So recently, I’ve been adapting a “vegetarian lifestyle”. One I’ve loved, one that I secretly promoted, and one that I only started at the beginning of the summer due to a past scare with my anorexia being promoted by the weight loss I had while I was a vegetarian.
Now with starting school, things have been a lot different than they’ve been in the past.
As I stated in my post about what’s been going on, my eating has been all over the place; weird cravings, full bellies and a lot of discomfort. I did a reevaluation of myself, and decided that I really needed to start looking at what I’ve been eating, and what I can do to stop the crazy food intakes that happen too frequently.
Here at school, there are not many options for vegetarians, let alone running vegetarians who need the right nutrients ALL the time. For the past weeks, I’ve been consuming the same things over and over and over again- which isn’t healthy for my body, either.
I’ve decided to reintroduce some meats into my diet for right now, and then when I return home for breaks I can practice vegetarianism as much as I want, as I’ll have access to all I need. It makes me upset, but at the same time, I need to listen to my head- meaning that I need the variety right now.
I wanted to make this post just so people knew and weren’t surprised if I posted something with meat. I still am a huge advocate for animals and love them to death. I’m also making sure that what I consume is well-treated and fed meat. Gotta have respect.
For now, I need to help myself until things can calm down and I can figure out my whole ordeal.
I think I have a problem with that…. like, naming recipes and all that jazz? It’s so confusing because I really just like to throw stuff together and NOSHHHHHH before I can think of something clever to call it.
Oh well, Curried bean bowl it is!
This bowl is simple, delicious and quick to make when you have long days and the hanger strikes as you pull your sick bicycle into your residence hall bike rack after a long freakin’ day of classes and exercise or vegetation. Also super easy to make when the only things you have available to you are a microwave and a mini fridge.
Can you tell that that’s how my days have been going these past few weeks?
Curried Bean Bowl
serves: 1-2 (pending on your hunger)
Serious yumminess.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup organic chickpeas and black beans, rinsed
1/2 to full sweet potato
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 tablespoon cumin
1/4 tablespoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
2 1/2 cups mixed veggies (I used carrots, peas, corn, onion, cauliflower, mushrooms, and tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup tomato sauce
*Optional toppings: nutritional yeast, sriracha, avocado and tahini. Optional, once again. BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Pierce your sweet potato with a fork and microwave on high for 5-6 minutes, depending on size.
Place beans, spices, and raw vegetables into a bowl.
Add tomato sauce to the mixture and stir away!
Once the potato is cooked, place bean and veggie mixture into the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes.
As this is “cooking”, deskin potato and chop that baby up.
Throw your greens and potato into a bowl, and once the bean mixture is done, place that in the bowl as well.
NOW TOP AWAY, GRAB A FORK AND SMASH!
Cheap, easy and damn delicious. Just the way we broke college kids like it.
I think I can actually say I’m a college student now, and to me, that’s pretty neat considering I’ve been dreaming of this opportunity for a long time. It’s been a transition for sure, but one I’m really starting to enjoy.
But before I embark on this four year adventure, I wanted to revisit something that’s bothered me over the summer; something I’ve come across here at my campus this first week; and something I plan on working on to better myself once again.
I preach balance, and for months on end, I lived it in the best way possible. Unfortunately this summer, I came across a road of late-night food shoveling and some nasty times of eating way too much; and continuing because I already dabbled in it. I don’t want to label it bingeing, but to some extent I think I am or was. And that concerned me deeply.
Yet I couldn’t change my habits. It was hard and I found myself really feeling bad about what I was doing with my food. I love food, and here I felt as though I had begun to abuse it again, just in a different way than I did two years ago.
My main thoughts that provoked it were probably due to emotional and stress problems leading up to such a big change in my life. At points, I’d think- “this is okay because I had a bad day” or “I’m stressed so… ben and jerry’s?”. These thoughts are far from what I preach, and as the summer had begun to end, I really was upset by how it played out.
I want to make something clear as I continue. I don’t see this as a “oh god I’m going to get fat” problem. As a girl who has learned to respect and love her body, I want to be far away from that type of thinking. It creates a problem, though, when I respect my body so much, yet push my stomach to limits and eat foods that hurt my system because I don’t know how to control it. That’s where my problems arise.
