The Real Life RD

helping you find peace with food and your natural body size

  • the RD & NP
  • Online Courses
  • Women’s Wellness
  • Speaking
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Food Freedom, Weekly Eats

Meals and Snacks I Ate

July 4, 2018 By Robyn 11 Comments

Happy 4th of July!! I actually ended up not having to go into work yesterday since they didn’t need coverage anymore. That meant we headed to Cape Code yesterday morning instead of evening and hit some traffic, but avoided most of it which was awesome. Nick’s grandma sold her cottage that she’s had for decades so I’m so glad we were able to make it here to visit her – hopefully we’ll be able to make one more trip before she moves out in August. I’m seeing a few clients this morning, but will be done by 9am and plan on relaxing on the beach all day, eating a lobster roll and doing nothing productive. What are your fourth plans?

Hopefully it involves lots of delicious food and relaxing whether you’re traveling or not. I love July 4th because we get to celebrate America and that’s really great and also because it feels like the epitome of summer. Being in New England this year makes it feel even more historic and celebratory. In addition to all the delicious eats I hope you enjoy this week, here’s a roundup of some meals and snacks I’ve eaten over the past couple weeks that I found on my camera roll. I hope these posts inspire you in your own journey with food – I’d love to hear what meals and snacks you’re loving lately in the comments!

Breakfasts

I haven’t had overnight oats in a jar in forever so I was pumped about this breakfast that I brought to work on Monday. Also this almond butter from Target is amazing – they also have a chocolate version I highly recommend. You can’t see what’s in there, but the night before I stirred together about 1/2 cup each of whole milk greek yogurt, almond milk and rolled oats plus a big spoonful of chia seeds to make it extra thick, vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. Then I added a bunch of strawberries that we picked over the weekend and poured it into this AB jar to sit overnight in the fridge. In the morning I just grabbed it as I was running out the door. I got to work a little bit early (shocking for me) so I ate this in the parking garage while I finished talking to my friend Jess on the phone. I think I overestimated how much almond butter was leftover in this jar because by the time I got to the bottom I couldn’t finish and left a few big bits in there.

For the past couple weeks breakfasts have been either toast or yogurt in some form. We had so many cheeses in our fridge leftover from Nick’s birthday dinner so I melted a bunch of goat gouda over scrambled eggs that we ate with buttered + jammed sourdough toast and cantaloupe. These kinds of breakfasts always make it feel like the weekend during the week.

We had a rainy, colder morning last week so hot oatmeal actually sounded good- that never happens during summer. I made enough for two using a heaping cup of oats, a couple cups of almond milk and a spoonful of chia seeds plus a pinch of salt and cinnamon. Stirred in frozen blueberries at the end and topped with banana and sunbutter. I hate mushy bananas in my oatmeal (I know, everyone loves them like that) so I slice them on top.

I went on a bagel spree for a week and a half where I was eating a Trader Joe’s whole wheat bagel every morning with whipped cream cheese on both sides or cream cheese + jam on half and almond butter and banana on the other. It’s quick and easy, satisfying and keeps me full for a few hours.

Lunches

We had a meeting after church last week and they provided lunch. As we were walking into church that morning I told Nick we needed to go our for pizza because I was craving it. And then they ordered pizza for lunch – perfect timing! I had two slices of the white pizza with veggies, which was delicious, along with ceasar salad and lemonade. Craving crushed.

We had Tatte for lunch this past weekend when Nick’s mom was in town. Their halloumi salad is my favorite salad there – it’s perfect for summer. Halloumi cheese is one of my favorite foods. The salad is a mixture of greens, apples, raisins, carrots, radishes and a tahini dressing. And the roll is also salty and doughy and perfect.

I wrote on Monday about how I’m into snack plates lately for lunch. This variation had leftover rotisserie chicken, hummus + crackers + veg, apple with cinnamon and two TJs peanut butter cups.

This is one of my favorite go to frozen meals – Trader Joe’s black bean and corn enchiladas. If you like doughy tortillas and super saucy enchiladas, buy these! And they’re like $2. They wouldn’t be filling on their own so I added some avocado for more fat and ate them with carrots + hummus.

I picked up lunch while grocery shopping one Sunday. My favorite salad combo has been romaine + shredded beets and carrots + feta + corn with olive oil and balsamic. I think I added a stuffed grape leaf in there too because those are tasty. Plus a salmon sushi roll.

