A week's worth of food

I thought winter would show up by now, so for the past month or so I have been prepping crockpot food for lunch. But that means I have to heat it up and eat something HOT while I am outside in the HEAT doing lunch duty. It's all good though, because it is delicious!

This week I went for Minestrone Soup - and I was not disappointed! I probably should have let the beans cook a bit longer, but oh well! Being on a Gluten Free option recently, I put rice pasta in, keeping with the theme.

I also cracked and made Gluten Free Cornbread! I wasn't about to make that from scratch however, way too many odd ingredients that I just do not have. A little legwork and research found me Bob's Red Mill and it worked out perfectly!

After an extremely long bike ride, which of course left me totally wasted and starving, this was awesome to come home to! No prep, good calories, REAL food, ready and waiting!

If your nor prepared, you will crack! Or at least I will...

I had the privilage of attending the Redlands Tri Club monthly meeting last night to talk about racing, training, and coaching! Kylie asked me a few questions about my most favorite thing EVER! FOOD! How to stay on track, stave off the wants and callings of the "bad" foods! One of the easiest ways I have found to stay on track is to plan ahead! If I make it half way through the day, and run out of food, I'm running to the teachers lounge or closest Mexican food place for some grub!

This is ALL the food I packed for today! I have 8 hours of work, and 2 hours on the bike, before I get back to home-base. There is no way I will eat ALL of these "snacks" but they will last me through the week. All things that GREW or in there near-virgin form! Nuts, veggies, some hummus along side crockpot black beans, salad, and brown rice.

Now I REALLY do not have any excuses for grabbing the junk food!

Just keep it simple!

Every weekend is pretty much the same. Up before the sun, eat on the run while getting ready to ride or heading to a race. This weekend I had the luxury of racing after 1pm! Although this did force me to miss my 2:30pm coffee encounter, it did allow me to sleep in and eat at a table!

Now people were asking me what in the world i got going on here! It isn't part of any crazy plan or diet, just some of the things that make me feel full and strong and capable of tackling the days duties on the bike!

Of course the best coffee from Stell Coffee!
Then a banana, strawberries, greek yogurt, random granola, and almond milk
On the plate we have egg whites with spinach and feta! YUM! with a side of sliced avocado and cherry tomatoes.

Most of these things I have in stock all the time, everything low on the processing level, natural and simple. The hardest part was getting the egg whites in the pan without any yellows!

So eating a balanced breakfast isnt as hard as it seems! Although an Eggo and a pop tart may be a bit faster, your gonna feel a little bit more satisfied if you take a few minutes, and grab something fresh!

Eat whatever you want! sometimes...

It's Thanksgiving ok, and chances are you could be away from home. And the social faux pas of hiding your lunch cooler under the table and bringing out your pre-made Tupperware oddities, is just too destructive!

Instead, load up on the salad (hopefully the cooks were kind enough to leave the dressing on the side) and search for Clean veggies with a lot of flavor! Find those good cuts of turkey and if they are cooked just right, you wont even need to bother with the gravy! Watch out for those breads and white carbs though, yikes! Looking at potatoes, hopefully there is a yam option that hasn't been bastardized by marshmallows and brown sugar (never understood that one). And trust me, I can make some killer mashed potatoes from scratch, but I would only about 1/4 cup, once a year. What makes things so delicious??? BUTTER! ; )

So don't go into the holiday season about to commit social suicide or create that high level of guilt that will ravage you for days to come, be calm, cool and collected and remember, its JUST ONE MEAL!! That meal alone, will not make you squishy!

YAWN....

WOW...what a blogging snooze-fest this has been! I am even feeling let down! Lame-sauce!

With work/coaching/training all in FULLLLLLLL swing, eating and food prep has become condenscend and sporatic. Both quite bad! I have found a few secrets along the way, that have helped eleviate some of the stress associated with Calories and caloric density when i just can not prepare REAL food!

Pictured here is a meal from Amy's! Awesome stuff! You can find many Organic meals, most are WELL under 300 calories, and if a grain is included such as rice, it is brown or whole wheat! Sodium content is low as well. This one's protein is tofu, but I am pretty sure you can buy them with meat as well. Another GREAT easy meal is one made by Helen's Kitchen!! Excellent stuff! Now I haven't seen many selections of these in the standard grociery stores, but I know here locally Clarkes carries them and I think Vons...YUMMY!!

