First of all, I have to thank you guys for your incredibly sweet (and in some cases enjoyably heated) responses to my encounter with the weight loss guru Starbucks barista. Rest assured that there was no harm done, and I’m still enjoying my cappuccinos, 2% milk and all…
… with a side of pink nails, naturally…
Newest nail polish obsession: Wild Strawberry by Revlon.
But I digress. Today isn’t about beauty or bimbo baristas; it’s about something far more enjoyable – food! It is WIAW after all. At this point I really don’t have any set theme in mind, so I’m just going to take a look at whatever pictures I have and go from there…
Unlike last week’s instalment, this week has me mercifully free of all stomach woes. Thank goodness. Not that I don’t enjoy eating breakfast all day, but sometimes even I get tired of cereal and yogurt…
Eggy bananafied oats cooked in 2% milk and topped with cocoa powder and roasted almond butter.
So I just realized that I’ve never really updated you guys on what I believe was an oat intolerance. It’s been about 8 months since I stopped eating oatmeal on a daily basis due to the adverse reactions it seemed to be giving me, and while I’m still not back to eating it regularly, the handful of occasions that I’ve had it over the past little while have caused me no problems. I guess I was eating too much of it and my body just needed a break? Whatever the case, I’ll be enjoying oatmeal again on occasion from here on in, but nowhere near in the amounts that I was eating before.
And while we’re on the topic of updates, I guess I should probably fill you guys in on the results of my little meal-bulking experiment. Going in to the whole endeavor, I had two major concerns:
- That I would eat bigger meals and still end up snacking just as much out of habit/boredom/whatever.
- That my stomach wouldn’t take kindly to bigger meals and I’d end up feeling sick/lethargic/whatever.
Well, I’ve still been snacking…
Deep Chocolate Vitamuffin with plain Greek yogurt mixed with coconut milk.
Maple-flax sweet potato fries.
Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.
Plain Greek yogurt, strawberries, tangerine, Kashi GoLean Crunch.
… but nowhere near as much as I was before. I used to literally feel like I was eating all day because I always seemed to be picking away at something, whereas lately I haven’t been getting as hungry between meals and can usually get by with two or three snacks. Success.
As for my stomach not taking kindly to bigger meals? That one, unfortunately, turned out to be true. My stomach has never been a fan of having to work hard to digest bigger meals, and it made for some pretty uncomfortable times in the early stages of my experiment. Luckily, I think I’ve figured out something that works. Take this smoothie lunch for example…
Looks small, but packs a pretty good punch:
- 1 cup frozen mango
- ¼ cup oatmeal
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 Tbsp. coconut butter
- 1 cup milk
… and it kept me full for hours. Or how about this quinoa bowl dinner:
2 egg scrambled in coconut oil, quinoa with olive oil, dried cranberries, broccoli, avocado.
Low in volume, high in sustenance; and again, satisfied for hours. The trick? Adding energy dense foods (like oils). I used to be big on volume eating, scared that I’d be left hungry unless I stuffed my stomach ridiculously full, but all that really did was leave me uncomfortably bloated and still unsatisfied most of the time. With my current approach, it’s been the complete opposite: comfortably full and definitely satisfied. Success.
So, the main things I’ve noticed from my experiment? Well:
- I don’t snack as much.
- I don’t feel hungry all the time.
- My cravings for sugar have become less intense.
- I can focus on other things for a decent amount of time without getting distracted by thoughts of food.
- I did not become a whale by eating bigger meals.
All in all, I’d call it a success, and I’d highly recommend that you give bigger meals a shot if you find yourself feeling ridiculously snacky and unsatisfied all day. Happy Wednesday, friends!
. – . – . – .
Are you a volume eater? Or do you prefer more energy dense foods?
Random question: what kind of milk do you drink?
{ 96 comments… read them below or add one }
Your meals look amazing. Especially those sweet potato fries! Have a great Wednesday!
Elizabeth@myneonrunningshoes recently posted..Yesterday was hard.
That nail polish looks so nice
And your smoothie is so similar to one I always make (with the mango!)
Picky Nicky recently posted..You Can’t Be Skinny and Strong
I love the look of your lunch, yum!
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes recently posted..{WIAW} Sunday on Monday
I dedicate this mornings breakfast to you – I mixed greek yogurt & goat yogurt together, then topped it with banana, apple, raw trail mix, a blob of sunbutter, hemp seeds & kashi cereal. So good!!! I wish I could eat dairy all day every day, but my stomach hates it.
