So I guess a lot of people struggle when it comes to decision-making, but apparently not when those decisions involve chocolate – that was easily the winner in the chocolate vs. gummy bear debate, and while I’m definitely a big fan, I have to admit that I love chocolate and gummy candies pretty equally… what I reach for just depends on my mood. I will say that chocolate has definitely been seeing a lot more action lately, but I mostly blame that on Lucie and the amazing package full of Swiss chocolates that she sent me. I dug into a bar of truffle-filled dark chocolate the other night and basically lost the ability to form coherent sentences for a while…
Holy. My. God. Oh.
Translation: it was delicious.
And speaking of delicious, it’s that time of the week again where we devote the day to bragging about all the delicious things we’ve been eating. Yes, It’s WIAW! Except this isn’t so much what I ate on Wednesday as it is what.I’ve.been.eating.lately. Pft. Details.
As per usual, the day starts with breakfast, and yesterday’s was definitely a gooder…
Eggy bananafied steel cut oats topped with coconut butter.
I’ve still been eating oats on occasion (thankfully without any crazy reactions), but lately I’ve found myself craving simple bowls as opposed to the crazy combos that I used to come up with. They remind me of the breakfasts that my mom would make me when I was little – plain oats with milk and a sprinkle of brown sugar. Simple yet oh so satisfying. I actually have no idea when I started making my eats so elaborate and complicated, but I’m thinking that the blog world definitely had something to do with that phenomenon.
Have you ever noticed how rare it is to see a blogger eat a simple bowl of cereal with milk? It’s always: three different cereals, two different nut butters, three kinds of fruit, powders, chia seeds, superfoods – an entire production. And when it’s not, it’s always accompanied by an apology for being “boring.” Clearly I’m guilty of doing that myself to a certain degree, but I can’t help but wonder what happened to the days where I’d pour myself a bowl of Cheerios and call it breakfast without trying to get all fancy pants on it.
I think part of it has to do with an underlying expectation to be creative and interesting. People aren’t inspired by a boring bowl of cereal – they want to see things they’ve never thought of before! The pressure is on! That’s why I show you guys lunches like this…
Brown rice with an egg and parmesan cheese cooked in, then topped with marinara sauce and avocado.
… when, more often than not (we’re talking 5 days out of 7 here) I’m scarfing down a plain old turkey and cheese sandwich or wrap that isn’t really worth writing home about. We’ve got your bread, cheese, turkey… pretty basic stuff. It tastes good, but it’s not exactly life-altering or revolutionary as far as food goes. And in addition to that pressure to be creative, I also think that part of the complicated meal phenomenon comes down to simply wanting to avoid criticism.
I can’t even tell you guys how many times I’ve eaten a snack that was just an apple or just a small bowl of fruit and not wanted to show it because I knew someone would inevitably scream out “Disordered!!! Restricting!!!” or leave a more ‘subtle’ comment like: “You should try adding some nut butter to that“… or… ”I can’t believe that satisfied you. I would be starving!”
Frozen mangoes – Fresh blueberries.
Well, sometimes it doesn’t satisfy me, which is when I snack on something a little more substantial…
Homemade cinnamon bun.
Chocolate Lifebar from Lucie. Very similar to a Larabar.
Plain Greek yogurt with a Weetabix and homemade applesauce.
But other times? Believe it or not, there are times where I really don’t feel all that hungry, and sitting down with a big bowl of applesauce suits me just fine…
No planned portions, no complicated add-ins, just me, a spoon, the entire batch of applesauce, and eating until I’ve had my fill. No, it’s not a perfectly-balanced snack with carbs, proteins, and fats, but it leaves me feeling perfectly satisfied all the same. Go figure. That doesn’t mean that all of my meals are insubstantial, boring, and solely made up of carbs and sugar…
Dinner at home: brown rice with peaches, slow-cooker ribs, and salad with goat cheese.
… but some of them definitely are. That’s life though, isn’t it? Going with the flow and trusting that everything will balance out in the end? And it does. I’ve become so lax with my meals and snacks because I’ve found that even without my constant hyper-vigilance, my body seems to manage just fine; and it’s kind of nice to have all that extra time to think about other, funner things like… well… that’s a secret that I’ll be sharing tomorrow 
Happy Wednesday, blog buddies!
. – . – . – .
Bloggers: do you ever feel pressured to eat a certain way or be creative with your meals?
Does it bother you when people make comments about your meals?
Do you make sure your meals are always balanced?
{ 94 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks like we both dug into some coconut butter for Breakfast;) It’s SO dang good. I can’t control myself around that jar. Oh man, kinda jealous over your swiss chocolate. Those are definitely the best of the best!
Oh yeah, I’m pretty sure everytime Wednesday comes around I’m like oh crap, I’ve eaten the same things all week;) So I do try to get creative for the sake of my pictures looking different.
Your meals never ever look boring, always delicious!
It doesn’t bother me anymore when people make comments, it used to when I was super insecure about it.
Lisa recently posted..What I Ate Wednesday
I do not document all the food that I eat because sometimes I do actually eat McDonalds
I just share meal ideas and new restaurants that I have tried out. I do not have the time nor desire to really photograph everything that I eat.