I ate this veggie wrap when we were in Vermont for a wedding a couple weeks ago. We were in the middle of nowhere, but there was a couple general stores nearby that had an awesome lunch and breakfast menu and you could also take out. I ate lunch just an hour or so before the wedding began and I knew cocktail hour (which we knew would have an incredible spread – seriously some of the best wedding food I’ve ever had!) would be soon, so I didn’t want to fill up too much. Along with lots of fresh veggies, this tortilla was also stuffed with local goat cheese, hummus and avocado and was super tasty. I want to remake this at home.

Dinners

For dinner on Sunday and Monday we kept it easy and simple before leaving town for the Cape. I sautéed up zucchini and summer squash in a mixture of olive oil and butter along with some garlic. At the end I added a squeeze of lemon juice and lots of grated parmesan cheese. This is my favorite way to eat summer squash! Nick cooked up chicken sausages in the cast iron and his Mom threw these baby potatoes into the Instant Pot to cook. The salad with simply mixed greens, sliced strawberries, feta cheese, sliced almonds and honey dijon dressing. Everything was delicious and I think took 15 minutes to throw together.

While Nick’s mom was here, we went to The Salty Pig on Friday night for pizza. Nick and I tried to go in the winter and it was PACKED so this time we made a reservation. We started with charcuterie – the prosciutto was amazing as was the buttery grilled bread.

And then we shared two pizzas – a margarita with pepperoni added and a sausage onion arugula pizza that was also really good. I love chewy crust versus crispy so that was the only thing that could have been different. Other than that, we’d definitely go back!

There are lots of fast casual places popping up on Bolyston which is only about a 15 minute walk from our apartment. Last week we tried out Minigrow which is like an Asian noodle place where you pick your base, protein, toppings etc. This was spicy! But I loved the thick noodles (that you can’t see buried underneath there) and all the fresh veggies. It is a bit pricier than other fast casual places, but it was fun to mix it up.

We’ve also been on a mexican kick lately because throwing together tacos takes minimal cooking and I don’t have to turn on the oven. I just cook up ground beef in a pan, add a can of black beans and a packet of taco seasoning and that’s it. Then I put out a bunch of toppings and shells. I picked up some tortillas that where a wheat and corn mix from Trader Joe’s and I really liked them – they still had the nutty corn flavor I love, but were chewier and held together well – unlike 100% corn tortillas that unless used in enchiladas, I find are dry and crackly.

Not to toot my horn, because I did zero cooking here, but the above taco salad with the BOMB. If I cook a bunch of taco meat, we’ll rotate between tacos, taco salads and nachos throughout the week to mix it up. On a bed of romaine and the taco meat, I added chopped bell pepper + tomato, grated cheddar, sour cream, avocado, lime juice, salsa, hot sauce and crunched in a bunch of tortilla chips. I’ll be eating this all summer. It’s all about the toppings.

And continuing the mexican theme, Nick picked up Qdoba one night before we left town and we split a steak burrito bowl and chicken quesadilla. Except I mainly ate the quesadilla because it tasted way better to me than the burrito bowl.

Snacks

Almond croissant shared while we were waiting for our order to come out at Tatte. Not the best almond croissant I’ve ever had, but it was still pretty tasty.

I was on a walk with a friend and we walked by the Copley farmer’s market one afternoon and I spotted what looked like amazing baked goods so I picked up a whoopie pie and snickerdoodle cookie. THE COOKIE was epically doughy, buttery and soft and everything I’d ever want in a cookie. It sounds dramatic I know, but the drama is appropriate. The whoopie pie was the size of my face and also very very good.

I ate a big chunk of the whoopie pie with Breyer’s mint chocolate chip ice cream a few nights in a row for a snack.

Other ice cream snacks were leftover birthday ice cream cake…

And the last bit of chocolate coconut ice cream with crushed Oreos and chocolate syrup.

Ate a couple cookies before bed one night when we were out of town.

And beyond cookies and ice cream, I also ate Larabars and crunchy apples for snacks.

Along with juicy peaches and banana bread muffin tops.

And dark chocolate sandwiched between a date with peanut butter –> this is super tasty.

Have an awesome day and holiday week!


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

  • Weekly Eats Round UpWeekly Eats Round Up
  • Meals and Snacks To Help You Eat IntuitivelyMeals and Snacks To Help You Eat Intuitively
  • Delicious Meals + Snacks I Ate [Plus New Recipes to Try]Delicious Meals + Snacks I Ate [Plus New Recipes to Try]
  • Favorite Foods Currently in My PantryFavorite Foods Currently in My Pantry

Filed Under: Food Freedom, Weekly Eats

« 5 Things This Week
Tips To Not Fear Food That Isn’t “Healthy” Enough While Traveling »

Comments

  1. Katherine says

    July 4, 2018 at 1:17 pm

    Thanks for sharing Robyn! I get so many food/meal ideas from your posts! I’ve been on a huge smoothie kick recently – probably the heat!