I drink almond or coconut milk, although I “believe” raw cows milk or goats milk are the “healthiest” options.
Jo @ LivingMintGreen recently posted..Sweet Ginger Heat Juice & WIAW
Stomach hates dairy? Oh noes! Have you tried taking probiotics? My stomach used to be a whole lot more finicky before I started drinking kombucha and taking some probiotics. It’s worth looking into!
I’m glad your stomach is doing so much better! Those oatmeal cookies look amazing! Actually, all of your snacks do! I bought vitatops while I was home and then never ate them but they seem really yummy! That’s so great that it had the desired effect for you!
Sarah @PickyRunner recently posted..Back Deck: A Boston Brunchers Meetup
Loved reading your results, Amanda…especially as I’ve been doing the same! I’ve personally found most of those to apply to me as well! I rarely snack/have the urge to because I’m full enough! As much as I love food, it’s nice not thinking what I’m going to eat next all the time. LIke you, adding in fat is definitely a key to staying full without that bloated after a bigger-than-what-I’m-used-to meal. For example I’ve been trading in my egg whites for yolks, carbs with every meal, more nuts/peanut butter on my yogurt bowls. I kinda love it and I feel like I’m a lot more in tune with my hunger signals and not just eating out of habit!
As for milk- I usually drink soy milk. I love organic cows’ milk but it tastes nasty in India so I make sure to lap it up when I’m abroad!
Khushboo recently posted..Meatballs: 1 recipe, 3 meals
Woo! You were behind a lot of my initial inspiration for trying out a different way of eating, so I’m glad to hear that it’s working the same magic for you
I never thought I’d say that I kind of like not having to constantly snack but… yeah… it’s great to not have to constantly think about food!
Thank you for reminding me that I have chocolate vitatops in my freezer…might be pulling those out today.
And I think I’m somewhere in between on energy vs volume – I used to try to eat all high-volume, but my stomach would be none-to-impressed. But if I focus on pure high energy, I’ll feel like I’m not eating enough to satisfy me, keep eating, and realize 20 minutes later how ridiculously full I am.
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles recently posted..WIAW: G o Tea.
Volume eater all the way. That said, I don’t think it’s a brilliant way to eat. I don’t think volume eating is something people without weight problems or overeating disorders really need to do, simply because it’s not fantastic for anyone digestive system and it does waste a lot of time eating huuuuuge meals as slowly as possible like I do. Energy dense foods just don’t work with me because I am never really ‘full’ due to my warped reliance on food, and I can (and have) eaten entire jars of nut butter all at once in the past…without even feeling particularly sick.
I’m really happy the experiement has been going well for you – I think it’s a good approach to have, even though it hasn’t worked for me personally (obviously -we’re different people with very different relationships with food!)
I don’t drink milk. I’ll have rice milk in my coffee and I use unsweetened almond milk in GF ‘porridge’ but that’s it for vegan alternatives.
xxx
Hahah, I wish you could see my face when I read the part about volume of meals, my dear!
It makes me feel just more comfortable because I don’t have to eat a huge meal to fill up. I judge it a big success. 
I discovered that energy dense foods always make me much more full that just big meals… I used to be a volume eater just like you but I’m glad it’s changed.
IF we’re talking about milk – my favourite one is just cow’s milk but I also like soy or rice milk and I ding these quite tasty.
whiness recently posted..192. Wednesday / manna&makaron, a co to jest zdrowe odżywianie?
Hahah, I wish you could see my face when I read the part about volume of meals, my dear!
It makes me feel just more comfortable because I don’t have to eat a huge meal to fill up. I judge it a big success. 
I discovered that energy dense foods always make me much more full that just big meals… I used to be a volume eater just like you but I’m glad it’s changed.
IF we’re talking about milk – my favourite one is just cow’s milk but I also like soy or rice milk and I find these quite tasty.
whiness recently posted..192. Wednesday / manna&makaron, a co to jest zdrowe odżywianie?
This is great!! Oats and less tummy problems? Sounds like a win win in my book
Im still trying to figure out all my issues, and this whole giving up dairy thing is tough, especially considering I bought 2 huge on sale containers of chobani yesterday and had an ice cream cone lol
Kat recently posted..Longest Fry In The World.
