(MN & Milwaukee friends, make sure to read the post from last night, here)
I mentioned last week that many of you, as of late, have asked about what I eat. I don’t make a normal practice of posting everything I eat but do share a little bit here and there. As I was putting this post together, I realized how all over the place I am. I seem to go in phases – sometimes I find myself eating oatmeal every day for breakfast or salads for a month straight for lunch. Some weeks I feel creative, other weeks I find myself wandering around the kitchen uninspired.
In any case, here are a few examples of what goes in my belly!
Breakfast:
Breakfast depends on the day and my schedule. Sometimes I need something I can grab and go, other times I have time to sit down and make something. Some days I am hungry, other times I am not. Typical breakfast’s range from 300-600 calories.
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 Oatmeal w/ driedcranberries – just add water! |
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Lunch
I tend to not go out to eat for lunch – I’ve gotten into the habit of sitting at my desk working while eating or, as of the last two weeks, taking my lunch into an abandoned office with my blog laptop and catching up. Lunches tend to range from 300-450 calories.
 Salad with handpickedtoppings (lotsa hidden veggies)! |
 Homemade chicken salad withcarrots & crackers |
 Veggie wrap topped withprotien packed hard boiled eggs |
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Snacks
I’m all about eating snacks – I love to eat so any reason to eat is good enough for me! I have a sweet tooth (I get it from my momma) so I find myself often reaching for chocolate however I do try to mix it up and get veggies and protien too. Depending on what I’ve eaten for breakfast and lunch will effect what I have for snacks. If I have a smaller breakfast, I may grab for more ooomph in my snack. If I’ve eaten a breakfast and lunch that filled me up, I may just need a little sumthin’ sumthin. Snacks range from 100-300 calories.
 English muffin withchocolate PB |
 Three dark chocolateHershey Kisses |
 Lots carrots with ahealthy helping of hummus. |
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Dinner
I’m all over the place with dinner. I try to cook but am not a fan of leftovers. The most difficult thing to do is to cook for Carlos {who loves bacon} and still have it be something I want to eat. I admit sometimes there are days when I make something I know Carlos will love and then alter it a bit for myself. {Example: bacon wrapped meat loaf for Carlos, no bacon for me.} Typical dinners range from 300-600 calories.
 Homemade chicken salad withcarrots & crackers |
 Chicken, rice and greens= a balanced plate? |
 Vegetable sandwich withapple slices. |
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 Pasta with chunks of hamand green peppers. |
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You’ll notice I didn’t include anything for dinner showing when I eat out. That is probably for another post because I would want to explain in more detail the examples.
Things to note:
- Most days I stay between 1400-2000 calories depending on if I am hungrier or not.
- I am now in maintain mode vs. weight loss mode. When I was working on losing weight, I was more diligent in measuring things and sticking to the 1400-1600 range.
- I eat a lotta eggs. No joke, I love ‘em.
- Did you notice I have removed a lot of the processed or pre-packaged foods? I don’t remember the last time I ate a frozen meal or 100 calorie snack pack! I’m not perfect and still consume some every once in awhile but compared to where I was, it is completely different! {They were a part of my eating when I started and I’m confident they helped me get to where I am but no longer need to rely on them.}
One of the surprising parts of my journey is the journey of eating – the transformation of finding myself: craving vegetables, enjoy the taste of sauteed peppers, putting red onions on everything are all things I never thought I’d ever do! I also find myself wanting to try cooking more and more myself instead of buying things pre-made. I’m still in the burning things phase but I’ll get there and love Carlos for eating my cooking with a smile!
How has your eating changed on your journey?
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
for me it was all clear YEARS later when I was forced out of my routine for 5 months in a different country.
but my VEGGGGGGIES!
even that long in my trek it shocked me what I misses wasnt my poptarts
xo
I love the food pictures!! I think it’s awesome you’ve been so successful with “maintenance” and you demonstrate that you really CAN veer away from processed, “low calorie” foods!! Thanks for the fantastic info!!
I love the food pics. I always say I am going to take food pics but am afraid people would be bored with what I eat!
I try very hard to vary my calories from day to day with my meals. I tend to stick to 1200-1400 calories a day and am rarely at a deficit even when I run far. Trying hard to work on that so I can be in weight loss mode all the time.
I am now more aware of the carbs I eat in a meal. This came after meeting with a dietitian. I also am aware of fiber content and get lots more fruits/veggies. Eating fresh foods more than processed.
This is great to see day to day! I’m thinking about posting my food pics up so I can track myself
I have an issue with snacking too (or seeing free food and taking a nibble) so it’s good to stick to a list and not stray! Thanks for sharing
Love this post for new meal ideas! And yes, I can totally tell such a difference in your eating style. Even if you’re not cooking full meals all the time, you’re making things for yourself which is a HUGE difference.
I never thought to put hard boiled eggs into a wrap before for protein – that is such a great idea!
