Lunch

Sick of Meat

I just made a simple ham and cheddar cheese sandwich for lunch today with lettuce and honey mustard and a nectarine on the side. I’m getting a little sick of meat & cheese sandwiches everyday so expect to see a change next week but I have to use up what I have already bought, so meat & cheese it is! I used 2 ounces (2 slices) of applegate farms organic nitrate free ham and 1 ounce of cheddar to make this. There was discussion on bread types and I really like Rudi’s Organic Honey Sweet Whole Wheat Bread. It’s 100 calories a slice and really tasty + filling. I like it better than the sprouted wheat bread I had been eating before. I find this to be more dense and filling! Makes for a tastier sandwich, in my opinion!

I’m headed to the gym in about an hour for my personal training session…I’m a little nervous! I want to get more acquainted with this gym and its equipment though so I’m thankful they offer this “one time free session”. I like to feel like I know what I’m doing when I lift weights! 🙂

This morning I stopped at Starbucks (bad Jenna, need to save $$!) and got a cup of coffee before class. I also ate a baggie of pear slices I had brought with me.

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How good does that nectarine look?! Yum! This lunch was about 443 calories.

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  • Annie
    January 31, 2008 at 6:08 pm

    That nectarine looks so good! All our fruit up here in Boston still isnt ripe, but there trying to sell it anyway. I cant wait for summer.

  • Allison
    January 31, 2008 at 6:31 pm

    Yum, that nectarine does look good.
    I enjoyed my one free consult with the trainer at my gym, but was dissapointed because it turned out to be more of a sales pitch than a workout. I hope yours goes well!

  • Moni
    January 31, 2008 at 6:46 pm

    I copied and pasted this article, thought it was interesting!

    Coffee giant Starbucks is selling its trademark coffee for just one dollar. Starbucks is making the offer at select stores. It will not say which ones. Starbucks tells the Post-Intelligencer newspaper in Seattle it is selling eight-ounce cups for a dollar each (plus tax) at some of its stores, but would not say how many. Along with the inexpensive coffee, Starbucks is giving free refills on the $1 cup. While not all outlets are in on the one dollar deal, the newspaper reports many customers who ask for refills are getting them under Starbucks’ customer relations policy.

    Starbucks has more than 15,000 outlets worldwide. 2007 was the first year the company saw a decline in sales. That sent its stock down 42%. Starbucks shares closed up seven percent Wednesday.

    Starbucks is not number one in the coffee-selling world. Massachusetts-based Dunkin’ Donuts sells the most cups of coffee per day in the United States. It is in the middle of an agressive expansion effort, which includes plans to open hundreds of new outlets in the Washington area. McDonald’s is also seeking its share of the market. It unveiled plans earlier this year to open more coffee bar style outlets in existing stores. It has also lowered the price of its hot coffee.

  • Eliza
    January 31, 2008 at 6:51 pm

    mmm lucky. i want a nectarine..

    the only thing that looks safe enough to eat in my cafe are the apples and occasionally the bananas!
    everything else is canned or frozen and soaking in a vat of sugary water. gross! 😛

  • linds
    January 31, 2008 at 7:05 pm

    Jenna,
    Just wanted to remind you that you really do give fantastic advice- I went to the gym today and alternated walking/running on the treadmill and went twice the distance I usually go. I finished strong too and not gasping for air or burnt out 🙂 AND I’m excited to go running again tomorrow lol. Thanks again for your tips.

  • Whitney
    January 31, 2008 at 7:10 pm

    Hi Jenna –

    I have a severe bladder condition that disallows me from having artificial sweetners. I have been very bad about consuming them in the past and wanted to know what you thought about Erythritol? It is also known as “organic zero” sweetener at whole foods.

    also, where do you get your ezekial sprouted grain bread? I looked at whole foods and they had the seseme kind, cinnomin, and plain and your sanwiches always look so delicious I want your bread!!

    Thanks so much, as everyone else has said – your blog is fabulous and is the only food blog i go to anymore!! 🙂 Keep it up XOX

  • ryan the boyfriend
    January 31, 2008 at 7:13 pm

    will you bring one of those nectarine’s with you to tampa this weekend? they look really good.
    Also, I know you dont really like to drink, but for those of us who occasionally dabble on the wild side and let our inner most drunken pirate out at Gasparilla, what would you suggest as drinks that are low calories and what mixes are the least damaging, I have a feeling rum and coke (well at least I switched to diet coke) isnt that great. What about crown & ginger? Is scotch & water the best for you? Gin & Tonic, as you know I am not allowed to drink Vodka when near civalization. Thanks, Loyal Reader

  • Clarissa
    January 31, 2008 at 8:16 pm

    Has anyone seen Glenny’s 100 calorie Brownies? I tried a few of the flavors and they are quite tasty and the ingredients are good, and there aren’t a thousand of them!!!