I took a lot of time to evaluate this before I even thought about posting; but I know many young people and older people alike struggle at some points with this. As a kid now going into college, I wanted to offer what I’m doing to help the situation. In no way am I a professional. But I am a human.
I first looked at what’s been going on, and that’s a lot. I’m moving away from home, leaving friends and family, encountering new obstacles with food, fast meals, fast times… yada yada. Then I came up with what I think I need to do.
Journal when emotions and stressors come into play. This is HUGE! It gives you a moment to pep talk or to hash out feelings you may throw other places.
Evaluate how I’m feeling and why I feel the need to reach for food.
Enjoy what I’m eating; and not think about when it will be gone or how I would want more.
Start preparing and trying new things. Being in a rut causes your body to have more cravings than normal.
Honor my cravings with healthier options, that way when I do reach for a “treat” or a “balanced” type meal, it feels good. Not bad.
I’m hoping I can make it work because I truly love the life of balance and I can’t wait to find it again. Let me know if there’s any questions or concerns you ever need answered and remember…
Last year, I went to Lollapalooza for a day. After that day, I made it my goal to spend my last summer moments before college in the same beautiful park, with my friends. Little did I know, I’d also make it my goal ((later on)) to attend all four days of it.
I have been so excited for so many months, weeks, and days counting down to this amazing event. And now that it’s over, I want to share the incredible experience I had the past weekend in one of my favorite cities; filled with music, great food and some of my greatest friends!
The center of it all.
Thursday was my first day off and I started at my own house, filling up on my bowl o’ goodness oats that have been a staple this summer. And then I was off to the 9:40 express down to Chitown where I’d spend the day running in between sets with friends (aka The 1975 and The Arcs at the SAME time…ANARCHY!). A rain delay for the front gates, rain in the middle of Bastille, and…. some interesting eats!
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I have to be honest: Not many food choices, and that really made me mad. I was excited for Chowtown as a crazed foodie should be, yet it was filled with a bunch of fries and pizza. Granted, yes, that’s great and all. But I can get that anywhere! I ended up finding Goddess and Grocer all the way at the end with an incredible Thai Tofu wrap that kept me filled for hours (with an afternoon apple!). Tofu tacos from Chipotle (praise these, I ate them three days in a row!) were my dinner.
Friday was the same run of things, except I ended up leaving for awhile to grab some of my favorite stir-fry around from Brightwork Kitchen . Bless, it saved me!
Golden Miso sauce = heaven
While that was great, so were a few of the bands I saw that day. The Struts had a killer performance (one of the best!), not to mention Lewis Del Mar, Alessia Cara, Fouls, and Radiohead for the headliner. The Struts by far had one of the funnest performances I’ve witnessed as a concert goer. BBBBABBBY BBBBABBBBY bBBBAyYYYBAYYYY!
Saturday was my favorite day, and not just for one reason (although, one is more prominent!). One: spent 12 hours with my best friends since kindergarten, two: front row for four bands, three: tacos., four:
I just may have weaseled my way and waited for four hours to be front row for my favorite band in the entire world: Red Hot Chili Peppers.
I don’t have a lot of words to describe that experience for you, but it involved tears and a bundle of absolute joy as I heard words that fueled my recovery from my eating disorder two years again; except I heard them and witnessed them being sang. It was just… it was just so cool.
My view from the front… HOW YOU DOIN’, GRANT PARK?
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All I can say is that I left Grant Park speechless that day. And while they topped the day (and the weekend), Nothing but Thieves and X Ambassadors rocked my Saturday too.
Definitely could have done without the show from Jane’s Addiction. Ew. Did not care for the strippers.
Sunday was just a day of me. Which was awesome. I took a later train, and spent my last time in the city before college exploring the rest of the fest, listened to some music here and there, and grabbed Native Foods for dinner.
Bangkok Curry Bowl with blackened tempeh
I spent the rest of the night in recovery at my lovely home. Each night, I’d come home and fuel my body with some food at crash around 12:30. Safe to say, Sunday I went to bed at 10 with no problems.
