I've officially completed my first full week of the 30 Day Challenge! Whooooooo :D Practices are still going great, and I'm still doing mostly early morning classes. A couple of days I slept in accidentally (boo), but still practiced either later in the day or on my balcony! Who says that you need to dress in Lulu gear and go to a specific space to practice yoga? Why can't I wear pajamas on my balcony and get the same benefit??
This week also marks the first week of challenge eliminations. I've started to eliminate caffeine from my diet (NOOOO!!!!), reducing it down to 3x per week this week, and then zero from June 6 onward. On Sunday I went to work and stopped by my regular coffee place on the way. Figuring that I was sooooo smart, I ordered tea instead of coffee. I chose chai tea thinking that it was herbal, therefore decaf. Um, no. Turns out that chai tea is actually black tea. Dammit, one day gone. Yesterday, I went out for an iced latte with work friends and forgot until the last possible second to ask for decaf. I have no idea if they gave me decaf or caffeinated, so to err on the side of caution, I'm calling it day 2 of caffeine consumption. One day remains for the week...
From my early morning practices, I've learned the extreme importance of planning ahead. A couple of times, I've been completely unprepared for the next day, and end up scrambling around at 5:45am to feed the cat and scoop her poo box, get my yoga clothes packed, get work clothes ready, change, find a lunch (because of course I didn't pack that the night before either), eat something for breakfast and/or get a breakfast to go for after class, etc. It wasn't pretty, and I was damn cranky. I've since learned that lunches should be packed the night before, yoga clothes should be washed and ready to go, and that breakfast can be made super quickly!
Let's talk food. Practicing yoga early in the morning can be challenging for breakfast lovers like myself. I need to eat before going to work out, or I will eat my own arms, and the rumbling of my stomach will disrupt everyone who is meditating (not kidding, it's loud :S). I will usually eat something small (small yogurt with berries, a banana, or a small bowl of cereal) before leaving in the morning just to get going, and then eat a bigger, more satisfying breakfast afterward. I'm fortunate enough to live about 10 minutes away from my home yoga studio, so I get to come home after practice to eat breakfast before going to work. But for those who are less fortunate than I, I present:
Satisfying Breakfasts on the Go
OMG recipes!!!
I'm really into eggs lately, especially those awesome Egg Beater cartons. They're just so freaking convenient! So, here are some egg-related recipes, and some other breakfast ideas!
The Fastest Egg McMuffin Ever
1/4c Egg Beaters (whatever flavour you like - all flavours other than Cheese & Chive count as filling foods!)
1 English muffin
Toppings of your choosing (I like tomatoes and/or salsa, and maybe some cheese)
non-stick cooking spray
a coffee mug
Squirt a little bit of cooking spray into your mug so that the eggs don't stick. Pour in egg whites. Pop the mug in the microwave and cook on high for a minute (if they're still a little runny, an extra 20-30 seconds). Meanwhile, if desired, toast your english muffin and put your toppings on. Plop your cooked egg onto the muffin, put the top on, and consume.
Super easy! Lots of protein and very satisfying, for the low low price of 3 Points (more if you're using cheese, sausage, bacon, etc). You can make it in a minute, wrap it up in tin foil, and there you have it - toasty warm breakfast to go! You could totally make this at work too to ensure full warming goodness, just take the eggs with you and hope that no one at the office steals them.
Veggie and Feta Frittata
I make this ahead of time, and it keeps me fed with breakfasts for SEVERAL DAYS! You can use whatever veggies you like, but here are some of my favourites for this recipe (add more of these measurements if your tray is big or you're making lots):
1c Egg Beaters
1/2c zucchini, chopped up
mushrooms, chopped up
1/4 bell pepper, chopped up
1/4c cherry tomatoes, chopped up
1Tbsp feta cheese crumbled
non-stick cooking spray
Spray a small glass pan with the non-stick spray. I have a bitty glass baking dish that I use, OR you could use a muffin tray!
In a bowl, combine your eggs, veggies and cheese. Pour into the baking dish.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until the mixture is firm.
You're done!
To eat over several days, keep it covered in the fridge. You can take off a slice when you're ready, heat it up in the microwave for 30s-1minute, plop it on a piece of toast or English muffin (or just eat it by itself, maybe with some salsa!), and munch munch munch! For point values, it really depends on how big of a slice you're taking (how many servings you get). I usually take about 1/4 of my mini pan, so it's a mere ONE POINT for a protein-and-veggie packed slice, add more for toast/English muffins when applicable.
Other favourite breakfast-on-the-go ideas that I love:
- Oatmeal, either the instant packaged kind, or make your own the night before. Top with whatever you like (e.g. PB and banana, apples and cinnamon, dried apricots and walnuts, raisins/dried cranberries, etc!)
- Yogurt parfait with lots of fruit (strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apricots, peaches, whatever) and a sprinkle of granola. I also like to drizzle a bit of honey on top :)
- Smoothies, which you can blend sans ice the night before, and just blenderize it with ice cubes to froth it up in the morning when you're ready to go
WOW!!! Breakfast is AWESOME!
Next week will start the complete elimination of caffeine, and start eating more vegetarian dishes! More recipes will come as I experiment!
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