Ugh I don’t think I could survive without dairy. I mean, obviously I could, but I would prefer not to. Have you tried probiotics? My stomach used to be a lot more fussy before I started drinking kombucha regularly and taking probiotics with my meals.
Yay, I’m glad the experiment worked out for you, Amanda! All of your results sound like my (eating-wise) dreams come true but … I’m still scared to try it myself. Volume eating has been part of my life for too long and I’m so afraid I’ll just keep eating. Telling myself that now is a bad time to try changing it because studying for my last exam and essay-writing keep me inside all day. Not moving a lot at all, constantly surrounded by food
. But then again, won’t I always find a reason to put off trying?
My favourite vegan “milk” is Provamel’s hazelnut milk which actually has the same amount of calories and fat as full-fat milk. Just like my mum keeps saying: Fat adds flavour so no fat means no flavour
. When at my parents’ we use 1.5 % milk simply because that’s what they usually keep around for no specific reason. If there’s none of that at one store my mum will just buy full-fat – no big deal.
Miss Polkadot recently posted..In need of …
Don’t be scared to try it, girl! I was a volume eater for a long time as well, and I was afraid to experiment because snacking was such a habit, but when a good meal fills you up, believe me that you don’t even think about snacking more after that!
I’m still in shock the barista said that to you! I have to eat very small meals or else my stomach becomes overwhelmed as well! My girlfriend just found out she was allergic to oats and its shocking to see how much she cpnsumed ! I love oats so much not sure what I would do although in was able to give up dairy
love and shine courtstar
Courtney @ Star Systemz recently posted..BEST RESTAURANTS IN BANGKOK
Glad that you’ve figured out something that works for you! I’ve been really increasing fats in my diet and now I can get by on more or less 3 square meals, which for me is working well. I like not having to think about food 24/7! I love almond and coconut milk the most but I’m looking forward to trying some full fat jersey milk soon
I always look forward to your wiaw posts
i’m still more of a snacker (although I am trying to bulk meals a little more), and i think i need to give your oil trick a try…oil still wigs me out sometimes (leftover ed thing) but i know some are good and necessary so maybe that’ll be a feb goal: cook with olive and coconut oil instead of the usual spray! And i love fully sugared almond milk (non of that unsweetened stuff for me) and 1% cows milk
Caitlin recently posted..Lessons In Baby (aka WIAW)
Oil was a big hangup for me as well after my ED, but it really does make a huge difference! Not only in terms of satiety, but for improved mood and things like your skin, hair, and nails
I always forget about those extra awesome benefits…definitely working on it starting now
Caitlin recently posted..Lessons In Baby (aka WIAW)
I think eggs/avocado/broccoli/quinoa is going to be my dinner tonight. That looks so darn good! I’m glad your body is responding well to the experiment (minus the gross full part). It’s amazing how smoothies can fill, fill you up for HOURS! I used to always believe that there was no way that could happen, but recently, smoothies with vanilla protein powders keep me fuller for longer than chewing meals. Who knew?
Liv @ Life As Liv recently posted..To Foam Roll, or Not to Foam Roll.
All of your pictures always look so pretty! Love the looks of those sweet potato fries and that smoothie. It’s been months since I’ve had a smoothie..I never feel like them during the winter. However, seeing that picture of your’s just gave me a major craving!
kim@hungryhealthygirl recently posted..Party Time!!
I have no idea why I crave cold things in the dead of winter, especially when winter here is pretty darned cold. You are very, very lucky to be in Texas where it’s not currently snowing and blowing. Brr.
It’s 75° right now, but the summer will be brutal!
Awh this post made me smile after your last one
I was really interested to hear how you got on and that’s great news – and not only that but those meals sound delicious!! I think I may take inspiration from you and give it a go as I do currently volume eat and snack a lot which miggghtttt not be helping my poor digestion problems right now. I do generally like energy dense foods, especially nuts, too so there’s no reason why I can’t just have more of them, but left often.
As for milk, I’m an unsweetened almond milk fan after trying basically every milk available hehe!
Nicky recently posted..My Week According to my Phone
So much yes to this – my tendency has been to fill up on lots of veggies, which I love, but would end up uncomfortably bloated and still not totally satisfied. So I’ve been trying to do quality over quantity. Still including good veggies, but adding a bit more in terms of whole grains and fats. I don’t find myself as distracted by “scrounging” when I do this. I can move on and then later really appreciate hunger – and my next yummy meal!