  • Megan
    January 31, 2008 at 8:16 pm

    Hi Jenna,
    I was just reading through the comments section from yesterday and I was wondering if you knew that Nutella actually has trans fat in it? The ingredients list partially hydrogenated oils in it, which made me bummed because I refused to buy it then. Perhaps if we put pressure on them they will remove the bad fats!!

  • Kelly
    January 31, 2008 at 8:19 pm

    HI RYAN! Glad to meet you! You have one super girlfriend. Although I don’t know her personally she seems like a catch! 🙂 She has been an inspiration to so many of us.

    As for your question…I’m not a big drinker so I can’t answer on that. I’ve always heard diet tonic water and vodka or diet coke and rum. I think straight alcohol has the same calories per ounce (vodka, run, gin, etc) but it’s what you mix with it that can greatly increase things. Stay away from those fruity drinks- they are killer. I used to love Amaretto Sours but then I basically figured out I was drinking pure sugar with some amaretto. No good. It always made my stomach hurt and I determined it had to be the sugar rather than the alcohol.

    Glad you made an appearance. Nice to meet you. Have a good day!

  • ashley
    January 31, 2008 at 8:27 pm

    Hey Jenna (and everyone):
    Quick question, should I care how many carbs I’m eating or just how many calories? I get protein and such too, but my diet is heavy in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and you hear a lot about too many carbs being bad for you. I was wondering what your thoughts were on this

  • Marsha
    January 31, 2008 at 8:28 pm

    Jenna and anyone who has advice.

    I LOVE fruit. Which is great because its low in calories, but I love it enough to eat 5 pieces a day, which adds up calorie wise, especially with the size of apples these days. Any suggestions? Jenna, I noticed mostly you eat your fruit in the morning/afternoon. How do you never eat it at night and limit your intake. I know it sounds like a “good problem” but really I should be eating other things in place of some of the fruit. I like to include fruit at breakfast, lunch, snack, and dessert! For example, at lunch if I have pb and j, I include fruit, and milk. There never seems a time not to include it!!

  • katie #2
    January 31, 2008 at 8:32 pm

    I second Kelly’s warm welcome to you, Ryan the Boyfriend. I am not, not, not a drinker, but sooooo nice of you to appear! You have one popular girlfriend!

  • MC
    January 31, 2008 at 8:34 pm

    Marsha-

    I have the SAME “problem”! I never considered this a problem in the past, but recently i have taken stock of my fruit intake and feel like it’s a little out of control. For example, yesterday, I had an orange, apple, banana and some blueberries with breakfast, another apple with my lunch, and after dinner I had an apple as a snack…plus I had tomatos with dinner which are also technically fruit. Already today I’ve had an apple, banana, and blue berries and it’s only 3 pm.
    I’m wondering if this habit could be making me used to a lot of sugar so that I crave it? Anyone have any idea how much sugar is in typical fruit ie, an apple?

    thanks all!

    MC

  • Arika
    January 31, 2008 at 8:43 pm

    Marsha~

    I am a huge fruit lover too! 5 pieces of fruit a day is a little heavy but certaintly not bad. I suggest having half a banana or half an apple at a time, and saving the other half to eat later. That way you can still have fruit at each meal and snack, but consume 2 or 3 pieces of fruit less over all. Also another handy tip is try and buy the smallest banana’s, apples, oranges you can find, that way you can also cut down on portion sizes. I find for example that bags of apples have smaller apples in them then apples that you buy individually. Lastly some fruits are less calorie packed, like berries…so you can eat more of them and feel more full for less calories. Hope that helped : )

  • VeggieGirl
    January 31, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    the title of your post made me quite pleased, haha :0D

    words cannot even BEGIN to describe how good that nectarine looks – yum!!

  • Liz
    January 31, 2008 at 9:00 pm

    According to this link, an average apple has about 13 grams of sugar in it…

    http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20TB.html

  • Liz
    January 31, 2008 at 9:01 pm

    oops – that’s link was only for a cup. For a “large” apple, it’s more like 23 grams.

    http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20TB.html

  • jenna
    January 31, 2008 at 9:02 pm

    Hi guys,

    I think fruit is a great!! I often only include it in breakfast, lunch and morning snack because its expensive and I go through it so fast! I have make what I buy on the weekends last all week, sadly! For your questions on “how much is too much” I consulted a nutritionist I highly respect and read a lot of: Jane Clarke (www.janeclarke.com). Jane is a British nutritionist (also went to the cordon bleu!!!!) that has a great book out called “Bodyfoods for busy people”. In her book, she recommends 5 fruits a day for optimum vitamins, antioxidants and nutrition. Have a banana with breakfast, an apple for a snack, a pear with lunch, some blueberries with your afternoon snack and a ripe peach for dessert. These things are GOOD to spend our calories on because they provide vitamin C, E, B…and much more. The sugar we eat in fruit is naturally occurring so its a whole lot better than eating cookies than all long! People have been eating fruit for centuries and frankly I think its sad that some people are so consumed with calories these days that they worry about an apple being too much! Adding fruit to your daily meals and snacks makes it all more well rounded and balanced!

