Happy WIAW! Time for another full day of eats.
*These eats are from Monday. FYI, on Monday I should have gone to the grocery store on Saturday, which is why there is a serious lack of fruit and veggies! I blame the snow storm. However, I have two condensed recipes I threw together to share, since lack of groceries often ignites creativity!
Today I thought it would be interesting to share with you the why and what behind the # of times I eat. Some of us are grazers. Some of us like three solid meals. Some of us like lots of snacks. Some of us forget to eat (still don’t quite understand that one…). We are all different, with different schedules and different eating routines or “nourish routines”. Here’s a look into mine:
Breakfast: simple pancake made with 1/3 cup oats, 1 large egg, ~1/4 tsp baking powder, and cinnamon. PB&J for topping. Standard two cups of coffee and piece of 85% dark chocolate.
Breakfast usually happens as soon as I wake up. It’s been my a.m. routine for years and I think it helps me to be more productive. If I tried to workout on an empty stomach I’d be miserable and if I went to work without having a cup coffee first I’d probably show up with my hair un-brushed.
I enjoy my breakfast by the computer with a cup coffee. Afterwards, I nurse another cup (but don’t always finish it) while either completing school work or reading blogs.
Snack: banana oat square
*I had two bananas that badly needed to be used up, so I threw together some ingredients on the fly. They turned out very good and not too sweet. Perfect for a snack.
Banana oat squares recipe: In a blender or food processor, blend together 1.5 cup oats, 2 very ripe bananas, 1/4 cup greek yogurt, 1 egg, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp cocoa, 1/3 cup almond milk. Pour in greased 8×8 dish and cook for 15-20 minutes. Makes 9 squares.
When I am at work, it is around 10 am that I find my stomach growling and my attention span waning. Since my lunch break isn’t until 12:3, I like to have a snack on hand so I don’t end up buying something or just eating out of the candy jar.
Lunch: leftover chili (I used green beans in place of a second can of beans to make it more easily to digest.) Saltines and cheddar. Plus an unpictured orange.
Lunch is usually brief, because I am covering the phones during that time. It’s probably fair to say that I am not exactly a mindful eater during lunch. Lunch is usually either leftovers or random things thrown together that wouldn’t pass as a meal to Terry.
Snack: Luna bar (my favorite variety)
I usually have a snack during my afternoon class or after a work out. It’s usually something on the smaller side, since I’ll be having dinner soon. I’ve found that having a snack in the afternoon helps me to stay focused during class rather than thinking about my next meal.
Dinner: sweet potato gnocchi (pre-packaged), pea sauce, and chicken sausage.
Pea sauce recipe: in a little oil, saute a chopped onion and 2 tsp minced garlic until the onions are translucent. Add 3/4 cup peas (I used frozen), 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup almond milk, dashes of sage, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper and cook until peas are thawed. Place in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Beautiful color and with a wonderful herb-y flavor.
No matter how tired I am, I almost always enjoy coming home to cook dinner for Terry and I. It is my way of decompressing and it’s just fun! The meal is usually enjoyed together, as long as class or work don’t interfere. Dinner this particular evening was spent at the computer while I participated in a virtual seminar class.
Snack: 2 mini cinnamon rolls leftover from the weekend with a glass of almond milk.
Evening snacks aren’t always necessary for hunger reasons, although I do have a hard time falling asleep hungry. I enjoy ending my night with a cold glass of almond milk and something sweet or nutty. Sometimes it’s something simple like peanut butter toast or yogurt, but other times I happen to have the real deal on hand ;).
For some, eating six times a day may seem like a lot. Others may see it as normal or even less than normal. I have some friends who stick with three solid meals a day and some who basically snack their way through the day. It’s important to be attune to your needs- do you feel energetic? how is your attention span? do you have hunger pains or headaches? It’s easy to compare ourselves to others, but really it often comes down to what works best for us. Obviously there are cases of both over and under eating, but for most, the way you space your meals out is dependent on your needs and what is convenient.
So you tell me…
Do you have a typical “eating routine”?
The Domestikated Life 
My eating routine change sometimes, but now I am eating three solid meals and one snack. Usually that snack happens in night, right in my bed 😉 My current favorites are piece of chocolate or cookie with green tea. Can`t sleep hungry!
I need to drink more green tea! That sounds great with a cookie.
3 meals and 1-2 snacks and dessert are my typical routine, depending on the day. Your eats look great (yum that pea sauce!) – love wiaw!
Thanks! Sounds like we are on similar routines. The pea sauce was awesome!
You are so talented at being able to just “throw together” recipes – both with the oat bar and the pea sauce. I’m loving the idea of that sauce! It could be like a veggi-fied pesto. I want to try it with my new turkey meatballs.
I’ve definitely always been a 3 square meal girl – my family was never big on snacking. I’m not in a steady routine of 3 meals 2 snacks but I know I should be challenging myself to add in another snack mid morning, as sometimes my breaks don’t allow enough time for a real meal or my attention starts to drag.
Aw shucks, you’re so kind!
I think the summers I was left home along made me a snacker! Lol. I have to have one in the morning since my break is so long! But I definitely understand work constraints!
I eat about 4 or sometimes 5 times a day. Usually between breakfast and lunch I don’t eat anything because I eat a big breakfast, but that changes… 🙂 I’ve never tried a Luna bar, but I would love too… 🙂 WIAW is my favorite for just the reason that I get to see all the variety and different people that God has created. It gives me a new appreciation for the awe and wonder of His creativity and wisdom.
There is seriously so much variety out there! I hope to try it all!
my typical eating routine is 3 meals and 1-2 snacks per day depending on how i’m feeling. I also have to eat breakfast when I wake up or I get hangry real fast!
