Lately, I’ve been toying around a lot with creating a way to share my adventures in the kitchen as a health-conscious college student. I post way too many photos of food on Instagram, and since I love to write, I thought a blog would be a great way to chronicle my cooking (also, I’d like to prove to my mom that I’m not a total klutz in the kitchen!)
So this week is “syllabus week.” It also happens to be my last semester of college… Where did the time go? I feel like I was just moving in to my freshman dorm. Truth be told, I am really happy to be graduating. I’m ready for something new, and excited about the prospects that the future holds.
What you need to know is that I’m on a mission: to make this last semester the best – and healthiest – one yet.
College can be hard, in more ways than one. I gained 15 pounds when I came to college. When I entered my junior year, I was not happy with myself physically. My energy level was low and I lived in yoga pants because I couldn’t slide into my jeans (or button them, for that matter).
This past year, I lost 25 pounds and am continuing to grow into a healthier lifestyle. My ultimate goal would be to see a total of 40 pounds lost by the time I graduate in May. I know that by being a conscious cook, I can make the healthy choices that I might not have the opportunity to if out at dinner with friends.
But let’s be real… I LOVE food! Sharing a great meal with good company is seriously one of the best ways to relax. The restaurant experience has always been something I look forward to, but as I started to budget more often, I realized how quickly it all adds up. And not only does eating out often leave a dent in your wallet, it’s not as easy to estimate how much oil/salt/sugar goes into what you order. So when I saw one of my roommates planning her meals out each week and grocery shopping with a mission in mind, I thought to myself, “That’s something I want to do for myself, too!”
Side note: I will probably be giving examples of the kind of workout regimen I have this semester. I see a trainer 2x a week and try to make it to at least 4-5 fitness classes a week, whether it be pilates, abs and glutes, kickboxing or Zumba. Since starting this workout regimen last semester, I realized I would need food that could sustain me! I use MyFitnessPal to track my nutrition and exercise, and pair it with my FitBit step tracker.
So what’d you eat today?
I started off my morning with 3/4 cup of Brown Cow yogurt, a sprinkle of granola, and fresh raspberries! I took a mug of green tea with me to class.
I came home at lunchtime (usually I eat at my sorority house but it was a red meat dish and I don’t eat beef) and drove to HyVee to pick up groceries for my dinner plan. I stopped by my one true love Panera for a You Pick 2 with tomato soup and a Greek salad. The perfect lunch! I seriously could eat Panera for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I made a green smoothie as a snack before my 2 hour capstone course, which is smack in the middle of dinner time 😜
This is a great pick-me-up that provides a punch of protein and plenty of greens.
Green Protein Smoothie
• 1 cup spinach leaves
• 1 cup kale
• 1/2-1 whole banana (I freeze mine!)
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 ice cubes
• Optional: 2 tbsp peanut butter or other nut butter
Blend and enjoy!
Earlier, I broke out my crockpot and prepared a Hawaiian “Luau” Inspired Chicken dish that I knew I would love. I found some recipes on Pinterest and based my ingredients off of those.
Luau in a Crockpot
• Frozen chicken drumsticks
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 red or green bell pepper
• 1 cup warm water
I left all of these ingredients in my crockpot on low for 7 hours. When I came home from my capstone class, the entire house smelled delicious!
I saved 2/3 of what was in the pot for this weekend, but paired 1/3 with two warmed, small corn tortillas, 1/2 avocado, shredded cabbage blend and some Monterey Jack cheese. It was amazing! I loved the rich, tender flavor the chicken had. It fell right off the bone when I took it out of the pot. The pineapple chunks were so juicy and delicious. I think I’ll pair my leftovers with brown rice this weekend!
What are your favorite crock pot recipes?
College Girl Cooking 