretty good! Way to kick everything into high gear and really eat healthy! It's the worse when you don't eat right and you feel it.

Chloe (Project Live Well) said...

So interesting to see your daily eats! I can empathise with how you're feeling - I'm also trying to step it up a gear and get in better shape.

What job are you looking for? Good luck with that!

Chloe

Unknown said...

I love your breakfast! It looks so great : ). Even though it doesn't have a lot of color! I am gaga over bannanas!

Razz said...

What are these "fruits and vegetables" you speak of? Intriguing!

Brandi said...

My favorite healthy meal might just be some delicious greek yogurt and a banana. Simple, but so yummy.

I'm so glad you found my site, because I'm loving yours. I just started getting serious about running. I'm taking a yoga/pilates class twice a week, work out with a trainer once a week, and try to eat healthier (have you noticed it's easier to eat healthy when you're exercising? this is a new revelation for me). Will definitely be back (I'm adding you to my Google reader).

Stepfanie said...

Stopping by from SITS.

I'm very excited I found your blog! I am just now starting to kick my butt and living healthier. How we live, especially how we eat, completely defines our day.

www.StepfaniesTimeOut.com

Jill said...

Those bananas with yogurt and all the fixins looks really good, I'm going to try that. I'm a huge fan of a protein shake. Two scoops of protein powder, ice, milk, 1 cup frozen mixed berried and a handful of spinach. Yummy. Happy weekend!!! :)

Julie said...

The soup looks yummy! Have a great weekend Lisa!

Kristen @ Change of Pace said...

Your veggie sandwich looks yummy! I never thought about cooking the veggies first! Duh! :)

Lisa said...

@Razz - my snacks are pretty simple. Carrots & zucchini with some hummus, oranges. Sometimes a small handful of dried cherries (imported from Michigan, of course!). I love the occasional Larabar too.

Simply Life said...

I think I'm going to be cooking lentils for the first time this weekend - thanks for the great idea!

meredith said...

you look like the healthiest eater ever!!!

i love some good banana bread in the morning! :)