What I ate Wednesday– May 10th, 2017

Good morning!

I am not sure if it’s the pregnancy or just my mood, but for the life of me, I can’t bring myself to finish a few posts I have half way done that require some concentration and hard work to get through. Last night, I fully planned to spend my evening at my computer, working on one of the posts that is about a recent partnership, but instead, I relaxed with a manicure and pedicure and then watched a movie on the couch. After doing some reading, it seems that it is pretty common for expecting moms to experience some attention deficit disorder or absentmindness during the third trimester. It’s interesting as I feel like I’m on my game during the work day but bringing myself to focus on something after hours is difficult. Or, maybe it’s all my friends and followers telling me to be lazy while I can.

Regardless, the partnership post that I had planned for today will hopefully go live tomorrow and instead, I’m sharing another What I Ate Wednesday with you guys. I’ve received some questions on Instagram and Instastories lately about the food I’m eating during third trimester so giving you guys a sneak into a day of eats will help address some of these questions.

Pre-Breakfast – 6:15 AM

When Bo and I go to the 6:45 AM Orangetheory class, we typically have coffee and either a piece of toast with almond butter or a handful of Purely Elizabeth granola. Yesterday morning I opted for a handful of granola, some NUUN and coffee before heading to the workout.

Breakfast – 8:15 AM

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This week I’ve been craving yogurt bowls filled with lots of fruit. Yesterday’s bowl included Fage 0%, ground flaxseed, 1/2 banana, a few strawberries, 1/4 cup of Purely Elizabeth granola and a drizzle of Justin’s Almond Butter. I microwaved one tablespoon of Justin’s almond butter so I could drizzle it versus putting a glob in my bowl. I tend to eat breakfast at my desk while catching up on emails and reading industry articles.

Lunch – 1:00 PM

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On Saturday, I suddenly had a craving for a sandwich after weeks of having salads or leftovers for lunch. While I’ve avoided lunch meat most of my pregnancy, after doing some research I realized that as long as I buy fresh, high quality meat that is nitrate free and hasn’t been sitting out very long, I can answer this craving. The harm in eating deli meat comes from the risk of listeria as well as the nitrates often found in lunch meat. We are lucky that there are a few places within walking distance of our apartment who slice their lunch meat fresh from meat they’ve roasted in house. After talking with them, I feel very comfortable about eating this meat.  Since Saturday, I’ve been enjoying the same sandwich and lunch on repeat.

Two pieces of whole wheat bread, one slice of Muenster cheese, 1/4 pound of roasted chicken, romaine lettuce, tomato, Sir Kensington’s mayonaise, dijon mustard and a dash of salt and pepper. I round out the plate with mini sweet peppers, hummus and a pickle.

Afternoon Snack – 4:30 PM

Yesterday I made a snack bowl which included one serving of these delicious, chocolate almonds mixed with 3 cups of popcorn. I enjoyed that with a La Croix during an afternoon conference call and loved the mix of salty and sweet!

Dinner – 8 PM

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Bo and I are still loving Hello Fresh and in fact, are currently on our third week of meals. Last night’s dinner was the Blackened Catfish served atop green beans, baby potatoes, peppers and onions. Many people have asked me what we like about the service and I think last night’s dinner is a perfect example.  We love that the meals take the exact amount of time the recipe card says (30 minutes), features a mix of proteins options including fish, and combines flavors that we would rarely use and therefore don’t typically have on hand such as blackening spices.  You are able to look at the meal cards in advance when you choose your meals for the weeks and each card provides you with the ingredients, time required, difficulty level as well as the nutrition values. I love that we’re able to make informed decisions together in advance of receiving our delivery. You can even customize your plan to Fit, Quick or Variety preferences and yes, they do offer vegetarian options!  If you haven’t tried it, you can get $40 off your first box by clicking here. For perspective, the Classic Plan which includes 3 meals for 2 people is $59 per week, which means you’d get 3 meals for 2 people for just $19 using the code!

Dessert – 9 PM

halotop

As I mentioned, last night I found myself relaxing on the couch for two hours instead of being productive. The couch time was made even better with a bowl of delicious ice cream. A few weeks ago the team at Halo Top sent me five golden tickets, aka coupons, to try their ice cream.  I picked up chocolate chip cookie dough and cookies & cream this week at the grocery store and had a double date with each of them last night. While I know they advertise being able to eat the entire pint, I preferred to enjoy one scoop from each. Based on Instagram, it seems like the fan favorites are birthday cake, cookie dough, chocolate almond and peanut butter cup.  For those of you who haven’t tried it yet, Halo Top is a low-calorie, high protein and low sugar ice cream that uses all natural, wholesome ingredients. The ice cream is sweetened with organic stevia and Erthritol which is an all-natural sweetener which doesn’t cause the bloating and negative blood glucose side effects that the typical articifical sweetners cause. While I wouldn’t say that Halo Top can replace my beloved Ample Hills or other fresh, local ice cream it is definitely a good alternative to enjoy a few nights a week.  In Brooklyn it can be found at Fairway, Whole Foods, and Stop & Shop while nationally it’s now carried in many large grocery stores such as Kroger and Publix!

