Is that bread in your purse?
Hi guys 😀 Hope you’ve had a great day! Mine has been super busy per usual, but bueno 😀 I’m so glad you’re enjoying the Juice Beauty giveaway! Keep those comments and tweets a-comin’ 🙂
I met the girls for lonchi today at McAlister’s and got the standard veggie chili
And the standard bread a la purse, that I brought from home 😀 Today instead of Ezekiel, it was millet. I’m obsessed 😀 I brought an extra piece for Jeni and Ashley to try
After lunch, we did some mall cardio and hit up Victoria’s Secret (I had a couple of coupons I *had* to use) and Bath and Body Works for candles. We also hit up the health food store for some goodies, including an awesome Ginger Gizer drink that I was so stoked to try 😀
I poured 6 oz into a measuring cup and heated it up in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Oh my. It was SO INSANELY good 😀 Warming, slightly spicy and sweet. A new beverage love? Yes.
Snack was a COOKIE!!!
Obviously not the healthiest option in the world –note the sugar coating- but sometimes a vegan cookie makes the day so much better 😉
Other eats include (but are not limited to) an apple with mesquite and cinnamon
and a plate o’ veggies
Dragon breath aside, I have a hard time cooking without onions and garlic in savory dishes. I love them both. That’s what breath mints/gum were created for, right? 😉
Workout–wise, I did the 30 minutes on the elliptical this morning and then did 10 more with Jeni when we went to the gym tonight for legs.
We did about 45 minutes of weights and then I came back to my pilot and puppies 😀
We’re going to bed like old people tonight because the pilot has to wake up at a ridiculous hour. I always feel bad going to bed later and waking him up, so I’m gonna crash, too 😉
Still on the hunt for an Ugly Christmas sweater… I have 2 days to find one!!!
Have a great night <3
Gina
Today’s tip: Do not feel weird about bringing your own food/condiments/etc into a restaurant or other establishment. Some people get mad at me for saying this because I’m “taking money away from the business” by bringing in my own food (remember the Sneaky Popcorn Debate??). The thing is, until they serve food that I want to eat, I will bring my own. The bread today is an excellent example—McAlister’s doesn’t offer a 100% whole grain bread, so I brought my own. When/IF they decide to, I will be more than happy to purchase it. I think as long as you don’t make a scene, it’s more than ok to bring a little Goddess dressing/healthy bread/whatever suits your fancy to go with your meal 🙂 Anyone else carry food around in their purse??
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I think it is sooo important to take healthy food places. There is no reason to fall off the wagon just because a restaurant serves garbage food!
Have you got any of the Christmas candles at Bath & Body? Creamy Nutmeg and Evergreen are my favvvve. I’m obsessed.
You have inspired me to start bringing food in my purse!
Can you post a little about the millet brand – i.e. brand, nutritionals, ingredients? I’m trying to find some new fun (but healthy!) breads to try but there’s so many choices at the health food store! I’m also with you when it comes to onions and garlic, I put it in everything. In fact, this might be weird/gross but I’d be satisfied just eating some sauteed onion, garlic and mushrooms. So amazing. And finally, I ALWAYS carry snacks in my purse! A small apple, a bar of some sort (normally Lara) and a small stash of almonds can always be found on the bottom. I used to take carrots to the movies but my crunching was a little loud 🙂
sure, i’ll post it tomorrow 😀
I put curry and cumin on everything. 🙂
In undergrad I carried salad dressing in my backpack because I didn’t like the dining hall’s options.
ALSO: Ginger Vanilla candle at B&BW is the best smell ever.
ohhh, i haven’t smelled that one! i’m sure i would love it though 😀
LOL! I just posted tonight about 1. my love of garlic and 2. how I carried a jar of almond butter in my purse. 😀
I carry a handful of STEVIA packets around with me because no one has it and I’m a tad obsessed hehe
i totally do that, too!
Yes! I carry hot sauce! Hahaha I love VS- they have the best stuff ever.
Check out my Liz Lovely discount!!!
http://blueberrymuffins.wordpress.com/2009/12/08/holiday-treat/
:)!
haha I carry a little black pepper grinder around for my salads…glad to know I’m not alone! also, have you ever smelled the henri bendel candles? (they’re sold at bbw.) if not, TRY THEM. they are the best candles I have ever purchased…burn evenly and forever AND have a very concentrated scent. the cinnamon bark smells amazing.
ahhh i LOVE those candles! the fig one is my favorite… last time i bought them, i got 12 😉 they’re wonderful!
and i love that you carry a pepper grinder around with you- that’s awesome
I just order the Ginger Juice. Can’t wait to get it. I love Ginger anything. Oh have you tried the Ginger flavored Lara bar? Delicious.
ginger larabar?! no i haven’t!
i don’t carry anything around with me but i will bring my own mini bags of popcorn to the movies because i love popcorn and the movie stuff is SO bad for you!
me too- it will be a cold day in you-know-where before i eat movie theatre popcorn
I do that ALL the time!! I haven’t gotten “caught” or reprimanded yet, but I definitely embarrass my dining guests when I do so. Oh, well 😉
haha yes, it’s a surefire way to get some raised eyebrows 😉
um…food in the purse is a must! not in all cases of course, but i think if you’re putting it in your body, why not 🙂 and if the restaurant is not going to provide what you want, what does it matter? it’s not like you were going to buy their bread anyways if you didn’t want it!
love your blog by the way! it’s always interesting to read it because i eat healthy and my boyfriend doesn’t exactly…but we are living together next year, so meals are going to be tough! if you have any advice on you and the pilot, i’d love to hear it!
