I also have another really exciting update. I've gotten my butt back to the gym and I've been pretty diligent with my routine so far! For right now I'm trying to establish the routine and habit back into my schedule so my workouts are usually just 45 minutes of cardio but I'm really excited to start working some strength training back into my program as well. I felt my best a few years back when I was a little gym bunny and got to be the most fit I've ever been in my life. I was never super thin but feeling strong and healthy made me feel like such a bad ass and I really miss that feeling. So, I think you'll see those health goals reflected in these foods for the most part as well.
So first up we have some groceries:
The bulk of my Trader Joe's haul was fresh produce which was what I was missing in between trips to the grocery store. I grabbed some plums, peaches, broccoli and cauliflower, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, baby carrots and baby spinach.
I also grabbed these Crunchy Curls (Lentil and Potato snack crisps that are Snapea crisp level addictive), a bag of chocolate chips and an avocado.
I really wanted some of my Vegan Ranch Pasta Salad that I started making last year so I ran to the regular grocery store and grabbed some of my favorite gluten free pasta, vegan chicken strips and some butter lettuce.
And here is some stuff I've been eating!
I had been in a breakfast rut so I decided to make some chia pudding! I made this an almond chia pudding by adding a little almond extract (I also added some cinnamon) and I topped it with defrosted wild blueberries from Trader Joe's, sliced almonds and some coconut chips. It was so good!
Some amazing avocado toast. Seriously it may be hipster chic but it's damn good.
I know it's in styrofoam and I hate it but sadly I can't control that. This was an otherwise delicious lunch of rice with beans and broccoli.
I have been searching for this seasonal limited release Watermelon Wonder Kombucha and I finally found it!!! I was so excited and it was on sale so I grabbed two. I've been really starting to like Kombucha lately and it's been my favorite way to get my probiotics in so I was really happy to find these because I just ran out! I do like it but to be honest it wasn't my favorite that I've tried! I really like Kevita's Pineapple Peach and believe it or not I like the Target brand blueberry grape one a lot.
This is a really unattractive picture of some delicious zucchini noodles. I added some spinach in with it and a teensy bit of shredded vegan mozzarella. It makes the sauce a little creamy (it can get a little watery when it cooks with the zucchini and the little bit of cheese helps thicken it) and super delicious.
I'm sure you'll notice that there are some processed foods in the haul as well as the meals. I've been thinking a lot about cleansing and rules and all of that kind of stuff and I decided that I can't try to put myself in a box because it just doesn't work for me. I have to stop the restrictive patterns of removing certain foods because to be honest a little processed food absolutely will not kill me. I think that including some processed food here and there with mostly whole foods and lots of produce is fine and I'm not going to drive myself nuts to try and figure out the "perfect diet." It's a really dangerous headspace for me to get into so I'm just going to try to move forward with goals of eating a majority of fresh healthy foods but being ok with eating some processed stuff as well. I just don't want to depend on processed food for convenience which was a bad pattern I had gotten into. I think you'll notice that the balance in the meals above seems to be pretty good.
So there you have it, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I have meal planned pretty diligently this week so I'm hoping to be able to get some more pics of stuff I ate to share on Friday. I hope that you are all well and I hope you have a great week! ❤
8 comments:
I love Kevita too! I love all their flavors except the Roots Beer. An never any floaties!!
All your meals look incredible, and I totally agree with you about having some processed foods here and there. For awhile I became really obsessive about avoiding them, and then I aske myself why, and it was more because of things other people were saying than me worrying about them. I don't want to obsess over food anymore, an I also want to enjoy some of the fun vegan treats out there!
That is my favorite gluten free pasta too! I definitely think it tastes the most like regular pasta.
Your posts have been excellent and so upbeat lately! I think Summer sunshine and getting to the gym does wonders. I remember when you were going to the gym a lot and your energy is infectious. I need to do the same - those endorphins are priceless. I’m slowly getting back into regular running & love what it does for my mind even more than my body. Oh no! Don’t tell me about any other delicious TJ’s snacks! *ScreamEmoji* I still can’t break up with their potato snacks that look like French fries and taste AMAZING!
I'm a pineapple peach kevita fan for sure! No floaties is key! I really want to find the Live Kombucha soda flavors. They sound sooooo good.
After taking a step back and really thinking about it I just knew that falling into the perfect diet trap again would be a dangerous road for me. I think finding balance is key and there are definitely some amazing vegan treats out there that I don't want to give up and shouldn't have to!
That pasta is sooooo good! It tastes exactly like regular pasta. It is a bit expensive but since I rarely eat pasta I splurge on it when I am going to eat pasta.
Aww thank you! I'm trying to push past all of the stuff that's going on and just try to make everything better for myself. The gym has definitely been helping so much. I go early in the morning and sometimes it is hard to get out of bed but I ALWAYS feel better once I start my workout. I can't wait to take it up a notch but I'm just getting back into my groove right now.
I don't want to be an enabler but OMG you have to try the curls! They are so good and I would venture to say way better than those potato snacks. I love the texture of them and they are just so good!
Glad to hear you've been having a good experience going to the gym! And all your food looks great, and those crunchy curls sound really good! :)
Thank you! The crunchy curls are so good! If you can get to a Trader Joe's I highly recommend them!
"This is a really unattractive picture of some delicious zucchini noodles"
XD That's why all the hipster food blogs show the zucchini noodles TOPPED with the tomato sauce. lol So much prettier. But it is yummier when all mixed together! Yum!
And it is great you aren't stressing about "processed" foods. I think trying to do as much fresh ingredients as possible is great, but it is really hard. We can't make EVERYTHING ourselves. We will totally exhaust ourselves. I hear people freaking out about processed foods, but the "processed stuff" they are stressing about is pretty much fine. So it is great for people to worry a little less about it.
Hahaha you are right! I don't have the energy to be a hipster :) Besides, you know that is what it is going to look like after the picture and I'm all about being real here ;)
Thank you! I think it's really easy to fall into the mindset of needing the "perfect diet," especially when you have a history of disordered eating. I felt like my mental health was more important and that the "processed" foods are absolutely not going to kill me. I agree, I wish people would worry less… especially because it makes veganism seem even more do-able!
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