Trail Mix Oats
Trail mix seems like an obvious addition to oatmeal, and I’m sure many of you already do this, but I have just never made the connection and BOY am I glad I did today! This was GREAT!!
I bought this new kind of Bear Naked High Sierra Trail Mix at Costco this week (High Sierra Blend) and really like it. I love mixes with nuts, raisins and chocolate chips! This 100% organic mix of raw cashews, almonds, walnuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds, and dark chocolate chips. My bag said 140 kcal per 30 grams, so I’m not sure why some of the sites online are saying it has 150 and 160. The Bear Naked website has the other two new ones in its online store but not this one yet, but both of those are 140 per 30 grams, so I’m guessing the other sites are just wrong.
Anyways, I made my oatmeal today with 1.5 oz of banana (a VERY small one, split) and a serving of this on top along with some PB. It was sooo good. The chocolate melted in and the nuts were good and the seeds added another layer of crunch. Who doesn’t like dark chocolate in the morning!? I was worried the chocolate might be too sweet to feel like a healthy breakfast, but it was just the right amount. Yum!
Jasmine tea (Christmas present so I don’t know where he got it) with a little honey (waste of calories because it didn’t do anything!) and a splash of soy milk. This no sugar thing is sooooo boring.
Breakfast kal = 468. I probably wouldn’t have had so much trail mix AND PB if I hadn’t just burned 450 kcal at the gym. On a lighter day, I’d go with regular banana and perhaps a few walnuts and flax.
Pre-Workout Mini Pancakes
(A small one and the leftover tiny one) 125 kcal.
Workout
Workout was great today!! 30 minutes ET, 14 running on the treadmill to fun songs, 15 minutes free weights lifting. I lifted in front of the free weights area mirror and my muscles are definitely more defined after doing machines/pullups + dips/free weights variety for a few months now. 450 kcal burned.
Off to chem and physio then I’m home for an afternoon of Stats!!
amy says
OH MY GOODNESS! That looks SOOOO good. I am def. trying that. Who doesn’t like chocolate in the morning is right. No more excuses for eating that chocolate doughnut!
Brianne says
Yum! That looks divine! Today I made oatmeal pancakes without oatmeal! I used quinoa flakes instead (a good option for gluten free diets) and it turned out great. It wasn’t as runny as the oatmeal pancakes (perhaps it absorbs better?) and it turned out thicker. I still used 1/3 cup measurements. Anyway thought I’d share my little variation! Everyone have a great day.
Ala says
Congrats on your workouts paying off! I have started resistance exercise for a few weeks now and I am seeing awesome results. The best part is it doesn’t even take more than 10 mins. a day. 🙂
Yummy breakfast!
Mallory says
That oatmeal looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
Kath says
Glad you all aren’t grossed out by the oatmeal!!
Brianne,
What a great idea – I need to experiment with other grains. How are quinoa flakes different from regular quinoa? I should try them with oatbran too! Thanks for the tip!
Kath
Cara says
I am going to give that idea of trail mix in the oatmeal a try. It looks amazing!
Maria says
Fantastic idea with the oatmeal! Chocolate at breakfast is a great idea, as a treat. I love a little dark chocolate melted on Ezekiel bread with some sliced almonds under the broiler every now and then. So tasty, it’s like dessert. 🙂
KellyA says
Finally! A nutrition blogger who (*gasp*) EATS CHOCOLATE!! I adore this blog Kath…keep it up 🙂
Trying your fab oatmeal/trail mix blend tomorrow!
Liz says
I don’t live by a Trader Joe’s anymore (SOOOO DEPRESSING!!) but their trail mixes are amazing! I forget what it’s called, but if you are liking the Sierra Mix right now, try the trail mix with the Angel on the front of it from Trader Joes…it has cranberries and chocolate chips in it as well…possibly butterscotch?
eliza says
mm I had the honey and balsamic vinagriette on my salad yesterday…so good! If I were home I would have thrown some craisins & walnuts on it too! or even strawberries!
hope everyone is having a fabulous Wednesday:) the sun is out and its above 15 degrees here in Maine!! Yesterday it was negative 3.
Rachel says
Kath, you told another reader than 80 calories less a day could make a 12 lb difference. Here’s my question. If someone was trying to gain a few pounds and ate 100 extra calories a day, would they ever stop gaining weight? Also, would that translate into a 12lb weight gain, rather than a few pounds?
Amy says
Thanks Jo for the syrup info!
Amy says
Ala, thanks for you response about the snacks, I find the same thing- fruit sometimes makes me more hungry. Do you think though an apple and pb would work instead of bread? You sound similar to me, so I would love to hear any of your ideas.
Ally says
Rachel, I believe if you eat 100 calories more than you burn each day that you could keep gaining weight.
But, the more you weigh, the more calories you need to eat to maintain that weight, so for example, say you gain 5 lbs and you need 100 extra calories a day to maintain that weight, you would not keep gaining because you’d be using the extra calories you’re eating to maintain your new weight. You would have to eat more to keep gaining, but eating 100 less again would eventually bring you back down to your original weight (5lbs lower). I hope that made sense.
Anonymous says
Kath, what brand finely shredded cheese do you use? Is it low fat?
Christie says
I love pudding organic choc chips in my oatmeal with apples.. it is so good and enjoyable to eat def like a dessert but that doesnt mean I dont have it for breakfast.
