I kind of cringe/look away in horror when I see all the egg yolks staring me in the face on my Instagram account. Not because I don’t love them, because clearly I’m quite the fan. It’s more like that awkward moment when you do simple math and realize you eat upwards of 20 eggs a week. Or 15 bananas a week. And more ground meat concoctions than you care to count. It seems like a lot when you think about it this way, but yet it feels oh so right.
BUT my Instagram account is not EVERYTHING I eat. And, if you were to see every single meal that I consume, you would see…a whole lot more of the SAME STUFF. Dammit. What was my point? My point is that from the pictures alone it really looks like I eat the same stuff all the time. But I actually don’t. I use a lot of the same ingredients, and a basic template for my meals, but I swear I make things taste unique by varying subtleties like spices, cooking method, and subbing ingredients in where I feel like it. So yes, I might eat my body weight in eggs and plantains, but I make each meal special in some way. Because truthfully I get bored of eating the same stuff over and over. I need flavor variety at least part of the time.
So without rambling on in defense of plantains for another second, here’s what I ate last Sunday. Thanks for this fabulous link-up, Jenn!
I made myself a mixture of starchy veggies, green veggies and meat and topped with eggs like I love to do. This particular breakfast was kabocha squash that was pre-roasted and then sauteed in duck fat with broccoli and chorizo sausage, topped with eggs. I do seem to follow that basic template for my breakfasts and I really love it! I’m full until lunch without feeling bloated when I eat this way. The flavors combined really well and I only seasoned with a bit of sea salt and pepper.
Breakfast is almost always followed by coffee that I make at home and I always add a few tablespoons of full fat canned coconut milk. I blend it in my own container and store it in the fridge. Perfection. I never sweeten my coffee because I don’t like sweet coffee anymore. This is one thing that really is the same every single day.
My lunch usually looks like it’s a salad but it’s usually a lot of protein and fat sitting on top of some spinach and possibly another veggie. I almost always have my lunch in this white bowl though out of habit. This was a lamb burger seasoned with onion powder and salt topped with homemade mayo, over spinach, roasted beets and avocado. I love lunches like this because they’re perfectly filling and delicious. Other times the protein is fish, sausage, or ground beef but there’s always an avocado in there unless I’ve run out.
I really love this water bottle! My kids love it too though unfortunately and often steal it, meaning it’s probably a germ party most of the time. I don’t care, it really the only thing I drink water out of.
My afternoon snack goes one of two ways – very carby or protein/fat. For whatever reason I’m either craving one or the other. I usually eat a snack around 3:30 after I pick my kids up and before the after school activities start. I’m not always super hungry but I know I need something to power through until dinner. On this day I went the protein/fat route with an Applegate grassfed hotdog and the other half of my avocado from lunch. This is a great combo for a quick snack if you haven’t tried it! When I go the carb route it’s usually a banana with a lara bar or some other fruit/nut combo. And other times leftover dinner, whatever it might be.
I eat a lot of sweet potato fries, that’s no joke. Truthfully I would not always make them into a “fry” shape but the whole “fries” thing really sells it to the kids, and remember they are eating my dinners now every night too! So fries it is. My son LOVES these white sweet potato fries. He actually doesn’t even like regular french fries, it’s so strange. He thinks sweet potato fries are regular fries. My kids also go nuts over meatballs. Much more than burgers! I think because meatballs are easier to eat when cut up. So these meatballs were made with ground beef, an egg, salt, pizza seasoning plus garlic and onion powder. I fried them stove-top in a little bacon fat since my husband is away and I wasn’t making a thousand. We had them with Simply Enjoy (Stop and Shop) jarred marinara sauce which is a great inexpensive, no frills, sugar free sauce. Not a great photo but this was a great dinner. I got lazy and didn’t make a green veggie, but if I were to, it would probably be kale or broccoli rabe with this dinner. That would’ve been good, maybe for next time.
When I did the Whole30 almost a year ago now, I tried to avoid an after dinner/bedtime snack because I thought my digestion would benefit from skipping it. I’ve since realized that I really like having a little bed time snack or dessert every night and my digestion has only improved so it’s definitely not hurting.
Assuming I’ve had a lot of protein and fat with my dinner, I’m usually wanting something on the sweet side for dessert, and there’s usually fruit involved. This was a sliced banana with a few sliced strawberries, topped with a handful of trail mix containing almonds, pistachios and raisins, plus some crumbled up coconut butter.
Yes I was too lazy to melt the coconut butter, but just like M&Ms this stuff melts in your mouth 🙂 Other toppings for my fruit have been almond or cashew butter, pecans, or Enjoy Life chocolate chips or other dark chocolate. I vary the combinations based on what I feel like and what I have around. Since it’s gotten colder I also like to follow up my snack with herbal tea. Chamomile and licorice are two of my favorites! So comforting, and between that and reading in bed I’ve been sleeping a lot better recently.