Here’s what I have to say about Lollapalooza:
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Don’t expect to see everyone you want. It’s impossible, and yes it stinks. But, don’t beat yourself up! Take it as an excuse to explore new bands, and try out different things.
WATER. I never realized how important it is. I mean, I drink a lot of water anyways, but the amount of camelbaks I went through this weekend could probably fill Lake Michigan.
Never take for granted good food. Seriously.
Take time to appreciate how wonderful life is every once in awhile. This weekend, I was able to spend time with my favorite people in such a beautiful place. And not only that, but I met so many fabulous human beings that cared about music just as much as I did. People can be different than you, but you may find that there are so many similarities in the smallest of things.
My weekend was beautiful. Truly. The food was good, the laughs were endless, and the music blew my mind one too many times. I only hope that this summer, you got to cross something epic off your bucket list, too.
It’s been so long since I’ve done one of these; I’m excited to be back!
Lately, I can’t stop eating vegetables (like always!). But, it’s becoming intense. Most days I’ll wake up and actually crave vegetables for a bit. But after I drink some water, then I kind of realize I don’t want a bag of spinach for breakfast…
This was actually my Monday meals, but since I got a full day of pictures when I wasn’t working during the day, I figured it would work out fine for our purpose!
Breakfast
I’ve really been wary of how much dairy I consume as it messes with my stomach. For some (wonderful) reason, greek yogurt doesn’t usually create any pain or discomfort, probably as it’s cultured.. As a person whose been working on getting more proteins into my diet, especially in the AM, a good ol’ Siggi’s dairy yogurt bowl (and black coffee!) with my homemade vegan muffins and granola works perfectly and kept me full through my hot yoga sesh! With breakfast, I always try to hit the three macros: protein, carbs and healthy fats.That way I get the best start to the day.
Lunch:
Lately, I’ve been insanely interested in middle eastern food. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve always been in love with spice, and now it’s really kicking in. An inspiration of mine recently has been Caitlin over at frommybowl ! A vegan food blogger and youtube, she’s helped me start to think about recipes and different things to try. I hate being stuck in ruts and unfortunately I’ve been eating a lot of the same things. THIS BOWL THOUGH! Curried lentil “chana masala” (or at least close???) With a ton of spices, flavor and paired with quinoa and greens. I’ll have to post my take on it.
Snack:
I picked blueberries (10 lbs, people) the other day so right after lunch I devoured like, half a container. I’m obsessed, okay?
Then I went shopping for dorm things, and ate raw nuts and ended up at our local farm where i bought a pickle. Not in a jar either. My first ever fresh as heck pickle. Super neat. Once home, I did some ab work, made my lunch for the following work day and threw together a really pretty salad to eat at work later that night because I have to work at a desk for five hours and I need some good food to tide me over…
Dinner:
My amazing salad: bed of greens, roasted sweet potatoes (cold! the best way to eat them!), balsamic tofu, roasted veggies and roasted red pepper hummus from Cedar’s (not pictured). The only way to get through my night.
That was my day! What types of things do you use to fuel your weekdays?
OMG we are back for an epic edition of: FRIDAY FAVORITES! And guess what??? It’s ALL ABOUT FOOD. So- FOOD. FRIDAY. FAVORITES. The triple F is what we’ll call this sucker on this fine July 15th.
Life has been swell, times have been rollin’ and I’m freaking out that it’s already the middle of July. College in like, a month, what?
Yes. A month!
I’m thrilled and nervous, yet I cannot wait to start a new adventure. And I cannot wait to start sharing some of my favorite things I’ve picked up this summer; and some exciting news from a special product in this… Continue reading “Friday Favorites: 7.15.16”→
Okay, so I have a bit of an obsession with Mexican foods.
Give me tacos or give me death.
Here’s the problem though: I don’t ALWAYS have excessive to amazing food. When the hunger cues begin and there’s no time to drive to an incredible restaurant, you’ve got to work with what you’ve got. AKA pantry and cabinet!
So that’s what I did. And what came out ended up being pretty darn delicious!
I started with organic black beans I got from Costco. The cans are even BPA free! How can you go wrong?