  • ashley
    January 31, 2008 at 9:02 pm

    I have another question I was wondering. In one small package of blueberries there is 4.4oz I looked up the nutritional information for blueberries on the internet and it said 83 calories per cup but then another website said a bup of blueberries is 5.6 oz, whereas I thought a cup was 8oz? So how many calories are in a 4.4 oz box? is it considered a half cup or closer to a cup? I’m confused lol… sorry hope that made sense

  • jenna
    January 31, 2008 at 9:04 pm

    Ashley,

    be more concerned about the TYPE of carbs you are consuming, i.e. whole grains versus plain white bread and cookies. I eat a carb heavy diet as well and find it to be energizing and nutritious. Of course, too much of anything can lead to weight gain so find a balance that is right for you. For an example, I usually eat about 6-7 servings of “carbs” aka whole grains a day and that works for me!

  • linds
    January 31, 2008 at 9:05 pm

    I think there are some of you on here who are trying to gain weight healthily- I don’t know a whole lot about it but my boyfriend who is a huge gym buff is trying to put on weight (for some strange reason.. he already looks amazing haha) but anyway he is taking a dietary supplement containing creatine, I think its supposed to help in muscle development.. A serving is 2 scoops (300 cals) and you just mix it with water. Anyway he has gained some weight using it but it’s not hugely noticeable so don’t worry girls it’s not like you would wake up with bulging muscles.. I just know that extreme weight loss often leads to the loss of muscle tissue and adding calories like this into your diet would probably help. Anyway here is a link
    http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=VS-2238

  • jenna
    January 31, 2008 at 9:05 pm

    Ashley,

    that’s because it is measured by weight—-5 ounces or so of blueberries = 1 cup, weight-wise. Its not measured by volume like water and other liquids!

  • Marsha
    January 31, 2008 at 9:09 pm

    Thanks Jenna and everyone for your fruit suggestions. I def. will check out that book.

    Jenna, the chicken you cooked the other night looks so good, but I just cook for myself and don’t want to cook a whole bird. Is there a way to get a juicy flavored chicken using breast only? Thanks!

  • jenna
    January 31, 2008 at 9:21 pm

    Does anyone else know the answer to this? I wish I could help you more but really, I don’t cook with much meat so the whole chicken roasting episode was new to me as well! When cooking just chicken breasts I like to bake them and I have a couple chicken recipes on here such as chicken saltimbocca, which is super tasty and a version of chicken parmesan which is equally delicious!

  • Sarah C
    January 31, 2008 at 9:24 pm

    Jenna,

    I roasted a whole chicken last night!!! It was great, so juicy and delicious!!! And my whole downstairs smelled like lemony, chickeny goodness! The only bad thing was that I burnt my arm on the oven 🙁 not from the chicken though, but from taking out my bf’s Texas Toast (ugh..gross) that he brought and insisted I make for him.

    Thanks for the inspiration!! I now have tons of leftovers for the rest of the week!

    I do have a question though, how do you freeze all of the breads that you make? I recently baked some focaccia bread and banana bread and I want to freeze some of both, but I don’t want any icky freezer burn taste. Any tips?

    Also, I looked at that website for the yoga center that you go to on Tuesdays…I would love to try and go to that Tuesday class, but I teach spin from 2-3 so it would be tough for me to drive there by 4, but maybe one of these days I’ll try to make it! Thanks for the link anyways!

  • jenna
    January 31, 2008 at 9:29 pm

    Sarah,

    Ryan makes me make texas toast for him everytime I cook dinner, so don’t feel bad!!!!! I get grossed out too but he insists! Must be a guy thing!!! 🙂
    I do freeze most breads…they wont become freezer burned if you just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then tin foil. At least, I’ve never experienced freezer burn from them before!
    Too bad about yoga….I’ve been to the saturday class in the morning as well and that’s great too! Where do you teach spin at?

