Smoothie for Brekkie

on February 16, 2011
in All Posts

Last night on the plane, I read No Meat Athlete’s Marathon Roadmap:  The Vegetarian Guide to Conquering Your First 26.2.

BookPackage

(FYI – If you’re a vegetarian or vegan OR you just really love endurance sports, you should DEFINITELY be reading No Meat Athlete’s blog.  He’s an ultra marathoner who’s qualified for Boston… despite his first marathon being closer to 5:00 – the same as my first time!)

 

I was SO impressed with Matt’s e-book, which you can buy here (disclosure:  I loved the book so much I signed up for the affiliate program).  The book answered every single question that I had as a first-time marathoner (I’ve ran two – Disney and Spinx), including how to train, what do if I’m injured, how to recover, what to pack if I’m traveling for a race, how to pace myself, and (perhaps most importantly) what to eat as a vegetarian.  The book doesn’t assume you’re already vegetarian and includes a section on how to best go veg.  Pretty cool!

 

The e-book is insanely readable and realistic, and – dare I say it? – the best e-book I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot of e-books!).  Plus, I’ve never seen anything like it – a complete guide to running a marathon for vegetarians and vegans.  It was so thorough and complete.  I don’t think I would’ve had a single question if I had read this book before my first marathon.

 

Matt says I should be drinking a smoothie (and eating a huge salad) every day, so I had one for breakfast. 🙂

IMG_9929

In the blender:

 

  • 3 tablespoons protein powder
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower butter
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries

IMG_9931

Perfection in a glass.  Normally, smoothies don’t fill me up, but all the calorie-dense ingredients really hit the spot.

 

Cinderella Ate My Daughter Follow-Up

 

For those parents or parents-to-be (or people who just find this sort of stuff interesting, like me!), Kara wrote a post about her beef with the Disney Princesses.  I think this topic is really interesting, especially after reading Cinderella Ate My Daughter, and I’m sure Kara would love you all to weigh in!  Also, a reader named Emmelie passed on this NPR podcast about the subject.

{ 66 comments }

 

  • Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin February 16, 2011, 9:56 am

    Love the backdrop of your smoothie! They don’t normally fill me up but I do notice when I add protein they keep me full for a few hours. I like to have something to chew on though!

  • Leanne (For Health's Sake) February 16, 2011, 9:56 am

    1) i loved the yellow belt in last nights post 🙂 very chic!

    2) and what a great concept! That book looks really interesting!

  • carolyn February 16, 2011, 10:04 am

    As a newbie runner and meat eater who really is concerned (at this time) more with local and high quality foods than plant vs animal source I have to agree that the No Meat Athlete’s book sounds very intriguing and would probably be a great read for anyone who is concious of their eating and workout habits. Thanks for the suggestio!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat February 16, 2011, 10:06 am

    Those flowers are so pretty! I need to start adding chia seeds to mine – thanks for the idea!

  • Kara February 16, 2011, 10:09 am

    Thanks for linking to my blog! I can’t wait to read the opinions of others 🙂

  • Kelly February 16, 2011, 10:09 am

    Pretty purple flowers!

  • Jenifer February 16, 2011, 10:13 am

    Awww. The pansys are so sweet. Having Martins for lunch today!! YUMMMM!!!

  • Janene @ One Run at a Time February 16, 2011, 10:14 am

    I have mixed feelings about the “princess” thing. As a kid, I was always a tomboy, anyway – I had WAY more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than Barbies, and I was always drawn more to Mulan or Pocahontas than the true Disney Princesses.

    I think they can be good in small doses, and can maybe even spark a dialogue with younger girls about fairy tales and the difference between reality and fictional story-telling among other things. Princesses aren’t all bad, but when girls are inundated with images of anatomically incorrect, extremely passiv princesses and the like 24/7… yeah, it can definitely be a problem. I think the key, like anything else, is to monitor your child’s exposure to the message, answer questions, and even ask them questions about what they like about princesses and how they make them feel.

    I say we make Mulan and Pocahontas princesses, too – there’s more than one kind of princess out there in the world!

    Love this conversation starter though – I don’t have kids, but I do have a brand-new niece, so hits closer to home than ever before!

  • Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun February 16, 2011, 10:14 am

    I’m going to have to check out that post since I’m all about positive body image and role models etc for my little girl.

  • Kristy @ Kristyruns.com February 16, 2011, 10:15 am

    Gotta love smoothies! And the pansies look beautiful!!! 🙂

  • Kierstan @ Life {and running} in Iowa February 16, 2011, 10:16 am

    Kara’s post is great and brings up some really good questions. Will be great to hear what people to have say!

