January | 2011 | healthy laps

smaller meals & snacks

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Jen

I have been so hungry when I wake up over the past few weeks. I try to get up and drink some water right away because I also feel very thirsty, but that doesn’t keep me out of the kitchen for long! It’s usually around the time I am brushing my teeth that my stomach really starts grumbling. 🙂

I head to the kitchen for some cereal to hold me over.

Pomegranate Blueberry Crisp from Trader Joe’s.

It is delicious, but a little too sweet for me in the mornings.

I also usually whip up a smoothie to drink mid-morning at work, when I knew I will be hungry again.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

1 frozen banana
8 frozen strawberries
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp pepitas
1 cup water

I love smoothies as a morning snack! They are filling and refreshing.

For lunch today, I made an old favorite, which was pieced together after scouring through our empty cabinets and fridge for lunch.

Almond Butter, Banana and Jelly Sandwich on Millet Bread.

(this is a recycled photo, but you get the point! :))

I seem to get hungrier for snacks than I did before and I think it is because my meals have been smaller. I don’t have as much room for food in my stomach anymore (!!), so smaller meals and snacks sit much better with me.

Snacktime – Hummus & Spelt Pretzels

And, for dinner, I stopped at Panera Bread on my way to our Newborn Essentials class!

Thai Chicken Salad, which was packed with romaine lettuce, chicken, peppers, carrots, edamame, wonton crisps and a light thai dressing.

This salad was great!

And, during class I snacked on a Blueberry Muffin Larabar, which is a new flavor that was sent to me from Larabar as a sample.

This flavor is delicious! It smells just like fresh baked muffins and tastes just as good.

Filed under: Eating Laps, Product Reviews | Tagged: cereal, larabar, salad, smoothie | Leave a comment »

i’m pregnant: week 30

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Jen

I wasn’t planning on a pregnancy post this week, since I just recently posted a Second Trimester Recap, but I had to document some photos!

Week 10

Week 20

Week 30

It is amazing how much can happen over a 5-6 month timeframe. It seems like just yesterday that we found out that we were pregnant…and here we are with just 9 weeks left to go until our due date!

Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: pregnancy | 3 Comments »

o.n.e. coconut water

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Jen

I received a very generous package of O.N.E. Coconut Water months ago, and I am just getting around to writing a review!

As we all know, I love coconut water! I love the taste and its great health benefits. You can read all about the benefits of coconut water here.

Now that I am pregnant, I enjoy coconut water even more. It is important to stay hydrated when you are pregnant and sometimes water just doesn’t cut it! I like having a little something else every other day or so, and coconut water is definitely my go to beverage of choice these days. It tastes refreshing and delicious! Plus, it helps to keep me hydrated and gives me some added benefits of calcium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and sodium. And, it is all natural with no added preservatives or sugars, so it is good for me and the baby!

Lucy, at One Natural Experience, sent me a few different flavors to try, including their new line of sports drinks!

According to their website:

O.N.E. Active starts with the pure water from inside a young green coconut – nature’s original sport drink – then we add ginkgo biloba, panax ginseng, catuaba bark and antioxidants. Because O.N.E. Active contains essential minerals – potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium – in the form of electrolytes, it is absorbed efficiently into the bloodstream, speeding fluid to your cells to rehydrate, refuel and replenish your body. Quick absorption is essential for warding off fatigue, cooling the body and achieving peak performance.

Plain coconut water is already a great choice for a sports drink, so this Active coconut water contains those great benefits with an added bonus.

I really enjoyed the active coconut water (lemon-lime was my favorite!). It was a bit sweet, so I like it more mixed with a little plain water, but overall it had a great taste. It does not have that artificial taste that many sports drinks have. And, it contains all good ingredients!

I was also sent my absolute favorite coconut water out there – with a splash of pink guava.

According to the website:

Just as the name suggests, O.N.E. Coconut Water with a Splash starts with our pure coconut water and we add a splash of fruit juice to offer tropical flavors like Mango, Pineapple and Pink Guava. Containing more than 85 percent coconut water, Splash offers tasty selections that still provide all the health benefits of drinking plain coconut water.

This line of coconut water is awesome because it tastes like regular coconut water with (like it says) just a splash of fruit juice. It is not too sweet and is still thirst quenching. All of the flavors are good, but the pink guava is by far the best in my book!

I would love to see a splash of lime. 🙂

O.N.E. also has a kids line of coconut water drinks!

According to their website:

O.N.E. Kids is a great tasting, super hydrating and nutritious beverage with less sugar than typical fruit juices, and the five essential electrolytes naturally present in coconut water. It’s O.N.E. huge step for kids and parents who care about their health.

I, honestly, can not wait to try these! They sound delicious. 🙂

Filed under: Product Reviews | Tagged: Coconut Water, reviews | 1 Comment »

adventures in breadmaking

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Jen

This past Wednesday, Boston was hit with a big snowstorm, which meant a snow day! It was a perfect day to stay inside and bake. 🙂

I started the chilly, snowy day off with a bowl of warm oatbran.

I cooked the oatbran with milk, a mashed banana, a dash of vanilla and a shake of cinnamon. It came out great!

I stirred in some dried blueberries towards the end and topped it with chocolate peanut butter, cranberry almond butter and a sprinkle of coconut.

A great breakfast on such a chilly morning.

Next on my list for the day was to try out my new breadmaker that we got for Christmas!

I had been dying to try it out. So, I looked up some recipes and got started with some Cranberry Almond Apricot bread.

It is extremely important that you put the ingredients into the breadmaker in the order shown. Wet ingredients must be first, then dry on top.

Then, place the pan into the breadmaker.

Close the lid and make your selections. For this bread, I used the White Bread setting for a 1lb. loaf on light (next time, I would do medium).

Three hours and 21 minutes later, out came the perfect loaf of bread. 🙂

A crust formed on the outside, and when you sliced into the bread it was soft and doughy. Just the way I like it.

A little while later, I sliced up a piece of the warm bread spread on a little butter and served it with a smoothie for my afternoon snack. 🙂

A chocolate cherry bomb smoothie!

Yum!

Now, I know not everyone has a breadmaker…and you could definitely make this bread without one and bake it in the oven. It just takes a little more work because you are waiting for the dough to rise, etc. But, I’m sure the bread would come out just as good!

Filed under: Eating Laps, Recipes | Tagged: breadmaker, oatmeal, smoothie | 2 Comments »

my newest cravings – carbs!

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Jen

I still can’t figure out if my cravings are really from being pregnant, or just normal cravings that every woman has. What I do know, is that I give in to my cravings much more these days…and I love it. 🙂

This week, my newest obsession is cereal. But, not just any cereal…crunchy cereal! The last few days, I have been loving Kashi Go Lean Crunch – Honey Almond Flax.

It is crunchy and sweet, without being overly sweet.

And, I love it topped with banana and served with freezing cold milk.

The ingredient list isn’t so bad, and the nutritionals are definitely up to par. With 200 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 8 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein it will keep you full and satisfied for awhile.

Other favorites for lunches have been hummus sandwiches made on homemade bread (made with my new breadmaker!!) filled with hummus, spinach/lettuce and cucumbers.

This might be my absolute favorite lunch…it’s delicious and satisfying. Two really important things!

Along with my sandwiches, I try to eat a piece of fruit and a yogurt for more staying power.

And, for dinners I have been craving carbs! So, the other night we decided to make up a lighter Mac & Cheese that I found in my Women’s Running magazine.