I mentioned in an earlier post about how I made it a goal this semester not to eat a single lunchroom meal from the school at which I am student teaching. Not that the meals are terrible. A lot of them look really great, actually. I just get in a downward slope of spending money on it every day and then I just start to feel really slow and lethargic because I'm not eating my usual healthy stuff. So far, I have stuck with my goal, but that's because every Sunday I spend a few hours at night putting together meals for the week. It means that I don't get as much sleep on Sunday nights, but I don't mind it because it's once a week and it's a small sacrifice.
Sunday afternoon I went to the grocery store in Gardendale where my fiance lives to buy groceries. Chad was sick all weekend, and he really just needed some rest, so I gave him some time by himself to go stock up on healthy goods. I'm glad I did, because I found a couple of new things that I thought would be good to try. I have a bad habit of getting bored with my usual stuff, so some variety every now and then is very much welcome.
One of my finds were these Nature's Harvest "Gone Bananas" chips.
They. Are. Amazing. Some of them are plain bananas, and some of them are salted plantains, and that's it. No preservatives, no artificial coloring, none of that. So they are the perfect thing to incorporate into my lunches, because I'm weird and like to have some sort of crunch with my lunch, and since I can't do potato chips, these fit the bill.
I also found some Quaker Lightly Salted Rice Cakes, and they are gluten free and only 35 calories per rice cake. I've always been a huge fan of rice cakes, and I know that a lot of people hate them with a passion, but I just think they're good for a quick snack, and they're versatile. I've been eating them with PB2/peanut butter, cinnamon, and cacao nibs. Yum!
Another option for snacking this week, in addition to my usual string cheese, is some fruit mix. Strawberries, pineapple, and watermelon. I've been craving watermelon for some reason lately, probably because it's getting warmer outside. I also got a mango, but I haven't decided what to do with that yet. Maybe smoothies. Maybe sorbet. We'll see!
For my lunches this week, I had some more tilapia that I really needed to use up because I've been planning on getting some salmon instead once all of the tilapia is gone. I made some Parmesan broiled tilapia with my favorite seasoning and some parsley flakes.
For the potatoes, I seasoned them with the same Cajun seasoning I used on the fish, some garlic, and some parsley, and baked them in a sprayed iron skillet at 425 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.
I've been using this seasoning for about 7 years when I just want to fix something quick and have lots of flavor. It doesn't fit the "clean eating" bill, but I just can't give up the spicy goodness!
I put the tilapia and Cajun garlic potatoes on top of a bed of baby spinach for my lunches this week, and then I'll have the banana chips, as well. Quick, easy, yummy.
Last week, I was obviously obsessed with pancakes. This week, I've been making egg white omelets and having a side of sliced bananas sprinkled with cinnamon and PB2 mixed with 1 tsp agave nectar and cinnamon. I don't know what inspired this new combination, but it's pretty delicious, so I'm not fighting it. I am, however, going on a hunt for Ezekiel bread today because I've been dying to try it, and I've heard it makes great French toast.
Tonight, I'm planning on making some turkey burgers and baked zucchini "fries", so hopefully I'll have some more recipes up this week! I also have a cookie and cupcake order for Saturday, and I'm so excited about the recipes I'm putting together for that day, so look for that, as well!
Oh, and my birthday is tomorrow, but I will be spending it at UAB doing interviews at the education career fair, so I kind of got an early start on it this weekend. Chad's parents got me a FitBit that I have been lusting over for some time! I was planning on ordering one as my birthday present to myself, but instead I was able to order my wedding shoes! Anyway, I love my FitBit, and it's nice to be able to see exactly how much I walk throughout the day. It's encouraging to set your goal and see if you can meet it, and it motivates me to be more active.
Happy Monday!
Andrea
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