Monday, December 16, 2013

CSA Box and Food Journaling

I’m really glad that I signed up for a CSA box again. Longtime readers will know that I used to get a CSA box for years but then stopped for a while due to some billing and other issues.

It’s always such a joy to open the box – it’s like receiving a present!



Here is what we got this week, and what I plan on doing with it:

  • Beets (gold & red) – I’ll roast them and add them to salads. The beet greens will go into beet greens smoothies. I love the 2 for 1 when you buy beets with the greens! Smile 
  • Romanesco cauliflower – I’ve never had this! And I would have probably not bought it, but I’m glad we’ll get to try it. Apparently, like broccoli and cauliflower, it can be eaten raw or cooked. I think I’ll steam it.
  • Fennel – Another item I wouldn’t have bought. I’ll roast it.
  • Carrotssnacks
  • Chardgreen smoothies
  • Spinach –  green smoothies – I love the variety of greens we’ll have in our smoothies this week!
  • Leekspotato/leek soup
  • Butternut squashroasted butternut squash soup
  • Fingerling sweet potatoes – I’ll roast them. Yes, I love roasted vegetables!

Food Journaling

The other day I was at Target with the kid, and I came across a pretty journal. I decided to pick it up as I had been thinking about food journaling again for a while. I think writing down everything I eat in a day is a good way to see if I truly eat as healthy as I think.

After journaling for a week, I noticed that I hadn’t had any fish! That’s something I’ll be working on for sure! Also, since it’s been unusually cold around here (for this area), we don’t have a green smoothie every morning. I need to be more conscious on those days to get enough greens the rest of the day since I’m not starting the day with a huge dose of greens.

I’m not too specific when it comes to writing down everything I eat. In other words, I don’t weigh or measure my food or calculate calories. I just write entries like “bowl of carrot soup” or “spinach with sautéed ground beef and mushrooms.” I’m at a happy weight at this point and what I’m eating is working, so there is no need to calculate calories, etc. However, several years ago, when I was losing weight, I kept a very precise food journal with calories, etc. I also used MyFitnessPal on my phone for a while, and it worked well.

Besides everything I eat, I also write down my daily steps as well as any other exercise I did. Finally, I finish with what I’m grateful for that day. That’s actually my favorite part of the journal. I always finish the day thinking about what I’m grateful for, but writing it actually down is very powerful.

Questions: Do you journal (any kind)? Do you have/ever had a food journal? Do you write down what you are grateful for on a regular basis? Are you a member of a CSA or have ever thought about joining one?

Be well,
Andrea