Alternatively titled “Under the Influence,” but I decided to go with something a little less risqué 😉
… and before your mind runs away with you, not that kind of influence. Rest assured that I’m serfectly pober perfectly sober as we speak. I’m talking about the blogging influence. We spend a lot of time browsing various food blogs, so it’s inevitable that some of what we see rubs off on us. This can be both a good and bad thing, but for this week’s edition of What I Ate Wednesday, I wanted to focus on the good. So, let’s take a look at some of the blogging influence that can be found in my meals…
Breakfast… [Eggy oats with toppings galore]
I’ve been eating oatmeal for pretty much as long as I can remember, but my current bowls definitely look a lot different from my bowls of breakfasts past. Back then I would have never thought to add egg whites to my oats, and I kept my toppings pretty basic with things like brown sugar, cinnamon, and a splash of milk. These days? Bring on the eggy bananafied oats and load ’em up with plenty of plain Greek yogurt, blueberry jam (or honey/maple syrup/pudding/etc), and roasted almond butter.
Morning snack… [Chia seeds]
I can’t even believe I’m saying this considering how much I’ve ragged on them in the past, but this is just another example of why it’s a good idea to never say never – you may end up eating your words. I’ve been wanting to get these little buggers out of my pantry for a while now, and I think I may have found a way that I actually enjoy eating them – sprinkled on top of vanilla infused Greek yogurt that’s been mixed with fruit; sliced banana and homemade applesauce in this case.
I’m still not a huge fan of them when they get all gelled up and goopy, but they add the most delightful little crunch to things before getting to that point. Sure I end up having to spend a minute picking them out of my teeth afterwards, but I’m willing to overlook that… for now.
Lunch… [Almond butter]
Wanna hear something crazy? I didn’t have my first taste of almond butter until the ripe age of 25. Since I’m allergic to peanuts, peanut butter was obviously out of the question for me as a kid, and I didn’t even know that something like almond butter existed until I came across it on the pages of various blogs. Let’s just say I pretty much owe blogging for life for that one, because I don’t think a day has gone by without AB in it since my first faithful taste. I love it on ALL things, and especially when it’s paired with bread and [blueberry] jam…
Afternoon snack… [Creating my own recipes]
Before I started blogging, my creativity in the kitchen was basically non-existant. In fact, I’m pretty sure that one of the only things I could make was mac ‘n’ cheese, and I’m not talking about the fancy ones from scratch. I was a lot better with baking, but even then I was always following a recipe. It wasn’t until I got into blogs that I became more adventurous in the kitchen and eventually started coming up with recipes of my own, like these no-bake almond fudge protein bars.
Dinner… [Kabocha squash]
Before blogging, I thought that pumpkin and squashes were just for decoration; I never imaged that people actually ate them. But in my defense, they do look a little intimidating, and they are dangerous. I can’t even tell you how many close calls I’ve had with knives – the fact that I still have all my digits is a miracle in itself. But I digress. The point is, I love squash, even if my stomach doesn’t always share that love (helloooo, squash belly!). Thankfully, the small kabocha I picked up at the store the other day didn’t cause any problems, and it was delicious roasted and eaten alongside almond butter and a baked chicken salad.
Evening snack… [Eating before bed]
Okay, so cereal definitely isn’t a new thing in my life, but eating before bed is. Even before my ED hit, I went through a phase where I bought into all the talk of not eating past 7 o’clock and usually ended up going to sleep hungry. It wasn’t until I saw plenty of bloggers who looked great and ate late that I started doing the same. Thank goodness, because waking up due to hunger pangs is misery, while a bowl of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest with a sliced banana, almond butter, cinnamon, and almond milk is just pure bliss.
. – . – . – .
I could probably go on and on about the foods that blogging has introduced me to (Greek yogurt, coconut, kombucha, hummus, pumpkin, avocado, dark chocolate, sweet potatoes), but I’ve already rambled on for long enough so it’s probably best that I end it here. But before I go, I wanted to mention that I just realized I had almond butter in 5 out of my 6 meals… Apparently I’m making up for lost time 😆
Happy Wednesday, beautiful people!
What are some foods you love that blogging has introduced you to?
