Brown Bag Challenge

All the cool kids watch Star Trek

Join me as I take on Food Network's Healthy Eats'

Brown Bag Challenge!

I have committed to eating a home packed lunch every weekday for the entire month of September.I figure it's a great way to save money and to be in control of what I eat rather than grabbing a lunch on the go and sometimes settling for something I don't really want or shouldn't really have on a regular basis.
Here are the details:

• Bring your lunch to work each weekday for the month of September (Thursday 9/1 - Friday 9/30)
• Do not purchase lunch out on weekdays, but feel free to on the weekends and Labor Day.
• Oh, and it doesn't have to be a real brown bag.  You can go out and buy yourself that lunch box your Mom never got you as a kid.

Who knows this may be the start of a positive trend that leaves us all richer and healthier.

Are you in?

• You can join the chat on Twitter by following #brownbag. 
• Each Tuesday on Healthy Eats bloggers participating will link up.  We can all share our great lunch ideas with each other.  

I will be blogging about my Brown Bag experience throughout the month as well.

For more information or to join in click here.

Fueling with Protein

Since reading the book Run Your Butt Off! (RYBO) I have been focusing on the amount of protein I eat each day.   A physically active person should have 1/2 gram of protein for every pound they weigh or want to weigh.  Once you start counting your protein this is going to seem like a high number but this is why you need it.

• It makes you feel fuller longer because it takes longer to digest and therefore can keep you from feeling hungry.
• It helps build muscle and we all know muscle is key to helping us stay strong and active. Plus muscle beefs up your metabolism.
• Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues.
• Keeps your immune system functioning properly to help you fight off illness and disease.

Based on my weight I should be getting 70 grams of protein a day.  I have found that without some planning, I am not meeting this goal.


My daily protein consumption used to be about 50 grams. Here's a sample day before and after I started paying attention to my protein intake:

Sample Day BEFORE	Protein (grams)	Sample Day AFTER	Protein (grams)
BREAKFAST		BREAKFAST
1 English Muffin Thomas’s Health-full	6	1 cup Chocolate Milk	8
1 whole egg	6	1 English Muffin Thomas’s Health-full	6
1/2 slice american cheese	2	1 tbs Peanut butter	3.5
1 tsp jelly	0
SNACK		SNACK
12 cherries	2	1/2 cup Cabot vanilla greek yogurt	9
		1/2 cup raspberries	0.5
LUNCH		LUNCH
1 oz colby-jack cheese	7	1 cup cherries	2
1 tbs black beans	1	1/2 cup brown rice	4
1  Don Pancho flour tortilla	2	1/4 cup pinto beans	2
salsa	0	1 oz cheese	7
		SNACK
		Cliff Bar	10
DINNER		DINNER
pizza pot pie - spinach & cheese	24	2 flour tortillas	4
1/2 cup Edy’s light vanilla ice cream	2	2 oz colby-jack cheese	14
TOTAL	52	TOTAL	70

To improve this number I had to find out how much protein was in foods I typically ate and find some new foods I could add to my menu.  I began by making a list and then choosing from it when planning my meals. Prior to this, I did not eat much dairy, now I eat yogurt daily and I don't feel guilty about drinking my chocolate milk after a workout.  This approach to eating has been a big shift for me and although I am conscious of calories, I am focusing on protein. 

Foods I eat / grams of protein
yogurt 1/2 cup	9
almonds 1/2 cup	10
Raisin Bran cereal 1 cup	5
1/2 cup 1% milk	4
1/2 cup cottage cheese	13
1 oz colby-jack cheese	7
1/2 cup pinto beans	6
1/2 cup brown rice	4
1 Health-ful English muffin	6
1 Tablespoon flax	2
Martin potato roll	4
3 oz grass fed beef	23
1 whole egg	6

It is recommended that you spread your protein intake throughout the day. Also be smart about what protein you eat. Look for low-fat dairy, whole grains, beans, nuts and lean meats (if that's your thing). You can get a lot of protein from a Big Mac, but your getting a lot of crap too. 

If you are looking for some ideas for protein rich foods, here is a list of some more choices.


My list is small, but these aren't the only things I eat.  I now reach for more protein dense snacks and have found that some of my running fuel fits the bill like Cliff Bars for one.  I didn't eat these very often, because I felt they were too high in calories, but now I am trying to work them in as a snack.  I haven't gained or lost any weight, or noticed a change in super power strength or energy, but I am going to stay on this path and see what happens.

Where do you get your protein?

What I Ate Wednesday

Sometimes just deciding what to eat can be a challenge.I look forward to eating my old favorites, but I do like to add some variety to my menu too.  Today was a mixture of both.  Breakfast and lunch are typical, but I stepped out of my routine for dinner.


I always eat  breakfast.  As they say, it is the most important meal of the day and I believe it!!  I am a fan of peanut butter and eat some everyday.  I spread some on a toasted english muffin and top one half with raspberry jelly and the other with spun honey.  By eating it open faced, I can eat more peanut butter and I don't have to choose between honey or jelly.  I can have them both!  This can be messy, but it is very filling and keeps me full for hours.

Lunch is usually a 1/2 cup of yogurt with some fruit or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  (Did I tell you I like peanut butter?) I only know it's a half cup because that the size of the container. Today I'm eating these awesome fresh raspberries I found at the market.  I never started eating yogurt until about a year ago when I tried the Cabot vanilla flavored Greek yogurt.  It is just the right consistency and the flavor is perfect.

Dinner is very exciting, it is a homemade rice bowl.  The bowl is layered with lettuce, fresh spinach, jacked up pinto beans, brown rice,fresh tomatoes, guacamole and cilantro.

