LAUREN VICKERS

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Good Food Diary

Lauren Vickers

I've been documenting many of my meals this week to give you guys a better idea of what I eat and how often. Let me just start off by saying this varies GREATLY! It's easy when I'm at home, but when I'm traveling, it's a little more difficult to find my favorite foods and brands, and have access to the same tools, kitchen supplies etc. I'm leaving next week to go to Australia for 3 weeks, so I'll be able to document a little better how I manage when I'm traveling and give you guys some good ideas when it comes to choosing healthier options on restaurant menus, in airports, and on the road.

But for now, some examples of my meals.

Kitchen Staples: I always keep in my kitchen some of the following to add to meals:- - Extra Virgin Olive Oil for dressing salads (the greener the color, the better the taste) - Regular Olive Oil for cooking (you don't need the expensive stuff when you're cooking because you don't notice the taste) - Coconut oil for cooking stir fries and any other Asian inspired dishes. - Balsamic Vinegar - Various dried herbs and spices like Basil, Oregano, Curry Powder, Chilli Flakes, Paprika, Garlic, Dried Onions and Celery Salt - Pasta - Brown rice - Quinoa - Green tea (regular, with mint, decaf etc) - Honey - Nut butter (I love the one from freshly crushed peanuts) - Soy sauce - Minced garlic - Raw almonds, - Pumpkin seeds - Pine nuts - Goji berries - Granola with no added sugar - Canned tuna - Frozen prawns (I don't eat meat, but will occasionally have a little seafood. I usually have it when I go out though because I'm not such a fan of cooking it) - Edamame (frozen or shelled and vacuum sealed).

I tend to go to the supermarket two or 3 times a week. Usually because my husband only plans for about 2 days worth of meals (and he's pretty much a complete carnivore lol) but also because the majority of my diet is plant based and I like to always have fresh fruits and vegetables in the kitchen - and I HATE throwing away food. I think it's something that my parents instilled in me growing up.

I buy things that will keep for a while in large quantities from Costco - stuff like water, rice, pasta, olive oil, vinegar, hard cheeses, almond/soy milk. I also buy multi packs, "fun sizes" or individual portions of things like string mozzarella cheese, hummus and muesli bars. If I am making soups or pasta sauces in bulk to freeze/store, I buy veggies in large quantities from Costco as well to save on $$$. Healthy doesn't need to be expensive, it just takes some planning.

From my local little supermarket owned by a lovely Argentinian family I buy fresh bread, fresh fruits and veggies, canned goods, cheese, steak for Randy and anything else I might find interesting in there. It's not expensive and I like to support small businesses. If I get really stuck, I go to a big supermarket chain like Publix. Here's what one of my supermarket shops looks like (I know it doesn't look like much, but I couldn't fit it all in the photo, and I'm usually cooking for one!).

This week I’m buying basil and coriander (crushed, in tubes keeps longer than fresh), sugar snap peas, pineapple, nut butter (like peanut butter but without all the nasty additives), asparagus, cucumber, carrots, lemons, limes, zucchini, mushrooms, eggs, salsa, mixed veggies, asparagus, tomatoes, spinach nuggets, lentils, chickpeas, celery, almond milk, spinach, kale, mango juice, acai juice, avocados, bananas, apples, strawberries, blueberries, goji berries, pears, kiwis, hummus, mozzarella string cheese, felafel balls and stevia.

Breakfast: I usually start my day with either 2 boiled eggs (I boil 6 at a time and keep them in the fridge for whenever I want them for breakfast, a snack or to add to salad) and a home made smoothie, or home made granola with nuts, seeds, berries, and fruit. If I'm working out that day, I'll make sure I have some toast to up my carb in take and I always have a green tea with breakfast. I also love omelettes, and sautéed veggies added to my breakfasts when I'm having brunch or want something more substantial. For Christmas, I bought myself a Nutri Bullet blender. It's been amazing to make fresh juices and smoothies every day, and I change up the ingredients depending what I have fresh in the fridge. I also like to add pumpkin seeds & goji berries for great skin and almonds for protein. I also take these nuts, seeds, goji berries and sultanas and mixed them with a low-sugar granola. I store it in big batches and have a little with fresh cut fruit. I'm not a big milk fan, so the fruit helps to soften it a little. Eggs can be done so many different ways and they really help me to build up the protein that I miss out on from not eating meat. It also helps me feel fuller for longer throughout the day. Make your breakfast, leave your phone behind and go sit somewhere calm to eat. You'll enjoy your food more without the distractions and it'll stop you from hurrying and overeating. I've been on this 14 day tea detox for about 10 days now. I chose this one because I'm not dramatically changing my diet to lose weight, just trying to give my system a little extra clean. So far, so good! I'll do an update when I'm done! Sunday Brunch stays healthy when simply sautéing mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach in a little olive oil and having it as a side with boiled eggs, and avocado on toast. When I'm not doing my tea detox, I drink green tea every morning. I still have it now, just later in the day, but never at night because the caffeine keeps me awake. Fot this smoothie I added frozen banana pieces and chia seeds to the mix. The chia seeds expand in liquid and this combined with the bananas give it a really creamy texture without any dairy.

