Dinner!

My parents took me to Cracker Barrel tonight as kind of a goodbye dinner as I'm flying to Nevada in the morning, and I think this is the first time I've ever ordered off the "Healthy/Low Cal" section of the menu. I got Buttermilk Oven-Baked Chicken, steamed Broccoli, and mixed fruit, which consisted of pineapple, blackberries, and blueberries. It was about 350 calories, and the chicken was so. good. Ah-may-zing. I'm a happy and very full camper now. 

I'm a poor college student and I have no food. So for lunch today, I had toast, MorningStar Farms vegetarian sausage, Yoplait strawberry whipped Greek yogurt, and Silk vanilla almond milk. I'm so poor *cries* But hey, at least I can still eat healthy even when I have no food. 

~ Michelle 

New shoes!

I wanted new shoes, since the only ones I have are regular Nike running shoes, and they're rather big. Not size wise, they're just-- big. And since I intend to use them for trail running, which has lots of lovely obstacles for me to trip over and land on my face (been there, done that), I need shoes that I don't catch the toes on just walking down the hallway. So, Sports Authority it is. I found this pair of slim Nike trainers for $70. They're super comfy and I don't feel like I'm clomping around in them. FTW

Commissary

One of the biggest benefits of being a military brat is having a dependent ID, so now that I'm living in Utah, I can still go onto a base to shop at the Commissary, (the base's grocery store)

My boyfriend and I went to check out Hill AFB the other day. Neither of us had been there before and we got really lost, but we finally found the Commissary, and it was the best deal on healthy food I've gotten so far. 

Pro #1: everything there is sold at a discounted price, lower than what you'd find in your everyday grocery store. 

Pro #2: no sales tax.

Therefore, my list consisted of;

- a bottle of lemonade

- 2 bags of chocolate chips to make cookies with my roommates

- Dole peach cups

- bag of celery

- two boxes of strawberries

- three kiwis

- loaf of bread

For $16. The most expensive thing was the chocolate chips and nothing individually cost more than $3. #MilitaryLyfe 

Shopping!

I woke up early today so I went in to Sprouts. I ended up with:

- 2 lemons
- A cucumber
- 2 cartons of organic strawberries
- 2 1/2 lbs of red seedless grapes
- 2 3/4 lbs of sweet cherries
- 2 nectarines
- A bottle of blood orange Italian soda

The grand total? $18.12. Whoever says that you can't eat healthy for cheap is a liar.

Some days, I think I should just suck it up and go for a run. Then I look outside and think "Hm, better not".

Foods

Like I said, I'm ridiculously picky when it comes to healthy eating. Here's what I will and won't eat.

Nope nope nope:

• Tofu-- Yecchh. No other explanation needed.
• Avocados-- Yes, I refuse to eat guacamole. Seriously, when I go to Chipotle, watching them glop it on stuff makes me gag.
• Mushrooms-- For some reason, my dad likes frying these. I made him stop doing it when I was home because the smell made me nauseous.
• Sweet potatoes-- I liked them when I was little, but I don't like the taste anymore.
• Soybeans-- Just.. no.
• Chickpeas-- Yes, I also think hummus is gross.
• Squash/Zucchini-- Spaghetti Squash? No. The only time I'll make an exception for Zucchini is in Chocolate Zucchini Bread. For some weird reason, I love the stuff.
• Cauliflower
• Green beans-- I like the canned ones, but not fresh ones. They're too stringy and rubbery.
• Brussels Sprouts-- Every kid hates them. I haven't outgrown that yet, apparently.
• Spinach-- This is big in our church. They love making spinach salad. I think it's bitter and chemically tasting. It's okay if it's mixed with lettuce, but not on its own.
• Eggplant
• Cabbage
• Beets
• Radishes
• Green peppers
• Fish
• Weird Seafood-- By this, I mean things like squid and octopus and all that.
• Basically any shellfish other than shrimp. I'll eat shrimp.
• Bananas-- I'm allergic.
• Cantaloupe
• Figs
• Grapefruit-- I adore the smell, but I don't like the taste.
• Honeydew
• Raspberries, Blueberries, and Blackberries-- I like them in things, but I don't eat them raw. 
• Coconut Water
• Coffee
• Rice Milk
• Cottage Cheese/Ricotta Cheese-- It's a texture thing.
• Cashew Milk
• Regular Milk-- I get sick if I drink it plain, but I'll use it in baking. 
• Almonds/Almond Butter-- I really hate almonds. But I love almond extract. Which is weird.
• Cashew Butter-- I'll eat raw cashews, but cashew butter is weird.
• Lentils
• Maple Syrup-- I feel like this is a crime, having grown up practically in Canada.
• Whole Grain Bread/Pasta/Pizza Crust/Tortillas
• Quinoa
• Couscous

And any number more.

Things I will eat:

• Chicken
• Beef (sometimes)
• Shrimp (also sometimes)
• Turkey-- Only the sandwich meat kind. Not the whole, Thanksgiving kind. Yes, I think there is a huge difference.
• Ham
• Gold or Red Potatoes
• Carrots
• Celery
• Mangoes
• Watermelon
• Peaches
• Kiwi
• Cherries
• Guava-- I had this for the first time mixed with lemonade at a restaurant, and a friend and I drank so much we were sick for a few days. It's wonderful and it reminds me of Hawai'i.
• Lemons/Limes
• Pineapple (sometimes)
• Grapes
• Apples-- I really only like Pink Lady apples. They're fizzy and really sweet.
• Pomegranate Seeds-- Only if I don't have to seed a whole pomegranate myself, because it's really hard.
• Oranges-- Cara Cara oranges are delicious, but I'll eat regular Navel oranges too.
• Strawberries
• Almond Milk
• Peanut Butter
• Cashews
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Greek Yoghurt-- I've started using it as a healthier alternative to Sour Cream.
• Cheese-- Shredded or block. I like Colby Jack.
• Feta Cheese
• Cream Cheese
• Honey
• Date- My mom bakes with these a lot. They're not bad.
• Oats
• Pinto Beans
• Brown Rice
• Red Peppers
• Eggs
• Salad/ Regular Lettuce
• Sausage—I'll eat pork and chicken sausage, but I actually love the MorningStar Farms vegetarian sausage.
• Pasta-- any kind, really. No ravioli, though.
• Unsweetened Cranberry Juice-- Yes, I mean this. The no-sugar-added, so-bitter-it-hurts cranberry juice.
• Cucumbers
• Onions
• Olives-- Both black and Kalamata. Not the green ones. 
• Flour and Corn Tortillas- Living in Arizona, we love our Mexican food.
• Salsa-- both Picante and Pico De Gallo.
• Green Chiles 
• Jalapeños-- In all kinds of stuff. Salsa, bagels, chili, anything. Except chocolate. Because for some reason, that's a thing. 

~Michelle