EAT ALL THE THINGS ALL DAY

I’m headed into a busy season ahead: full-time work, ramping up my training and long runs for the Colfax Marathon next month, and, starting this week until July, 5 days of Grease rehearsal per week (2 of which are 5-hour choreography sessions).

I’m going to be working like a dog, moving constantly, and in need of delicious and nutritious fuel.

Here’s a day’s timeline of how I’m kicking my meals + snack-attack plan  into high gear.

 

BREAKFAST

Every single morning, I think to myself, “Take a picture of your breakfast, Vanessa!” And every single morning, I devour it first. It’s probably because I’m ravenous from the minute my alarm goes off, and because of a lack of caffeination. Having conceded that it’ll never happen, I took a photo of the scramble in the pan, instead. You can’t be it all, people.

But here’s what I eat for breakfast:

THE MOST DIVINE BREAKFAST BURRITO:

• sautéed mushrooms, spinach, and minced garlic in olive oil
• one scrambled egg
• wrapped up in a medium flour tortilla
• covered in Cholula

(Of course, this is washed down with steaming black coffee.)

Sometimes, when I’m going to sleep, I decide to have a sweet breakfast in the morning—granola or oatmeal or cereal. But then I walk into the kitchen at 6 am with only one word on my tongue: BURRITO. ‘Tis a theme in my life, as you shall see.

SNACKS TAKE OVER

First, you’ve got to keep snacky-type foods on hand in your fridge and pantry, like:

• crackers
• cheese
• fruits (apples, bananas, grapes, or fruit salad in individual tupperware, ready to go)
• tortillas and/or pitas
• muffins
• sandwich staples
• pre-cut veggies (cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, etc.)
• yogurts
• protein bars
• re-utilized dinner leftovers
• nuts and/or seeds
• yummy spreads (nut butters, jellies/jams, hummus, etc.)
• the list goes on! anything you fancy!

You also will need to get these logistical materials:

• a fun lunchbox!
• plastic sandwich bags
• lots of different-sized tupperware
• tin foil and/or cling wrap
• tiny tupperware for dressings/dips/hummus

TAKE 5 EXTRA MINUTES AT NIGHT*

*I’m sorry; I’ll wait. I’m sure you’re drooling over the above picture. That’s what I call
“The Banan-Rito” — Justin’s Hazelnut Butter + organic peanut butter spread on a flour tortilla with a sliced banana. Roll it up in tin foil and count the hours until you can indulge!

Ehem. Anyway.

I find that it makes life so much easier to pack your lunch + snacks the night before. Just do it; it’ll save (and give) you so much time and energy.

After such a divine burrito breakfast, I’m usually full for a good 3 hours. After that, it’s full-on snack time until dinner. I love to eat something substantial every couple hours, instead of a bigger meal for lunch, because it makes focusing at work a lot easier (post-binge lunch comas equal getting nothing done in the afternoon).

A TIMELINE BREAKDOWN

Using today’s busy schedule as an example, here’s how my nom went about.

6:15 am: breakfast burrito for champions + black coffee

9:15 am: James Beard’s zucchini bread muffin

11:30 am: Kasha Fire Roasted Veggie Snack Crackers + cheddar cheese

1:00 pm: cucumber + arugula salad; Siggi’s yogurt  (so good)

3:30 pm: the Banan-Rito, Queen of All Deliciousness

5:30 pm: (Dinner) reconstructed Falafel “Burgers”  (2 patties + lettuce + aioli + pita)

8:00 pm: grapes

NOW FOR MORE PHOTOS OF FOOD…

Just a word about Nature’s Path Organic Cereal: Sunrise Crunchy Maple + unsweetened almond milk makes such a delicious, healthy, and satisfying pre-run snack.

Here we have “The Banan-Dilla,” sister to the Banan-Rito. If you have a little butter, a frying pan, and a stove handy, this snack beats every other snack on God’s green earth.

THERE YOU HAVE IT!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVE SNACK?