I can’t believe it’s 1:45 and I’m just now getting to my breakfast post (and lunch too). Time is flying today!
Breakfast
I got up early again and got my Stats assignment and some Chemistry done while sipping hot tea 🙂
Around 8:00 I had oats as usual, but with a different combination today – pear, toasted almonds, PB and cinnamon.
With hot tea for ~400 kcal
Run
The husband and I digested a bit and left for our run around 10:00. We decided to drive to a new neighborhood – great idea!! We took a little map of our 4.25 mile route printed out from Google Pedometer, which we had to get out for “I told you so” moments regarding which turn to take. We also had fun looking at all the pretty houses and talking about the past, present and future. ~350 kcal burned.
Lunch
After a quick (one of our most efficient!) trip to the grocery store, we made the most delicious lunch. I had a whole wheat pita stuffed with portabella mushrooms and zucchini, spinach and beans.
I found this idea in Real Simple Magazine last year to mash white beans with a little EVOO and back pepper for a super-healthy sandwich spread (the article suggested having it with avocado and sprouts on whole wheat bread, which we did and loved). I use much less EVOO than they suggest, but since it’s got a strong flavor, a little goes a long way. Note that their sandwiches are 684 kcal each!
Here’s my 1/2 cup of beans mashed with 1/4 tsp olive oil. The EVOO really adds a lot of flavor and goes really well with the softness of the beans –
We were going to have portabellas and zucchini with last night’s eggplant dinner but we thought we had enough food so we saved them for today. We put them in a hot skillet with cooking spray and oregano until they were nice and soft.
Then I layered the beans, veggies and spinach into my pita. I had a few leftovers that I ate on the side.
SO GOOD!
On the side I had carrot slices (my newest lunch regular)
Mango –
And 1/2 a cup of plain yogurt with jam and flax –
It was a LOT of food for ~500 kcal. I’m stuffed! I probably won’t need a snack this afternoon since we had a late lunch and it was rather filling. Maybe just something small before dinner.
See you for Winter Vegetable Stew and Couscous! My mother in law left us some white wine last night (I chose not to have any last night), so we’ll probably have a glass for cocktail hour 8)
bev says
What a beautiful lunch…it’s all about the colors 🙂 Did you use gabonzo beans for the spread ? I am fixing your stuffed turkey cutlet for dinner with acorn squash and I was wondering did you cover the turkey when you put it in the oven ? I love mango too !!
Leigh says
Kath if after your oatmeal breakfast you didn’t wait to run would that be ok? Is it bad for your body not to wait for the food to digest. I like to eat breakfast before exercising, but don’t have time to wait. But I don’t want my blood or whatever goes into digesting to be caused problems as a result.
Leigh says
That looks so good!
I asked this on another post, but I would love to know if you have any tips. (this is random). No matter what, I get white deoderant marks on my shirt- any recommendations?
Natalie says
I always overstuff my pitas.
Kim says
Hello Kath and the husband! I decided I may go back for an associate degree (career change) in pastry/breads. I’m in a resort area so this would be ideal. Maybe I can put a healthy spin on tasty treats/wedding cakes.
Maria says
Delicious lunch! I love using white beans for a sort of modified hummus like that. 🙂 And nothing like tons of wonderful veggies to fill you up!
Alex says
Leigh,
As far as I know, the waiting-to-digest is simply more of a personal preference. If having the food in your stomach does not cause you any pain or discomfort, you should be fine. I am a distance runner with a very sensitive stomach, so I normally have to wait at least two hours after a full breakfast to run. However, a good friend I used to run with would meet me in the mornings and scarf down a bagel with cream cheese and coffee before we set out to do our 16 (or however many) miles.
Basically, it boils down to what works for you. If you prefer to eat a full breakfast right before you work out and this doesn’t give you any trouble, then I would stick with that.
Hope that helps!
Sarah says
Your pita sandwich looks so delicious!! Definately going to try that one of these times…:)
goalie30 says
Hi kath and all,
I know Kath you had mentioned the other day about how many questions you should answer and how best to set up a forum to get the questions answered….Here is my idea…I think instead of the readers posing all of their questions towards just Kath, maybe we could leave them open, so that other readers, along with Kath, could help share their own nutritional knowledge/hints/tips, so Kath could just answer those questions that she feels needed more in depth answers or that were pointed more towards her own recipes, nutrition goals, etc. Any other thoughts on this? I think it would take some work load off of Kath and help for a more open conversation amongst the readers.
