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Hi everyone, I just want to say a huge big thank you to everyone who commented on yesterdays post. You’ve all been really encouraging and have given me lots to think about. It seems that a few of us have similar experiences around others opinions of our portion sizes. You honestly have no idea how much I value your comments so thank you again :-)

I got hardly any sleep last night I woke up at 2am and was awake for the rest of the night. At least I got some reading in as well as watching random night time TV! It also meant I could justify brewing up a mug of hazelnut and cinnamon coffee to drink with my breakfast. I had a bowl of Dorsets Cereals Berries and Cherries muesli mixed with plain jumbo oats, fresh blueberries and unsweetened soy milk.

This really hit the spot. I did manage to spill half my cup of coffee on my cream carpet. I’ve spent most of the day making silly little mistakes, forgetting things and being clumsy - I don’t do very well on no sleep!

Mid morning I snacked on half a pot of quark cream cheese with walnuts and a tablespoon of banana and apple puree mixed in.

I forgot to bring some pre gym fuel with me so I decided to call into the shops to find something that would do the job. I was starting to feel really poorly before lunch – nauseous and faint, so when I picked up some Cherry Infused Nakd raisins for later I got an extra pack to eat then and there. They sorted me out a trick!

Lunch was some Sainsbury’s salad bar bought mixed bean salad with chopped cooked chicken on top of shredded cos lettuce. It was a beast ;-)

I finished off with some strawberries.

Before leaving work for the gym I had my other pack of Cherry Nakd Raisins.

As I was so tired the gym was really tough. I still managed my usual 45 minutes of cardio intervals plus abs but I was utterly exhausted by the time I was done.

For dinner I made a quick omelette with two egg whites and one egg filled with edam cheese, courgette, mushrooms and red onion. I added more veggies to make a big salad rather than trying to squeeze them in the omelette (it still tore though!) which included 2 chopped carrots (I ate most of these while chopping the other veggies) spinach, orange pepper, cucumber, courgette and red onion.

Desert was an extra thick cookies and cream Spiru-tein shake made with a little less soy milk than usual and ice cubes plus a crunchy brae burn apple.

 

When I ordered my things from Teapigs last night I remembered that I still had some samples I’d been sent to try. I decided to have the green tea with mint.

This was lovely but I wouldn’t say it’s anything special in comparison to their other teas.

My top grocery staples

Yesterday I read this great guest post by Ashley from (never home)maker about good value grocery staples. It made me think about what items would top my list and why. Here are my top healthy grocery staples:

Apples – I love apples and often eat several a day! They keep well, are full of fibre, nutritious and can be used in a range of meals and snacks.

Frozen fruits – My smoothies would not be the same without frozen fruits! I buy big bags of frozen cherries, blueberries, raspberries etc on 3 bags for £5 from Sainsbury’s. These can be used frozen in smoothies or defrosted and added to yoghurt, porridge or muesli. They also offer excellent value for money when fresh berries are out of season. I also freeze my own bananas in bags and I’m busy stocking up on strawberries while they are in season to freeze up as well

Spinach – I couldn’t imagine not having a big bag of spinach in the fridge. I use it in green monster smoothies and as the base for salads. I also add it to soups, stir fries, omelettes, savory muffins, curries etc.

Non diary milk – Soy milk is my current obsession! So creamy and contains more protein than other non diary milk I have tried. I’ve read that you should moderate your processed soy intake so I’m going to mix it up with other non diary milks such as oat, coconut and rice milk. I prefer non diary milk to skimmed cows milk, for the extra creaminess but also so that I can use my daily dairy portions on cheese and yoghurt (I don’t like eating more than two servings of diary a day – if I have a lot I start to feel a bit rubbish) 

Greek Yoghurt / Fromage Frais – Perfect for breakfasts, snacks and deserts as well as using to make a dressing for home made coleslaw or a dip for veggies. You can go for the low fat option if required and it packs a great protein punch to keep you fuller for longer.

Eggs – so versatile, keep well in the fridge and again, provide an excellent protein source. I love my omelettes for a quick and easy dinner, poached or scrambled on rye bread for breakfasts, and of course used in a range of baked goods too. I’ve recently just discovered the two chicks liquid egg whites which I’m looking forward to trying out.

Tofu – I’ve recently become hooked on this stuff, both the silken tofu and the firm tofu. The silken tofu is a great store cupboard staple as it can be blended into smoothies for extra protein and creaminess and made into puddings and even home made soy yoghurt. I love the pre flavoured firm tofu for including in salads and stir fries and marinating plain tofu then oven baking till its extra crispy.

Tinned tuna – I like having tuna tinned in spring water in the cupboard to use in healthy salads either on its own, mixed with some beans or with a little yoghurt or mayo.

Oats – I couldn’t imagine life without oats. The hubby eats a big bowl of porridge every morning. I buy a big bulk bag of scottish oats to keep in the cupboard at all times then we always have a healthy breakfast option

Tinned beans – kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans and haricot beans are my favourite. They can be used in salads, soups, made into bean burgers etc. So handy to have a few tins in the cupboards at all times.

Frozen Veg – I always like to have a couple of bags of frozen veg in the fridge in case of emergencies. Frozen peas and soya beans are my current favourites as the peas can be used to make a fast soup and the soya beans used for stir fries and salads

I could easily add more! I’ve found writing this list quite useful and I think I’m going to print it off to stick on the fridge as a reminder of the items I need to keep in stock all the time to make sure that no matter what I can always knock up a healthy and tasty meal. What are your top grocery staples that you always have in your kitchen and why?