New Bites and Old Sites
Hellooooo…It has been way too long since I have blogged and I am really starting to miss it! I had a bit of a busy stretch there with school work but now that I have successfully finished my two science classes, and am ready to start my Nutrition program in July, I think I can commit to some more regular blogging…at least I am hoping too!
Lately I have been more mindful with my eating habits. I have been trying to cut out the “bored” snacking and the late night sweet treats that I usually indulge in while at work. So far it has been two weeks and I have to say that I enjoy the “in control” feeling and the fact that my pants are a little looser is just an added bonus! 
I haven’t really changed what I am eating but more how, when and why I am eating it. I am really listening to my body and fueling it with what it is craving and not eating when I am not actually hungry. Sounds pretty easy but as many of you know it’s easier said than done! With that said, here are some new treats that are making their way into my daily repertoire.
While the Green Monsters aren’t really “new” (I’ve been drinking them for about a 2 months now) they are worth mentioning since they have been a miraculous addition to my diet. Seriously, they keep me full for hours (when paired with some sort of grain and protein on the side) and are exactly what I begin to crave as the weather warms up. I really like the idea of getting a big serving of veggies first thing in the morning and the looks I get from my housemates as I wash out my green blender are just priceless! They’re also just so pretty to look at, maybe that’s just because my favorite color does happen to be green!
If you’re interested, here’s my “go-to” recipe:
- 2 cups or giant handfuls of baby or full leaf spinach (whatever I have on hand)
- 1 large banana (not frozen)
- 8 chunks or so of TJ’s Frozen Mango
- 1 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk (the 40 calorie one)
The result is pure bliss in my opinion. I have also learned that the longer you blend, the better. I used to leave lots of chunks of spinach in there because I was just too inpatient but realized that it’s so much tastier fully blended. Drinking out of a beer glass at 8:00 a.m. never felt so right!
As I said, I almost always pair my G.M. with a bit of toast or something. I recently discovered these Vita Top Muffins that I had been reading about FOREVER and was very pleased with the product. I have a thing for Corn Muffins and while I could make my own healthy version I just never do. I am certainly not going to eat the huge, bakery style ones so I was hopeful that these might fit the bill. They certainly didn’t disappoint. I popped it in the toaster for a minute or two and then spread a thin layer of Peanut Butter on top and a dollop of jam right in the center for added appeal. I am not going to lie, it was kind of like eating a cupcake with peanut butter frosting! Not really, but you get the idea.
While a breakfast cupcake is very enticing, some mornings you just aren’t craving sweet. This morning was one of those mornings. I think it may have had something to do with the fact that yesterday I found a new food and was dying to try it. While at a Farmer’s Market in downtown Boston, I picked up a tub of this Egyptian dip.
Having never heard of it before, I googled Ful Medammes and found that it’s traditionally eaten at breakfast time in Egypt. Here is a list of the ingredients:
And the nutrition facts:
As you can see it has similar components to hummus but instead of chick peas, fava beans are used. The calories and fat are lower than hummus and the fiber and protein higher. To me the taste was quite hummus-y but less creamy and a bit more like Baba Ganoush without the smoky eggplant flavor. I ate mine with half a pita from the same company.
Trust me, this is worth a try and probably could be recreated at home quite easily. However, I do love supporting local businesses so I may just have to go back to the Farmer’s Market next Thursday. It was a nice change of pace from my normal breakfast.
A little savory dipping action…
After my Egyptian breakfast, I set out to Cambridge for a much needed hair appointment. Since I am not often in Cambridge, I decided to take a walk down memory lane (literally), and walked through my old neighborhood and around my College campus.
I haven’t been back since I graduated four years ago! It was strange to see all the changes but also fun to think about all the awesome memories. As you may expect a lot of my memories are food related so I took some pictures of my favorite places during my college years:
Don’t judge a restaurant by it’s exterior! This place has the best Veggie Burger Sub! It comes with homemade pesto and tons of fresh veggies and is served on a crusty baguette. So simple but so good!
Many Colorado Chicken Burrito’s were consumed here. I can still remember how the tortilla sticks to the roof of your mouth, loved it!
And of course Cambridge Common:
We kind of discovered this place senior year (when we were all legal) and I have yet to find better sweet potato fries (C.C. serves the round kind)! Also I can’t forget the Brownie Sundae that would normally appear at our table after a few rounds. Oooops!
Oh college. Somehow, I resisted the urge to get a sandwich or burrito and ended my walk in Harvard Square. I was parched by this point and stopped into Tea Luxe to see what Iced Tea they were offering. To my delight they had a coconut one on tap! To be more specific this tea was called Royal Coconut and is described as: “Pouchong tea with fresh Coconut flavor”. I don’t know if I was just really thirsty or if this truly was one of the best Iced Teas I have ever had, I think the later, but in any case this stuff was heaven on earth.
I am such an iced tea lover! I couldn’t even think of putting a sweetener in this one either, it was so subtly sweet yet robust on it’s own!
Surprisingly I wasn’t hungry for lunch today so I didn’t eat anything other than a Kashi Bar (not pictured). And after hot yoga, my appetite was only slightly there. I kept dinner on the light side but made sure to include plenty of healthy ingredients!
Smoked salmon piled high on a slice of Rye toast, a smear of organic light whipped cream cheese, baby spinach and topped off with a dill pickle slice. I have a serious love for smoked salmon and was pleased to find it highlighted in my latest Runner’s World.
“These fish (Wild Alaskan Salmon) are rich in protein, vitamin D, and inflammation-reducing omega-3’s.”
I knew this before, but sometimes it helps to see it in print and recommended to you as a runner!
For a little added nutrition and crunch, I piled some carrots and grape tomatoes that were just a little wrinkly!
So congrats if your still reading! I apologize for the monster post but I just had so much to share today! Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend!