What stats class are you in. I am takng the Grad level bio stats as well for the MS in Nutrition, I am a little nervous abotu this class! Just went to buy the book 113$ used how crazy!
Ronna says
Kath you posted the website for the BODPOD for another reader (it has such a funny name), anyway, I called fyi its now $30, but they said that they can only tell you your bmr. How do you get how many calories per day you should have from that?
Jen says
Hi Kath… I was looking at your husband’s bread recipes and want to try one.. in your opinion which was the best and most healthy? Thanks!
VeggieGirl says
mini pancakes and trail-mix oatmeal?? what a fun, nourishing breakfast, Kath!! love the idea!!
Gillian says
Hi Kath. May I ask your opinion? At the start of your diet did you do strength training right at the start or just cardio. I heard strength training can add lbs and I really want to get to my goal weight then tone up. Thank you.
Anonomous says
Hey Kath,
…Website is extremely impressive. In regards to your morning workout, don’t you think 450 calories burned is a bit high of an estimate for 14 minutes on a tredmill (at your height and weight you can guess around 10 cals. burned per minute at 6-8 mph = 140 cals) and 15 minutes of free weights (Light or moderate effort burns about 177 for your height and weight per HOUR = 3 cals per min = 45 cals burned)? Your looking at closer to 200 cals, right? Doesn’t this seem like a more fair estimate of cals burned? Just curious to hear your take on estimating calories burned. Keep up the great work!
Allison says
To Anon,
She also did 30 minutes on the Elliptical (ET).
Allie says
After seeing this, I was reminded of a coworker who swore by adding granola to her oatmeal – she loved the crunch and that granola can bring so much flavor! Thought I’d suggest it – another way to get in nuts, fruit, even chocolate!
Brianne says
Kath- the quinoa flakes are comparable to regular quinoa the way that rolled oats are to steel cut. Hope that helps!
Lisa says
Gillian, muscle does weigh more than fat, but the more muscle you have the more calories per hour you burn at rest. You need to look past the numbers on the scale and focus on how your clothes feel. I’m a personal trainer and I’ve personally lost 92 pounds, so I can tell you from education and experience that encorporating 2-3 days of strength training will not only accelerate your FAT loss but help you feel empowered (as well as improve your cardio work).
When I first decided I needed to seriously loose weight, I tried it purely by doing excessive cardio for the first two months, but after having spoken to a PT, I enlisted for 1hour sessions 2 times a week. Wow did the weight just start falling off after that! Not only was I getting stronger but I was SHOCKED about the misconceptions I had involving weight loss and strength training.
If you belong to a gym I would HIGHLY recommend looking into finding a trainer who can help you acheive those goals, or if that is not an object than enlisting someone knowledgable (key word here) to show you at least how to use the machines to get you started on the right track.
Good luck!
Kristin says
I love the Sierra trail mix from Costco! It’s also great mixed in one of those 100 calorie popcorn packs as a snack 🙂
Thanks for all of your great meal ideas, Kath – I tried the stuffed sweet potato the other night and plan on doing a frittata soon!
Gillian says
Thank you Lisa! I really appreciate all the info and time you put into responding to my question.
Cathy says
Do you take your already prepared oatmeal pancake directly out of the freezer in the morning and heat it in the microwave? Also, how do you store the pancakes in the freezer…tupperware, do you wrap them in anything? Thanks Kath!
grace says
Gillian,
Just adding to what Lisa said, which I 100% agree with. I also think it depends upon how much weight you have to lose. For instance, if one has more than 100 pounds to lose, then its best to start with cardio and just get moving everyday. While those that need to lose less or have been doing cardio for awhile should incorporate strength training. Even basic strength training, like push ups, crunches, leg lifts, etc., can improve your body and the response it has to weight loss. Point being is to just get in the habit of moving a lot and working your body in new ways.
Don’t look at scale numbers so much unless that motivates you. Personally, I use the “jeans test.” When tight move a little more. I do a lot of strength training. My weight is higher than anyone ever guesses b/c I’m more toned. Anyway, good luck!
Lisa says
Grace, that is the same as me! If I tell someone my weight they are always suprised because they think I weight MUCH less ahah. In an odd way it is very encouraging! Plus having muscles lets me get away with eating more too, a fact I love! I used to obsess about the numbers on the scale but at some point in the weight loss battle you have to let it go.
Kath says
Thanks for all the great comments everyone!!
Rachel,
What Ally said is true – you would keep gaining but at a slower rate once you got heavier and then come to a standstill when you got to a heavy weight that required the 100 kcal more to maintain. Thanks Ally for the response!
Christie,
Regular old Stats 101. But it’s an online course so it’s particularly challenging for me!
Ronna,
Depends if you want to gain or lose, but I used my Bod Pod BMR + 75 or so kcal to get a NET number. I ate NET + exercise calories burned. See the FAQ for more details!
Jen,
The Rustic Bread is probably the healthiest because it has the most whole wheat flour. But the focaccia is the best!
Gillian,
Doing both will only help, but Lisa and Grace said is right (thanks Lisa and Grace!) about the more you have to lose the more just a little cardio will do a LOT. Don’t worry about your weight – I think mine has gone UP since I started maintenance because I’ve been doing more lifting but I’m not concerned because my whole body is more toned and my clothes fit exactly the same.
Brianne,
I’ll look for them!
Cathy,
Yup -freezer to microwave, sometimes to toaster. They are in a ziplock freezer bag all together.
Kath