What about some that you’re not so fond of?
I LOVE LOVE love discovering new foods through blogging!! I am soo glad you were able to find AB because a nut butter sandwich is like a little slice of heaven. One blogging trend I just can’t hang with is the oats in a jar, I tried it once and it was so awful I think it was ruined for me forever.
That almond butter and blueberry jam sandwich… PERFECTION! I’ve never tried almond butter before (OMG healthy living blogger blasphemy right there ;)), so I might pick some up when I go to Whole Food today!
Hahaha I feel ya on how dangerous it is to cut kabocha! My mom actually called me when I said I had picked one up to tell me to be careful and not stab myself. I work up a sweat trying to break those things open!
New to your blog and I have to say….I LOVE IT!!! I can’t wait to read more! I am not a huge hot oatmeal fan but I am definitely trying out your recipe! Looks delish!
Thanks for saying hi, Ashley! I’m not a fan of hot watery oats either… I make them and let them cool off completely so that they firm up a bit before I eat them – they’re more cakey that way
Lucky you!!! I haven’t been able to find kabocha for awhile now :(.
Blogs introduced me to almond butter, too! Well, I knew about it, but I never thought of it in so many applications. I was never one to put my PB in oatmeal or anything more than on toast, on a banana, or in a cookie but now I’ve been introduced to so many AB recipes! My boyfriend is allergic to peanuts as well and he loves that I’m now using AB in everything.
Is it weird that I don’t really love almond butter? I’ll eat it but it is definitely not my favorite form of nut butter! The protein craze was definitely introduced to me via blogging. Holy protein powders everywhere in the blog world!
I went hunting for kabocha on Sunday but I couldn’t find any! I did find a buttercup squash though, so that’ll have to do…I’ll be roasting that up tonight. And wow, blogging influences when it comes to food…I don’t even know where to start. Oatmeal that doesn’t come in a flavour packet (I never thought to actually make my own base, so i was all about peaches n cream, maple and brown sugar and the ones with dino eggs), any nut butter besides peanut butter, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, protein powder (I always assumed it was only for super-muscle-y people), pumpkin (I never thought to put it in anything besides pie), squash, almond milk, dark chocolate, avocado….the list goes on. Pretty safe to say that blogging basically introduced me to about half of what I eat on a regular basis now.
And as for foods I’m not fond of: eggplant, kale, green olives, blue cheese, raw onions…I think that’s pretty much it. I basically eat anything/everything.
Is there a difference between kabocha and buttercup? Because mine was labelled as kabocha/buttercup… squash identity confusion! And you know I”m not a fan of kale either, but watch me find a way to enjoy THAT as well 🙄
I’m actually not sure if there’s a difference or not. I thought they were the same, but Wikipedia seems to think otherwise.
I cannot say that blogging has introduced me to new foods (I’m not a picky eater so I try everything), but it definitely has introduced me to NEW ways to cook them. Bloggers have such a unique way of changing up a meals that it really challenges me in the kitchen. Your NO Bake fudge bars looks divine 🙂
I’m with you on Chia Seeds, Kabocha Squash, and egg whites in oatmeal for sure! I’d have to add hemp seeds, kale chips, protein frosting (and all other things “proteinfied”), and overnight oats.
I’m the opposite with chia seeds–they’re fine (but not great) crunchy, but I love when they get gelled up. I usually stick some in a cup of Greek yogurt and let it sit in the fridge for a half an hour or so, and then I have a nice little cup of protein-packed pudding…ish thing. 😛 I ate a lot of “healthy living blog” things (Greek yogurt, almond butter, etc.) before I started blogging, but I didn’t discover kabocha until I did. I’ve only had it a few times since, but it’s definitely one of my favorites! Now, about that cupboard of things I bought as a result of the blogging community that I still don’t really know what to do with… (ahem, flaxseeds, I’m looking at you…)
😆 Oh the seeds. If you grind them, you can use them in baking. OR… grind them and sprinkle them on top of plain yogurt with some kind of liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup. Ah.maze.ing.
Yay for giving chia seeds another chance! They’re o good for you but I can see why people are a little turned off, they do get a little slimy.
