I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve talked about food here on Spoons, and that might be because… err… it has been forever. The last time munchies were mentioned was waaaaay back in the beginning of the month, but as luck would have it, today just so happens to be WIAW, so let’s take a look at what my eats have been looking like lately, shall we?
I’ve gotta say that remembering to take pictures of all of my meals definitely took some conscious effort after not photographing anything for the past month or so, but I somehow managed to capture most of what I ate yesterday, minus the random handfuls of snacks that inevitably made their way into my mouth throughout the day. Oops?
Breakfasts have mostly been the same old thing. I’ve been having either yogurt messes or oatmeal, and just varying up what I toss in the bowl. Yesterday was an oatmeal day…
Eggy oats layered with plain Greek yogurt and then topped with almond butter and honey.
An oatmeal day that did not hold me over as much as I would have liked 😡 I was feeling munchie again a mere 1.5 hours later, but I mostly blame that on the fact that I was up at 4:30 AM (whyyyy?!) and my appetite was probably catching up to me after being MIA the day before. Needless to say, I was more than ready to dig in to the morning snackk that I packed to take with me…
Plain Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries.
Fresh blueberries probably remind me of summer more than any other fruit (save maybe watermelon). I remember not being that big on fruit when I was a kid (what was I thinking!?), and my dad always giving me blueberries sprinkled with sugar so that I’d be more inclined to eat them. It kind of seems like it would defeat the purpose, but at least I was getting some antioxidants in along with the sugar? These days, plain berries suit me just fine, as do fresh and cool snacks in the first half of the day.
Lunches, on the other hand… ugh… Lunches have been the bane of my existence. No matter how I approach it, lunch is still my least favorite meal of the day, which is probably why I’ve mostly given up on it and resorted to just snacking the afternoon away instead…
Chicken (baked in olive oil and Mrs. Dash) with random veggies.
Triscuits and baby carrots // Barefruit apple chips and almonds with raisins.
Grape kombucha.
… and then making the transition from “lunch snacks” to “afternoon snacks” somewhere along the way 😉
Spoonful of Justin’s vanilla almond butter…
… with an eventual banana accompaniment.
Can we just talk about that almond butter for a second? I am a woman ob.sessed. I know I’m a little late to the party, but it’s not sold up here in Canada (I picked some up while I was in Vegas), and Justin’s just recently started making their ABs in a peanut-free facility, which makes my allergy-ridden heart all sorts of happy. In any case, this stuff has become my crack, and I’ll definitely have to look into ordering some online after I run out. But I digress… back to the eats.
Unlike my snacky lunches, dinners are pretty much always a concrete meal…
Beef rouladen (stuffed with ham, leek, mustard, tomato paste, and pickles) alongside roasted potatoes.
… and if I’m lucky, one that I can mooch off Mom 😉 I don’t really eat red meat all that often, but I definitely enjoy it from time to time, and especially when I don’t have to prepare it myself (hello fear of giving myself food poisoning).
After dinner comes dessert…
After Eight chocolate mints. Dangerous[ly] good…
… and if I’m lucky, a [Skype] date with J. I usually have another snack before bed…
Rice Krispies and Kashi Cinnamon Harvest with milk.
… and wake up the next day to do more-or-less the same thing over again.
I have to say that I’m pretty happy with how my eats have been lately. My body seems to have found its groove, and I feel like I eat a good mix of predominantly healthier fare and treats without really having to give it too much thought. Granted, there are days where that’s definitely not the case, but it’s all about looking at the bigger picture, right? Right.
Happy Wednesday, friends! Hope it’s a good one for ya!
. – . – . – .
Are you a fan of the mint chocolate combo?
What fruit most reminds you of summer?
What snack do you usually end the night with?
Do you feel like you’re in a pretty good place with your eats right now?
