Welcome to the first What I Ate Wednesday post of February! I am pretty happy that February is the shortest month of the year because that means March is right around the corner. My birthday is in March, and Spring begins in March. What more could we ask for? Now let’s just hope that Mother Nature gives us the weather to coincide with the arrival of Spring.
I suppose I am getting ahead of myself a bit though, huh? Back to February we go (reluctantly)… and to my favorite recent eats! In usual Wednesday fashion, I am linking up with Jenn at Peas and Crayons for What I Ate Wednesday.
What I Ate Wednesday: February 4, 2015 (Recent Eats)
Breakfasts
On Saturday morning, I volunteered at my employer’s Winter Commencement Ceremony. I decided to make myself breakfast to eat on the go. The night before I whipped together some chia pudding made with chia seeds, coconut milk, coconut sugar, and cinnamon. I added in a bit of puffed kamut cereal and crunchy almond butter. The AB made it!
There is nothing new to see here. Just my usual weekend acai bowl topped with frozen berries and a rye and hemp cereal. And yes, I ate this while it was snowing outside. Weird? Maybe!
It wouldn’t be breakfast without featuring my standard first breakfast: a green smoothie. In the mix was unsweetened vanilla almond milk, frozen banana, frozen spinach, fresh spinach, and the new formula of Vega One’s french vanilla nutritional shake.
Vega One sent me a goodie package with tons of nutritional shake flavors and I was so excited about it! I am also really excited about the new formula. Not only does it taste amazing (I can’t decide if I love the chocolate or french vanilla more), but it now has six servings of greens instead of four, 20 grams of protein, and is a great source of Omega-3’s, fiber, probiotics, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
To break in down in more simple terms, it now contains:
- The same amount of protein as 3.6 medium eggs
- 3 cups of greens made from broccoli, kale, spirulina, and chlorella
- As much fiber as 3.2 slices of whole wheat bread
- The same amount of antioxidants as 3.3 cups of blueberries
- Probiotics equivalent to the amount found in 1 cup of yogurt
- As many Omega-3’s as 2.3 servings of salmon
In other words, you can see why I love starting my mornings out with it!
Lunches and Dinners
This was one of the most amazing dinners I have eaten over the past couple of weeks. It involved red lentils, kale, tempeh, and sauerkraut. I’ll share more about it in a future Friday Foodie Favorites post!
This was another amazing meal. I pulled a couple of black bean and veggie burgers out of the freezer, heated them up, and served them on lettuce “buns” with onions and mustard. I ate brussel sprouts and Alexia french fries on the side.
This was a beyond random concoction that I threw together. I made a chickpea salad with leftover Wasabi and Soy Sauce Hummus. I also added in diced cucumber, chopped onion, and capers. Like I said… random! I served it on rice cakes topped with fresh spinach.
More tempeh! I made one of my old favorites: Robyn’s Jamaican Jerk Tempeh. It is SO good! I sautéed up some peppers and zucchini with sriracha and spices to eat on the side. This was every bit as delicious as it looks.
Snacks
Have I told you how much I am obsessed with making my own nacho cheezy kale chips in my dehydrator? They are the BEST thing ever!
How pretty are these babies? I am blueberry crazy right now!
Handfuls and handfuls of popcorn straight out of the bag. I see nothing wrong with that.
I also see nothing wrong with eating peas for a snack. Or maybe I am just a pea fanatic?
Ahh, the usual apple picture. Every. single. day.
This cereal is a new find for me. I have been eating it for a bedtime snack with a little bit of almond milk. It totally hits the spot!
Let’s wrap things up with a sour beer… the best way to cap out a night. Or a blog post!
Disclaimer: Vega One provided me with free product, but I was not compensated for this post. If you know me even a little, you know I am a Vega girl through and through!
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Thought you should know that since seeing your love for peas as a snack, I’ve jumped on board with you!
YES!! I love converting people into being pea snackers 😉
I LOVE Vega. I usually have their protein shakes as a post workout snack. The Choc-a-lot one is my absolute favorite!
Isn’t it SO good??? Their nutritional shakes and smoothie powders are both SO awesome. It is literally like drinking a milkshake… but with veggies!
Your black bean and veggie burger photo has me aching for summer! I can’t wait til it’s grilling season again! And even though we have 2 birthdays and Valentine’s day in Feb, I’m excited for it to be over too, haha! Bring on Spring!
I am SO ready for grilling weather too… even though I don’t have a grill. I’ll just have to invite myself over to your house 😉
I love Vega protein powder! It has been my go-to for smoothies lately.
It is the best! I love, love, LOVE it!
I’m happy February is short, too. I hope it goes by fast!! I need spring ASAP. All of this food looks so good (well, minus the peas) 😉 That’s the one veggie I can’t learn to like.
What?? No peas?!? I guess I can forgive you… 😉
Love this! I’m getting more into plant-based diets and I love seeing what other people eat. It’s so inspiring! I hope to make an acai bowl sometime soon. They just look so delicious! 🙂
Oh my gosh, you definitely need to! Acai bowls are my favorite right now… even in the freezing cold weather! Congrats on eating more plant-based. It truly is delicious 🙂
Can’t wait to read more about the lentil/kale/sauerkraut dinner. I’ve only ever had sauerkraut on a hot dog. Yours looks much healthier… =)
Oh my gosh, I LOVE adding sauerkraut to anything and everything that I can. Some of my other favorites are adding it to salads and using it as a topping on pizza!
