I have to admit, I kind of love doing the daily eats posts from time to time – I hope you do too!

Weekends are often quite different in terms of eating for me…no 6am yoga (thankfully!), breakfasts at home, hopefully made by the Taster and perhaps one my favorite things? Coffee out of a real mug! It’s the little things. Sometimes it is mainly snacking, sometimes it is a few larger meals throughout the day.

Saturday May 28th:

Morning workout: 45 minute spin class – 1st time I’ve done spin in a while – love spin!

Followed by lots of water and some coffee + coconut creamer.

Breakfast #1: overnight smoothie ala Michelle from A Lively Kitchen

Ingredients: 1 small banana, 2 Tbsp oats, 1 Tbsp PB Flour, 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds, 1 cup Almond Milk  - soaked overnight and blended the next day with a little extra almond milk + cocoa nibs. *I probably drank about 1/3 of this – bananas don’t always sit well with me!

A trip to the Mill City Farmers Market was definitely in order this weekend (first time of the season) and food was definitely at the top of our minds.

Breakfast #2: Meat Momo (Tibetan dumpling) – shared with the Taster and so delicious. I can’t wait to order from Gorkha Palace - it is an Indian/Tibetan Restaurant in our neighborhood and have always wanted to try it!

After some wandering we made an amazing purchase – an herb planter containing cilantro, basil, parsley, sage, rosemary and marjoram – let’s just hope this stays alive longer than my previous gardening experiences.

Instead of waiting in the crazy Chef Shack line, we decided to grab a bite at Spoonriver which ended up being rather average and pretty disappointing. Our last trip to Spoonriver was great, but I think we could have done a better job ordering this trip.

Lunch: I had the Greens Salad: Sunflower Sprouts, Pumpkin Seeds, Fig Vinaigrette. Which I actually enjoyed, the fig vinaigrette was very different.

The Taster ordered the Spoon Burger: Minnesota Farm Lamb, House Ketchup, Corn Chips. He was a little disappointed – there was also quinoa in it (hehe) which he didn’t really think was that great.  I thought it could have used a little something but the house ketchup was delicious. It was just a little blah and I think we both expected a little more since it was almost $15. Lesson learned.

After an afternoon of website work (like the new look?), camp work and a pedicure, I came home just in time for cocktail hour. Which in our house means a drink and a snack, most likely involving cheese and crackers.

Cocktail Hour: wine + crackers + smoked gouda spread (from whole foods)

Dinner: Tijuana Dogs and coleslaw (1 +1/2 dogs) – more to come on those.

Weekends can mean more snacking and less vegetables but in my mind, it’s all about balance. And that’s one thing I’m pretty good at.

Lucky you – two Ask the Nutritionist posts in the same week! You can go into the Holiday Weekend feeling really healthy! {This post on Omega 3′s is sponsored by Eggland’s Best}

Omega 3 Fatty Acids are prevelant enough that you have probably heard of them and you probably know that you should be consuming them but you may not know why or where to even start! Omega 3′s (aka a good fat) are very important to our health for a number of reasons and because our bodies can’t produce these types of fats on its own, it is imperative that we get them through our diets.

Why we Need Omega 3′s:

• it can lower lipid levels (triglycerides and cholesterol)
• it is anti-inflammatory
• it can reduce risk of heart disease and stroke
• thought to help with depression
• want to aim for about 2,000- 4,000 mg/day
• ideally we would have a ratio close to 1:1 (omega 3 to omega 6) but Western diets typically have a ratio of up to 1:30

Where can we get Omega 3′s from?

• Seeds & Nuts: flax, hemp, walnuts
• Fish: salmon, sardines
• Fortified foods: milk, eggs, peanut butter, orange juice, chocolate
• Eggs: Eggland’s Best eggs contain 115 mg Omega 3′s – average eggs contain 49 mg
• Supplements: EPA & DHA fish oil are most common 

Sources: flax, egg, supplement, peanut butter, fish

Delicious ways to incorporate Omega 3′s into your diet:

Omega-3 Breakfast Bowl: Add an egg while cooking oatmeal ala Custard Oats. Top with flaxseed, walnuts and brown sugar.

Smoked Salmon Scramble: 2 eggs + 1 servings smoked salmon + chives

Omega-3 Salad: butter lettuce + steamed asparagus + hard boiled egg + canned sardines + hemp seeds + dressing made with flax oil

What are your favorite ways to get in Omega 3′s?