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
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
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
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
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!