Dinner salad packed with WOW: Goji berries; avocado; spinach; cherry tomatoes' peppers; papitas and some GOOD cheese....can't go wrong! And you can eat the WHOLE mixing bowl worth of it

Lunch packed with Things That Grew

Grab your favorite veggies! Here we had cucumbers, tomatoes and avocado with a little salt on them. Ezekiel muffins (AWESOME bread selection) with egg and tomatoe with some tofu (or your favorite) cheese! Easy, light, and HEALTHY!! On the side a banana sliced (we figured that weighs in at a whopping 109 calories) plus some fresh strawberries covering 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt! Drizzle some Agave nectar on top and BAM! Dessert!

And for some Delicious Desert on the go?!?!?!?! Trader Joe's PB & J bar. Although a friend said it has POTATO CHIPS in it (erm...i used to put them IN my PBnJ in grade school...) Excellent cap to a long day of work and training with that excellent dark chocolate to cap it off!

DESSERT that won't kill you!

I don't know about you, but in the past three weeks I have found myself attending at LEAST 15 events where the food has been out of control. Whether it be graduation parties, banquets for school, birthdays or pool-side barbeques, my quickly growing mid-section has been sabaged!!

I have tried taking my own food, eating before I go, or just sitting in a corner not eating, chewing on a piece of grass or eating gum. Don't threaten me with a good time! So instead of freaking out, I decided I should contribute a healthy option that won't freak people out!

Enter PARFAIT!!

SUPER easy!

Step ONE: Buy your favorite organic/healthy/tree-hugger granola. Fill cup 1/3 full

Step TWO: Select the ripest/brightest/juiciest in season fruits like berries, kiwi, peach etc! Chop, mix, layer 1/3

Step THREE: Get some 0% fat Greek Yogurt (trader joes or local hippie store) and mix with some Lemon CURD...just to give a little extra flavor and bite! The mixing also makes the yogurt smoother! Layer for the top 1/3

Step FOUR: Using a hand peeler, shave some 72% chocolate on top for a garnish..

EAT!!!!

New Recipes!!

I have embraced....Vegan Food....

Recently I was given the Book THRIVE: The Vegan Nutrion Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life by a friend I randomly met in a coffee shop in Mammoth. The book is written by Brendan Brazier, pro Ironman triathlete. I could explain all the ins and outs of his theories, but I need to work.

In a nutshell, stress comes in all forms and a huge stress is nutritional, so clean it up.

This is a BRIEF rundown of one day of eating off his plan.

BREAKFAST: TOASTED APPLE CINNAMON CEREAL

1/2 Apple, Diced

1 Cup oats - or sprouted quinoa

1/2 cup diced almonds (i used soaked)

1/2 ground flazseed

1/2 cup hemp protein

1/2 cup unhulled seseme seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1.5 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp stevia

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup hemp oil (I used olive oil)

1/4 cup molasses

2 Tbsp Apple juice

Combine all dry ingredients. In seperater dish blend liquids. Combine liquid and dry ingredients, mixing well.

Preheat 250 degrees.

Spread on a baking tray lighlty oiled.

Bake for 1 hour

I served the granola with diced strawberries and rice or almond milk. Super good!! And really filling!.

SNACK: SMOOTHIE

GINGER PEAR SMOOTHIE

1 Banana

1/2 pear cored

2 cups cold water plus ice

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

1Tbsp hemp protein

1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

Makes two servings.

The hemp protein makes it a bit on the green side, but the taste is great! Excellent for a hot afternoon!!

DINNER: ADZUKI BEAN QUINOA SESAME PIZZA

Crust:

1 cup cooked (presoaked) Adzuki beans

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup ground sesame seeds

1/4 cup coconut oil or hemp oil (I used olive oil...I don't like coconut!!)

2 Tbsp dulse flakes

In a food processor, mix all together well. Lightly oil a pan. Lay "dough" out to about 1/4 inch thick. The book said nothing about cooking the crust alone, but i SHOULD HAVE!! Put in oven for at least 10 minutes....unless you want to make it raw.

Topping:

I cucumber sliced

1/2 onion diced

Handful dulse flakes

1 cup bean sprouts

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup chopped green onions

Even after baking for 40 minutes, these toppings held their shape and moisture!!

SAUCE: SWEET PEPPER HEMP PESTO

2 cloves garlic

2 red ell peppers, cored and seeded

1/2 cup fresh basil

3 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

1.5 Tbsp Sesame seeds

2 Tbsp Hemp seeds (I didn't have any soI used flaz seeds)

2 Tbsp Hemp oil (I used olive oil)

Sea salt to taste.

Blend all in food processor.

I thought the pizza was good, but bland. Needs more spice in the crust for sure and the crust needs to be crustier!! The veggies were delicious! I may add cilantro next time for more flavor there as well!