Visual Food Stuffs.

So I've decided to try out taking pictures of my food. It's something that I've always thought about doing, but assumed I didn't have the time. Well, I have plenty of time, actually. I figured it would be a nice change of pace and might help in repairing and strengthening my relationship with food.

I must warn, a lot of what I eat won't be the most visually appealing, but I guess one of the main goals I'm trying to achieve is keeping track of what I eat (without counting calories or points) and actually seeing how nutritious and balanced (or unbalanced) my food choices are.

I should also note that I'm not aiming to be a professional (or even amateur) food blogger because that would require a better camera, patience and not rushing to set up/take shots. None of which I'm really willing to take on right now, heh.

I can't promise that I will document every meal, every day, but I'm at least going to try it out for a bit, just for fun.

Pre-breakfast:



Amazing Grass Chocolate SuperFood! I've been drinking this every morning for a while now, either as a post-workout recovery drink and/or a pre-breakfast boost. My morning coffee consumption has declined dramatically since I started using it. I just have one scoop mixed with water and sometimes, a splash of soy or almond milk. (And yes, that is a Patrick Star figurine in the background. Still love me some Spongebob.)

Breakfast:



Oatmeal! Made with 1/2 cup oats, vanilla extract, cinnamon, 1 mashed banana, splenda and a couple tablespoons of Edward & Sons Unsweetened Reduced Fat Shredded Coconut. I was at Sunflower Farmers Market yesterday looking for unsweetened coconut and during my search, I came across this reduced fat version. Yay! I'm sure the regular full-fat kind tastes much better and has a more natural texture, but I can't complain about this stuff; it mixed well with the oatmeal and still gave me that hint of coconut flavor I was trying to achieve. Delicious and filling! I had this around 7 am. It's after 11 now and I think I'll still be good until lunch (even skipped my usual mid-morning Chobani yogurt)!

Pre-Lunch "snack":



Just some creme bruleé flavored coffee from the campus coffee shop. Splash of skim milk, fresh ground cinnamon (love that they have that!) and a bit of splenda. Since I know I have a super-filling lunch coming up, I didn't want to waste calories on more food, so the coffee worked well. Plus, I never usually buy pre-made coffee drinks, but my bosses gave me a gift card to the shop for Christmas and it's perfect for occasionally treating myself. I don't know what it is about coffee in a fancy paper cup with a plastic lid that makes me feel indulgent, but it does.

Lunch:



Leftover Tofu Pizza. The recipe is from Tina at Carrots 'N' Cake, and I have to say, I've kinda fallen in love. The first time I made it, the crust was kinda blah, but this time, I added garlic powder, Italian seasoning and more salt than what the recipe called for. MUCH better. Still needs more flour though, as it gets soggy and doesn't really hold up like a regular pizza crust. I don't care about that too much though- give me a fork and I will happily destroy this dish!

I piled mine with pizza sauce, mozzarella, fresh spinach, a mix of sauteéd veggies (onion, zucchini, mushrooms & red bell pepper), fresh tomatoes, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and crumbled fat-free feta. OMG! Sooooo delicious, ridiculously healthy and FILLING. I had two slices (a.k.a. half a pie) and that was enough to hold me over the rest of the night. The recipe yields 2 medium-ish sized pizzas, so it's a great way to stretch out a single package of tofu.

Snack:



Orange and a white chocolate Lindt truffle. Gotta take on that afternoon sweetness somehow!

Dinner:



MORE tofu pizza. Doug doesn't really care for it, so that means I get more for dinner and probably lunch tomorrow as well. Can't complain though; the taste is awesome, it's loaded with veggies and packed with protein and fiber.

I'm sure dessert is in my future as well, and if so, I'll try and follow up later tonight or tomorrow.

Can't believe tomorrow is Friday already! The week started out slow for me, but the past couple of days just flew by. Looking forward to Valentine's Weekend. Aside from the mushy romantic nonsense, the man and I are planning to cook a nice steak dinner at home. Can't wait to share pics of that- it's gonna be good. Hope everyone is having a great week!