As most readers know, I’ve been a Vital Proteins Ambassador for just over a year now. Last month, I posted about the results I’ve seen in my own personal life. I’ve also posted about my hair, skin, and nails as well.
There are some days that I’m lazy and don’t want to cook a fancy meal for dinner. Maybe I’m cooking for one, maybe I’m exhausted from work, or maybe I just want breakfast for dinner.
What the case is, I’ve found an easy way to sneak collagen into waffles. I haven’t tried adding collagen in a waffle for breakfast. I think it would be fine but I’ve had good luck with having the same waffle and peanut butter for years before running (or anything), so why change now.
If you’re looking for an easy waffle recipe and to get collagen to try this. I’m not foodie, but I’ve been to enough diners to know I like a crisper versus soggy waffle.
Why? Because there are so many, in fact, there is a food “holiday” almost every day…See this master list.Thinking out loud, it’s no secret that I enjoy coffee.
Coffee, however, is one that I do. I drink coffee almost every day. I like the taste. I’m also in the minority that drinks decaf after noon because I want to sleep.
My top 3 favorite places to get coffee are Wawa, Starbucks and a local place down the road. Oh look, even at my wedding, we had a coffee bar.
There isn’t a lot of coffee I don’t like. My favorite way is to top with whipped cream. It gives a little bit of sugar, and the bottom is more creamy since the whipped cream eventually melts into the coffee. So it’s dark and bold at first, then more creamy and “dessert like” at the end.
Want free coffee? Here are a few places celebrating the day.
Wawa: free (any size) coffee today
Krispy Kreme: free 12-ounce cup of coffee and a free glazed doughnut
Dunkin Donuts: Dunkin Donuts is celebrating National Coffee Day and being in business for 66 years. They priced a medium hot coffee for 66 cents on Thursday.
Starbucks: Starbucks is not giving free coffee but will donate a coffee tree for every brewed cup of México Chiapas coffee you buy. Today’s cup can help a farmer’s future.
Finally because who doesn’t like a little bit of history about the beverage they love?
History of Coffee: “According to a coffee history legend, an Arabian shepherd named Kaldi found his goats dancing joyously around a dark green leafed shrub with bright red cherries in the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.”
A lot of people question how I eat enough to withstand 100 mile weeks. It couldn’t be possible to ever gain weight while running 100 mile weeks and you couldn’t possibly eat enough to withstand that activity…ect.
First and foremost, I only ran 100 mile week. I didn’t run 52 but rather just 1. That was my peak week and most of my other weeks were between 60-80. Most not all. As much as I want to credit myself to running multiple 100 mile weeks, I know I would just get injured running several in a row. (or more then 1).
I’ve rambled about this a few times but blogging nutrition and real life nutrition is not the same thing. I feel bad for certified dieticians and nutritionists that also blog. They get mixed in with other bloggers whose research involves personal research and study which is not the same as being certified. Point blank: it’s not. I’ve taken plenty of nutrition classes but don’t know nearly enough as someone who has studied and has their undergraduate, masters, or even PhD. I can tell you what has worked for me but that is no way telling what will work for you or that is right or wrong.
The majority of healthy living blogs focus on getting enough vegetables, fiber and more vegetables into their diet. If I ate half the amount of vegetables that some people do, I would be able to run 1 mile…maybe 2 with deciding it was time to go home.
When you run high mileage and exercise you must learn that you have to eat a lot of foods that aren’t high in fiber. You must eat food that is still healthy but you can’t eat 3000 calories worth of broccoli. You also can’t eat 3000 calories worth of ice cream. Both will result in you not feeling great for a run.
A typical day for me looks something like this right now:
Breakfast: 400-500 calories
Coffee+cream (100-200 calories…my vice).
Some of my breakfast choices lately have been: Bagel and peanut butter, egg sandwich, eggs and toast, waffle with Greek yogurt or peanut butter.
A standard waffle with peanut butter and yogurt has been my go to before races right now and I think I’ll stay to that before the marathon (as well as a bagel with peanut butter while waiting around beforehand). My standard race day nutrition used to be a bagel with peanut butter and yogurt but I had stomach cramps a few races back and it was enough to change my mind.
Raspberry pancakes make me happyBagel+peanut butter+yogurt also make me happy
French toast bagels are my favorite (panera or wegmans FYI)
Run
Lunch (within an hour of running) 500-800 calories
I’ve been having a lot egg sandwiches lately. Eggs, avocado and cheddar cheese on a bagel. I really just have whatever is in the fridge. It could be a sandwich, soup or salad. I don’t have a standard post run meal or lunch. I normally just like to eat what is in the fridge.
Sometimes I’ll go to the gym in between, sometimes I won’t. (now that I’m tapering, I don’t).
egg and ham sandwichlentil soup (this cold has got me craving it)Soup with parm cheese so goodRandom salad I attempted to make restaurant worthy…they never are as to why I try and eat salads at restaurants more.