Also – love that you’ve been able to reintroduce oats! I’m seeing a lot of that lately – people are ODing on certain foods and the body is just not having it. It occurred to me that I was eating oats most every morning myself. I need something warm and creamy and nut-butter-friendly in the morning, though, so I’ve been having fun experimenting with other grains to mix it up. Buckwheat is a great one, and I mix in some quinoa too. I figure I can always rotate oats back in sometimes, especially if I’m in a rush. I know you tend toward yogurt bowls, but have you tried other grains if you’re looking for something toasty in the am?
I have! I’ve tried quinoa, buckwheat, spelt flakes, rice, and kamut. All of them were pretty tasty, but they still don’t quite have the appeal that oats do. They’re definitely nice for a little change though
Oats! I’m glad the little experiment seemed to work well! Just shows out bodies build up intolerances to things we consume so much and then we can reverse those effects. It looks super delicious too! I’d say your experiment was a success, sometimes we just need to play around with things and figure out what works for us. Change is good, right! I definitely am more of a volume eater, I think it still stems from my ED and being afraid of getting hungry. Which is kind of dumb, but it’s kind of been a blessing being intolerant to eggs/egg whites because now I can’t fill up on a ton of them and I realize I can eat less volume without dying of hunger;) Who would’ve thought.
Lisa recently posted..What I Ate Wednesday
YAY for not going hungry!!!!
I tend to be a volume AND bulk eater; especially when it comes to olive oil, nuts, and numerous amounts of fluffy egg omelettes! I tend to drink skim milk (because that’s what my family drinks) and vanilla soy milk <—-SOOOOO DELICIOUS!!!
Love all of your pics!
Alex recently posted..T F G I F, My brownie obsession
I used to do the same thing, fill up my stomach’s volume with lower calorie foods and then feel positively ravenous soon after. It really helps to balance it out more. Sure, you need vegetables (practically calorie free) but protein/carbs/fats on the side are necessary too. That’s where nut butters come into my life. Satisfying calories but they don’t take up too much room in your stomach leaving you uncomfortably full.
Meghan @ After the Ivy League recently posted..WIAW #18 and Actually Training for This 5k
mmm all looks so yummy
i tried maple sastuma roasted sweet potato fries for the first time yesterday – they were amazingggg
Lot-O-Choc recently posted..Kit Kat Chunky Hazelnut Cream
Love all your food choices! You always give me some new ideas to try out myself
Molly@This Life Is Sparkling recently posted..WIAW: Number 65
One of the beautiful things about the bog world
My days always vary with snacking/bigger meals. Some days all I do is snack, and others I just eat big meals! I kind of like the variety. I drink ALMOND milk..yuMM!!! That quinoa bowl looks sooooo good!
Just how do you take such beautiful pictures? I mean first i would have to control myself enough to not inhale that beautiful food and second I have shaky hands and no camera. You see my problem? But for real I a happy you found what works for you, it is nice to hear that you feel less ravenous and still pretty content with your overall eating. meal overhaul for the win! Now come cook for me. Please?
Alex @ therunwithin recently posted..Remember When
Deal… but we’d have to take pictures first
Honestly, sometimes it sucks and I don’t bother photographing a lot of things, but it’s definitely easier when I’m not hungry. On the days I’m feeling ravenous? Yeah… food doesn’t even make it to the plate to be documented…
That nail polish looks seriously fabulous. If I had an oat intolerance I would seriously die. Not even kidding. I eat them all the time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Well not three times a day, but yeah haha.
Lindsay @ Conscious Cravings recently posted..WIAW (More like What Trailers I Ate)
That’s exactly how often I ate them, and yup… that’s exactly what I said when I first found out. Turns out I did alright without them, though. You just have to find other things you like so you don’t miss them as badly
You just gave me a great nail polish color idea
I plan on painting my nails ttnight hahaha Glad to hear your new system is working 
I know personally I’ve always done the 3 meals, 2-3 snack kind of thing lol even when I was younger. As for milk, I’m an almond milk kinda gal 
Rachel recently posted..Pole Dancing 101
Maple-flax sweet potato fries? Those look amazing! Where might I go about finding some of those??
I actually do not drink dairy milk, but instead prefer either unsweetened vanilla almond milk or light vanilla soy milk. Both are super delicious on my cereal in the morning! Unsweetened plain almond milk is also great to cook with.