I do however feel a bit of pressure to make sure my photos look good. I’ve heard rumblings on social media about bad blog photos, so I am trying to learn more about my DSLR and using Aperture!
Rebecca@Running.Food.Baby. recently posted..Girls on the Run
I actually think that you should show your McDonald’s meals! The blog world needs a better taste of reality so that people don’t start feeling like they have to eat 100% clean all the time.
ha – I think I will do that
I have shown my Egg McMuffin meals from time to time
Rebecca@Running.Food.Baby. recently posted..Not a Food Blogger Part II
Your dinner looks amazing! I’m still a very new blogger but I don’t feel pressure to eat a certin way because of my blog! I would like to be more creative and eat different foods because I love food and trying new things not because I care what people think! I know it can be hard but I wish we all could just be happy with ourselves the way we are without feeling the need to impress others or fit a healthy living blogger stereotype.
Nicole @ Fruit ‘N’ Fitness recently posted..WIAW # 6
Sometimes I feel like I should switch things up so my blog readers don’t get bored, but I don’t let it stress me out. And your pics are totally beautiful!! I want to frame a few of these.
Carly @ Snack Therapy recently posted..4 Year Anniversary
Awwr. You made my cinnamon buns blush
I completely get what you mean – I remember when I simply used to pour myself a bowl of cereal or have a “normal lunch/snack” – we have to do a food diary for my uni course at the moment so whoever sees mine is going to be like “what on earth!?” Haha!
I do hate it when people comment on my meals though! I don’t comment on theirs so why should it be ok the other way round.
Lift, Sleep, Eat recently posted..WIAW : The Joys of Jars!
I typically eat the same things every week, but with just different mix ins. Yogurt is something I always add something to, whether it is choc. chips, applesauce, cereal, etc… Yogurt never gets old to me.
Ashley @ Life and Fitness recently posted..What I Ate Wed.-Leftover Chocolate
I definitely find myself only posting things that look well-balanced or moderately-sized sometimes. once in a while I’ll find myself comparing foods I share to what the bigger bloggers might share, and it feels like too much pressure, or even guilt. but that’s silly. I’ve really gotten away from food blogging on my blog, and I think I’m missing it. I shy away if I’m struggling with any of it in real life (right now with wanting to lose a few pounds and not being very successful).
but I think you gotta share what makes you happy to share! I might go back to posting more meals soon, I think. even if that means snacking on a big bowl of applesauce.
I think I’ll need to look at what comments I make, too. you brought up an interesting point for me – comments I might make innocently might sound like judgment to someone, and I don’t want that. great post. 
kristen @ verbs and vignettes recently posted..my valentine
I don’t spend nearly as much time talking about food as I used to, but I don’t think it’s something that I could ever get away from 100% because it’s still something I love. And I know a natural reaction to struggles is to shy away, but I really think that that’s the ideal time to be posting about what you’re having trouble with because the community offers some amazing support!
Ummm girl I totally would be inspired by a simple bowl of cereal. Take me back to my childhood days! I pretty much eat what I want and I don’t care how boring it is. That’s why I don’t talk a whole lot about my everyday eats on my blog. I’m working on finding that balance now between fat protein and carbs. I have no problems getting in my veggies
Sarah @PickyRunner recently posted..Necessary Changes
so i don’t even like chocolate that much but holy goodness those bars wow. I just drooled a bit on my keyboard. also when you wrote this I totally meant to tell you about my friend’s favorite candy… chocolate covered gummy bears. why decide when you can have both? I suggest you find them.
Alex @ therunwithin recently posted..Your Choice.
I have never even heard of those, but you can bet your Mizunos that I’m going in search of them…
Yup – there is definitely blogger pressure for me to be interesting! When it comes to WIAW, lately I’ve been picking the day from the week where my eats have been the most interesting, so I can avoid the “here’s a bowl of oatmeal…here’s a salad…eggs…chicken…” Blogger problems, I suppose.
I haven’t actually had any comments about my eating patterns (at least, that I remember – knock on wood). I do consider myself fortunate for that. I am waiting for the day when it happens though.
And balanced meals? Meh – to some extent yes, but I’m not going to be like “oh shit – where’s the healthy fats? NO VEGGIES! UNACCEPTABLE!” I’ve been trying to eat how my body is dictating, which does not mean balance 100% of the time. But I will still make some effort to fit in veggies, fruit, fats, etc. throughout the day.
And I can’t actually remember the last time I had a plain bowl of cereal and milk…
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles recently posted..WIAW: Brunch and Linner.
Oh thank you for the shout out girl and I am SO glad you were to try the Ragusa! It is my all time favorite chocolate around here which means a lot, since we live in chocolate paradise.
totally love it!! ). If anyone would like to criticize in my meals or judging, that’s fine – it is up to me how I handle it in the end. If I decide to be so open about food and emotions, I have to accept that people take the chance to speak their mind.
