Tag: food

What I Eat in a Day as a Fitness Instructor – Healthy Meal Ideas

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Good morning and welcome back to another week! I hope everyone is enjoying the summer weather and starting to find some normalcy as life begins to reopen a bit.

This past week, I decided to film a video going through an entire day of my meals and snacks. As I’ve mentioned, I am currently teaching fitness classes online while still at home, so I filmed this video on a day where I was teaching two classes and definitely wanted to eat healthier and boost my energy. I thought it would be a good idea to go more in depth with each meal I eat and list out specific recipes for you all, so while I’ve linked my vlog from last week below, I’m going to walk you through another day in my life where I ate slightly different meals – still focusing on staying healthy!

Breakfast

To start every day, I drink either a hot lemon water (which I did today), or a hot lemon ginger tea. This helps wake me up and slowly start my metabolism for the day.

A few hours later, I’ll make an iced coffee – usually hazelnut – with just a splash of almond milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I’m trying to break my habit of drinking two coffees per day, so I find that if I can hold off on my first coffee until 11 or 12, I don’t end up needing one later in the afternoon.

Once I’ve finished my coffee and start to get hungry, I make my breakfast. On this day, I made my favorite green smoothie: two hand fulls of spinach (about half of the blender), 2/3 frozen banana, a hand full of frozen pineapple, a large scoop of almond butter, 2-3 tbsp hemp seeds, 1-2 tsp cinnamon, 1-2 scoops collagen powder, and either almond or coconut milk (I keep adding milk as I blend it until it’s the thickness that I want). I top my smoothie with coconut flakes and chia seeds, first to get more protein, and second to slow down how quickly I drink it!

Lunch

For lunch today I had my usual avocado toast – a slice (or sometimes two) of any multigrain seed toast, half of an avocado mashed, lemon juice, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Normally I use the Food For Life brand rice bread, but I can only get that at Whole Foods near me and right now it doesn’t make sense to shop at more than one grocery store, just to be safe! This is my absolute favorite lunch that I have most days, and it definitely fills me up enough to hold me over throughout the day.

With my lunch today I also had a bowl of SkinnyPop popcorn – another favorite snack, and not too filling. It’s nice to be able to mindlessly snack on something knowing it’s still (relatively) healthy!

Dinner

For dinner I made a rice bowl with coconut white rice, and then topped it with roasted broccoli and cauliflower. I roasted the veggies with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then topped the rice with coconut aminos (tastes like soy sauce). This is one of my favorite dinners – I love roasted vegetables – and it’s super easy to make. This also fills me up after exercising or teaching a class!

A little while after dinner, I end my night with a bowl of red grapes, and a cup of lemon-ginger-tumeric tea. I’m a big dessert person, so eating grapes instead of sweets after dinner was a good habit for me to pick up. Drinking this tea also helps me to digest everything from the day, reset my stomach for tomorrow, and calm myself down before going to bed.

I know this is just one day in my life, but I love coming up with new recipe ideas and playing around with my meals, so I will definitely do another post like this in the future if you are interested. Of course what I eat varies day to day, but for the most part, this is a pretty good representation of my diet.

I’ve linked below the vlog I filmed last week bringing you along another day in my life, and if you have any questions or comments, please let me know! Health and fitness is one of my main interests, so I love sharing this information and writing posts like these.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief day in my life, and I hope to see you all next week! Let me know if there’s anything you want to see in the future, and enjoy this start to the summer 🙂

xx,

Megan

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Current Favorites of 2020

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Welcome back and happy Memorial Day! I hope everyone’s been having a relaxing weekend and enjoying some time off. I’m definitely excited that the weather is getting nicer, and I’m really starting to enjoy my quarantine routine.

This week I wanted to talk about some of my favorites at the moments – books, movies, food, and more. I’ve been trying so many new things with all of the free time I have now, and while I’ve been loving it, I’m starting to run out of ideas! So, I wanted to share with you all my favorites of quarantine in case you’re also in need of some new inspiration.