  • PB Addict February 16, 2011, 10:18 am

    I’ve never tried sunflower butter in a smoothie before 🙂 Sounds interesting! The pictures make me look forward to spring.

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) February 16, 2011, 10:19 am

    This is a lot of great info! Thanks for sharing. I am off to check out the other posts you mentioned! Thanks!

  • Holly @ Couch Potato Athlete February 16, 2011, 10:29 am

    I saw Evan’s review of that book today, and after reading your post and his, I realize I need this book! Sounds like a great read.

    I had to laugh at the Disney Princess thing, only because my niece is 100% obsessed with those Princesses! It is definitely something to think about — in terms of how this will affect her and her body image.

  • Michelle February 16, 2011, 10:31 am

    Kara’s post was really eye-opening and disturbing to me. As a kid I NEVER. ever. once thought about the size of a Disney princess and I LOVED them. I remember thinking Belle was cool because she read books and being confused that Ariel wanted to give up living in the ocean for a guy. (Um, hello? Living in the ocean would be AWESOME.) Their looks and body sizes never crossed my mind. It makes me sad that people would think about not showing their child The Little Mermaid because of how Ariel looks…

    I didn’t comment on her blog because I’ve never read it and it felt rude to disagree and run away but it felt like over thinking things a little. I think talking to your kids and explaining that a fairy tale is just that – a fairy tale is the way to go rather then just limiting their exposure to them. I think limiting is just as harmful to them as only exposing them to princesses. Show them that yes, their are princesses but there are also a million other types of women.

    (Sorry this is so long and rambly!)

    • Caitlin February 16, 2011, 10:35 am

      This is a great comment!!

      I want to live in the ocean too.

    • Kara February 16, 2011, 10:46 am

      I don’t think disagreeing is rude! Besides, I haven’t made up my mind on how exactly to handle the princess thing (right now my baby is just 8 months old and more interested in gnawing on coasters!) I love to hear other opinions!

      Maybe as background I should have added that I had an ED in high school and college and that’s a lot of my motivation to instill positive body image in my daughter, even at the cost of watching Little Mermaid 🙂

      • Michelle February 16, 2011, 12:31 pm

        I also have to remember that just because Disney didn’t affect me at all doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect other people! And I think it’s great that you’re thinking about this now when she’s small rather then when she comes home with a picture of Katy Perry or something. 🙂

    • Erin February 16, 2011, 11:17 am

      My sister is actually a Disney Princess on their cruise lines. She fit the role physically, but by no means is she “skinny”! She is 5’1″ with blonde hair and blue eyes, and wears a 6. She got the role because she could sing, dance, and well…she’s a short blonde chick.

      However, her body past body issues stem from dance class. I think that any hobby that requires the girls to be in skin tight outfits do a number to a girls psyche. I played collegiate volleyball, and how do you think I felt stepping out onto the “stage” in all spandex? Every ounce of fat seemed to be exposed. No one had to say anything to me. I just knew it.

      Disney Princesses are just one small part of a society that inadvertantly causes girls to be very body-conscious.

      • Michelle February 16, 2011, 12:38 pm

        Absolutely. I danced for 11 years and I have NO doubt in my mind that a lot of my body image issues came from that. (Nothing like being measures for costumes twice a year in front of a million other girls!) I just never once, ever thought about animated Disney princesses contributing to it and honestly am not sure that I 100% think they do. But, I’m 29 and I was 6 or 7 there was more of a kids are kids mentality. There was no low rise underwear for kids or things like that. Times change. It just makes me sad to think that things I loved so much as a kid would contribute to someone feeling that way.

  • Amy February 16, 2011, 10:31 am

    Any suggestions on a brand/type of protein powder? (for a poor college student 🙂 ).

    • Caitlin February 16, 2011, 10:34 am

      I like Jay’s Brown Rice – it’s pretty good!

      • Amy February 16, 2011, 10:35 am

        Thanks!:)

  • Jess (In My Healthy Opinion) February 16, 2011, 10:35 am

    That smoothie looks amazing! Mine are usually greenish-brownish and look disgusting, but taste delicious. 🙂 The marathon book sounds great too – I’m a vegan, but not at all a marathoner.. I’m sure it still has great info for athletic training/eating!

  • Kiran February 16, 2011, 10:40 am

    Mmm.. Yummy smoothie 🙂

  • Caitlin @ The Caitie Experiment February 16, 2011, 10:42 am

    The Princess Phenomenon is something that I hadn’t really thought about until my niece was born six months ago. As kids, my sister and I LOVED the Disney princesses, albeit before they were marketed as, “The Disney Princesses,” and we loved them all equally, rather than the six or so they shove in our faces today.

