Whoever can tell me how it’s already Wednesday when I could’ve sworn it was just the weekend will get a cookie [bar]. And whoever can’t will get a cookie [bar] anyways because I’m currently swimming in them nice and encourage sharing.
That would be the third batch of soft and chewy protein granola bars that I’ve baked in a little over a week. What can I say? When I like something, I really like something. Well, that and I like not having to think about coming up with new things to eat when life gets busy, so I fall into the habit of making old things over and over again.
Life has been busy. Eats have been on repeat. Here’s What I Ate Wednesday Tuesday.
Breakfast was oats…
More specifically, whipped banana eggy oats layered with plain Greek yogurt and topped with roasted almond butter and cinnamon. I usually get a little more creative with my toppings, but I just wasn’t feeling it yesterday morning. What I was feeling was a good cleaning session, apparently 😯
I’m not sure what came over me, but I somehow managed to sweep the floors, clean the bathrooms, organize my pantry, and do 2 loads of laundry… all before 8 AM. I would have thrown some vacuuming in there as well, but I was worried about waking my neighbours. I was also worried about passing out from the depleted glycogen levels that resulted from my vigorous morning workout (har har… not really, but I need a good segue), so I got my snack on…
Soft and chewy protein granola bar.
… before sitting down to do some work. Aaaaaand then snacking some more, because everyone knows it’s virtually impossible to sit at a computer and not be munching away on something…
Confession: I always have a container of that applesauce sitting in my fridge. Always. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s managed to sneak its way in to a meal, snack, or ‘passing-by-the-fridge-and-HEY-that-sounds-tasty’ nibbling session every.single.day since I posted that recipe. Like I said, when I like something, I really like something. And I really like having a snack plate for lunch…
I know they’re not for everyone, but snack plates have been my midday saving grace. I’ve gone from hating lunch to being able to tolerate it, so I’m clinging to that for as long as it keeps working. The key, I’ve found, is to make sure your snack plate is calorically equivalent to a regular meal, with a good balance of proteins, carbs, and fats. This one had a Dr. Kracker flatbread, classic hummus, almonds mixed in strawberry yogurt, roasted kabocha, and broccoli. Random, but it hit all the right spots and got me through a 2-hour Skype chat with a very good blend friend.
Before I knew it, it was time to snack… again…
… on granola bars… again. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, when I like something… you know how it goes 😉 I would say that I foresee a fourth batch in my very near future, but I’ve got an upcoming recipe to share, so I have a feeling that’ll become my go-to snack for a little while.
I also have a feeling that you’ll roll your eyes when you see my dinner…
I know, I know… it’s a bowl of cereal. A bowl of cereal made with plain Greek yogurt, banana, blueberry, Puffins, Kashi Cinnamon Harvest, and roasted almond butter, but a bowl of cereal nonetheless.
Here’s the thing… This is me; this is how I [usually] like to eat. Sure there are plenty of days where I don’t eat breakfast for dinner and snack on something other than granola bars, but unless those days happen to be Tuesdays, you don’t see em. I used to feel all sorts of pressure to eat a certain way whenever I knew that WIAW was coming up because I wanted to give the impression that I had it all together… I wanted my eats to come across as being healthy, balanced, and creative, so I’d base a lot of my choices off that instead of what I actually wanted to eat. Heaven forbid that I ate the same things I ate the week before or that my appetite wasn’t quite where it should be — unacceptable. There’s a lot of judgment out there in the blog world and everyone seems to have an opinion on what/how others should eat, but at the end of the day, you just gotta do what works for you; and at the end of the day, what works for me is a snack of dark chocolate and warm almond milk…
Life’s just better when you end things on a sweet note 😀 Happy Wednesday, friends! I’ll see you tomorrow for Thinking Out Loud!
Do you ever base your food choices off a certain image you want to portray?
What did you have for dinner last night?
What’s one of your current food obsessions?
People can say whatever they want about how you or anyone else for that matter eats because the good thing is – they can eat whatever their little heart desires. I personally always love looking at your cereal & yogurt bowls. I actually wonder why my nut butter doesn’t look as good on top of mine. You must have a secret?
