52 in 52: Week Eight

Four midterms in seven days can make for some hectic days. I wanted to do a big post Monday about a fun challenge I did last week but I have not had the time. I've had to focus on studying instead of writing blog posts, but it definitely paid off. I am writing this later on Thursday night than I would like to be awake, but I really at least want to have one post a week. This kind of a post is pretty easy for me since I love to try and eat different foods so hopefully we can get through all 52 weeks. 

On to this week, what did I try? Nutritional Yeast!

One of the girls who is lives in the sorority house is vegan and she was telling me all about nutritional yeast. She let me try a little of hers and I thought it was so interesting. The first day I had it, I used the nutritional yeast to top scrambled eggs with broccoli and spinach. I really loved the different taste it added to the eggs. For this dinner I used it as "cheese" on top of my taco salad. The rest of the taco salad had seasoned chicken, tomato, carrots, salsa, lettuce and guacamole. 

Here are my overall thoughts:

The first thing I have to say is that in no way does nutritional yeast pass as cheese. First of all, it isn't creamy like cheesy and really doesn't have the same taste either. For me it tastes just like a different savory seasoning not cheese. Also a heads up, the smell is super weird. It is impossible to explain but it grew on me. Overall, I really liked nutritional yeast. I can't stress how much it isn't like cheese but it was really good on top of eggs, veggies and on this taco salad. I liked it enough to buy myself my own bag on it and I am excited to keep experimenting with it over the semester. 

Until next time (when midterms are finally over),

Maddie 

52 in 52: Weeks Six and Seven

The school year is starting to really pick up hence the lack of blog posts again. I really want to make it a goal to stay consistent with blogging, but I have no idea how it will go. I (sadly) found out that I have an exam every week for the rest of the semester. I am hoping I will be able to make a routine out of studying and balancing the rest of life.

I have been able to try a bunch of new things recently which has been enjoyable. I combined last weeks post with this weeks. In addition to what I mentioned in this post, I have also tried Siggi's plant based yogurt, Healthade's Grapefruit Kombucha and Nada Moo's Cookies and Cream ice cream. I thought that the Siggi's was really interested and by far and away the best dairy free yogurt I have ever had. The kombucha was your classic grapefruit kombucha which is always a good thing. The only disappointment was the Nada Moo ice cream. I was hoping for real "cookies" but it wasn't like that. I can't explain it too well, but it wasn't for me.

Week Six: Mandarinquats

 Holy Heck these are sour. The packaging says these are good sliced on salads or pickled, but since I am not pickling anything and don't have a knife sharp enough to cut them so I just tried them whole. Unless you are really in the mood for a shock of sourness, I wouldn't recommend doing that. I could the that these would be good picked or eaten in smaller portions. The overall opinion is that I would not buy these again without a specific purpose. They would be a great garnish but not as your fruit in your lunch box. 

Week Seven: Freeze Dried Edamame

I picked up freeze dried edamame at Target because I wanted to try some different protein sources with lunches. I really really loved these. They were crunchy and salty, which is always a good combination. I used the edamame to make "snack" lunches. It was fun it to pick at them with the rest of my lunch. I am also going to look into different forms of edamame to bring with me. Frozen edamame would be a cheaper option, but it would lose the fun crunch.  I will definitely be buying these again. Target, you will be seeing me soon. 

I have a post I am so excited about coming next week so stay tuned! 

Maddie

52 in 52: Week Five

You all know how much I love my yogurt, especially skyr. So there is no surprise that I was so excited to be able to find two (!) new flavors to try.  I picked up the seasonal spiced pear, which you can see on instagram here. The more exciting find was the apple cinnamon skyr with almond butter. I have been wanting to try it the moment I saw it was released. 

I loved this yogurt. The almond butter had the perfect consistency, not too thick or thin. I only like runny nut butter in my yogurts so I was worried about this at first but of course Siggi's got it right. What really made this yogurt special was the apple chunks. I thought the apple would be pureed but nope, there were small chunks throughout which made a great texture.

I really loved the convince of this yogurt. Yes, of course you could make a bowl of plain yogurt, and top it with almond butter, cinnamon and cut up apples but you don't always have the time.  I had this yogurt while studying last weekend and it was perfect. I was filled up until I wanted to eat dinner.

Overall I would recommend this to anyone, it a real 10/10. The flavor and texture is perfect. It makes a great snack and could easily be a good breakfast if you added granola and maybe some more fruit. the only problem is that I can't find this yogurt everywhere but hopefully that will be changing soon1

Have you tried this yogurt yet? 

Until next time, 

Maddie 

Tuesdays Eats: A Slow Sunday

These pictures are all from Sunday. The weekend can be my favorite time of the week when it comes to meal because I am not trying to make meals that I can eat between classes, especially for lunch. I love a warm lunch but that is not always realistic for me. This weekend was especially nice because my classes are just getting started. I had homework, but not a crazy amount that still allowed me to get to the gym, relax and spend time with friends. Here is what I ate on Sunday: 

Snack: French Pressed Coffee + Orange

Both days this weekend I started my day with a French pressed coffee and fruit. I was not really hungry when I woke up, but still needed to eat something. This was the perfect way to start a slow morning. 

Breakfast: Greek Yogurt w/ Peanut Butter, Strawberries + Granola + Flaxseed

I was really craving a cold breakfast this morning so I made a yogurt bowl. I just put in whatever I could find and it turned out well. In the winter I eat a lot of frozen fruit, so for this bowl I just defrosted some strawberries. Frozen fruit is a staple because it lasts so long, is cheaper and tastes so much better than out of season produce. 

