FMM: Food Matters

We had the best week (well, 6 days) in Northern California, it was very hard to come home last night.  And it was even harder because on Sunday morning, I woke up with what seems to be a cold, and because I feel jet-lagged again -- only 2 hours time change, but plus daylight savings, meant my body clock was off by 3 hours.  So instead of going to be bed like a 6 year old, which I normally do, I was awake way too late.  So of course I had no hope of really waking up at 5:00 to go workout this morning.  But given this cold, I couldn't have worked out anyway.  But I need to get back on track in terms of sleep ASAP.  If I skip a workout because I'm sick, that's fine, but if I skip because I was up too late, that's inexcusable in my book!

The half marathon this past weekend was tough.  California is a HILLY place!  I haven't uploaded my Garmin data yet, but I think the 13.1 miles had more elevation gain than any run I've ever tracked on this watch (i.e., any run I've done since Jan. 2011).  I was walking at times because it was just so steep -- and not just the uphill.  Some of the downhill miles were on stairs.  Fine.  But trail stairs?  Not fine.  They were uneven and sandy/rocky, so several times I had to slow to a walk.  But the scenery was spectacular! 

Since it's Monday, here we go...

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Food Matters

 

1. Are you familiar with GMO’s? Is it an issue that matters to you?  Yes, I am somewhat familiar with it (though of course I'm no expert and could stand to learn a lot more), and yes, it matters, but of course it's all relative -- lots of things matter more, but I think more information for the consumer is usually better. 

2. List a few items that are typically on your grocery list. Fresh baby spinach, grapes, frozen individual packages of peas, frozen meals for lunch (Amy's or Lean Cuisine), frozen fruit (for smoothies), soy milk, protein powder, chia seeds, Greek yogurt. 

3. What is your favorite place to shop for produce? I consider myself very fortunate to say that I don't grocery shop.  I put what I want on a list, and it magically appears in my home (hubby's contribution to household labor time every week).  He buys most produce at a store called Central Market, which is owned by HEB and I guess considered upscale. 

4. Do you eat processed foods?  Yes.  Probably less than the average American, but still plenty. 

5. Do you look for the “organic” label when you shop?  My husband does and almost always buys organic.  I sometimes request non-organic things because he shops about once a week and sometimes organic produce goes bad too quickly.  And because for things like baking potatoes, the non-organic ones can just be so much bigger. 

6. What did you eat for breakfast this morning?  I had oatmeal with chia seeds and raisins.  Every weekday that I've been home for YEARS, I've had the same breakfast -- a smoothie with spinach, frozen fruit (strawberries, cherries, blueberries, peaches, grapes and pineapple), soy milk, chia seeds and Vega protein powder).  But last night we got home from the airport so late that we didn't grocery shop and had no spinach in the house.  I suppose I could have made a smoothie with just fruit, but I think that would have been too sweet. 

7. How many meals per week do you cook at home? I guess it depends on what is considered "cooking."  If you count making a breakfast smoothie to be cooking, then 6.5 breakfasts per week.  If you count using the microwave to heat up a packet of Indian food or leftovers or a frozen meal, or eating something from the prepared foods section of the grocery store, then I also cook 3 lunches at home per week (Fri, Sat, Sun), as well as 6.5 dinners per week.  But if you mean cooking from scratch and making something other than a smoothie, about 1 dinner per week.  I guess my point is that we very rarely eat out, get delivery, or bring in food from a restaurant. 

8. Do you think that foods that have been genetically engineered should be labeled? Yes. 

9. What matters most to you when you’re choosing a restaurant?  Menu.  As a vegetarian, I prefer if there's something I can eat that sounds good on the menu, rather than having to ask that a dish be modified or created.

10. What is your favorite meal to cook at home? I like cooking tons of stuff, but my favorite would probably be something like a soup that doesn't require tons of chopping but sits on the stove for hours and smells good. 

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions! Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments, and have a happy Monday!