TV and Movies

  • Outer Banks – I know everyone has been watching this show on Netflix, but I had to include it. This was super quick to get through and while I didn’t expect to like it at first, I was completely wrong!
  • Big Little Lies – I’m definitely late to this trend, but I’m about halfway through Season 2 now and I love this show. It’s definitely heavier and I can only really watch one episode at a time, but it’s so intriguing!
  • Ozark – Another great Netflix show! This isn’t the type of show I usually watch, but something good to mix it up. Also much more dense than other light hearted shows, so keep that in mind.
  • Life of the Party – I watched this movie with my mom a couple of weeks ago, and it was SO funny, we both loved it! Great for a lighthearted movie after dinner.

Books

  • Little Fires Everywhere – I’d been meaning to read this so that I can watch the Hulu series next, and I just finished last week. This book was SO good, and I got through it pretty quickly because of all of the suspense! I would definitely recommend reading this if you’ve watched the show, or are planning to do so.
  • The Couple Next Door – I’m about halfway done with this book now, and it’s another great, suspenseful story. If you’re into mystery or crime novels, this is a good choice.
  • The Defining Decade – When I need a break from my other fiction-based stories, I’ve been reading a chapter or two of this book. I would highly suggest anyone in their twenties read this, it has so many amazing lessons for young adults and it so motivational!

Food and Drink

  • Summer salads – Now that it’s summery weather, I’ve been obsessed with a few different salads. My favorites are Greek, quinoa and orzo based salads, and light arugula salads with different fruits and nuts! Feta is always a topping 🙂
  • Summer cocktails – I talked about a few of these in my recipe post, but I’ve been trying out a few new ones recently. My favorites are Aperol Spritzs, sangria, rose spritzers, and different frozen fruit drinks.
  • Ice cream – Another summer necessity! I’ve been going to Dairy Queen and White Mountain Creamery more often now that it’s getting hot out, and I’ve also been picking up lots more of Ben and Jerry’s dairy free pints…SO good!
  • Coffee – I’ve been experimenting with my regular coffee orders now that I have so much time, so while I usually start my day with a MaryLou’s hazelnut iced coffee (I buy the ground coffee and make it at home), I’ll almost always end up treating myself to either a whipped latte at home, or a Dunkin Donuts caramel iced coffee in the afternoon.

Activities

  • Laying outside – This sounds simple enough, but I’ve actually been enjoying spending a lot more time than usual in my backyard. Especially when it’s warm out, I’ve found it so peaceful and relaxing to just lay in the sun and listen to music, podcasts, or read.
  • Walking – I’ve mentioned this in previous posts, but with all the time I have during the day now, walking has become one of my favorite ways to exercise. It’s also been so great to keep my mood lifted and to stay motivated. I’ll play a 45-75 minute podcast, and just walk until it’s over!
  • Spinning – I finally got access to a spin bike, and this has been AMAZING for both my physical and mental health! I missed spinning so much, as I went from teaching and taking 4-5 classes per week, to none at all, so I’ve been trying to get on the bike as much as possible lately.
  • Online learning – I’m now starting to take different online classes and watch more tutorials on some interests I’ve gained recently, which has been a great way to spend my time and stay mentally motivated and engaged. These range from 15 minute YouTube videos to week long online courses or programs, so you can spend as much or as little time on this as you like!

Other

  • Podcasts – I talk about podcasts a lot, but I wanted to mention specifically my favorites right now. I listen regularly to The Skinny Confidential podcast, Gals on the Go, Girls Gotta Eat, and The Office Ladies, among a few others!
  • Eucalyptus products – Specifically, I use a eucalyptus body wash at the end of my showers, and I’ll just put a drop in my hands and breathe in the scent to calm down and reset my mind. Any calming scents or oils are great to boost and focus your energy.
  • My new favorite sweatshirt – This is the cropped, grey Champion hoodie from Urban Outfitters, and I’m obsessed. It is so comfy, the perfect crop length, and the hood is so big and cozy (exactly how I like sweatshirts!). I recommend sizing up so that it’s extra cozy, I like my sweatshirts to be more oversized.

This list is definitely on the longer side, but I wanted to make sure I included everything I’ve been loving while in quarantine (which is a lot!). I hope this can give you some ideas if you’re stuck on old content, activities, or recipes, and if you have any other recommendations that I left out, I’d love to hear them below! As always, stay safe and healthy, and I’ll be back next week 🙂

xx,

Megan

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Hits (& Misses) of Quarantine Recipes

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Happy Monday!