Omg, I just had to tell you…I found some of those apple chips at TJ Maxx a couple of weeks ago and they were DEEEEEEEElicious!! Oh and I totally dipped some in my coconut Oikos yogurt too! 😉
I don’t really feel like I’m in the BEST place with my meals right now since I’m just coming off of a week of lots of emotional eating (my post today explains why), but I think I’m starting to get a little more balance back…especially since all day yesterday, I was craving savory foods after basically living off of cereal, trail mix, and cookies for the last week! :-/
As much as I love to cook, I absolutely enjoy a meal made completely by someone else. It’s nice to be able to get a completely home cooked meal without all the effort. Much like you, I’m big on snacks this time of year. With the heat and humidity, I don’t always want to cook and eat something extra heavy so snacks are the way to go. I’ve been doing a lot of veggies and hummus in particular, although I wouldn’t say no to your Triscuits, especially if you threw in a wheel of cheese.
Last, I’m a huge fan of the mint chocolate chip combo…in the form of ice cream.
My jaw dropped when I read/saw your dinner. Good lawd that looks good! And why are lunches so sad? No matter what, they are totally my least favorite meal of the day, too! I can’t hate too much though because I still get to eat…right? yup.
I would really want to reach into the screen and grab that almond butter off you, it looks amazing!
I’m enjoying a healthy dose of Justin’s vanilla almond butter atop whipped Greek banana yogurt (banana blended into the yogurt – so good!), so I *maaaay* have squealed a bit when I read that you too are now a fan. <3 Brace yourself, but I've actually never been a big almond butter lover…that is until I discovered Justin's vanilla! It's the only kind I buy, despite the hefty (but totally worth it) price tag. 🙂
Anyway, I'm happy to see you're back! I think I've missed a few posts since your return, so I'll be taking a peek at those next. 🙂 Your beef rouladen dinner looks absolutely incredible (the combination of ham, leek, mustard, tomato paste sounds delicious)! Do you think your mom would welcome another body at the table? I can bring cookies dessert! 😉
The fruit that reminds me most of summer is raspberries. I used to spend at least one month of my summer break at my grandparent's house in Berkeley each year, and the majority of that time was spent either a) picking raspberries; b) eating raspberries; or c) making raspberry jam. So many happy memories! Now, whenever I taste a raspberry I'm transported back to those beautiful summers.
I hope you're having a wonderful week, Amanda! <3 xoxo
I have a feeling that Mom definitely wouldn’t mind another person at the table – she’s VERY much the epitome of European hospitality and wants to feed everyone 😆 And one of these days I seriously need to try blending banana into yogurt… I love slicing banana into it, but I’ve never tried combining the two.
I love that Justin’s vanilla AB but I try not to get it very much because it’s expensive and I’m not a fan of the added sugar/oil. But it reminds me of frosting and it’s definitely my favorite of the Justin’s line. I tried the maple AB and wasn’t thrilled by it, but the Maranatha maple AB version is a lot better!
Lunch is also my least favorite meal, except if I end up going out somewhere for lunch. Otherwise it’s usually just a salad thrown together, and it’s never very exciting. And I’m generally not awake before 7, but when I have to wake up early, I definitely notice that I’m hungrier a lot more often. I think it has to do with the fact that I usually eat breakfast around 8 or 9 and my body gets out of whack if I wake up earlier. Nothing wrong with a little extra snacking on those days though!
You always have the BEST pictures of oats. As for Justin’s… it is GREAT stuff!! I can understand why you love it. Mmm. I’m a bit bummed they seem to have changed the Vanilla Almond Butter though… not nearly as sweet as it used to be. Used to taste like frosting, yum!! Still good though. 😉
Watermelon reminds me of summer & so do peaches. The snack I usually end the night with is an apple or pear, or air popped popcorn with some coconut oil spritzed on & nutritional yeast.
I completely agree with lunch being my least favorite meal of the day. I would much rather just snack all afternoon too.
I have been really curious about the grape kombucha. The only one I have tried is the original and I wasn’t a fan, but maybe I would like the grape one?
I haven’t tried the original one, but I’d be willing to bet that the flavored ones are probably better. The only flavor I tried that I didn’t like was multi-green, but you might want to give Trilogy a go – a lot of people like that one!