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl recently posted..Pumpkin and Nut Butter Breakfast Quinoa
Eep! I forgot to link up the recipe for the fries http://www.runningwithspoons.com/for-spoons/maple-flax-sweet-potato-fries/ That’s the one
I don’t know if it’s because I’m kiiiind of hungry, but the smoothie bowl, dinner, and vitatop look delicious!!! And I think it’s so cool that your experiment is working! Glad to know that you can actually focus on other things better than before. Focus is something that I lack due to ADD to begin with, so I can’t imagine how scatterbrained I would be without eating ‘somewhat’ bigger meals
Ellie@Fit for the Soul recently posted..The Awesome Benefits of the Stepmill
Everything looks amazing! I’m definitely a volume eater. Popcorn and big smoothies are two of my favorite volume foods! That quinoa mix looks amazing too! I love unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It’s all I use now!
Danielle @ Clean Food Creative Fitness recently posted..What I Ate Wednesday
I don’t eat as much as others but I would consider what I eat meals. Others would diagree.
I’ll have to try your mango smoothie. I tend to stick with blueberries and strawberries.
I use rice milk in my smoothies and recipes but I won’t turn down a glass of chocolate cows milk.
Carli recently posted..Post Workout Snacks #WIAW No. 18
Your pictures are beautiful. Vita muffin, pink nails, and all
Grace @ PracticingGrace recently posted..It Will Come
Great that your experiment worked out! Adding some high quality fats is always a good idea. You have a nut-allergy, right? Because otherwise I would have suggested to add some nuts to your yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, salads and so on. Wasn’t it just peanuts which you cannot eat?
On another note: I love my oats eggy and with some nana! Just checked out your tutorial and for the first time ever I noticed that I had a wrong picture of steel cut oats. I always thought, they look like that (http://hookedoniron.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/oats1.jpg) but now I know that there exists an even less processed form of oatmeal. After some google-work I found out that they have a quite un-tasty name in Germany: Hafer-Grütze – it always reminds me of my childhoods worst food-nightmares. Guess now I have to give them another chance
Yup it’s just peanuts that I can’t eat! Although some of the other ones tend to make me a little bit itchy, so I stick to almonds which don’t seem to cause me any problems. I like the in nut form well enough, but I prefer them buttered so I stick to adding AB to my cereal, oats, and smoothies. And I definitely recommend giving steel cut oats a try! I was skeptical at first, especially because of the extra time involved, but they have a really wonderful texture.
Hey Girlie! Well, even though I LOVE dairy, I have to limit it because it makes my tummy hurt if I have too much. That said, I usually save my dairy servings for cheese. If I do drink milk though, we usually go with Horizons Organic Whole Milk (because whole milk actually packs the most nutrition punch!) or the 2%.
Haley @ The Saucy Apple recently posted..Stitch Fix #2
So happy to hear the bigger meals worked for you! I found by adding more oils I was definitely fuller longer but yeah it can be hard on the stomach to digest! I sometimes drink almond milk or coconut milk but that’s it… and that’s rarely!
Alexis recently posted..It was insane
Your food ALWAYS looks delicious & makes me want to reach through the screen! I’ve also been eating more nutrient dense meals & have noticed a big reduction in my snacking, too. As for milk, I don’t drink it, per se, but I usually use 2% in my coffee and enjoy almond milk in overnight oats, cereal, smoothies, etc.
Also, I was reading your last post about the barista’s insane comment. First, you handled that much more gracefully than I would’ve, and it’s wonderful how you no longer think that way. I would’ve been snarky & rude. “Who speaks to strangers that way?” is my initial thought, but then I wonder if she hears comments like that in her home life. Maybe she struggles with body image herself or has a significant other who tells her she isn’t skinny enough or whatever. Anyway, I kind of feel sorry for her, although she’s probably just a brat!
Catherine recently posted..Of Bräts and Beer: A Review of the LoDa Biergarten
It’s definitely hard not to automatically judge someone like that as being a straight up b*tch, but you’re right – it’s important to remember that everyone is dealing with their own thing, and since we don’t know what they’re going through, we really can’t judge what they do. And even if she is just a brat, hopefully someday she’ll learn.
I’m all about the energy-dense meals too. My stomach doesn’t do well with very large meals at all. I still sometimes overeat on squash or something and my stomach is in turmoil for days. I do better with small quantities. To get my calories in, I add a lot of healthy fats like coconut oil and olive oil.
