Well here I go, my last day of baking 1 class! I’m sad its over but totally excited to start the new chapter in my life next month where I get to bake all the time!! I just made a bowl of steel cut oats with PB and banana this morning, along with english breakfast tea and I’m bringing some almonds and a clementine with me as a snack. Hopefully I will come home armed with good stuff I made today!
Happy Friday!
377 calories
ana
January 25, 2008 at 12:31 pmTGIF!!!
MC
January 25, 2008 at 12:36 pmHi Jenna,
First off, i love your blog and your healthy appreciation of food. Your attitude is refreshing!
However, I was wondering if you recently started counting calories or if you have always done this? When i first started reading this blog I didn’t recall you posting calories for your meals. If i’m mistaken- sorry about that! But if it is something you recently started, is there a reason? Just curious…
Keep up the good work, I love your pastry presentation!
VeggieGirl
January 25, 2008 at 1:05 pmhave fun in your last baking I class, and get ready for the weekend!!! :0D
andrea
January 25, 2008 at 1:17 pmHey Jenna and everyone else! I posted this exact message this am on Kath’s page but I wanted to get your take on it too.
I have a question on HFCS, (High Fructose Corn Syrup). I know that they are not the heatlhiest for us, but just how bad are they?? I consider myself health concious and a healthy eater but last night I looked on some of the ingredeints in some of the following products and they all have HFCS! I was so upset. Can I continue to eat them in moderation or should I throw it all out? (i hope not!) These are things I have in my apartment already and have been eating on occassion.
– Thomas’s mini whole wheat bagels
– whole wheat flat bread (by the same exact brand as your pits bread Kath!)
– Honey Mustard
– Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Cinnamon Raisin bread (i eat this only once in a while as a treat in the am…I freeze it)
Any feedback would be great! HFCS is in soooo much!
Kelly
January 25, 2008 at 1:18 pmGood luck at your practical today. You’ll do great- I know! I see you eat a lot of oatmeal. I was wondering if you have ever had oat bran? I just made some of this for the first time this morning. 1/3 cup portion with 1 cup of water made a huge bowl! It’s high in fiber, protein, and has 3 grams of fat (for satiety). I added about a cup of strawberries and a packet of splenda and it was delicous!! What are your thoughts on this? I can’t remember the last time I was this stuffed after breakfast.
Jill
January 25, 2008 at 1:41 pmKelly, did you prefer the oatbran more than the oatmeal? It was more filling?
Jenna I have never used sundried tomatoes before, but I have seen them and really want to try them after your dish last night! How do you buy them. I know that sounds stupid, but I know roasted peppers are sold all different ways. Is there a brand that you recommend-water or oil packed, etc? I realize this recipe uses them, but any suggestions on what type of dishes, sandwhiches, or salads they are typically used in? Good luck with your exam! You’ll do great ?
Jill
January 25, 2008 at 1:44 pmYou’ll do great was not supposed to be a question mark, but an exclamation mark….opps!
Oh one more thing, is oatbran whole grain is it more like cream of wheat, which I don’t think is, but I could be wrong.
Eliza
January 25, 2008 at 1:45 pmSun dried tomatoes taste great in pasta with capers, spinach, and greek olives.
Sun dried tomatoes are also great with poached eggs and an english muffin! Or even in an omelette.
Or in a salad with Olive Oil, Spinach, sea salt, pine nuts, and capers.
Those are my favorite ways to use them anyway:)
Laura
January 25, 2008 at 1:52 pmSara F,
I don’t know if you read the comments, but a while back you mentioned that there is a brand pita and bread that you like. Whenever you get a chance or go shopping next, I would love to know the names 🙂 Thanks!
Jenna, someone asked you about water yesterday and you mentioned you drink tea. Any favorites you could recommend? Does decaf and herbal tea count as water? I know caffeine can be dehydrating, so I always assumed caffeinated beverages could not count toward your water intake. Its all so confusing! Good luck with your tests…….can’t wait until your in the baking program and we can see all the wonderful things you make!
Amy
January 25, 2008 at 2:09 pmJenna could you give an example schedule of your typical day, such as when you wake up, eat and go to bed. It would be so helpful to see!
Do you ever chew gum or candies, such as lifesavers etc? You advised a reader to throw out all her gum…I should really stop both the habits as well.
Amber
January 25, 2008 at 2:23 pmJenna, I started reading your blog a few weeks ago and as many other bloggers have commented wanted to say how much I enjoy it! You have such a great attitude about food. Your grocery shopping trip pictures are so helpful too.
You have really inspired me to buy a pass of “hot” yoga classes, but I do not want to get dehydrated and in yesterdays post you said you drink a lot of water during those classes. How much water do you drink before, during, or after. Do you eat immediately after? I’m a little nervous- they look intense, and everyone is in such good shape! Were you fit before starting!