As always, I hope you’re all doing well, especially as it seems things are finally starting to slow down a bit. At least in Boston the weather has finally started to warm up as well, making May my favorite month of quarantine so far. Last week I finished classes, so although I still have a few papers and projects due this week, for the most part I’m done with my junior year. That being said, I’m starting to find a lot more time on my hands, and theres only so many workouts I can do, and so many Netflix episodes I can watch in one day.

Growing up I’ve always enjoyed cooking and baking, but that has really taken a turn these past few months. At least once or twice a week I’ve been trying new recipes, from meals to desserts to drinks. While some have been amazing and I’ll definitely be remaking them, others haven’t been so great. So, I want to share my favorite (and least favorite) recipes with you all so you can try some out for yourself if you have the time, or even try to improve/alter the ones I didn’t like so much to make them better! I know this isn’t my usual topic of content, but then again, nothing is normal right now, so I might as well take advantage of it.

Banana-Oat-Peanut Butter Cookies

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 2 cups oatmeal
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/8-1/4 cup chocolate chips (to taste)
  • 3 tbsp hemp seeds
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tbsp peanut butter (to taste)
  • Cook at 350º for 15-18 minutes

I saw this recipe on Margot Lee’s Instagram story, and they looked amazing. I tried them myself and I really liked them, but I definitely think there’s room for improvement. The basic flavor of the cookies I really liked, but I think I would like them a bit sweeter and a bit moister. If I tried them again, I would probably add some honey to the batter, maybe some more chocolate chips (or add peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips), or even more banana. Overall, though, I would recommend these and I’ll be making them again!

Vegan Banana Pancakes

Our entire Easter breakfast spread – veggie hash browns, banana pancakes, and quiche cups.

I followed this recipe, and this was by far one of my favorites. We made this for breakfast on Easter Sunday, and I usually am not a big pancake person, but these were amazing. I put extra bananas and maple syrup on top, and they were delicious. Highly recommend, and I will be remaking these – I wouldn’t change a thing!

Veggie Hash Brown Breakfast

We also made this dish on Easter, and although they took a while to prepare and cook, they were definitely worth it. I found the recipe here, and again, I probably wouldn’t change anything about it (unless you prefer different veggies, or something easy to change like that). I used vegan butter instead of real butter, but other than that I followed the recipe as it instructs. I think you could definitely play around with the spices and proportions based on your taste preferences, but otherwise I think the flavor was perfect!

Banana Oatmeal Loaf

  • 1-2 ripe bananas
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups oatmeal
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • Bake at 350º for about 15 minutes
  • Drizzle peanut butter on top

This was a recipe I found on Tik Tok (and I can’t find the video link anymore), and although the idea seemed good and the outcome wasn’t horrible, I probably wouldn’t make it again. There really was not much flavor, the loaf was pretty dry, and there wasn’t a good time to eat it (it’s not quite a breakfast, but not really a dessert either). It didn’t taste bad, but I think if I were to make it again, I would add some honey or more banana to sweeten it, and maybe chocolate chips to make it more of a dessert. If you’re able to play around with this one and it turns out better, let me know what you recommend!

Quiche Breakfast Cups

This was our third (and final) dish on Easter, and I followed this recipe. The concept was great, and I’ve seen these before, but I think they could’ve been a lot better. We made two versions – spinach/mushroom/feta, and bacon/egg/cheese. The first issue was that the hash brown crust tended to stick to the pan, so when taking them out, they fell apart pretty easily. It also seemed like the didn’t cook entirely through, so the center was a bit runny. However, the flavor was great and I think by playing around with the temperature and cook time, these problems could be fixed!

Orange Cookies

So far, I think this has been my favorite recipe. My family has always made orange cake, so with a few extra oranges lying around, I decided to try a variation of this dessert, and it turned out great. I followed this recipe, and the cookies ended up tasting just like the orange cake I’m used to! I wouldn’t change anything about the recipe, and would definitely make these again.