As I had those cooking, I started my favorite grain in the entire world: QUINOAAAAA. Yes, it’s weird to pronounce. Yes, it’s weird to cook. BUT YES, IT IS AMAZING! And when combined with beans, it’s the perfect complete protein to rock your meal and keep you full. And of course, who doesn’t love a good cheezzzzy flavor to their quinoa?
That’s when I grabbed my favorite meal addition: nutrition yeast. As a kid whose converting to vegetarianism, nutritional yeast has become a best friend to me. 3 grams of protein for a tablespoon with killer flavor? Yes PLEASE!
Alright enough of my babbling about food. I’ll get to the recipe.
Cheezy Black Bean Burrito Bowl
serves:1.
Ingredients
1/2 C. Organic black beans, rinsed
1/4 C. organic white quinoa
2 C. greens mix
2-3 mushrooms, sliced
1/4 to 1/2 avocado, sliced
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
Pinch of sea salt
1 to 2 TBSP nutritional yeast
Diced cherry tomatoes
Organic salsa
Begin by cooking your black beans on the stove. Rinse first, and then add to a small pot to heat the beans. As they are heating, add a touch of water, and then begin adding spices such as cumin and chili powder. These give the beans some flavor. Simmer.
As the beans cook, begin the quinoa. Add 1/4C quinoa to about 3/4C water and bring to a boil.
Let the quinoa simmer with a lid for about fifteen minutes.
While the quinoa and beans are cooking, prepare your bowl of greens, dice the tomatoes and mushrooms, and slice your avocado.
Once the quinoa has been cooked, mix in the nutritional yeast to give it a cheeeeeezy flavor! I also add a little chili powder and flakes to give the quinoa a spicy kick!
Add the beans, quinoa and all the toppings to your bowl of greens. This includes all the chopped veggies and avocado, as well as the salsa.
Now go crazy and face plant! I usually drizzle mine with tons of sriracha, but feel free to eat it with whatever you like!
I used to be so, I don’t know, LAZY about my snacks! Sure, larabars are fantastic, but homemade snacks are one, an accomplishment and two, a great way to save money when in a pinch for a snack!
Now that I’ve started really working to make a lot of my own foods to ensure ingredients and sugars I would want to eat, flavors and experimenting with them has thrown me for a loop. I LOOOOOVE trying out new things, and these were a total accident after I messed up a batch of cashew butter.
The great thing about energy bites is that one or two satisfies you to pump out your workout or get through till the next meal. They’re definitely become a staple in my diet, and of course in my weekly prepping on Sunday afternoons.
Caramel Coconut Cashew Bites
makes 12 bites
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1.5 Cup raw cashews, unsalted, and soaked for ten minutes
2 TBSP. warm water
15 pitted dates, soaked
1 tsp. caramel extract
3 TBSP. coconut flour
Pinch of sea salt
Begin by using a high speed blender or food processor to cream the cashews. This should create a smooth, ball of cashew goodness.
Add the dates in, as well as the water and let the two ingredients combine.
After these have combined, add the caramel extract, coconut flour by a tablespoon each time, and the sea salt. Let these all blend together.
Remove the batter from the blender and roll into twelve mini balls. These should be around a tablespoon of the batter.
Refrigerate or freeze and enjoy the heck out of these babies!
I waited wayyyyy too long to try these babies out, and let me just say, I have now craved falafels every day for the weeks following. Yesterday morning I ate breakfast and then a cooking bug exploded inside of me before I left for my run, and the falafel was born.
I took a gander at some recipes on Pinterest to try and get a feel for what most falafels consisted of- and some were full of oils and had to be fried. Granted, yes, falafels are great when they’re super crispy and indulgent; but I’m not huge on fried things. Therefore, I went out to make some baked falafel.
Chickpeas are the way to go for anything, and now that I’ve discovered how magnificent tahini is, we had to throw that baby in as well. I used my favorite blend of baby spinach and kale greens, along with my favorite spices and a garlic kick I really enjoyed.
I’m also a fan of oat flours to keep it gluten free. I don’t have a gluten problem, but I like the closest things to nature as possible- so how could you go wrong with a little homemade oat flour to create them?
