Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

What I Ate Without a Plan + NuttZo Winner

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Eating is fun.

 

 

Sometimes too much fun.

My trainer still hasn’t sent my new nutrition plan… he was going to this past weekend.  I could remind him… but I’m kind of enjoying designing my own.  I still feel like I deserve it after all that asparagus.

 

So happy to be back in the gym!!!

 

Eating several small meals is something I enjoy, so I have kept that concept.  I did eliminate one meal… 7 was a LOT to fit in.  I am also trying to keep the protein count high.  My new workout plan is all about building muscle through low reps and heavy weight.  It’s important to fuel that muscle growth properly!

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This month’s What I Ate Wednesday is about good habits.  I’m learning what that looks like for me on the off-season.  While I do enjoy a small treat each day to avoid feeling deprived, my focus is on eating a clean, low sugar diet filled with protein, complex carbs, and seasonal foods.

Check out my semi-good habit eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else ate on Election Day.

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Breakfast:

After the usual morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) I did a little kitchen experimenting.  This baked oatmeal recipe is still in draft-mode, but let me know you… it’s going to be epic.

 

 

I also ate a mixture of Greek yogurt, peanut flour, flax, cinnamon, and stevia (that also the “icing” on my oatmeal creation).  That was topped with melted blueberries (frozen berries microwaved until juicy, ~15 seconds).

 

 

Mid-Morning Snack:

I legit love salmon.  This one I baked with lemon, pepper, sage, and dill.  Eaten with fresh raspberries. I can’t believe how bright and flavorful these winter berries are!

 

 

 

Lunch:

I have been craving brussel sprouts and parsnips.  Roasted in the oven until they are close to burned.  Tempeh is another oven-roasted favorite.  It gets crispy on the outside – almost like eating a crouton.  Which is why the whole thing went on top a bed of spinach with some leftover Kiri squash.

 

 

I loved the mix I tossed the veggies and tempeh in pre-roast:

  • 1.5 tsp salt-free BBQ spice blend (you could sub any mix here)
  • 1 T nutritional yeast
  • 1 T coconut vinegar

 

Afternoon Snack(s):

Today was leg day.  My workout was scheduled right at snack time.  I hate workout on of a full stomach, but I really didn’t want to feel hungry half way through my workout – especially on a leg day!  So I split up my snack

Pre-workout I had a raw French green beans, pumpkin hummus, and a ground chicken slider.  Why I’ve never used ground chicken before?!  These burgers are awesome.  All I did was mix in some spices, diced red pepper, and onion before tossing them in a pan (~4 mins each side).  Easy, delicious, and SO much better than cleaning up raw chicken breast.

 

 

Post-workout I drank a lot of water and an EAS drink.  I haven’t been drinking these lately, but I do really like the Chocolate Fudge flavor… and I had a call with my boss, so fast and easy was key.

 

 

 

Dinner:

Cold weather makes me want Italian food.  This is the simplest of Italian foods.  I layered red wine tomato sauce with eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, and red pepper in a baking dish and cooked it in the oven (@ 375 convection) for 45 mins.  I also added some Cabot clothbound cheddar to the top.

My protein was swordfish.  Despite eating it daily during my competition prep, I’m not sick f it.  You really can’t go wrong with the steak of the sea.

 

 

 

Dessert:

Brass monkey, that funky monkey… I made Zandra’s Spunky Monkey Pumpkin Pie.  I only had 1/2 a can of pumpkin left, so I but the recipe in half and  made muffins.  I also added 1 tsp of apple pie spice, 1 tsp of butter vanilla extract, and 8 drops of Stevia.  Instead of an egg I used 1/4 c egg whites, and I didn’t use the baking soda.  And it was fantastic – like a pumpkin-peanut butter souffle.  I ♥ you, Zandra.

 

 

These came out to 8g of protein, so I made some maple-cinnamon protein ice cream to go with it.

 

Maple-Cinnamon Protein Ice Cream

  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp maple extract
  • 7-8 drops liquid Stevia
  • 1/4 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 C spinach (optional)
  • Shake of guar gum (optional – used to thicken)
  • Ice
This was a fantastic combo.  I almost made seconds.  Thank god I was too tired.

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I didn’t forget… the winner of the NuttZo giveaway has been selected!!!

Congratulations to…

Layne! 

Email me your name and address and I’ll get that over to the NuttZo crew ASAP.

***

The off-season protein count for the day: 150.9g  I’m sure my trainer would have it higher, but I’m listening to my body and eating what I want.  Within reason… ‘cause one does not simply eat only one chip.

Do you prefer to eat several small meals, or 3 squares?

What have you been baking lately?

 

Comments

  1. YUM everything looks fantastic – you KNOW I like that ice cream…

    when I am SUPER busy I may only get three meals in… generally I have four or five small meals? I always start with a HUGE juice with blended spinach, that’s all I can do before working out… then I’ll eat an actual breakfast after (small but mighty!). usually just one lunch but if it’s small I’ll also have a snack, then dinner.