I don’t feel so pressured. I actually like the fact, that since I am blogging, I give effort to make my meals look more pretty, I am more aware on what I eat and I make mealtime a precious time. And I get inspired by all the ideas from the other bloggers – if this is a simple bowl of cereals with milk, a cup of black coffee or like your wraps (really, I bought myself wrapbread when I saw your ‘boring’ plain wrap on your blog
Lucie@FitSwissChick recently posted..Marvelous in my Monday
You’re wonderful, Lucie, and your approach to blogging is perfect
The Ragusa bar was actually one of the first things that I dug into because of your sticky that it was your favorite one 
i feel exactly the same way about the pressure to “perform” in terms of eats or cooking. i was stressing myself out trying to make interesting meals every night because i knew it would be really boring to show the fact that i ate spaghetti squash for 7 nights in a row. fact of the matter? i like eating the same stuff. it uses up leftovers and i typically crave foods in rut-like tendencies. so it is what it is. i don’t think a bowl of cereal and milk is boring at all – i have one every night. the only time i ever really mix them is when i’m finishing one box up but don’t have enough to make my typical three serving bowl. more power to your “boring” eats
molly @ heart, sole & cereal recently posted..wiaw: spaghetti sauce edition
omg, now I’m starving! shouldn’t have looked at this right before lunch
honestly, I try to be vaguely balanced… but it doesn’t always work. oh well!
Tatiana recently posted..sunny day confessions
About 1% of the blog world (especially the typical clone-like HLBs) makes any sense to me.
I have a sundry assortment of writers who I read because I think they are freaking awesome and amazing (funny interesting…etc) people (Like you!). People. Not Bloggers. Not oatmeal creators. That’s what I come for. CERTAINLY not to judge.
Bonus if their pictures are eye candy (like yours!)
Seriously – you could eat a slice of stale bread and it would look amazing and be fun and interesting to read about.
PS- Did you ever solve the mouth sore riddle with the applesauce? That had me so very curious.
Missy recently posted..Sparkly Side of the Bed
I might have to take you up on the challenge of making a piece of stale bread sound delicious and interesting. And I still haven’t figured out the rash thing
It didn’t go away when I gave up the apples for a good long while, so I’m kind of stumped… Something in my makeup, maybe? Watermelon? Yogurt? I really heave no idea…
Yeah and maybe just stress,, a random hiccup and phew!
Last thing you need is another allergy especially with stuff so delicious. (0:
Missy recently posted..Birds of a Feather | We’re all Peacocks
Gooooood topic to address! Sure, I know I’m not meant to compare myself with others and everything … I can’t help but feel my meals are lackluster when seeing every other bloggers beautifully arranged concoctions, though. My lunch today? Super delicious but looking awfully messy. Taking pictures of it was just disappointing.
On one hand, though, this kind of pressure to be creative is helpful for me. I’m easily getting stuck in food ruts and feeling like I had to show of interesting meals makes me change up my meals every now and then. In that way I’m thankful.
Actually, whether it can make me upset when people comment on my meals at times but at others I even find it helpful. Maybe I didn’t realize how unsubstantial a meal was and somebody hinting to it can aid in changing things. But then again they obviously can’t know what else I’ve eaten that particular day so it’s difficult to say.
Which brand and flavour of chocolate is shown in the first picture? Maybe I can find it around here and give it a try myself
?!
Miss Polkadot recently posted..WIAW: Bowl-ing in Berlin and raw snackage
I used to think that the motivation to get myself out of ruts was a positive thing as well, but after a while I realized that I really don’t like devoting that much time and thought to what I eat… To me, ruts are actually grooves because I find what I like and I stick with it until I tire and move on to something else.
And the chocolate is Ragusa… dark chocolate truffle bar with hazelnuts. It’s amazing!
When I did WIAW posts a year ago, I did feel the need to be more creative about what I ate and how I presented it. I stopped participating not because I don’t think it’s a fun idea but because my eats just aren’t that inspiring, and I don’t want to be judged for what I eat and how much I eat on any given day. I write a “happy” living blog and want to keep it that way! With that being said, your WIAW post look delicious, fun, and well-balanced to me. Love all the different colors!
Parita recently posted..Casa Frida Mexican Grill
Have you had chocolate-covered gummy bears? That would satisfy both of your taste cravings
!! I haven’t. Actually, I’ve never even heard of them… but I’m going to see if I can find any, stat.
Check them out, for sure!
There’s a recipe for them too: http://www.thecheesethief.com/2011/09/chocolate-covered-gummy-bears-recipe.html
I totally agree, I feel boring for having a plain old bowl of cereal, but honestly I <3 cereal and sometimes that's all I want, with some milk. No fruit or nuts or anything else getting between me and my beloved cereal. And I have a plain old banana and a plain old apple as a snack almost every day. Everything we eat doesn't need to be a production! And who wants to do all those dishes anyway?
Meghan @ After the Ivy League recently posted..WIAW #21: Trying New Things
Aren’t those life bars amazing? I personally think there better than Larabars… that’s just me though
…. and your salad looks beautiful, and sounds so tasty. I so wish I weren’t allergic to peaches!!
This is exactly why I do not participate in WIAW at the moment because I know my eats are weird, but they work for me and sometimes those snarky little comments can signal something I do not want to deal with right now.
But I definitely agree with you. It is fine to spice up “boring” meals but sometimes I like to keep it simple. I’m also guilty of sitting with a tub of greek yogurt, a jar of applesauce, and a spoon while I go to town.
