Front-loading all the healthy this week
Wednesday already? Here we are in the middle of the week. And this is a short one for me, because I’m heading out to Florida tomorrow for a bachelorette party in Key West. Good times ahead! But as the title of this post suggests, I’m front-loading my workouts and nutritious food, because it’s not going to be top of mind while I’m away and celebrating.
As usual on Wednesdays, today is all about food. Over the weekends, I like to indulge in a little wine and dessert, but Monday through Thursday, I prefer to keep my eats on the clean side. Sharing these posts each week is something I like to do, because it shows that consistency, variety and color are all aspects of a healthy diet. I never skip a meal, I try to include protein and carbs on each plate, and I also make sure to get plenty of fruits and veggies.
Here is everything I ate on Monday of this week …
Breakfast at 8 a.m.
Oatmeal. I made this by microwaving a mixture of half a cup of oats and half a cup of almond milk. After it was cooked, I added cinnamon, a scoop of almond butter and a sliced-up banana. This bowl of goodness was enjoyed alongside a mug of green tea, sweetened with stevia and almond milk.
Mid-morning snack at 11 a.m.
Cottage cheese, of course. Protein, tasty and everything you could ask for in a snack. And it’s so easy to pair with other things. Sometimes cottage cheese makes an appearance during my breakfast and sometimes it shows up during my snacks or lunch.
Lunch at 1:30 p.m.
This is a play on the fabulous orange dream mango protein smoothie I shared last week. But this time, I added a cup of frozen spinach for some greens. And yes, just that one cup of spinach changes the color completely.
Mid-afternoon snack at 5 p.m.
I eat a couple of protein bars a week, usually before teaching morning classes, and this Balance Bar has a good combination of both protein and carbs. Perfect pre-BODYATTACK fuel. This was nibbled on alongside another mug of hot green tea, sweetened with stevia and almond milk.
Dinner at 8:30 p.m.
Look at those grill marks. Dave prepared this BBQ-flavored chicken on the grill, and the kale and cranberry, pecan and honey-dijon-dressed salad is a pre-packaged one from Safeway that we’ve been buying a lot lately.
That’s that! My weekly food recap has officially been shared. Now enjoy your Wednesday, friends! I’ve got quite a bit to do, including teaching BODYATTACK, before I board an airplane super early tomorrow! Woohoo!
More daily eating recaps
Each week, “What I Ate Wednesday” is hosted by Peas and Crayons for bloggers to showcase their eats to the world. If you want to see more food recaps, check out some of my posts from the past here:
- A full day of eating in pictures
- Another full day of my eats and drinks
- Real food isn’t always pretty
- Do you have a balanced dining out strategy?
- What I ate and drank all day
- Three meals, two snacks and a shake
- Food trucks and rest-day eating
- Plenty of protein at every meal
- Colorful fuel for a day of training
- Long days of training require a lot of food
- Making do on “What I Ate Wednesday”
- Healthy foods for a rest day
- Who doesn’t like pictures of food?
- A look at a full day of eating in pictures
- Snapshots from a day of delicious meals
- Pictures of food, because you like them
- Food pictures and the juice cleanse that wasn’t
- A look at what I really eat in a day
- What I ate in the Sunshine State
- My weekend eats and a little narrative
- Stories about food and yesterday’s meals
- A day of eating and some commentary
- Do you want to know what I ate yesterday?
- Healthy challenges and foods from my day
- Eating, napping and eating again
- Filling up on healthy food before the holiday
- A perfect birthday at home and my eats
- Top blog posts, reader stats and my food
- A different kind of training and my food
- Joining a healthy green movement and my eats
- Must-try veggie pasta tip and my eats
- Are you eating this sweet and satisfying fruit?
- What a difference a week makes and my eats
- On Wednesdays we look at pictures of food
- Food, drinks and a very hydrating giveaway
Questions of the day
What’s the best thing you’ve eaten lately? How’s your week going so far? What’s the last place you traveled to by plane?
I miss grilling so much! I actually bought that salad last week and loved it – probably because I love all honey mustard type dressings and that one is awesome. You’re going to have so much fun in Key West this weekend – get some extra sun for me! 🙂
Hi Claire! Glad you are enjoying the salad too! I love the taste of it, and so much easier than putting all the things together yourself. Thanks for the well wishes, I’ll be sure to share some pics from the Keys! 🙂
I always sacrifice my beautiful smoothie color for added greens! Looks like swamp muck, but tastes great AND packs lots of nutrients! 🙂
Hi Emily! I know, it looks gross, but it so much better for you. In fact, I may have the same thing for lunch today! 🙂 Happy Wednesday, friend!
Safe travels!! Have a blast.
Thanks, Brittany! I’m pretty sure it will be a good time. Sun, friends, Keys and some adult beverages? YES! 🙂
Gosh it just doesn’t seem like you eat that much food, especially for all the working out you do! It’s all healthy of course, but is that enough (healthy) carbs? And the calories?
