Good morning everyone! Today’s What I Ate Wednesday is going to be a review within a WIAW post since I incorporated the food I was sent into my meals on Monday. (I know – I finally mixed things up!). If you’re new to What I Ate Wednesday, head over to Peas and Crayons to see what it’s all about and see the other participating blogs!
I’ve read on some other blogs that it’s good to start your day with hot water and lemon, so I’ve been trying to do that this week:
Then I had an un-pictured healthy bite (see below) and headed off to workout at the gym).
A little later I had some coffee, and then some peppermint tea while I was working on an outline for a final:
For breakfast I had the usual, but since I was out of avocado, I used Chef Ear’s Chuncky guacamole! Definitely more delicious than plain avocado!
After breakfast I did some more work, and then I had to head to physical therapy. I knew it would be another couple of hours before I had lunch so I grabbed half a banana and a Healthy Bite for a snack. I ordered these healthy bites and got them right before I left for Charleston. They’ve been perfect to have one or two right before or after workouts, as quick snacks! Thanks Lindsay!
After my appointment and on my way downtown I stopped by David’s Tea because there are SO many flavors I want to try! This time I got Blueberry Jam, which is a black tea.
After I ‘d gotten to school and got the books I needed, I headed to the French Market to get lunch and get some work done. I thought I’d go to Chicago Raw, and there I picked out the Sprouted Living Salad. Its main ingredients were spinach, cucumber, shaved beats, red pepper, spring onions and then a dressing and some “onion crisps.”
The salad was really good, however it was TWELVE DOLLARS. I was shocked when she said that. I definitely wouldn’t consider that salad worth 12 dollars, it was mostly veggies!
By the time I got home I was ready for dinner. I steamed up some carrots, eggplant and kale and then smothered the whole thing a package of Chef Earl’s Hot Giardiniera Hummus. When they say this stuff is hot, they mean it!!! There were pieces of jalapeno in there, and I loved it!
For dessert I had some protein ice cream…
Along with some (un pictured) dark chocolate and a hearty handful of walnuts. Maybe two handfuls. It went well with the dark chocolate.
So more about Chef Earl’s! It’s a part of a Chicago-Based company called Good Foods. All Good Foods products are 100% all natural, with no artificial flavors or colors, no preservatives, no GMOs, and they use HPP for food safety and extended shelf life. HPP (High Pressure Processing) is an energy-saving process that uses cold water pressure to safely pasteurize food. I’d never heard of HPP but it sounds like a really interesting way to pasteurize food without using chemicals.
Good Foods sent me their new single servers, of Hot Giardiniera Hummus, Chunky Guacamole and Mild Salsa, all vegan and gluten free.
For those of you in Chicago, I actually saw these on Sunday in the Whole Foods near North Ave. in the hummus section! I LOVE that they are single serving. I actually left half with my brother, who is a huge fan of hummus, guacamole and salsa. They were just too perfect for him to throw in his bag and take to work. All three products were really good, tasted fresh and had a lot of flavor. If you can find Chef Earl’s products, I highly recommend giving them a try!
Other than the single servers, Chef Earl’s has dips, cream cheeses, guacamole, hummus, salsas and chicken salads. I definitely want to try out some more of their products.
Do you have a local company that you love?
Which do you like the most: hummus, guacamole or salsa? (I’d pick hummus!)