I love eating food that tastes really good. So I’m sharing some of my favorite meals and snacks from the past week or so in this post. And we’re also going to talk about eating when you’re not hungry. I hope some of these meals excite your taste buds and inspire you!
I made overnight oats for the first time in like a year on Monday night for Tuesday breakfast and they were everything I hoped for. I shared this “recipe” on Insta stories but I’ll recap it here if you missed it. I like my overnight oats thick, really thick. So I use a heaping 1/2 cup of oats and then a scant 1/2 cup of milk in addition to a 1/2 cup of greek yogurt. A spoonful of chia seeds also helps thicken things up and a splash of vanilla and pinch of sea salt give it some flavor – kind of like when you’re baking. In the morning I added in a chopped apple (microwave for 60 seconds with a splash water to soften) and topped with maple granola and a blob of honey almond butter I found at Target (it’s their brand) that is LEGIT. I’ll be repeating this meal a lot as the weather warms up.
I picked up this fajita salad from Upbeet when we were in Atlanta last Friday. But I swapped the chicken for steak because I was in the mood for red meat. The best part was the homemade ranch dressing that they liberally drizzled on. Between the cheese, avocado, black beans, tortilla chips, steak and ranch dressing this salad was super satisfying. Eaten in the sunshine made it even better.
Let’s talk about eating in between meals when you’re not hungry. I get this question often and a reader emailed me this question a few weeks ago. If you’re somebody new to letting go of food rules and not restricting your food intake or eating based on external cues (calories, macros, certain times of day, etc) then I highly recommend resetting your body with a rhythmic pattern of eating (working 1:1 with a knowledgable RD is also a really good idea) Our digestive systems actually function best when food is coming in every 4ish hours. Eating every 3-4 hours also helps regulate your blood sugar. And to put it simply this builds trust back with your body and then your body says, “oh ok, you’re feeding me regularly and feeding me all the macronutrients and feeding me enough energy and I know more food is coming so I don’t need to compensate and conserve energy.” Eating three meals a day without snacks isn’t enough to eat every 3-4 hours unless you sleep 12 hours a day everyday which would be concerning. So snacks are necessary. And over time as you relearn how to feed yourself, you’ll find that you need snacks throughout the day. Sometimes you might need two and sometimes you might need six. Each day will be different, but in the beginning, regardless of hunger cues I recommended getting into a rhythmic pattern with eating – practicing intuitive eating isn’t appropriate at this stage.
This is an entirely different conversation, but if you ARE a competent intuitive eater there will be times when you will overeat – perhaps unintentionally (which happens and is normal) or perhaps intentionally to enhance an experience and you’re full for over 4 hours. You’ll find that those times aren’t frequent. If you are full for a longer time, that’s okay and normal too. You can snack or eat a meal when you get hungry again. If for some reason I don’t feel hungry – which isn’t often – and it’s been more than 5 1/2 or 6 hours since I last ate, I’ll always have a small snack to regulate my blood sugar.
Back to tasty food. The above meal was lunch for the past two days because Nick is out of town this week and so I was lazy and felt like doing zero cooking and minimal grocery shopping for the week. But it actually turned out to be a quick and satisfying meal and now I think I’ll be repeating this often. All I did was broil mozzarella cheese on two small pitas until melty and topped with some Italian seasoning. Then heated up some jarred marinara for dipping. The “salad” was romaine with Greek dressing. This actually reminded me of english muffin pizzas my mom use to make me as a kid. Anyone else??
I usually get burrito bowls at Chipotle because the burritos are so messy and they stress me out to eat because they are so messy and fall apart….I know I sound ridiculous. But on Sunday I decided the mess was worth it and got a burrito. It was tasty and awesome and that night, so much more satisfying than a burrito bowl.
I’m sharing these cottage cheese single serving containers because they were on sale this week at the grocery and I’m finding them so convenient and satisfying! I LOVE cottage cheese. My grandpa use to grow tomatoes and in the summer we would eat cottage cheese with summer fresh tomatoes mixed in and cracked pepper on top. I rarely take yogurt on the go because I like to mix things in like fruit or granola and that’s too much of a hassle to pack to go. But these! I can just eat with a spoon.
