Welcome to the No Spin Zone

This morning I took off with Scarlet for yet another trip, so I wanted to get this out early, before I left. It’s quiet and Scarlet is still sleeping – a precious moment to relish.

Yesterday I mentioned that I’ll be showing you every single thing I eat over the course of a day, instead of just meals. A lot can happen between three perfect squares a day. I intend to give you a really clear picture with all of the behind-the-scenes. Let me know what you think of this format.

Most days I prefer to have a mix of sweet and savory for breakfast, and this bowl of low-fat cottage cheese with fresh blueberries and crunchy granola is a perfect example. U.S. blueberries are in peak season – get them while you can! I also drink my usual cup of coffee.

One more day and this banana would have been too far past its prime, so I enjoyed it as a snack while I pushed through a few deadlines. Most of the starches have been converted to sugars in a banana this ripe.

I was ravenous by lunchtime, and loaded my plate up with this homemade cheese stuffed focaccia I made special for Father’s Day. I read Jeffrey Steingarten’s Vogue food column each month, but this is the first time I tried the recipe. It was okay, but I realized that it’s time to invest in a larger pizza stone since the focaccia didn’t fully brown and crisp up. To complete the dish, I topped it with fresh arugula, toasted pine nuts, and a few drops of balsamic syrup with warm marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

Most dietitians have a “secret” stash of something, but won’t admit it. I grabbed these M & M’s for dessert, and it’s not the sugar and empty calories that bother me, but the artificial food coloring. Can someone invent natural M & Ms please? Okay, I will admit that this supply of M & M’s seems to be never-ending, though it came from a single bag (the big one) I bought months ago for a recipe. I hesitated before grabbing a small handful and asked myself, “Should I wait until Saturday, so I don’t have to blog about it?” But that wouldn’t be fair to you, would it?

Don’t even get me started.

I originally picked up this little sample of Udi’s granola at a dietetics conference a few weeks ago. Sometimes “gluten free” labeling scares me off, but this tasted surprisingly good, filled with a blend of oats, nuts, honey, raisins, and canola oil.  I grabbed it before heading to the gym for a turbo workout session so I could consume some carbs immediately post workout.

I needed something to hold me until dinner with Steve while Scarlet ate. We typically put her to bed and eat peacefully together afterward.  We had seaweed in the fridge, a side I love alongside sushi, but I read the label on the package and was too grossed out to finish it. Ingredients included high fructose corn syrup, agar, and “may contain artificial food coloring.” Ew!

I was still hungry so I spread some olive tapenade on a couple of large whole grain sesame crackers and drank the last Yakult I had from my bout of sickness last week. I know, it’s a random combination, but it’s slim pickings in my fridge the day before a trip.

For dinner I marinated some bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. I sprinkled them generously with Mrs. Dash Chicken Grill seasoning, coated them with a mixture of canola oil, Dijon, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper, and then cooked them on a medium grill for 8-10 minutes per side. A generous mound of steamed broccoli with cheddar cheese shreds (secretly I was yearning for Cheese Whiz) and a spritz of lemon and buttery spray paired perfectly with it. I also added a small side of microwaved sliced potatoes.

Estimated calories: 300 (breakfast), 480 (lunch), 445 (dinner), 570 (snacks)

Time to run to the airport. But first please tell me, what food do you try to keep out of the house that makes you really happy when it makes it’s way in?

Disclosure: Fresh & Easy, the brand of crackers included, is a client of mine. I paid for these crackers and was not compensated for including them in this post.