VeggieGirl says
what a scrumptious variation of your morning oatmeal, with the pear, almonds, cinnamon and nut-butter – delish! and I too saw that recipe in Real Simple magazine – I agree, the extra-virgin olive oil contributes a wonderful, earthy flavor to the white beans (and it IS terrific with avocado).
you had carrots and mango too?? my goodness, Kath, between your breakfast and your lunch, my mouth is watering, haha. looks terrific!!
Allyson says
Two questions/comments-
I noticed that you don’t eat much, if any, red meat-is that a personal preference or is there a dietary reason for it??
Also-What are your thoughts/feelings on energy drinks (red bull, etc)?
goalie30 says
Allyson,
As a healthcare provider, and former college athlete, what the food pyramid says and what I usually tell my patients is to try and limit red meat to 2-3 meals per week or even less, mostly due to there being higher amounts of saturated fats in the red meats. However, you can purchase the extra lean ground beef and I like the sirloins which usually have only 4-8 grams of fat per serving in them which isn’t too bad, but skinless chicken (white meat) and turkey breast, tend to have even less than this, and it’s also good to get at least 1-2 servings of fish in per week due to the omega 3 fatty acids that they have to offer. Hope this helps!
Anonymous says
Kath –
How do you cut mango? I have a hard time figuring out how to cut mango!
Thanks! 🙂
Cpik321 says
Leigh,
Check out this link …… it should help your problem with white marks.
http://www.missoops.com/
linds says
Hi Kath! I’m thinking of investing in a food scale and I know you favour the Salter brand- which one by Salter do you own? I’ve checked out one that measures both liquids and solids and there is actually one that gives nutritional content for up to 900 food items..I’m slightly overwhelmed lol so just wondering which one it is you use and why you like it. Thanks!
Catherine says
This question is for Kath or anyone else that has input…
Does anyone else struggle with eating a proper sized breakfast in the morning? I find it very hard to eat anything more than 100 calories because I prefer to save my calories for later in the day, so I have something to look forward to (sad, I know).
If you were like me, how did you come about eating a good sized breakfast and not worry? I am worried that if I start having a breakfast that is 300-400 calories, I will eat this in addition to my normal lunch, dinner, and snack intake.
Any tips or feedback based on your own experiences?
I would REALLY like to start having a normal sized breakfast because I know many mornings my energy is lacking.
Thank-you!
arimcg says
Anonymous, you can just cut the two sides off along the pit (which you can’t see but it’s almost like a plate that runs down the middle of the mango). If that doesn’t make sense (it’s kind of hard to explain in writing) check out this video from Roni’s site: http://greenlitebites.com/2008/01/17/mad-for-mango-video-post/
Hope that helps.
bev says
Anonymous
check this link out
http://greenlitebites.com/2008/01/17/mad-for-mango-video-post/
Ryane says
This just amused me and wasn’t going to say anything, but figured why not right –
haha, at first when I say a comment from “anonymous” I cringed and hesitated even scrolling down anymore because I assumed it was something negative or combative. So how pleased was I that it wasn’t!!
Also, today for the first time ever I made my oatmeal on the stove top rather than the microwave…. I don’t know what took so long but thanks to seeing Kath and sometimes Cristin, do it everyday I finally caved. DELISH.
Although I’m more of a pumpkin and honey girl myself…
eliza says
I have a question regarding salads..how do you figure out the calories in them?! I can never really tell and it always seems like very minimum. Any ideas??!
Anonymous says
Kath, i love pear in my oatmeal! instead of cutting it up or whatever, you can do the same thing you do with your bananas and cook it in. i usually just core it and cut it in halves or quarters, and mash it up a bit (depending on how ripe it is), add cinnamon, then just let it melt in as it cooks and top with chopped walnuts when its done. it would be a volume eater’s delight because it makes a HUGE, creamy bowl of oats with yummy sweet pear-cinnamon flavor throughout!
