How to Eat Your Vegetables

Happy middle of the week! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday!

Everyone has grown up hearing Eat your vegetables! whether it came from Mom, Dad, or Grandma.

Those who chose to listen were rewarded with praise or even dessert.


Growing up I can remember loading my sweet potato with butter and brown sugar until it turned in to a Thanksgiving Day side and dipping my broccoli and carrots into pools of ranch dressing. So clearly eating my vegetables was not a difficult task.


Nowadays, things are a little different when it comes to me eating my vegetables. I have never been a picky eater (which I can credit to my lack of health before and my passion for health now) it just took me a little while to actually learn how to eat. You see, sweet potatoes are amazing exactly how they are - they don't need all the extras! And broccoli and carrots taste waaay better with hummus!


I can't tell you how many times I'll see someone thinking they are being healthy by eating their vegetables only to completely negate their good intentions with all the unnecessary condiments! So next time you do your body some good by eating your vegetables remember how to eat them.

• Salads should be loaded with colorful veggies and lightly tossed in a serving of vinaigrette dressing.
• Vegetables should be steamed or cooked until just tender - once they lose their color they also lose all of their healthy benefits.
• Instead of frying try baking, roasting, or sautéing.
• Dip raw veggies in a serving or hummus or plain greek yogurt mixed with a packet of seasoning.
• Ween yourself off all the extras when it comes to potatoes by gradually adding less and less so you can learn to enjoy them in pure form. 

While it might take some time, eventually you'll be able to eat raw veggies on their own and actually enjoy them! Make it a challenge to start eating your vegetables healthier so you can actually reap all of their wonderful benefits! 

Do the body some good today.
XOXO,
Claire

Things to Consider

It's been a crazy few days.

And the week has just begun. With that --- Happy Monday!

This morning started off with a favorite of mine that you could probably guess (if you read and/or know me...) considering I'm such a creature of habit. Good news: my healthy habits are sticking with me even in the dorm. 

"Expect problems and eat them with breakfast."

-Alfred A. Montapert  

B

1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1 cup Kashi GoLean Crunch, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup strawberries

---

Backing up to yesterday.

When I got back to the room I was next to starving and my feet were a hot mess. Luckily, I had this waiting for me in our mini fridge...

1/2 leftover falafel pita + grapes

If you haven't been to a Pita Pit yet then you should add it to your ToDo list because it is off the hook delicious. Think Subway gone Mediterranean. I always get the falafel for two reasons 1) falafel might be my favorite thing IN the world and 2) I'm a vegetarian (unless Mom busts out a perfectly seasoned, medium rare steak mm mm).

Things to consider when eating out...

• It is very likely that the portions you receive at restaurants or any fast food chains are astronomically too big. To insure you don't end up eating five times the calories intended ask for a to go box and immediately box half your order. Now you have a meal for the next day. 
• Do not be afraid to say "a little of this" and "not too much of that" or "hold the ___". Trust me the server won't be annoyed, if anything they'll laugh at you - I speak from experience. 
• Avoid combos, supersize, and 3 for $1 gimmicks. You won't be saving fifty cents by ordering more food than you were planning on purchasing. But you will be saving calories by avoiding the sales pitch...

---

To end things, I have the best roommate!

Love you Laur!

Seize the day you guys and Roll Tide!

XOXO,

Claire

It's Official

Well.

It's official.


I'M IN COLLEGE!


But before we get to that let's back up to dinner the night before the big move. Mom had to go to Huntsville for a few last minute errands. I needed more hangers. But hey, all my clothes fit with room to spare - helloooo shopping! Along with my hangers, Mom also brought back dinner from Zoe's Kitchen.

Pita bread, rice, shrimp + zucchini skewers, and a huge Greek salad

Deeelish! And the best news is there's a Zoe's Kitchen located in Bryant Denny Stadium. Peace out freshmen fifteen. 

If you happened to read my previous post then you saw how scary small my dorm room is...

Well guess who made lemonade out of lemons? 

The girls who live in this room! 

We actually had a few girls living in the same building come in and say "Wow, this room looks bigger!" It's true. My roommate and I high fived at that one.

---

For breakfast this morning I enjoyed a bowl of Newman's Own Flax Flakes, a sliced banana, and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Oh, and of course my cup of coffee.

Our chic kitchen table and my reflection on my computer screen :)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Friday! 

XOXO,

Claire

Almond Butter Makes Me Weak in the Knees

This week is going by waaay too fast. I can't believe tomorrow I am officially Tuscaloosa bound!

This girl.
In college.

Whoop dee whoop!

I move into my teeny tiny dorm room tomorrow - no really I mean teeny tiny, see:

Oy.

Tiny spaces leave no room for disorganization! And since I am 99% of the time a Type A I spent the majority of yesterday afternoon doing this:

You can bet I'm proud of those babies, too! We'll just have to see how long they stay this way... 

For lunch yesterday I polished off the rest of the grilled pizza and a handful of some green bean chips. I'd prefer fresh green beans buuut it happens and I procrastinate going to Walmart.