Good morning. Something struck me when I was reading your posts and saw your pictures of your food. I was watching Dr. Oz the other day and a lady who does interior design made a comment about eating on red plates. They say you tend to eat more if you eat on a red plate. Had you ever heard this? I don’t know if it is valid, but interesting. Don’t know that I would change my dishes due to this, but something to pick your brain with today. I love the look of your food. I try to be a better cook and not use boxed foods. I have a 2 year old daughter and want to show her healthy eating at a young age so she doesn’t have to go through the struggles that I do.
hhmm… that is very interesting! I’ve often thought about getting new plates but because food doesn’t photograph well on red plates. You bring up an interesting point – I should google it!
I think if you really like red for whatever reason then it’s good to eat off your “happy plate”!
Your meals look great! Thanks for sharing. I must locate those PB packets.
Jen do you eat whole eggs or Egg Beaters?
I’ve gone back and forth. Right now (and for the last 6 months), I’ve been on a whole egg kick. 90 calories each = wham bam thank you ‘mam!
I’m always very curious about what other people eat, so thanks.
I too have started to veer away from the processed stuff, though I’m not perfect either, but carrots, pita, and hummus makes a much better and filling snack than chips… I find that sometimes I compromise also. I may start with mac and cheese, but I add so many frozen veggies and spices and chicken/tuna and it’s like a pretty decent meal.
I wish I could eat eggs – they are so lo cal and filling – but I just can’t stomach them. They make me gag.
This is a great post and I love how you arranged your photos and meals…very handy! I also like that you have a range of calories per meal. I typically eat 400-500 calories per meal, leaving just 100-200 calories for a snack if I’m trying to eat only 1,600 calories a day. I typically stay in the 1,600-1,800 calorie range and so far it’s worked for me…unless I go totally overboard on the weekends, which happens a lot! Thanks for the insight into your daily meals!
One recipe that I tried recently that tasted so decadent was tofu alfredo…fry up a few cloves of garlic in a tablespoon-ish of oil. Whizz up some soft tofu in the blender and add to the garlic. Add whatever spices you want (I like just a bit of black pepper and salt) and 1/4 cup (or to taste) of parmesan cheese. Toss some noodles in it and add a bunch of chopped fresh basil when you serve. I couldn’t tell the difference between it and the real thing! My husband claims I don’t cook with enough oil/butter, and eating this he loved it! Come to think if it, some bacon crumbled on top would be amazing…
As I saw more and more of your pictures, I was like “she’s ditched the 100 calorie packs!”
It all looks delicious – I am the same way – I’ll eat my cheezy savory oats three times a week, then its breakfast pizza, then its egg sammies.
And I tried to put veggies in my husbands meatloaf that was wrapped in bacon – um, didn’t go so well!
WAHOO!!! And now, I can’t even imagine wasting my money buying 100 calorie packs!
Re: the veggies in meatloaf, Carlos would probably cringe too unless…. unless we put them in a food processor and ground them up into super small pieces so that it blends right in with the ground meat? ooohhh, I may have to try that!
Thanks for posting this. I love seeing what everyone eats.
I think for me the biggest change is trying foods that I never liked as a kid. Even though I’m in my early 40′s until a few years ago I was still SUPER picky! I liked maybe 5 veggies, so you can imagine you can’t really eat a lot of stuff if you don’t like it. I started to buy a new veggie or fruit I never ate before and guess what? I LOVE a TON of veggies now! Its opened up a whole new world for me.
I agree about the 100 calorie packs/granola bars, etc… no one needs those!
I read food blogs all the time and love the mystery revealed when someone who doesn’t post their food all the time actually posts everything! Thanks.
I have recently given myself permission to eat the same thing for B,L and D if I want and I’m happier not having to be creative
I used to order food and not cook..ever!I used to add chips to every sandwich and eat hamburger for dinner every day! I used to consider salad not really needed. This post reminded me how much my eating habits have changed. There are times i struggle and lose hope and believe i won’t get “there” and then i come to your blog and immediately feel grounded! Thank you for that!
Georgina.
I love to see you post what you eat each day. When I see it all laid out, it seems like so much, but all so carefully planned so you are staying within your range for calories. You have such a great outlook on your health and being able to maintain. I was in a maintenance phase until I got married and had my baby girl. Now I have done well losing again and only have 15 left to go, but still find I struggle with the issues behind the eating. You seem to be in such a great place!! I look to you for inspiration! Thanks!
Amy
Your chicken salad and crackers combo always looks so good.
My eating habits have changed so much as I am still testing different combos to see how different items support my health goals and energy. Still lots of learning left, but the vegetable intake has increased by so much!
what is your chucken salad recipe? it looks so healthy and yummy!
Hi Jen! I have a great recipe for homemade whole grain super healthy bread!! For making sandwiches I mean…It is delicious and you know exactly what you are putting into it…Please let me know if you woulds like the recipe…
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