    I am LOVING the fresh raspberries right now…

  2. Everything looks great, Laura…and I’m suddenly REALLY craving swordfish! I usually eat 3 meals a day with 2 snacks (afternoon and before bed) and that works well for me. I know 3 meals works for some people but when I do, I end up feeling bloated and unnecessarily overeat!

  3. Roasted brussel sprouts! I made them, too, over the weekend, but I added a pinch of nutmeg.
    I prefer to have several small meals. I get so cranky if my blood sugar levels drop too low!
    I haven’t done much baking lately. Wait, does pizza count? Very soon I’ll start my yearly Christmas baking craze, which means tons of cookies, gingerbread, and cakes. Can’t wait!

  4. Mmm it all looks so good, especially the maple-cinnamon protein ice cream! Funny that you made that spunky monkey pumpkin pie, because I was debating on baking that today @ some point.

  5. I had never thought to add spinach to my ice cream recipe which is similar to yours. I always add veggies to my protein smoothies and my new thing is to add protein powder to my green juices! Loving that 🙂 Can’t wait to see the program your trainer comes up with. Love and Shine CourtStar

    • I don’t think I can even drink green juice without protein powder anymore! Isn’t it delicious? 🙂

  7. Maple Cinnamon Ice Cream!! I want some. I’m also hooked on raspberries right now, but then again, I’m always hooked on raspberries. It looks like you’re doing a great job planning your meals all on your own.

    Side note: the WE is in town and training in my gym. At first glance (and before I knew), I thought these are figure comp girls for sure: all muscles, no fat and oompah loompah orange. You still had them beat though!

    • That’s awesome you picked them out! I felt so silly walking around Charleston looking like a tanning booth victim. 🙂

  8. DUDE you are genius!!!! Spunky Monkey Muffins!! Man, does that look delicious, I’m droolin over here haha 😀
    Hooray for no asparagus and tons of deliciousness too! I’ve decided I seriously need to come over for dinner, swordfish is the freakin BEST 😀
    I love you too chica, you rock! Sending hugs and good vibes your way for an amazing day 🙂

    • I just ate another. Thank god I’m going out of town so I did have to freeze 2… can’t wait to see how they work thawed out. Then I can always have a stash. 🙂

  11. Yay for parsnips & sprouts! Yum. 🙂 I haven’t been baking much lately. I tried a recipe for chocolate protein bars, but it was gross. I threw most all of them away. I’ll be baking up a storm next week though, so I need to conserve my energy.

  12. I like to eat little meals too. I don’t know if I could ever do 3 square meals a day. And I think brussels sprouts are the best when they are burnt.

  13. That pumpkin muffin looks amazing! As does that ice cream! I am a creature of habit but sometimes I do think I do best when I have a plan of meals. I think I’d be going crazy though after all that asparagus. Props to you for still keeping it healthy!

  14. Does it sound weird if I’m saying I’m happy for you being able to eat whatever you want again :D? Anyway, great looking food again and I SO want to try that Italian dish you made up for dinner. I even happen to have all ingredients – except red wine – on hand. Maybe you can share a little more details about it :)?

    Lunch sounds equally as tasty. You truly whip up the best veggie dishes!

    • Not at all! I’m overjoyed. 🙂

      You could definitely just do tomato sauce, or add red vine vinegar. I just happened to have about 1/4 C leftover that had been open a little too long to drink.

  18. New blog reader here. Geez all your eats look so good lol… I am hungry now thanks-_- lol. I would like to congratulate you for your success in the fitness competition, you look awesome and I admire you for working so hard and sticking to your goals. I know how hard it can be to sticking to a plan when there are so many things that can distract you in the journey, but you managed ! I prefer to eat several meals a day, 3 meals just doesn’t cut it for me. I am a very active person and I simply can’t eat too much in a single meal , so I space them out. I haven’t been baking anything at all, and this must change this weekend especially after seeing your pumpkin pie(drools). Hope you have a great day!

    • Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting! I’m the same way with big meals… I like them on occasion, but every day eating it just makes me sluggish.

  19. SO FUNNY that we’ve been loving the same things, twin! I love salmon, too!!!!!! I just told my boyfriend last night I could eat it for every meal and never be upset 🙂 NEVER.

    I also have a slight addiction to brussels sprouts lately 🙂 MMMM!

    Ok, love you! Have a fab day xo

  20. I have also been making little icing creations with greek yogurt. It is a great base for making something that tastes very indulgent. I have been trying to like tempeh with little luck, so I’m going to try your trick of oven roasting it for some crunch.

    • You can also dry fry it in a pan on the stove top. If you break it up it’s like little salad crumbles!

  22. I used to eat so much more when I was training to build! 😉 LOVE all your meals – I must check out in more detail later BUT never heard of coconut vinegar!