♥ lindsey
I’ve never actually brought my own food to a restaurant but I am guilty of doing the opposite. There have been many times where I have taken an extra muffin/banana/apple from a buffet. 😀
I agree w/ you 100% on the food in purse deal. Also, I’m glad you got to the mall because letting a VS coupon go to waste is practically a crime in my book 🙂
You shouldn’t guilty about having stuff in your purse as long as it’s not like an entire entree stuffed in there! I can’t see anyone seriously being upset as long as SOMETHING still purchased and a tip is still left. I have salad dressing with me a lot of the time 😉
I loved this post – I often bring my own food and while I don’t see the big deal in it, it seems like some judge a bit, no?! Glad to know that someone else doesn’t see it as weird – I see it as SMART! 🙂
I love that you bring your own food, it is so smart! That chili looks yummy. I will have to remember that one for next time!
I completely agree! Until restaurants cater to everyone’s healthy habits, I think it’s completely acceptable to bring food to supplement your meals.
At least you’re still GOING to that restaurant….Maybe they would be happier if you took your business somewhere that Does offee ww bread? lol
Nothing wrong with bringing it!
I ALWAYS have some sort of food in my purse and I could care less what anyone else will say!
I think it’s OK to be sneaky with food, especially in theaters, as the charge and arm and a leg for popcorn and a drink…no shame bringing along some healthy snacks.
On my marathon work days if something goes in my mouth it probably came from my purse XD
This reminds me of an issue that I try to keep in the front of my brain but don’t usually. Basically ever dollar you spend is a vote. When you vote you say you approve and you want that company to succeed. For example I vote for Chipotle, not Taco Bell. Lara not Snickers. Mostly co-op not conventional grocery store. Etc, etc.
Our apple tree is finally ready so the first one I pick will be eaten fitnessista style with cinnamon and mesquite. You really make it sound so delicious!
I love that you carry around food with you and encourage it even. It’s just not right that we are meant to feel bad or embarrassed about actually caring enough about what we put in our bodies. Why should we be meant to pay for food that is not the quality we want and deserve. So thank you for reminding your readers that not only is it ok to bring/carry your own food, but it is encouraged!
Hey, you bought the chili and gave the restaurant business. Who cares if you bring your own bread?! By the way, check out Walmart for some ugly sweaters – I remember getting them there in college for those parties!!
I have no problem bringing my own healthy food to restaurants and movie theaters! I always bring raw goodies to the movie theater with me, so I’m not tempted by my husband’s candy and soda!! And I like to bring my own dressing to restaurants, if I’m planning on eating a salad. I don’t think restaurants really care– since I’m still purchasing food from them!
I can see why people do it, but I’ve never taken food in to a restaurant. Maybe it’s the European in me 😉 Usually if soup comes with bread I just leave it, and eat just the soup. We don’t quite have the culture over here where you can get meals altered either – at least, not that I’ve ever found. Sometimes it sure would be nice though 🙂
Ahhh garlic and onions, I cook with them every day! You are like me, I can’t imagine a savory dish without those two beauties in some form – especially garlic! There is nothing it doesn’t improve.
Ahhh the old bread in the purse trick. As a vegan that is just your everyday basic survival strategy! 🙂
I’m vegan and living in a very vegan unfriendly town — bringing food is a must!
I am just waiting for a server to tell me that my bringing in food is violating the restaurant’s health code, and that i need to dispose of it immediately.
Wow I would love to shop at Victoria’s Secret!! Unfortunately I live in Luxembourg (Europe) and here are no VS stores 🙁
I have no problems with taking food into restaurants. I mean, you don’t bring your whole meal with you, so it’s ok 😀
I always take food to the theatre with me. My mother-in-law actually sort of lectured us when we told her we did that. “The rules are the rules and they have them there for a reason..” blah blah blah. But like we told her, we aren’t going to the store and buying things we can already buy at the movies. I’m not sure we convinced her, but we still do it anyway!
when i lived in boston, i don’t think there was a time you could catch me without food in my purse! actually i still keep snacks in my purse when i am out and about.
by the way, the millet bread is AMAZING. since my husband has celiac we have tried just about every “alternative” bread on the market. The millet was our favorite. Their almond bread isn’t bad either. If you ever get a hankering for bagels, try Pamela’s GF baking mix.
I always take food in my purse!! Peanut butter, an apple, larabars, crackers, bread, etc.
Hahahaha. You sound like me with the VS shopping. Every time I get a $10 off coupon in the mail, I’m all like OMG I MUST GO! I guess I’m one of the reasons they even have those marketing coupons. People like me just can’t say no to a good coupon.
