Food trucks and rest-day eating

Happy Wednesday! Another food post is coming your way thanks to “What I Ate Wednesday” …

But first, some background: On Sunday, Dave and I went to the Presidio neighborhood of San Francisco to experience the weekly “Off the Grid” food truck picnic. After paying a few dollars for parking, we were surprised to see a park packed full of people on a very foggy and dreary Sunday in the month of “Fog-ust.”

Off the Grid holds picnics at various places around the Bay Area, and Dave and I had never attended one before. This particular Off the Grid event was a sort of like a mini-food festival with a lot of gourmet fare, sweets and drinks available.

Unlike many of the other park days we’ve done over the past two years, the Presidio seems to offer a much more family-friendly environment. In fact, I’d never seen so many little kids and families in the City in one place. There were tons of men with babies strapped to their chests and cold beer in their hands. It’s a good look. And apparently a popular thing to do on a Sunday.

We showed up kid-less (obviously), brought a blanket, wore sweaters to fend of the chilly wind and arrived with hungry bellies.

And now back to the full food recap from that day …

Breakfast at home at 8:45 a.m.

This was a late breakfast for me. I had been up for a while before eating it, but because our apartment is so small, I had to wait until Dave got up to prepare my meal. I needed to use the microwave, boil water and bang some things around in the kitchen to make the following hearty yogurt parfait …

This concoction includes one cup of plain Greek yogurt, one teaspoon of Chia seeds, one sliced up banana, a handful of plain raw almonds chopped up and a strawberry SOYJOY bar, which I heated up for 10 seconds before crumbling it onto the parfait. SOYJOY sent me a couple of boxes of bars to try, and my favorite way to eat them is softened up a bit and mixed with something else.

I also had some green tea, sweetened with milk and stevia.

Because of my later breakfast, I skipped my mid-morning snack, and we went straight to the picnic.

Lunch at Off the Grid 12:30 p.m.

There were tons of food trucks and vendors to choose from, but knowing we needed cash and the lines were long, Dave and I decided to eat from the same place. We chose the Little Green Cyclo food truck featuring fresh Vietnamese street food.

Here’s what I enjoyed …

It was underwhelming.

It’s a fresh salad with lettuce, picked onions and daikon, cucumbers, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro, fried shallots, crushed roasted peanuts, soy sauce, fish sauce and Mary’s free-range nine-spice grilled chicken. I thought there were going to be way more veggies in this salad, and I also would have like it if the chicken hadn’t come out cold. Nonetheless, while juggling my multiple beverages (I also had a canned lemon-flavored Pellegrino, as well as a little tiny glass of rose wine and a bottled water), I ate the whole thing. It got better toward the bottom, where some of the good stuff was hidden.

I do like a little mid-day vino on a Sunday in the park.

After eating our less-than-phenomenal meals, we sat back and enjoyed people-watching and chatting for a couple of hours, then went home to veg for the rest of the afternoon.

Because it was a rest day for me, I was a little off with my snacking and eating routine. Perhaps I wasn’t as hungry because I hardly moved all day. Compared to the weekdays in which I work out for at least an hour and walk seven miles, Sunday was truly sedentary.

Mid-afternoon snack at home at 5 p.m.

Knowing I needed at least a little something before dinner, I had this crunchy Fuji apple.

After a short nap, Dave and I played a quiz question card game, in which I won, and then, it was time for Sunday’s main event. Taco night.

Dinner at 8 p.m.

Alongside a little more wine, I enjoyed this amazing spread, made with care by Dave.

Blue corn tortillas, grilled chicken, grilled peppers, onions, tomatoes, tons of guacamole, hot salsa and black beans on the side.

And yes, he made enough for us to have leftovers on Monday night too. What a man.

Dessert at 8:45 p.m.

A glass of soy milk, just to finish off my palate.

Yes, I said soy. I’m trying some new things, and because soy milk has a little more protein than almond milk, I’m attempting to cycle it in here and there. So far so good, and it’s a nice sweet taste.

And that was it. A full day of eats shown completely, minus a few beverages, some vitamins and some gum.

Usually my weekend eats are a little less structured than during the week, and this Sunday had a few surprises, like the appearance of a glass of wine at lunch and dinner. Whatever.

Now, if you enjoyed these food pictures, check out my previous posts, or visit the hostess and “What I Ate Wednesday” creator: Peas and Crayons.

1. A full day of eating in pictures
2. Another full day of my eats and drinks
3. Real food isn’t always pretty
4. Do you have a balanced dining out strategy?
5. What I ate and drank all day
6. Three meals, two snacks and a shake

Questions of the day

Do you eat differently on the weekend than during the week? Have you ever enjoyed the food truck experience?