Welcome to WIAW!

So now that I’ve been at this blogging thing for a few months, I’ve learned a lot more about the whole universe of writers out there sharing their thoughts and lives. It’s provided me with so much inspiration, and made me feel like part of another community, which is awesome. In the spirit of many of my favorites, I’ve decided to post a ‘What I Ate Wednesday’ on the first Wednesday of every month. This definitely makes me feel like I’m more integrated into the blogging community, but it’s also important to me because while I post many of my recipes here, what I eat on a daily basis obviously includes so much more – and I think it’s totally possible to eat for both health and happiness! Part of my growing love for cooking is experimenting with new foods, and figuring out ways around my allergies when trying different dishes. But there are some standbys I can’t live without (apples, Greek yogurt, eggs, baby carrots) that you’ll probably see in every future WIAW post. So without further ado, this is a little look at how I lived and ate yesterday!

 

Two muffins to start the morning

Two muffins to start the morning

Pre-run breakfast: A good little cautionary tale is how I ran my first half marathon last year without eating beforehand and taking in about 5 sips of water, then basically threw a temper tantrum when my parents and I went to JG Melon for brunch about an hour after finishing and there was a wait to be seated, so was taken to the diner up the street and not only ordered like an impatient kindergartner, but ate a plate of sweet potato fries bigger than my face and was promptly sick. Sad face. I’ve realized that anything more than a 10k for me requires a little fuel in the tank. I hate gels and goo, and I’m allergic to many bars, but I can stomach one of my little muffins, a perfect mix of protein and carbs. This time, it was two Banana-Maple-Oat Muffins.

 

 

Rudi's GF spinach wrap with white Cheddar, turkey, and scrambled eggs

Rudi’s GF spinach wrap with white Cheddar, turkey, and scrambled eggs

Post-run brunch: My schedule is a little strange because I’m a law student – I have class in odd blocks of time and fit running, reading, working at my internship, blogging, and other daily activities around those hours. So on Tuesdays, for example, I end up eating lots of little meals and snacks. I had a wrap with turkey, eggs, and Cheddar cheese with some cucumber slices, with a chaser of cottage cheese with some blueberries, for a post-run refuel before I headed to school. Oh, and about two bottles of water and a cup of coffee to rehydrate. (I hydrate more than pretty much anyone else I know, but hey, whatever works!) 

 

School and internship snacks: I had class from 11am-3pm, so I had a yogurt with GF apple cinnamon cereal, a Braeburn apple, and another muffin. Then, I was at my internship from 3:30-6pm, and I had a bag of baby carrots and one of those little to-go packs of hummus, along with a second yogurt. Honestly, my snacks are pretty repetitive – they have to be small and sturdy enough to throw in my backpack, and it’s hard to bring more than one thing that needs an ice pack. I’ve started freezing yogurts and using those as the ice for other foods if I want to bring a real lunch, but then I have to wait for them to thaw to eat them, which is sort of unpredictable! I also drank about four bottles of water and a bottle of Propel.

2% Greek yogurt with apple cinnamon O's

2% Greek yogurt with apple cinnamon O’s

I poked that little hole in the top of the muffin to pack in some peanut butter before wrapping it up to take along!

I poked that little hole in the top of the muffin to pack in some peanut butter before wrapping it up to take along!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bowl of Veggie Quinoa 'Pagodas' with chicken, cheese and more veggies

A bowl of Veggie Quinoa ‘Pagodas’ with chicken, cheese and more veggies

Dinner: I was home early enough to whip up a home-cooked meal, so I went for one of my big bowls. I just bought a box of Ancient Harvest quinoa pasta on sale and tried it for the first time as a base – it was pretty good. I never really ate a lot of pasta as a kid, except for mac and cheese, because I didn’t like tomatoes or tomato sauce (luckily I’ve reformed!) and I’m allergic to pesto. But I’m starting to try it more often. I topped it with chopped grilled chicken breast, the 365 brand of mirepoix (basically peas, carrots, corn, and green beans) and a bunch of Parmesan cheese. With another bottle or two of water, of course.

 

 

My peanut butter cup sundae with sprinkles

My peanut butter cup sundae with sprinkles

 

Dessert: I love ice cream, even in winter, so as my own way of telling the snow it was time to go away, I made myself a little sundae – peanut butter cup ice cream with a little extra peanut butter and some chocolate chips, plus my favorite allergy-free rainbow sprinkles tossed in for good measure. I also had another apple, Pink Lady this time. And a cup of apple cinnamon spice decaf tea.

 

 

 

 

I really like salted rice cakes as a delivery vehicle for PB + J - something about that sweet n' salty combo!

I really like salted rice cakes as a delivery vehicle for PB + J – something about that sweet n’ salty combo!