Sangria

In a large pitcher, combine:

  • Cut up fruit of your choice – I used: 1 red apple, 1 green apple, 1 orange, 1/2 container blueberries
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 1/2 cups orange juice
  • 1 cup brandy
  • Fill the rest of the pitcher with any red table wine
  • Let chill overnight, serve with sparkling water on top

Now that the weather’s been nicer, my friends and I have been trying some different summer drink recipes. I grew to love sangria well studying abroad in Spain last semester, so I wanted to try to make my own. It was hard to find a simple enough recipe that still had a lot of flavor to it, so I combined a few different ones I found, and it ended up tasting great! I would definitely recommend this for summer dinners or parties in the future!

Frozen Strawberry-Lime Cocktails

  • 2 shots of vodka
  • 1 hard seltzer, lime flavored
  • 1 tbsp pink lemonade powder
  • Handful of frozen strawberries
  • Handful of ice
  • Blend until frozen consistency, makes 2 drinks

This was another combination of a few recipes I saw that turned out great! There are so many ways to alter this to fit your preferences as well, so I think just the simple idea of a frozen fruity cocktail is great for the summer. Let me know if you come up with any good variations of this!

Cocoa Banana Latte

  • 1/2 ripe banana
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • Blend until mixed, then add 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee and stir

This recipe I got from Kenzie Burke’s Instagram, and the idea seemed like something I would love, but it ended up tasting kind of bland. I might try this again with different proportions or flavors, but if you’ve made something similar, let me know how it turned out. I think if it were thicker, maybe by adding ice, it would taste better, but something about the banana flavor in a coffee drink tasted funny.

Whipped Iced Latte

  • 2 tbsp instant coffee
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp very hot water
  • Hand or electric whisk until light brown and frothy
  • Pour over glass of ice and your choice of milk

This is another favorite, and I’ve been making it almost every day since I tried it. This recipe has been trending on Tik Tok as well, and definitely for good reason! I use brown sugar (and a little bit less than 2 tbsp), but you can also use white, and for the milk I combine almond milk with a splash of coconut-almond milk vanilla creamer. This is such a nice change from hot coffee, especially now that it’s getting closer to summer! It’s a super quick and easy recipe, and I would highly recommend this to any coffee drinkers.

These are my top 10 so far, but I will definitely be trying out lots more recipes in the next few weeks! If any of you are able to try these, let me know how they turn out, and if you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment below! Once I finish all of my school work, I will be much more active with my posts, so stay tuned for exciting content coming up!

xx,

Megan

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What I Eat at Home: Meal and Snack Ideas While Stuck at Home

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  • Pan seared salmon with mixed greens
  • Coconut rice with roasted zucchini and brussels sprouts
  • Roasted brussels sprout salad with pan seared salmon
  • Coconut rice, black beans, peppers/onions, and veggie burger
  • Veggie tacos with beans, peppers/onions, and guacamole
  • Green lentil pasta with sautéed spinach and tomatoes, olive oil/garlic sauce

Good morning!

I’m finally starting to get settled at home after moving back from college, and I hope you’re all staying safe and healthy as well. Now that I’m getting into a more normal routine, I want to start putting out content that will actually be useful during this time. Obviously I won’t be traveling in the coming months so it will be harder (and not as relevant) to post travel content right now. So, this is the perfect time for me to start introducing some other ideas I want to talk about!

Now more than ever I’m looking for new meal and snack ideas, since I’m pretty much preparing everything for myself at this point. I normally cook for myself anyways, but not being able to eat out or order food to-go as easily is putting more pressure on me to get creative so I don’t get sick of eating the same things every day (which I tend to do). I love a routine with my meals, but changing things up a bit is definitely necessary right now since I’ll be eating at home for a long time.

I’m sure lots of you are facing the same struggle, so I just wanted to share some of my go-to’s and some things I’ve been trying out lately to give you a couple new ideas! Most of these are things I’ve been making in my apartment at school, so they’re definitely not gourmet home cooked meals, but for the most part they’re relatively quick to make, and easy to take on-the-go!