Snack: 200-300 calories
I consume a lot of yogurtNo really…’Baked apples are good (especially in the cold)I also eat bars on the go…snickers marathon bars are really good
I normally have a snack sometime in the middle of the day. I’ve been enjoying apples and peanut butter lately but that is only because apples have been so cheap at stores. I also have left overs if they are in the fridge.
Dinner: 800-1200
As if anything else is planned, my dinner is the least planned and changes daily. I am such a meat and potatoes kind of person. I’ll have a serving of meat (steak and fish being my favorite), some sort of vegetables (cooked kale, brussel sprouts and spaghetti squash are my current favorites) and some sort of grain. I’ve been better about eating a carbohydrate such as bread or race. I’m actually not a big pasta fan (I don’t like the consistency) so I tend to eat more rice and bread.
steak and potatoesham and potatoes (and apples)Sweet Potato+Salmon+mushrooms (I’m so different)
I normally like to make a smoothie at night with a cup of milk and protein powder. I have a big sweet tooth so often times I’ll just have ice cream. I don’t really schedule a treat at night but if I’m craving something I’ll have something. Whatever I’m craving I generally have at night. I go to bed around 9-10 personally.
ice creamice cream, cherries and whip creamProtein shakehot cocoa and whip cream
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I know this is very vague but it’s how I eat. I don’t worry or stress about food or getting my vegetables daily. As much as I say I want to meal plan, I don’t. If I eat too many vegetables then I don’t feel good running. I don’t know how people eat so many vegetables (honestly). I do strive to get vegetables but not overboard. I try and get enough protein, carbohydrates and fat but I don’t track it and it doesn’t ruin my day. I found the less I stress about food the easier it is. I’ve never had a problem getting enough food and have never lost weight during a training cycle.
I will say I’m hoping to do a carbohydrate deplete and then carb load during my final week of taper.
Questions for you:
What does a typical day for you look like?
Do you plan your food weekly or eat when you are hungry?
There was one series of classes in high school that I struggled with. No it was AP nor honors courses but foreign language. I was terrible at Spanish and got straight C’s every semester. I thought since I had passed the courses I would never have to take foreign language in college but that ended up not being the case. I had to take Spanish in college too and I failed Spanish 103. I then struggled through it again senior year of college.
So how does Spanish even relate to today’s waffle?
In high school we would have the option to bake something and bring it in for 10 extra credit points on our test. It was foolish for me to not take that option even though my Spanish might have been a little better then my cooking. Luckily my mom always helped me make the Tres Leches (3 milk) dessert cake and it was always a hit with my teachers. I think it was honestly why I got a C and not a D but I didn’t ask questions.
Tres Leches Waffle
Tres leches literally means 3 milk and the cake itself has three different types of milk and is very sweet somewhat similar to the hummingbird cake. The cake is known for being very moist from adding the topping.
Ingredients (cake):
2/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon oil
¼ cup sweetener
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
Glaze:
7 ounces evaporated milk
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup syrup
Topping:
1/2 cup heavy cream
¼ cup sweetener
1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix the wet ingredients to dry. Cook in waffle maker.
For the glaze, mix in a separate bowl and pour while still hot. The glaze should go right through the waffle and keep it very moist.
Finally mix and add the topping which should have more of a frosting appeal.
Obviously this is a little more complex then 99.9% of my other waffle and pancake recipes (and also a tad more unhealthy) but what can I say, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do to pass her classes. By me, I mean my mom really did most of this work back in high school but I helped.
Question for you: What classes have you (or did you) struggle with most in school?
I posted a very very long time ago about smoked salmon waffles. They will always be one of my favorite savory waffles. I’ve also posted about canned crab waffles and it only makes sense for another fishy waffle.
IE: The Tuna fish waffle
Though I won’t deny I probably have more tuna fish then the average person because it’s really all I eat at work..it’s easy, it’s portable and it doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare. Oh and there is also the fact that I really enjoy tuna fish right now so that could always play a role…
As far as waffle recipes go though this is probably one of the most balanced recipes I have created. It has carbs from flour, fat from eggs, oil and cheese and protein from the fish. Random tidbit and yet another reason of why this is good. This isn’t a waffle that you are like…hmmm should probably only pull it out for impressive cooking purposes. Well you should because it is pretty “foodie” (in my awkward opinion…moving on).
Tuna Fish Waffle:
2/3 cup flour
1 egg
1 tsp oil
1 can of tuna fish
¼ cup feta cheese
1 can of tuna fish
½ cup water
Seasonings I used: Italian, some sort of seafood medley and a hint of red pepper for a kick. I add more red pepper then a lot of people so that’s that.
Directions:
Add all wet ingredients: (water, egg, oil)
Then mix in flour and baking powder followed by cheese and about half the can of funa fish.
Cook in waffle maker and top with other half of tuna fish.
And there you have it. A delicious, nutritious, suspicious (that’s fictious) waffle.
Questions for you:
Do you eat tuna fish? What is your favorite canned meat? (that doesn’t sound weird).