  • Arika
    January 31, 2008 at 9:30 pm

    By the way just to clarify. I am not a calorie counter nor do I ever care how many calories are in things like fruit, because they are so good and nutrient packed. I was meerly saying if one felt (like marsha) that she was consuming too many calories from fruit they could just eat smaller apples or have half at a time. I hope my post didn’t come off as saying 5 pieces a day is “bad”. I never equate the word bad with any whole nutritious foods, such as fruit : ) Jenna what you said about fruit and Jane Clarke’s thoughts hit the nail on the head, your much better with words then I! Hence the blog. Keep up the good work.

  • Arika
    January 31, 2008 at 9:34 pm

    Chicken breasts in general tend to be a drier cut of meat (because its so lean and has little fat). Marinating it would be my best guess. Also the longer you marinate the juicer and more tender it will get. Furthermore, over cooking will make any meat dry so avoid that and you should get nice juicy chicken!

  • Sara F
    January 31, 2008 at 10:35 pm

    Jenna- I found this blog and considering your love of food and love of all things French, I think you’ll appreciate it as much as I do!
    http://www.latartinegourmande.com

  • Marsha
    January 31, 2008 at 10:40 pm

    Thanks Arika. I didn’t know that about marinating longer.

  • Christie
    January 31, 2008 at 11:13 pm

    I think if you cook the breast with apple slices it keeps it moist. Also try to buy and over stuffer roaster which is a smaller breast portion and very flavorfull!

    As far as the calories and fruit talk, I have to say that fruit is good of course but I think everything should be in a balance, its not so much about being consumed wirth calories, but a calorie is a calorie and you can over due even good foods, i think it is better to learn to listen to your body and consume whole foods in moderation and get all the nuitritents from variety. Keep in mind that a serving a fruit is not a large apple, large apples can be considered 2-4 servings.

  • Alli
    January 31, 2008 at 11:28 pm

    Hey Jenna!

    I am new to your website and i love it!! Thank you so much! Also, Roy’s is my favorite restaurant ever! That’s great that you work there. Quick question: What brand of heart rate monitor do you use/recommend?

    If anyone else knows the answer, let me know! I’m sure you’ve answered this question a million times before…

    Thanks!

  • Alicia
    February 1, 2008 at 12:42 am

    Sara F

    Oh gosh, I read that blog as well! Her pictures are amazing and I always want to eat everything off her blog:P

    Marsha,

    I am a fruit addict as well. I like variety and my dad always cuts up a platter of fruits at night after dinner so I get to eat up to 6 types of fruits on good nights. Sometimes I feel like I’m eating way too much fruit but it’s a good thing. In addition to that, I have a banana taken with my daily oat bran breakfast.

  • Sarah C
    February 1, 2008 at 1:03 am

    Jenna,

    Thanks for the tips on freezing the bread! I definitely need to get that stuff in the freezer before a) it goes bad or b) I eat it all before it has a chance to go bad!

    I teach spin at the UCF gym and I love it! My favorite part is when girls come up to me after class and ask questions about fitness and nutrition! I love feeling like I’m helping them.

    I just love your blog though! I’m a little embarassed to admit that this is my second time on here this afternoon…haha. It’s just so much more fun reading the blog discussions than doing the STAT hw that I have sitting in front of me.

  • jenna
    February 1, 2008 at 1:12 am

    Sarah C,

    I’ve actually never tried spinning before but want to! I’m a little scared of it because it looks so super intense….that so cool that you teach it! I would love to teach aerobics or yoga someday!

  • Sarah C
    February 1, 2008 at 1:20 am

    Jenna,

    You should try it! It’s so much fun! And I’m always amazed that even though I do it so much, the classes can vary so much that I always get a good workout! I’m actually getting certified to teach group exercise next weekend so I will then be able to do aerobics/group fitness classes! I’m so excited! You should definitely get certified if its something your interested in. I was hesitant at first bc it is pretty expensive, but I’m so glad I did! I earned the money back quickly bc instructors get paid pretty well…plus, I get paid to workout! haha And I can never “talk myself out of” doing my workout bc I have to be there!

    Ok…I’m really going back to STAT hw now! have a good evening!

  • jenna
    February 1, 2008 at 1:20 am

    For all of y’all looking for “low-cal” drinks when you are out on the town (my crazy boyfriend included), here’s a few:

    rum and diet coke (ryan’s personal favorite)
    vodka with diet tonic
    glass of red wine
    light beer
    vodka with water (yes, this sounds absolutely gross but its not as bad as it sounds…this made for quite a crazy night a few months ago at Ryan’s cousin’s wedding……..a “dont be like me” night for sure but hey I’m only human!)

    I really dont like to drink liquor drinks very much at all…I hate diet soda and liquor DOES contribute some hefty calories that goes straight to your waist line. I DO like cosmos on occasion as well as mojitos though!

  • jenna
    February 1, 2008 at 1:21 am

    Sarah C,

    Wish you taught at my gym! I would def. go to your class!