I woke up this morning absolutely starving!
I guess my body was hard at work trying to replenish my BLOOD. ;)
I blended the biggest bowl of cooked spinach into my Green Monster today. I need to get that iron back. The spinach is cooked because it makes some nutrients, like iron, more bioavailable (more easily absorbed). Just pop your spinach into the microwave (in water) and voila.
I cooked about 6-7 packed cups of organic spinach in a bowl of water in the microwave. It worked out well because I have two packages of spinach to use up before we leave for NB tomorrow!
My wonderful Iron-packed Green Monster:
As some of you may know, Tina from Carrots ‘n Cake recently took a social media position with a company called Nuval.
About Nuval:
"Developed by an independent panel of nutrition and medical experts, the NuVal System helps you see – at a glance – the nutritional value of the food you buy. How? The NuVal System scores food on a scale of 1-100. The higher the NuVal Score, the better the nutrition. It’s that
simple."
For more info, click here.
Of course, I was mighty curious to see how my dear Green Monster was rated!
Check out the Green Monster’s rating:
- Bob’s Red Mill Flax: 100
- Spinach: 100
- Almond Breeze Almond Milk, unsweetened: 90
- Kale: 99
- Banana: 91
Pretty darn awesome! Great news for GM fans!
They didn’t have ratings for Hemp protein powder or chia seeds. One might assume if flax are 100, then chia seeds are literally off the charts! ;)
Thanks Tina!
Workouts:
I have been doing these crazy hill interval workouts on the treadmill. I alternate speed 4 and 4.2 for 60 seconds each for at least 30 minutes at incline 15%. It is KILLER! I am soaked in sweat afterwards. I have also been doing 2-3 mins of core work each day too to maintain my Whittle My Middle progress.
I was worried that I was going to be weak after donating blood yesterday, but that wasn’t the case. Must have been all those superfoods I ate for dinner and breakfast.
Using up food:
I have been gobbling down veggies left and right to use up everything in the fridge before we leave tomorrow.
I love my veggies. One more stir-fry for tonight’s dinner and I will have used everything up so nothing goes to waste.
What food I pack for vacation
Now onto the goodies I am packing for our trip:
- 4 Glo Bars
- Amazing Grass Wheatgrass
- Amazing Grass chocolate Meal
- 2 apples
- Nature’s Path Flax Plus cereal
As a vegan, I always need to be prepared!
A bag of Pita Gourmet High Protein Pitas! LOVE these for their high protein and fibre (10+ grams per pita)! Only bad thing is they rip, very easily. :(
I am always armed with a Glo Bar in my purse, just in case I can’t get to my bag in the storage bin of the airplane. ;)
Almonds, Gogi berries, Mary’s Crackers.
Tea: Some for day (Green tea), some for night (Chamomile).
Time to use up the samples of protein powder I acquired at the Food Trade show!
My dad has a blender, so I will be making Green Monsters while away.
I will also be blogging!
Are you traveling for the holidays or just relaxing at home?
~~~~
I am about half way done my packing. I am bringing a ton of Glo Bars for family and friends that requested some and Christmas presents. Let’s hope it all fits in my suitcase!
Eric and I are also exchanging Christmas gifts tonight as we didn’t want to lug everything to NB. I am excited. :)
~~~~
Christmas Eve MORNING post:
- My 10 in 2010
- What life changing experience I signed up for!!!!
Sorry for the delay, it is taking me a while to write but I will finish it tonight!!!
Have a lovely CHRISTMAS EVE- EVE! ;)
Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.
– Theodore Roosevelt
Your Green Monster looks so yummy! I can’t wait to see what your 10 in 2010 are. I might have to steal a couple of them!
Your travel goodies look great! So does your green monster! We’re relaxing at home these holidays (family all live very close by) but I’m still cooking and organising lots of vegetarian food to take!
Have a merry Christmas!
I love to be prepared when traveling as well…have a great trip!!
ahhhh! do i smell a marathon?!
I was thinking the same thing!!! :-)
Lovely Angela,
Merry almost Christmas to you, sweets! I love the NuVal scoring of your green monster…just goes to show how valuable they are to your health ;) I am intrigued by what you are going to post tomorrow morning and can’t wait to read. You are always an inspiration so I’m sure it will be uplifting and enlightening!
Love,
E.B.
travel safely! love the quote at the bottom. :-D
I’m traveling and can’t wait! Normally I’d pack a bunch of stuff, but my sister lives within 20 minutes of both a Whole Foods AND a Trader Joe’s…I’m tempted to bring an extra suitcase just to bring food back! :)
great packing job. i always have snacks in my purse when i travel because heavens forbid i can’t get to my stored bag and then hanger ensues. enjoy your trip–happy holidays!