One day, when I feel like I’m eating something good or things that may interest others… I’ll participate in WIAW; however, right now my diet consists of two meals and snacks ALL.the.TIME. I’ll do it one day!
Lauren recently posted..Sine, Cosine, TANGENT
I’m a serial snacker too, and there are days where, aside from breakfast, I don’t really bother with legitimate meals either. No shame
I completely agree that sometimes simply meals can be just as delicious, if not more so than, as fancy, elaborate concoctions. Sometimes I love eating plain oatmeal or plain baked potatoes, just to savor their pure and simple flavors. I think it’s ridiculous that people would APOLOGIZE for eating something plain–what on earth is wrong with that?? Life is about more than just food, and I don’t think you should EVER have to “defend” yourself against what you eat. Yes, I know that many bloggers truly ARE restricting, and perhaps it shows in their food-based posts. But I think it’s foolish to jump to the conclusion that just because someone chooses to eat an apple as snack, that they are automatically classified as “restricting” or “dieting.” Yes, it definitely does bother me when people comment on my food–maybe that is just a strange pet peeve of mine, but I honestly can’t stand it! Well, I suppose it also depends on what they say; a simple “that looks delicious!” doesn’t bother me as much as something like “is that ALL you are eating?” or “that doesn’t look like enough food to me.” Anyway, thanks for the great post!
I sometimes struggle with my WIAW posts because I feel like what I eat normally is so boring. Oats or yogurt for breakfast, salad for lunch, not so exciting dinner. I cook a lot of the same things because they are good and delicious and make my body feel good. I definitely feel a little pressure to get creative with breakfast, but I also like making my breakfast a little more creative/exciting. It’s the first meal of the day, so it should be good.
Sarah @ Blonde Bostonian recently posted..WIAW #43: Busy Days
Love the meals! I do have to admit I often feel the pressure as a blogger to have healthy and exciting meals. One of my weaknesses is cinnamon chex and almond milk. Just plain. I guess that makes me boring lol
I have to say I find your whole outlook on eating so refreshing and I love how you don’t let anyone influence what you eat or do but yourself. That is just awesome!
Danielle @ Clean Food Creative Fitness recently posted..What I Ate Wednesday
Oyy yes! Being creative suits me just fine right now since i’ve always liked to be able to have a little bit of everything but i always second guess my portions. Will this look like enough? Too much? Will someone think i’m restricing if i use a bagel thin? I don’t think i realized how much i overthink my meals and snacks sometimes till i read this and started thinking about it…might be time to start thinking about some things again
Caitlin recently posted..Crockpot is King (WIAW)
Right?! Like heaven forbid you actually crave a rice cake… can’t eat it because it means you’re trying to lose weight! Pft. Then again, maybe it’s all in our heads
You may have a point on that one
Caitlin recently posted..Big News
So true, I always skip taking pictures when I am just having a yogurt, or a crisp bread with jam or coffee and a piece of chocolate – it just does not seam worth writing about. But that is so wrong: the most simple things are often the best. There is a reason why we go back to eating an apple or having just that simple old sandwich: they are delicious, connected with tons of memories and perfectly satisfying.
Your posts are always among my favorites. I never have participated in WIAW because of so many of the pressures you mentioned. When I eat, I’m not always thinking about how balanced the meal or snack is. I just eat what I want and what’s available. Often, that’s a piece of fruit or some jerky or some cheese crackers.
Haley @ The Saucy Apple recently posted..Small Decisions and The Snowball Effect
I just made homemade applesauce for the first time the other day….all I did though was cut up apples, cover with cinnamon and cook them in the crockpot. SO GOOD.
Anne @ eatcleaneatreal recently posted..Day 27: Lemon and Rosemary Baked Chicken
I definitely do feel the pressure sometimes too!! I’ll eat a piece of fruit and then I’m like, “I HAVE to eat a protein or a fat with this!” Seeing the way other people eat definitely plays a part and I try not to let it get to me anymore. If I just want a bowl of cereal, I’ll eat it.
I’ve gotten comments like that before. “Half a cup of oats? That’s it? I’d be starving if that’s all I ate.” People just don’t realize that everyone is different. Some days I literally eat ALL day. So yeah, that half a cup of oats was enough…until I ate again an hour later.
I don’t always balance my meals. Sometimes they are really high in carbs, other times in fat. I just know by the end of the day, week, whatever…it’ll work itself out!
Thais was an awesome post…thank you.
All of your eats look amazing! Especially that chocolate and the cinnamon roll…yum!
Olivia @ Liv Lives Life recently posted..WIAW + Incredible Edibles Competition
Desserts are my favorite part of the day as well
Ah you beat me to it!!!! I had a bowl of cereal and milk this morning with a hot chocolate on the side and I was going to post about “simple foods”
or maybe great bellies??
Great minds think alike
Picky Nicky recently posted..Less Volume, Less Bloating
I happen to love a big (and I mean BIG) bowl of cereal with almond milk for breakfast. I eat it probably around 3 times per week. Though, I must admit that I am definitely a cereal mixer. I always include Kashi GoLean Original cereal and then add in at least 2 others for variety. Lately it has been Rice Chex and Multigrain Cheerios. Yum!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl recently posted..Omaha Eats: The Greenbelly
I can definitely see how many bloggers would fall into that ‘I have to be creative’ mindset, as i had my moments in the past too. A few times recently I felt tempted to give in to that way of thinking, but just thought, “whatever I’ll just eat this because the baby must like it!”