Danielle
January 25, 2008 at 3:12 pmJenna,
Best of luck! I’m so excited for you everything to come but definitely will miss the daily pastries for a while. Oh well 😉
Sara F
January 25, 2008 at 3:14 pmLaura-
Unfortunatey I won’t be able to go grocery shopping at my usual place for a while because I am at school. However, I can definitely make a recomendation as far as tortillas and pita bread goes. I LOVE La Tortilla Factory tortillas. I buy the low carb/low fat original in the large size. I typically don’t buy “diet food” like this, but these whole wheat tortillas are super healthy with 80 cals, only 3g fat, and 14g fiber. Plus they are made with natural ingredients and lots of whole grains. However, these are not really traditional tortillas (made of corn or white flour) so the taste/texture may be different from what you’re used to eating. Here’s a link to the website because they have a lot of other really healthy varieties you could try. I can find these at my regular grocery store in the little organic aisle.
http://www.latortillafactory.com/jadworks/ltf/jwsuite.nsf/SiteWelcome/Home
As far as pita bread goes, to keep it healthy I stick with whole wheat pitas at home. I buy trader joes small whole wheat pita bread, but I also love eating Stacy’s plain baked pita chips (which you can probably find at any grocery store). I would also recomend finding a good greek place in your area and treating yourself to some real, traditional pita bread, which is NOT whole wheat but is really tasty every once in a while. Sorry for the long post, hope it helps.
ps. I have a whole grain flax bread that I LOVE but i can’t remember the name…sorry 🙁
Sara F
January 25, 2008 at 3:21 pmJenna-
So, I’m still looking into this whole culinary school thing. Most likely it’s not something that I’ll pursue until I get my undergrad degree from Washington Univerity, but I’m still trying to figure out if the culinary school in my area is a worthwhile place. This is the website which has the info about the programs offered. I don’t really understand what each entails, if these are the type of programs offered by most culinary schools, etc. Anyway, if you get a chance to look at the site, tell me what you think. (there’s also some really yummy food pictures 🙂 ) I’m just looking for info at this point, so you don’t have to go too in depth, just want another perspective. Thanks (and don’t worry about doing this if you don’t have the time….it’s really not a huge deal 🙂 )
http://www.lecoleculinaire.com/
Kelly
January 25, 2008 at 3:32 pmJill the oatbran had a consistency like that of grits or cream of wheat. It wasn’t chewy and thick like oatmeal. It made a big portion but the actual grain size is small. Does that make sense? I gotta say, I was very full after I ate it but then and hour and half later I was starting to get hungry so I had a banana. I’ll probably have some yogurt or something else before lunch. I think I needed to add some protein to hold me over. My oatbran only had oatbran and strawberries. I’m lacking in the dairy and protein department so far this morning. Hope that helps!
Lisa
January 25, 2008 at 4:24 pmJenna,
I had a couple of questions: You Were talking about water yesterday and said you drank about 90 oz /day. I use the regular bottled waters (.9 fl oz) and refill them (to save money and I like the way tap water tastes more than bottled!) I exersise at least 3-4 times a week. In terms on the bottles and the size I drink from, how many of those should I be drinking each day? During the day at work I have 3 and then a couple in the evening after work…and one during my workouts. Whenever I’m thristy its normally water that I drink but I think I should be drinking more but not sure how much more. Should I be adding a couple more bottles of water each day?
Also, I’m in the same situation as Andrea…I’ve just started to look at the ingredient list for HFCS and have seen it in a lot of my whole wheat breads I buy and salad dressings etc. Should I just throw those out or would it be ok to just finish them off and buy better stuff next time? I’m in the stages of going from reg food items that have partially hydrogenated oils, lots of sugar and HFCS to deleting them from my daily food intake completely. I don’t want to waste the food but I know how bad that stuff can be for you! And I know HFCS is bad but could you explain why its bad for me?
Thanks so much and for your quick responses in your busy schedule!
Rachel
January 25, 2008 at 4:48 pmI just found your website and I love it! I have been to kath’s and self’s blogs as well and all are very informative. I also have a passion for nutrition and health. I read that you are a nutritional and wellness consultant and I would like to know more about that. I went to the website and looked up the program. Once you get the certification, then what?
I am 21 and will graduate college in a couple months with a business degree. I have been interested in nutrition for many years and am thinking about getting my masters in nutrition and hopefully become an RD. I would appreciate it if you could give me more insight about this certification because I’m very interested. Thanks
AW
January 25, 2008 at 4:59 pmhi guys! i made my first spaghetti squash last night and it really turned out! i was surprised how much it was like cleaning out a pumpkin – made me think of halloween. i mixed it with tomato sauce, garlic, some broccoli, diced tomatoes, red pepper, and covered it with some parmesan cheese. i feel like something was missing, so i’ll keep playing with it. all in all, it was quite filling and had a unique taste.
i baked it like kath did in her video – sliced, faced down on a cookie sheet, 450 degrees for 45 minutes. mine was a medium sized guy and i swear i’m going to get three meals out of it. can’t beat three meals’ worth for $3!
happy friday!
ashley
January 25, 2008 at 6:31 pmI was wondering if it’s bad to get over the recommended daily amount of fiber? I eat a diet high in fruits, wraps, veggies, oatmeal and I think I get way over the recommended amount, should i cut down?
jenna
January 25, 2008 at 7:28 pmMC,
I’ve always posted the calorie count for each meal. I don’t really do this for myself as I do it for you all so you can see how many calories a certain meal is if you want to recreate it yourself. I don’t have a practice of counting every single calorie that I consume—I just post the meals because I know I love reading cookbooks that state the nutritional info on the meals…it makes it easier!
jenna
January 25, 2008 at 8:00 pmAndrea and others on the topic of HFCS:
I’ve posted about this before but here’s a recap!
