Hey Guys!

Monday is over, who’s happy? I had a bizarre day on the bus front. I’m not sure if I told you or not, but I’m one of oh, 3 people in LA who can actually ride the bus. (Fine, that is an exaggeration.) But I do feel SO incredibly lucky that it is easy for me to ride the bus! First the bus I ride drove right past me, then I missed the stop that I needed to get off at (good book!) and then on the way home, someone driving by yelled “hey prostitutes!” out the window to myself and a girl from work. I thought my outfit was kind of preppy, but apparently not!

Oh, and I’m a little out of practice on the daily eats posts – I forgot to take two pictures! I’m sure you can use your imagination…

Beverages: coffee + coconut creamer. While I prefer the flavor of 1/2 & 1/2, I’m trying to cut down on dairy and find that after a few days of coconut creamer I don’t really notice it anymore. I save my dairy consumption for cheese and greek yogurt.

Breakfast: raspberry & cashew museli (or overnight oats): 1 serving oats + almond milk + 1/2 cup 2% greek yogurt + 3/4 cup raspberries + flax + cashews

Lunch: tuna (1 can) & white bean (2 servings) salad + greens with balsamic dressing

Snack 1: finn crisp crackers (caraway) + 100 calorie pack of guacamole

Snack 2: raw almond butter

Workout: 45 minute spin class

Snack 3: olives

Dinner: brown rice + fried tofu + bok choy, asparagus and baby greens saute

Dessert: small square of dark chocolate

Have any good commuting stories to share?

(source)

I have to admit something.

I don’t always love nuts.

But then I remember that they are kind of a perfect snack, and can be pretty darn delicious from time to time. Everyone likes peanut butter, right?  I just recently came around to raw almond butter, and now I slather it on toast, celery and apples on a regular basis. I would never turn down pine nuts in pesto either.

If you are aren’t yet a fan, try adding some nuts in at snack time or nut butters for breakfast or lunch. Here’s the what, why and how…

What:

• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Pistachios
• Cashews
• Pecans
• Pine Nuts
• Brazil Nuts
• Macadamia Nuts
• (peanuts are technically a legume but are usually fall into the nut category)

Why:

• contain fat, protein and fiber
• full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol
• can help reduce the risk of diabetes
• nutrient dense: full of vitamin E, folic acid, niacin, copper, magnesium

How:

• Raw Nuts are best and then roast at home so they don’t go rancid
• Add some flavor to roasted nuts (like curried or herbed nuts)
• As a snack, on salads, or part of trail mix
• Nut Butter – look for natural varieties – the only ingredients should be nuts and/or salt.
• Watch portions! Nuts, although good for you, are very calorie-dense. A serving is one ounce.
• Recipes to Try: Almond-Honey Power Bar, Nut Recipes on Foodily, Nut Recipes on Gojee

Do you have a favorite nut or way to eat them?