Lunch: Eggs + Cucumber + Pineapple + Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffin 

On Sundays we are served brunch at the sorority house so my lunches always end up being a mix of the brunch food and whatever else I can find. These egg cups are my favorite thing that they make. I always wait for a fresh batch and then make sure I pick the ones with the runniest yoke. I tried dipping the cucumber in the yoke (I know, weird) and it was good! Even though this meal was simple, it was my favorite of the day. 

Snack: Smoothie (Strawberries, Blueberries, Banana, Peanut Butter, Spinach and Vanilla Protein)

First of all I will address the fact that this is the ugliest picture of a smoothie. I can't take a good picture of a smoothie no matter how hard I tried... I think I need a better smoothie glass than a textured plastic cup. I made this smoothie after a workout where I did my hip PT exercises and lifted upper body. I like to make sure I get some protein in after strength workouts and the smoothie was calling my name. This was one of the best smoothies I have made in a while, I think it helps that the protein actually tastes good! (brand linked above)

Dinner: Tasty Bite Madras Lentils + Lettuce + Broccoli + Pineapple

By the time it is Sunday night, there are typically no leftovers left to eat. Thankfully I bought a box of Tasty Bite microwave pouches from Costco before I left for the semester. I love these microwave pouches for a yummy, plant based dinner. I would eat them more often, but they are about $3 a pouch in standard grocery stores ie not in the college budget. The pineapple when surprisingly well with the lentil by adding a nice tang. This was a really satisfying meal to end the day. 

Until next time, 

Maddie

52 in 52: Week Four

This week at Whole Foods I found Forager Grain Free Cereal  and since I love cereal so much, I knew I needed to try it. The only other grain free cereal brands I have heard of are Magic Spoon and a couple other brands, but none of them are available in store. This cereal was $6 when the comparative brands are around $10. I am a big fan of cereal bowls for breakfast or as a late night snack so I was excited to try it. 

I tried the cereal dry, and then tried it for breakfast as part of a more balanced meal. My cereal bowl included more cinnamon, flax seeds, peanut butter, banana and almond milk. Won't lie, the dry cereal tastes like styrofoam (or at least what I like it would taste like). Thankfully it gets substantially better when milk is added. Overall I like it as an option for my cereal craving but if you aren't grain free I would stick with something else. 

For being grain free I would give it a 7/10 (with milk). I will probably end up buying it again because it does give me the option for cereal again which makes me so happy but it won't be a regular purchase.

UPDATE (1/28): This cereal grew on me a lot. It still isn't great dry but it does so well with almond milk once soaked a little. I still won't buy it weekly because of the price but I guarantee it will show up again on this blog. I love have cereal back. 

Until next time, 

Maddie 

Tuesday's Eats: First Day of the Spring Semester

Back on campus for second semester junior year! I have no idea how this semester will play out in terms of having time to blog but I am hoping to be more consistent this semester. I made sure to work less and I no longer have an officer position in my sorority. This should be the first of many posts for what I eat. I hope it brings some inspiration of easy meals to make. I only have a microwave, blender and fridge to work with if I want to make anything for myself, and anything else is made by my sororities chef. This means that most of my meals are super easy and anyone can make them. With that being said, here is what I ate on my first day of classes! 

Breakfast: Siggi's Black Cherry Skyr w/ Flaxseeds and Paleo Granola + Banana + 1/2 Grapefruit 

I went for a pretty basic breakfast to start off the semester. I always have to adjust when coming from home because the types of meals I make are pretty different. At home I like to make a fancier breakfast while at school it tends to be just little things thrown together. For me, the key is to start my day with fruit and protein. This helps me feel my best and it makes sure that I don't get hungry before lunchtime. 

Lunch: Leftover Pumpkin Pasta + 2 Clementines 

I brought leftovers from home for my lunch because I knew I wouldn't have anything to pack at the sorority house yet. The pasta is chickpea pasta with a pumpkin sage sauce. This has to be one of my favorite winter meals so it was a great way to get me through the day. The two clementines were a fun expirent. One was just the standard clementine from the grocery and the other was a satsuma mandarin from Tree Ripe Citrus. The Satsuma mandarin was much softer and easier to peel. It also had a brighter flavor than the clementine. 10/10 would recommend. 

Snack: Cashews 

Once I got to work I was so hungry. I completely underestimated how much food to bring with me. I didn't have a lot of time so I grabbed some cashews to much on while working. 

Dinner: Smoothie (not shown) and Trail Mix 

I knew I was going to do things with my friends after I finished work this evening. I work at a smoothie bar for athletes on campus so I just made myself a smoothie to keep me full for the night. My smoothie had strawberries, blueberries, collagen, peaches, spinach and peanut butter. I also picked out the nuts of this trail mix to eat as well because I wanted something salty, but I really don't like sweetened, dried fruit. This might not have been your standard dinner, but it did the job of keeping me full for the night. 

Until next time, 

Maddie

52 in 52: Week Three

Since going grain free I have been really missing my oatmeal. Oats are probably one of my favorite foods. Over this winter break I have been testing different grains to see what I can tolerate. Oats seem to be okay for me now!

This brings me to what I tried this week... savory oatmeal. I have never had savory oats before, and it has also been years since I have had a sunny side up egg. I made a bowl of oatmeal topped with a sunny side up egg, tomato, sautéed spinach, avocado and bagel seasoning.

I absolutely loved this breakfast. I have always been skeptical but somehow it all worked out really well. I ended up eating a sunny side up egg almost every day this week and have been loving them. It wasn't until about a year or two ago that I really started to love eating eggs. Now I typically have eggs 5-6 days a week for breakfast when I am home; I like them that much.

Next week I go back to school which will make trying new things a little harder,  but I am excited to see what I can come up with this semester.

until next time, 

Maddie