Pumpkin Pie Yogurt
Wow, this breakfast was amazing!!!
Started with an oatmeal pancake topped with microwaved mashed banana and 10 grams of walnuts.
On the side I had a new creation: pumpkin pie yogurt!!
Recipe:
Mix together…
- 1/2 a cup canned pumpkin (80 grams)
- 4 oz plain low-fat yogurt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 packet splenda
It really was like a tangy version of pumpkin pie. Maybe I’ll try a Fiber One crust later this week 🙂 ~100 calories.
Also had DECAF hazelnut + french vanilla coffee. Should solve my shoulder tension problems – and it was just as delicious as any other coffee!
Breakfast calories: ~420.
Had toast with 5 grams PB before the gym at 5:15:
I was on fire at the gym this morning. My body knew it needed a good recovery workout and my heart rate was in the 160’s and 170’s on the elliptical. 45 minutes of ET + upper body weight lifting (biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders) = 486 calories burned.
Total AM calories: 530.
Off to work on this disgusting rainy overcast Monday 🙁
jennifer says
Good Morning! I’m right there with you with trying to get back to healthy eating this week…Thanksgiving I ran a 10K (I’m training for a half-marathon in Feb and this was my first race !) but then I stuffed myself silly with way too much not-so-good-for-you food! I LOVE your blog and it is inspiring me to do make one too….I’m in culinary school because I want to write nutritious cookbooks and be a healthy personal chef someday 🙂 My question is, at what time do you usually eat breakfast in the morning? How long do you go before eating a snack or lunch? Mornings are my most difficult eating time because I eat an early breakfast (around 7 am) but don’t get to eat lunch until around 1:30 because I have school all morning. Do you usually make it all the way to lunch on your breakfast or have a snack? I do eat a large breakfast…usually oatmeal made with either dried fruit/nuts or peanut butter (my fav too!!) as well as fruit. It usually lasts me about 3 hours but then I get so hungry! What do you think would be a good snack to bring along to school thats portable and healthy? Sorry for being so lengthy, I just love food and talking/writing about it! haha 🙂 Have a great day!
Oh, thanks for the cornbread recipe! How do we figure out though the conversion of grams to cups? I should know this because of school but I still don’t because I hate math!
Kath says
Hi Jennifer!! Sounds like you’ve got a great future ahead of you. I imagine it’s pretty hard being healthy in culinary school since most chefs love oil and butter!!
Here’s my usual morning schedule:
4:50-5:00 Snooze 🙂
5:00-5:25 Eat something small before my workout – usually a piece of toast or half a banana (around 100 calories)
5:30-6:40 Workout
6:45-7:30 Shower/dress
7:30 Breakfast (usually around 450 calories)
9:00 Get to work, fill up my water cup
9:30 Guzzle water
10:30 Guzzle water
11:00 Optional small snack of a few nuts or hot tea with 1 oz milk or so
11:30 Start to get pretty hungry
12:00 Lunch, usually another 500-600 calories
4:00 Afternoon snack, 150-200 calories
6:30-7 Dinner, 350-500 calories
I used to have a smaller breakfast (about 350 calories + pre-workout) but recently decided I’d rather have a bigger breakfast and have it hold me until 11:30 or 12 than have to “worry about a snack.” I also realized that I get “hungry” around 10:00 but I’m really just really thirsty. So the 2 glasses of water I sip on really help tide my hunger – or what feels like hunger.
As for recommendations, I find that a few almonds (raw, whole) and some dried apricots make a wonderful snack. I would stay away from granola bars if you can, as I don’t think they do a very good job tiding hunger in the mornings (at least for me, but they are better in the afternoon). A box of raisins is also a good small thing to munch on. I like to be hungry for lunch, so I try not to eat too much at 11:00 but in the afternoons my snacks are more substantial. Some people are the opposite though so you may need something bigger in the morning!
Hope that helps 🙂
K
Anonymous says
Hey Kath,
I’m becoming addicted to your blog very quickly!!
I have a question… how do you estimate how many calories you burn when you work out?
Happy Monday!
— Trish
Kath says
Trish,
I wear a heart rate monitor to track my calories burned. See this post’s comment’s for more info:
http://katheats.blogspot.com/2007/11/comforting-dinner.html
Anonymous says
I just wanted to let you know that your blog is my new addiction! 🙂 I, like many others, discovered it through reading Cristin’s “Eat Like Me Blog.” I enjoy her blog, but find yours more refreshing and “real.” You not only eat healthy, but substantially – what I question about Cristin’s eating at times. Your commitment and enthusiasm for healthy living is inspirational!