I’ve had to take a few moments to catch up on your posts! So much has happened! First of all congrats on the significant other. Relationships are a big deal to me! Second of all: I loved your vegas photos. I have been to Las Vegas and loved it and the photos brought back so many memories! Lastly: Your dinner?! Yumm!! Love the pickles on the side!
4.30am wakeup call, wow thats early! I find days I get up ridiculously early tend to be days where my hunger is crazy and constant! I usually end the night with a scoop of casein protein powder and nut butter, or greek yogurt and nut butter- puts me to sleep! And love the after dinner mints- My mum used to hide a box when I was younger and I’d spend ages searching for them, I loved how they were individually wrapped!
I definitely have a hard time satisfying my hunger on these crazy early days. In fact, most of the time I end up just constantly munching on something – I’ll eat only to be hungry again 20 minutes later. So.frustrating…
I don’t even know what to comment on first!
I feel the same way about lunch. I rarely have the energy to pay a lot of attention to it, and I’m usually not super hungry by the time it rolls around. Snacking is the way for me!
That dinner on the other hand…oh my GOSH. I don’t eat a whole lot of red meat either, but when I do, I make sure it is worth it. That meal up there definitely looks worth it. Wow.
Watermelon is the fruit that most reminds me of summer. There is nothing like cutting open the first watermelon of the season. 🙂
you eat like me. Not a lunch fan. But breakfast and dinner? oH yea! bring it. Lunch is like a bunch of snacks on a plate because i can never decide. or just have eggs. And graper kombucha.. ahh.. perfect
Oh wow! That beef made me drool and I probably haven’t even digested breakfast yet! It looks soooooo good! Chocolate mints on the other hand… I tried them once because a friend insisted. She said they would change my opinion on how disgusting mint is. They didn’t 😀 I couldn’t even make myself swallow it. I think they ruin the perfectly good chocolate by adding mint to it but I know very few people share my opinion.
Cherries, peaches, apricots… The best summer fruits! But during the summer I OD on fruit in general 😛
I don’t know what it is about your oatmeals, but even though they always look so simple they look amaaaazing! 0_0 And that beef dish looks so good. Haha, I love it when I can mooch off my mom’s food as well. 🙂
Isn’t the Justin’s almond butter amazing?? I used to exclusively buy Justin’s, no exceptions haha. I am so loving plain old Greek yogurt and fruit (especially berries!) right now with the warm weather. And you know I am fully on board with snacking through lunch. 😉
If you eat lunch with me, it will NO LONGER be the bane of your existence! I have a restaurant that will make you DREAM ABOUT THEIR FOOD – I certainly do! LOL! Do you ever come to Los Angeles, because I want to rock your tastebuds’ world!! LMFAO!
I’ve heard so many good things about Justin’s! Is the almond butter made in a peanut/nut free facility? I’m really nervous about taking risks like that because I once had a reaction to tahini that was processed in the same plant as other nut butters!
That beef rouladen looks amazing! My dad made something similar a few months ago and it was a bit dry (shhh don’t tell him I said that), but the flavours were so delicious! And ohmygoshyes I love mint and chocolate together, especially After Eight mints! Nothing makes me more excited than than when a restaurant hands them out after a meal. I know, it doesn’t take much to excite me lol.
The AB is made in a peanut free facility, but I’m not sure about other nuts 😕 I know Justin’s makes a hazelnut butter as well, and the label says “contains tree nuts,” so I’d assume that they make both the AB and the hazelnut in the same facility. You should get in touch with them just to make sure!
Your dinner looks very fancy and delicious! Watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple all definitely make me think of summer.
What’s the hype about that almond butter? Is it creamier? Sweeter? How is it different than other brands? Just curious as to why so many rave about it.
It’s definitely creamy, and definitely sweet. I can’t compare it to -too- many other brands since peanut-free ABs are kind of hard to come across, but I really enjoy it. No harm in giving it a shot and seeing if you like it.
