Forget this Black Friday business, I’m too stuffed to function.
I am actually having a hard time looking at the food photos I have from Thanksgiving…but the pictures of the kiddos…I could look at those all day.
It may be a while before I can comfortably post Thursday’s meal(s), but I have pre-feast work food to share.
First up, a peanut flour/oat breakfast.
In addition to oats and peanut flour, I stirred in some home-made granola and chia seeds as well.
Sometimes my breakfast bowls look semi-watery and I occasionally get questions about whether or not they thicken up over night. I assure you they do.
Here’s a pic of the tupperware only a few minutes later…
So imagine how much liquid the grains absorb overnight in the fridge! Then factor in the gelling from the chia seeds (or flax seeds)…
Sometimes I think I could eat my oats with a fork.
For lunch I had kale, roasted butternut squash, couscous and dried cranberries.
A wonderful medley.
As you can see there were also snacks aplenty, including a banana, granola bar, and an eggnog & raisin spice muffin.
The PopCorners kettle chips (from Lollihop) were my snack on the way home from work. I even gave a few to Kyle since he was starving and was eyeing them with a pathetic look of longing.
No pics of dinner since it was a repeat-er.
Then I packed up lunch for the next day and called it a night.
My commute to work on Wednesday morning was like nothing I’d ever experienced in LA. I felt like I was Will Smith in that movie (I Am Legend?) where he’s the only person still alive. I’ve actually never seen the movie, but my point is, the city felt deserted.
Then I got to the hospital and things were just as busy as ever. Not surgery busy, but busy nonetheless.
I was really excited for my breakfast because I was trying out a new ingredient, Linwoods flaxseed.
They make a variety of flavored flax seed mixes – all of which sound delicious – and after seeing them at Whole Foods a month ago, they’ve been on my mind. I am always nervous about buying something so expensive in bulk before trying it, because it’s potentially a huge waste of money if I don’t like it.
So I was THRILLED to get a sample of the cocoa and berry mix from Lollihop (seriously, I was so overcome with joy, I was nearly jumping up and down). And out of all the flavors I’d choose to try, this probably would have been my top choice, too. Well done Lollihop!
I’m not entirely sure about the kcal stats since the nutritional values were listed per 100 g.
I added them to my oats (along with raisins), and left them to thicken overnight.
I don’t have a photo from the next day, but they made the oats a perfect consistency. Plus they gave the oatmeal a yummy, hearty, flaxy flavor. I didn’t detect much cocoa or berries though. I could see this being a super simple ingredient in baked goods. Since the flax is already milled, I don’t know how long it would keep, but I’m definitely a fan. I want to try all the other flavors too! I wish they sold sample sizes in a variety pack.
Anyway, moving on to lunch.
Surprise surprise, more kale creations. This tupperware of greens had leftover soy glazed carrots, tempeh bacon, and quinoa.
As I was heading out to enjoy my food in the sunshine, one of my coworkers asked what I was eating for lunch. I told her, but she had such a blank look on her face I don’t think she recognized any of the words but carrots.
As I was eating, I was all too aware of my patients who were both NPO (and taking everything via G-tube). There’s nothing that whets your appetite quite like tube feeds, am I right? Seriously though, what a bummer.
More snacks…
I’m pretty sure I’ve tried this flavor gnu bar before. It was so-so. Gnu bars are less sweet than most health bars, which I like, plus they have fiber up the hoo-ha. However, they are smallish and the banana walnut flavor isn’t my fave. I got it in my Lollihop box, so it was a nice change up from my usual Larabar or Clif bar.
I also had a slice of eggnog & raisin spice bread.
After I got home, I showered & ate, and then Kyle and I headed to San Clemente. It was a late night commute, so the traffic wasn’t bad (not that I would know since I fell asleep on the way). In fact, I was so tired from the work week that I went straight from the car to the bed. Fortunately I was already in my PJs so I didn’t have to change…but I probably should have taken my shoes off. I woke up the next morning to discover I had passed out still wearing my Uggs.