Breakfast

I typically eat the same thing every day for breakfast, because I love starting my morning off with a routine, and then the rest of the day I can see how I feel. The first thing I make in the morning is hot lemon water, which helps warm up my body and wake me up a bit before I eat anything. I have pretty bad allergies, so this always tends to clear out my head and soothe my throat when I wake up. Either with my lemon water or shortly after, I’ll have some kind of fruit. I either make a big bowl with berries, banana, coconut flakes, cinnamon, and occasionally yogurt, or I’ll make a green smoothie (spinach, frozen banana, frozen pineapple, almond butter, hemp seeds, chia seeds, collagen powder, and coconut milk). I never know what I’ll be eating the rest of the day, so I like to get my fruit in right away.

After my fruit, I’ll start getting ready for the day, and this is usually when I work out as well (except when I have class). Once I’m set for the day, and usually by now I am hungry again, I’ll make my second breakfast, which is always avocado toast. I crave this every morning and never get sick of it, so it’s definitely a staple in my routine. I make my toast on Food For Life rice bread (double toasted), then top it with mashed avocado, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes – so good! I’ll also typically have an iced coffee with my toast, otherwise I’ll get one later in the day.

Lunch

I normally don’t make a huge lunch, but rather bring a few larger snacks with me to get me through the day. I like to eat more smaller meals instead of three big meals – I find this keeps me energized longer and I don’t feel as full/uncomfortable after a big meal. Here are a few of my go-to lunch snacks (I usually have about two of these throughout the day between breakfast and dinner):

  • Banana-chocolate chip overnight oats: Fill half of a mason jar with rolled oats, then add chocolate chips, chia seeds, hemp seeds, coconut flakes, cinnamon, cardamon, and almond milk (just covering the oats). Refrigerate 3-4 hours, then add sliced banana (and sometimes peanut butter if I’m really hungry) on top!
  • Yogurt and granola: Very simple, but always good and easy on the go. I like coconut milk yogurts, either Chobani or So Delicious, and sometimes LAVA plant-based yogurt. My favorite granola is the Purely Elizabeth Original flavor. If I have the time, I’ll also add some berries, cinnamon, and coconut flakes.
  • Roasted brussels sprout salad: This year I discovered how much I love roasted brussels sprouts, so I always make a huge batch in the beginning of the week and save them to snack on throughout. My favorite salad to pack for lunch includes: spring mix, roasted brussels sprouts, olives, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, a lemon dressing, and topped with either falafel, a veggie burger, or salmon if I have more time.
  • Apple and peanut butter: This is definitely a more simple and smaller snack, but always a go-to. I will slice up a gala apple, sprinkle some cinnamon on top, and dip it in organic peanut butter!

Dinner

My dinners in college tend to be quick, easy meals that I get in the frozen section of Trader Joe’s. That being said, I’ve found some favorites, and these are becoming even more handy now that I’m living at home and want to limit my trips to the grocery store (so less fresh produce, more frozen meals!). My favorites include:

  • Cauliflower and kale gnocchi
  • Cauliflower rice stir fry
  • Broccoli-cauliflower patties
  • Southwestern and masala veggie burgers
  • Cauliflower pancakes (dip in coconut aminos!)
  • Any frozen veggie mix – so easy to add to rice!

If I’m making a larger meal, these are some of my go-to options:

  • Green lentil pasta with pesto and roasted broccoli and brussels sprouts
  • Green lentil pasta with an olive oil and garlic sauce, mixed with sautéed spinach and heirloom tomatoes
  • Coconut rice with beans, topped with stir-fry peppers and onions, and either avocado or guacamole
  • Veggie tacos with (sometimes rice), beans, stir-fry veggies, and guacamole
  • Sometimes all I want is a huge plate of roasted veggies! I normally add broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and zucchini.

There are obviously a lot more recipe ideas which I can discuss further if you enjoyed this post, I just wanted to start by sharing the snacks and meals I’ve been eating most lately (especially now while in isolation!). I hope this helps give you some inspiration, and I’d love to hear some ideas from you as well. Let me know if you have any feedback or want to hear more, and I hope that this new type of content is interesting for you!

Again, please stay safe and healthy during this time, and I’ll do my best to deliver relevant (but not overwhelming) content for you all. Thank you and I’ll see you next week!

xx,

Megan

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