But I think some of us actually love being creative!! I guess ESPECIALLY after becoming immersed into the blog world, I’ve become more comfortable with eating all sorts of funky and elaborate looking things all at the same time, and it’s because I just HAVE TO HAVE different textures and flavors in almost everything I eat. I don’t know if that comes with the fact that I’m Korean and if you’ve ever seen a Korean table spread you’d realize how many different colors, textures, and different side dishes you have all at the same time. Sometimes it’s way too much you fill up on the veggie side dishes!. I need contrast and most people find my meals to be funny like that. 
I’m used to my father in law and other people making faces when they see what I eat so I really don’t care, haha. One day they’ll understand, one day….Have a great day and oh man what is that secret?! lol
Ellie@Fit for the Soul recently posted..Double Berry Cream Cheese Swirl Bread
I enjoyed your thoughts… there definitely seems to be some pressure about creative eats for wiaw posts. I love reading about new ideas, too. But I also want a blogger to be “real” – your day looks very similar to typical eats for me! I am not anti carb, that’s for sure.
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast recently posted..Apple Raisin Oat Muffins
I’ve never actually had a negative comment about what I eat, but I understand what you’re talking about. I definitely feel pressure on the days I know I’m doing WIAW to eat more interesting looking food. Then sometimes I just don’t care – like this week’s post throughout Saturday I started thinking, “geez all these snacks is going to look weird, oh well.” I have to remind myself it’s best just to be honest.
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats recently posted..WIAW–Weekend + Oats Recipe!
I definitely think that most people appreciate honesty over anything else. Actually, I think the pressure to make food interesting is mostly in our own heads… ’cause, for example, I didn’t see anything wrong with your WIAW today at all, which makes me think that we’re more critical of our own eats than anyone else is.
RICE with PEACES!! Ohhh some BBQ sauce on that…SO genius. I need to make that soon. I don’t feel compelled to eat a certain way because I blog, but I do choose to eat a certain way because I know it makes me happy. As for cereal, I NEVER eat cereal..it’s just not my jam. This weekend however, as you found out from my last post..I had some mofok’n cinnamon toast crunch!! It was DIVINE! I haven’t had that sugary shit in so long and it was so good. You won’t catch my buying a box, but when it’s offered fo free…yes..I’ll have some!! I eat a lot of cupcakes too..I blog about that wwayyy too much ahah. Lucky for me no one has commented on my eating habits negatively, and if they did I wouldn’t let it affect me simply because I eat well 90% of the time, but usually post about sweets haha.
My meals are definitely not always balanced. I try to get the nutrients I need. But sometimes I just want a bowl of cereal, sans protein, fruit, or anything else. Last night I had a bowl of peanut butter puffins when I got home and it totally hit the spot! But I snapped no pictures, because I am sure people would be less than interested in seeing my boring bowl, haha!
Kate @ Quarter Century Southern Living recently posted..All in a Day’s Shopping Trip
You always have such delicious looking food on these WIAW posts. This one gave me some good ideas too!
Lisa @ Lisa the Vegetarian recently posted..The Couple That Planks Together
I feel pressured by myself to make my meals elaborate and fun; this happened before I even began blogging! But, I love trying new things and I love sharing new recipes, so I don’t mind the challenge
It bothers me more when people make comments about my lifestyle as a vegetarian (mainly hating on it when they’ve never even tried it), but it does occasionally bother me when people make comments about my meals. It’s like dude, it tastes good to me, why does it matter to you? i try to make sure my meals are always balanced, but i find I’m lacking protein more than anything. Lately, that’s been getting better though 
Rachel @ Undercover Diva: A Sitcom recently posted..Surviving Sarasota
You know what, I eat oats with almond milk every single morning for breakfast. Just oats and milk, cooked in the microwave. No toppings, no funny business. I just love it that way. I have felt under pressure to eat other more exciting things but I love my plain old oats far too much to change. Occasionally I’ll have pancakes at the weekend, but that’s once in a while.
I do feel like I’m boring but clearly not enough to change!
Anna @AnnaTheApple recently posted..Fruit coconut curry – WIAW
I actually find plain oats to be delicious… I think they have the best flavor out of any other grain, and their texture and gooeyness is wonderful. Gah! Now I’m craving a plain bowl of oats
Strange – I always perceived the elaborate meals on blogs very differently. I thought that they stemmed from a fear of hunger and consequent overeating. I perceived that no-one has a simple bowl of cereal because it would not fill them up, leading to ‘bingeing’ (I will not go into the rage I feel about the misuse of this term, particularly amongst underweight bloggers) later in the day. There HAS to be a source of protein there (cereal=simple carbs=no-no) plus nowadays we all have to be shoving in ‘healthy’ fats – people are trying to cover bases rather than be creative, I feel.
