[What I Ate] Wednesday already? No complaints! 😀
So each week I give you guys a little glimpse into my daily noms… wait… did I really just say noms? I can’t stand that word. But I digress. Let’s start again…
Each week I give you guys a little glimpse into my daily eats. I show you a few meals and snacks because a) I like to talk about food [sometimes], and b) it’s a great way to inspire and be inspired with some new ideas. I can’t even tell you how many of my favourite foods and combos I’ve discovered through blog reading, but with every handful of hits is bound to be a few misses… and I’m not only referring to those in the taste department.
I’m sure you guys know what I’m talking about… Those foods that are toted as the be-all-end-all and promise to do this, that, and the other thing. Those foods that are supposed to be healthy and do amazing things for your body. Those foods that, if you’re really being honest with yourself, just don’t work for you and you’re actually better off without them. You’ve got one in mind, don’t you? Yup… me too. A few, actually.
We’re all so different, and what works for one person isn’t necessarily going to work for another. You might thrive off drinking a glass of lemon water first thing in the morning, while the same thing might give me heartburn (true story). The point is, it’s all fine and good to try new things, but not to take everything you see and hear out there as absolute truth. Experiment with your diet, keep what makes you feel good, and ditch what doesn’t — don’t cling to a sinking ship!
And before this intro gets any lengthier, let’s take a look at what does work for me…
What worked for breakfast… something sweet.
Eggy bananafied oats layered with plain Greek yogurt and topped with homemade applesauce, honey, cinnamon, and almond butter.
I know a lot of people say that eating a sweet breakfast makes them crave sweets for the rest of the day, but I’ve always found that a little bit of sweetness in the morning [and throughout the day] helps keep my sweet tooth in check and keeps me from wanting to gorge myself on ALL the sweets. There was a time where I tried to cut back on sugar, and yeah… it did not end well for me.
What worked for my morning snack… a substantial one.
My thick & creamy chocolate smoothie with extra almond butter and some added frozen berries.
My appetite is usually the biggest in the morning and tends to taper off as the day goes on. There’s no way I’d make it from breakfast to lunch without something to hold me over, and my “something” of choice lately has been smoothies, mostly because of how easy they are to customize depending on how hungry I happen to be. Yesterday saw me a little on the hungrier side, so I added an extra spoonful of almond butter and a handful of frozen berries to end up with a smoothie that was basically as thick as pudding. Bliss.
What worked for lunch… plain old white bread.
A Rudi’s English muffin [with cottage cheese & jam // almond butter], classic hummus, and roasted kabocha.
There was a time where I avoided bread like the plague, buying into the belief that it lead to weight gain, bloat, and the end of the world as I knew it. I started missing sandwiches, though… and toast… so I broke down and dipped my toes back into the land of loafy and doughy goodness. But the only kind of bread that I ate for the longest time was the sprouted and grainy kind because it was supposed to be healthier and easier to digest than plain old white or even whole wheat bread. Not so. Not only did it leave me looking like I was 6 months pregnant, but it gave me acid reflux and all sorts of other less-than-pleasant sensations. I made the switch over to simpler bread and… no more problems.
What worked for my afternoon snack… going with my cravings.
Original flavour Popchips.
We’ve all come across the idea of smart snacking, right? The idea that the snacks we eat should have a nice balance of carbs, proteins, and fats to allow for maximum energy and satisfaction until our next meal? It’s not a bad idea, but what if we don’t always want a properly balanced snack? What if that banana with almond butter just doesn’t sound appealing? Don’t get me wrong, you guys know how much I love that combo, but there are times where all I honestly want is some chips or chocolate, and past experience has taught me that I won’t be satisfied if I ignore my craving and go with the “smarter” option instead… So I had my chips and they lasted me just fine until dinner.
What worked for dinner… white rice.
Leftover sesame chicken stir fry with random veggies and basmati rice cooked in coconut milk.
