I was so hungry allllll day. I mean, I guess it’s to be expected after running 11 miles, but I mean nothing I ate filled me! Maybe you haven’t noticed, but recently I’ve been documenting more of my daily eats than I normally do. I’ve been doing that because I am running more and more for the half marathon and I thought it was important to represent how that affected my appetite. Sometimes it has no affect, but today I was feeling the run! That and I think I am also a little bored with my food. Dare I say I might be sick of nut butter?

Before work I had a piece of bread with a healthy amount of pecan butter.

Then at work I had an Oikios Greek Yogurt. 

I noticed that it doesn’t expire until July 4th – how exciting is it to think the summer is so close!

After work I had a handful of Triscuits.

I ate several more directly from the box. I used to love Triscuits, but now they seem like a salt fest.

Both Sabrina and Mara asked what my go to meal is. I am not sure I have one specific go to meal, but I do have a go to meal genre – bowl meals! Anything that has veggies, a grain and a protein is usually something I love to eat that is quick and simple to make. I made a Bowl Meal tonight.

In my Bowl Meal

• Brown Rice
• Diced Tomatoes without added salt
• Black Beans
• Corn
• Garlic Powder
• Chilli Powder
• Smoked Paprika
• Pinch of Salt
• Cilantro
• Cheddar Cheese

It was perfect and filing, but inevitably I was hungry again soon! On any other day this bowl would have been perfect! But today when nothing satisfied me I needed a banana and some Homemade Strawberry Sorbet.

Then I was done! On a day like today I think it is important to listen to your body and your hunger cues. I really believe that your body will tell you if and what you need to eat. I could have ignored my extra hunger today, but I would be doing myself a disservice. Food is an experience, but it is also fuel and without proper fueling I would break!

Afternoon! I am off on another field trip today, but here is what I packed to get me through it. I thought if I packed an extra “fun snack,” I might not dig into the Goldfish at work.  I am always torn between bringing pure snack foods and eating them out of boredome, or going without and risking the impulse work snack. What works for you? Usually I do not bring something like this to work and I do okay at avoiding/ignoring free work food.

• Spinach and Pita
• Leftover Black Bean and Corn Salad (Salsa Remix) – for the spinach.
• Lesser Evil Classic Kettle Corn
• Carrots
• Odwalla Superfood Bar

Yesterday, Natalie D. asked about the Odwalla Bar: 

“you are so healthy!! what do those odwalla bars taste like? whats in the superfoods one?”

Well, I love Odwalla bars, especially when they are on sale for $1, which they often are. I grabbed five at Whole Foods Sunday, one for each day of my crazy field trip week. I actually meant to get the Super Protein flavor, which I love and highly recommend if you want a bar that is tasty and full of protein. Unlike other “protein bars,” it does not hurt my belly. Anyway, I accidentally grabbed the Superfood bars instead, and lucky me – they are green. Green is THE color in blogland these days!

Here is the nutrition information for the bar:

• I wish it had more protein and less sugar – 20 g is kind of a lot!
• I like the taste and texture. Made from rolled oats, grape juice, pureed dates, raisins and banana flakes, it has a non-specific healthy oat bar bar taste. They are soft and chewy, more dense than a Clif bar, less dense than a Z-bar. Not crunchy.
• The Superfood name comes from the 500 mg of Spirulina that each bar contains.

What is Spirulina?

• It is a blue green algae.
• It is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 8 essential amino acids.
• It has a million other excellent things in it – Beta Carotene, Vitamin B-12, calcium iron  – read all about it!

P.S. Megan made a gravy!

P.P.S. Free Prana Bar Giveaway!