{WIAW#9} Eating a Balanced Meal

Last Updated on March 27, 2015 by Karen

In case you’ve just tuned in, every Wednesday I share some of the foods I eat in a day.  Thanks to Jenn at Peas and Crayon for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!

Hey there, hope your week is going smoothly so far.  Today’s eats are all about getting back on track after the excesses of the past week, all in the name of Chinese New Year “celebration” :)  Starting with breakfast du jour…a healthy and delicious one no less.

Before I say there’s nothing better than the pairing of fresh strawberries and Greek yogurt (tastes so much like strawberry shortcake filling!), well, there’s Banana Bread Granola to take it up a notch!  I posted the recipe last week so that you can try it out for yourself.

By the time lunch rolled around, I wasn’t too hungry so I just snacked on a few items which included one of the Chia Bars Health Warrior sent me to try out.  I’ve been eating these to fuel myself before runs and workouts.  Clocking in at just 100-110 calories, each of these bars satisfies in both taste and nutrition, which make for such an awesome grab-and-go option.  Sometimes, I think it’s the crunch I need from a snack, and this crunchy AND chewy Coconut flavored bar (it’s their most popular flavor!) totally fits the bill.

Plus a mini brie and multigrain crackers from Trader Joe’s.  These mini brie wheels are so convenient I even took one for snacking on the plane when we headed to Texas.

Dinner was definitely a well-balanced one with these Cheese and Parsley Pork Sausages, Maple Sweet Potato Mash, and Garlic Panfried Kale.  I simmered the sausages in a chicken broth (I will use beer next time!) and then pan seared them with a little olive oil.  As for the kale, Pioneer Woman’s quick and easy recipe to the rescue.  Like she said, the key is to use lots of garlic!

I remember when I was a camp counselor for a summer in college, the campus cafeteria where I ate every single meal at had these reusable balanced eating plates divided into suggested food groups and portions. Half of the plate should be piled with fruits and vegetables, a quarter should contain starchy foods like potatoes or whole grains, and the last quarter should be a lean meat, poultry, or fish.  I think my dinner was spot on!

Finally, my day ended on a sweet note with a bowl of grapefruit and (more) strawberries.  Citruses are in abundance now, so I’m going to take advantage while they last.

Any snack ideas you are loving right now?