Lunch and Dinner: Sometimes I'll heat up some leftover stir fry with brown rice and quinoa, or make a big salad, or even some pasta with fresh veggies and home made sauce. It varies depending on how hot it is and whether or not I've just worked out, or if I'm doing an afternoon/evening workout. If I'm on the go, I'll just have some home made veggie soup. Dinner is usually similar to lunch, although I'm more likely to have something hot in the night time because it's REALLY hot in the day here and I usually want salad for lunch.

If you're craving something that's not healthy, make a healthier version at home by substituting things. For example: if you want nachos, make a taco salad with mixed beans, cucumbers, celery, chickpeas, coriander, fresh squeezed lime, chopped mozzarella sticks, tomatoes, pine nuts, a few crumbled up tortilla chips and then add some seasoned lean meat or tofu to the mix. It's probably the crunch and the flavors that you're craving, not the huge pile of chips, lashings of liquid cheese and unidentifiable meat.

One thing all my meals have in common: I try to cram in as many different coloured veggies as possible!

Here's some examples of my lunches and dinners this week. Variety and colour are your friends! Keep it fresh and change it up! Step by Step for delicious fresh veggies with home made tomato pasta sauce, served with brown rice and quinoa.

I absolutely love strifries because they're so quick and easy. Here I just added some garlic, basil, coriander and lemon juice to veggies that were stir fried in coconut oil and served with brown rice. When I go out I try to order seafood to get some extra protein (but I can hardly be bothered cooking it for just myself).

At the same time as making the stir fry, I used some of the veggies that were looking a little tired in my fridge to make a delicious soup. I just softened them a little in some olive oil, seasoned with salt, pepper, basil and garlic. I let the mixture cool before blending it up into a smooth, creamy soup that's great as a side dish, or quick meal on it's own.

Bean salad can be used in so many ways. I mix together whatever beans I have bought with corn and chick peas and store it in the fridge. Great as a side, or with cucumber, avocado and tomato. Or add some spanish onion and some cheddar to make wraps. Or all of the above with tabouli, felafel, spinach and kale to make a felafel salad. I thinned out a little individual portion tub of hummus with some olive oil and lemon juice to make a zesty, creamy dressing.

Snacks: I mostly forgot to take pictures of my snacks this week, but some of my favorites are apple slices with nut butter, avocado and lemon juice on toast, carrots and celery with hummus, raw almonds, crackers with salsa, small chunks of parmesan cheese, and frozen bananas blended with a little ice, choc soy milk, almonds, pine nuts and goji berries. I'll try to remember to take some pics of snacks over the next week and add them in!

The MOST important thing about my diet is that it's fresh, colourful, balanced, mostly natural and largely unprocessed. If I want to eat a burger when I'm out at a restaurant, I'll eat it. And I definitely won't beat myself up about it. IT'S OKAY to indulge every now and again, but you crave what you eat. So if you eat healthy most of the time, that will be the food that you end up craving. It's not a quick fix, it's a whole lifestyle.

It's also super important to stay well hydrated. I drink at least 3L of water per day because I enjoy it, and I work out often. If you drink a little less - no biggie, a little more - great. Everyone is different and you need to find what works for you. But you should definitely be drinking water instead of soda, tonnes of coffee etc. I carry a 1L bottle with me and fill it up 3 times a day. Simple :)

If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know - I love the feedback. This has already turned into somewhat of an essay (sorry!), so I will be adding more meal idea blog posts in the future!

Lauren xoxox lvheart