Grazing my way through the Week

Some of you might have wondered how I decided upon the name of my blog. The truth is, I really am addicted to a healthy life style, but I love food more. Ever since I was little, my mom called me a bottomless pit because I was always munching on something. Even as I type this post, I'm slowly grazing on my dessert ~1/3c of chocolate and rice Chex!

I would say that my second week of work is going much more smoothly than the first. Now, I just have to get my body adjusted to a working eating schedule!  I do really well not snacking in between breakfast and lunch, but in between lunch and the end of the day it all goes down hill! On Monday, I ate all of my lunch together whereas today I broke it up so that I was eating something small more frequently. I just have to be sure to track what I'm snacking so my snacks don't get the best of me (and my pants!).

Feeling the need for something hearty and filling to have (that was packed with some good nutrients), I made a batch of this soup which has been a warm and hearty feature of my lunches this week.

Tuscan White Bean Soup (modified from this recipe )

1/2c chopped onion
1c chopped carrots
1c chopped celery
1c diced tomatoes
3.5c water
1.5c canned white beans (cannellini) with 3/4c of the liquid
pinch of basil and oregano


Spray large soup pot with olive oil cooking spray. Add onions, carrots, celery. Saute until vegetables begin to soften, about 7 minutes (longer if you like your veggies softer). Add water, beans, tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low heat, add spices, and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, pepper, and / or red chili pepper to taste.  Serve with toasted GF bread, pasta, or rice!

makes 4 servings, is fat free, low in calories, high in fiber!

A quick re-cap of meal highlights so far this week:

Breakfasts all week have been 1/8c buckwheat groats and 1/8c BRM hot cereal, mixed with ~1/4c sweet potato, cinnamon, 1/2  T PB, and a few raisins: 

 On the lunch time grazing menus in addition to the white bean soup and toast:

Spinach salad with carrots, a few dried cranberries, celery, and Annie's lite honey mustard dressing

Dinners included:

a random combo of salad, vegetarian baked beans, kale chips and acorn squash, and pizza toast. pear was for dessert (Tuesday)

and tonight, along with a pear, was beefed-up cuban black beans - I added chopped onion, spinach, bell peppers, and broccoli. I also toasted up a Food for Life brown rice tortilla.

Hope you have a good night. Friday is almost here!