It’s been decided. I’m gonna suck it up and make an acai bowl over the weekend, even if it’s snowing! *-* (I’ll still be crossing my fingers in hopes that it’ll be warm though.)
That is always my weekend plan. Whenever I make my acai bowls, I put on an extra layer of clothing and wrap up in blankets and GO FOR IT! 😉
I love tempeh! I’ll just eat it raw tossed in a sauce sometimes. Maybe I have a think for that tang? Oddly, I don’t care for sour beers…
Haha, that is funny that you like the sourness of raw tempeh but not the sourness of beer 😉 To each their own, right? I also like the sourness of tempeh, though I have never tried eating it raw. Do you have a favorite sauce that you use for it?
The last time I just mixed up some peanut flour, sriracha and a little almond milk Super easy!
Oh yum!!! I LOVE sriracha and I love peanut sauces, so that sounds amazing!
I seriously want to eat all this food! That breakfast bowl looks amazing! And brussels sprouts!
I think you and I are equally in love with brussel sprouts! 😉
How does the VegaOne compare to other protein powders flavorwise? I have tried a ton, including shelling out for some premium ones that claim to be better flavored, and I still hate the taste of protein powder. And yet I long for the benefits.
I personally really enjoy Vega. It is all that I use. I am partial to the chocolate and vanilla flavors. Whole Foods has single-serve packets that you can buy if you just want to try it out and see if you like it! I also only use about half of a serving instead of a whole serving, which I think gives it enough flavor, but not TOO much.
1. Those burgers look amazeballs. I still haven’t made any veggie burgers this year but I need to get on it!!
2. I also need to try those acai bowl things. Not sure exactly what they are, but it looks good 🙂
3. Popcorn is lifeeeee to me right now!
Yes for burgers, acai bowls, and popcorn!!! All are so, so good! And you definitely need to give acai bowls a chance. They are a superfood, after all 😉
Erewhon is awesome! Their salt-free brown rice is an essential I always have, but I also love their strawberry one!
I hear they have a chocolate one, too? I am eager to try it!
I need to get my hands on that new cereal!! Love your breakfast chia concoction, by the way 🙂
Both are SO good!! I’m excited to be trying some new-to-me foods! 🙂
I’m digging the kale, tempeh, red lentil, and saurkraut mix – right up my alley!
Oh my gosh, it is SUCH a good combo… granted I pretty much love sauerkraut on most things 😉
Yay for peas as a snack! I eat them straight up often. I’m happy to know I’m not the only one. 🙂
You definitely aren’t! I have found plenty of other people who love doing the same thing!
Oh that smoothie looks so delicious and green!! Yum, yum!!
It still amazes me every morning when I make a green smoothie and LOVE it! Who knew greens could taste so good?
I’ve been loving blueberries lately too – they’re the perfect amount of sweet and make everything you pair them with even better.
They are SO good!! You are right… they are just sweet enough to make pretty much everything taste good 🙂
I already had a veggie burger today and your photos are making me want another right now! 🙂
There is just something about veggie burgers, isn’t there? They are one of those foods that I never ever get tired of and could probably eat everyday. Same with pizza 😉
Your chia pudding looked amazing! Actually, your whole day looked really delicious. I really have to learn how to make chia pudding. How did you get yours so thick so it actually resembles a pudding? My stays more of a liquid. I have been experimenting with it but can’t seem to get the right ratio.
Here is what I use: 3 TB chia seeds, 1 TB milled (ground) flax seed, and 1 cup of almond or coconut milk (plus cinnamon and coconut sugar for some sweetness). I put it in a jar, shake it up real good, and refrigerate it overnight. It works like a charm for me! I hope you give it a try 🙂
I am making it tonight and I will let you know tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your recipe with me! I am super excited for an easy breakfast on the go.
I hope you like(d) it! I know it can take a little while for some to get used to the texture… it did for me at least!
I ate it this morning and it was AMAZING! I realize now that my ratio of chia seeds to almond milk was not enough. I actually loved the texture. I added some blueberries and stevia and it tasted like a tapioca pudding, but healthier 🙂 Thanks again. I’ll see you at the next WIAW. Loving your site by the way.
I’m so glad it turned out well for you, Heather! Major kudos on the addition of blueberries. They are delicious in chia pudding 🙂
That chia pudding with AB looks amazing. I feel like AB can totally make any recipe just that much better.
Haha, I am SO with you on that!! Nut butter (also Sun Butter) make everything SO much better. I think they are the reason why I finally started liking things like chia pudding and hot oatmeal 😉
Peas for a snack is totally acceptable! At least for me anyway. I am even brave enough to bring them in with me to school in a little pot for recess. Yep, my friends still sit with me!
Haha! That is so fantastic! Peas are an awesome snack, and don’t ever let anybody tell you they aren’t.