Prior to blogging I will say that I made no weird and wonderful concoctions and, ironically, I was a HELL of a lot thinner than I am now with all of my elaborate creations. I think also there’s a satisfaction of making something as huge as possible for as few calories as possible – at least there is for me. That’s where all of this ‘Strange But Good’ crap really comes from. Anyone noticed that these meals never have any calorie-dense foods in them?
I don’t care what people think of what I eat aside from worrying they think I’m a pig who eats too much and deserves to be fat. I was bothered when I was criticised for the presentation of what I eat, but that’s because it hit a sore point that most of my food is just thrown together because I can’t wait to eat it, rather than looking nice. Gluttony, it seems, trumps aesthetics in every area of my life.
I do actually miss the days when I could eat something as simple as porridge with banana and be satisfied by it. I curse the moment when I read a blog that informed me one could put nut butter on porridge…
xxx
You stole the words right out of my mouth – seriously, I love plain eats and love no-fuss meals… Simple can be so satisfying and scrumptious. I definitely do my fair share of strange and lofty combos, but sometimes things just left in their truest form taste the best
And by balanced you mean a bowl of veggies with dessert oats for dinner? Then yes, haha – balance means a little bit of everything that I want at the time…
Allison @ Life’s a Bowl recently posted..Went Bananas
Personally, I don’t talk too much about my food on my blog. I’m not quite to the point yet where I’m 100% confident being like “HERE’S WHAT I ATE, FEEL FREE TO JUDGE ME!” You know what I mean? Maybe one day I’ll participate in What I Ate Wednesday though!
Amanda @ Run Principessa recently posted..So I Used Words
yum, brown rice with peaches, who woulda known!! Im amazed by that combo
And I really want to make my own homemade applesauce now, is it better than store bought? Im guessing thats a yes!?
sara @ fitcupcaker recently posted..WIAW- Blueberry Protein Pancakes & Giveaway Winner
Omigosh! It’s not even fair to compare the two! Chunky homemade applesauce is seriously the best thing ever… the liquidy store-bought kind doesn’t hold a candle to it.
Chocolate covered gummy bears, have you tried them? Delish if the gummy’s are not too stale, best of both worlds! Many times I don’t recount what I’m eating because I’m sure SOMEONE somewhere will have something negative to say about it. If it tastes good & I like it, I’m going to eat it
I guess as bloggers we do put ourselves out there for the criticism train to smash into…now I’m rambling & that’s another post for another day about opening ourselves up 
Katie @ KatieEnPursuit recently posted..The Cyclops Came to Visit…
I haven’t tried them! But you’re the third person to comment about them so now I’m pretty much convinced that I have to either make them myself or go out in search of them.
your lunch looks awesome! some much random going on always makes the best!
kaity @ kaityscooking recently posted..WIAW- What he finally said…
I totally feel pressure to make creative and “pretty” foods. Shoot even your meals intimidate me!! Half the time I try to make my food exciting, and the other half Im just like whatever get in my mouth Im hungry. And to be honest, most of the time I throw everything into 1 bowl or 1 meal because I want it all and cant decide!! Thats why I do the 2 cereal thing. I want more flavors half the time. But I am guilty of adding extra fruit to it to make it look more colorful! Sometimes I wish we could just go back to being kids and just eat, plain and simple.
Kat recently posted..Comfort Food At It’s Finest
Oatmeal with banana and coconut butter is such a good combination! It makes me feel like I should be on a beach in the Caribbean or something.
I can definitely relate to feeling that pressure to be creative with my meals… but about a year ago I got fed up with it, so then I just stopped blogging as often and stopped blogging my daily eats. I’m pretty sure no one wants to see my oatmeal breakfast 7 days in a row haha.
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin recently posted..A weekend away from the kitchen
I guess I can say, as reader, I’m not all that interested in “creative” crazy meals.. I’ve definitely noticed how, well, strange so many bloggers meals are! I wonder like, why they eat some of these things, like chia seeds in oatmeal, spread made out of protein powder, dehydrated vegetables, or whatever, and also why none of them seem to eat simple meals form childhood.. Like, where do all the cultural roots or even personal tastes go? I eat cereal with milk and banana several days a week for breakfast, no nut butters, protein paste or powdered kale.. and sometimes just like Toast. I’m not protein deficient or overweight
It would be refreshing and more relatable to see things like that, or even some fast food here and there ( and not the healthiest possible option with no sauce/cheese/bread.. I’m not saying that’s a regularly healthy habit, but it’s, like, normal!). I hope none of this is offensive at all, I respect everyones right to write/eat/post whatever the _ _ _ _ they want…these are just observations. Interesting topic!
You may just be my favorite reader ever
Absolutely loved hearing your perspective on this!
I’m not a blogger – but I love all things food, and I often times have “boring” snacks or meals too. Like tonight for example, I just had a banana and far too many handfuls of Quaker Oatmeal Squares for dinner! Simple is good
Isn’t coconut butter amazing?
Matt @ The Athlete’s Plate recently posted..#Whole30 Days 6-7
While I’m not a blogger (everyone should be thankful for this, lol, I’m quite the rambler!), I definitely can imagine feeling pressure or some anxiety about what others might think about my food choices since I consider myself “recovered” with the quotes around to imply that there are still subtle issues that I deal with daily, but that don’t actually interfere with my health since I don’t act on them.
