Pancakes, eggs, oatmeal... oh my!

I love breakfast. I would eat breakfast foods every meal of the day if I could. I love french toast, pancakes, eggs, pastries, cereal, coffee, juice... the list could go on and on. Maybe it's because morning is my favorite part of the day. I look forward to that first cup of coffee and first meal to get me going. Another thing I *love* about the morning... opening the door to Little H's room and seeing a big smile on the face of a (usually) very happy and well-rested baby! But I digress...

I know that there are a lot of people that skip breakfast... honestly, I don't know how they do it. By the time I wake up in the morning, I'm starving. I immediately start thinking about what I'm going to eat (and what I'm going to eat the rest of the day... yes, I'm a planner even when it comes to my meals. A little nutty, I know). And now I'm also trying to choose the right foods to fuel (and refuel) my morning workouts, especially my runs. But the meals have to be quick and simple since I'm usually hurrying to get in the shower and then out the door with the little guy (recall my last post about being feeling like a frazzled mom-on-the-go).

A recent article in the March issue of Runner's World magazine seemed to address my needs. The article, titled "Jump Start", listed a variety of breakfasts good for fueling runs and repairing muscles after a run. According to the article, you want to eat between 400 and 500 calories after a run, with the right mix of carbs and protein. Carbs "replenish glycogen in your muscles, while protein helps to build and repair those muscles." My first thought.... Perfect excuse to eat and try some new meals! Plus, the hard work is already done since all the meals have the right nutrients.

One of the meals they list for refueling after a run is the High-Protein Pancakes. You warm up two frozen whole-grain pancakes, top them with fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt, blueberries, almonds and hazelnuts. Pretty basic. I could handle that. I happened to be at my parents over the weekend and I decided to make some whole grain pancakes using a mix I bought at Whole Foods. Although that morning we had them the traditional way with fresh blueberries and maple syrup (delicious!), there were leftover pancakes that I used the next day after my run. I simply reheated two of them in the microwave, topped them with some Fage plain 0% fat greek yogurt, fresh blueberries, sliced almonds, a sprinkling of ground flaxseed, and a drizzle of honey (for a little sweetness).
Now, whether or not this meal was actually repairing my muscles... who knows. But I'll take the article's word for it. Per the article, here's why this is a good post-run meal:

• There's a lot of protein in the greek yogurt (10g for only 1/2 cup). (I eat this yogurt everyday. Not only do I like it because it's thick and creamy, but for someone like me who doesn't eat a lot of meat it's a great source of protein.)
  
• The whole wheat pancakes provide necessary carbs to "restock energy stores", and since they are whole-grain that's an added plus. (I would also use frozen whole-grain waffles for this as well.) The article states that at least half of your grains should be whole because they "help reduce the risk for chronic disease."
• Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, which help fight disease and inflammation.
• Nuts are high in vitamin E, which may help reduce abdominal cramping and pain you may experience before and after a run.
  

Being the self-professed health nut that I am, this is my type of breakfast. I loved the taste, and actually had 2 more pancakes so I made it again the next day. There were quite a few other meals they recommend that I plan on trying: the breakfast sundae (yogurt, peanut butter, cereal, banana, cinnamon), southwestern wrap (think eggs done mexican style with a healthy twist), cinnamon jam toast (with mascarpone), pumpkin ricotta waffle, oatmeal with dark chocolate chips and strawberries (you had me at *chocolate*), and "baked" apple (filled with granola, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg). Mmmmm...just writing this is making me hungry! I would eat these regardless if I was running that day.

I love that they're all a twist on some traditional breakfast favorites. Plus, they're really simple to make, which will make Little H happy because we'll still be able to make it out the door for our mom and baby classes :)

Feeling frazzled; and workout updates

Been a bit busy lately. Little H and I were at my parents for a few days, with lots of visits and visiting. Always fun and a nice break from our typical day-to-day, but as of yesterday we're back to our normal routine at home.

