“My diet absolutely sucks.”
That was the rough reason I gave the nutritionist back in August for needing to meet with them.
The real push for me to make that appointment with the nutritionist came from looking at full-body pictures of myself and not liking the shape of my body —a pudgy oval.
I wanted to meet with the nutritionist to discuss weight management, establish weight-loss goals, create healthier eating habits, and leave with an action plan to reshape my body and diet.
What did I mean by saying “My diet absolutely sucks.”
Well, to elaborate, I meant that I ate too much fast fried food, drank too many soft drinks, and had an afternoon working habit of eating Oreos from the vending machine.
I stopped at Bojangles or one of the breakfast spots for a biscuit on my way to work.
I often ate out for lunch. I always ordered French fries and Dr. Pepper. I usually drank two or three large soft drinks per meal.
The Oreos were delicious, but 45 calories per cookie add up over time.
There were more unhealthy things I was doing, but that’s probably enough for you to agree that my diet needed a makeover.
Now that I’ve acknowledged what I’ve been doing wrong, what am I doing now to slim down and work toward a leaner body?
I’m gradually working toward a 60/40 healthy-eating diet: 60 percent healthier foods, 40 percent less healthy foods. Although the typical rule is a 70/30 split, I know myself well enough to recognize that may not be realistic for me.
The plan we discussed is to start with breakfasts and lunches throughout the workweek.
I’ll bring my breakfast three times and lunch twice a week. That guarantees five healthy meals in my weekly diet. It replaces biscuits with pudding and yogurt parfaits, and fast-food cheeseburgers and fries with chicken, beans, and rice.
Also, drink water when I go out to eat and quit eating those delicious chocolate sandwich cookies with a creamy white filling during my afternoon work breaks.
So what have I been bringing for breakfast and lunch all these weeks? Well, since you asked.
I’ve been bringing the sweetest chia seed pudding for breakfast.
Thank you for that, nutritionist. They put me onto chia seed pudding, which is the point of this blog post.
I experimented a lot with the pudding, but the chia seed pudding that I’m sharing here tastes like a milkshake and dessert to me.
Quickly, I’ve been bringing burrito bowls for lunch.
Now, for the unveiling of the chia seed pudding.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds: I found them in the granola or baking & cooking aisle at most supermarkets.
- ½ cup vanilla-flavored almond milk: I use Almond Breeze.
- 1 tablespoon honey: I use honey from a squeeze bottle, so I don’t actually measure out 1 tablespoon; I just use a proper squeeze of honey in the pudding.
- 1 to 2 ounces of vanilla yogurt: I tried several brands, but now I exclusively use Oui vanilla yogurt after my girlfriend turned me onto it. Oui is amazing!
- Handful of strawberries: I cut about 5 or 6 into quarters.
Equipment
- 8-ounce Mason Jar or some other container with an airtight lid
- Spoon or something to stir the pudding
- 1Tablespoon single measuring spoon
- Cutting board
- Cutting Knife
- Refrigerator (LOL)
Instructions
- Step one: combine the chia seeds, almond milk, honey, vanilla yogurt, and cut strawberries into the jar or container with an airtight lid.
- Step two: Use the spoon or something else to give the pudding ingredients a good stirring.
- Step three: Screw on tight or snap the lid to your jar or container
- Step four: Put the jar or container of blended ingredients in the fridge to chill overnight
- Step five: Unscrew or pop off the lid the next day to enjoy the best damn chia seed pudding
I normally do food prep on Mondays, and bring the Mason Jars of pudding for Tuesday through Thursday breakfasts. And bring the burrito bowls for Tuesday and Thursday lunch.
The jars of pudding last several days in the fridge.
The jars can be hard to wash, so I normally just rinse them out at work and put them in the dishwasher after work.
I realize I’m starting to ramble now.
I encourage you all to try out this chia seed pudding recipe.
I want to hear all about it when you do.
Let me know in the comments, by email, or through social media.
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