29

Apr
2012

Food Obsessions

I go through phases of things that I am obsessed with. OK, it’s not healthy to have food obsessions–more like here are a few of my favorite things.

#1: Espresso
Not really a food… I have stopped getting coffee and milk-filled lattes at Starbuck’s and coffee shops, and now just getting shots of espresso. It’s cheaper anyway. Sometimes with  a tiny bit of soy milk. Starbuck’s also sucked me into their rewards program. I have 21 points to go to get their gold card. So silly, but it will end up saving me money. This is what I tell myself.
Their protein snack plate is pretty good. Although, it’s more like a lunch pack. Natural peanut butter, boiled egg, apple, grapes, muesli bread thing, and 2 wedges of cheese. The fruit was surprisingly fresh tasting. The entire thing is about 380 calories. I like that it is mostly all natural (although I am sure there are a few preservatives for the egg). Love it.

#2: Almond Butter
I have been eating almond butter almost every morning. Usually on some toast, a wrap with banana, or a spoonful, and then grab some fruit on the way out the door. I highly recommend almond butter to those who haven’t tried it yet, but enjoy natural peanut butters. It is a great way to get some clean healthy fats in your day!
Don’t forget to store it upside down so that when you stir it, the oily part is on the bottom, and it makes life easier. And stock up! You don’t want to run out and be forced to pay for the expensive $10 almond butter at conventional grocery stores. Trader Joe’s sells it for about $4.99/pound and Costco sells it for about $7 (?) for a larger jar. However, I like the taste of the Trader Joe’s brand and I can get the raw unsalted crunchy variety.

#3 Wine
OK, this is not an obsession like you might think. It is more of an obsession with trying out different wines and seeing what I like best. I drink wine only every couple nights and usually just a 4-5 oz. portion.  Portion control, people. I guess you could call it an increasing fascination. I am my Dad’s daughter, after all. I would call my Dad a wine connoisseur.
Stocked up anyway since Mr. Non-Cycling Cyclist is going to come home soon from the dry wine land that is Thailand and India. He can help me enjoy some of these.

#4: Trader Joe’s
I got way too much food at Trader Joe’s this weekend. Probably because I went grocery shopping after a spin class. NEVER do this. If you must, make sure you have eaten some food on your way over or you will double your grocery bill like I did. Hehe.
Tried these new chicken skewers:
They are so easy to cook. I make one and then eat it with some veggies, or cut up and put on a salad.
 Made a taco chicken salad… sort of.

I mostly like shopping at Trader Joe’s because there are so many options for the health conscious shopper. There is a focus on more whole foods and less preservatives. It’s a way to buy more convenient food items that have fewer processing steps.

OK, well, time to start the new week!

Here are some more meal ideas for the week:

• Honey soy grilled salmon with edamame from Food Network
• Lighter chicken and broccoli alfredo from Celebrations
• Quinoa with hearts of palm and feta from Naptime Chef
• Mexican quinoa from Closet Cooking
• Chicken with creamy green chile, tomatillo, avocado sauce from Elly says Opa
• Panko salmon from Simply Recipes
• Raw sprouted granola with blueberry sauce and yogurt from Green Kitchen Stories and My New Roots