Another thing I spotted at the grocery and bought…ice cream cones! Usually I eat ice cream at night with a cookie or banana bread or something baked, but scooping some Breyer’s chocolate and vanilla into a cone has been hitting the spot. And it feels fun.
Share some of your favorite eats in the comments – I want to hear your inspiration too!
Also on Monday, look out for more information about the intuitive eating virtual support groups that are going to be offered in the next month with our new therapist, Liz. We are all so excited for this! If this resonates with you, see you back here on Monday for more details. 🙂
Have a fab weekend!
![Delicious Meals + Snacks I Ate [Plus New Recipes to Try]](https://www.thereallife-rd.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/37839805_10200840560274022_2240978196906377216_n-150x150.jpg)
![Weekly Eats [Featuring Fall Food Favorites + Boston Lunch Spots]](https://www.thereallife-rd.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_5995-150x150.jpg)
This week, I did something I’ve never done before… prepped meatballs! Like real beef meatballs! My doctor suggested I add some red meat to my diet because she found my B12 levels are very low. I like red meat, but I usually don’t buy it/cook it because I live alone and I’m a little intimidated by anything that isn’t baked chicken… but these meatballs were so easy and have been really satisfying all week long!
I’ve also been craving and enjoying yogurt and granola this week. I go through phases with that, and sometimes it’s the LAST thing I want, but this week it has been hitting the spot!
Also.. your pita bread/mozzarella lunch does remind me of those English muffin pizzas!!! Loved those! Sometimes I find that thinking back on what I ate as a kid is an easy way to simplify my thoughts around food when I start to get way too crazy. Cheese, crackers, apple was a staple snack at my house or, my all-time favorite: PBandJ!!!
Have a great weekend!
That sounds delicious! I love meatballs 🙂 And yes food choices were so much simpler as children before diet culture got in the way – hone your inner child 🙂
My favorite lately has been my homemade sourdough bread, lightly toasted with peanut butter and a pinch of sea salt. Maybe a drizzle of honey if I’m feeling special 🙂 Snacking can be really difficult for me because of IBS. Most of the time I am so bloated and gassy that I just don’t get hungry or I’m so I’m so uncomfortable eating is the last thing on my mind. My dietitian would love for me to add in a snack or two during the day. My digestion has improved somewhat since I’ve put on weight and eat more consistently, but it’s a frustrating road to navigate.
GOALS is making homemade sourdough bread! GI issues are really tricky and take a long time to iron out – but we can get creative to help you feel better and it sounds like your RD is helping! If its’ encouraging, the GI system functions better when fed about every 4ish hours 🙂
I still really like English muffin pizzas! Or a pizza on a tortilla shell.
I’ve been loving carrot banana muffins and oatmeal raisin cookies for snacks latey- I just make big batches and keep in the freezer. For meals I’ve liked tuna salad made with mayo over spinach with raisins and pepitas and swiss cheese on top with crackers on the side.
all sounds delicious!
Careful with the romaine lettuce! There have been e. coli reports related to it recently. But love all your meal and snack ideas, and appreciate your approach so much; it has really changed my life and the way I view food!!!
I did read that but it sounds like it’s chopped, bagged romaine and not the heads that I buy – but thank you for the heads up! I’m so glad the content has encouraged you!
they are now saying heads too
Haha I remember English muffin pizzas! I also loved bagel bites. And YES to snacks!!!
Happy weekend!
omg bagel bites were and are THE BEST!
This may sound disgusting, but I have been spreading grape or blueberry preserves on veggie deli slices and then rolling them up for snacks. Delicious! Also, that cottage cheese brand is yum…I just tried it for the first time the other day. Have a great weekend, Robin! 🙂
Robyn oops sorry autocorrect!
ohh man that is interesting haha but if you like it, you go girl!
OMG Pizza english muffins! My mom totally used to make those for me too! So nostalgic! 🙂
seriously, straight back to elementary school 🙂
Love all your ideas! I am going to try the overnight oats soon! I have been loving Greek yogurt with chocolate granola, blackberries and a little bit of honey drizzled in. I am also a big fan of the banana breakfast cookie recipe you shared a while ago…they are probably my favorite snack! And I’ve been super into making bagel sandwiches lately…last week was turkey lunch meat, bacon, arugula, tomato and avocado on everything bagels and this week has been a smashed bean salad on plain bagels.
