I ventured into the local Co-op grocery store today feeling adventurous. I wanted something mildly snacky between work appointments, and what I had stashed in the car seemed boring.
What I really wanted was a product that I used to get at the Brattleboro Co-op, freeze dried tomatoes, from a company called Just Tomatoes. These crispy, flavorful, salt and oil free tidbits were just the thing to keep my mouth happy on a commute. But the Keene Co-op did not deliver. They had freeze dried corn, peas, apples, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, and cranberries, but not the tomatoes.
A few minutes of aimless aisle walking and I decided to leave, making a mental note to see if I could get Just Tomatoes online. Then at the checkout area, I saw Sea Snax, dried seaweed sheets, in an individual serving size, there among the granola bars and high end organic chocolates.
The ingredients were seaweed (it didn't say what kind), olive oil, and salt. 15 of the 16 calories per package were from the oil. "Strangely Addictive!" it boasted. That hooked me, if you'll excuse the expression!
Sea Snax were indeed strange. The flavor was as you would expect, tasting of the smell I associate (pleasantly) with a salt marsh. I was reminded of sushi, but just barely. The texture was crispy and the pretty green transparently-thin sheets melted somewhat in the mouth while also providing a chew. Interesting. I will probably try the wasabi and chipotle flavors, as well as other brands, but I think dried seaweed would take a while to become any kind of favorite. The price was $1.39 for about eight wafers.
Breakfast: coffee with soy milk (I have switched to unsweetened); Wheatena cereal with diced prunes, soy milk, and maple syrup. 223 calories.
Lunch: a heaping cup of Pilau rice, a full cup of steamed baby kale, and about ¼ cup of spicy Rogan Josh sauce (India Kitchens brand, vegan): 466 calories. I was going to have a banana or pear, but wasn't hungry enough.
Snacks: Sea Snax, and some freeze dried peas and cranberries I purchased last week. 71 calories.
Dinner: Co-workers left a pizza for people to share. I admit, I peeked in the box after everyone had left. Pepperoni. Once I saw it, temptation went away, even though it looked fresh and good. I was feeling more tempted before I opened the box. Hmm, interesting.
Some leftover brown rice I had put in the office fridge came home with me, and I added a vegetable stew, made from tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, onion, bell peppers in 4 colors, zucchini, yellow squash, and a pureed base of carrot, celery, onion, garlic, tomato paste, and herbs. I also had a generous serving (almost 2 cups) of boiled cut green beans. Dessert was a sad looking little pear. I dressed it up with a dusting of cinnamon which turned out to be quite tasty. Dinner was filling at only 415 calories.
The Livestrong MyPlate app calculates my carb, fat, and protein for the day, but does not let me go back and look at the breakdown for previous days. Or at least, I could not figure out how, and the online tracking page was not working. Today's protein was 34 grams, 12%.
Total calories, 1175.
I did find Just Tomatoes online, and placed an order. Looking forward to getting those next week.
in the mail today.
