School is back in full swing, and I mean the fullest of the full swings–like I think I might break the swing pretty soon… And since Hump days are without a doubt one of my busiest this semester, I thought I’d devote this snapshot to some of the eats that have been powering me through.
If you’re new to these posts, the point is to share everything I ate on a particular weekday to give ideas for nourishing, delicious meals and snacks that are feasible even with a busy lifestyle. It’s important to know that I am not a registered dietician, and I’m not prescribing any particular diet. The “best” diet varies among individuals, so consider your own needs and embrace what works for you! But my plan aims for balance (yes, healthy carbs included), variety, quality (reliable sources, nothing artificial), energy needs, and a whole lot of yum.
Breakfast
My day began bright and early with this breakfast 0′ power: (Get the recipes!)
1) Panini on Rudi’s whole grain English muffin with turkey bacon, fried egg (with a sprinkle of herbs de Provence), and cheddar. My egg was perfect this morning, which means still oozy on the inside, but not so much to make the bread soggy. I knew it was going to be a good day. 😉
To cut back on calories/carbs a bit without sacrificing the necessary crisp and chewy bread, just use a bread knife to cut the English muffin extra thin. If anything I think it makes the panini better!
2) Smoothie featuring 2/3 cup skim milk, 1/4 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt, ~1 oz each frozen strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, 1/2 small frozen banana and just a tiny bit of stevia. Thick, voluminous, filling, and refreshing!
Just peel, slice, and freeze the banana the night before, and it works magic in any smoothie! Since berries are out of season, I usually just purchase frozen berries–perfect for mixing in yogurt/cottage cheese as well.
3) Hot Earl Grey with lemon, because I’m addicted.
~400 cal total
Lunch 
After biking to campus and a morning of classes, I get a small break before my volunteer shift at the hospital. And since the weather has been drop-dead GORGEOUS lately, that means lunch outside soaking up some sun! I packed lunch in the morning before leaving–so quick!
1) Sandwich on Rudi’s 100% whole wheat with 1 Tbsp peanut butter, 1/4 sliced banana, and 1/4 tsp honey.
2) Handful Newman’s Own High Protein Pretzels (aka the BEST pretzels EVER)
3) ~2 oz sliced rainbow carrots with a side of mashed avocado (just mashed it right in the container with a pinch of salt and pepper.)
~350 cal total
Snack
By 4:30 pm I’m about ready to collapse, but it’s nothing that a little chocolate, tea, and my favorite sweatpants can’t fix!
Kind bar + Celestial Seasonings Dirty Chai with a little 1% milk and a packet of Stevia in the Raw
~200 cal total
After getting some homework/studying/online classwork in, I headed out on my bike one last time for a meeting. When I got home again, I managed to squeeze in some strengthening while prepping for my Total Body class the next day.
Dinner
FINALLY, dinnertime. I cherish it as a time to relax at the very end of the day, when I’ve gotten most work done and I’m not rushed to be anywhere after. This means eating later than most people, especially on days when I have lots of other obligations, like this Wednesday. In fact, it was probably well after 11 when I finished eating. But oh well, I loved every bite!
Wood-grilled whole wheat crust (The Pizza Gourmet), Woodstock Original BBQ sauce, pulled chicken, sliced and lightly sautéed baby bella mushrooms, yellow onion, red bell pepper, and sun-dried tomatoes, and finally Bruschetta Monterrey Jack cheese (found it at Publix and I’m in love!).
Some pizza tips while I’m at it:
- For a crispy crust, use a pizza pan with holes in the bottom, or a pizza stone if starting with dough. (I’ll post a tutorial on pizza dough sometime soon!)
- Cook chicken tenderloin strips in a lightly-greased skillet with a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides until done. Refrigerate and use throughout the week in any number of ways!
- Wait until the last 5ish minutes of baking time to add the cheese. This way you can let the crust crisp up without worrying about the cheese burning or getting hard. Perfect melty goodness every time. 🙂
Sautéed broccoli on the side plus plenty of water.
~430 cal total
Dessert
Ending the day with chocolate is a MUST, so I finished off with 2 small squares of Endangered Species Dark Chocolate with Espresso Beans + a square of Theo Nutcracker Brittle 65% Dark Chocolate, and a glass of chilled milk. Heavenly.
(HUGE shoutout to the most amazing person in the universe for ordering the Nutcracker Brittle for me…it’s likely the best chocolate bar ever known to man.)
~200 cal total
I wish you a fabulous remainder of the week with lots of wonderful food!