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Dinner with Green Blender

green blender

Even though I didn’t run today’s Brooklyn Half Marathon, I had the pleasure of enjoying a relaxed, pre-race dinner with a lovely group last night in Long Island City thanks to Green Blender.

In case you’re not familiar with Green Blender yet, it is a smoothie delivery service which brings organic, farm-fresh smoothie ingredients to consumers in 30 different states. Founded two years ago Jenna Tanenbaum and her boyfriend Amir Cohen.  Each week their members receive enough pre-portioned ingredients to make either five large smoothies or five smaller smoothies. What truly sets them apart is the recipes and ingredients. The recipes range from their fan favorite Chocolate Chip Banana Bread to Creamy Orange Rhubarb.

green blender founders

green blender produce

After giving us a tour of the facility, Jenna and Amir served a delicious meal perfect for runners and non-runners alike.

group at green blender dinner

rainbow chard

None of us could get enough of the delicious Rainbow chard salad, oven roasted chicken thighs, roasted carrots, pesto or pasta. Cooked and prepared by our hosts, the food was delicious! There was rarely a lull in the conversation as our group had so much in common even though we’d just met before dinner.  (The group at dinner included @lilmissrunshine, @meghadoshi, @ohanaloverun, @milesfitter, @jennatanenbaum and @emilynachazel.)

dinner is served

I will share a full review of Green Blender with you guys in the next few weeks as I’m setting up my first delivery for the week following Memorial Day!

Hope you guys have a great day and congratulations to everyone who ran today, especially those people who ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon!

Your Turn: What’s your favorite smoothie combination? 

 

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The Best Healthy Turkey Chili Recipe

turkey chili

Here’s what you should know about me. Once the temperatures dip below freezing, I crave a few things: warm slippers, flannel pajamas, chai tea, red wine, and chili. Seriously, I could eat chili every night during the Winter months as long as the flavors change.

Our tastes have fluctuated over the years, and we’ve most recently been eating white chicken chili rather than the traditional red chili. But, after last night’s dinner, I think I’m back on team red.

In fact, I’m about to make a very strong statement. This chili recipe is the best, healthy chili we’ve ever tasted. Hearty, filling, flavorful and rich it leaves you smiling from a full belly while still warming your mouth with smoky, rich flavors. A few surprise ingredients, like charred red peppers, will add depth to the flavor while only requiring a minute of extra effort. Trust me, it’s worth it.

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It’s one of those dishes that only gets better as a leftover, whether served for lunch or dinner. The few simple, surprise ingredients give it a rich, warm flavor that is often missing in healthy chili recipes. Made with lean, ground turkey, it’s healthy enough to eat during the month of January when 99% of blog readers are thinking twice about what they eat.

We recommend topping off your bowl with with jalapenos, shredded cheddar cheese, scallions and a dollop of sour cream before grabbing your largest spoon.


turkey chili

The Best Healthy, Turkey Chili

Servings: 12-14 depending on serving size
Active prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1-2 hours simmering
Ingredients:
2 medium onions (diced)
6 garlic cloves (grated on a micro planer)
2 red bell peppers (charred on the burner and diced)
2 pounds ground white meat turkey
4 15oz cans red kidney beans (rinsed well with cold water)
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
10 Tbsp. chili powder (divided into 8, 1 and 1)
2 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup bourbon
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. corn starch (to thicken if needed)
salt
pepper
olive oil
Directions
1) Place a large stock pot on the stove over medium high heat, once hot add about 2 Tbsp. olive oil
2) Add onions and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes or until the onions begin to soften
3) Add red peppers and cook for another 3 minutes – remove contents of pot to a side dish
4) Return pot to stove and add additional olive oil – once hot, add 1 lb of turkey and season well with salt, pepper, 1 Tbsp. chili powder and a little cumin (you can also add any other spices you like such as garam masala, turmeric, or paprika)
5) Once brown remove turkey to bowl with onions and peppers and repeat with other pound of turkey
6) Return all cooked ingredients to the pot and add kidney beans, tomatoes (crushing whole tomatoes in your hand as they go into the pot), stock, spices, herbs, bourbon and syrup
7) Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and let simmer for at least an hour, up to 2 hours (the kidney beans should not be broken)
8) Season to taste with salt and pepper and if the chili seems a little thin, add corn starch a little at a time to thicken the broth
9) Garnish with any combination of white or green onions, avocado, cheddar cheese, sour cream, corn chips, cilantro, etc.
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