Anonymous says
I completely agree anonymous. I see this blog as much more realistic than Cristin’s. Although I love them both…Cristin’s is questionable at times in terms of how her diet could fit into a “real” person’s life. I really admire you, Kath!
Kath says
Thanks to you both 🙂 I love Cristin’s blog too, but I agree with you that sometimes I can’t believe her posts (too little, too much, too strange!). I honestly think she is one of those “naturally thin” people who doesn’t struggle with food like the rest of us 🙂 And based on her posts when she’s at her parents’ house, I think they are the same way – a very healthy family to start with.
But you know, I suspect that she does have more small snacks and nibbles sometimes and just forgets to blog them. One time she went to a wedding and didn’t have any cake in her recap – I have NEVER heard of someone not having any wedding cake at a wedding! I posted a question to see if she really didn’t have any, but it didn’t get answered.
I’m so glad you all like the blog!
Kath
Alex says
Hi Kath!
I just recently discovered your blog through Eat Like Me, and I am so impressed by all of the different ways that you eat healthily! I guess what I mean to say is, you have so many different recipes and dishes that you’re always trying and I am envious that you have the follow-through. I can’t tell you how many times I have said to myself, “Try spaghetti squash – it’s FUN! And other people love it!” but still have yet to do so. I think it’s mostly because I’m a law student and when I get home after my 9- or 10-hour days, sometimes all I can do is nuke a sweet potato and a Boca burger before passing out. 🙂
Anyway, I guess this is a really long way of saying, Great job! And also, one question – I did some moderate searching, but I couldn’t find the recipe for the cranberry sauce that you eat almost every day. Could you please share, or tell me where I could find it?
Thanks so much!
the husband says
RE: cornbread weight vs. volume
If you want to do serious baking, and more importantly PREDICTABLE baking, you should measure ingredients by weight.
1 cup of flour/cornmeal weighs about 135grams, but you could probably sift it down to 100g or pack it in to 200, so which one is correct? It becomes even more important to have exact measurements when you bake with baking soda & powder because the leavening amount required is a direct ratio to the amount of flour and liquid.
So give it a try with 135g/C but get that food scale soon! Not just for baking, but to measure your exact calories too! Perhaps my wife can plug our food scale on one of these posts?
Anonymous says
Hey – it’s me again – the first anonymous poster! I also agree about Cristin coming from a healthy family. My meals would never look so pristine and balanced as hers do when she eats at home or at any family occasion.
My family believes healthy eating = boring, tasteless, etc. Even though they like healthy foods, if a person (like myself!) labels a particular product or meal as healthy, they turn their noses up at it! It can feel like me vs. them sometimes, but hopefully they’ll slowly see the benefits of making better lifestyle choices (as they are all overweight with the usual overweight health complications).
Anyway, off of my family rant…! I also believe Cristin does not include little snacks and nibbles here and there also. I’m not saying she necessarily does it on purpose, as it can be easy to forget when you’re especially busy, but I’m skeptical that she NEVER has a little bit here and there! Ha! I appreciate that you include everything. It’s just so much more realistic, and it makes people realize that every bit counts when it comes to weight maintenance and health!
Kay (no longer anonymous!)
P.S. It feels good to get these opinions and concerns out. Any “nay-sayers” on Cristin’s blog get attacked quickly by other posters. Discussion, opinions, etc. should be welcomed (not necessarily agreed with), but people should have the freedom to post!
Kath says
Hi Alex! Healthy eating is always easiest when you’ve got time, I’ll be the first to admit that, but I find that having a well-stocked fridge makes things a LOT easier. And you’ve GOT to try spaghetti squash!!!!! It’s soooo good and really not that much trouble if can find the time to monitor the oven.
As for the cranberry sauce, I just kind of use the recipe on the back of the bag as a guideline and go from there. It says to put the whole bag of berries in 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar. Instead of the sugar, I put about 1/3 a cup of splenda. I like my cranberries tart though, so you might want to add more. I’ve also experimented with a cinnamon stick, vanilla extract, orange juice and cloves. Just add what you like!
So once you have everything in the pot, just cook it on medium heat until all the berries start to pop open and spray their gel all around the pot. I usually keep cooking until all the water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Be careful – the pot has a tendency to boil over if you don’t watch it! And the berries will splatter – you might want to keep a lid handy to partially cover the pot. It comes out to about 10 calories per ounce when cooked and cooled. Stir into oatmeal, smother on oatmeal pancakes, or my favorite – as a topping on plain yogurt!
