I just arrived back in Charlotte from my weekend in Hilton Head for the CrossFit Endurance seminar. I learned so much this weekend and have quite a list of topic ideas for the blog that I think you’ll really enjoy…and they’re running/endurance training related…imagine that! I’ll post a recap of my weekend of training tomorrow but for now all I have the energy for is a quick look at today’s eats.
I set my alarm for 5:45 this morning so that I could get a run on the beach in because I knew we weren’t doing any WODs in today’s seminar. Well, the bed in my hotel room was so super comfy and I just didn’t have the will to drag myself out of bed to run and ended up sleeping another 45 minutes. While I am sad that I missed out on a sunrise beach run, the rest felt nice as well.
I got a little creative with breakfast. I had no interest in paying $16 for the breakfast buffet so I begged the waitress to just charge me for a bowl of oatmeal. I topped it with raisins, dried cranberries and granola from the breakfast bar and then my own banana and Justin’s Honey Almond Butter from my bag. I am sure that the waitress thought I was crazy as I sat there doctoring up my bowl. The oatmeal was absolutely tasteless though and would have been inedible sans accoutrements.
A big group of us went to Panera for lunch after the morning session. Can I just take a second to say that I love that Panera posts the calorie count of the foods on the menus? I love their broccoli cheddar but I never get it because I assumed it was a calorie bomb. Today I learned that it has less calories than the chicken tortilla and tomato bisque. Crazy. You pick two with broccoli cheddar, fuji apple chicken salad and whole wheat baguette. I enjoyed every bite of my baguette in the company of my paleo friends! 😉
We actually wrapped up a little earlier than planned today and got on the road around 3:30. We grabbed Starbucks on the way out. It’s been a while since I’ve had a soy latte and it was delicious. I finally registered my Starbucks card so now I get free milk upgrades!
Four hours later I was home and cooking dinner. I kept it simple with whatever I could find in the fridge/pantry. Quinoa cooked with sun dried tomatoes and kalamata olives, sautéed spinach and sautéed tofu topped with hummus.
Off to relax and unwind from an awesome weekend! Hope your weekend was great too!
Nutrition information posted in restaurants…like it or not? Does it influence your decision?
Yum! love how you doctored up your breakfast. It looks really good in my opinion.
I love it in restaurants for the most part– but I have to say…I was at Yankee Stadium last week and all I wanted to do was enjoy my hotdogs without having to be aware of those calories…I won’t say it took all the fun out of it but at a sporting event I’m not usually watching my waistline!
A friend from college (UGA) owns a CrossFit studio in Atlanta & I’ve been dying to try it. Since I’m a runner though I’m thinking Endurance would be better for me. I can’t wait to hear more about what you learned, Jen! Hope you had a great beach trip 🙂
Panera baguettes are always good!
I can’t believe you just registered your Sbux card! I am surprised how many people haven’t heard of the program before. I registered mine about 3 years ago and it has saved me countless times on soy and syrup! It’s a great deal and you get a free drink every 15 purchases and a free b-day drink. Great to feed my Sbux addiction. 🙂
Love nutrition info on menus, I wish more places would do it! And now I’m craving Panera, thank you 😉
If you have a smartphone you can also get the Starbucks App and you can actually pay with it too. (Very handy if you forget your newly registered card!)
nutrition labels definitely helps me make better decisions in restaurants. I wish more restaurants in philadelphia had these!
i love when places like panera post the calorie content, however i was surprised to find that on the ‘my fitness pal’ app they have thousands of entries for even ‘lesser-known’ chains – i’ve definitely been dragged to a ‘restaurant’ for lunch and learned in some cases the burger is a WAY better option than offered salads!
Great that you could get the oatmeal plain and just add your own topping. I really like that restaurants post their nutritional information as well, it really helps determine what I will eat there. And makes it more likely I’ll eat there again. Enjoy the rest of your evening
I still have to learn to like oatmeal but this makes it almost look like a dessert! The last time the smell of it already made me (sorry!) gag, but I’ll keep trying!
Hey there! Been reading your blog for awhile and love it! Just wanted to let you know to be sure and check the sodium content along with the calories on the menu. Panera used to be one of my favorite restaurants until i found out that one meal there has almost the daily recommended limit for people. I always check the menus and find it really hard to eat out without the high sodium….makes me eat at home or pack everyday!
I had the same reaction about the broccoli cheddar soup. It’s my husband’s favorite and I always thought it would be packed with fat and calories. I actually have started ordering it now and it’s lighter than I expected. The broth is pretty thin and there are big chunks of veg. Love it.
I really like knowing the nutrition facts…mostly just to beware of the calorie bombs that you might not suspect.
I love nutrition on menus, it totally influences my decisions- especially at Panera. I wouldn’t want to see it at the high end places the hubby and I go to as treats because you’re supposed to indulge, but every day run of the mill places should totally do it.
Can’t wait to see your training posts, I desperately need to shake up my routine!
Yes, love Panera but when you access their nutritional info on their website you see how much sodium is in everything! That’s my only complaint. I just don’t understand why restaurants don’t control how much sodium they are using with the recommended daily allowance being at 1500 now!
Looking forward to seeing your running/endurance posts!
LOVE when restaurants publish their nutrition. Honestly, it absolutely influences my decision….good thing or bad thing, I’m not sure. All I know is that Panera is delish 🙂
I LOVE when I find a restaurant that lists calorie totals, and I think every restaurant should be required to do this. It is crazy how high in calories some dishes are at certain restaurants, and the customer should be aware of what they’re eating, even if it’s involuntary. That could affect what a person chooses to order, but I guess that’s why restaurants don’t necessarily want to do it. I personally use my phone to look up nutrition information whenever we go somewhere, but I know not everyone does this or has the ability to do so. I think it’s really important.
Welcome back!
I definitely dig restaurants posting nutritional info on their menus. A lot of the times it will influence what I order or at the very least, make me think twice about my choice.
Love love love when restaurants post nutritional info! I remember the first time I saw it at Panera and how impressed I was that some thing weren’t as calorie dense as I thought (like your experience :))
I really like when they have nutrition info posted in restaurants… it helps me make healthy decisions! If I feel like splurging, then I just ignore the stats, and splurge away! 🙂
Come to New york, it is the law for just about everyone to post calories/nutrition facts! And they just passed the same law in my home city of Philly!
Welcome home! Was Sullie so happy? Can’t wait to read all about what you learned. I do love when they post nutrition info because I think it’s a good reminder to people to be mindful. Whether or not you look is fine, but I’m happy to see more restaurants making the effort!