I’m convinced that chocolate and warm almond milk is the best evening snack ever. I swear it makes me sleep better. Lately my meals have been boring and repetitive, but it is just because I am eating what I like and not thinking twice about it.
That’s definitely the best way to do it 😀
I am one to be a prime example of being a major repeat offender when it comes to eating something I like day after day. What can I say? It’s too delicious not to!
I have yet to make your granola bars, I just never seem to have the ingredients in stock..
I also commend you for not caring and going by what people expect from you. If you want breakfast for dinner, what’s wrong with having brinner? A lot of people have it!
Also, snack plates are a good way to go! I’m not a huge fan of lunch myself, but what’re gonna do?
You always have the most delicious looking pictures.
I’m totally with you on liking something & then just doing it on repeat – I mean, have you seen my breakfasts? Pretty much the same darn thing, but with slight variations. As for my lunch – usually a salad every day. I tend to stick w/what I like too. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
I also sometimes feel pressure as to what to eat when I know a WIAW is coming up… which is a fun link-up, but a feeling I’m not liking. I feel like my meals & pics are boring since I tend to opt for the same types of things each week.
Dinner last night was….are you ready for it…LEFTOVERS!!! The best kind of meal IMO. It was such a relaxing night because I didn’t spend half of it in the kitchen. And thankfully these leftovers tasted better than the actual day of meal. Win, win!
I can relate – I used to put pressure on myself to eat “interesting” meals for WIAW, and it honestly just stressed me out too much. And then I realized how DUMB I was being and that I should just eat what I want to eat. I don’t really do WIAWs much anymore but when I do, they tend to be a last minute decision so I don’t have the chance to put much thought into my meals on WIAW days anyways.
Last night for dinner I had a baked shrimp and feta dish with rice (an Ellie Krieger recipe my mom made) – it’s one of my favourites!
Those granola bars look to die for friend! I don’t usually base my eats on what I want to portray. I just usually eat what I want… or what is offered!
Breakfast for every meal on a day? yes please! I love eating cereal for dinner! IT’S THE BEST option :D, actually today for some reasons all my main courses were breakfast. First a sandwich (vegetarian), an apple, lunch was an overnights oats bowl, dinner? another sandwich 😉 Certainly this isn’t my usual eating, I do have a real meal at lunch, but more often than not I’ll eat cereal for dinner :D.
Cereal has pretty much become my default meal when I can’t think of anything else to eat. And breakfast is too darn good to only enjoy once a day 😉
I can most definitely relate to this. We all like certain things and we should be allowed to eat whatever we’re craving without a second thought. Personally, I love seeing your breakfasts for dinner and your multiple-granola bar- days because it reminds me that I’m normal. We’re all normal. As long as we’re eating the things that make us happy and nourishing our bodies, that’s normal. Who cares if it gets a little repetitive? (:
PS: I finally made your almond-fudge protein bars this week. I die. Thank you, thank you, thank you…
Current food obsession is dark chocolate! I never used to eat it and now I am lovin it!
A little bit of chocolate everyday is necessary.
I am currently obsessed with English Muffins and Sun Butter…..topped with an apple or a banana and sprinkled with cinnamon. SO good.
That homemade applesauce looks delicious! I made a HUGE batch of apple butter a week and a half ago and have been eating it every single day. Twice a day or more. So addicting and apples+cinnamon+sugar= no self control 😉
And I really don’t blame you for eating so many of those granola bars… if they’re anything like your no-bake protein bars, I’m surprised that they last more than a couple of hours.
YOU ARE THE QUEEN OF BARS! 😉
Confession: mostly because they’re so easy to throw together and you don’t need to separate them into individual portions like cookies or muffins 😉 Less fuss = love.
You said it lady! My boyfriend loves to make fun of me because I eat breakfast for dinner so often. The heart wants what the heart wants! In our case stomach! 🙂
Last night I ate an egg with toast and an apple but I wasn’t feeling awesome so that’s why there wasn’t much to it.
Peanut butter Puffins are the current loves of my life!!
Awwr no! I hope you’re feeling better <3
Lately i have been devouring lots of protein bars (homemade) and even your granola bars! 🙂 Also lots of crackers and cheese has been tickling my fancy as of late! And I’m the same way about lunches! i just throw a bunch of snack foods together and call it good, makes lunch a lot more durable!
