Favorite Foods List!! :)

ArtificiallyBalanced

I am busy reading my favorite food/running blogs and it's so awesome to have found these girls who are obsessed with the same foods as me (I get picked on by my fam/friends/boyfriend in a playful way that i eat weirdo stuff!)!

What are foods/meals you can't live without? I am proud to say 90% of my list is super healthy things. Back before I lost weight, I would have said chinese food, french fries, anything/all of fast food, bagels, etc. I love that I crave almost all healthy things... my problem is just that I have a huge appetite and have a hard time controlling how much I eat of my healthy things! But, thats where running/working out comes in


1. All-time favorite meal: pizza and salad. I am VERY picky about my pizza- anything delivery/frozen disgusts me. I have had great pizza in NYC, but nothing compares to my hometown pizzas. Consols super thin, crispy slices.. Grande's sweet basily big dough-y slices.. Nirchi's honey mustard chicken slices.. Tony's greasy big garlicky slices. YUM! But, I cannot eat pizza without a salad. And this salad calls for a damn good dressing. For my salads normally I only have oil and vin, or hummus & mustard, or a light version, but when eating a salad with pizza I need a delicious, fatty blue cheese or 1000 island. Or a rockin' balsamic, but that's only if said restaurant doesn't have a bangin' blue cheese!


2. My greek yogurt concoctions. I start with Chobani or Trader Joe's nonfat plain, sprinkle some splenda to sweeten, and 99.9% of the time add a big glob of creamy, natural PEANUT BUTTER! I stir this in, then add frozen fruit. My favorite is frozen blueberries, because they unfreeze super fast but I love how cold they still are. On top of that goes CEREALLLLL (this & pb have its own category.) I have been using Natures Path organic flax multi-bran because its very low in sugar and only has like 4 ingredients. It's almost tasteless, so I generally (okay, always) put more PB on top plus some cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice. Mix together, devour. If I am eating this at home (I usually eat this at work), I go back for more cereal/ PB topping.. bad news!


3. PUMPKIN. 100% pure canned pumpkin. I mix this with my yogurt and instead of peanut butter, i use sugar-free pancake syrup. TO. DIE. FOR. I also mix pumpkin in with my oats when I eat them when its cold. I'm not gonna lie, cereal and peanut butter most likely end up in either of these dishes too. Guilty.


4. Enormous, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink salads. If you have a huge appetite like me, these are the key to staying full for at least 2 hours. These do not ever bore me. I usually use either broccoli slaw, baby spinach, or romaine lettuce as my base. I use whatever veggies I have, which are pretty much always grape tomatoes, cukes, onion, mushrooms, broccoli, beets, etc etc. Then I add a protein or 2. Usually I use canned chicken, canned salmon, canned tuna, a veggie burger, and/ or some egg whites. I also love turkey but never buy it as it is really expensive in NYC compared to just canned meats. If I'm out to eat, I'll always get grilled chicken. I always use feta cheese, and usually it's fat-free. If I have beans available, they get dumped on too. My fav is chickpeas, but ill use red, black or cannelini too. I put a bunch of garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, whatever spices i have all over the salad then choose my dressing. I love LIGHT versions of dressings, never fat-free unles theres no added crap in it (but there always is). I like Wishbone brand for Light dressings, they dont have many ingredients and are low in sugar. My fav is light 1000 island and light honey dijon. I sometimes use just oil & vinegar. My latest obsession has been to use hummus mixed with mustard. Sounds so weird, but it is to die for. I use either tomato & basil hummus or chipotle pepper. De-lish, plus an added kick of fiber/protein. You can make a different salad every day forever, so they shouldn't get boring! I sometimes have my salad with a sandwich thin or yummy whole grain roll if available. Carbs


5. Eggs. Mostly egg whites for me. I only like the yolks if they are hard boiled or really runny. I love egg whites so much because they are so versatile. I make 3 or 4 in the AM in the microwave just spraying a mug with spray, cracking them in, then micro for 1-2 mins with some seasoning. They are soo fluffy this way! I also love to make veggie egg white omelets and LOVE eating them for dinner. I'll use some spinach, mushrooms, broc, whatever veg and 4-5 egg whites. For dinner i'll have this with green bean "fries" (I just put green beans on a frying pan with some spray & seasoning and cook them til they are kinda crispy) and use an embarrassing amount of ketchup. Whatevs, I only use organic ketchup.


6. I will always be a burger & fries girl deep down. However, I stopped eating red meat about a year ago and don't miss it at all. It gives me horrendous stomach problems that last for sometimes WEEKS. Plus, I realized that it wasnt the taste of the meat I ate burgers for... I am a total condiment hoe. So when I go out now, i'll sometimes order a veggie burger, but only if its housemade. Why pay $9 for a microwaved one I can buy a 4 pack of for less and make at home? I only eat the bun if its whole wheat because i HATE processed white bread/buns/pasta/anything. And I don't like french fries anymore... only sweet potato fries. YUM! This meal is only complete if served to me with honey mustard and this usually comes from a delicious diner.


7. Whole wheat toast/sandwich thin with peanut butter, banana slices, cinnamon and honey. Enough said.


What are yours?!?!