Thanks for reading!!
Kath
Kath says
Geez, husband, you could be a little nicer!!!
jennifer says
thanks for the run-down on the snacks!! Here’s another oatmeal idea I have been enjoying the past couple days…the night before mix together 1/2 cup oats with 1/2 cup each of skim milk and plain, nonfat yogurt. Stir in 2 oz fruit/nut trail mix and refrigerate til morning. In the morning stir the oat mixture and add a sliced banana and a drizzle of maple syrup. I don’t usually count calories so I have no idea how much is in that but its a very healthy/filling breakfast…something a little different than the usual hot oatmeal! Tomorrow I’m trying the oatmeal pancake idea..i’m already excited 🙂
ps- kath, what do you do? are you studying to be a nutritionalist? Random, I was just wondering!
Kath says
J – That oatmeal sounds delicious! A lot like a recipe for swiss oatmeal a made a few weeks ago that called for plain yogurt, dried fruit, and nuts. I don’t think I could handle a cold breakfast this time of year, but I might experiment with yogurt in hot oatmeal!
Professionally, I am an account executive for a public relations and advertising firm. However, I am starting a masters degree program in human nutrition and all of my R.D. requirements starting in January. It’ll take me 2.5 years to complete the R.D. requirements and 3.5 for the masters.
Shhhhhhhhhhh though – it’s not out of the bag here at work! I hope no one from work is reading! It’ll be out of the bag soon….
But I’m SOOOOOO excited!
K
Anonymous says
I also came to your blog from the “Eat Like Me” blog, and I have to say, I’m really impressed by your eating! The first thing I noticed was how truly passionate about food you are. I like Cristin’s blog, but I think she eats out or relies on prepared foods a little too much. I’m sure she’s also really passionate about food, but today is a perfect example: she opened a can of butternut squash soup for her lunch, but yesterday for dinner you made your own from scratch! Does anyone else know what I mean? Kath, you just seem way more “into” food in general. You’re going to make a great RD!
Kath says
Wow, what a great compliment!! I am into food 🙂 I think gaining and then losing 30 pounds (the healthy way) will also help. I’ve got TONS of tricks and advice up my sleeve that I can’t wait to share with future clients! Thanks for such a nice comment!
Kath
Alex says
Kath, I agree with the last anonymous poster. When I first started reading Cristin’s blog, I was impressed with all of the time that she put into making her meals – but you bring it to a whole new level! This might go back to my complete lack-of-time, but I am amazed at how many recipes you have concocted/experimented with. And I, too, think that Cristin is naturally skinny – but also that she eats so little sometimes! Comparing what you eat (and seeing the actual calorie counts) with some of her meals just reinforces this…
I also wanted to let you know (which I am sure you do) that you are SO lucky to have a husband who has gone through this with you and shares the same outlook on healthy eating/living. I lost about 60 pounds 4 years ago (and have kept it off) and met my boyfriend 3 years ago. He is naturally skinny, could eat mac & cheese and chocolate cake every night, and hardly ever exercises (but never gains a pound!). It is very frustrating that (a) he seems to think that I am always on a diet, when I really just try to eat healthy and balanced meals (b) on those days that I just.don’t.want. to get out of bed and do anything, I don’t have someone to jump up and say, “Let’s go for a run, honey!” So I am very envious of you… (and your husband IS a cutie, BTW). 🙂
Just one more thing, and then I’ll stop! I’m sorry for this being so long, but you (and perhaps some others) may actually find this helpful. Like you, alcohol is my major trigger. But I have realized something – it is not necessarily that having a few drinks lowers my inhibitions so much, but rather that it has become an expected behavior when I drink. Does that make sense? So, when I have had a few drinks, I will want to eat everything in sight because that is just what I have always done. This was a very big realization for me. I’m still working on the part where I do something about it (other than not drinking in the first place), but I think that’s an important first step.
Kath says
Alex,
Interesting thought on the alcohol. I don’t usually go to bars and drink, but I do usually drink on special occasions, which do require hard work to not indulge on in general. I can have a glass of wine at home and be Ok, but I think you’re right that often alcohol is paired with food in the first place. But I can usually do well if I’m at a special event and skip the wine, so it’s definitely still a catalyst for me letting down my guard 🙁
And you’re right about my wonderful, wonderful husband!! He’s actually the more gourmet cook of the two! He doesn’t really have to watch his weight anymore, but he does try to eat as healthy as possible 90% of the time, so I’m lucky there’s no fighting about junk food in the house (which we have NONE of or I’d eat it – especially if there was wine involved!).
K