    I am a mini meal eater – works better for me!

    Bake – I am not a cook or a baker so just my very easy protein bars & muffins…

  23. I neeed to make that pie, my ambivalence towards pumpkin aside. And I don’t blame you–I wouldn’t be in a rush to get back on a plan after asparagus-o-rama week either. Hope you had fun with all that giveaway counting ;D

  24. Totally in love with your eats today, and have just dived back into a Brussels sprouts obsession myself. Have to give my body a break from entire roasted squashes topped with nut butter every day 😉

  27. Eating is definitely fun, especially when all of your eats look so delicious. I love food, but I can’t eat enough in one sitting to be a 3 square meal kind of girl… if I try, I just end up feeling sickly and lethargic, so it’s usually around 6 for me, and more if I’m feeling snacky.

  28. Yum all around! Once again, I want to spend a day hanging out with you so you can coach me on your nutrition ways! 😀 I’ve been really experimenting with my eating – from intermittent fasting (do you know much about it?) to bringing back breakfast and doing one 24 hr fast a day…I’ve tried to stick with one thing for at least a month to see how my body responds to it, and surprisingly I think my body does work best with a few small meals in a day. I’m still experimenting to see what’s best for me! 😀

    • That would be so much fun!!! But wait until you see what I ate with my last blogger visitors… posted Friday. 🙂 Not so clean but oh-so-good.

      I’ve heard about more and more people doing the fasting thing, but I just like to eat too much! I’d love to learn more about it though. Diet/nutrition fascinates me.

  30. I’ve been making my protein muffins with pumpkin and they are now AMAZING. Topped with a little strawberry jam and greek yogurt….mmmmm. I’m a snacker and I’ve been pulling out sustenance from my purse all week because I’m away on business.

  32. So your eats look freaking amazing per usual. Parsnips are one of my favorite roasted veggies probably ever. They are soooo yummy!!! And I’ve never thought to roast tempeh. You’re a culinary genius. Lets put you on top chef. PS do you get your nutritional yeast at YDFM? I think I’ve asked you that before but I can’t remember.

  33. While I am sad I didn’t win the Nuttzo–odd, as I have enough nuts in my house to last the normal person a lifetime–I AM happy to be 1) reminded that I have parsnips in my fridge, and 2) inspired by the concept of baking tempeh. Why have I never done that? Maybe because I prefer it raw? Or cooked in my FAVORITE stew recipe–which I made last night for my cooking class at Whole Foods, just, you know, in case you were wondering.

    • Seriously. You need to just make your own. And let me be the taster. 😉

      I ate raw tempeh in the airport this afternoon with spicy mustard. It was quite tasty!

  36. Both the muffin and ice cream are calling my name right now in my mid-afternoon slump. Enjoy these final days without an official nutrition plan!

  37. Yum. That pumpkin pie souffle looks so thick and delicious! And love the green ice cream! I had some pink banana ice cream over the weekend made from cranberries 🙂 I like the taste of kale in my concoctions though too.

    Yay for free-for-alls! No plan days are great. 🙂

  38. Oh gosh, I want to eat all your food in this post. You are definitely making a comeback in the foodie department! You totally deserve it after all the asparagus you had to eat;) I love snacking, since I love to eat so often. I think I need to make that monkey pumpkin pie now!

  41. I’ve been eating soooo much brussel sprouts and parsnips lately. CAN’T get enough.

    I get in sort of kicks with my proteins of choice where I crave it like everyday one week – salmon is definitely one of them. Its always either salmon, eggs, or baked tofu.

    Pumpkin chocolate cookies is what I’ve been baking!!

    I can’t wait for your oatmeal creation recipe. While reading about it I started singing Offspring “give it to me baby…”

    I prefer to graze all day – I definitely have some sort of oral fixation.

  44. All your eats always look so good – i bought tvp for the first time yesterday made some oatmeal for a mid morning snack this morning and gonna try making the chickless nuggets at some point next week 😀 yum!

  45. All of your eats look tasty buttt I’m seriously loving your Greek yogurt snack [I make something super similar almost daily], swordfish dinner [my faveee fish, oh.em.gee], and dessert [drool] 😀

  47. You had me with the icing on your baked oatmeal. Yum! All of your eats look great and I love how much protein is included. Very inspiring! Are you training for something in particular?
    Happy WIAW!

    • Thanks! I did a figure competition a couple of weeks ago (there are a few recap posts) and plan to keep going with it.

  49. I much prefer to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. When I eat larger meals, I just end up feeling heavy and sluggish…plus I like the fact that I get more variety with all my snacks! Yeah, STILL working on cleaning out that pantry! I did find some stuff in there the other day that I had to toss…who knew Larabars could grow mold…6 months after they expired! Oops? 😉

    I’m making Zandra’s pumpkin cake (actually I like your idea of muffins better) this weekend! Correction…I’m making them TONIGHT! After I get back from a sushi date that is! YUM!

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