Last week I was only able to fit in 3 workouts, like I figured, but I'm ok with that. I stressed myself out a bit on Wed. and Thurs. because I wanted to do my run and cross training workouts, but had some time constraints. I did manage to fit them in, but then had to shower and get ready in record time. Picture the frazzled mom, hair in ponytail, little/no makeup, walking way too fast, all while holding a baby... that was me. But once I stopped to take a deep breath, I was happy I went to the gym. I felt good. The truth is, when I'm walking out of the condo looking a little ragged, I feel like crap... wishing I spent more time getting ready, wanting to look like the mom who has it all together (or at least looks like it!). In reality though, I don't really care all that much. If there are some days when I can't do my hair or put on makeup, I'm ok with that. It just makes me feel better knowing I was able to exercise and do something good for myself that day.

Anyways, back to my workouts. Here's what's on tap for this week:

• Monday ~ 4 mile run
• Tuesday ~ 40 min cross train
• Wednesday ~ stretch & strength
• Thursday ~ 3 mile run
• Friday ~ rest
• Saturday ~ 60 min cross train
• Sunday ~ 4.5 mile run

So far I'm 2 for 2 this week. I wasn't too happy with the run yesterday.... was feeling very sluggish. Part of the way through, I walked for a 1/3 mile and then really had to push myself to run the rest. I was definitely glad when it was over. Even though I had a towel over the timer on the treadmill, it was one of those runs where it seemed like I picked up the towel and looked at the timer every 3 minutes... even though it felt like 10 minutes had passed. Hate when that happens.

Is it spring yet? Warmer weather = outdoor running = less treadmill = happy me!

Getting back in the swing of things

For my mental and physical sanity, I really need to workout. Sometimes schedules and routines get readjusted or put on hold when circumstances are out of one's control. That's what happened to me last week. With Little H and I both sick, I didn't go to the gym or workout once. I was hoping for a quick recovery, but I'm still fighting this cold. It's getting better though, so I'm planning on getting back to the gym... even if I have to dial my workouts down a notch.

Now that I have the 5k's behind me, I'm training for a 10k (6.2 miles). I'm following Hal Higdon's 10k Training plan and I'm on week 4. Although I couldn't find a 10k run that coincided with the last week of the plan, I'm running in a 5-mile run at the end of the 7th week. I'll still finish the training schedule and run 6.2 miles at the end. Based on his plan, here's what my schedule should be* for this week:

• Monday ~ stretch & strength
  
• Tuesday ~ 3 mile run
• Wednesday ~ 35 min cross train
• Thursday ~ 2 mile run & strength
• Friday ~ rest
• Saturday ~ 50 min cross train
• Sunday ~ 4 mile run

*I took today off since I'm still nursing a cold. And Thursday afternoon I'm leaving the city for the weekend. Even though this isn't ideal, it's a good start. Another one of those circumstances that's out of my control.

Oh, and one more challenge to add to the days... Little H is now on solids. So the time it takes for us to get out the door after his morning nap is significantly increased since there's a lengthy feeding involved (usually one where he spits out his food and cries... there's very little eating going on. We're working on this).

We'll see how the week plays out.

No fail turkey burgers

Personally, I don't eat a lot of red meat (my husband is a different story). I love a good burger and fries every once in a while when we go out, but at home I prefer turkey and veggie burgers. I've tried the ready-made ground turkey patties, but they're pretty blah tasting... even with all the fixings. So I found this recipe for turkey cheeseburgers in Family Circle magazine last year, and it's been a staple in our dinner rotation ever since. My husband loves when I make these. Not only are they delicious and moist (because of the shredded cheese and grated zucchini mixed in), they are also quick and easy to make. And much healthier than your typical restaurant burger, so you can feel good about eating them. I just made them for dinner tonight, and they were yummy as usual.

Turkey Cheeseburgers ~ Serves 4 (from Family Circle)

Ingredients:

• 1 package (about 1.25 lbs) ground turkey
• 1 medium zucchini, trimmed and grated
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 4 Whole Wheat buns or Arnold Sandwich thins
• Sliced tomato and lettuce

Directions:

• Heat the broiler, arranging the top rack rack so the burgers are 2" from the heat.
• In a large bowl, combine the turkey, zucchini, cheese, salt, onion powder, basil and pepper. Mix well and form 4 patties, each about 5 inches wide.
• Place burgers on a broiler pan (or on a roasting pan with aluminum foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray). Broil for about 8 minutes per side or until burgers are 165 degrees.
• Toast buns or sandwich thins, if desired. Stack buns with burgers, lettuce, tomato and any other toppings you'd like!