Ha! I always sneak fruit and larabars into the movies, sometimes mineral H20 too:) I usually check out resturants(menu’s) online to see if anything extra from home is needed!
B
I totally admire you for the bread thing and love McAlister’s veggie chili by the way 😉
I think it is fine to bring outside things like that into a place especially if you have already purchased something from them. You aren’t making a scene, you are just a woman who knows what she wants!
My parents run a food establishment, and it’s worth pointing out that bringing in food from outside the kitchen is against health code violations in many states. The proprietor of the restaurant can get into trouble, including fines, with the Department of Health if an inspector sees you doing it.
I always carry snacks around! I usually have a larabar, an apple, and a teabag in my purse. If I’m going to the library to study or something, I might also carry something substantial…like a sweet potato! I have to say though, I don’t agree with taking your own food to a restaurant. To the movie theater or starbucks or something then absolutely, but it doesn’t seem right wheni it’s a cafe or something like that.
I follow a vegan diet so I know it can be tough to get exactly what I want sometimes, but that’s part of eating out. I remember one comment of Jillian Michaels where she suggested bringing your own homemade salad dressing (or even an entire meal) in a tupperware to a restaurant. I personally think this is so strange! I think it only reinforces the negative stereotype that “healthy” eating (or a vegan diet, or whatever) is difficult, time-consuming and limiting.
My one confession is that I brought pumpkin pie spice to starbucks because I live in England, where they don’t offer the pumpkin latte, and I’ll be damned if I miss out on a seasonal drink 🙂
LOL that’s awesome 😀
You gotta do whatcha gotta do.
I definitely have a healthy food stash in my purse (stevia packets, 1 or 2 bars, baggie of pistachios or almonds). My reasoning in bringing your own healthy snackies is that I wouldn’t purchase the movie theater popcorn or the white bread that comes on the side of my meal anyway…so I don’t really think it’s “taking away from their business” when I had no intentions on purchasing it. Health comes first 🙂
amen!
Yeah, I carry sweetener in my purse, and ususally peppermints I can’t live without. As far as the movies, sometimes I bring my own popcorn and water. We sneak in “healthier” candy for my kids. But, they usually order popcorn and a drink too.
I’m all about carrying food in the purse. I think it’s a good idea! You’re right, until they start serving what you really want… and hey, maybe those restaurants WILL get the hint and start serving the healthier options!
Yeah, I totally fess up to bringing stashes of food in my purse. Seaweed and trail mix are permanently in there. As for bringing food to a restaurant, I still feel bad about it no matter what. I do think it reinforces the negative stereotype about “healthy eating” being particular or difficult to manage. Instead, I usually try to pick out restaurants where I know that a healthy suitable option is available. Although I would never bring my own bed of greens when dining out, I might just take along an avocado or two. 🙂
i love that you take seaweed around with you 😀
I always have something in my purse in case I get hungry or am somewhere where there are no healthy choices. When we have had company meetings that last all day and are catered (and the foods are not healthy) I always pack away a couple of bars so that I know I won’t go hungry.
And like another reader I also started taking tea bags with me. All coffee shops/cafes I have been too have no problem giving me a hot cup of water/filling my traveller’s mug with it. Sometimes they even refuse to charge me for it so I leave a tip and when they do charge it’s like 10 or 25 cents. The great thing is most places now serve fairly traded teas and have a lot more choices.
Here’s to our health,
Sham 🙂
I dont understand why anyone would care about taking money away from the business. You are paying for the items that you’re eating or for the movie you’re going to. It’s not like you’re stealing!! It’s all about supply and demand. Unless we start asking for certain items and not just eating what is available they wont provide the healthier options which not everyone will eat. I think it’s awesome that you’re not afraid to take your own bread to a restaurant! If enough people do it maybe they will start selling whole grain bread.
That drink sounds yummy. And I love Liz Lovely cookies. So decadent for a vegan cookie!
i love the cookies too… so delicious 😀
oh man Im notorious for carrying condiments and ectra stuff in my purse when we go out to eat. haha. My husband is just used to it by now. I always carry some staples just in case…stevia packs, usually an apple and some tyoe of larabar. Never know!=) I love B&BW for candles. Esp. now with all the amazing seasonal scents that are out there. Awesome! Im so glad you had a great day!!
I bring my stevia with me to s-bux. I used to eat an awful lot of aspartame…not any more! I wish they offered it, because their choices are limited for sweeteners 🙁 Love how they moved to a more natural food line, tho, although the calories are quite high. The protein plate ROCKS when you’re on the go – minus the PB, because it’s loaded with sugar. See? I’m never happy 😉
i’m never happy either 🙂 still praying for the day they offer almond milk or hemp milk!
i agree with you! as long as you are not making a huge scene about it then it is perfectly a-ok!
jenna
Oooh…careful about suggesting that others bring outside food to restaurants. That is a violation of Health Code and can also negate the restaurant’s insurance. This could cause the restaurant to be fined, too–you don’t want to do that to your local restaurant!
i think it would happen with meat/dairy/potentially dangerous food items. it’s not an “all the time” thing. i don’t see any problem with occasionally bringing something small in to make your meal more enjoyable.