I just finished my first run with the KidRunner jogging stroller (it went super well!), got Finn down for a nap, showered and sat down at my computer with a big bowl of leftover roasted veggies with hummus and goat cheese to write this post.
After getting a little deep on Valentine’s Day (thank you for all of your thoughtful comments on the post!), I’m going to lighten it back up today with a whole bunch of things that I’ve been eating for the past couple of weeks.
Hope this gives you some meal inspiration for the week ahead. 🙂
BREAKFAST
Plain Fage Total 5% Greek yogurt with honey, bananas, defrosted frozen cherries and blueberries, Purely Elizabeth Original granola, peanut butter and dried cranberries. I’v been on quite the yogurt bowl kick this week and have had a version of this breakfast four mornings.
Banana oat pancakes with peanut butter, maple syrup and sliced banana with oranges on the side.
Dave’s Killer Bread Sprouted Whole Grains thin-sliced toast with butter, cream cheese, sliced avocado and hemp hearts.
LUNCH
Hilary’s Eat Well veggie burger and half an avocado over a chopped kale salad kit from Whole Foods that I added some extra pistachios, dried cranberries and cheese to.
Turkey melt with avocado and pickles on Dave’s Killer Bread Good Seed thin-sliced.
Carrot butternut ginger soup (with lots of ginger!) and homemade sourdough toast with butter, mashed avocado and hemp hearts.
Massaged lacinto kale (olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt) topped with strawberries, goat cheese, pistachios, dried cranberries, avocado and a can of Blue Harbor wild pink salmon.
Freshly baked sourdough with salted butter, sliced avocado and a fried egg.
Baby spinach tossed with a dressing of lemon juice, sea salt, olive oil and honey and topped with half an avocado, a Hilary’s Eat Well veggie burger, apples, dried cranberries, pistachios and feta.
Okay, this was from the last day of my TT at VIDA two weekends ago but I must share. I commented to one of my trainees that I had not eaten at Pal’s during my 16 different trips to Kingsport, TN and she insisted that we had to remedy it. We ordered Pal’s for the whole group on our final day of training. I had the Big Chicken which was warm thinly sliced chicken with cheese, mayo, spicy mustard, lettuce and tomato. I also had a peanut butter milkshake, that was made with real peanut butter. I can’t tell you the last time I had a milkshake and it was a delicious treat!
Pal’s Sudden Service is a regional quick-service chain serving a limited menu of burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and fries. The first location opened in Kingsport in 1956 and they now have 29 locations, mostly concentrated in the tai-cities area. Fun fact: Pals is often studied by competition and used as a case study for Industrial/Organizational Psychologists. This is per the company’s unique organizational culture, with training that includes pop quizzes and over 200 hours of training for employees, which results in significantly low turnover for the industry. (source – Wikipedia)
I would definitely eat at Pal’s again when I’m in Kingsport if I was craving a burger and shake!
DINNER
This is the Trader Joe’s cauliflower rice stir fry with scrambled eggs and ground turkey added in. I also mixed in some basmati rice that I had in the fridge and added a bit of soy sauce and Sriracha.
Baked chicken thighs with roasted cauliflower and fennel.
Leftovers from the previous dinner served on top of quinoa with roasted sweet potato and hummus.
CAVA takeout.
A big pan of roasted potatoes, mushrooms and brussels sprouts that I seasoned with two slices of chopped bacon, olive oil, sea salt and a Trader Joe’s spice grinder. I roasted everything on 400 in my Ninja Foodi Oven and added the salmon in the last 10-12 minutes of cooking. The Ninja Foodi Oven roasts veggies and meats in half the time that my regular oven does. It’s super convenient.
These are the leftover veggies that I just ate for lunch while writing this post!
Here’s the plated meal. I topped the salmon with some spinach and artichoke tzatziki that I had in the fridge from ALDI and put a little ketchup on my plate to dip the potatoes in.
QUESTIONS
Do you have a fast food guilty pleasure?
What’s your favorite frozen convenience food from Trader Joe’s? (Always looking for ideas for new things to try!)
What’s on your dinner menu this week?
I like the Trader Joe’s Cowboy Quinoa Burgers that are frozen. I eat them like you do, without a bun. Also, the butternut squash ravioli in the refrigerated section is good too. A treat meal is the outside-in stuffed gnocchi that is frozen. I don’t follow the cooking directions. Instead I saute it in olive oil until soft and I can smash it. I have the cauliflower gnocchi in my freezer, but haven’t cooked it before. I’ll have to try the Hilary’s root vegetable burger.
I live not far from Kingsport and I don’t know anyone who isn’t a fan of Pal’s. Glad you got to enjoy it too!
Do you have a fast food guilty pleasure? Of course! I love Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich but I haven’t had one in about two years. Now I’m craving one!
What’s your favorite frozen convenience food from Trader Joe’s? (Always looking for ideas for new things to try!) Sooo many things. It’s the only place I shop for groceries. I love the frozen brown rice to quick use as a side for meals. I love the shrimp stir fry + frozen Asian vegetable mix. I always add more shrimp to it. I love the reduced-guilt macaroni and cheese. I chop up steamed broccoli and add it in to make it more filling and top it with truffle zest and nutritional yeast. I do the same thing with the frozen Indian dishes; chop steamed broccoli into small pieces, mix it in with the rice and sauce and of course add more curry powder. I love making the Japanese rice for breakfast and throwing a fried egg on top. I mix the frozen BBQ chicken teriyaki with cruciferous crunch and sautee it. Obviously cook the chicken almost completely first, then add the cruciferous crunch at the end. I love to pan-fry the cauliflower gnocchi with fresh herbs, butter, and Parmesan cheese.
What’s on your dinner menu this week?
Unfortunately my dinner menu is extremely strict because I’m trying to lose fat and build muscle. Building muscle as a woman is sooo difficult! I need 107 grams of protein per day, which for me, is really difficult to achieve.
Breakfast: Greek yogurt + protein powder
Snack: Strawberries or an apple
Lunch: Your salsa chicken recipe over baby spinach or brown rice, depending on my workout schedule. (Lower carbs, higher fat on non-training days)
Dinner: Ground turkey omelette with random vegetables
I love these posts! Such great ideas!