Eventually, if I tolerate it well, I hope to add in some avocado too!
Eating 4 Balance recently posted..My “Souper” Weekend (WIAW)
Oh man, I remember being out of commission for days after overdoing it on squash. That’s actually why I don’t really eat it anymore – it’s too hard to practice good portion control with that stuff, and I can’t handle the consequent stomach woes
Oh my God, numer 5 cracks me up. A WHALE. Haha.
Yay for oatmeal!! So happy for you, cause it is SO good and so variable. I am totally with you on more satisfying meals. I used to eat 1000 different veggies in one meal, had cramps after and was still starving. Your success makes me happy. Congrats! Kisses from sunny Spain!!
Lucie recently posted..WIAW #7 – What I ate Wednesday
Enjoy Spain for me, girlie! Make sure to take full advantage and get some awesome eats in there!
Oh, and I drink Almond Milk, Sweetened. It’s the only one I can get here and it tastes like a dessert
Lucie recently posted..WIAW #7 – What I ate Wednesday
I feel a lot more satisfied and full when I eat 3 main meals throughout the day and only snack if I’m actually hungry. But I find that I typically don’t snack! And I drink almond milk. Your quinoa bowl looks delicious!
Alisha @ Alisha’s Appetite recently posted..Weekend Recap: Date Nights
I’m glad to hear you can eat oats again! I’ve been eating them every day for like a year and a half so I’m waiting for the day my stomach calls it quits. I started getting the same side effects you were but I realized it was mostly due to the fact I was eating oatmeal and, well, only oatmeal. My body was just hungry in general. Now I don’t get the feeling anymore!
I drink skim milk – i know, i know dirty water. My mom brought me up on Skim and it’s the ONLY kind I ever drank as a kid. Now, I think anything with % is disgusting. It’s too creamy for me. I can actually tell when a latte is made with anything but skim. It’s so wierd. Haha.
Lauren recently posted..Thankfully, I’m not a waitress.
Hopefully your stomach doesn’t call it quits on the oats! I’m starting to worry that mine might pull the plug on my yogurt/cereal addiction as well. Eep! And I can tell when my lattes/cappuccinos aren’t made with 2%… they’re a lot less creamy that way
All of your food looks fantastic! I am defintiely a volume eater, though I’ve cut back on doing that since my trainer has me eating 7 meals a day. Volume and frequency don’t mesh well.
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted..Blueberry Cheesecake Fluff + WIAW
I like a mix of both! Volume for meals and energy dense for snacks.
Matt @ The Athlete’s Plate recently posted..Love Grown Hot Oats #Giveaway
Since stopping intense weight training a couple weeks ago, I have been trying to cut down on calories and I started loading on fruits and veggies and took in less protein. The result has been I have been starrrrrving and snacking more because I’m left hungry. I need to pick foods that are low in calories and high in protein or fiber or I never feel full
Andrea @Pencils and Pancakes recently posted..PB2: A Review
I’ve found that adding in a good amount of healthy fats really helps with satiety levels.
I want all of this! Especially the sweet potato fries, they look amazing!! I usually go with soy milk
Kate @ Quarter Century Southern Living recently posted..Dog Gone Around the World
I’m glad the eating experiment was a success! I used to focus on quantity, too, but never felt satisfied. Now I focus on quality. I also found my sugar cravings to go wayyyy down.
I seriously cannot get over the ridiculousness of that baristas comment…its one of those things that is so stupid and ignorant that it is just kind of hilarious. Psh, if I drank dairy I would probably even go for whole milk, imagine how that barista would react to that.
Anyways, nutrient-dense meals seem to work best for me too, especially on days where my hunger is through the roof. Often time I have to end the night with a big spoonful of healthy fat in the form of nut butter to further satisfy the hunger beast too. No harm in that though. 
Gina @ Health, Love, and Chocolate recently posted..WIAW: Back to the Grind
Sounds like a perfect way to end the night; and if chocolate is involved, then that’s even better
Glad your experiment was pretty much a success & you learned some more about yourself & your tummy. I’ve been beefing up my fats (oils, avocado, nut butters) & find that I feel more satisfied when I incorporate these types of foods. I used to be afraid to cook w/oil or butter, but it’s really the way to go… food tastes better, keeps you more satisfied, & adds some healthy fats to your diet. Happy Wednesday!