    Reply
  2. Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says

    July 4, 2018 at 3:45 pm

    I’ve literally been eating ice cream almost every night lately! Along with huge smoothie bowls made with Greek yogurt…so creamy and delicious. And with ALL the toppings too!

    Reply
  3. Julie says

    July 4, 2018 at 3:56 pm

    Thank you for sharing these, Robyn. You’re such an inspiration!

    Happy birthday, America!

    Love,

    Julie

    Reply
  4. Ada says

    July 5, 2018 at 7:39 am

    I’ve been reading your blog for awhile now but this is my first time commenting. Thank you so much for writing about your experience in nurse practitioner school! I was accepted into Columbia’s DNP program last year, but deferred for year. Though in my heart I really want to join the program and become a nurse practitioner, I am having a hard time thinking about leaving my current stable career and income to become a full time student again. Reading your blog, however, has inspired me to pursue my dream and likely enter the program this coming year. Thanks so much again!

    Reply
  5. Danny says

    July 5, 2018 at 9:46 am

    That’s awesome! thanks for these suggestions. I’ve recently read an article about increasing the metabolic rate, I thought I’d ask you if it’s a good one to follow or not.
    https://goo.gl/BCpFMW

    Reply
  6. Nicole @ Laughing My Abs Off says

    July 6, 2018 at 11:15 am

    Yummmm all the cookies and ice cream <3 That taco salad sounds divine. In my dining hall at school they have taco night and I would always just make a loaded salad bowl with all those toppings (I'm not a fan of taco shells), and it was like the best thing ever. Hope you had a great week!

    Reply
  7. E S says

    July 8, 2018 at 9:51 am

    I LOVE America’s birthday too; it is the perfect summer holiday! So thankful for food freedom this year and freedom to express ourselves. 🙂 I’m thankful for freedom to pray too at our church building.

    All of your meals look so good. That’s cool that you were craving pizza, and they had it for the church lunch! 🙂 I’m hoping for a cooler rainy day so I can do hot oats soon; it’s been mostly toast here with peanut butter and the best berry jam ever!

    I love how you mix cream cheese, nut butter, and jam. That’s such a satisfying combo on bagels or toast.

    Reply
  8. rachel says

    July 10, 2018 at 11:50 am

    Such yummy looking eats. Those corn + wheat tortillas from TJ’s are my fave! I love using them for shrimp tacos, which i’ve been loving lately. Also I just bought dates for the first time (not sure why it took me so long) but I’m definitely going to try them with some PB + chocolate!

    Reply
  9. kevin says

    July 11, 2018 at 4:29 am

    Great Inspirational article! thanks for sharing these awesome suggestions.

    Reply
  10. Rebekah says

    July 11, 2018 at 11:28 am

    Yum, Robyn! I love when you do these sorts of posts because it so helps to normalize the eating. The cookies and ice cream look especially amazing.. and the taco salad does look super good! Thank you for writing these and please keep doing so:)

    Reply
  11. Ryann Rico says

    July 18, 2018 at 1:14 am

    This is amazing recipes, all the pictures very yummy. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

More On Lady Hormones

How Birth Control Methods Affect Your Hormones, Period and Fertility

What Your Cervical Fluid Can Tell You About Your Reproductive Health

women's reproductive health

Women’s Reproductive Health 101

I have yet to experience postpartum myself, but I've had many clients and readers that have been through that season of life. Or perhaps you are currently living through the postpartum period. Every woman's body is different, therefore every woman's experience after giving birth will be different. What works for one woman, might not work for the next. While one woman might go through postpartum and adjust to newborn life quiet seamlessly, another woman might find it much more difficult. She might need the support of medication, therapy, extra help and many other things. One way is not better than the other - they are simply two different ways of navigating the postpartum period. I hope this post helps you better care for yourself, whatever that means for you. There's no right or wrong way to care for yourself as a mom or your new baby.

Postpartum Hormones: what’s happening in your body and how to care for yourself

* indicates required

Categories

Get in Touch!