Do you eat differently leading up to Thanksgiving? Or following the big feast?
My work meals were the same beforehand, but I definitely feel like I could use a few lighter days after gorging on Thursday. Not because I am concerned about how much I ate or anything. I honestly still feel full.
This may seem like a silly question..but how much grain (quinoa, couscous, rice…) do you usually include in your creations for lunch? 1 cup?
Thanks :))
I always start to let loose a day or two BEFORE the holiday, which leads to overeating several days. That’s a habit I need to break! I was honestly starving all day today despite everything I ate, but I think that was either a stomach stretching or last-hormone-pill situation…
Linwoods do make a mini selection pack- but back in the UK! (I would send you some, but unfortunately going back to uni for a second degree is draining me dry) I like the flax, almond, walnut and CoQ one too (CoQ- good for the cardiovascular system eh?) That cocoa, berry and flax mixture actually does have quite a powerful cocoa taste- I often eat it alone/straight up (I know, I’m weird), or dumped on top of soya yogurt, porridge or tofu mousse. Btw for working out the stats on that ickle packet of 15g it would be the tabulated figures * 1.5… I always feel more sorry for the patients on soft diets- those blended, mystery globs, or worse just soup+orange juice with thickener, especially with the post CVA/SAH patients who can’t indicate what they want or dislike.
Oats really do absorb water like magic!
I can’t comment on Thanksgiving, but Christmas is totally focused around the food (and drink!) for us. Luckily as Christmas is Summer here, we go for heaps of fresh amazing seafood, salads and tropical fruits rather than the traditional heavy roast meal. After lunch, it’s always down to the beach for swimming and cricket, so at least we get to burn some of that energy off (but that is usually followed by another huge meal of leftovers and then a snooze!)
I probably do eat more than usual, because when I’m surrounded by delicious, fresh amazing food, there is no stopping me 🙂
I tend to lighten up my meals afterwards because I feel full for so long afterwards. Ooof.
Did the Flavor and Fiber bar give you any digestive grief? I have a bunch of them here, and I am not crazy about the flavour, but I am also not eating them anymore because they contain inulin and/or chicory, both of which I know cause me grief. But I hate wasting food! I can’t even convince my husband to eat them because the flavour is so ‘meh’.
I actually didn’t eat that much on Thanksgiving. I get full really quickly, so I ate until I was full but it wasn’t a lot. And then I couldn’t have dessert because none of the pies were gluten free. I actually woke up around 4am to my stomach growling! Clearly it wanted some pie…
We have multi-packs of all the linwoods flavours in little sachets in the UK – I could send you some over if you like? 🙂
xxx
seriously, youd do that? is linwoods a UK based company?? if so you guys are lucky!
Sure! They’re not too expensive over here, particularly when you do buy the multi-packs, and my local health food store has a discount/reward scheme that works out really well for me. I’m pretty sure that Linwoods are based in the UK, and I love their products, but I think there are a lot more vegan/health-friendly companies in the US. We do have the odd Ace up our sleeve over here, though 😉
Anyway, I’d be more than happy to send over a couple of the smaller multipack boxes – you were so helpful when I asked a ridiculous amount of questions about FODMAPs, it’s the least I can do. I’m at jasriana@tiscali.co.uk if you’d like to let me know where to send them.
youre awesome. expect an email soon 🙂
Hey! LOVE the way you’re integrating the snacks into your daily meals 🙂 And I guess we’ll pretend to take credit that we somehow read your mind about the Linwood’s flaxseeds..haha
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
Sandy
its ESP…just go with it.
now that i look back, it could have been the fodmaps that wreaked some havoc on my system. i felt pretty yucky later that evening and then the next morning, but i usually have “issues” after working 2-3 days in a row. that damn inulin. ugh. who knows.
no idea. 1 cup seems about right though.
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