Um, chocolate and mint are so my thang. Hence why I was so excited to try the So Delicious almond milk ice cream! I definitely get into my grooves and then sometimes stick to my groove too long. I like changing it up here and there and tossing in something new. Always fun and exciting! 🙂
I pretty much always end my night with some greek yogurt mixed with warm berries and crispy granola…definitely hits the spot!
Blueberries remind me of summer too. I think it is because I lived in front of a blueberry farm and I would pick gallons all summer for my family and friends. Delicious!
4:30am?? Heavens girl… I would be passed out by now!
I am the same way with lunch. It’s always been my least favorite meal (okay except maybe in elementary school when I considered it a “subject”) but my lunches usually end up looking similar to yours. Nothing wrong with that!
Your food looks SO good! I love Justin’s almond butters. I currently have the chocolate hazelnut spread in my pantry but that vanilla looks phenom! Happy WIAW! 🙂
I’ve never tried kombucha before but I’ve heard that it’s supposed to be great for digestion. Grape sounds wonderful. Grape was always my favorite flavor of sweets- popsicles, dum dum suckers, laffy taffy… 🙂
Definite no to the mint chocolate combo. I can sort of handle Girl Scout Thin Mints but that was only when I forced myself to eat them when I was younger. Peppermint patties, mint chocolate chip ice cream.. Not my favorite. Lol.
Care to share the recipe for the Beef rouladen? I know that you normally don’t post savory recipes that looks just delicious.
Kombucha has seriously worked wonders on my stomach – I definitely recommend giving it a try to see if it’ll help with any issues. The taste might be a little off-putting at first, but it definitely grows on you. And I’d love to share the recipe, but I’m going to have to bug my mom for it and see if I can come over one ay and hold a photo session at her place 😆
Those apple chips sound good and I am obsesses with Justin’s!
OMG.. after eight! Brings me back to high school! I used to always eat those by the pack full with my best girlfriend 🙂 They’re indeed dangerously good! Have you ever had After Eight gelato? … It’s to die for!
I’ve never come across that flavor of gelato, but I can imagine it’d be amazing. And omigosh… the fact that these mints come in sleeves is SO dangerous – I can easily polish one off without even noticing, so I have to be careful..
Almond butter is definitely one of my all-time favorite foods. I can’t stop putting it on everything.
Recently made some home-made and it was so much fun!
Your photography is beautiful (and so is almond butter.)
I think peaches and strawberries remind me the most of summer.
I have some candied ginger that I like as a post-dinner sweet/spicy treat.
I definitely agree with you on lunch. I usually end up packing snack lunches or making an epic salad.
Xo Georgie
Now that’s what I call dinner! The weather has temporarily turned freezing over here and I am craving that kinda comfort food- yum! I love the mint choc combo, especially when it comes in ice cream form from Baskin Robbins- nothing like it! Glad that you are in a good place with your eats, girl…well you and me! I finally feel very confident with what I’m eating in that not every meal requires brainpower. It’s now more a case of “eat, enjoy, move on” and I like it :)!
I had the most amazing thing yesterday- dehydrated watermelon! I don’t know where it has been all my life but wow- new summer fav. Its like the sugars condense or something when it dried & one piece of watermelon “jerky” is the perfect afternoon pick me up. I am now going to have to get a dehydrator! And yes, lunch is dull 🙁 I usually just pick a couple snacks to spread it out- today is a steamed sweet potato (the yellow one not the orange) cubed, roasted & spread with a little cinnamon pecan butter (amazon.com is amazing!) but I packed it in two tiny bowls so I have 2 meals ha ha, the things you do in an office for fun…..:)
😯 I didn’t even know something like dehydrated watermelon existed! Seeing as I freaking adore apple chips, I’m assuming watermelon would be equally as amazing, but I’ve never seen anything like that around here 🙁
My co worker made it! She said she got one of those super ripe, on sale, can’t eat it fast enough melons & just cut it into strips & dried it. I thought it was salmon jerky as the fish are running here but no- it was amazing!!! Now I must garage sale a good dehydrator….
im so happy to see “runningwithspoons” back in my newsfeed thingy lol and am so excited to see what the future has in store for you:-)
all my love xoxox