WIAW #27: Fall + Healthy Carbs

I am seriously so excited for fall you guys. About this time last year, I was still in Florida packing our house away to move up north and only heard how pretty the fall hues and autumn leaves were from Scott’s descriptions.

As a southerner, I appreciate the beauty of the changing of the leaves and never imagined I would get to live in a place that actually had “seasons”.

Since winter is a bit of a bear, it’s nice to have this portion of the year to look forward to and I really can’t get enough of it lately.

Can you blame me?

I have unintentionally distanced myself from the gym the last few weeks, and I fully blame views like this as the reason. I want to be outdoors in this weather as much as possible. Full runs, here I come!

Do you know what else I have fallen for again? Carbs. The healthy ones. And it just so happens that is what this month’s What I Ate Wednesdays are all about!

What I Ate Wednesday Tuesday

I prepared breakfast the night before to get my Tuesday started off on the right foot. Using Mango Chobani Greek Yogurt, I made a generous serving of overnight oats before bed and topped them with a freshly sliced peach in the morning.

New to overnight oats? Julie has a great no-fail recipe for them I think you will enjoy tweaking to your liking with variations in yogurt flavors, milk, and toppings!

Lunch came earlier than normal at about 11:30 p.m., and feeling less than motivated to create something on my own, I heated up a Evol Chicken Teryiaki Bowl.

I am really digging this brand and all of the bowls I have tried have been winners. (And for the record, Evol is a Non-GMO company!) The only downside to these bowls is that they usually don’t keep me full for all that long.

Enter my afternoon snack at 1:30 p.m. Between the yogurt, oats, brown rice and whole grain crackers below, this was the point in my day where I realized I was becoming a fan of healthy carbs again. Woohoo!

I enjoyed a plateful of baby organic carrots and Reduced-fat Wheat Thins dipped into Sabra Roasted Red Pepper hummus at the computer which held me over through my afternoon run with Roadie.

Around 3, I knew I only had a small window to get outside and enjoy the cool weather before having to get ready for our night practice at the arena.

Don’t let that face fool you… he was super stoked to get out there and run with me!

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect in the mid-60s and it was the first time I started noticing the Fall season has truly arrived.

(All photos at the beginning of this post were from my iPhone on our run!)

With a cool breeze in the air, Roadie was able to keep up and even pulled me through most of our four miles on the trails.

Upon our return, I completed a series of core exercises, hopped in the shower, and came downstairs craving something sweet.

Wanting to try something new, I used the last of our Greek yogurt (another Mango CHO!) and created something pretty darn fantastic!

In my smoothie:

2 plums (seeded)

1 banana

1 serving Mango Chobani Greek Yogurt (6 oz.)

1/2 cup almond milk

ice

I debated about adding a scoop of protein powder, but at the time thought I got enough from the yogurt. About an hour later I proved myself wrong and enjoyed a Triple Chocolate Crunch Designer Whey protein bar as a snack instead. 😉

(This one has to be my favorite flavor.)

Before long, it was time for me to get out the door and on my way to our first on-court practice of the season! I made sure to pack a few (healthy carb) snacks to get me through it, just in case.

Dancers (along with all of the other entertainment teams) had a meeting and run down of what a game would be like, and we performed two of our featured routines for the first time in front of everyone. I didn’t end up eating my snacks until I got in my car to meet a few friends for a late dinner, but I was glad I had them! Nom nom nom.

Along with a few loopy vodka-soda waters (well deserved, I might add), I enjoyed this Cajun Grilled Steak salad at Red Ox Tavern.

For a sports bar, I was quite impressed with it. The flavor of the steak was delicious (which says a lot for me, not being a huge red meat person), and I really liked the combination of the cranberries, Gorgonzola cheese, and red onions together. I ordered spicy ranch dressing on the side, and used it very sparingly. The bread stick, however, I was all over.

Looking back on my day of eats, I have to say it was a hearty one! It feels good to be so close to in-season again and I know my appetite will only keep growing from here.

Happy Hump Day!

• If you liked this WIAW post, head on over to Peas & Crayons to check out plenty others, or even link your own!

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Question of the Day

Have you gotten into the spirit of the Fall season yet?

While I have already started fall strong with a trip to the cider mill and pumpkin baking, I have also enjoyed getting outside more and plan on taking full advantage of this cooler weather. I’m hoping that Scott and I get to visit a pumpkin patch this year and look forward to carving one!