Oh, the things I do for good food...

I think it's safe to say that my devotion to Whole Foods has reached a new level. Today is Monday, so of course I had planned a trip to that beloved mecca of all things natural and organic. Then, this morning it decides to pour down rain. Bear in mind that Durham, NC has been in a severe drought for months; I was grateful for this relief from the dry spell. However, I was a tad irked that it had to be on my shopping day. Anyway, I decided to brave the rain, despite the icky factor. It's days like these that I wish I had a car at school. Nevertheless, I stocked up on some goodies, which you'll be seeing throughout the week, no doubt :)


Saturday
Saturday morning I woke up later than usual (read: 9AM--gasp!), so by the time I got back from my workout I was famished. I decided to keep in simple and have some Weetabix biscuits with almond milk and banana with PB. Well, I was so hungry that I forgot to take a picture before I started scarfing it down--oops! There will be other Weetabix mornings, rest assured. Side note: yes, I do measure my PB--otherwise I might eat the whole jar in one sitting!

Sunday
For lunch yesterday, I decided to try a free sample that was sent to me awhile back. As I have mentioned before, I write occasional food reviews for VegFamily vegan website, so some companies send me tasty vegan eats to try. This one is a heat 'n eat Indian meal; it appears to be a competitor to Tasty Bite. Same packaging, similar recipes, and they both have that same ridiculously precise nutritional information (e.g., "107 kcalories per 100 grams"). Anyway, I digress. What's important is that I truly enjoyed this meal! It's nice to find the occasional packaged gem that is both natural and satisfying. This particular variety is vegan, featuring lentils and chopped spinach, although there was hardly a speck of green in sight--I made up for it with my salad. I ate half the package with whole wheat pita bread (pseudo-naan), a mixed greens salad, and an orange.


Last night for a snack, I dug out another free sample that has been lurking in the depths of my dorm pantry. These are cookies from a Brazilian company called Jasmine. From my oh-so-sophisticated knowledge of Spanish and Portuguese, the appearance of "organico" and "integral" on the package indicate that they are both organic and whole grain. This variety is--what else--the Brazil nut flavor. The cookies were tiny little snack cookies packed with distinct flavor; they actually tasted like Brazil nuts! These would have been perfect with a glass of almond milk or perhaps hemp milk (which I have yet to try!). I included a picture of them next to a quarter so you could get a sense of how big (or little) they are.

Monday

This morning was another Kath-inspired breakfast--I just love the texture of the cooked banana in oatmeal! Instead of using flax like I did last time, I decided to switch it up a bit with some whole almonds.



In looking over this post, I realize it probably looks like I eat a lot of packaged foods. I try to eat as fresh as possible, but sometimes I choose convenient and relatively healthful foods instead. I promise I do cook when I get the chance!

While at Whole Foods today, I contemplated buying some vegan ice cream, but decided against it because I was getting too cold in the freezer section (rainy day+freezer case=one chilly Caroline). Sooo...for the next time I make a trip and can afford for a splurge, what is your favorite ice cream flavor? Brand names, dairy-full and dairy-free, are all welcome suggestions!

I am off to warm up with some green tea:)