How do you add subtle variety to your meals? Is there one meal for you that’s the same every day? Do you follow a “template” for your meals each day or when meal planning? What are two foods that you eat every single day? For me it’s eggs and bananas. Happy eating!!
I eat bananas every single day, and usually some sort of salad for lunch. I think I also eat a larabar every. Recently Ive been eating eggs for breakfast whenever I have time to cook, and between that and baking on the weekends I have been going through eggs like crazy! I used to be fine with 12 for 2 weeks but now I need 18 for the week!
Yup, same here. If it works, it’s a good thing!
I totally eat the same “template” foods every day just mix up how I eat them. I can’t recall the last day I didn’t eat peanut butter or oatmeal in some form! And for sure, I always need a nighttime snack. I would wake up starving nauseous hungry at 1 am otherwise. And, my runs would suffer the next day.
I love my bedtime snacks! I doubt I’d wake up hungry without it but it just feels like the right thing to do before bed 🙂
Hahaha how I can relate! I love your Instagram so don’t change 🙂 I am still on the evening snack train – but I feel I am way more satisfied with a few squares of dark chocolate. Last night I had some coconut butter and it wreaked havoc on my stomach. I threw the $15 jar in the garbage.
Dark chocolate is a favorite but I only invest in a good bar once in a while. That’s sad that coconut butter made you sick! I love it and eat it pretty often so that would be upsetting.
Haha yeah I’m at ~20 eggs a week also! Feels so right, you’ve got that right. I like how you say you use the same ingredients as a template, this is the best explanation. I think it’s easy to get stuck in a rut for sure when using the same things, but it’s also not a bad thing to use the same things to create different variations/concoctions if said foods work well for your body. Ditto on the afternoon snack… I also either need carbs or protein/fat and it seems to almost alternate daily. Two foods I eat daily are eggs and coconut butter!
Eggs and coconut butter are awesome 🙂 There really is a lot you can create with some good basic ingredients.
Definitely a template eater. I think that it is normal for those of us with busy schedules and with digestive issues to do so! We know what will work but still be satisfying. I just try to introduce some new ingredients or flavors occasionally. It is amazing how far that will go in terms of making a recipe or meal feel brand new!
Good, basic ingredients can make some great meals! And if it works for us and tastes good it’s worth repeating 🙂
Love the idea of eggs over the veggies. I’d leave out the meat but otherwise, yum. I find myself eating out of the same bowl too. Isn’t it funny the habits we have? Happy WIAW!
The “favorite” bowl makes it better I think! Eggs with almost anything works for me 🙂
Wait let’s think this out for a second–we all eat the same foods remade into different meals because there is only a limited number of proteins, fats, vegetables, and fruits to buy. Couple that with their are only a number from each category that appeal and agree with each individual’s taste and then of course digestion and then the variety that appears so vasts realistically quickly becomes small. I know growing up we ate very healthy and the same meals got rotated each week just maybe made in a different form or with different spices. We run our kitchen the same way. Spices, herbs, tomatoes and homemade dressings make meals feel different and add a lot of flavor. We have as much variety as possible. We are empty nesters so I even plate from healthy gourmet shops and they even have the same thing week in and week out. as long as you make what you enjoy, your body feels good and nourished keep on doing it.
BTW, that is why WIAW are fun because you get a peak at others meals and how to tweak a dish to make it a little more interesting or different. After all, on these blogs we tend to all eat the same basic staples give or take a few things. Have a great day!
True, especially when you take a real food approach and the food isn’t altered it can all start looking the same! And WIAW is great to get ideas and see what other people are doing 🙂
I definitely follow a basic template for my meals… mostly because it takes away some of the effort I have to put into thinking up new ones 😛 I used to plan my meals to try to get as much variety in as possible, but that got exhausting so I keep things pretty basic now. And my two daily foods? Definitely bananas and almond butter. I could probably survive off those…
Right now I’m eating bananas and strawberries with a mix of almond and coconut butter. When things are good they’re worth repeating! And when life gets busy it’s nice to have easy go-to foods 🙂
Your instagram sentiments are my exactly! My variety has gone down a bit from what I am used to due to the whole college dorm living thing, but my foodie creativity and weird concoctions are ALWAYS strong!
I think it’s great to have staples that we love and it’s also fun to experiment and find new favorite combos!
Do you prepare your own white potato fries? If so, if you don’t mind me asking, what seasonings do you use? I’ve been looking for a good recipe to use lately.
The ones pictured here are white sweet potato fries, but I also have a recipe for roasted red potatoes that taste just like fries in my opinion! I use salt and pepper, onion powder and either dill or chives. For the sweet potato fries usually just salt and pepper.
