Snack

After class on Monday I made a quick trip to Trader Joe's to pick up something to bring to a BBQ (and of course some stuff for myself).  As usual they had some samples out so I partook.  Yummy angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries and these cranberry/apple "muffins".

I'll admit it, these do taste a bit high in fiber, but if you're like me, that's OK and not a bad thing.  But I checked the nutrition facts and ingredients and was impressed, so I bought a pack.

Here are the factoids:
Calories: 80
Total Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 180mg
Dietary Fiber: 13g
Sugars: 2g
Protein: 5g

Yes, I'm a fiber junkie, so 13 grams, woo hoo!

They're sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth but don't leave me feeling guilty afterwards.

Wednesday Eats

I started my day (post gym) with a protein shake made with my MILK and I must say, it was quite delicious.  It tasted alot like chocolate milk.  Yum.

Since i'm home all day and had gone to the supermarket yesterday I was feeling somewhat motivated...and hungry.

For lunch I threw together a salad consisting of mixed greens and carrots, then added some sliced strawberries, a few raisins and a bit of shredded low fat mozarella cheese.  I figured since I had the protein shake that I didn't need to make myself crazy about adding a protein.  I used a newly purchased low fat balsamic vinaigrette from Kraft.  Quite tasty!

I like to have a snack before I head to my evening Spin class, but I've found that my stomach is very picky and if I eat the wrong thing I pay the price on the drive down and during class.

Today I decided to make a smoothie.  My parents bought me an immersion blender which to date had only been used for soup.  Part of the hassle of making a smoothie was having to clean out the blender.  Woo hoo for the immerision blender.  I had frozen mixed berries from TJ's and then added milk.  Wow, two times in one day.  I've probably drank more milk today than I have in years and years.

So there's a shot of my smoothie.  Notice the Yankees cup.  Go Yanks!  It was good.  Not great, but good.  It wasn't overly sweet and the seeds from the berries drove me crazy.  But, it's a good start and now I can make changes and improve my "recipe".  Any recommendations?

I used to make a peanut butter banana smoothie using sugar free frozen yogurt.  Delicious, but not terribly healthy.  But maybe a version of that can be my "treat" smoothie.

On that note, time to finish up the smoothie, change, and head out to teach.  Happy hump day!

(as a side note, this is not all that I ate all day, in case you were concerned, these are just the highlights)

What is that in my fridge??

Look, it's my fridge!  And while it probably looks perfectly normal to you, it's an odd sight to me.  Why's that you ask?

Because I actually have a half gallon of MILK in my refrigerator.  This is extremely unlike me!

I'm definitely not vegan but have never been a milk drinker.  Yes, I put some milk in my coffee but aside from that, I never use milk, unless a recipe calls for it.  I normally buy a quart of milk and end up throwing away at least half of it.  So here I am buying a half gallon.  WTF?

First of all, it was on sale (control the laughter).  Second, I keep reading about how great milk is for you.  Third, I finally went and bought my protein powder (mentioned in an earlier post) and am pretty sure it will taste better and be more filling if made with milk.  I also have some frozen fruit, that combined with milk, should make a pretty tasty smoothie.  So, I'm giving it a go.

The expiration date is 5/10 and I'm hoping to consume the whole thing by then.  That gives me just under two weeks.  Wish me luck, I'll keep you posted.

Moo!

Another Energy Bar

Here's another product I tried thanks to my Spin Odyssey experience.

Lara Bars!  Have you had them?

OK, so I only tried one flavor, but I was so impressed with it that I wanted to share my experience.

I tried the Cherry Pie flavor and was blown away by just how flavorful it was.  With 200 calories and 5 grams of fiber it's a great afternoon snack or pick me up.

I've also heard that the Peanut Butter and Jelly flavor is great.

What do you think?

Energy Bar

Spin Odyssey had some AMAZING sponsors and as a result our goodie bags and snacks during the ride were impressive.  I really enjoyed being able to try products that I might not have bought on my own.

One that I loved was these Raw Rev 100 bars.  (OK, the picture isn't of the 100 version, but they're the same, just smaller.)

Given that they're pitched as an "organic live food bar" I'd probably never have purchased them.  However they were part of the goodie bag so I gave them a go.  I was pleasantly surprised.

I'd almost say i'm now addicted to these bars.  I've tried every flavor but the raspberry.  I was also surprised to enjoy the Spirulina flavor.  Again, not something I would have ever gone for on my own.

They're definitely different and probably not for everyone, but they're a good 100 calorie snack.  The consistency is moist, and the bars themselves are actually a little slippery, which is obviously due to some of the ingredients.

They are sweetened only with agave nectar and are certified organic.

If you haven't already, I'd say to give them a try, they impressed me and maybe they'll do the same for you.