I love you say “depending on how I’m feeling”-> so helpful.
Ohh that pea sauce sounds so good! I haven’t had gnocchi in way too long, but now you’ve ignited a need for me to eat it again! Hahahah
It was my first time cooking it & I loved it!
You know I love my snacks! I’ve tried to do just 3 meals and 1 snack, but I was ALWAYS hungry! Then I would get spacey and cranky. I would rather have my snacks!
I love your creativity here! Especially with that pea sauce! Yum!!
I tried to resist the morning snack for a while, but the break is just too long!
I definitely tend to eat 5-6 times a day as well. Kate, your thrown together recipes sound amazing. I may make that bar one today! I’m with you – I need to eat as soon as I wake up — with coffee!
The bar recipe is so easy and I’ve been enjoying them with a little nut butter in between classes!
I think my eating “schedule” is very similar to yours. I almost always get hungry between meals and I also have hard a time falling asleep hungry (although also like you, I usually eat a bedtime snack whether or not I’m actually hungry!) Your gnocchi dish looks soooo good and I never would have thought up that pea concoction but MAN that looks up my alley!!
I think being a student plays a huge role in needing to snack so often! Brain power, ya know?
You would totally like the pea sauce.
I think my eating habits at every similar: 3 normal meals (including a rushed lunch!) + a snack or two in the AM and/or afternoon. Lately I haven’t had time for before-bed snacks, but I enjoy them sometimes, usually something sweet.
That pea sauce sounds so good. Going to try that next time we cook gnocchi!
are very*
That was my first time cooking gnocchi and it did not disappoint. I imagine with work and a baby sleep comes too easily to think of a snack!
I have an eating routine in that I eat three meals, but depending on timing or job constrains I sometimes snack on what is available. If my boss hands me a broken cookie, why say no? I’m craving cinnamon rolls real bad looking at your picture!
The cinnamon rolls were very delish! Too funny about the broken cookie.
I get headaches sometimes if I don’t eat something with substance. I love that pea sauce- sounds delicious!
Thank you! I recommend giving a try!
I eat like 10 times a day haha! Definitely a snacker! When I first wake up I NEED a cup of coffee, and about 45 minutes later I make breakfast. Then snack, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack, snack etc. =)
hahaha! Someone who understands me 😀
Mmmh, peas. You’re the second person making me crave them today and I wasn’t even too fond of them growing up. But preferences change and your sauce sounds great. All that creaminess of peas, Greek yogurt and almond milk with the herbs must have been delicious. Gnocchi are a winner in anyway.
Like you, I prefer more smaller meals a day but have found this hard to combine with work lately. It’s still what works best for me, though. I don’t think I’ll ever be the person thriving on three meals a day with no snacks.
The sauce was a gamble, but it turned out so yummy! I used to not like peas either, but then I discovered the non-canned kind.
I can’t see myself being just a three times a day kind of person either. Snacks are crucial!
I need three meals and 2-3 snacks a day, just helps me function better! That pancake looks delish, need to try that!! Also love ending my day with something sweet 🙂
The pancake is great- so simple and quick!
Oh, I’m so glad you found a sauce for the gnocchi, would have never thought of that, did it turn out to be a good pairing? I need 3 meals plus snacks between each meal! It also really depends on how early I have breakfast. If I eat breakfast before 7 am, I am a bottomless pit for the whole day (even if I boost up my breakfast to double what I would usually eat)! I really love the way those cinnamon buns look, I need one!!
You actually gave me the idea by suggesting pesto! I knew a green sauce would be best. I was going to add pesto but mine was moldy… boo. My husband always complains that we he eats breakfast he is hungry all day. I tell him to blame his metabolism 😉
I used to wait a long time before having breakfast in the morning, and then when I started seeing a nutritionist she encouraged me to eat first thing in the morning and it’s AMAZING what it does for my energy, focus, and hunger throughout the day. I tend to have breakfast, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, dinner, and then usually some chocolate for dessert 🙂
That is great to know! Most of my friends wait for breakfast, but it’s just not in me.
I really enjoyed reading about your eating habits! (<- weird sentence I know, haha). I typically eat breakfast, lunch, 2 small afternoon snacks, dinner, and then a nighttime snack, so about 6 times per day. I NEED my afternoon snacks to make it through the long gap between lunch and dinner, and I pretty much always find myself hungry after dinner, too, unless I eat a ridiculous amount. It seems to work pretty well for me!
And that sweet potato gnocchi looks so good! I just bought my first-ever gnocchi today to make sometime soon 🙂
Yay for us sixers! Same for dinner. I think sometimes I subconsciously leave room for a snack!
Wow that sauce looks good and so easy to make! I am always on the look out for sauces I can whip together that don’t require me to buy a jar full of junk!
I do have an eating routine but finding that I have to be a little bit more flexible more often otherwise I struggle. Especially lunchtime, I need to eat when I am hungry rather than waiting for it to be ‘the right time for lunch’!
Agreed! Sauces are something I need to expand on, because they can really make the difference in a meal. Marinara can’t always be my go to.
If I didn’t have a job enforced “lunch time”, I’d do the same.
I thought I was the only one who put green beans in chili! I like how they add some green to the mix and help cool down the spiciness a bit too. I typically eat 5 or 6 smaller meals/snacks a day. It just works for me so I stick with it.
Canned green beans were a staple growing up. I love them!
I, too, COMPLETELY don’t understand the people who forget to eat. How does that even happen? Food is on my mind all the time!
My nourish routine is just like yours 🙂 Meals with light snacks in between and some form of sweet dessert/snack before bed, even if I’m not hungry. It just seems to “end” the day!
I think eating through out the day is the best way to fuel a busy student!
Absolutely! It’s the little things that keep you going!