April 13, 2012

Intentional Eating Update

When I first wrote about eating intentionally on this blog, I imagined coming up with tons of recipes and meal photos to post here on the reg. But now that I'm almost finished with my first school year of living on my own, my "intentional eating" path has looked very different from my initial vision. I've learned that it's not so much about coming up with billions of creative recipes. I mean, that would be really cool and someday I hope I can do that. However, right now I am in college. I don't have that much time and energy to invest in food. So I do still eat intentionally, just in a college-y way.

Basically, this is what eating intentionally has looked like for me this year:

Breakfast
-Nothing amazing or fun (no Pop-Tarts.  No carb-loading--except on special occasions.  And most cereals are a no as well).
-Scrambled eggs are my first choice.
-If I'm super rushed, I'll eat Greek yogurt and Kashi cereal.  However, I try to avoid this because the cereal doesn't taste that healthy to me.  But when you sleep through your alarm and have to rush to class, what can you do?
-I also try to include a banana.  And I always drink orange juice--it's the only drink that tastes good to me right after waking up.

Lunch
-My standard lunch is Peanut Butter toast and a spinach salad with walnuts, Feta cheese and home made vinaigrette.
-If I'm mixing things up, I put hummus and spinach leaves on toast--it's so good!
-I try to include an apple

Dinner
*I am really bad at dinners.  Like REALLY bad.  I am not creative at all.
-I eat at the Chi O house one night, thankfully, so I don't have to worry about one evening meal.
-I eat make-your-own pizza a lot (try to limit it to once a week, though).  While I am still in search of the perfect pizza crust (my current one isn't very healthy--I would like to find a whole-wheat option), it isn't that bad of a meal.  I put chicken strips on top so that there is protein!
-One night a week I will have pasta mixed with vegetable steamers and chicken strips.  It's my favorite.
-I also eat soup or chili that my mom made for me and froze.
-I used to eat a baked potato each week, but for some reason I stopped.  I need to go back to that, though.
-I honestly cannot recount my other dinner options...maybe I eat at restaurants more than I realize?

Snacks
-Yogurt with frozen berries or just frozen berries by themselves
-Hummus and pretzels
-Shredded cheese melted on Triscuits ("Healthy nachos")
-Mixed nuts are a good option if you keep portions small!
-I try my best to avoid granola bars like the plague, but sometimes I just need something easy to take with me if I won't be going back home until later in the day.  Thus, I do end up eating them but I wish I didn't.

Desserts
-For the most part, the only dessert I eat is a teeny bowl of chocolate chips.  I have them almost every day.  Sorry I'm not sorry--I love chocolate.
-Charlottesville is also rather fond of Frozen Yogurt, so sometimes I will get that with my friends.  I think it is a wise, low-cal dessert option!

Drinks
I'm really weak in this category...this girl LOVES her Starbucks and Diet Cokes.  However, I just saw this article about diet sodas and may resolve to stop drinking my beloved Diet Cokes.  Maybe.  I really don't drink them very often--not even once a week, but I'll let you know if I decide to give them up completely or not.
-I stick to my water, milk, and orange juice
-I drink tea--though not regularly--and I love Arnold Palmers (probably a bad move...but oh well)
-As an effort to save money and calories, I have been making my own coffee and flavoring it with Almond Milk + one pack of sugar.  I've grown to like it a lot.

I would say the main idea is to eat as simply as possible and to go to the grocery store with a very specific list of what you need.  If you don't buy unhealthy stuff, you won't eat unhealthy stuff!
More to come on my intentional eating adventures as I (hopefully) branch out a bit this summer!

P.S.  I saw this blog post (entitled "The Anti Diet") earlier and thought it had some really good points.  Check it out if you like!

xoxo,
C

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