I’ve made it no secret that I prefer white rice over brown. It’s what I grew up on, what I prefer the taste of, and what my stomach has an easier time digesting. I switched over to brown rice when I started reading about how it was supposedly so much healthier than white rice, and while it didn’t destroy my stomach or anything drastic like that, I definitely noticed a lot more bloating and discomfort compared to when I was eating white rice. I dismissed it at first because… it was brown rice! It was supposed to be healthier! But no… I’m back to white and happy as a clam.
What worked for my evening snack… chocolate.
A flourless banana bread muffin with a side of chocolate and warm vanilla almond milk.
Because… well… chocolate! Can you believe there was a time in my life where I managed to convince myself that I didn’t like the stuff? Yeah… I’m not quite sure how I did that either. Thankfully the madness has passed and I’m back to enjoying chocolate on a daily basis… and baked treats! Because there’s nothing more comforting than a homemade muffin, cookie, or… anything, really.
And before this gets any wordier (sorry!), I just have one more thing to say… Don’t eat like me — eat like you! Do what works, ditch what doesn’t, and remember that there are no absolutes where it comes to what or how you should eat.
See you guys tomorrow for Thinking Out Loud! 😀
Have you ever eaten things that didn’t necessarily work for you just because you felt like you should?
What are some things that you know don’t work for you?
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thank you for this post! All I have to say is i love you and this is just what i needed today 🙂
What if I happen to like the way you eat?! What then?
I do love my brown rice for it’s nutty flavor, but I got nothing against white rice, wild rice or black rice either. Bring on all the rices! I will say white rice is supposed to be the easiest to digest so I can see why you’d have issues with the brown stuff. Same goes for cucumber seeds. Random but true. Also hard to digest.
I think it’s past my bed time now. My comments are getting stranger. Forgive me; I know not what I do after 10 p.m. 🙂
This is such a clever and awesome WIAW post, Amanda! I love how you always come up with fun ideas like that. 😀 And thank you. We all need the reminder that we need to eat what makes us feel good ultimately, within moderation and not eating complete junk all the time. I find that certain things make my stomach more sensitive, even if they are healthy alternatives. I love coconut milk but I have to be selective on the times/days I consume the stuff because sometimes I get stomach aches and can’t digest…but then others I’m completely fine! But I still think it’s a pretty awesome food. We all just have to be happy with what our diet and workouts in order to be fulfilled in that regard.
I agree with doing what works for you.. I’ve tried to follow different things in the past. No carbs after 3? Ugh I still cringe! I’ll eat carbs all day long thank you!
So I’m sitting here reading your comment while I munch on a bowl of cereal at 8:30 PM. Yup… not giving up my nightly carbs any time soon 😉
After my post on this topic last week, I wasn’t overly surprised that to get many emails saying that try too handled white bread better, processed grains better and food omitting a certain nutrient. Eating what works for us best trumps all.
Great post! I read WIAW posts for recipe ideas and different ways to use simple ingredients. I love seeing what other people are eating. 🙂
I’m still figuring out what works best with my body. Right now.. I’ve noticed that dairy is not friendly to my tummy. *le sigh..*
Vegetables seem to bloat me up as well, but I realize that is from the fiber. I always need to satisfy my cravings or i’d go on a rampage.
There isn’t a lot that doesn’t work for me in terms of my stomach – I can tolerate most foods just fine, with the exception of too much raw broccoli/cauliflower which makes me bloated and gassy. 😛 But there was a time when I modified my eats for the sake of health, and it definitely didn’t work for me! Like a few years ago I used to always make my omelettes with 1 egg plus egg whites, but it just wasn’t as satisfying as 2 egg omelettes. Also as much as I like the idea of cutting down on added sugar in the diet, I need added sugar in my yogurt, whether it be from a sweetened variety or adding some honey myself.
Preach, lady. I couldn’t agree more.
I’ve definitely discovered what foods do and don’t work for me over the years and, unfortunately, I didn’t listen to my bodies cues for a long time. What a difference it makes though. I’m never going to be someone who can be satisfied with all protein and veggies and no carbs or fruit. The latter are two of my favorite things in the universe. I’ll always need a little something sweet before bed– possibly because I deprived myself of that for so long? Who knows. And salty chips and doughy bread will forever be my weaknesses…and that’s perfectly okay.
I’m so glad that you’ve discovered what works for you and that you share it (along with an abundance of amazing recipes) with the rest of us. (:
Your WIAW is always inspiring. Do I found the Barney’s peanut free almond butter when I was in AZ last week. Can’t stop eating it! The kid with the peanut allergy might not get any. He is a bit wary anyway. Can’t say I blame him. Do you roast the kabocha in the oven? Do you like it warm or cold?
Yup! I cut it into quarters and toss it in the oven for about 30 minutes. And while I’ll eat it either way, I’d say I probably prefer it cold.
Ohh boy! I certainly have had my share of “fun” trying out different eating styles. I’ve always heard that it’s better to eat 5-6 small meals a day, tried that one and felt hungry. all. the. time. I ended up bingeing by the time I got to my next meal. Definitely NOT ideal for me. The same thing happened when I tried eating low-carb. Nope. Nope. NOPE. My body did NOT like that one for sure. I find that I feel best when I eat 3 meals a day with 3 or four smaller snacks thrown in, and there has to be plenty of carbs and protein in that mix. If I lack one of the two I feel like I’m staaarving.
Amanda! stop, just stop with these delicious eats! Oh ma gherd I am literally drooling over the oats and that smoothie(words can’t describe how good that smoothie looks!) 😀 teehee! I know for a fact that steak and me have never ever been friends! 😀 (yeah I haven’t eaten meat since I was a child but I remember the hatred I had towards steak when I was a lil munch’kin!) eeg, steak really grosses me out 😀
Omggg a thick as pudding smoothie is my favorite thing in the world. And I am SO WITH YOU about people needing to find what works for them and not compare themselves to anyone and everyone else. Especially in the health blogging world it can be very easy to read about what works for someone and automatically assume that we should be doing the same. So not true. I am similar to you in the sense that I neeeed a snack between breakfast and lunch, and my appetite tends to taper off throughout the day. I am a sugar freak (hence my “sugar free” challenge come May… we’ll see how that goes), and I like to start my day with a sweet breakfast as well. You go, girl for knowing what works for your bod!! Xo
Seeing you eating all those snacks in between meal: have you ever considered eating just bigger portions for breakfast, lunch and dinner to avoid getting hungry before the next proper meal? I know, you just mentioned, everyone should eat like they want to. Do that 😉 But maybe a little more protein would benefit and keep you satisfied for longer. Are you eating enough protein?? No offence. Just wondering. But as you said, to each her own. 🙂
Love reading your posts btw. I like your style of writing!
Thanks Ann! I’ve been a snacker for pretty much as far back as I can remember. I tried bigger meals for a little while and didn’t enjoy it as much 😕 As for protein, I’m pretty sure I’m doing okay. My stomach goes a little wonky when I start focusing on protein too much, so I stick with carbs and fats mostly.
1. Great message in this post!! I like where your head is.
2. I definitely prefer white rice too.
3. Give me that banana muffin!
Speaking of bananas not sounding appealing… How awful is it that I literally have not been craving bananas (other than in my smoothies or breakfast bakes) at all for the past month or so?? SO wrong! I wonder what is wrong with me… 😉
Maybe you just need to slather them with Justin’s 😉
Haha! Justin’s makes everything taste better, right? 😉
The smoothie looks delicious. I keep telling myself I’m going to start making smoothies again but then I get lazy and wuss out when I think about what I have to buy and wash afterwards ):
Your evening snack is perfection!! 🙂
Yay, someone who doesn’t like “nom” or any derivative of that word. I have a long time friend who constantly uses nomdocious (yes, I’m pretty sure she coined that phrase) and I cringe every time I read it :/ We always joke in our family that brown rice is a cardinal sin, although most of us eat it because we know it’s healthier. We are all natural born rice eaters from birth, so years of the white rice habit are hard to break! Thanks for sharing what works for you. Sometimes it helps to see what others eat to try adjustments to our own diets, to see if they work too. If they don’t, they don’t – no harm, no foul!
Great post! So important to do what works for you and not anyone else 🙂 I need lots of veggies and protein to feel good and full or I get hangry!!
True. So SO true. Why in the world I bought a bag of pricy protein powder more than once when I noticed my stomach actually wasn’t a fan of it at all is beyond me. Trying to believe the protein myth? Definitely. And no, it still doesn’t work for me but I learned the painful way.
Aside from the meat and eggs I’d eat like you though I’d swap something with a little more bite for the smoothie [I still haven’t been convinced to jump on that wagon, haha]. However, I actually prefer brown rice to white – my mum would be on your side with this, though – because I just like the taste. Health-wise I don’t care quite as much anymore these days.
Random but: I want to steal your sheep mug.
Nooo it’s one of my favourites! A bit too small for coffee or tea since I like BIG mugs for that, but perfect for milk. I got it when I was in Poland 😀
I used to avoid bread, too! Now I usually start the day off with a couple of pieces of toast 🙂 I think that keeps my carb-cravings in check 🙂
Gah! Tell me about it. If I even have a DAY of eating less carbs, I suddenly want to eat an entire box of cereal in one sitting. I much prefer the calm and consistent approach!
White rice for life! I struggled a lot with allowing myself to have white grains. Now, I have white rice when I want, regular ‘everything’ bagels for breakfast,’ a sandwich with toasted sourdough bread (white bread). I still incorporate plenty of healthy grains, but if I prefer the white option I’m going to go with it!
Amen to this sister! Geez! My personal “healthy (not so healthy for me)” foods are fruit (which really ticks me off- but hello bloat city), sprouted ANYTHING, tofu, eggplant, hummus, and bean ANYTHING. My body doesn’t care what the food label says- I might as well be eating poison with those foods because I’m out of whack for days.
I think this is important because no matter what a person says, unless a food makes YOU feel good you shouldn’t be eating it, and by good, that means satisfied, not starving, energized not laden with brain fog and fatigue, and happy, not cranky or moody. And lastly, if you don’t digest it well- stop eating it! Amen sister:) Well said!
I really enjoyed this post. You’re right that everyone is unique and you need to find what works for you. For instance, I can’t carb load. People say before a race you should but my pace goes way down when I’ve tried it. I’m better off eating more protein and veggies which is what my body is used to. Don’t get me wrong, I still love my daily bowl of oatmeal.
I swear in the worst of it – so swept into the momentum of “that which is good for me” – I had no idea what I liked or worked for me! I have to say once I started reading your blog, taking into consideration how certain foods/food combinations “looked” and “sounded” appealing..and then trying it out for myself and realizing the kinds of food I enjoyed..my diet shifted to eating the way I do -only- because I’m happiest this way; not in accordance to it being a superfood etc.
HAHA “noms”… I said “wowzers” the other day but miss. kiss my broccoli pointed out that we say weird things when serious food porn is involved…
I still haven’t tried a blob of greek yogurt in my oats… I will tomorrow.
You know I 500% agree with you! girl. Aside from another person’s diet not necessarily working for you, that can also be tried about ourselves at different stages in life: what works for you once may not work for you today so experimentation needs to be an ongoing journey. I used to think I needed plenty of protein in the morning to stay satiated and keep my cravings full but I seem to be just doing just fine with my relatively low-protein bowl of oatmeal! Also I love my greens but I rather not blend them up in my smoothies…yet my sister on the other hand loves her green smoothies!