    I find it really interesting, though, that the princesses Disney chooses to heavily market (Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle and Jasmine) are, in most cases, the most passive — and that Disney’s most successful movies are those that feature them. Watching Beauty and the Beast with my niece the other night, I said something about how the best movies were BATB, TLM and Aladdin. My sister shot back that she thought the best were Mulan and Pocahontas. Very interesting, as I’ve always been the more “free thinker”, for lack of a better word, and she’s always been the epitome of the “girly-girl.”

    Did you know Disney has decided that “The Princess and the Frog” and “Tangled” were it’s last animated Princess features, citing concerns that, “little girls don’t want to be princesses anymore?”

    • Caitlin February 16, 2011, 10:50 am

      Interesting comment. I find it odd that Pocahontas and Mulan aren’t marketed as much either. The book addresses that too!

  • Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman February 16, 2011, 10:47 am

    Ah, poor little girls can’t play with Barbie’s and now they can’t watch princesses either? Sigh. I grew up playing with dolls and watching Disney movies. I mean, they’re cartoons. Entertainment. Meant to inspire imagination of things kids aren’t used to seeing–underwater worlds, flying carpets. I think kids get that just as they understand crabs can’t really talk. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for.

    Of course, if a parent makes a child feel bad for not being Ariel-skinny that’s another problem. But I don’t think it’s a problem with Disney. It’s a problem with the parent, who would probably make the little girl feel fat one way or another.

    Growing up, I never once considered the fact that the princesses were all thin. I guess I assumed that they were drawings. Which is why, incidentally, I never grew up to wonder why I couldn’t be 2D like Belle.

    • Amy February 16, 2011, 11:26 am

      Word.

    • Caitlin February 16, 2011, 2:24 pm

      I think you’re assuming that Disney’s goal is to just entertain. It’s not – it’s to sell stuff! The princess thing in itself isn’t a problem, but all the merchandising is nuts.

    • Michelle February 16, 2011, 2:27 pm

      double word. This is what I had in my head when I rambled out a response above.

  • Holly@Chunky Monkey February 16, 2011, 10:50 am

    I love the smoothie photo with pansies. They are my favorite flower! Love the book suggestion. I have been on a quest for motivational reading material! This looks like a winner!

  • Stephanie February 16, 2011, 10:51 am

    I had soooo much energy in January when I had a smoothie for every breakfast and a huge salad for lunch. Urgh. I wish I could just stay in that mentality all the time.

  • Alex @ Healing Beauty February 16, 2011, 11:10 am

    My cousin and his wife are about to have a baby girl any day now. I think after seeing me struggle with an eating disorder they are extra sensitive to how to raise a healthy daughter. I’ll definitely buy them this book!

  • Courtney @ The Granola Chronicles February 16, 2011, 11:12 am

    Beautiful flowers – looks like spring! 🙂

  • Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine February 16, 2011, 11:14 am

    I loved the Disney Princesses growing up, and while now I can see the sexist/body image side of the issue, back then I honestly never gave it a second thought. Yes, kids are very easily influenced, but I think there’s way worse stuff on TV- stuff that outright emphasizes size and sex. I think the most important thing is allowing girls to do the same thing that boys do, but not barring girliness and princesses as a result. I loved my Barbies, but I don’t think I ever wanted to look like them- I just liked dressing them up!! And I kind of resented the fact that I was told I “wasn’t good” at sports, instead. Emphasis of both girliness and athleticism is important.

  • Samantha @ Health, Happiness & Skinny Jeans February 16, 2011, 11:18 am

    I like that Matt put this together and as someone contemplating a marathon this year I think it will be a good resource for me!

  • Katy (The Singing Runner) February 16, 2011, 11:19 am

    I am definitely interested in reading that book. As a vegetarian runner who is getting ready to train for her first marathon (Chicago!!! 10-9-11!), I think it’s definitely a book I need to take the time to read- especially since I’m injured right now.

  • Marie-JourneytoBodyZen February 16, 2011, 11:25 am

    I heard the NPR broadcast and thought that the book (Cinderella Ate my Daughter) sounds really interesting!

  • Anna February 16, 2011, 11:36 am

    You know, I gotta say… what perplexes/worries me the most about the Disney princesses is when teenage/adult women are still into them. Maybe it’s a nostalgia thing, but it seems kind of infantilizing to me. It’s interesting to see how companies are marketing directly towards the interest- Disney Princess half marathon, anyone?