Guacamole is another new food for me. (I didn't used to eat avocados either) My husband makes the best guacamole and I could eat it everyday.  When we first started  making it we didn't know how to keep it from turning brown, so we made ourselves eat an entire avocado each time we cut one. Now I have learned how to keep it green, so I don't stuff myself, and I get to eat some the next day too.  I put it in a plastic container and place plastic wrap directly over (touching) the top layer and then seal it with the container lid. As long as I can keep the air out, it stays green.  All in all it was a good food day!

Do you eat the same food everyday or do you like to mix it up?

Run Your Butt Off! Book Review

Run Your Butt Off  - Who doesn't want to do that?  The title alone was enough to draw me in.  This book from the editors of Runners World provides a running plan for beginners and shares some good information on how to make healthier food choices. Each of the ten chapters contains  both an exercise and an eating plan. It also includes a workbook to keep track of your numbers and log your exercise and eating.


As a person who runs to control my weight, I was hoping this book would provide some insight into how I should be eating so I could lose some weight.  Alas, the secret to weight loss is not hidden in these pages because it doesn't exist. Instead this book helps you analyze what, why, when and how you eat so you can figure out what your trouble areas are. 


The bottom line is: the number of calories consumed needs to be less than calories burned.   The book recommends losing 1/2 - 1 pound per week.  To do this you need to have a daily deficit of 500 calories. The book suggests ways to accomplish this without making drastic changes or starving yourself. They discuss: 

• the number and size of meals per day 
• food selections 
• nutritional implications of what you eat
• timing of your meals

To help you figure out how many calories your body needs in a day, Runners World has a BMR calculator on their site. In fact they have a whole section dedicated to supporting those taking on this challenge to run their butt off.  


The exercise plan in this book is geared toward new runners or those running less than 3 times a week for 30 minutes.  It is a great plan to get started running, but because I already run more than that, it didn't work for me.


My big takeaway from this book is the amount of protein I should be eating each day.  A physically active person needs 1/2 grams for each pound you weigh. So if you weigh 140 pounds or want to weigh 140 pounds you should eat 70 grams of protein per day.  Since reading the book I have been tracking my food and exercise again and am not even close to my protein goal, in fact, I am short 25-30 grams a day.


If you are a beginner runner, or are struggling with making running a consistent part of your schedule, this book is for you. It makes running accessible for anyone and  has plenty to offer for those wanting to live a healthier, more active lifestyle.  Running has many rewards and weight loss or weight control is just one of them. 


Personally, I am working on eating more protein and am curious to see how it makes me feel and perform. I will let you know how this goes.

Do you track your food and exercise in logs?

Are you a calorie counter?

Pizza Pot Pie

mushroom, spinach and onion pizza pot pie

Pizza Pot Pie is pizza from a new perspective - upside down!  When the pizza goes into the oven it resembles a pot pie with its crust covered top.  But the trick is you turn it out of the dish right before serving and now it is an upside down pizza pot pie. 

Using one pizza crust dough (recipe here), one can of pizza sauce, and a combination of mozzarella and Monterrey jack cheese slices we made four individual pot pies. This was easy to personalize for everyone's favorite toppings. This time we used some homemade meatballs from an Annie's Eats recipe I love (here), fresh mushrooms and spinach.

To start, you need oven proof bowls, I picked some cereal bowls from my cupboard, sprayed them with Pam on the inside and around the top outer edge too so the overlapping crust won't stick.  Next, layer the bottom of the bowls with cheese. Be generous with the cheese, I wish I had used more.

Add the toppings. Any meats need to be precooked.  Cover with  pizza sauce. Dei Fratelli is our favorite.

The last step is to divide your pizza dough into four equal parts (or as many pot pies as you are making) and roll out  to cover each bowl with a circle of pizza dough, pinching it around the outside edge of the bowl.  Brush the tops with olive oil.   They are now ready to go in the oven.

Place on a preheated cookie sheet or pizza stone in a 450 degree oven.  Bake about 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. 

Let pies cool for a few minutes and then place upside down on plate, run a knife along the inside of the bowl to loosen and let it fall. Viola! - Pizza Pot Pie 

Meatball and Mushroom Pizza Pot Pie

*When making this the second time I used smaller ramekins and made 6 pies.  I also used more cheese.  The results of my second attempt are shown in the photo at the top. With the smaller ramekins the pie fell out of the bowl easier and the serving sizes were plenty big.

 Eating this will make you happy!

What do eat to make yourself happy?

California Here I Come!

After sitting on the fence for a few weeks about whether to do it or not, I jumped off and made the decision to have this running season be the year of the Coast to Coast Challenge Medal.  That means I will be traveling to California in January to run in Disney's newest race the Tinkerbell Half Marathon!!  

This the Coast to Coast Medal- I love it!

 To earn this medal you must run either a half or full marathon in both the east and west coast in the same calendar year.  My east coast run will be the Disney Princess Half Marathon. In February I will be running this for the first time.  This is one of the few Disney World races I have not done and I have heard great reviews. 

Since I am making the investment to travel across the country, I decided I was going for the complete Disney experience and I am staying at one of the Disney hotels too.  Although I live near Disney World, I don't ever go (unless I have company) because it's too expensive and I am too cheap a thoughtful consumer. I envy those who come here and stay for days and totally immerse themselves in the whole thing, so now I am going to treat myself to  a mini version of it!!

I have signed up to run both the 5K on Friday and the Half on Sunday.  

Until then I am slugging through the heat and humidity of a Florida summer trying to keep up my level of fitness so I will be in better shape when I start training for these.  I find it so hard to stay enthusiastic about running during these hot days, but it sounds like it's hot everywhere.  It will end eventually....right??

How is your summer running going?

Have you ever been to Disneyland? Got any tips for me?