I think most people eat similar most days! I really only differ on my dinners, but breakfast, lunch and snacks stay the same! I might change up a few things, but the gist is similar! I honestly feel better when I eat the same 🙂
It’s nice to have go-tos and favorites! I do like to mix up my meals but if I’m super busy it’s whatever’s quick and available.
I just followed you on IG (how was I not?) so that I can see more…eggs! Kidding. I know what you mean–I tend to fall into some of the same food habits but do try to keep shaking it up with new recipes.
It’s great to have go tos! I try to show things other than eggs on IG but somehow that’s all I see when I look at my pictures 🙂
I have a little bit of a template I follow day to day and I go back and forth on the nighttime snack. I really just have it if I am hungry which usually depends on the time we end up eating dinner. Have a good one!
I think especially with marathon training I feel like I need that bedtime snack! A template makes meal planning a lot easier.
On days I work my 12.5 hour shifts I pretty much eat the same thing. My go to foods are eggs, chicken, and bananas. My life pretty much revolves around those. Lately I’ve been trying to spice things up though. Been trying new recipes and making healthier desserts.
A long work shift means just eat what’s easiest and works for you! I love trying new recipes when I have a bit of extra time. You never know what might become a favorite!
Please know I’m always super inspired by your meals and never think they are too similar. Hey, at least you cook everything you eat! That’s way better than saying “I ate this packaged breakfast every single day this week”
Haha I haven’t thought of it that way! But good point, and thanks! Admittedly there have been days I’m trying to switch my breakfast so I’m not showing the EXACT same thing 2 days in a row. It’s inspiration to bring variety to my meals 🙂
I can totally relate. Nothing wrong with doing what works and just following what you’re body wants/likes. I love big salads for lunch and I usually do something kind of similar after the gym – nuts and avocados are like salad gold
Agreed, it’s great to have go-to foods and favorites! If it’s working for you it’s a keeper 🙂
I am 100% guilty of being in food ruts all the time. I don’t really care though, I like what I eat! I have the same breakfast, morning and afternoon snack every single day. Breakfast is eggs with either your bacon/apple hash or chicken sausage. Mid morning snack is a “Think Thin” bar which is not paleo but it IS gluten/GMO free, and high in protein. Afternoon snack is a banana. Lunch and dinner are where I get my variety, and those even tend to look the same week after week. But it’s like Les said, there are only so many variations of meat, veggies and fruit that one can do.
I might do my plantain apple bacon hash tomorrow because it’s been a while! It’s funny that when I look at my recipes I realize I actually do vary meals quite a bit. The eggs are here to stay though 🙂
I definitely follow a template. I used to be very strict about what I was eating and ate the same thing every day except the weekends. Now I’ve become more lax. I have my blog & injury to thank for that.
I think relaxing a bit is not a bad thing and it could be a time where you experiment with new recipes and discover some new favorite foods/meals.
My co-workers crack on me all the time because my pre made meals look the same every single week. They really aren’t exactly the same, but I suppose it seems that way.
I love that your kids eat your dinners! I try to do the same with my boys, but sometimes they wind up with whole wheat pasta instead of my zucchini noodles. You can’t win em all! 😉
Mine won’t do zucchini noodles, so if I have something like that I just cut up raw peppers and cucumbers for them and they’re happy. At least now they’re eating the “main” part of the meal and I’m not buying pasta anymore.
LOL! This is why I would never do a WIAW post – because I literally DO eat the same things almost daily, ha ha ha ah!
If it works it works I guess. Nothing wrong with that!
Wow some of those foods look awesome!
I definitely need to vary my breakfasts a little. Every morning it’s bacon and eggs, bacon and eggs, bacon and eggs.
I love to make those “fries” too – especially after a workout they go down a treat!
Bacon and eggs are so good but I usually like some starch in there too. Plus I love sausage as much as bacon with breakfast.
haha I’m the exact same way. I do eat literally the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday just because I know it’s healthy and easy!
emma
Haha. We’d all be ruined without bacon!
To be fair, once in a while, maybe for a special occasion, I’ll have pork chop and egg instead of bacon and egg. Still piggie though. If I’m feeling wild I’ll scramble the egg :)!
If it works then it makes sense to me!
My breakfast is always the same: bulletproof espresso, 2 fruits+coconut cream+ my own nutter bomb, and an egg and vegetable dish of some kind. Weekdays it’s quiche, and weekends it’s omelette.
I also follow a primal template, so paleo + a bit of dairy, and my meals are similar throughout the week due to meal prep. We always have a dish made with ground grass-fed beef, we always have quiche, and we always have smoked mackerel. After that, how we serve vegetables varies: salads, roasted or steamed.
Two foods I eat every day are nuts and coconut cream (and coconut oil!).
I love a good quiche. Your meals sound pretty awesome! It’s nice to have staples that you can go for over and over and they never get old 🙂
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