Having gone through an ED though, I get extremely annoyed when my mom, for example, will explain in detail AND throw in little lies about how she prepared a meal we’re eating… “Don’t worry, there’s barely a teaspoon of oil in here, and look, we have enough for 3 days so that means you’re getting like 1/9 of a teaspoon!!!” …. I know you really put in like 3 tablespoons but the thing is, I don’t care anymore. (If it was 3 tablespoons per serving though, then admittedly I’d probably freak out a little.) But seriously, I eat normally now and NEVER complain about how foods are made, except at restaurants, and yet I still get regarded with hesitancy and suspicion.
And I’ve never been sure of how to balance my meals… I never paid attention to macros and all that. During my worst, it was all about the least amount of calories. Even if it had more saturated fat, if it was X calories less, I’d eat it. Now, I just try to eat some more fats and protein, but I don’t consciously think about balancing my meals. I just eat until I’m full
great post amanda! definitely hit some close points as to why i think i stopped blogging so fast. so glad you are back
It all looks so delish! And although I am off sugar, that cinnamon bun looks like the kind I used to eat when I was a kiddo.
Happy WIAW- cheers!
I never though of when people say “wow.. that would never fill me up” was so condemning to some people or that it came across as judgmental. I’m a BIG eater, and I have been known to say that. I will be very careful to not say things like that in the future. For someone who hasn’t struggled with an eating disorder, I would have never though of this! Thank you!!!
We bloggers do put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make our food pretty or creative. I’m with you.. sometimes I just want a banana and a cup of almond milk. period.
Brittany @ Delights and Delectables recently posted..WIAW: My Kitchen with Miss Smart
Awwr! I know you would never mean it in a snarky way, but yeah… my ED past definitely makes me a little more sensitive because in my mind a comment like that is kind of like a subtle suggestion that I’m not eating enough. Hopefully the sensitivity will fade with time
Whoa, WHOA, hold the phone! You found coconut butter in CANADA!?? Please enlighten me, I must know where to get the coveted stuff!
Devon @ Health in Equilibrium recently posted..Xyla Review and Clean Cookie Recipe
I get it in Planet Organic, which is a Canadian organic food store chain. They have quite a few stores across Canada, so maybe there’s one close to you?
As a blogger, I definitely feel like my foods are boring, but I like them–so what’re you gonna do? It does sometimes bother me when my one coworker always comments on how much/how often I eat (which is a lot). I don’t know why. I know he means nothing by it, but I still don’t know why it’s worth commenting on. I tend to just prefer balanced meals. I like oatmeal in the morning (carbs), and then prefer to have meat with like, every meal, so protein isn’t an issue, and I’ve overcome my fear of fat and have thoroughly embraced it. So naturally I think it balances out. I’ve never really counted macros and have no intention of doing so. I’m all about creating less stress, especially around food, and since I’m bad at math anyway, math just equals stress.
Cassie @RedLetterDaye recently posted..WIAW: Build me up, butt-ercup
That’s a big reason why I’ve stopped posting WIAWs for now, I just get in major grooves with my meals and tend to get hung up on one or two things for awhile, and eventually move on to something else. I do like having a variety of foods from day to day but I felt like my WIAW posts were still really repetitive because I’d only remember to take pictures of meals that looked suspiciously similar to all the other weeks’ photos.
And I also feel a strange pressure to have very balanced meals. I might not have a veggie with every meal or snack, but I always get a carb, protein and fat source. I guess I just want to make sure I cover all my bases, but sometimes I’m really just craving one of the macros and it’s frustrating to always have to balance things out perfectly.
Ashley @ AlmostVegGirlie recently posted..Clean Eating Conundrum
You always say what I’m thinking. Get out of my head!
Bloggers: do you ever feel pressured to eat a certain way or be creative with your meals?
I used to post pictures of my food but I don’t anymore. If I were to take pictures of my food now, people would probably get so bored with seeing the same thing all the time. I’m the kind of person that when I find something I like, I will eat it for weeks, maybe even months before I get sick of it.
Do you make sure your meals are always balanced?
Sometimes. But when I’m craving a burger and chips, a burger in one hand and chips in the other is what I call balance. Just not everyday
Katy recently posted..Looking After Myself
Definitely a perfect definition of balance in my mind
Honestly for me it is sometimes the opposite…I pile so much crap in my bowl that it exhausts me to even fathom writing out all the ingredients on various social media platforms
. Seriously though, I do think that there is pressure to be super creative with meals in the blog world, but really sometimes all we need is the simplest of things to fulfill our cravings.
Gina @ Health, Love, and Chocolate recently posted..WIAW: Combating the Dreary Weather
I think I’ve commented here before that I definitely sometimes feel pressured to be eating in a certain way and I do sometimes feel judged by what I eat or don’t eat but really I think that has got to stop and I’m trying very hard to limit outside influences in how I choose to eat, be that blog readers or other blogs. I just want to eat what makes me feel good. I guess the problems come when people start to compare, we are all different so what is satisfying and healthy for one person is not for another. One of the reasons I like WIAW is that you do get to see more ‘normal’ meals!
you are right we (bloggers) certainly tend to make things more complicated. i am guilty b/c i always mix my cereals. i think part of this, though, comes from spending so much time reading other blogs and learning how to be creative with my food – not a bad thing!
