As you may have read a few weeks ago, I am trying to get back into shape. This is for both personal reasons as well as health (I've got enough things to worry about, I don't need to throw weight onto that list and possibly cause complications later on). I do like to eat healthy normally, so my main problem is exercise. To combat that I hit the gym every day on my lunch for 25 minutes on the elliptical. I need to get myself back into a routine, as my current fill-in position is spoiling me with really flexible hours, and then I will be taking my dog for a walk every day too. I'm hoping to fit in a DVD workout or yoga every night too, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Even though I like to eat healthy, I don't take the time to pack lunches and I often skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast is just a bad idea when it comes to keeping your metabolism in line, and not packing lunches means I'm getting a lot of fast food or prepared food (and lately, I have found myself preferring all-natural & organic options whenever possible).
To take care of the breakfast issue, I have started making smoothies. I am never very hungry in the morning, but I am always thirsty, so I found this a good compromise. I make myself a good smoothie and beef up the protein which keeps my fairly full until lunch so I am not snacking (whereas with just water, I would find myself nibbling on things around 10/11 am). Since I am lactose-intolerant, I do not use the protein shake powders and went to look for natural alternatives.
I opted for almond butter, ground flax seed, and soy milk in lieu of water and a protein shake powder. My three current flavors are strawberry banana, raspberry banana, and strawberry raspberry. My quick recipe for a 12 oz smoothie is as follows:
| All Natural Fruit Smoothies Fruit (choose 2 of the following: 1/2 banana, 3 strawberries, 6 raspberries) 1/2 c soy milk (regular, not vanilla) 1 Tbsp ground flax seed 1 Tbsp creamy almond butter Ice (I use a single serve blender and fill it about 1/2-2/3 with ice) Throw all ingredients in your blender, I recommend starting with the ice and ending with the soy milk, and blend until you are happy with the consistency. I do recommend cutting up the fruit (except the raspberries, they are pretty small already) and avoiding giant chunks of ice to get a smooth texture. |
Below are the nutritional facts for each smoothie:
| Strawberry Banana 249 calories 25 g carbohydrates 13 g fat 10 g protein 13g sugar | Raspberry Banana 237 calories 26 g carbohydrates 13 g fat 10 g protein 12 g sugar | Strawberry Raspberry 194 calories 10 g carbohydrates 13 g fat 9 g protein 5 g sugar |
And here you can compare to the nutritional facts if you were to use 1 packet or scoop of a protein shake (HMR 800 Vanilla, in this instance as that is what my mom uses) and water instead of the soy milk, flax seed, and almond butter:
| Strawberry Banana 249 calories 38 g carbohydrates 2 g fat 17 g protein 52 g sugar | Raspberry Banana 237 calories 39 g carbohydrates 2 g fat 17 g protein 30 g sugar | Strawberry Raspberry 194 calories 23 g carbohydrates 2 g fat 16 g protein 44 g sugar |
Calorie-wise, both methods are the same. My method gives you about half the protein (but considering the only protein you gain from the fruit is 1 g from the banana, I consider the 9 g decent), but also less sugar and carbohydrates. My method does have more fat, but at least it is the good kind of fat that you get from nuts.
This has started becoming my breakfast. Since adding the flax and almond butter, I have noticed they are much more filling. Also these additions didn't really alter the taste too much. On the days where I am extra hungry though, I'll reach for single servings of granola (bar or loose), instant oatmeal, or instant cream of wheat (I prefer Farina). I've also lately become enamored with Emerald Nut's Breakfast on the Go! The breakfast nut blend with glazed walnuts is my current favorite, and at only 180 calories, my breakfast is still kept reasonable.
Next time, I'll go into what I do for healthy snacks to tide me over during the day. And possibly in the future I'll discuss how bento boxes help me pack appropriate portion sizes for lunch and keep me feeling full until dinner. I can't guarantee these will be the next two Monday posts, as other more interesting things may pop up, but they will be forthcoming.
Wednesday's post will focus on how I size infant footwear, and I may possibly go into the roller skate booties and what makes them unique (or that may be next week's post if it seems like too much info for one).
Friday's post is still a mystery! I converted a neat knitting pattern to crochet, and if I can get permission from the author I will be sharing both versions. Otherwise I have a video game character that may get typed up if I can find my original notes this week.
This has started becoming my breakfast. Since adding the flax and almond butter, I have noticed they are much more filling. Also these additions didn't really alter the taste too much. On the days where I am extra hungry though, I'll reach for single servings of granola (bar or loose), instant oatmeal, or instant cream of wheat (I prefer Farina). I've also lately become enamored with Emerald Nut's Breakfast on the Go! The breakfast nut blend with glazed walnuts is my current favorite, and at only 180 calories, my breakfast is still kept reasonable.
Next time, I'll go into what I do for healthy snacks to tide me over during the day. And possibly in the future I'll discuss how bento boxes help me pack appropriate portion sizes for lunch and keep me feeling full until dinner. I can't guarantee these will be the next two Monday posts, as other more interesting things may pop up, but they will be forthcoming.
Wednesday's post will focus on how I size infant footwear, and I may possibly go into the roller skate booties and what makes them unique (or that may be next week's post if it seems like too much info for one).
Friday's post is still a mystery! I converted a neat knitting pattern to crochet, and if I can get permission from the author I will be sharing both versions. Otherwise I have a video game character that may get typed up if I can find my original notes this week.
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