Monday, March 31, 2008

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:)

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those cookies are SO cute! They're so tiny though. =( I guess they would make for good portion control, hehe.

As for ice cream, I love Rice Dream. My favorite flavors are Cocoa Marble Fudge and Cookies n Dream. =)

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear you had rain today too!!!

As for the packaged foods, I feel like I have the same problem, however, all of our choices are healthy, you know? So I don't worry about it too much, so don't feel bad, I am the same way!

My fave ice cream is mint chocolate chip ~ any kind will do ;)

Lindsay (Happy Herbivore) said...

omg. those cookies are so small and cute. i love all mini things! so adorable... im a sorbet person but my husband loves rice dreams ginger cookie icecream

J said...

Brett had to skip his store trip yesterday 'cause of the rain (we are car free - AWESOME), he was upset because he was out of Newman O's. :-)

I wouldn't mind some free samples!

(Oh, and I have to be careful with peanut butter too - the next thing you know, I've eaten half a jar and have no room for my meal!)

As far as ice cream goes - I'm a freak there too - don't really like it a whole lot, never really have. I can do sorbet though, I adore fruit like nothing else.

ChickPea said...

Romina: Yes, they ARE small, but that means I get to eat lots more of them:)I saw the Rice Dream in the freezer the other day before I bailed. It looked quite tempting!
loveofoats: I definitely agree. It's not like I am eating Oreos and French fries every day--the packaged stuff I choose is still relatively natural and healthful. Good choice on the mint chocolate chip;)
HH: I am with you on the mini-thing. I love individual servings of things for that very reason. I have these PB packets I have been meaning to use. The brand is Justin's nut butters, and they make these little 2 tablespoon pouches of peanutbutter and almond butter...Sorry, tangent. What brand of sorbet do you buy?
Jennifer: I notice you buy the Newman-Os regularly. Are they one of your fave treats? Maybe I'll try those for a treat after vegan ice cream!

Matt said...

is the whole foods in birmingham nice? do you have any recommendations? i plan on stocking up!

ChickPea said...

Bama: The WF in Birmingham is GREAT. It's one of the really large ones, so you can pretty much find anything you're looking for. As for recommendations, I defnitely suggest you take a look at the cereal aisle--it's like a huge wall of breakfast goodness. Lots of variety there. Also, you might want to check out the salad bar/hot foods bar for lunch. It's a great place to pick up a quick and filling lunch. It might be a good stop for lunch or dinner before you return to Tuscaloosa!

Matt said...

i think i might try to do dinner there friday night. i am gonna go to best buy first and then stop at WF on my way back.

Anonymous said...

Hey I'm from Brazil! ( my parents are missionaries haha)i've tried those cookies before... They are from one of the two vegetarian lines in Brazil ( the other being a form of vegan burgers and then lasagna - although it has cheese*melodramatic sigh* not all things are perfect ;) haha)

ChickPea said...

conquerbysmiling: That is so cool that your parents are missionaries, especially in Brazil! Is it hard being a vegetarian in Brazil? I have heard that a lot of South American cuisine focuses on red meat, so I was just curious. Glad to have you reading my blog!