Sara @my less serious life recently posted..what i ate wednesdsay: issue 69
Definitely an interesting discussion Amanda! The crazy mix of cereal thing always kills me… two kinds is one thing, but to me anymore is just confusing. Surprisingly this is something I have not felt (too much) pressure by. I of course include food on my blog (hello WIAWs) but when I post pictures, I don’t try much to make it look good and admit often that yeah, food looks ugly ahh well! However, initially I have felt pressure, the breakfast one being major… I thought my oatmeal with nut butter, jam, granola, peanut flour, etc, was an essential first meal. Nopeee!
Tessa @ Amazing Asset recently posted..WIAW- {Trying Not} To AllowThe Perpetual Thoughts
I like simplicity. A salad with 20 toppings isn’t a salad anymore, it’s a dumpster! I’ve always thought bloggers who spend so much time making such extensive meals are just…hungry.
Cinnamon Bun = YUM!
Avery @ Southern Belle Living Well recently posted..Let Go, Let God
I want this Lucie gal to send me stuff. It looks amazing and I can’t find fun things where I live. Amanada if you are open to share how to gained weight, please email me. I’m 5 feet 2, female, in 30′s. Tired of this. Not exercising, save for short , flat walks. Currently living with mom in horrednously blizzard town…and want to stay so badly and get health back to par. BUT if I stay here, I risk having to work in this town in future when “better” and that scares the crap out of me. So I’m destined back to a another province and a stranger for a room rental and not feeling “setled”. Feels so WRONG…yet, long term it might be best. God, I need confirmtion this is the right thing to do
I ‘d love to know how you
a) approach from the beginning digestion problems. I truly believe I need to make serious eliminations to first heal my guts
b) stop overeating at midnight (borederline binging, but no purging or exerciseing)
c) be okay with carbs when not exercising
d) reading HLB blogs when not exercising AT ALL but wanting to
e) how to be okay with buying crap food (when not burning it off)
a recent post that bothered me was one by Kath Eats and calories and those STUPID calculators
anyway, thanks. Email antime. I need some one on one guidance if possible.
It makes me sad when I see bloggers trying to “conform” to the “healthy living blog” food standards. I’m with you on this – eat what you want. I mean, who cares if your food doesn’t look nice or isn’t filled with chia/hemp/flax/nut butter/blah blah blah. Ultimately, you’re the one eating these foods. Plus, I find simple meals to be the tastiest. The more I add into the combination the more diluted and mixed all the flavors become (which I hate). Simple salads, rice bowls with beans and avocado, cereal with milk all = perfection.
Irina @ Chocolatea Time recently posted..Currently
yummy, i really love egg white oatmeal and I’ve been doing the same combination wtih bananas and a little bit of almond butter, but i think ill try your combination later this weekend. i look forward to seeing more
I think WIAW has desensitized me because I lack the pressure in that area — I like the boring eats just as much as the fancy ones though TOTALLY understand what you mean bout posting a plain bowl of fruit or cereal and people instantly coming up with suggestions for add-ons — I think they’re simply trying to be helpful so I leave it at that. Where I constantly do feel the pressure is to post recipes. I feel like since my life turned upside down I’ve been letting everyone down in that respect and it breaks my heart a little. I want to get back to work on that but, for now, its just comforting making the recipes i’ve already posted over and over again b/c they really are family favs around here. Gah. I’m the worst blogger =) hehe — love you girly! And I love your plain dishes just as much as the funky ones! always! <3
Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons recently posted..What I Ate Wednesday #109 [Love Your Veggies Month]
THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I RARELY BLOG ABOUT FOOD!!!!!!!! I tend to eat the same-ish meals every day, and they’re not that creative – honestly I don’t really cook I just throw a bunch of stuff on a plate. I mean it’s delicious, but there’s no “recipe”, it doesn’t really warrant being talked about….yeah.
And the suggestion adding thing!! Like, okay, for NORMAL people, a piece of fruit can be a snack. You can snack on a couple carrot sticks. Like, it’s no big deal, not everything needs to be a production, and you don’t need to perfectly balance your carbs-fat-protein every single friggin time you eat! My go-to simple snack is clementines honestly, I usually grab a couple of them before I leave the house, maybe a baggie of pop chips too. Nothing fancy. Nothing needs to have like 8 billiion ingredients added in.
Anyway I like the way you eat and you take beautiful photos – so I do enjoy seeing what you eat even when it IS the boring stuff!
Ok, so I’ve been wanting to comment on this post for a while now, but I kept getting distracted. So…just forgive me for being almost a month late to the party on this one! I can totally relate to this! I can’t even tell you the number of times I stopped in the middle of “creating a masterpiece” only to think, “Do I really need ALL of this?” And I swear, some of my most well-thought-out/balanced meals have left me totally unsatisfied in the end. Why do we feel that we have to “dress up” every single meal? Sometimes it’s just best to keep things simple…to appreciate the basics.
All that being said though, I am totally going nuts over that dinner plate! Brown rice and peaches with short ribs?! Mmm, sounds like heaven!
Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli recently posted..Making My Way BACK to Marvelous
{ 1 trackback }