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Breakfast, Part 1 (pre-workout): Cottage Cheese
I can’t believe it’s been about a year since I last did a What I Ate Wednesday post! (Here are my first three: 1, 2, and 3.) I’d like to say I’ll try to do more of these posts, but in reality, my daily eats generally aren’t always interesting (I’m still stuck on my cottage cheese in the morning! :) ). There is a random day that is pretty fun though, and this day was one of them…enjoy!
Thanks to Jenn for hosting! Be sure to check out her lovely blog Peas and Crayons to see her eats, which are always an inspiration.
Breakfast, Part 2 (post-workout): Banana Bread Oatmeal with Walnut + Date. This was so good I had to share the recipe…
- ⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup water
- 1 medium banana, thinly sliced (divided)
- 1 Medjool date, pitted and chopped
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal (I like Bob’s Red Mill’s flaxseed meal)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (more or less to taste), plus more for garnish if desired
- 1 small pinch sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon chopped walnuts, for topping
- 1-2 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk, for topping (optional)
- Add the oats, water, ⅔ of the banana (reserving ⅓ of the banana for topping), date, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, and salt to a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently and mashing the banana against the side of the saucepan, until it reaches your desired consistency, about 5 minutes.
- Pour the oatmeal into a bowl, sprinkle the walnut on top, and add the reserved ⅓ of the banana; drizzle on the coconut milk if using, and sprinkle on a little more cinnamon if desired.
Lunch: Fall Salad. This one had deli turkey, onion, dried cranberries, walnuts, and maple-Dijon vinaigrette on a bed of lettuce. Served with a couple slices of my new obsession, Kerrygold Vintage Dubliner…after trying this cheese, all other sharp white cheddars pale in comparison.
Afternoon Snack: A Homemade {Healthy but Decadent-Tasting!} Shake. So, so good.
Update (12/20/2012): Because of the overwhelming number of emails as well as a few comments below that I received from people asking for the recipe for this shake, I am going to let you in on a teensy little secret. I can’t share the recipe now (I’ll be announcing why soon!) but I can say that the flavor of this shake/smoothie is based on the flavors in a toffee-almond chocolate bar – and it actually tastes like that! Good news is that even though it tastes insanely indulgent, it’s not; it’s actually full of nutritious ingredients. Plus it’s vegan, naturally-sweetened, grain-free, gluten-free, and made from ingredients you probably already have in your fridge/pantry. And there’s more where this smoothie came from. ;)
Dinner: Lamb and Navy Bean Stew (Fajoom) With a Handful of Wholegrain Crackers. This is basically the Syrian version of chili – comforting and perfect on a cold night! The recipe can be found in my cookbook.
(Unpictured: Multi-vitamin, lots of water, and a cup of herbal tea in the evening.)
If you want, feel free to share a day’s worth of your eats in the comments below!
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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I love how simple yet so tasty that banana oatmeal is! Even my picky little boy has some with me, thank you for sharing!
As an adopted Scots I wholeheartedly approve of the oatmeal, but today I had a crispbread with goats’ butter and 2 scrambled eggs with some stewed tomatoes.Love me some savoury! I usually have a protein topped salad for lunch too and some kind of stewy thing in the evening. I’ve already got a lamb, prune & chickpea tagine-like thing going on in the slow cooker (it is 9 am here). I love the idea of What I Ate Wednesday. I hope you keep it up!
You don’t want to know what I ate today… Restaurant, restaurant, grocery takeout. At least I am making tamales this weekend. Cottage cheese is good… So is (steel cut) oatmeal. But my new fav for the am is a mixed whole grain and rice dish from Trader Joes that has peas, carrots and corn, along with veggie sausage. Yea, I’m weird. :)
The pre-workout meal is one I always miss because we work out at 4am and nothing sounds good that early. I do love cottage cheese and oatmeal though!
I am trying to find your shake recipe but can’t find it…HELP
Hi Nancy, Thanks so much! I can’t share the recipe now (I’ll be announcing why soon!) but I can say that the flavor of this shake/smoothie is based on the flavors in a toffee-almond chocolate bar – and it actually tastes like that! I’ve updated the post with a little more info.
What a yummy day of eats. Your oats look right up my street. That shake looks amazing and you dinner looks hearty and warm.
I had been meaning to do these post for long and keep myself aware of what i am eating but havent done it yet. the shake looks so good!!! also dinner sounds very delicious.
Your shake looks delicious! What was in it?
Hi Susan, Thanks so much! I can’t share the recipe now (I’ll be announcing why soon!) but I can say that the flavor of this shake/smoothie is based on the flavors in a toffee-almond chocolate bar – and it actually tastes like that! I’ve updated the post with a little more info.
Banana bread oatmeal is my kind of breakfast, love!
Faith, that oatmeal sounds awesome! I have been on an oatmeal kick lately. Nice smoothie ;)
Delicious looking pictures and eats!
Mmmm that shake does look good! What did you put in it?
Hi Kaitlin, Thanks so much! I can’t share the recipe now (I’ll be announcing why soon!) but I can say that the flavor of this shake/smoothie is based on the flavors in a toffee-almond chocolate bar – and it actually tastes like that! I’ve updated the post with a little more info.
Looking forward to it!
Oooh how I wish I ate like you!! Everything looks amazing! And that shake… yummo!
What a great day of eatin’!
What a great food day!! The oatmeal and shake look esp good
Very healthy! I am a big fan of cottage cheese.
Cheers,
Rosa