Karey @ Nutty About Health recently posted..What I Ate Wednesday
What a fabulous post! Love what you wrote. I enjoy drinking rice milk and coconut milk- since I’m lactose intolerant!
hehe i think i fall into the ‘enjoyably heated’ category
..i like little snacks throughout the day – i have trouble with my sugar, so if i eat a big meal i basically fall asleep lol i did a post on food and energy the other day (which foods give you the most, etc.) but i’m planning on doing another on timing of meals next month 
..liked your quinoa pic – i just started eating it! 
Jessica @ Prayers and Apples recently posted..Alcohol and Memory: Why You Remember The Wrong Things
Yay for your stomach feeling much better!! I swear it’s the smoothies.. they are a cure
Jessie recently posted..Thankful Thursday : Good and Bad
Isn’t it incredible how much more busy your mind can be with other things when it is not hungryyy?! Brain needs energy to think about other things.
GREAT SUCCESS!! (please tell me you’ve seen that movie lol). I’m really glad oats are back – I have heard of that happening to people where they eat too much of something and it starts bothering them. I’d be interested to see if peanut butter were that sort of thing for me actually….although, if it really is an allergy I kinda don’t want to put myself through the reaction for a test haha! And I’m SO glad the experiment worked out for you – I think it works for a lot of people, actually. I too will always need snacks – I’m not a “3 squares” kinda person – but adding more calories to my meals earlier this year helped a ton. Especially in a new office setting, I didn’t want to be snacking all the time. I did it a bit differently, I added more carbs and not fat (since that’s more of what I need with endurance training), but it really did work. My stomach isn’t built for only eating 3 times a day though and you know, I like snacks, so I’ll keep it the 3 meals/2 snacks kinda like you do. It’s good not to be distracted by your hunger all day!! That dinner sounds AMAZING too….
….and as for what kind of milk I drink? er….on the rare occasion I drink milk-like things, it’s soy or almond – I can’t tolerate real dairy milk. But I just HATE milk straight-up, so I rarely drink it….but I should probably find a way to force it down, calcium is good I guess….blehhhh. I don’t know why I have such an aversion to it! It’s not even a food-fear/ED thing…*sigh*
I have seen that movie, and quote it frequently
And yeah… peanuts are a legit allergy for me, so I’m not going to be doing any experimenting with those, but it’s nice to have oats back. And it’s definitely nice to snack… I honestly have no idea how some people claim to get by without it. As for the milk, I never drink it straight up either, but I’m not against having it in the form of lattes and cappuccinos 
True that, love my soy cappuccinos! Actually now i think.of it, i bet i could get myself to drink it if i put chocate syrup in it!
Your nails look great! Love your food pictures… you have such GREAT pics on your blog.
I just cannot believe that Starbucks barista! I can’t get over it. People have a lot of nerve.
Milk has always bothered me so I very rarely drink it… Almond milk in my cereal and skim if I do need milk for something!
Stephanie@nowirun.com recently posted..Sore, M-omelettes, and Aaaaaah!
uhhhhh, how about you come visit and make me meals? that smoothie bowl is making me swoon. and then the quinoa bowl?! overwhelmed.
kristen @ verbs and vignettes recently posted..123! meal by meal.
Loving the sound of your dinner! And I always add egg whites + banana to my oats now- so creamy!
Sunnie@ModernGirlNutrition recently posted..WIAW- Lately
I love dairy! I can’t go a day without a few glasses of milk, some yogurt messes, and cheese! And always always either the full fat or 2%. I have some pretty bad memories of nonfat chemical-laden artificially flavoured yogurt and watery skim milk… Never again!
And I’m so glad you got oatmeal back into your life! Creamy-milky banana oats mm!
Shreya @ rushofendorphins recently posted..Insatiable appetite day
I am most definitely an energy dense eater! There’s no way I’d be able to pack away the calories I need if I didn’t include lots of healthy fats and grains on my plate. In fact, lately many of my meals have been vegetable-less, merely because I don’t have room for them. The nutritionist in me cringes, but I know that this period will pass, and that once I reach my goal, I’ll have a little more leeway. In the meantime, gummy vitamins are my best friend.
