Happy Wednesday! How are you feeling as we get to the mid-way point of the week? After wrapping up a long-term corporate wellness job that had me on-site twice a week, I’m getting into the swing of a new schedule that gives me more time in my own work space again.

That said, I’ll be doing some more floor coverage at the hospital than I was this fall and during the holidays and am still at Discovery, so you’ll probably be seeing a bit more desk lunches on here and on my Instagram. It’s crazy to think that barely six months ago I was working from home a lot and sitting down to a fresh-made meal for lunch. In the span of a year, I’ve gone from having just one place to show up and working from home the rest of the time, to having 3 to having 4 to just (just!) 3 again. Needless to say, the weekend food prep thing has been a huge lifesaver. I’ll usually take an hour or two on a weekend day and then another hour on Tuesday or Thursday to prep some veggies, a protein or two, and make some lunches and maybe breakfasts, depending on my schedule.

Aside from saving me the time and stress of having to go out and find something or wait for takeout, it’s saved me lots of money. With the type of stuff I like to eat, I could easily spend $15 or $20 for lunch if I went out, but this way, I can eat what I crave and it only ends up costing me about $15 for a whole day. Knowing what goes into the food I’m eating also keeps portions realistic and helps me avoid allergy anxiety. Like, all those salad places…I’m often scared to eat at them because they’re not all great about changing boards between uses, and if someone before me had a salad with nuts, there’s that risk (and fear) of cross contamination. This is to say nothing of that hypochondriasis loop that goes a little something like, “Is my lip tingling or am I imagining that? Is my throat itchy because there’s shrimp in what I’m eating or is the air just dry because it’s winter?” 

Good times.

Anyway. For this week’s edition of my Wednesday food diary post, here’s what I ate last Saturday, when I used my one day off to get caught up on simple human stuff and do some meal-prep for the week ahead.

Saturday was one of those days where I felt like I barely stopped moving, but in a good way. I enjoyed some exercise, some outside time, food shopping, therapeutic cleaning, and lots of cooking. That hands-on time really helps me get grounded. It also helps get me the hell away from my computer and phone. I don’t realize how much I need that time until I actually take it.

Breakfast: Green smoothie — this recipe.

Lunch: Salad with baked salmon ; apple for dessert with a teaspoon of peanut butter

Snack: Greek yogurt with cocoa powder and a teaspoon of peanut butter (forgot to take a picture)

Dinner: Spaghetti squash with some kale I was trying to use up and roasted broccoli. I also added baked turkey meatballs and herbed feta.

Bedtime Snack: A little more yogurt with a half-teaspoon of maple syrup

Do you plan meals or prep food for the week ahead? 

To see more WIAW, check out founder Jenn’s blog Peas & Crayons or visit hosts Laura and Arman‘s blogs.

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