Evening snack: some rice cakes with peanut butter and raspberry jam. Nothing fancy! And, admittedly, yet another apple. Empire, if you’re wondering. I’ll be perfectly honest, I eat far more apples than the one a day your doctor recommends – easily two or three a day in fall and winter. It’s a little less in the warmer months, when peaches and berries are in season and added to the mix, but even then, apples are just so easy to grab and go, or to slice up and enjoy with a little peanut butter. They go well with both sweet and savory foods, and to be totally honest, I don’t feel like I’m done with meals without finishing off an apple at the end sometimes.

 

 

 

So there you have it! 6 ‘eating times’ in a day, with food in a variety of shapes and sizes. I pretty much eat within the 8am-to-8pm range, so it’s every couple of hours. And I enjoy every bite!

 

So I refill that water bottle about 10x a day...and altogether this gets me through 24 hours!

So I refill that water bottle about 10x a day…and altogether this gets me through 24 hours!

 

 

 

 

 

© 2015 Renaissance Runner Girl. All rights reserved.

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Bodacious Breakfast Bowls

I woke up this morning  to a world hit by freezing weather and  firmly entrenched in law school finals season. After my usual run, I was ready for a bowl of breakfast to warm my chilly self and prepare me to attempt a study session.

 

My usual go-to breakfasts are Greek yogurt, gluten-free oatmeal, and eggs with fruit, but since I didn’t need to run to class I was able to take twenty minutes to whip up a breakfast bowl. I love making big bowls – you can throw in whatever ingredients you have on hand and come up with some pretty delicious combinations. As a girl with severe allergies, bowls are a great way to mix it up and use all kinds of gluten-free, nut-free ingredients that often prevent fancy orders when I go out to breakfast or brunch.

 

I couldn’t decide if I was in the mood for sweet or savory, creamy or cheesy – so I went with one of my favorite Bodacious Breakfast Bowls, combining a bit of every flavor! And here it is, the Sweet Potato and Savory Parmesan Quinoa Bowl.

 

Sweet Potato and Savory Quinoa Bodacious Breakfast Bowl

Sweet Potato and Savory Quinoa Bodacious Breakfast Bowl

 

Ingredients:

2 medium eggs

1 small sweet potato (4-5 oz)

1/4 cup dry quinoa (I love tricolor for the combination of textures, here I used Roland Tricolor Quinoa)

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups raw spinach

Olive oil or cooking spray

Optional: regular, turkey, or vegetarian bacon, or breakfast sausage (I am pretty much a pescetarian, but feel free to toss in whatever you like!)

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Poke holes in sweet potato, wrap in foil and bake for 40 minutes. (Alternatively, if you’re short on time, steam the potato in the microwave for 5 minutes.)

Fill a small pot with 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.

Rinse 1/4 cup dry quinoa. Pour into pot of broth and water and reduce to low heat. Let cook for 15 minutes.

While the potato and quinoa are cooking, lightly grease a pan with olive oil or cooking spray and scramble the two eggs. Just before the eggs are fully done, toss in the spinach and sauté while the eggs finish cooking.

Pour the cooked quinoa into a bowl. Next, add in the eggs and spinach. Take the sweet potato out of its skin and cube it, then toss in the cubes.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

 

(And just in case you’re wondering – I eat different versions of my breakfast bowls whether it’s morning, noon or night – I am a big fan of many foods our society deems “for breakfast” and I believe in eating them whenever I please!)

 

 

 

 

© 2014 Renaissance Runner Girl. All rights reserved.

Savory Sweet Potato & Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

I woke up this morning  to a world hit by freezing weather and  firmly entrenched in law school finals season. After my usual run, I was ready for a bowl of breakfast to warm my chilly self and prepare me to attempt a study session. My usual go-to breakfasts are Greek yogurt, gluten-free oatmeal, and eggs with fruit, but since I didn’t need to run to class I was able to take twenty minutes to whip up a breakfast bowl. I love making big bowls – you can throw in whatever ingredients you have on hand and come up with some pretty delicious combinations. As a girl with severe allergies, bowls are a great way to mix it up and use all kinds of gluten-free, nut-free ingredients that often prevent fancy orders when I go out to breakfast or brunch. I couldn’t decide if I was in the mood for sweet or savory, creamy or cheesy – so I went with one of my favorite bodacious breakfast bowls, combining a bit of every flavor! And here it is, the Savory Sweet Potato & Quinoa Breakfast Bowl.

 

 

[yumprint-recipe id=’3′] 

 

Just in case you’re wondering – I eat different versions of my breakfast bowls whether it’s morning, noon or night – I am a big fan of many foods our society deems “for breakfast” and I believe in eating them whenever I please!

 

 

 

 

© 2014 Renaissance Runner Girl. All rights reserved.