Ryane, i post as anonymous because i would feel weird if someone i knew read this blog and figured out i was me and thought i was weirdly obsessive about food or something for reading a food blog (…although i guess they would be guilty of the same if they were reading the site too!) i am not the anonymous that has been stirring up trouble tho! 🙂
anyway, i was just wondering if it was that much better cooked on the stovetop. i’ve always made everything (steel cut, rolled, multigrain) in the microwave for convenience and time’s sakes (i don’t want to wash a bowl AND a pot, and i’m assuming it does taking longer, right?) and it always turns out really good. if it does taste different, i might just have to give it try…
Anonymous says
does anybody (or Kath) know whether heat diminishes some of the health benefits of flax? like would it be ok to add the flaxseed meal during cooking, instead of adding it on top at the end?
Fig says
you can cook with ground flaxseeds and the nutritional value stays. Flax oil on the other hand you CAN NOT cook with. Its better to use as a topping or dressing because it looses its benefits with heat.
*Dont forget to keep both seeds and oil in the fridge!
Catherine says
Anon- I have heard that cooking flax does diminish the nutritional value, but I can’t confirm this. I just remember hearing it before. I would google it, and I’m sure you will find something.
Tina R. says
Linds-
Kath has the Salter Digital Glass Kitchen Scale from Bed, Bath & Beyond. See her “FAQs” section under “pages” on the right-hand side of the blog. I also asked her about this last week 🙂 I just bought the Salter Stainless Steel Digital Kitchen Scale which is basically the same but measures ounces in 0.05 ounce increments, rather than 1/8 ounce increments like the glass scale. “The husband” mentioned that one of the downfalls of the glass one is the 1/8 ounce increments because it isn’t quite as accurate, so that’s why I chose the 0.05 ounce increment scale.
goalie30 says
Catherine-
I would slowly add in a food group or two to help round out your breakfast. Ideally, you’d have at least 3 food groups (grain, dairy, fruit for example) at each meal to help keep things well rounded. If you’re only eating a pria bar or a 100 calorie english muffin or something like that right now in the morning when you get up, try adding a piece of fruit to it, and then maybe after a week add a carton of yogurt. I think you’ll find it holds you over better and that you actually want to eat LESS at your other meals, because you’re more satisfied from starting the day off with a good breakfast. Plus, breakfast is “breaking the fast”, and after sleeping and not eating for 8+ hours, your body’s metabolism has slowed down, so eating first thing in the morning not only makes you feel energetic, it’s like giving the car some gas to get going and keep running all day! 🙂 Hope this helps…
Leigh says
Goalie, since you are a healthcare provider, I would love to hear your advice regarding my questions as to whether its ok to eat a full breakfast and then exercise. Thanks!
goalie30 says
To the Husband,
I had a question for you about your diet/exercise plan…I am assuming you ate more like a typical student/bachelor in college and like most guys enjoyed wings, beer, hamburgers, beer, and french fries (hope I’m not sterotyping too much!)…have you totally converted over to eating a similar diet as Kath is eating, or do you still eat some of the old things you used to? Also, how is your exercise program in comparison to Kath’s daily routines? I am just wondering as I’m married to a wonderful guy who grew up on meat and potatoes, which is fine SOMETIMES, but no matter how healthy I cook and eat and how much I exercise, I can’t get him to get rid fully of the Taquitos, Burgers and Fries, and other junk foods. Luckily I do the grocery shopping, so I pretty much limit his snacks to trail mix, low fat granola bars, and more of the baked chips, but he often gets Fast Food for lunch when he’s working and eats a lot of fried foods when we go out once or more per week. Just wanted to see how you’re conversions been, since Kath has changed her diet/exercise habits. Thanks!
B_healthy says
My suggestion is to leave the comment section as it is… a place for commentary amongst readers… “An open discussion forum” like a message board almost. That what it truly is anyway. A blog allows for comments but does not require the blog host to reply. It is great that you have the time and interest to reply to so many of your reader’s comments. However, the comments are just that… comments. Reply to the ones you can or the ones you want to… Seeing as how you are not certified as a registered dietician (.. Yet !) your replies and answers are unsubstantiated. I feel you do a wonderful job as a blogger. However, without any certification in fitness training, weight management, or dietetics, there is no credibility for your readers to rely on other than your personal experience. I would say leave it as is… archive it into its own section… and just put up somewhere that you can’t get to every single comment everyday! No worries because in a few years after you get your internship and RD title, you most likely will get paid to answer these comments! Best of luck!