  • Heather February 16, 2011, 11:43 am

    Oooh, that books looks like exactly what I need right now.

    I’m contemplating going Vegan for Lent. In the Catholic religion you traditionally give up something you love during Lent, and I love meat and dairy products, so I think that would be a really good challenge.

  • Jen @ keepitsimplefoods February 16, 2011, 11:49 am

    Love that you are creating a dialogue about such an important and often over-looked issue- societal messages to women and girls. There is such a global fixation on physical beauty, it’s hard for people to remember the value of strength of character and intelligence.

    I see this all the time in my girlfriends who are witty, funny, smart, and cool, but are constantly down on themselves about not having a perfect body. They are so fixated on their “negatives,” they forget all thier positives. It’s like, so you don’t have a perfect body, but you have all this other great stuff to offer- remember? I just want to shake some sense into them sometimes.

  • Julie (A Case of the Runs) February 16, 2011, 11:54 am

    Love Matt’s site!

    I might be in the minority, but I always used to feel so depressed after watching Disney movies. Something about that happy ending was a contrast to my own life. Maybe I was supposed to feel hopeful that I would somehow be “rescued” and somehow be great enough/deserve a “happily ever after.” Even as a kid, I was such a realist. I was rarely made to feel like a princess and thought I was some second-rate citizen because I didn’t look like one.

    So really, I think those Disney movies had the opposite affect on me that it could on others — while others got en ego boost, those movies deflated mine. I think that’s why I never got much into television or fantasy because I couldn’t/can’t stop making comparisons.

    • Caitlin February 16, 2011, 2:16 pm

      aww you’re a princess to me!

  • Kacy February 16, 2011, 12:21 pm

    I had a similar smoothie for breakfast today. I much prefer to drink my breakfasts for some reason.

  • Natalia - a side of simple February 16, 2011, 12:42 pm

    The flowers in your smoothie shot have me pining for spring 🙂 Thanks for the review of No Meat Athlete’s e-book! I’ve spotted it a few times but didn’t think much of it because I’m not a vegetarian. I’m really intrigued now, though, so thanks Caitlin!

  • Elizabeth@The Sweet Life February 16, 2011, 12:45 pm

    what an interesting-sounding book!

  • lindsay February 16, 2011, 1:04 pm

    Hi Caitlin! Your comment on Kara’s blog about open ended play was so right on…I work for KaBOOM! and while we are most well known for building playgrounds, we are also really focus on open-ended, creative & free play (not just organized sports). It really is so important for kids…

    • Caitlin February 16, 2011, 2:15 pm

      KaBOOM! sounds like it has some neat stuff!!!

      • lindsay February 16, 2011, 3:43 pm

        It is an awesome organization and a great place to work 🙂

  • Amber K February 16, 2011, 1:38 pm

    Smoothies never fill me up unless I have something to chew on after I’m done. I prefer them for snacks, but I have at least one day!

  • Carin February 16, 2011, 2:24 pm

    Thanks Caitlin – excellent link to the veg running resource (my first marathon is fast approaching and given my struggles with the 10k at the weekend, I REALLY need to get training!).

    Not sure about the Disney influence – I’m sure they contribute toward creating an idealized norm re appearance/ body shape, but that this is countered by everyday experiences and the girls and women met in real life. I agree that kids are brighter than they’re given credit for: mine are 2 and 4 and whilst highly imaginative (good sometimes, bad and annoying occasionally!), they can definitely distinguish between reality and fiction… Whilst I sometimes have problems doing so!

    You, on the other hand, are definitely influential – I woke up this morning (it’s Thursday now in NZ!), read your post and immediately replicated your smoothie, subbing in peanut butter, soy milk and frozen blueberries. Yummy! Ta, love – a great start to the day.

    • Caitlin February 16, 2011, 2:25 pm

      Yum!!! Your smoothie sounds awesome.

  • Allison @ Happy Tales February 16, 2011, 2:47 pm

    I just recently found Matt’s website, and I am loooving it! I’ll have to check into his e-book for sure. Oh, and I love the advice of having a smoothie every day. I pretty much do that already!

  • Meaghan February 16, 2011, 2:49 pm

    1) Love the backdrop for the smoothie! 🙂 So pretty, makes me wish I hadn’t run out of fruit to make one ! The last few days before grocery day are never fun haha
    2) Just my two cents, and I don’t even have a little girl yet but I do have a 2 year old niece who loves the Disney princesses, but I would MUCH rather her watch them than play with/watch Bratz (ten pounds of make up on a doll and skimpy outfits!? No thanks!) Maybe it’s just cause I myself never thought of that when watching the movies, but I still feel that the ‘older’ cartoons and movies for kids are better than what they are making now. Like a previous poster said though, just cause it didn’t affect me doesn’t mean it can’t affect someone else.

