I need to eat when I first wake up & Monday’s meals

 

So many of us were intrigued yesterday by the training concept of glycogen depletion training which Michele touched upon in my race fueling strategies post.

I think it’s an interesting approach and I can understand the theory behind it but I do not think it’s for someone like me. I wake up so hungry and have always been a first-thing-in-the-morning-as-soon-as-I-get-up breakfast eater that skipping breakfast before a run or doing anything on an empty stomach is just not for me.

I begin to feel sick, nauseous and dizzy if I go too long without food. In fact, when I was pregnant with my son and had to take the fasting glucose blood test, the doctor actually had to allow me to eat (I recall eggs and a bagel) right before the test because I was about to be sick.

This may have you wondering if I am fasting for today’s Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur — I think you know the answer.

Monday’s meals…

Pre-run breakfast:

The usual oatmeal with banana and cinnamon.

Post-run Breakfast:

I am accepting the fact that fresh blueberry season is over and I am sort of okay with it. I like frozen blueberries and the very cherry berry blend from Trader Joe’s but they turn my oatmeal (and my hands) all purple.

Oatmeal mixed with frozen blueberries, almond milk, Skoop B-Strong and peanut butter.

Lunch:

I couldn’t wait to cut up the butternut squash sitting on my kitchen counter.

I don’t roast all of the butternut squash at once because I will then proceed to eat it all at once so instead I cut it up, throw some in the oven and put the rest in a pyrex container for future meals.

Plant-based Power Bowl on a plate.

Roasted butternut squash with broccoli, brussels sprouts and asparagus on top of leftover brown rice and chick peas mashed with avocado.

I hope the people of Fresh Market don’t read my blog because if they do, a bulletin will be issued to all Long Island Fresh Market locations displaying my picture and my motives.

In my defense, they don’t say limit one sample per person. They don’t provide any form of disclaimer so taking my son for an afternoon fruit snack isn’t breaking any laws even if we stop in for fruit and purchase nothing.

And yes, we also had some pineapple. And cantaloupe. I skipped the apple samples because I didn’t think they went well with my fruit sample salad.

Dinner:

My son tells me that I never make real meatballs so I made him real meatballs.

With spaghetti squash because he actually likes spaghetti squash (this meal was inspired by Laura’s recent recipe).

He requested the meatballs on the side of the spaghetti squash so I listened even though I knew the picture wouldn’t look as pretty.

Since I don’t eat meatballs, I loaded my half of the spaghetti squash with roasted vegetables, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and nutritional yeast.

Dessert:

I am pretty sure I had an apple at some point during the day that is going unpictured.

I didn’t have an apple at night, instead, I had some of these peanut butter banana protein bite things which I made last week and then made again this week.

Anyone who tells you they easily stop at one or two bites as their nighttime snack is a liar. Just saying.

[bctt tweet=”WIAW – I must eat when I wake up & recent meals #wiaw #running #oatmeal #powerbowl #recenteats #fitfluential”]

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Do you need to eat when you first wake up too?

Do you want to learn more about glycogen depletion and other intricate running topics?

Nighttime snack of choice lately?

Panera Bread Coffee and My New Favorite Fall Recipe

Question for you: When you are given access to the self-service coffee station at a restaurant such as Panera Bread, is there a limit to how often you can refill your cup even if it is assumed the refills are free?

And, is it wrong to refill your cup one more time to take with you only to be enjoyed the next day heated up in the comfort of your own kitchen?

I only ask because this is my method. Easily 3 days a week.

I find that working from Panera Bread can be quite lovely. I stay focused on my tasks while drinking (and refilling more times than I care to admit) delicious coffee.

I was even treated to passed appetizers yesterday. Well, not exactly, they were just passing around samples of some type of spinach quiche. Don’t mind if I do…

But, um, where is the spinach?

Anyway, I situate myself at Panera Bread because I find that working only from my house leads me to distraction. I end up doing laundry, cleaning a closet or cooking. Or baking.

Or all of the above.

I came across this recipe for the Harvest Roasted Veggie Curried Avocado Coconut Rice Bowls the other day while reading the blog, Iowa Girl Eats. If you don’t already read her blog, you must. Great recipes. Great blog.

She shared the link to the recipe which is actually from the blog, Half Baked Harvest  and I just couldn’t get it out of my head.

Any recipe that involves butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts roasted and mixed with coconut rice topped with nuts, cranberries, avocado and cheese? How could I not make it immediately?

When you read the recipe, it will look like there are a ton of steps and ingredients. It appears that way, but in reality, it’s not all that difficult. Roast your veggies.

Add in your cranberries and nuts (I went with walnuts instead of pecans).

Cook your rice. I took a short cut here by heating up a steam bag of Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice and then added it into a pot of the coconut milk/coconut water.

I never cook with coconut but let me just say, it is my new favorite comfort flavor and craving making me super excited to try out some of the other recipes my fellow bloggers have posted using coconut milk.

I mashed up with the avocado with the ingredients listed in the recipe but in all honesty, I think plain avocado would have complimented the dish just as well.

Assemble your bowl with all the fixins – topped off with goat cheese.

I did a good job, right?

When I say this is my new favorite comfort fall meal, I mean it. I could eat this bowl every single night for dinner.

I think it would work with or without the cheese (I actually left it off of my plate last night), with or without the avocado (even though I LOVE  avocado)….The flavors from the roasted vegetables combined with the creamy coconut rice mixed with cranberries and nuts is enough to put a smile on my face.

I would consider next time adding a can of organic chick peas and/or possibly throwing some quinoa into the rice or doing all quinoa.

So many possibilities I tell you…

Here is the link again to the recipe. I would repost it fully but since I really did follow it, it is worth just clicking over to view the post.

While I had the oven on, I decided to go all out and make my famous fudgy brownies.

You know you want one.

I actually halved the recipe since I didn’t need a full tray of brownies and it worked out perfectly.

I don’t know about you but I always get nervous when halving or doubling a baking recipe; I have found that when I double cookie recipes, they never come out the same to me.

Based upon the activity that took place in my kitchen, I turned a random Tuesday night into something special, yes?

Even if the Islanders did lose to the Rangers.

I am off now to get some work done. I swear there are not enough hours in the day lately!

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Do you cook with coconut milk?

Favorite fall vegetable?

Do you have trouble doubling/halving recipes?