A lot of times, I'll form the burgers, slice the tomatoes and wash the lettuce during Little H's afternoon nap. Then I just stick the uncooked burgers in the fridge and pop them in the oven later when it's time to eat. Bonus: If there's only 2 people eating them, then you'll have 2 leftover burgers that can be quickly reheated for another lunch or dinner that week.

For a side, I usually bake sweet potato fries (recipe from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics that I'll share in a future post), or bake frozen pre-packaged fries (if I don't have sweet potato on hand), or defrost some edamame. Tip: I always use aluminum foil on the pans when I bake the burgers and fries, making cleanup a breeze.

Super simple. Super quick. Super yummy.

It's a love / hate thing

I ran the Super Sunday 5k in Boston last Sunday. I've been meaning to blog all week, but Little H has been sick, wasn't sleeping well at night... and now he's passed his cold on to me. This is his 4th cold this season, and my 3rd. (I blame the babysitting at the gym. Not sure that's where he catches the colds, but it seems the most logical place.)

Anyways, back to the race. I finished in 29:43, so I reached my goal of finishing in under 30 min! I ran my first 5k on New Year's Day this year and finished in 31:25, so this was an improvement. I'm not a competitive person, but I was glad to see that my running schedule is paying off!

Let me explain my running/working out schedule. I like schedules and following plans. I like the structure, and when I plan out my weekly workouts it gives me something to cross of my to-do list (I love that feeling). Plus, Little H is on a schedule for naps and feedings (well, somewhat...as you may know, babies usually do what they want when they want). So a schedule works out well for everyone all around.

I started running just recently, in November. Let's make something very clear... I have never really enjoyed running. I've always been jealous of the people that do (or at least claim they do). For me, I've always had a love / hate thing with running. I usually hate it while I'm doing it, but love it when I'm done. I doubt I'm the only one. I was always an elliptical, bike, yoga and pilates sort of girl. But I wanted to work towards a goal and thought signing up for a 5k would be a challenge, and a nice change of pace from my typical gym routine. I started The Couch-to-5k Running Plan in November, a 9-week training plan for beginners (it starts out with intervals of 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking... so just about anyone can do it). I knew I wanted to start out slow so I wouldn't get discouraged...this was perfect for me. The key is to sign up for a 5k (or any race) and then work backwards from the date of the race and start training accordingly. After 9 weeks of training (including a few frigid outdoor runs; one that resulted with icicles on my eyelashes... not fun), I ran that first 5k on January 1st! It was worth it. And although I don't yet love running, I've grown to like it more and more.

I only recently learned that a 5k is 3.1 miles (yeah, that's how clueless I was about running). Now, some people might be able to run 3 miles without so much as a thought.... not me. I won't even try to use the "I just had a baby" excuse. The truth is, I don't think I could have run 3 miles before I got pregnant and was exercising regularly. I knew I had to follow a training schedule if I wanted to cross the finish line.

So here's how I did it. I tried to follow the schedule to a "t", but some days I had to switch workouts or rest days because Little H or I was sick or taking a mom/baby class that day. In general, we go to the gym in the a.m. after his nap and a feeding. He's usually only awake for 2 hours at a time before going down for his next nap, so as soon as he eats I get him ready and we're out the door. By the time I get to the gym (luckily it's only a 5 min. walk ~ one of the perks of living in a city), I have about an hour before he gets fussy and tired. They have a babysitter there and the price is very reasonable. I either do a treadmill run or cross training, and then stretching or ab work. When we get home, he goes directly down for a nap and I have some quiet time to shower and get something to eat.

On strength and stretching days, I use free weights and resistance bands, and yoga and pilates videos I have at home. I try to do it before Little H wakes up for the day (7 a.m.) or during his morning nap.