I’m going to retype what “eat, drink and be healthy” by the harvard med. school wrote on this subject because I think its very interesting. Now, you can choose whether you follow this approach or not…it’s a personal decision!
“table sugar contains glucose and fructose in equal proportions, since sucrose is made of one glucose molecule joined to one fructose molecule. High fructose corn syrup is pure glucose mixed with pure fructose in almost equal proportions. So, its likely that table sugar and corn sweeteners have much the same physiological impact on one’s blood sugar levels, insulin, and metabolism. Some people claim that they’ve lost weight by cutting high fructose corn syrup from their diets. That may be so, but it probably isnt because they eliminated corn sweeteners, but by doing so they took in fewer added sugars and thus fewer calories…….so, HFCS doesnt seem to be a greater dietary disaster than any other kind of sugar.” Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy by Dr. Willet, MD
So…moral of the story is to reduce your sugar intake…of any kind of sugar! high fructose, table sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, honey…it’s all the same really. Most products we eat do contain a little sugar in their ingredient list so I don’t really think its that big of deal that these bagel squares contain hfcs.
jenna
January 25, 2008 at 8:14 pmKelly,
I’ve actually never tried oatbran before would like to! When Kath makes it it looks so yummy so maybe next time I will switch it up. I usually don’t add splenda to my oats but if you watching your calories/weight and dont want real sugar then this would be ok…just don’t overdo it and eat splenda all day long! I try to limit myself to one packet a day, if that.
Jill,
I found these tomatoes in with the fresh herbs at whole foods. oil packed has more flavor, but also more calories. i like them in salads best of all for some tasty chew!
Laura,
I drink black tea most mornings (english breakfast with 1 splenda and a splash of skim milk) but then I drink a lot of green tea, chamomile tea and other various herb teas. Celestial Seasonings makes good tasty herbal teas–they have an organic line that I like a lot and buy often. The tangerine chamomile is one of my favorites. Actually herbal tea DOES count as part of your water intake! so drink up! 🙂
Amber,
You’ll be fine. Eat a good meal about 2 hours before hand and drink a bottle of water throughout the morning (or afternoon) before you go. I drink about a bottle of water during the actual practice as well as another bottle immediately after. it IS pretty hard core, so dont be surprised if you get a headache or feel dizzy upon your first time. You gotta keep at it though—it will get easier as you continue doing it and it is SO great for your body because it releases all the toxins. Yes, I usually eat right after as well. 🙂 And yes, I was in good shape before I started…but that was a very long time ago…I’ve been doing yoga for over 5 years….before I ever started I was in pretty good shape from running and just working out at the gym. You dont have to be in supermodel shape to get started though..the important thing is that you get started at all! You will get better as you continue and it will get easier as well. Sometimes I like to dump one of those “emergen-c” packets in the water that I take with me to yoga class because it helps rehydrate you even faster!! Good for you for taking the positive step to start! Let me know how it goes!!
Sara,
I’ll look into that and get back to yOU! I’m pretty partial to the cordon bleu though…and there are TONS all around the country so I’m sure there is one near you as well!! 🙂
Lisa,
I think the most important thing is to just drink when you are thirsty..the same as when we eat when we are hungry. If you aren’t thirsty, don’t stuff yourself with water! I carry a water bottle with me wherever I go so it makes it easy…try to drink a bottle of water every 1.5 hours…or just keep a large refillable bottle on your desk that you can keep refilling throughout your day. There IS such a thing as TOO much…so that’s why I say drink when you are thirsty, but when your body says it doesnt want anymore–stop! I dont think theres a set number of glasses or bottles you should be drinking throughout the day…its different for everyone. Just keep one with you at all times and it will become something you dont even think about!
Rachel,
I am certified by the afpa (american fitness professionals and associates) to be a nutritional and wellness consultant. I did this by taking a 4 month at home study course with a final case study “field” project at the end. It really just depends on your career goals on what you should do. I knew I didn’t want to go back to school to be an RD because some of the RD work (like in a hospital) just isnt’ me. I’m more interesting in the culinary side so I went the cooking school route. With the certification that I have I can legally counsel, give advice and meet with clients privately setting up their meal plans and working on nutrition/fitness goals with them. There is no legality to the term “nutritionist” so I could potentially have my own practice using that term. Think about your final goals and weigh all possibilities. That’s the best advice I can give!
Ashley,
No, I dont think so..unless you are having stomach problems as a result of “too much”…if you feel fine then you are fine! It sounds like your diet is very healthy! I eat over the recommended amount as well 🙂