Turning green

My grandma’s pea soup is i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e-. It smells and tastes so good! And it’s so easy to make – literally “water and vegetables!” (…as she tends to say for most of her soups. Hence why I need to stand by her side and write down the recipe as she cooks because it’s impossible to get the recipes out of her!)

Today’s lunch was satisfying and soothing… And apparently very green!

I love the Naked juices, though they tend to have way too much sugar in them. They are a treat for me. I’m usually a glass of water kind of gal. But! There was a coupon for a big bottle of Naked juice at BJ’s, so I decided to treat myself

Second entree was simple but exactly what my restless stomach needed. (1) Stir fried veggies (just bought a bag of frozen veggies at Costco) with ketchup (see a common theme here? I overuse and abuse ketchup in the kitchen…) and nutritional yeast for a B12 boost. (2) Buckwheat. You can’t be Russian and not like buckwheat. I was practically raised on it. (3) A spoonful of hummus on a wasa cracker. Yummm!

To make my lunch even greener, I had a cup of green tea with a date and few dried cherries! I’m telling ya – need that something sweet to make my lunch complete!

*****

After a few hours of sitting and studying, I started feeling restless. And hungry. I knew it was time to go for a quick run and to get some fresh air! So I had a bite of Navitas Naturals Power Snacks (one of each flavor!) to hold me over until post-workout snack.

Talk about nutrient-dense! My tastebuds love these little guys, but they surely aren’t like the typical energy bars. I think they are sweet enough but not that sweet. The texture is chewy with that slight crunch from the chia seeds.

Cacao Goji Super Food Power Snack

Ingredients: date paste, chia seeds, raisins, sesame seeds, cacao powder, goji berry powder, sunflower seeds, maca powder, camu camu powder, sunflower meal, lucuma powder

Citrus Chia Super Food Power Snack

Ingredients: date paste, chia seeds, cashews, sesame seeds, dried apricots, raisins, coconut, flakes, maca powder, camu camu,powder, lucuma powder, natural orange flavor

Each flavor is definitely true to its ingredients and each superfood ingredient delivers! After about 30 min to digest and finish up some reading, I went for a brisk run, with just enough time to beat the sunset! I felt energized and light on my feet.

It felt so good to get outside! I’m still recovering from a foot injury, so I have to keep my mileage low and run on the grass for a while.

*****

I’ve been trying to increase my protein intake, especially in my post-work out snack/meal. I recently ordered Sunwarrior Protein Powder from OpenSky and am anxiously awaiting its arrival! I’ve never used protein powders before, but since I eat mostly vegan and am always on the run, I thought Sunwarrior would be a good addition to my diet! It’s raw and vegan, unlike most protein powders!

Until then, I rely on greek yogurt for my protein recovery. Costco now carries both Fage and Chobani! Two great companies with clean & kind products and mission!

Pomegranite Goji Fage Greek Yogurt. Total love. With 26% DV protein and 0% fat, it’s got my love. The only thing is the 16g of sugar that you get by adding the pomegranite-goji preserves. I chose to add half of it and topped off the yogurt with some crumbled of chia power snack that I had earlier. Love the different textures!

*****

I failed at photographing my dinner! Was so excited to sit down with my family. On the menu: mixed greens salad with olive oil and lemon juice, brussel sprouts in caramelized tomato sauce and onions, and a baked potato! Trader Joe’s dark chocolate completed the meal.

Can you recommend any post-workout snacks?

Hope you had a great Monday! See you tomorrow!