I didn’t know what almond butter was either until was 26 and that was through blogging. Did it even exist before that? I don’t know but I can’t imagine life without it now!
Actually, I was introduced to both of those foods through blogging. I would say the only thing I haven’t liked was Nuttzo. SO expensive and not that great, in my humble opinion.
Following blogs introduced me to chia seeds and overnight oats and I am sure a ton of other things that I am not thinking of off hand – wait, yes – here: You told me to try a tea bag in my coffee and I did it this morning! Great idea, I have to get sugar cookie and those other teas I enjoy to add to my morning mix now! Thank you. Oh, and also, after telling you I never crave chocolate in the morning, I ended up making cocoa oats yesterday and loved it. Reminded me of my Cocoa Pebbles. I am not sure what sparked the craving but it was good.
Woo! What kind of tea did you use? In addition ot SCSR, I’ve found that licorice teas work really well because of their natural sweetness. I recently found a chocolate spice one that kind of blew me away.
Coconut oil was introduced to me through blogs and I love it!! I’ve had problems with squash too. I almost always cut myself when I’m cutting spaghetti squash. It’s difficult. I actually wrote a post called “Spaghetti squash blood wars” on my blog when I shared a spaghetti squash recipe a while back.
Love this post! I totally agree that blogging has opened my eyes to a whole bunch of new and delicious foods. To name a few: beets, sunflower butter, anything Ezekiel and butternut squash. I love stepping out of my comfort zone and trying/sharing new things in the hopes that others will try them to.
I have yet to try adding egg whites into my oats. Yours always look so good that I really should give it a try! Chia seeds happen to be a favorite thing of mine. I like adding them to my oatmeal, smoothies and I even sprinkle them on toast.
Since I got into blogging, I’ve definitely been buying/trying some new foods. For example, I’ve been using a lot more almond and coconut flour and a new fav of mine is almond butter (thanks to you!).
Seeing people loving on AB makes my heart do all sorts of happy dances <3
I’m in love with spaghetti squash now. I could eat it every night… okay for about a week but still. I learned about it from another blog.
I like chia seeds for certain things. I really like baking with them.
Something I don’t like…. Canned coconut milk. EWWWWW I’ll stick to my so delicious.
My entire foodie life has changed because of blogging. Chia seeds, flax seeds, plain Greek yogurt, kale… I never would have touched those things pre-blogging! We definitely aren’t good at standing up to the food blog peer pressure. Be above the influence, Amanda! ABOVE!
I definitely have fallen victim to buying things because I saw them on other blogs…
some of my favorite discoveries –
coconut butter, nut butters in general, snack bars, overnight oats, PB2, “healthified/modified” dessert recipes (chocolate covered katie for example…)
some of my not so favorite discoveries…
coconut flour, chia seeds (although I bought some to add to baking, don’t like the goopy stuff), ANYTHING walden farms, STEVIA (i get major stomach aches), all of the “low carb” substitutions….
I definitely think sometimes I fall into the trap of having things just because other people do (*cough* low carb everything), so now I DON’T do that and focus on products/recipes/food that others post that are wholesome, delicious, and nutritious 🙂 yay rhyming!
love this post 🙂
Have a great day!
Ditto on the stevia – I can only handle it in small doses and won’t add it to things like coffee, tea, or oatmeal. But you’re right about having to filter what’s just a crazy diet fad vs. what’s wholesome and nourishing… there’s a lot of goofy stuff out there.
Great. Amanda, great … Now you made me get out the cereal [nothing fancy, still, though – just plain honey-sweetened puffed wheat] right before lunch ;).
After years of blog-reading and now blogging myself it’s hard to list all foods I hadn’t know before. In fact, I’d go so far to say the largest part of my diet is made up from foods I was introduced to through blogs. To name only a few of my now favourites: all nut butters other than PB [how did I go through life before then ;)?], coconut flour, oat bran and peanut flour.
As a fun fact: Kabocha is a huge favourite of mine but it was only semi-itroduced to me by blogs. My mum had accidentially ordered the wrong pumpkin seeds to plant in her garden so we got ‘green hokkaido’ instead of red kuris. Only after hearing some bloggers talk about that magical squash I noticed I’d been happily eating just that all of the time :).
Ohh I could totally relate to many of these! I always liked peanut butter, but not to the extent that I’m OBSESSED with it now (along with other nut/seed butters). Overnight oats is also now one of my favorite breakfasts thanks to blogs. Oh, eggs and avocados. All the time now…all the time.
I also used to avoid eating before bed and would go to bed hungry more often than not. Now I love late night snacks, and my belly really appreciates them too 🙂
I had a post very similar to this about two years ago when I had my first OIAJ and tried both almond butter and almond milk for the first time! All of these things were definitely due to blogging and never would have known about any of them without it. Some of the trends out there are rather nartsty, but there are others that are fantastic, as you show here with your delicious and might I add, pretty looking dishes!
That breakfast is an ideal one for me, it would keep me full for hours which is definitely the goal for work!
OMG your on the chia seed train now?! Say whaaaaat?(in my best minion voice) I agree with you that they ARE a bit weird and freaky, but dang those little buggers pack a nutritional punch, and I do kind of enjoy freaking everyone out when they see me eat it. Plus, I like to say that Im eating the hair growing plant seeds 😉
Yum, I love adding loads of different toppings to my oatmeal too – I think that I’m so used to being like this that I don’t realise outside of the blogging community its not really “normal”. My friend was absolutely ecstatic the other day when she’d had the idea of putting peanut butter on her oats and it made me realise that generally people’s food habits definitely aren’t the same as the blogging world!
I was introduced to kabocha squash ..yumm, through blogs and I never looked back haha. I was also introduced to the prospect of using gram flour to make things with..yack…I now have a huge bag of it still sitting in the cupboard.
😆 I tend to forget that not everyone gets so creative with their meals out in the “real world” too. Probably why some of my lunches end up getting the “stretched neck” look from co-workers 😉
Spaghetti squash! I was never a huge fan of squash but I saw it everywhere, so I gave it a try. And now I love it!
Greek yogurt, avocado (mainly it made me overcome the fear of them), and Kombucha (the drink!). And Stovetop oatmeal. Actually, I think blogging made me overcome FEARS of food more than they introduced me to food. Hell, I used to be terrified of peanut butter which is one of my, if not THE, favorite foods.
I have yet to try kabocha squash, but due to blogger influence, I’ve really been wanting to give it a shot.
Do it, do it, do it. Peer pressure 😉
Before blogging I had no idea so many sunbutters existed! I’m a true fan of the regular pb, so no other kinds of butters for me. Also, I never liked plain hot oatmeal. Then I saw all these bloggers raving about overnight oats. I gave it a try thinking I wouldn’t be a fan, but wow I was wrong. Now I eat it everyday!
You’ve killing me with those pictures of those no bake almond protein fudge bars! I made some this weekend and demolished the WHOLE batch – in one sitting!
Reading other blogs has introduced me to Almond butter (I have been a peanut butter addict- not yet in recovery mode); and the joys of roasting squash! I used to always bake squash (spaghetti, acorn) in foil and mush it up – but it’s so much better roasted!
There aren’t any foods that I can think of that I don’t like – but, even though I have a huge sweet tooth and adore desserts, I would rather my desserts be not too sweet – does that make sense?
Happy Wednesday to you too lovely lady!
I did say they were kind of dangerous 😉 And what you said about desserts definitely makes sense – I feel the same way! I love my sweets, but can only handle a certain concentration of sugar before it stops being enjoyable. Maybe it’s part of getting older.
gluten free baked goods! i never tried them before i started blogging, and now i LOVE them. also just sort of a different attitude toward food in general. i think thats only natural though, after reading about different perspectives its bound to change your own. which is a good thing 🙂 yay for WIAW- your eats always look amazing, especially when you decide to bake! YUM!
All your meals look SO good! I’m addicted to almond butter so I can completely fend for ya, girl. Chia seeds are the bomb also 😉 They’re something I was introduced to as a blogger as well.
Well, let me tell you, my first spoon of AB found its way into my mouth at the REALLY ripe age of 34. Gosh, how did I live all these years without it?? My food life was really boring.
Also the eggy oats are a big blogging influence as well as the pumpkin obsession. But I am so glad I was influenced by all this good stuff!
I also started to eat a lot of protein bars when I saw them around the blogger world and stopped it because I felt it just got out of hand. As much as I love bars , their taste and convenience, I prefer real food.
Haha love this – blogging has definitely opened up a world of food options to me that I otherwise probably would never have tried. A few that come to mind are sweet potato with cinnamon, overnight oats, peanut butter & banana combo..and using a near empty jar in place of a bowl! A few products that come to mind are KIND bars, Luna bars, Kashi cereal, natural peanut butter, and chia seeds. I remember reading one of Tina’s (Carrots ‘n’ Cakes) posts back in 2010 and that was enough to spur a craving for peanut butter after years of not having it. I went and bought a jar that same day. I will admit that I bought Skippy Reduced Fat then. While I haven’t looked back since, fortunately I am now buying Skippy Natural instead :)!
Oats in a jar/eating oatmeal in general. I started eating it because I thought it was healthy/I was supposed to but I didn’t even like it.
Putting spinach or a runny egg in everything also comes to mind, along with all kinds of crazy nut butter. I didn’t know about almond butter until a few years ago, either!
Not so fond of Quest bars or stevia!
You know my feelings on OIAJ 😉 And its always nice to come across someone who doesn’t like Quest bars… probably because I’m bitter over the fact that allergies keep me from trying what everyone seems to be gaga over 😆
I always have an evening snack, Im glad Im not the only one! I love eggy oats too, I always add two or three egg whites and it makes them so fluffy and adds so much more to the breakfast! melted almond butter is key on top too 🙂 I just started liking almond butter at the age of 27!! What the heck was I thinking all my life!
You definitely owe blogging BIG time for the almond butter introduction! Kabocha squash is a food, for me too, that I never would have known about without blogging and I feel you on the squash belly!
I have literally stalked all of Toronto find Kabocha and I can’t!!!!! I’m going to console myself by making your almond protein fudge. Seriously girl I’ve seen so many people make the recipe and LOVE it! You are a foodie genius I tell ya!
It’s so true that blogging can play a part in our choice of eats. I’ve definitely tried my share of interesting eats all for the sake that it’s been trendy.
Sometimes it’s a hit, sometimes it’s a very big miss.
I think for the most part all of it has been quite good, but some things I was just not a fan of were things like portobello burgers. Ick, I just hate mushrooms. Or those chickpea blondies. To be fair I haven’t tried them, but for some reason it seems too weird to try out.
I had no idea before blogs that there was anything else other than peanut butter either! Or that you could make your own at home. I guess that’s one thing that blogging has taught me- you can make ANYTHING at home. Literally. Sandwich bread, epic cakes, ice cream, almond butter, applesauce, etc. And the homemade versions are pretty darn good.
I’m still not quite fond of savory oatmeal. Um, just no. Mushrooms and cheese on my oats? No thanks.
Blogging also opened up the door to give me a clue as to what was going on with my stomach. I had no idea that food allergies can cause things other than rashes/hives/swelling!
In regards to the whole “making your own at home” thing, blogging has definitely made me feel more lazy for not making my own hummus, nut butter, and bread 😆 I’m sure it tastes amazing when it’s homemade, but I just can’t find the motivation to try it!
I wouldn’t say blogging has introduced me to new foods, although I have given a few a shot. I’m not big on trying things, but I started eating breakfast as a result of blogging, I began eating more seeds, I tried quinoa and cauliflower bread last year, and overall I have a more open view on some foods, like oatmeal, which i just can’t get on board with. I think for people who are more adventurous with eating than me, though, blogging is really great for that. The recipes people come up with amaze me and the combinations they put together are things I’d never think to try. It’s definitely one of the great things about blogging, no doubt.
Blogging has introduced me to so many foods that I love and never would have tried: like seed butters, spaghetti squash, and greek yogurt. Beyond that I have learned so many new methods of preparing/cooking my foods. Before I started blogging I was so uncreative in the kitchen. I have definitely spent my fair share on protein bars that I have not been happy with though. As a general rule of thumb I haven’t been happy with many of the bars I have been influenced to try through the blogging world.
That makes me feel a little bit better about the fact that I can’t eat most of them because of my allergies 😛