My nutri-bullet broke a few weeks ago (started smoking as I made energy bites; very hard day for me) so I used a regular blender, and I have to say, it wasn’t too bad! I’d recommend a food processor though.
I was so excited when I had them in the oven, I was taking snapchat stories singing to them…. sometimes, I frighten myself.
Easy Peasy Baked Falafel
makes: 11-12 patties
Bake time: 18-20 min
Ingredients:
1 15.5 oz can organic chickpeas, rinsed
2.5 C. spinach and kale blend
2 TBSP. minced garlic
A pinch of sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 C. cilantro
.5 TBSP. Lemon juice
3.5 TBSP. tahini
3.5 TBSP. rolled oats (ground into flour)
1 TBSP. water (if needed)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to bake the falafel once the “batter” is ready.
Combine chickpeas, greens, garlic, spices, lemon juice and tahini into a food processor until just mixed. You want the combination to be slightly chunky, and not creamy like hummus. Because then, you have made hummus. Not a falafel.
After the mixture is ready, move the combo into a small mixing bowl. At this point, you can add more spices if you like.
Start by stirring in a small amount of the flour to the mix, slowly combining the two. Continue this process until all the flour has been added to the falafel mixture.
Begin taking small amounts of the mixture into your hands and roll it into a ball. It will be a little sticky, so you may need a small amount of flour to work with. These balls should be about a tablespoon and a half to two tablespoons.
Press the balls lightly onto the parchment paper to create a patty. Once finished, sprinkle extra pepper on top.
Bake for about 9-10 minutes and then gently flip the patty onto the other side to brown both. Bake for another 9-10 minutes.
Let the falafels cool for 10-20 minutes and enjoy! Serve anyway you like!
In fact, I really love a lot of things. Give me a category, and I bet you I can find something I enjoy in it, or about it.
Since I’ve missed blogging an INCREDIBLE bundle, I’m bringing back a post I missed writing about- and that just has to deal with…. *que music and Julie Andrews* A FEWWWW OF MY FAVOOOOORITE THINGS!
About every one to two weeks, I’m going to make a collection of things I’ve enjoyed over the past days, and share them out with the world so then you guys can get a picture of how my life is, what I’m doing, and what I’m consuming. Then, maybe you can hop on the train and make it a favorite of yours, too!
Alrighty, lets get on with it, shall we my lovelies? Let’s split this baby up into categories!
Blogs/ Blogposts:
Nutrition Stripped : For one, I am ultimately OBSESSED with the amazing Mckel Hill and her website nutrition stripped. No joke, I think that every time I graze the internet, I end up on her page. Why I love it? Not only is there just about everything under the sun on her website, she’s also got a snapchat filled with even more glorious tips and hilarious dog posts.
Will Frolic for Food has incredible recipes based on a whole food/ plant-centric diet that I challenge you to try!
Sounds majorly dorky but in the foodie world, What I Ate Wednesday posts make me happy to read…. I love seeing some of my favorite bloggers in action of what they eat and just how their day goes!
Mindbodygreen is a wonderful website packed full with tons upon tons of health tips centered around all aspects. I go on it at least three times a week to check the feed.
Music
Huge fan of Alabama Shakes right now, and if you need any proof, just listen.
Need tips on how to make the perfect running playlist? Check it out.
Workouts:
I’ve been doing RRayyme’s 600 butt rep for two weeks and I’m noticing a difference. Summer is coming, and a perky butt is what I’m going for! Still love my butt though… even if it is flat.
YOGGGAAAAA! Through Pinterest, I’ve found incredible yoga workouts and I dare you to try one out! A favorite of mine is this one.
These english muffins are the perfect bite when you are rushing out the door.
Smoothie bowls to help celebrate spring! Check out my new smoothie recipe to get in some extra antioxidants!
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What drinks do I have on rotate? Califia Farms brewed and GT’s Kombucha. Gingerade is by far the best flavor, and I’m a fan of the cold brewed expresso from Califia!
That’s all for now, folks! Tune in in a few weeks to hear more about some things I’m diggin’. But for now, what have your favorite things been lately?
balancing positive strides 