Good afternoon! Who else stayed up way too late watching election coverage? I just couldn’t seem to tear myself away. It was a nerve wracking night for me, but I absolutely love election days. There’s just something about the excitement in the air. I am glad the presidential election days only come around every four years though! Can you believe I actually saw a headline today that said “The Road to 2016 Starts Today”? Please give us a bit of a break before it all starts over again!
Enough of politics. Let’s talk about the really important things in life like food! It’s once again time for What I Ate Wednesday courtesy of Jen over at Peas and Crayons.
Breakfast this morning was, of course, my beloved oatmeal. I’ve warned you all before that I’m a creature of habit! This oatmeal is deceptively different than my usual bowl, however. Lately I’ve realized that I’m not getting quite enough protein in my diet. I’ve been trying to brainstorm ways I can increase my protein without it all having to come from meat. I always put peanut butter in my morning oatmeal so I just increased it from a 1/2 to a whole tablespoon. Yes, I had a small anxiety attack over the extra calories, but I’m trying to break away from calorie counting and practice more intuitive eating so I powered through. No oatmeal bowl would be complete without a Gala apple chopped and tossed on top. Delicious apples=another reason to love fall!
Lunch today was a salad and turkey pita. The salad included all of my go-to favorites but with a slight twist. I believe that’s going to be the theme today! I bought a new salad mix that has a lot more of the dark leafy greens in it. I’m really enjoying the difference, and I know the health benefits have increased. On a whim, I bought a garlic and herb infused feta cheese last night instead of the regular stuff. Oh my goodness! This is delicious! I’m not exaggerating when I say it completely changes the flavor of the whole salad. The pita was stuffed with sour cream, spinach, pepperjack, and TWO slices of ham (<—small increases in protein!).
I got a tad bit creative with my yogurt bowl this afternoon. I had some leftover pumpkin and a plain Chobani hanging out in the fridge so I finally decided to try pumpkin yogurt. Everyone is always raving about it, but I can honestly say I have no idea why. I was not a fan of this combo. As always, I tossed in an apple, Love Grown granola, and banana chips which I ended up just picking out and eating with as little yogurt attached as I could. Am I missing something?
Barbecue meatloaf is on the menu for dinner tonight which I absolutely need to share with you soon. In the meantime, here’s a glimpse at dinner from a few nights ago. We love having homemade pizza, and usually it’s of the barbecue chicken variety. This time I had some leftover turkey sausage and marinara sauce so we decided to give it a try. Wow! I was literally a little sad when my plate was empty! We topped it with some provolone from a local Italian market and some fresh basil. Well, as you can tell, my part of the pizza was topped with basil! He just doesn’t know what he’s missing!
Alright, folks, I’m off to hit the treadmill to Pile on the Miles. Happy Hump Day!
Do you struggle with getting enough protein? Ever tried pumpkin yogurt?
Sometimes it’s the little extras that make more of a difference than the big changes. I’ve definitely felt that chest tightening panic over upping the PB by 50% or putting on an extra slice of turkey. I find that the more that I try it, the less it affects me. I still have a long, long way to go, but it’s knowing that I’m capable that makes the difference.
Ps. I agree with your pumpkin + greek yogurt assessment. However, greek yogurt + pumpkin spice = excellent!!
Ok, I’ll give that combo a try. The other one totally did not work! I think you’re right that the more I do it the less it will affect me. I just have to power through!
Nope – never really think too much about protein.
Nut butters, peas, legumes, tofu, tempeh, beans, quinoa, it’s literally in everything. How many grams are you currently eating?
I actually have no idea! I’ve never really tracked it-I was just fairly certain I wasn’t getting enough. I talked to a nutritionist that said I need about 56 grams a day. I know I’m not getting that much, but between my Greek yogurt and my peanut butter I know I’m at least getting some.
You should track it one day and see where you’re at. I was surprised how easy it is to get 50-60 grams a day in my own life.
You’re right-that’s definitely where I need to start. Thanks, Heather!
all looks totally yummy. I need to get into these yogurt bowl messes, I rarely eat my yogurt with anything.
I have to have something in there with it. The crunchy stuff gives it texture and makes for a much more interesting snack!
OOOOOO I love homemade pizza!
This one was so good! Like I said, we usually do barbecue but I switched it up this time and I’m so glad I did. It’ll be getting in the regular rotation!
I’m fairly sure I get enough protein, although on days where I have intense/double workouts, I feel *ravenous* all the time, lol. On those days, I usually make a protein smoothie for one of my snacks and have a piece of fruit with almond butter. (Can’t get enough of the nutty stuff!) Natalie, have you tried adding protein powder to your oatmeal in the morning? I’m also a huge fan of Kashi because it has 8g protein, which is impressive for oatmeal (and only like 140-150 cals I think). I eat it a lot during the winter, and it’s also my go-to pre-race meal.
I need to try Kashi. I’m still doing the old school Quaker
You know I’ve never tried protein powder. Duh! That would help things!
Lol! I use Quaker for overnight oats because Greek yogurt packs protein, and mixing protein powder with Quaker would make a more substantial meal. Jay Robb is my favorite.
I’m definitely going to have to try it out. I always see everyone putting it in smoothies and baked goods.
Yum, that pizza looks delicious! I always crave pizza and always forget how easy (and how much healthier) it is to make it!
It really is! I’ve started to believe that homemade pizza is even better than the takeout stuff. Of course, that depends where you get your pizza from!
“I was literally a little sad when my plate was empty!”
Oh my gosh…I thought I was the only one that this happened to. Sometimes, when I’m in the middle of eating something amazing, I start getting a little sad preemptively, knowing that it’ll be gone!!
Oh no, I’m definitely guilty of this! Food is my favorite thing