After my killer leg workout yesterday I whipped up something incredible, which is the reason for this post:

Almond Butter-Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

- 1 frozen banana, sliced and peeled

- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein (I used Earthfare brand)

- 1 Tbsp Almond Butter

- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Directions

Toss everything in a blender. Give it a whirl. Freak out, it's that good.

Why hasn't anyone tooold me how ah-mazing the addition of nut butters are to smoothies?! I legitimately did a happy dance after my first sip. You have to try it. Go. Now!

XOXO,

Claire

Breakfast Breakthrough

I was just asked what I was doing by the boyfriend and replied with "blizogging." Good word, huh? Z's make everything better in my opinion. 

Annnywayz (see what I mean?).

About the title of this post - Breakfast Breakthrough - it's finally happened, I've discovered a breakfast that might very well be as good if not better! than a Greek yogurt parfait and here it is...

Newman's Own Honey Flax Flakes

1/2 banana

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Man oh man, that's one bowl full of deliciousness! I found Newman's Own brand cereal at Publix.

Now for this picture of yesterday's lunch...

We just recently had our favorite Missouri friends over for a few days - shout out to the Friedhoff's! - and we had such a great time hanging out on the lake, reminiscing old times, and nommin' on some grilled pizzas! I tell ya, it's hard to go wrong with pizza but throw it on the grill? Out of this world! I whipped up four different pizzas...

Pizza numero uno:

tomato slices, jalapeños, kalamata olives, baby spinach, and parmigiano reggiano

Pizza numero deus:

simple margarita pizza - tomato sauce, tomato slices, mozzarella, and fresh basil

Pizza numero tres:

     roasted veggies (eggplant, garlic, onion, and zucchini), feta cheese, and fresh rosemary

Pizza numero quatro:

tomato sauce, country sausage, parmigiano reggiano, and mozzarella

All the pizzas turned out spot on which made me very happy! A surprise visit from some other Quinlivan's as well as Grandma Koochie also made me very happy - glad you guys decided to stay for dinner, love y'all! 

So that explains my lunch.

I'll leave you with my recent obsession in exercise...

Yoga with this guy:

Lately, I just haven't had the motivation to go through my intense workouts and HIITs so I've been doing some good for the soul yoga. I love Gaiam's videos with Rodney Yee. He has some great twenty minute yoga workouts which are perfect for me since that's about how long my patience is when I'm alone instead of taking a class annnd it makes it easy to get a quick yoga sesh in first thing in the morning. 

Now I'm off to do some yoga! Have a happy Monday!

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength."

XOXO,

Claire

Truth About It Is...

If there's one thing I can appreciate it's honesty.


Because ya know what? -- {Sometimes} Being healthy sucks.


I don't want half a cup of Ben & Jerry's. I want the whole damn pint.
I don't just want a freakin' cheeseburger. I want the cheeseburger and the curly fries.
And I want to toss my Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette in the trash and drowned my salad in ranch.


So kill me.


I say all this because half the time I see healthy and fit people and that's all I see -- a person perfectly healthy and perfectly fit just a beeboppin' around in their perfect body and perfect will power.

And I'm like I CAN'T STAND TO SEE YOUR FACE how in the world are you doing this?!


Which brings me to my newest finding in life...


I'M NOT ALONE!!!


That's one heck of a relief.

---

My favorite health bloggers out there have not only provided me with motivation and creative new ideas but they've also helped inspire me to cut the crap. So to anyone who's been thrown a little off balance like me -- you are not alone. Everyone has those days when being healthy just sucks and working out is on the bottom of the totem poll.

But the thing is it's only sometimes. If I ate like said way above I'd be miserable and my body would hate me. While it may be difficult to be healthy sometimes I'm willing to work at finding my balance just like all the other seemingly perfect healthy peeps out there because in the end it's all worth it.

XOXO,
Claire

Stuff in a Jar

I've got a whole bunch of Mason jars left over from my pickling phase just sitting in my pantry begging me to use them. 

Along with a lot of other things in my pantry begging for attention but we won't talk about that.

I don't know what is but everything is just better when consumed from a jar. 

Drinks...salads...pickles...buckwheat.

Yeah, that's right. Buckwheat. Again. Good ole, no hassle buckwheat in a jar.

Ingredients

- 1/4 cup dry buckwheat

- 1/2 cup milk of choice

- 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt

- 1/2 Tbsp chia seeds

- 1/2 mashed banana

toppings:

- 1/2 sliced banana

- spoonful of peanut butter

Directions

Mix everything together in a jar, cover and let sit over night. Heat in microwave for 3 minutes and top with desired toppings. Viola! Yumminess.

And because I was feeling really dangerous this morning...

I added some raspberries. They were delish you guys, de-lish. 

The whole meal in a jar idea really makes it easy to grab and go and that is juuust what I'ma be needin' for my up and coming dorm life. Ah, college is vastly approaching.

Vastly.

As in like 8 days. OH MY DEAR LORD! Eight freakin' days, 192 hours, 11,520 minutes.

Basically, soon. 

Real soon.

And with my real soon to come change of lifestyle will also be a whole lotta obstacles for keeping up a healthy lifestyle. I will no longer have a the comfort of my own kitchen which will force me to make some major adjustments.

Wanna know what my thoughts are on this?

Bring it on.

XOXO,

Claire