Follow Me!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

I talk a lot about moving, eating, and living intuitively so you can be well hormonally and live a fulfilling life in line with your values

The Real Life RD on Pinterest

  • Project Reveal: Willow Lane Dream Home | Bria Hammel Interiors
Follow Me on Pinterest
#AlignPartner Over the past seven months since bec #AlignPartner Over the past seven months since becoming a mom of two, caring for myself has gotten shoved to the back burner. And it's been a challenge to make it a priority. My routine-resistant personality has upsides and downsides when it comes to motherhood. So I'm starting small this year with a consistent bedtime routine that includes taking my supplements and @alignprobiotic and hoping as that becomes consistent, my mornings will naturally shift too.  In short my bedtime currently goes like this….jammies & face care when putting the babies to bed. Before I go to bed (anytime between 9pm and 12am...) I’ll pump, take my supplements and fill my water. Then I go upstairs and brush my teeth. And then get in bed. The kicker: 70% of the time I find myself finishing up tasks on my phone IN BED. I hate this habit.  Back to supplements. This is something I have been able to stick with. On top of fish oil, my prenatal, choline and vitamin D, I recently added @AlignProbiotic 24/7 Digestive Support*§ to see if it helps with abdominal discomfort and regularity because when I don’t drink coffee or am traveling that can get thrown off.  I’ll be taking it every day for the next 28 days since it takes TIME for our bodies to adjust to probiotics - and I'll be taking you guys along with me as I share my honest thoughts. Many people think if they don’t see changes within the first 7-10 days then the probiotic isn’t working, but that’s not the case. I’m giving myself more than just a week or two and instead a full month to see the full benefits. I’ll keep you posted over the next month. Check out my stories to learn more! #MyAlignGutJourney #guthealth
 