I love that you brought up the issue of different things working at different times, because it’s SO true. Over the years, and at different times of the month… if you know what I mean 😉
so true! it’s so important to find what works for you and not worry about what others eat. i have a hard time with that and comparing myself when i see what other bloggers are eating/posting but i have to remember my stomach has it’s own preferences!
What a great sentiment—it’s so important to honor our body and be where we are. I get frustrated by all the grain-free this, low-fat that. You can go nuts! Sometimes when I’m in a social setting, people who don’t know me well will say something like, “You’re a nutritionist—are you ALLOWED to eat that [piece of bread/pizza/steak]!?” My answer is always yes : )
Love this post!!! I absolutely LOVE white rice.. i tried the whole brown rice thing because it was supposed to be healthier but really.. white rice is so much better !! lol and I have seen no differences 🙂 Also your desserts look sooo goood yummmmm I want chocolate now !
Too much bread and carbs don’t work for me…but i love them. also a lot of dairy doesn’t work for me. thank god for almond milk!
i LOVE basmati rice like no other!
Have you ever tried subbing out some of the water you cook it in with coconut milk? Takes things to a whole new level.
I’ve never had basmati rice cooked in coconut milk before but that sounds yummy!
I always try to listen to my body when I eat. We’re all different so we all react differently to certain kinds of food!
This is great. I love how you brought out the fact that everyone is NOT the same. People are too focused on what everyone else is doing, rather than being focused on what they as a person should be doing. Great post & as always, delicious eats. I think I can go for some chocolate tonight too! 😉
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post! Thank your for sharing and helping to express that we all need to do what is right for US. I think we all sometimes get too wrapped up in what is “healthy” and works for others and often ignore our own bodies. I know I am guilty of it. And I also had a time when I tried to convince myself I didn’t like chocolate. Those were the dark days and I have found the light! Thanks again for such a great post!
You and I are pretty much opposites–the only sweet things I typically have for breakfast are fruit because, well, I’ll crave sweets for the rest of the day. And I tend to eat larger meals as the day goes on–my biggest meal is typically dinner. But hey, in the spirit of this post, everyone’s different. 🙂
As always, love the post! I think it’s so incredibly important that we find a personal standard of health the works for us. For me, I love brown rice and bread, but literally despise whole wheat pasta. It ruins the whole dish for me, so when I choose to have some, I’m sure as hell not going to eat something I don’t enjoy because it’s “healthier”. Oh, by the way, I want to jump into your oats and swim in them. So much gooey creaminess! Do you cook the bananas in or just use them as a topper at the end :)?
I cook them in towards the end. So I’ll let the oats absorb all the water and poof up, and then I’ll slice up a banana, whip it in, and let it cook for about 5 minutes so that the sweetness comes out.
I completely agree with you on finding what works for YOUR body. There was a time when I thought I had to completely cut out refined sugar, oils, white bread, and chocolate, just because the stats said they were “bad.” I ended up being a whole lot unhappier than I am now, because I NEVER ate the “bad” foods. My recipes ended up disastrous because I was terrified of Canola oil, and hot chocolate was disgusting because I cannot drink straight-up cocoa powder without sugar. I can’t do it.
I’ve found that enjoying the “bad” foods when I want them and not depriving myself leaves me a whole lot happier and – in my opinion – it’s so much more worth it to be happy than to have the ideal diet.
Oh girl I know EXACTLY what you mean. I used to avoid anything even remotely ‘unhealthy’ like the plague, and the real kicker is that my health actually suffered as a result. I don’t think people realize how big of a negative impact stressing and constantly worrying about what we’re eating has on our health…
i like your noms..opps i meant eats.
I love this 🙂 Eating for MY body was something that it took forever for me to learn was okay, but now that I know it – it makes eating so much more fun 🙂
Your eats look delicious!
Happy Wednesday!