Hi Kate. First of all, I absolutely eat enough for my activity level. What you see here are pictures of food styled for one photo, but you can’t see the nutritious value of all of the meals (which are all very dense), nor the actual size of the meal in real life. While I don’t count my calories, I can assure you that the healthy fats and carbs in each meal throughout the day are high. For example: Breakfast included — oats — high in carbs; almond butter — high in healthy fat and some protein; banana — super high in carbs. That breakfast is likely just under 600 calories right there. Lunch — that smoothie has tons of carbs (of course which are all mashed up) because it includes more than one cup each of mangoes, blueberries, milk and protein powder. It probably tops out at around 600 calories as well. Both of my snacks include carbs and protein and fall in the 200-250 calorie range, with dinner around 500 as well. I would not be able to teach a lot of classes, nor do the workouts that I do if I didn’t have enough fuel, so believe me, it’s important to me. But I would say that you should take these food recaps as “examples” of one day per week. Many times I document the same day of the week, because this post always falls on a Wednesday, so you’re really getting a small snapshot of my entire diet, which includes a lot more fluff and junk on the weekends. Nonetheless, showing the crap that I eat doesn’t really give people ideas for healthy meals, that’s why I choose to show the better examples. Does that make sense? I appreciate your comment, and hope you see that some meals have much more than meets the eye in one blog picture. 🙂 Enjoy your day!
Grilled chicken is my favorite!
It tastes even better when it’s cooked for you too! 🙂
The last place I traveled to by plane was Austin, Tx. Also, I’m very, very jealous of your yummy looking grilled chicken. I love food on the grill, but mine is buried under snow right now.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Hi Chrissy! I know! We have some nice mild winters here in NorCal. Hoping for warmth for you soon!! 🙂
Haha love the idea of front-loading your nutritious foods. I try to do the same; eat well as much as I can so that I am free to not worry about nutrients when I go on vacation. Have a fun trip!
Hi Emma! For sure. I will eat whatever and drink whatever and NOT work out while in the Keys. Hope all is well with you. Have a lovely Wednesday! 🙂
You always do such a good job balancing healthy meals! I’m not sure I could live without wine during the week. I think as long as I work at my FT job, I need that glass of wine at the end of the day. Sad, but oh so true.
I hope you have an amazing time on your trip! I’m going to live vicariously through you and pretend that I’m soaking up some sun. 🙂
Hi Sarah! I feel ya, a glass of wine at the end of a workday is definitely not going to hurt you. So have it and enjoy it! Helps to make your time in the kitchen go by faster too, right? Happy Wednesday to you! 🙂
Ha, I need my wine at the end of each dau too – especially sine having kids! Lol. I look at it as a healthy treat, as it keeps me from eating junk and helps me relax
I totally do the front loading thing, all week! I love starting my day with a green smoothie, because I figure at least then I have gotten SOME vegetables into my day worst case scenario. 🙂
Hi Katie! Smart plan! Even if things go downhill, at least you’ll have some nutrients in your system!! 🙂 Hope you’re having a lovely Wednesday!
Best thing I’ve been eating lately are my egg bagels. I can’t get enough of them!
Hi Nancy! Egg bagels sound yummy! 🙂 Happy WIAW to you!
hahaha I’ve totally been there and front loaded the healthy. I like to do that before I travel or if we have people visiting! Love me some CCheese too.
Ps, I noticed that comment–shake it off. They don’t know everything. You have to do what is best for you!
Hi Susie! Thanks for that. And as far as comments … “shake it off” is a great way to think about it. 🙂 Hope you’re having a fabulous Wednesday!
Hi just stopping by from Jenn’s WIAW. Your eats look fantastic! Who knew that I could get a decent kale salad mix from Safeway? Goal achieved: another great meal idea lifted from a fellow WIAWer. Thanks!
Hi Marnie! Well thanks! Glad you stopped by. Safeway has a few different flavors of kale salad and sometimes they are on sale! Enjoy!! 🙂 Hope you have a great Wednesday!
That smoothie looks divine…so thick and creamy! Best thing I’ve eaten this week is definitely the kale, ground turkey, sautéed peppers/onions, avocado, tomato, and baked plantain bowl!
Oh my gosh, your meals, Morganne. My mouth is just watering reading that! 🙂 Happy WIAW to you!
Have so much fun in Florida Ashley! Enjoy!
Thanks, Sara! Crossing my fingers for no rain! 🙂
I spy a Balance bar! One of my faveeeeeeeeorite bars!!
Enjoy FLORIDA!!!
Thanks, Annette! I think cookie dough is my favorite flavor, I need to get some more of those. 🙂
Nice, have fun at the bachelorette party! I’m going to Florida for a bachelorette party in May actually – Miami! Should be a fun time.
And I’ve been loving oats with banana + nut butter too!
Hi Nicole! Awesome! I’ve been to a couple bachelorette parties in Miami and the pool scene is great during the day, with the clubs at night. Bring hairspray — the humidity is off-the-chain ehhehe! Hope you’re having a lovely Thursday!
That kale salad is gorgeous- need to try and replicate :)! Have a blast in Florida, Ashley! As for the best thing I ate this week? That would probably be the quinoa tabbouleh a friend made & sent me to- so fresh & yummy-tasting!
Oh my, I want to get my hands on some of that!! I love tabbouleh and NEVER make it at home. Happy Thursday! 🙂
I don’t think you eat enough for your activity levels 😉
Just kidding. I love your approach to eating and you have a blast down in Florida. Bonus points if you eat seafood.
Hahahah, thanks Arman. Maybe I should adopt an Arman30 diet and see what feedback I get then?? 🙂 Happy Thursday, buddy!
Kale salad for the win! Nice job on the eats this week!
Thanks, Katrina! I love me some kale:)
I love cottage cheese as a snack, but only if it’s the full fat variety.
Agreed! Cottage cheese is tasty. 🙂 Happy Thursday, Mo!