goalie30 says
Leigh,
In my experience there is nothing wrong with exercising after eating a full breakfast, it’s kind of based on individual preference. Me for example, when I had to run hard for a xc race or track meet, I often ate a lighter meal at least 3 hours before my competition (such as half a bagel with a little peanut butter and banana or oatmeal and a banana), and some of the girls I ran with could eat an hour before and be just fine. I personally get side stitches when I eat too much and then try to perform cardio 1-2 hours later, I tend to need at least 2-3 hours to digest a full meal before a cardio workout. If I was just to mainly do weight lifting on the other hand, I could eat a full meal and be in the gym within 1/2 hour and be just fine. It just depends on how hard you’re working out and how you feel with the amount of food in your stomach….after you eat a larger meal, some of the blood does rush to the stomach to help digestion, so technically, you might not have as much blood flow to your muscles/lungs to be able to work out as hard, but again, I think if you’re doing light to moderate cardio and/or weight lifting, if you feel fine with a breakfast in your stomach before going to the gym, it won’t hurt you. It’s definitely better than not eating anything and trying to get a hard workout in, because then you have nothing to fuel your workout…hope this helps 🙂
the husband says
RE: my eating habits
As you’ll read on my page, I’ve always been a fan of gourmet food, and thanks to quite a bit of restaurant experience I have a pretty broad palette. I didn’t eat super healthy in college but also wasn’t the worst ever. My problem was portion control and gallons of beer. Now that I’m out of school and in 100% control of my intake it’s much easier.
I love eating well and I put as much of an emphasis on a healthy lifestyle as Kath. Lucky for me I can lose and gain weight pretty easily, so I don’t measure my food. Part of that, though, is I usually eat what Kath eats, except with slightly bigger portions. When I was working I took my lunch 4 times a week and went out 1. I average about 4 workouts per week. I never eat fast food (except very infrequently Bojangles in tailgate situations).
Unfortunately I don’t have much advice for you about your significant other – I will try anything, and eat almost anything. I’ve always felt that the biggest obstacle for a picky eater to overcome is familiarity. Certain foods have bitter, earthy, tastes – you have to find a way to love that about them, rather than lamenting they don’t taste like fat and salt (like most American food). A slow incorporation of healthy foods into someone’s diet is easier than forcing a huge plate of bitter collards on ’em. Hope that answers your question!
Leah says
Catherine-
I have to agree with goalie30. Eating a good breakfast in the morning definitely sets up your whole day to eat well/balanced meals. I used to be like you and would eat a very tiny breakfast (maybe an apple if that) but by lunch time I would be famished and would likely overeat – espec’ at that mid-afternoon slump around 4pm that most of us get!! It’s so important to fuel your body straight from the morning hours so that you have lots of energy to get you through your day. As a teacher I need to make sure I have a substantial breakfast. Like goalie30 said, try adding some more calories in slowly so it won’t seem so daunting. Also try to eat foods that will sustain you through your morning. Like Kath, I usually have oats for my morning breakfast (great winter breakfast!) and it holds me over until lunch usually! I used to be worried about the calories adding up, but not anymore. It’s all about the balance. Hope you get on the right track!
Kath says
Leigh,
I can only exercise after certain things. Oatmeal = o.k. (after at least an hour to digest) but vegetables/salads = NOT o.k. I had to walk 3 miles home from a run once after eating a big salad for lunch and running. I think the others are right that it’s mostly personal pref. I always have to eat a little something in the mornings before my workouts. I think the whole “listen to your body” thing applies here re. nausea and digestion.
Allyson,
Red meat just doesn’t do much for me! I’ll take a bite of a family or friend’s steak every now and then, but I’m not like “OH THAT IS SO GOOD” like so many people are. I do eat it though, but I don’t really feel that great with a hunk of meat in my stomach. I think we’re making chili with ground beef next week, so it pops into my meals every now and then. But just personal preference. And the other reader was right that the recommendation is pretty low compared to what most Americans consume.
Eliza,
If the salad is mostly low-cal veggies, then I just lump them together as “vegetable salad” in CalorieKing, which is like 17 kcal per 3/4 a cup. If it’s a small salad with just lettuce, I’ll skip it because it’s negligible calories. Things like carrots and corn do have a bit more calories, so you should be mindful with those. And of course toppings like croutons, beans, dressing and cheese should all be counted in to. It really just depends on the salad!
Kath