For once, I went on vacation and did not come back fatter. Sweet!

When I think of vacation, the first thing that comes to mind is "what are we going to eat when we get there?" "...and on the way...and on the way back..." I just love trying restaurants and food that we aren't accustomed to here at home. And, because I have convinced myself that calories don't count while you're on vacation...or something like that, I might take that as an opportunity binge eat (a little).

So, when we packed up an drove to the Sunshine State a week or so ago, I couldn't help thinking about what kind of fatty delicious carb-loaded things I could scarf down while we were there. And, guess what happened?! One night during the trip we stopped for ice cream. Yeah. That was it. That topped our bad food-ness for the trip. We loved everything we had to eat while we were away - it was fresh, healthy, and delicious and I didn't miss the fatty fatness of what I'd usually pick one iota. Best yet - it inspired us to buy much better-for-you things at the grocery this week. Now, if you need a little healthy eating inspiration of your own, I'll share some of my favorites with you ~

1. This tops the list - Irish Cheddar Cheese. If I had to pick one thing and one thing only I could eat for the rest of my life, this very well may be it. It's a super sharp cheese that tastes like a really good Romano or Parmesan. 
2. Turkey Salad - I bought a whole turkey roasted breast this week instead of lunch meat. We cut it up and used it for sandwiches and a little turkey salad. I put the turkey salad and some raisins on a bed of spinach one day for lunch - add in a few cucumber slices on the side, lite raspberry vinaigrette and it was amazing!!
3. Tabbouleh - Yes. I love this stuff! I have loved it for a while, I just forget about it. I had turkey, tabbouleh on half a pita for lunch a couple days this week. A side of fresh strawberries and a slice of Irish Cheddar completed the meal for fine lunching at home.
4. Pork Roast and Green Beans - I love a good seasoned pork roast. It's so easy to prepare in the crock-pot, but I made mine in the oven this time. We had lemon pepper green beans and rice on the side. The rice *should* have been brown rice, but white rice was the first one I saw in the pantry so that's what we had. 
5. Spinach Berry Salad - This is by far my favorite salad. Baby Spinach, Sliced and Peeled Cucumber, Feta (or another allowable cheese if you're expecting), Dried Cranberries, and Raspberry Vinaigrette make an AWESOME salad. Add some ham or turkey on top for added protein and substance. Walnuts are good to add, too, if you don't care about adding a few more calories.
6. Hardboiled Eggs - Forgot about this delicious snack! Lots of protein and they fill you up much better than a sugary granola bar (my other go-to snack)
7. Sprouted Grain Toast (available in a variety of varieties) with coconut oil. Good breakfast starter. Follow it with some eggs and you'll be good to go!
8. Almonds - Great snack, many varieties, lots of protein.
9. Chicken Stir-fry - For convenience you can buy stir-fry veggies frozen and sauté them with your cooking oil of choice and soy sauce. The veggies shown above were fresh and packaged together at my grocery - I found it cheaper than buying each thing individually. Wok up your favorite stir fry meat and then toss it all together once it's well cooked. Delicious! Serve with rice on the side if you choose. 
10. Roasted Veggies - Toss with olive oil, salt, season, throw in a baking dish and cook at 425 for about 20 minutes. Try carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and red potato together. Delicious combo!

I think that's it for now. It feels so great to eat healthy! Let me know about your favorite yummy finds from this week. I'd love to try some new recipes. :)