Happy Wednesday! I hope your week has been going well. Mine has been wonderful — since I got home on Sunday night I’ve managed to sleep nine-plus hours most nights, catch up with friends, spend quality time with family, go on longer runs, and cook more than I usually do when I’m at school. I start a 9–5 internship a couple days a week this Thursday, so I’m savoring these long, free days while I can.
If you’re new to the food and healthy-living blog world, WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday) posts were started by Jenn from Peas and Crayons and are now hosted by a different blogger each week. Today’s host is world.com, and WIAW posts are a fun way for bloggers to share a full day of meals and food inspiration. I haven’t done one in a while, so I thought I’d recap yesterday — I tried a couple of things that were new to me and wanted to share how they turned out.
Breakfast was simple and satisfying: a veggie-and-cheese omelet after an eight-mile run, finished with a spoonful of salsa.
For lunch I tried black bean pasta, which I’d made once before and liked enough to try again. The noodles I used are made from black beans and water and pack about 22 grams of protein per 2-ounce serving, versus roughly 8 grams in a similar portion of traditional white or whole-grain pasta. I simply tossed the cooked noodles with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic powder, Parmesan, oregano, and parsley. Because the pasta is already high in protein, there was no need to add a meat sauce or another protein source.
I can be picky about healthy alternatives to familiar foods: black bean pasta is slightly different in both flavor and texture — a touch chewier and less neutral than regular wheat noodles — but I’ve enjoyed it both times I’ve made it. It’s a great option when I want to boost protein without adding meat, and while it probably won’t replace traditional pasta entirely for me, it’s a valuable addition to my pantry.
We ordered the black bean pasta from Thrive Market, which carries a lot of pantry staples like oats, coconut milk, and nuts, along with natural beauty products and other items. I’ve also seen this kind of pasta available on Amazon. For an afternoon snack I had a cup of Siggi’s mixed-berry skyr — thick and rich in protein, similar to Greek yogurt.
I also made kale chips for the first time using kale from a mystery produce box I’d ordered. They aren’t the same as potato chips, but they turned out crisp and satisfying — a great savory snack. I’ll share the recipe later this week.
Later in the afternoon I blended a large green smoothie: unsweetened almond milk, half a can of coconut milk, fresh spinach, and a mix of frozen berries and bananas. It was creamy, fruity, and packed with nutrients — great fuel for the rest of the day.
Dinner was a big salad topped with grilled chicken, plenty of vegetables, a scoop of guacamole, and a side of steamed broccoli — colorful, filling, and balanced.
After dinner my brother and I carried on a favorite holiday tradition: decorating the Christmas tree while watching Elf. It still feels odd that Christmas is only nine days away and that, here in North Carolina at least, we can still wear shorts some days.
So tell me…
What’s the best thing you’ve eaten or cooked recently?
Have you ever tried black bean or edamame pasta?
What’s your favorite Christmas tradition? When do you usually decorate your tree?
Growing up, my family usually decorated the tree the day after Thanksgiving, but over the years our decorating has crept later and later. I’d love to hear how you handle holiday decorating and what recipes or snacks have been hitting the mark for you lately.