I’m fairly new to the intuitive eating concept, and while there are times I have “crisis moments,” overall I’m finding it really fun to connect with food again and truly discover what I like. I know one thing…I’m with you…I never want to eat a raw almond again!! Haha! Too many years of thinking they were so important to my “healthy” diet…but I hate the taste now that I am truly eating for enjoyment and fulfillment.
I’m definitely on team bagel sandwich and not on team raw almond 🙂 your sandwich combos sounds delicious!
Rooting for you on your IE journey!
I loved English muffin pizzas! Current obsession is pita with whipped cream cheese. Yum!
love whipped cream cheese!l
Love your posts as always 🙂 I have another question to add to your list… any tips on reincorporating all foods back into your diet? I eliminated soooo many foods over the years in my disordered eating days and it’s difficult for me to feel good incorporating them again, but I want so badly to eat ALL foods! I’d love to hear your tips… thanks!
Hi Courtney! That is actually something called exposure therapy and often people need 1:1 support to strategically incorporate back in foods in a way that allows you to tolerate the distress, step by step, of doing that. It’s so individual that I likely won’t ever write a post but I’m hoping you get all the support you need! <3
Oh! Okay. Good to know 🙂 Thank you!
Love your thoughts on snacks! This reminded me actually of how when I was little, my grandparents had this rule about only eating breakfast and dinner with zero snacks. Even as a little kid, I found this bizarre, as I would be eating three meals and snacking multiple times a day ’cause I was a little firecracker LOL. But yeah, I hate this idea that you need to skip snacks or meals in order to regulate the amount you’re eating. Like what!! And then they’d be surprised when they would eat to the point of having to unbutton their pants at dinner every night. Weird weird.
unfortunately so many people eat in that pattern but keep doing what works for you!
I know exactly what you mean about the Chipotle burritos; they totally are a little bit messy. I really like doing the bowls too, but I think it’s definitely worth it to do the burritos too.
And your idea of melting cheese over a pita bread looks like the best lazy lunch ever!
Also I think you just inspired me to do some overnight oats soon. I love them thick too; it’s like eating a soft cake.
yes so doughy!
Hahaha! Food that falls apart makes me stressed too! And I don’t know how I would get by without snacks! These eals and snacks look delicious, though I’ve never liked cottage cheese. Although, that could be because I’ve only ever had the fat free stuff because that’s what my parents bought… Maybe I need to try this! Some of my favourite snacks at the moment are Chobani Flip yoghurts (especially the salted caramel one!), vanilla yoghurt with homemade tahini granola, and the salted pistachio dark chocolate chunk cookies I love making 😀 I also have a long-term love of carrots and homemade hummus, of course! Thanks for some new tasty ideas and have a great weekend!
full fat is where it’s at! and yes the chobani flips are super tasty! and those cookies sound FAB
What are some snacks you usually have during the day? I have substituted my late afternoon cookies for a trail mix. So far, so good.
Alexis
http://simplehealthstyle.com
check out all my weekly eats posts for lost of inspiration!
I’m really loving Ancient Grains Granola (it’s so yummy and crunchy and delicious!) Costco has a good size bag which is great because it’s amazing! Loving that! And then also the brownie walnut flavored perfect bars for a sweet pick me up and Costco’s Peanut Butter Pretzels are always a go to! Love these ideas, Robyn! My mom used to make those english muffins pizzas, too! I think I’ll have to bring those back! 🙂
peanut butter pretzels yes!!!
I LOVE cottage cheese and good culture is THE best. I like the little cartons as it helps me portion control – Cottage cheese is the one thing, even in the middle of my ED, that I could easilty eat almost a full tub of at once.
I also really like it as an alternative to yogurt in my oats! I love the chewiness of the curds with the chewiness of the oats!
I’d encourage you to keep working towards feeling confident around cottage cheese – it can take time and lots of patience and perhaps some 1:1 support. <3
All of these look so good! I used to be such a firm no-ice-cream-cone person but recently I’ve been getting into cones and I feel like I’ve been missing out!
loves cones! they are so fun I think 🙂
Robyn, that is my favorite cottage cheese!!! I was not a fan of cottage cheese, but when I tried this brand a while ago, I changed my mind. Yummy!!
Thank you for sharing this post 🙂 good food for thought