Happy WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday!)
It’s time for another round of daily eats that will hopefully offer you some great inspiration.
Thanks to Jenn at
Peas and Crayons for hosting!
Remember:
—-What WIAW isn’t about—-
Comparison – Judgement – Restriction – Guilt
—-What WIAW is about—-
Celebrating one of the glorious things we all have in common: We all eat!
I’ve been on a mission this week to get my nutrition back on track.
I had a rough last few weeks of lax weekends followed by irresponsible weekdays (no meal planning, not eating for 8 hours at a time because I was stuck at school, etc.). This past weekend, I did tons of meal prep and have been planning out my meals the night before. So far, so good! I’ve been kicking ass and taking names.
I’ve also been on a mission to start reducing the gluten in my diet.
While I am not “allergic” to gluten per se, I do believe I have gluten sensitivity, like most people probably do, but just don’t realize (just like lactose intolerance – over 50% of adults have this). I have been eating more and more mindfully, and have noticed that eating anything that has wheat as a main ingredient (raisin bran, whole wheat bread, and especially seitan) makes me pretty bloated and uncomfortable.
While I’m not cutting it completely right now, I’m making an effort to find gluten free meals and snacks, because those are the things that serve my beautiful body the best! Check ‘em out.
Breakfast:
Overnight oats deliciousness. If I don’t workout first thing in the morning, I usually have oats for breakfast. They keep me satisfied for a long time, and are perfect fuel for a mid-morning workout!
PB & J overnight oats prep: homemade chia jam with frozen cherries, chia seeds, water, and stevia; homemade peanut butter with peanut flour, water, cinnamon, and stevia; and oats soaked in almond milk.
Layer it all up in a huge mug for a gorgeous presentation! Throw it in the fridge overnight, and you’re all set.
Nothing like waking up to this in the morning! I don’t like mine too cold, so I usually microwave them for about 30 seconds to bring them to room temp.
Breakfast in a beer mug? That’s what I call good.
Lunch:
I’ve been prepping my lunches the night before, and it’s been super helpful. I chop up brussel sprouts and broccoli and/or whatever veggies I have on hand that need to be steamed, and I put them in a big bowl. Then I chop up any veggies that only need to be heated or can be eaten raw, and I place those on a plate. I also mix up my protein packed dressing the night before. Lately I’ve been using Trader Joes’ Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette, nutritional yeast, and a little water.
At lunch time, I put a little water in the green veggie bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Then I put the sweet potato and spaghetti squash on top and microwave for another minute.
Then I add the raw pepper, grape tomatoes, and avocado, drizzle with dressing, and dig in to my HUGE powerbowl!
The other day, I was feeling ambitious, so I tried Powercakes’ recipe for Green Goddess dressing made with spirulina. Delicious AND protein packed!
After lunch, I’m usually craving something sweet, so I usually plan something healthy but sweet into my meal plans. This week it’s been Happy Herbivore’s Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins made with gluten free flour.
Snack:
I finally took my own Mary’s Gone Crackers virginity! I can’t believe it took me so long to try these. I got a great deal on iherb.com and am loving these gluten free, protein packed beauties.
Served up with some hummus and an orange. Simple and beautiful.
Dinner:
With all the meal prep I did this weekend, I’ve had lots of great dinner options. I’ve been working out incredibly hard this week, and lifting HEAVY, so I’ve also been sure to pack in lots of protein.
Organic gluten free mung bean noodles with 20 GRAMS OF PROTEIN PER SERVING! Served on top of a bed of kale. Topped with tempeh, Trader Joes’ Thai Green Curry sauce, and some Bragg’s liquid aminos.
Curious about the bean based noodles? Check them out HERE.
Dessert:
[Unpictured].
Like I’ve said before, there’s almost always a dessert in my house, but I make sure it’s one that’s packed with plant power and nutritional value!
It surprises me how many people still believe that. Especially if you are lifting heavy, right before bed is one of the best times to eat some major protein so that your muscles can recover overnight. If you don’t, your body may resort to eating your muscles for fuel while you’re sleeping.
No thank you!
I’ve been ending my day with 1 serving of gluten free Barbara’s Cinnamon Puffins cereal, a scoop of peanut flour, 1/2 serving of chocolate protein powder, topped with some cinnamon and stevia. I pour some almond milk over that until it reaches a thick, creamy consistency, and it’s like a delicious chocolate peanut butter pudding with crunchy cinnamon pieces!
It’s just 270 calories with 19 grams protein.
Which leads me to my next point…
BREAKING THE PROTEIN MYTH!!
Curious what a day of eats looks like for me?
Everyone is different.
Let me say that again:
Everyone is different.
Listen to your body. Eat when you’re hungry. For me, planning out meal options with a little leeway built in depending how hungry I am works perfectly for me. My days vary from 1,600-2,100 calories, but if I’m fueling my body with clean eats, I feel great no matter what!
Then, of course, I usually record my workouts as well – such a great way to see progress and keep track of what kind of fuel my body needs depending on how hard I lay it down on the gym floor!
As you can see, the above day differed a little. I had breakfast, hit the gym, and followed that with a protein shake. This moved my lunch later than usual, so I wasn’t hungry for a snack between lunch and dinner.
THAT’S RIGHT: 105 grams of plant power protein.
This amount of protein is pretty unnecessary for most people. The average female only needs 40-50 grams of protein per day. Since I’m lifting so much and trying to put on muscle while losing fat, I need a bit more. Also, I know my body pretty well, and I personally respond very well to increased protein in my diet. Not everyone does. Do what works for you! But whenever someone asks where I get my protein as a dietary vegan, I say: EVERYWHERE!
Oats, nuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, kale, brussel sprouts, beans, tempeh, protein powder, and my new favorite: PEAS. That’s right. I’ve been making my protein shakes with frozen peas.
Did you know that peas pack in 5 grams of protein per serving?
GET AFTER IT.
Cheers to plant based eating,
Avocado Athlete