The mango-coconut butter protein smoothie bowl looks amazing. I think I’ll give a variation of it a try tomorrow (sans mango, as I don’t have any…but I’m thinking raspberries might make a good substitute?). xoxoxo
Sara @ Nourish and Flourish recently posted..Snapshot Moments
There are days where I can’t be bothered to get many veggies in either, but like you said, it’s all about looking at the bigger picture
I don’t think our bodies analyze how they’re doing on a daily basis – we just got into the bad habit of doing that ourselves.
Yay for adding oats back in! I think it’s probably a good idea for everyone to take small breaks from foods they love to avoid developing intolerances to them–I know I have a few foods I can OD on and I wouldn’t want to have to give them up. One weird intolerance I’ve recently developed is to onions. Cooked ones really mess up my digestive system for some reason and even fresh ones are bad. I have no clue why I just randomly developed this since it’s not like I’m obsessed with onions or anything. But it would be nice to be able to eat them, since they’re in pretty much every cuisine!
I only drink almond milk now as a vegan but when I was younger, I couldn’t drink anything but skim because that’s what I grew up drinking. When we went to other people’s houses, I would refuse to drink milk because they’d only ever have 1 or 2% and it tasted gross to me.
Ashley @ AlmostVegGirlie recently posted..WIAW: The Last One?
Your food looks unreal! Can you cook for me ?!? I definitely prefer fuller fat meals, with fat sources from plant based sources primarily.
Jess recently posted..Blogging Award
love that eating larger meals is working for you!!! also love that you added cocoa powder to your bfast and had a smoothie for lunch. i think in person – we would get along just fine my friend….
Sara @my less serious life recently posted..what i ate wednesday: issue 65
I blame you for unleashing the cocoa powder monster in me
I’ve been doing the same thing lately. It’s weird, I used to be hungry every hour and I never thought I would be able to make it from lunch to dinner with only a couple of snacks in there. It’s amazing what a beefed up breakfast or lunch can do!
Devon @ Health in Equilibrium recently posted..WIAW and Recaps
Yay I’m glad this experiment worked out well for you! I’m a fan of energy dense foods too – big salads and meals with too many veggies just make me feel bloated and unsatisfied. I prefer having grains, a protein, some veggies, and lots of healthy fat in my meals to keep me satisfied. It usually still ends up being a pretty big portion though haha.
Also that’s awesome you’ve been able to eat oats with no problems! Egg white banana oatmeal is my favourite breakfast ever… I probably eat it 6 out of the 7 days of the week.
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin recently posted..What I Ate Wednesday #68
OK girl! I’ve missed you!
Do you remember me? hahaha. You were one of my FIRST EVER blog readers when I first started out!
That last meal of yours made my mouth WATER like crazy. I looooove quinoa, eggs, broccoli, and avocado, but haven’t had them together! And then adding something sweet, too? GENIUS BABY!
I have you in my blog reader now! LOVE YOU
I do remember you, hun, and I know you’ve been on a pretty epic quinoa kick lately
Definitely try combining them all – so, SO good.
I am definitely a volume eater (and ALWAYS have been), but even so I find that I can wait longer between meals and snacks if I bulk up the energy density of my meals. There are times when I can eat a huge salad and be hungry two hours later, only to realize that I didn’t add enough energy-dense ingredients.
Glad to see that your little experiment is working for you!
Rachel @ Eat, Learn, Discover! recently posted..Tasty Dinners and Shiny New Things
I’m happy to see you can enjoy oatmeal again! And I’m glad your dense meal experiment provided you with some good insight into the workings of your body. My stomach actually doesn’t do well with large meals either (I get a random pain on my left side when I overeat) but I find that when I eat more in the mornings/early afternoons I feel much more content the remainder of the day. I also end up snacking less and having less random cravings. I think the key (for me) is similar to you – eat normal sized meals (on the smaller side though) but ones that are jam-packed with dense nutrients like your smoothie.
Irina @ Chocolatea Time recently posted..Chocolate-Dipped, Honey-Sweetened, Salt-Kissed
I think that meal timing has a lot to do with it for me as well, and I’ve definitely noticed that I have a harder time staying content throughout the day if I don’t eat a good breakfast. I’m actually thinking about bulking up my morning meals a little bit more and seeing what difference it makes.
All your food looks amazing, I totally adore your photography too – please send some tips my way. Eggy bananfied oats – I want to try them now.. and I just ate breakfast!
Emily @ Hungry Delights recently posted..WIAW – Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans
There’s always tomorrow