Dark chocolate is the best! Maybe that’s what inspired your early morning productivity! If that’s the case, I need to eat lots of dark chocolate tonight! 😉
That lunch sounds so good! I haven’t had kabocha in weeks and hope to be able to find some again soon! I haven’t had oatmeal for the past few mornings and I’m thinking it needs to make a reappearance soon!
Oh LCP…I know I said I’d make your granola bars the second thing in my kitchen but…after seeing YOUR addiction to them? Remember the no bake fudge bars? I can see a dangerous obsession happening and I am yet to make them! I don’t think I ever really based my choices to portray such an image- mainly because I eat pizza for breakfast, pasta for breakfast, anything really- and get flack for it but so be it- they taste good, its my food and those judgemental goons can go eat a microwave muffin made with poor quality whey.
The amount you accomplished all before 8am is perhaps more than many get done in a day- amazing.
But the fact that you eat [cold] pizza for breakfast is one of the reasons I love you! And I literally almost spit my water all over my computer screen when you added in the “poor quality whey” bit. Ahh… you’re just too much.
I think sometimes I try to have a certain eating standard and then the chocolate or ice cream is thrown into the picture and I can’t resist 🙂 Love nut butter though and those bars look delish!
I’ve been reading a couple posts around the blogosphere about how posting WIAWs was influencing their choices and sort of stressing them out. I am glad you are putting it out there and have moved past that particularly because you are sort of a role model that many people look up to and are inspired by.
snack plates for the win! they are more fun anyway! plus i need variety. and now i want applesauce.
First things first: snack plates for lunch (& dinner) are the best.
Now then: I can totally relate to the pressures of WIAW. I used to (& sometimes still do) think that people would judge me for snacking all day, skipping out on veggies other days, or eating the same things each week. That’s why I try to be creative with my posts, like adding a recipe or some “food for thought” links. Mostly, though, I just post whatever full day of meals I happen to photograph. It’s not a competition!
And for the record, your cereal always looks so yummy!
I’m certainly glad you don’t feel any pressure any longer to make your eats look “balanced” or “perfect” because if you like them, they are perfect for you! And I really like YOU so I like to read about the real you 🙂 that snack plate? Yum!!! I love assorted plates like that. Variety is the spice of life!
I hope you chopped that broccoli up before you ate it! There’s something about the image of you gnawing on a giant head of broccoli that cracks me up. I’ve been eating on some broccoli of my own this week, as well as my potato leek soup, and some chocolate chip cookies I whipped up on Sunday. All I had was whole wheat flour, so they are denser than I’d like, but I’ll take it!
😆 It’s actually steamed broccoli, so it didn’t require much gnawing. My stomach definitely isn’t the biggest fan of raw broccoli, so I try to keep the peace by cooking it. And I have to admit that that potato leek soup you posted looks absolutely delicious. I haven’t been eating nearly enough soups this winter…
I know what you mean; in public, I’ll eat certain things simply because it’s expected. I love all your snacks! It is what my day would look like if I lived by myself 🙂 I especially like your last snack – yum. Haha, I’ve made four batches of these peanut butter bran bars this month and eaten them for snack almost every day, if not more than once a day. I am so boring! But I like it 🙂 Another great post, Amanda! I’m so glad I found running with spoons, because it is a winner.
I have had that thought before when choosing which day to post, but genuinely I know that would just not be good to start editing my life like that. I know blogging can never capture everything about your life (nor should it) and you have to edit somethings, but its really important to me to keep it as ‘real’ as possible. We all have imperfect days, in fact non of mine are perfect!
I’m terrible at cooking so I eat breakfast for dinner on the reg, and its nothing you should have to hide! Breakfast tastes great in the AM but even better at night (in my opinion). Plus I love cereal.
I think I default to brinner because of my current dislike for cooking as well. It might be different if I actually had someone to cook for, but since I live alone, sometimes it just seems like too much effort for just me 😆
One of the reasons why I love WIAW – I start eating better this day 😉 I try to eat most healthy and variously. On the one hand, it presses a little, but with another… On the other hand it forces me to try something new! There is no it, I would eat one and too every day. Though my chocolate oatmeal with me the second week… So any problems!