  • Lauren February 16, 2011, 3:47 pm

    I’d love to read this because I’m thinking of my first marathon for this summer or fall! I had a smoothie this morning, and it kept me full for almost as long as my oatmeal does.

  • Kelly H. (Shiny Happy Vegan) February 16, 2011, 5:46 pm

    Thanks for the book recommendation! It looks great and I think I am going to buy it 🙂 I am REALLY hoping to run my first full marathon this year (crossing my fingers that my name gets picked in the NYC lottery) and am a new vegan so this sounds like the perfect book for me!

  • steph-exercise physiologist and artist! February 16, 2011, 6:27 pm

    Hello 🙂
    LONG time no talk 🙂
    I totally saw your snippet on OWN and I was like “holy crap!! there’s Caitlin!!” ha! made me smile.
    Hope you are well!

  • Zo February 16, 2011, 8:01 pm

    Your smoothie looks amazing. I have a smoothie maker and find that when I try peanut butter or the like, it doesn’t really blend in and there’s just a chunk stuck at the bottom. Do you have a technique (or just use a high powered blender?)

    • Caitlin February 16, 2011, 9:00 pm

      I have the world’s crappiest blender but I add the peanut butter last, while it’s whirring. Maybe that’s it?

      • Zo February 16, 2011, 9:43 pm

        Thanks Caitlin. I’ll give that a try…I just chuck mine in at the beginning and it never blends (probably just sinks and sticks), so I stopped trying to use pb!

  • Amy D February 16, 2011, 9:15 pm

    Hi Caitlin, I am a semi-new reader & this is my first time commenting. When I discovered your healthy lifestyle blog I had already heard about Operation Beautiful but didn’t realize you were the mastermind behind it all. I feel so privledged to “get to know you” via your blog. I love that your blog is a mixture of health and social issues that you care about. I’m not sure if you ever use the “F” word (read: “feminist”) to describe yourself in your blog or daily life but I can see that you are living the life of a concerned citizen. Concerned about the messages we send girls about beauty, what’s normal or good and what to value in themselves. I love what you started w/ Operation Beautiful and I really enjoy hearing about your reads. I am planning to ad “Cinderella Ate My Daughter” to my reading list! I really enjoyed the NPR interview with the author too. I thought I was the only person who thought that about Bratz dolls! I’m not alone!!

    • Caitlin February 16, 2011, 9:23 pm

      Hi Amy! I am definitely a feminist – I think that term has developed such unfair connotations, but I am proud to say that I am a feminist!

      Thanks for reading my blog – I appreciate it.

      And giiiirl, I feel you about Bratz.

      • Amy D February 17, 2011, 10:49 am

        So glad to hear you wearing that title proudly. When I was in college we had a “Gender Equaty Group” on campus that I was involved with. I performed in the Vagina Monologues and solve chocolate vulva’s with pride. But the president of the group refused to call it a feminist group! She said that the word “feminist” had become a dirty word and that it would harm the reputation of the group on campus. I stayed involved in the group but I was openly opposed to her oppionion. That’s the reason I refered to feminism as the “f” word because it is a shame that so many women and men see it that way today! I feel like people today take for granted the rights that the generations before us fought for, specifically during the women’s movement. Grrr…

  • Rachel @ Healthy Teacher February 16, 2011, 11:58 pm

    This just made me decide upon making a smoothie for breakfast tomorrow.

  • Tiffany February 17, 2011, 10:03 am

    oohhh you have flowers outside! I’m so jealous today its like -2°C (or 28.4 ºF) and there is about 7ft of snow outside my window! ..i hate Newfoundland weather 🙁

    Also i must say i don’t agree with Kara’s beef with Disney, shes just focused on the bad things.
    My Daughter Loves princess stuff, Tiana from the princess and the frog, I personally see nothing wrong with letting my child feel like a princess, letting her dress up, dance with her and have tea parties.
    I’m not worried about the effect their small waists will have on her if she asks about it ill tell her that they’re wearing a corset cause back in the day under a party dress what did they wear to make their waist tiny? a corset, or how big their boobs are, cause in truth their boobs are like what maybe a C cup at the most? i always thought they had really small boobs, not gonna lie (but i guess that’s because some of aunts have E cups)
    I’m more worried about the influence things like “The jersey shore”, Ke$ha, and and MTV will have on my child.

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