food routine--daily must haves at any given meal!

I noticed that for breakfast there are certain things that I eat every single day...for example:

Breakfast must have eggs, oatmeal, and a yogurt each morning--then I vary whether I have waffles, a bagel, or french toast in addition to that. Every single morning has to have these things, they are my staple breakfast items. 

No other meal is like that though. Does anyone else have something that they have everyday at a given meal. Maybe you have salad at lunch no matter what, or an orange with breakfast every single day. Just wondering..lol

To avoid getting into ruts I rotate my carbs, proteins, fruit/veg and fats at breakfast. But yeah, I seem to have the same items, just in differing combos xD

It sounds like you have a pretty complete breakfast. Good for you!

Breakfast: For most breakfasts I either have two packs of Quaker instant oatmeal OR Cream of Wheat. I put 3/4 cup of frozen raspberries in it.

Lunch: Recently I've been eating tuna or turkey pita sandwiches stuffed with tomatoes, lettuce, and sometimes red peppers.

Funnily enough, I don't get sick of eating these same things every day. In the past I would never be able to do that. This is great since it makes it so much easier to track my calorie intake. I know what you are thinking, I don't eat much protein for breakfast. My mid-morning snack is usually a protein shake and a banana.

Not a huge breakfast fan, so I never get tired of my oatmeal with cinnamon every morning. =]

Is this weird...i always get hungry if i change my breakfast too drastically. i had cream of wheat instead of oatmeal on monday and i was STARVING. it seems like i have to keep it the same otherwise i'm not satisfied. anyone else?

• I always seem to have an apple with my breakfast. I love them so much! (omnomnom!)
• I love cottage cheese so much that I have it at least once everyday.
• Peanut butter is with every meal except for lunch and dinner...unless I do have it with some different combo than the usual... (>_<)
• Beans pretty much always for lunch

Hmm...that's all I can think of right now...

I have nuts everyday without fail

I eat tomatoes every day in some way. I love them so much.

A new breakfast favorite = slices of ripe plum tomatoes on toast with a little grated parmesean and basil on top.

I almost always have a glass of skim milk as part of breakfast.  The exception being if the rest of breakfast is protein-heavy, in which case I might treat myself to orange juice instead.

Lunch and dinner are pretty variable.  I eat the same thing for 2-4 days (depending on how long the leftovers last) then switch it up.

greek yogurt, every day.

and peanut butter. yummmmm.

Frank's red hot!!! I always have the bottle next to me when I eat, chances are I'll want to spice up something I'm eating!

Original Post by kortlynmoore:

Frank's red hot!!! I always have the bottle next to me when I eat, chances are I'll want to spice up something I'm eating!

This is something else I have almost every single day. Something hot! I love Frank's!! The chili/lime is amazing with mexican/spanish food. I also use Tabasco sauce on a lot of things. Cayenne pepper is a spice I use often to give my food a kick. I've also heard that it helps speed up your metabolism. I would hope so since sometimes it feels like it is eating my stomach! :) Ah, it's a good burn.

I have to have a sweet potato everyday. either for lunch or dinner. although i try to shoot for lunch so im not consuming so many carbs before bed.

livelovelearn: how do you eat your sweet potatoes? do you have them differently depending on the meal? have you ever though of sprinking brown sugar and cinnamon on them during breakfast time with a yogurt? 

I'm also a huge fan of frank's red hot..though i don't find it spicy in the least...any hot sauce suggestions?

i've been wondering about greek yogurt..is there a difference in taste between it and regular yogurt? are there any additional health benefits?

I always have an apple and a yogurt with my breakfast, whether my main part is cereal, pancaks/waffles, or rolled oats. 

For lunch, I always have slices of turkey, but I vary it by putting it into a sandwich, pita, or tortilla. 

For dinner, I'll usually always have broccoli and/or a sweet potato. I like mine with cinnamon and sugar-free syrup. 

My evening snack will always have an apple and some sort of bar.

I used to eat pasta for dinner everyday, but I added some variety to my diet when I realized I was way under what I should be getting in protein. 

Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt, and creamier, too. If you buy the plain kind, you'll taste a difference, but not so much with a flavored on, depending on the brand. It is also much higher in protein than regular yogurt.

I am not one to cook...ask anyone. So i normally just wash the sweet potato, wrap it in a napkin/paper towel and microwave it. Depending on what size the potato is, it can take anywhere from 5 to 7 minutes. Then i just use some spray butter with it. I haven't tried brown sugar and cinnamon on it but ive heard about it so much i might have to try it

Even if I am having soup or a sandwich for lunch, I tend to always at least need a side salad of some kind.

Also 1 slice of whole wheat toast at breakfast, actually I have this first thing in the am, then usually my regular breakfast a little while later.

Original Post by livelovelearn:

I am not one to cook...ask anyone. So i normally just wash the sweet potato, wrap it in a napkin/paper towel and microwave it. 

I love making sweet potato fries. (the healthy way) Cut them into thin or thick strips, whatever you like. Lay them on a cookie sheet lined with parchement paper, spray with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes flipping them halfway through. Then at the end, broil them for a few minutes to try and crisp them up. They don't get too crispy but I love them.

Original Post by chrissy1988:

i've been wondering about greek yogurt..is there a difference in taste between it and regular yogurt? are there any additional health benefits?

greek yogurt is much tangier than regular yogurt, much more like sour cream in taste and texture. i usually had fruit preserves (cherry fruit spread from trader joes OMG) and some sweetener to it to make it taste yummmmmmy.

and it has a grip load of protein in it. thats why i eat it.

No matter what, I eat spinach every single day. I put it as a "base layer" on my plate and then top my dinner on it... It works so well because it really picks up the flavor from your meal... while also adding bulk and when warmed by your food, wilts and really gives a really nice consistency to your dinner! I would recommend you all try it! You've got to use spinach though because I have tried mixed greens and it's just not the same! 

Original Post by giasbash6260:

No matter what, I eat spinach every single day. I put it as a "base layer" on my plate and then top my dinner on it... It works so well because it really picks up the flavor from your meal... while also adding bulk and when warmed by your food, wilts and really gives a really nice consistency to your dinner! I would recommend you all try it! You've got to use spinach though because I have tried mixed greens and it's just not the same! 

so you put it on your plate raw and then put your food on top?? i think i shall try this...very interesting idea!!