Hey Angela how do you pack all that spinach in to blend? Do you do a little by little? Also, do you increase the sweetness proportionally? I’m afraid of the extremely “green” taste lol!
Have a wonderful holiday!
When its cooked it shrinks a lot!
That is one supercharged Green Monster!!! AHH! :-D :-D I love the preparedness, I need to do this before all of our trips.
Merry Christmas, Angela! I didn’t realize you guys were travelling for the holidays – good idea to pack some snacks for emergencies. Hope you two have a lovely holiday and a great time visiting with your family!
Looking forward to your post tomorrow!!
That is A LOT of spinach! WOW!
I just got Glo Bars in the mail and they are amazing! I’m taking some to my family tomorrow :)
Have a great time with your family!!
Haha, packing healthy goodies for road trips always pays off big time! Your green monster looks INTENSE – like there was some major plant blood oozing out of your blender there!
That’s a LOT of spinach! I know what you mean about having to be prepared. Being stuck somewhere where there’s no (vegan) options is the worst. Enjoy your trip!
What a coink-y-dink – I just put Tina on my reader today! Thanks for the recap of what Nuval does.
Can’t wait for your 10….I smell marathon or tri…..or beauty pageant with a performing animal category! Ok, maybe just the first two.
Safe travels!
Hi Ange,
I am SO addicted to those Mary’s Crackers, I LOVE them!!!! They are the best ever!!! Thanks for introducing me to them. :O)
Cant wait to hear about your next life adventure.
Oh I am so addicted to them too! I have to restrain myself from eating the entire box! I never would have even given them a look on the shelf if you hadn’t put them in the box you sent me!
So thanks for introducing them to me too (I think!)
Have a safe trip (you won’t go hungry, that’s for sure) and a wonderful holiday with your loved ones.
looks like you are all ready to travel! have a safe trip!
We are travelling to the Dominican Republic on the 29th for a week!! Can’t wait!!
That is a lot of spinach girl – good for you!!!!! You got all that iron back :-)
Just traveling locally. Have a great Christmas Ange! :)
I’m traveling to my parents house in Nebraska for the holidays and since they’re not the biggest of health nuts like myself I always packs lots of goodies for me to munch on during my visit! Looks like you will be well prepared!
I can’t wait to read your 10 in 2010 tomorrow. I am doing the same thing, but am not revealing them until January 1st : ) Happy & safe travels!
This was such an awesome post. I always love hearing and seeing how people keep up their healthy eating habits while on the road, thanks for sharing.
And WOW, your green smoothie looks a million times better than the one I am currently sipping on. What a great, vibrant color yours has!
safe travels and THANK YOU for all the info youve shared with the masses this year.
We appreciate you.
should you find time whilst packing all that into a suitcase (I can never ever fit everything. every. then on the way home when it’s all eaten Ive room enough for more cr*p :)) film it and send it here?
please? :)
it SO could be yer talent!
http://virtualtalentshow.tumblr.com/
We are staying home and relaxing after our crazy work season is over. There will be movies involved and sleep. :-)
The travel goodies look fantastic!!
I love that you pack tea for travel! I’ll have to steal this idea for my next trip. Thanks for sharing your travel goodies.
We’ll be letting the party come to us! We’ll have a big full house on Christmas Day.
I tried to order those pitas online,but they won’t ship them because I’m too far away…freshness and stuff:-( cc
Your travel eats look yummmy! I still haven’t been able to find gogi berries in the Massachusetts area :(… I want to try them so badly!! haha Merry Christmasss!
Good to know about cooked spinach! I always forget that sometimes the way you cook your vegetables counts for something to!
I’m not vegan, but I do enjoy packing some of my own food and being prepared while away from home! It’s just sensible :)
We are staying home for Christmas, I like it, it’s less hectic. Hope you have a safe trip!
Technically I traveled so that I could relax at home. :) I usually just buy all my food here when I get home since my parents then pay for the groceries and they’re okay with me stocking their fridge.
I was going to ask whether you use cooked or raw spinach in your Green Monsters. I’ve been using it raw but will have to start putting it the the microwave. My green monsters have been looking more like mud pies lately. I’ve been using spinach, mixed berries and a banana but they aren’t the lest bit green. I’ll have to try more (cooked) spinach and see what happens.
Travel safe and enjoy the holidays!
MERRY MERRY!
I haven’t had any of Mary’s crackers in a while. I have to pick some up next time I’m at the store.