In The Grind
Today marks my last day off from work or school for 15 days. Ill officially be in the grind for half a month!! Usually I get a bit compulsive and stressed when this happens, but I’m determined to accept the situation and have fun with it.
I started the day catching up on some blog work and dishes. I then headed over to my parents house to wait until my moms car was ready to give her a ride to the shop. It took longer than we thought it would but I did get to spend some time outside in the sun.
It was getting kind of late and I was about to put off grocery shopping until tomorrow, but somehow I had the energy to drive all the way to Trader Joes.
While in the store I noticed I was very content. For one thing, I had officially made it 2 weeks on $100 worth of food (a lot of it organic/natural) for the two of us and its exciting to do it again.
The other reason was very much related to this mornings post about making peace with food again. Even though the contents in my cart didn’t change much, it felt like a lot less pressure to shop and a lot more fun!
I can also say that I’m content with getting 5 bags of groceries for $85 . . .
Along with this mornings theme, I decided that I wanted to post more of my meals. Maybe this is boring to my readers but I’m convinced that it will help me make sure that I am eating whatever I want and also that every meal becomes a pleasurable event.
I notice when I photograph my food for the blog, it forces me to slow down a lot. I get a nice plate, I try and make it look pretty and then I take my time to enjoy it a lot more.
Breakfast
I started out with a frothy coffee which kept me from eating for a while. I have a bad habit of drinking a cup really slow and not actually eating breakfast until late on mornings that I have time. This sets me up for ravenous hunger later in the day so I gotta work on that!
Eventually, I topped a slice of Ezekiel toast with some scrambled eggs and salsa.
Lunch
Mom fired up the grill at home where I had a little more than half a cheeseburger. The meat was really thick and I was satisfied very quickly. Good thing for the dogs!
Snack
I snacked on half of this at home, and half before I grocery shopped. I haven’t eaten one of these in a while and honestly, it was because I was told that it has way too much sugar. Yeah, it does but it was there and I wanted it.
Dinner
Dinner was a bit of a mix. I had 1/4 of a gigantic stuffed pepper that I made recently which im chipping away at along with a few blue corn chips and a simple but delicious Mexican type salad.
I chopped up some lettuce, red onion and cilantro and mixed in some olive oil, salt pepper and a squeeze of lime juice and THEN topped with a glop of pineapple salsa. Cilantro makes everything taste so fresh!
My plan for the rest of the night is to possibly tackle the shower that is getting pretty dirty. I probably wont get to it but worse things have happened. Besides, I probably should be doing something relaxing before I’m in the grind . . . .
Balancing Money–Pack Yo’ Snack!
You would think that with the expense and hassle of a 2 hour commute would be the worst thing about going to school, but it’s not.
I’d have to say the thing I’m struggling with the most is walking down the street and seeing a goldmine variety of places and things to eat . . .
And Not Being Able To Eat Them!!
If I had it my way, I would eat every meal out while I’m in the city. There’s just something about the experience of each place and the tons of variety from cute little vegan huts to the street meat that smells so good that makes it feel special.
But of course, we all know . . .
I’m A Broke-Ass Student
One who is trying to make a huge dent in her loan.
So that leaves me to pack my own food and snacks.
Here’s an example of what my Sunday Full Day eats are.
BREAKFAST
I’m finding that the best thing for me is something that doesn’t have to be hot that still has a good nutrient ratio that I could prepare over night. Sounds like a challenge right?
My solution . . .
Muesli With Almond Butter.
I soak about 1/2 cup with 1/2 cup of almond milk and let it soak over night. In the morning, all I have to do is plop some nut butter on top and it’s good to go! It works because I don’t actually get hungry until the end of my 1.5 hour train ride so I don’t have to eat it right away.
LUNCH
Salad
I like bringing a salad for my meal on my lunch break. Usually, we will be tasting recipes all day so it’s good to have something light to have mid day. This one had lettuce, carrots, onions, avocado, and roasted chicken from my birthday dinner.
DINNER
Dinner is a tricky one. It’s a meal that has to be eaten on the train so it has to be portable and not have too much aroma. I will usually make a sandwich or a wrap.
This one had roasted chicken, leftover salad and accidental chunks of stuffing that ended up making the sandwich .
SNACKS
I like to keep enough small snacks on hand that can be consumed pretty quickly. We have a lot of short 10 min breaks between lectures so it’s the perfect time to get in a little carbs or protein for energy.
Of course, this changes every week but I think I finally got a good structure to keep me saving and healthy. Occasionally, if I have enough in my allowance . . . I’ll treat myself to a slice of pizza or Whole Foods hot bar. Food brings me joy and sometimes it’s totally worth it!
Do you pack your own food for work or school? Is it more work than its worth?