MMM.. girl that snack plate looks so good! I totally know what you mean about hitting all the right spots. I like balance too some protein and something treat-like-ish to finish it off. Must try the snack plate!
I too had a chocolate bar with milk last night!! Which I haven’t in FOREVER, it was peanut butter pretzel.. omg…
As soon as I read your thoughts on the what other people would think thing, I just nodded yes. I think about that a lot and it’s actually making me rethink if I want to participate in WIAW. I don’t really change how I eat for it, but I do worry a lot that people judge what I am eating. Seriously those granola bars look so so so so so good… I need to make them.
Those random days of “Must.Clean.Everything.” are my favorite. Seriously, I become so productive! And I love that you had cereal for dinner. I was just saying the other day that sometimes I really don’t want dinner, and I just want to skip to dessert. I decided to not listen to what I wanted…and made the worst dinner ever. Luckily, it was over the weekend, ha!
I am all over food addictions- I will go on a bender & eat the same thing for weeks! I really like my food to have colors too, bright colors. And always in a bowl, not on a plate. I will go to my moms for dinner & swap by plate for a bowl every time. Last night for dinner- home made raw applesauce (Ambrosia apples on sale this week!) with greek yogurt (lime flavored- I get plain & flavor my own) and tons of puffed rice. It was like red & bright white & puffy & good. I just to have a little sweet with a little sour & protein all in one. I don’t get into other food trends though- I have a ton of allergies & most of the time those foods just make my tummy crabby. I stick with my tried & trues & enjoy the comfort of familiarity 🙂
A girl after my own heart — I will almost -always- choose a bowl over a plate. There’s just something so much more comforting about it.
Gah, those granola bars! AGAIN! Ok I need to make them. And snack plates are my jam. My favourite combo is maple beans, avocado, roasted squash, and tofu cubes. Awesome.. so so awesome. I was obsessed with White Linen marinara sauce back in November. So obsessed, I polished off two massive jars in under two weeks. I put that s@#$ on everything.
No judgement here! looks delicious.
There were many things I was eating because I was seeing them in magazines, blogs, etc., so the minute I think about eating something because X, Y, or Z I steer clear. It’s just about learning to trust your true cravings and not just dwell on the cravings of others. It’s easy to fall victim!
I tend to get in food obsessions really easily. Once I have something good, I cannot get enough of it. Right now, it’s ginger butternut squash carrot bisque. UGH. I could eat an entire pot with dipping bread. YUM.
Current food obsessions include hummus + baby carrots, grapes, clementines, sushi and smoothies even though it is freezing! Apparently my body is craving summer with all of these fresh foods 😉
I’m kind of sad that I can no longer so easily associate you with PB and chocolate 😥
Soon, my friend, soon <3 Although I am feeling pretty darn amazing with all of this clean eating… I could never cut out chocolate 100% 😉
Mm I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a certain way to try and be someone I’m not; I think it’s taken me a bit to get comfortable again eating the way I do now, but I’ve tried to stay pretty true to me all along 🙂 My current food obsession is pretzels and pita chips with this amazing hummus from a local greek market shop or cottage cheese and cereal bowls! And dinner last night was a chickpea tomato egg dish with feta cheese (sounds weird but amazing) served with pita! Soooo good 🙂
My dinner last night was a giant plate of stir-fry veggies topped with corn, ground turkey, and spicy peanut sauce. It was delicious!
You’re making me want to try those granola bars so bad! Gah! How am I supposed to get anything done for my own blog? 😉
Honestly, cooking for one person can seem a little unnecessary sometimes. Sometimes when Brandon travels, I’ll eat cereal for dinner or frozen Amy’s meals. Could it be healthier? Sure. But it’s not unhealthy either. It’s just how life is sometimes and that’s perfectly fine.
It’s refreshing to see complete transparency on a WIAW!
I want a cookie bar! They look so good. And you don’t need to apologize for having a non-typical dinner–you do you, girlie. I wish breakfast foods filled me up enough to last me through the night, but I’ve often felt that that’s not the case and it makes me a little sad because breakfast for dinner always sounds like a fantastic idea.