That's it in a nutshell. It doesn't usually go as smoothly as I'm making it sound. Everyday presents new challenges. That's what this blog is about ~ learning how to overcome those challenges so you can still fit in those workouts. Although it may not seem like it when you're trying to get out the door, you'll have more energy for both yourself and your little one... and you'll need it!

First feeding.... gone horribly wrong

So much for my hopes of a smooth first feeding, hopes of Little H loving the first spoonful, wanting more and eating it all. Don't let the picture fool you. He "ate" about 5 spoonfuls, in between some gagging... after which he threw it all up. I felt so bad for the little guy. Here's where I think I went wrong:

First, the consistency was probably too thick. When I made it last night, the consistency was much smoother when it finished pureeing (but it was also very warm which I think helped). Even though I heated it up before I fed it to him, it wasn't quite as smooth. I added a little warm water to it after the first couple of spoonfuls, but maybe I didn't add enough. When we try again tomorrow, I'm planning on adding a little warmed breastmilk... and maybe even some rice cereal.

Second, although I don't think taste was the issue, the sweet potato may not have been as "sweet" as it should have been. As you can see in the photo, the sweet potato I used was not the typical orange-y color. They didn't have sweet potatoes at our local store, but they did have yams. I've always been unsure if sweet potatoes and yams are one in the same, but I erred on the side of caution and didn't buy the yams (also because the girl at the cash register told me they were different. Not exactly an expert source).... even though they always taste the same to me. So I went to a nearby market that sells local and organic foods, and they were selling sweet potatoes... but the color resembled regular potatoes. A guy there assured me they were indeed sweet potatoes, just a different variety. Who knew?! I was a little skeptical but I bought two anyway. When I got home, I did a little online research. According to WholesomeBabyFood.com,

In the United States, Yams and Sweet Potatoes are one and the same and the terms are used interchangeably for the same vegetable.... The difference between Yams and Sweet Potatoes in the United States is only in the labeling, the color, the texture and the marketing. What is referred to as a "yam" in the Unites States is the darker reddish skinned, orange fleshed sweet potato. It is typically more sweet and moist.....What is referred to as Sweet Potato on the other hand, is the lighter, brownish skinned type. This variety is more dry and starchy than the "yam' and is not as sweet. It also resembles the texture of regular white potatoes.

Hmmm.... so maybe I should have gone with the yams for a sweeter flavor. Hindsight is 20/20. First I'll try adding some breastmilk and/or rice cereal tomorrow and see if that makes a difference. Fingers crossed... again!

Cooking for three

The time has come for Little H to begin solids. Actually, he probably should've started a few weeks ago... but we've been struggling with the rice and oatmeal cereal, which he never liked from the beginning. Plus, I wanted to make his food and I guess I was procrastinating. The little guy turns 6 months tomorrow (already!), so it's definitely time.

I just finished making the first batch of sweet potato puree using the Beaba BabyCook machine. As someone who put off baby-food making because I didn't know how and where to start, this was beyond simple! But I won't consider this a complete success until I feed it to Little H tomorrow. Fingers crossed that he will actually like it and eat it! Updates tomorrow.


So in addition to cooking nutritious meals for me and my husband, I now need to make sure I'm giving Little H the best and most healthy food I can. I want to make his food because I know what's in it and how it's prepared. Hopefully he thinks it's yummy.

Food as fuel

I've always wanted to be a nutritionist/dietician. Although I think I eat pretty healthy, I'm always interested in understanding more about what I put in my mouth. I really have no idea the number of calories and amount of protein, carbs, fat, fiber, etc. I should be taking in everyday (plus, it seems daunting trying to track all this). And now that I'm running and exercising more, there's so much to learn about the best foods to eat, and when and how much of them to eat to get the most out of my workouts.

I've seen ads for this cookbook in Runner's World magazine, The Athlete's Palate, and I finally bought it yesterday. The chefs (who are also runners) share their favorite recipes for fueling or recovering from their runs.

I still need to really go through it and pick out recipes that 1) my husband will actually eat (his palate is a bit limited, although it's getting better) and 2) are fairly easy to cook (after taking care of Little H all day, I have no energy/time to cook a gourmet meal). It has to be pretty simple. As I try the recipes, I'll share my thoughts.