Happy almost Friday! On my IG stories, you guys have been taking more and more interest into what I eat each day. So here it is!
I’m not a health specialist or doctor in any way, but here is an idea of what my meals typically look like each day. This is considering at-home meals only, not takeout! We usually get takeout or go out to dinner a couple of times on the weekends and eat from home during the work week.
Breakfast: I’m not a big breakfast person (unless I’m on vacation or something special). I’m not typically that hungry first thing in the morning. So I start off with my coffee first. I have a Nespresso machine and really love it. I will brew an espresso and pour warm oat milk over top. I will never go back to drinking regular creamer! I love oat milk so much, and honestly the Costco one is the very best by far. It’s very comparable to the Oatley brand but much cheaper. Oatley is great, but I find that it still has too many bits of oats that settle at the bottom of the jug. Plus, it’s almost $6 where I live… there’s no way I’m spending that much regularly! I think the Costco one is $8 for a big box of 6 cartons. It usually lasts us for a couple of months.
I start to get hungry around 10am. I will have either a muffin, yogurt and granola, or oatmeal with berries. Another Costco fave is their muffins. We’ll buy two boxes and freeze one of them. Then, Tyler and I split one muffin every morning since they’re about the size of my face, lol. If I have yogurt, I just get the large tub of Vanilla Chobani and throw some granola on top. It usually lasts me 5 days which is perfect. Oatmeal is a go-to during the colder months. I buy my oats in bulk and will throw some water and frozen berries from Trader Joe’s on top before warming it up in the microwave.
Lunch: I almost always have some loose variation of the same 2 salads for lunch. One is a Mexican-inspired salad and the other is a Mediterranean-inspired salad. They don’t always have lettuce though! I find that I stay fuller longer when I only include the toppings without lettuce/spring mix. Sometimes I’ll just add some finely chopped spring mix on top for a little extra greens.
- Mexican-Inspired salad ingredients: black beans (warmed with some taco seasoning over top), cheddar cheese, fresh jalapeño, tomatoes, corn, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, lettuce/spring mix.
- Mediterranean-Inspired Salad Ingredients: Chick peas (either straight from the can or warmed up in a skillet with s+p), cucumber, tomato, Feta cheese, olives!!!, parsley, avocado, spring mix/lettuce. A drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, and s+p on top.
I have the Mediterranean one the most often because I’m obsessed with olives. Both of these salads contain ingredients that I almost always have on hand, so it’s super easy to throw together quickly. Like I said, I don’t always include ALL of these ingredients every single time, I just use whatever I happen to have on hand that day. My biggest tip is to chop everything up into smaller pieces so that it’s really easy to eat. I usually eat mine with a spoon and love it!!
Dinner: Dinner is where we have the most variety. I really love the pre-made frozen meals from Trader Joe’s because they are so quick and easy. We frequently have the meatless Mandarin orange chick’n with fried rice, or any of their frozen pastas with a side of veggies/salad. When I cook from scratch, I will usually make a vegetarian lasagna, roasted sheet pan chicken and veggies/potatoes, flatbread veggie pizzas, or black bean tacos. We even order Home Chef sometimes too! Especially during weeks when I know we will have a lot going on, it’s so nice to have a meal planned in advance, ready to assemble. It’s typically around $65 for 3 meals per week, and each meal feeds both Tyler and I. So it’s a really great option for us.
Snacks: At night and throughout the day, I’m a really heavy snacker. For some reason I can’t really eat huge meals all at once. My stomach gets really upset when I do that. It’s better when I graze throughout the day. Some of my favorite snacks are: hummus and pita/pita chips, chips and guacamole, PB filled pretzels, and popcorn (Boom Chicka Pop, specifically). Occasionally, I’ll indulge in some junk food (I’m HUMAN!!) and I’ll pick up a bag of Doritos or Lays.
As far as desserts and sweets go, I actually don’t eat too many these days. I used to eat SO much sugar, but I have weaned myself off lately. I feel so much healthier without heavy sugar consumption. When I am in the mood for something sweet, I really love the little frozen chocolate hot lava cakes from TJ’s or some ice cream.
Again, this is totally NOT diet advice, just an idea of what I typically eat. I’m not currently working towards any nutrition goals or anything, just trying to eat somewhat balanced. I try to drink as much water as possible too!
Thanks so much for reading and supporting my lil blog! Any questions, just ask below or on IG đź’› -Cassie