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
We had an AFTERNOON today. Toddler didn’t care f We had an AFTERNOON today. Toddler didn’t care for a nap. Putting baby down was harder than I wanted it to be. Miraculously, I had a moment of clarity as I was covered in tiny humans and decided I wasn’t doing the nap battle thing a on 60 degree, gorgeous, sunny spring day 🙅🏻‍♀️ so I piled both babies into the car half naked, opened the sun roof, put on white noise for them and an audio book for me and drank a kombucha as I drove a meal to a postpartum mama. Thirty five minutes later we had a sleeping baby and a toddler who at least had a rest. Baby transferred without waking HALLELUJAH and although my toddler didn’t nap today (lord help) at least we got soaked in breezy sunshine 😎🤘🏻💆🏻‍♀️
We veered from our usual Friday night homemade piz We veered from our usual Friday night homemade pizza (minus the dough, we leave that to @albemarlebakingco) because we are eating pizza tomorrow with some friends - instead I called my mom and asked her how she makes her chicken fingers and we fried up a big ole batch of chicken nugs 🙌🏻🤤 along with a sheet pan full of sweet potato fries and a simple arugula salad dressed with parmesean, olive oil and s&p. Oh and my moms honey mustard recipe for dipping. It’s SO DANG GOOD.  Over the past 6ish months we’ve been practicing (and practicing and practicing bc it doesn’t come naturally) unplugging from technology and slowing down and resting and just being for one day a week. Some call it Shabbat. Some call it Sabbath. Maybe you call it something different. All I know is IT IS SO GOOD FOR MY WEARY SOUL and the day I look forward to ALL WEEK. Sundown on Friday to sundown Saturday. Nothing but rest. For us that means hiking (or something outside) and napping and reading and being with friends and eating really good food. And drinking some really good wine or craft beer. Sometimes whiskey. 😛  And because I know I’ll get asked about the chicken finger recipe and also because it’s too good not to share and Momma Coale said I could, here ya go:  Cut chicken breast into thin strips or small pieces (I prefer nug size bc the breading to chicken ratio is perfection). Salt and pepper those babies really well. Then dredge them in all purpose flour, then egg, then panko - just like you would bread anything else. Then fry them up in a light oil - I use avocado oil because that’s our everyday oil. You could also use canola or peanut oil. Just fill a pan with an inch or so of oil on medium high heat. They only take 2-3 minutes per side. You can always temp them to make sure they are at least 165 degrees F to really make sure they are done. Dunk in all the sauces and enjoy!  Happy weekend!
I am not a craft mom. My version of crafts is baki I am not a craft mom. My version of crafts is baking because 1) my toddler actually engages with it and 2) we have tasty things to eat in the end.  Wanna know how long crafts last in our house? Approximately 23 seconds. Maybe 51 on a good day. So we just stopped crafting a long time ago and instead started baking.  And when I need my toddler to stay in one place, I turn on the faucet. I am still utterly amazed at how long water can entertain a small human. And it’s FREE. 🙌🏻 well, mostly..  Send me all your favorite baking recipes because we are on a roll over here 👩🏻‍🍳
Just left my mom vacation. 💆🏻‍♀️ I do Just left my mom vacation. 💆🏻‍♀️  I don’t know what this says about me. Anybody else find the dentist weirdly relaxing? For the most part, I love being with my two tiny humans all day, but BLESS does it feel good to lay in a chair for 60 minutes with my eyes closed and do nothing except hold my mouth open.
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 two babies are asleep at the same time in their beds (and not on me) for the FIRST TIME IN 7657 DAYS and dear lord I could cry tears of relief straight into this latte and bowl of chocolate chips bc I woke up this morning exhausted and weary and told Nick I didn’t want to parent today 🤣 Not even calling this self care. It’s sanity right now. And even if it lasts 5 minutes it will be 5 minutes of freaking glory. p.s. yes that brick is crooked bc v uneven floors are part of the charmed package of this old house
Learning over and over again in this season that f Learning over and over again in this season that feels unsettled and chaotic and longgggggg that sometimes, you just need the viewpoint of a toddler to remind you that the seemingly insignificant things & moments really are....straight up magical. And that yes, these mundane days are packed full of goodness & beauty if I keep my eyes fixed on what actually matters.
Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, wowww 🤯 Asked at least six people where to find something and their opinion on all the options bc holy decision fatigue. Nursed my newborn on the floor of the paint aisle. And BLESS my new contractor friend Matt I found in the lumber section that pushed my cart around and helped me avoid the mistake of buying exterior wood for some DIY bathroom shelves.
.
I’m giving all our bathrooms a DIY makeover and I couldn’t be more of a rookie. So shoutout to all my Lowe’s buddies and YouTube 😜 You’re making this happen.
We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t plan to close on a house 10 weeks after having a baby, but here we are. And we are so, so grateful.  And I’m also terrified. We’ve moved three times and lived in three different states since we got married three years ago. After six years spent living in New York City and Boston, moving back to Charlottesville was really, really hard for me. I cried a lot those first six months because my heart ached for the northeast and for city life. I wanted to pack up and go back to Boston ASAP. It felt so different and so quiet here and at times, very lonely. Even though it felt like the next right step, I second guessed our decision A LOT.
.
But here we are 10 months later ready to continue investing in this neighborhood we’ve come to love. And this community of people that have become so dear. Ten months later and it feels so, so right. And although committing to settling down here for a good bit feels really scary to me, it also brings so much peace to know we aren’t moving again anytime soon. We are here to plant and grow. And raise our babies in this house as we make it a home. It’s also really fun to have one of your best friends be your realtor. We love you @kelli.teter.nesting 🤗
.
Now, to see if we make it out of this kitchen renovation all in one piece 🤪
my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in ghee with sautéed spinach (also in ghee) and an english muffin with more ghee + some sort of jam on half for that sweet & savory combo. we discovered these local english muffins (from The Bread Basket) and they are doughy and delicious and we are obsessed.
.
I’ve found that I need a solid source of protein and lots of fat for breakfast to keep me full while breastfeeding this time around vs with Cal, I was so into big bowls of pb & chocolate chip banana oatmeal. just goes to show our bodies know what they need and change cravings accordingly. also, just a psa: go pick up the maple butter from @traderjoes bc it is bonkers 🤤 and lastly, shout out to my husband bc a lot of mornings he is making this bfast for me while I nurse & try to pull myself out of bed - don’t for a moment think I’ve got it together 🤪
I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brai I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brain of if/how to use this platform in a way that aligns with how I want to live my life. I’m finding it tricky to discern that when 90% of my use on this app is for professional purposes. But I’m not sure if even professionally, it makes sense for me. Because I feel more aligned with what matters to me when I’m not regularly present here.  I’m not really sure what things will look like moving forward, but for right now I’m here to share with you that I somehow found some spare minutes between newborn & toddler life to write a post with some semi-coherent thoughts on life lately. 🤪 You can head there by clicking the link in my profile.
I’ve been completely disconnected from social me I’ve been completely disconnected from social media and that’s been vital for me during this tender postpartum period of transitioning from a mama of 1 to 2. But today, I’m bopping on briefly to share how Teddy entered this wild world with you - if you’re into a lengthy, detailed birth story, the link in my profile will lead you to the blog post 💙

Copyright © 2021 · The Real RD· Blog Design by Little Blue Deer


Terms and Conditions | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy