Since I already had the food processor out and got it dirty this morning after making high protein banana soft serve, I figured I might as well use it to make a few things before cleaning it and putting it away.
I made raw cashew butter (Ryan’s favorite) and a large batch of my sunflower seed and walnut pesto.
I then used the pesto as the base for a yummy chicken salad.
It was incredibly simple to make and would be even easier if you use your favorite store-bought pesto.
I combined the following:
- 1 shredded chicken breast
- 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- Enough pesto to coat everything (3 tablespoons?)
I ate the pesto chicken salad along with an apple and a little dish of butterscotch and chocolate chips and a sprinkling of chopped pecans.
Portioning out the chocolate chips is key for me. I can mindlessly eat handful after handful of the sweet morsels, so bringing that little dish out of the kitchen and back into my home office with me got me away from the remaining sweets. It’s a trick that I think more than a few of us try, and one that actually works sometimes.
And sometimes not. 
Question of the Afternoon
- When it comes to foods that you know make you want to keep eating and eating (not out of hunger, out of pure deliciousness), what do you do to help yourself not polish off a million servings in one sitting?
I love incorporating foods like chocolate chips into meals or snacks (on top of oatmeal or Greek yogurt) so I am able to enjoy their taste but feel like I’m not limiting myself since they’re part of a more nutritious meal.
And then there’s ice cream. A weakness for both Ryan and me. Both of us can easily eat an entire pint in one sitting (not kidding), so we don’t keep it in the house. If we really want ice cream or frozen yogurt, we simply go out for it.
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“When it comes to foods that you know make you want to keep eating and eating (not out of hunger, out of pure deliciousness), what do you do to help yourself not polish off a million servings in one sitting?”
This is one of the toughest challenges for me, specifically late at night. I portion it out into a new container and put the bag away. Away as in out of sight, back where it belongs. And then, I don’t let myself touch it again. End of story. One serving. The end. Works… sometimes.
That looks great! Except I hate shredding chicken. Like really hate it! I could eat pounds and pounds of goldfish in one sitting. The only thing that helps me is to portion out and not eat out of the bag, or brush my teeth so I won’t eat anymore!
My husband refused to go out for ice cream last week because we had some at home – going out is much more fun! 🙂
i agree! we love random fro yo dates! 🙂
Your “question of the afternoon” is LITERALLY the question of my life.
I have a few foods (chocolate chips, peanut butter, ice cream, lime tortilla chips) that I physically have trouble putting down. I do the same as you: I pre-portion out, and then try to stick with it. 80% of the time, that works. I also try to log my meals/write them down so I feel more accountable.
It’s rough!
Lime tortilla chips will be the death of me! They don’t even need salsa, which makes them all the more tempting.
My weakness is cheese. I’ll eat it until I’m sick. Re-reading that makes me sound crazy…
I once tried to give up cheese for Lent – I lasted less than 3 days!
I too can eat ice cream and fro yo like it’s my job! 😉
But I also rarely overeat it, because I ‘know’ I can have it. Once I was done with disordered eating, my mindset has changed. So instead of NOT being allowed to have any foods, I can really have anything I want. But THAT makes me not really want it–esp after a hard training session or class I taught. I go for the greens, smoothies, and salads, and chicken. Makes ME feel good. Kinda interesting!
If I do want another serving of something, I’ll eat it. But usually if I truly savor it (and not do something else at the same time), I don’t need seconds or need to reach for more.
Great points, Julie!
I could easily polish off a box of cereal so I try to bulk out my bowl with fruit and nuts!
This is exactly what I do! I can eat cereal like it is going out of style… but to avoid over doing it, I add lots of blueberries to take up the room.. so far, it works!
BBQ Pop Chips. Ohhh you little devil crisps!!
I can’t keep chocolate in the house or I turn into a beast haha I’ve recently tried butterscotch and omg those are soo gooooood lol
You guys and ice cream is like me with sugary cereal. I only buy a box occasionally because I know it will be destroyed (by just me!) in two days tops. 🙂
ice cream. i will eat half a carton standing over the counter. Especially if it is soft. Way to easy to spoon into my mouth.
I actually have a binge eating problem right now, so I really can polish off the entirety of a container of something. I actually just don’t buy things I know I’ll do that with, especially cereal or ice cream! However, in a more normal state, I like to portion things out in baggies when I buy them in a large bag. And random question, but I notice you often eat lunch out of a tupperware container, is there a reason why? haha just curious.
ha! it’s b/c i usually just use the container that was previously holding the food i’m using… like today’s tupperware contained the chicken breast, so instead of dirtying another dish, i just made the chicken salad in the tupperware container.
Mmm those butterscotch chips look amazing!!! When I have a food that I could easily demolish a whole bag of, I usually leave it in the kitchen after I’ve poured myself a serving, then eat it in another room. Then when I’m done, I usually brush my teeth because i love the minty fresh feeling and know I won’t want to ruin it!
If there’s something I know that I just won’t be able to stop eating I simply don’t buy it. I have zero self control, so on the weekends when I might be home all day I know that I’ll end up eating whatever it is. Thankfully I’m not really a hardcore sweets person so it doesn’t bother me when my boyfriend buys ice cream or some other goody. But potato chips are a whole other story, so they just can’t be in the house!
White cheddar popcorn is one of my favorite snacks. So instead of bringing a whole bag of it to work to keep stored at my desk, I measure out one cup servings and put them in baggies to take throughout the week.
Dill pickles are another story… I could eat those all day long. Few calories, but a wholeeeee lot of sodium. I normally cut myself off at 2 or 3. 😉
oh man, white cheddar popcorn is too, too good.
I use to eat an unhealthy amount of pickles. I’d fill a bowl and snack on them while watching TV, my husband always thought it was the weirdest thing ever. I recently got braces and it’s much harder to enjoy a crunchy pickle so I very rarely eat them anymore, probably a good thing.
I am a HUGE frozen yogurt fanatic so I make sure that I really think about whether or not I want to go out and get it. Sometimes I am already in my Pj’s so the extra effort isn’t worth it 🙂 Other times, more often that not, I go out and get it but I know that the cup is all im gettin’! Excited to try this new pesto recipe!
I subscribe to the “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” idea. If I leave cookies out on the counter, I’m going to want to grab one pretty much every time I walk by it. If I put them in a container in a high cupboard, it becomes more work and therefore easier for me to resist them.
i’m the same way with ice cream… i can easily polish off a ben & jerry’s container, no problem. every once in awhile we’ll buy a carton but it’s rare because we’ll finish it in no time. we try to keep it to special occasions so it’s not quite so convenient to eat. 🙂
When it comes to peanut butter, I have a veryyy hard time not eating spoonful after spoonful! For a while, I thought not eating peanut butter everyday would help me by not setting myself up for a peanut butter overdose…but it didn’t quite happen that way, I just would go crazy over it! Now I just let myself enjoy it a couple times a day to satisfy my daily craving 🙂
You should write a cookbook!! Keep posting all the great recipes and workouts. Love them.
Chocolate! Of course! What kind of a girl would i be if i wasn’t addicted to that?? Now i keep a bag of Sugar Free Dove dark chocolates in the fridge and when a craving hits i pop out one or two of those babies and it totally satisfies my craving!
This may sound lame, but I choose not to keep foods that I cannot put down in the house. I’ll indulge when I go out, but I know if I have them at home I’ll have trouble saying no. Also, lately I’ve had a huge sweet tooth, so I keep dark chocolate around and will have one or two pieces after dinner to ward off dessert cravings.
Yes I try and not keep those foods in the house or put them in a bowl and put the rest away – trail mix is a weakness for me!
I have a hard time with homemade cookies and cakes. I often give some of the extras to neighbors or colleagues, so I don’t have too many sitting around!
For ice cream, I have these little ramekin type measuring bowls that have lines on the inside as measurements, so I can easily portion out a 1/4 or 1/2 cup. Works like a charm. I could eat a whole pint alone if I didn’t do that.
I usually just keep things like that out of the house. I don’t buy chocolate chips unless I need them for a specific recipe. We don’t even keep granola bars or any kind of snack food in the house so if we want a snack, it’s fruits or vegetables or leave the house to go get it!
I completely agree! I love ice cream and frozen yogurt but I love being able to choose lots of toppings at froyo shops so I treat myself to that as much a loooot 🙂
Cheezits! Unfortunately the limiting factor is often the end of the box! Haha between my husband and I, I feel like we could eat a box a day! Well, I guess the cost is prohibitive as well haha
a fellow cheez-it lover!? you’re a girl after my heart. 🙂
White chedder cheese-its anyone? can’t stop myself around those…
This is kind of weird, but anytime I want to avoid eating more of a delicious food….I brush my teeth. Then I don’t want to ruin the nice fresh taste in my mouth and it sort of curbs my appetite.
that helps me after dinner, too. especially now that i’m flossing. it’s a pain and i don’t want to have to re-floss! 🙂
I have ZERO control around white chocolate chips. They’re my favorite sweet treat ever (especially the Ghiradelli ones – no other ones taste quite so good!) but I always find myself hand-to-mouth in the bag. Even when I portion them out, I walk back to the cabinet for more portions like a zombie. I’m sad that I can’t control my self with them, because I’d love to be able to keep them on hand without plowing through a bag in 3 days!
your meals look awesome!! I have a love/hate relationship with Tortilla Chips.. it is one of the many reasons I hate going to BBQ’s, because I can’t have just one. Pair that with alcohol and forgettaboutit! I really don’t know how to portion these suckers… work in progress.. it’s a very big weakness
I do the same, use them on top of smoothies, in yoghurt and granola bowls, on top of overnight oats and in baked goods.Nuts and dried fruits are my weakness! You got pecans now you can make your oats again 🙂
I just eat it all. Not much self-control going on in my head or hands. You have to pick your battles.
Your chicken, do you buy skinless breasts or what? And how do you prepare them?
Merci.
most of the time i’ll just put a few chicken breasts in the crock pot, cover them with chicken broth and let them cook on low for 6 – 8 hours. that way i have chicken on hand to use throughout the week. it’s a simple way to prepare them that also keeps them moist.
Hmm…what if I have no crockpot? Any suggestions? Is it just regular breasts you buy or thighs etc?
I usually grill or drown in olive oil and bake in oven, and it comes out okay, but sometimes just too “tough”.
Crockpots sound pretty good. With the bulk you have left, do you store them in tupperware?
Sorry for dumping you with question showers 🙂
Yum! I don’t really have that problem with portioning my foods or eating too much of something delicious. I guess I just make sure to eat one serving and put the rest in the freezer so that temptation is out, and I’d have to go through the whole defrost the baked good and by that time I realize I don’t “need” it
I’m the exact same way with ice cream, a whole pint is no problem unfortunately, haha! we rarely keep that in the house either. I typically add dark chocolate chips to peanut butter on bananas or in yogurt to get my sweet tooth in check!
A pint is not that much. If you and Ryan split a pint, you are essentially eating one cup of ice cream each. Please don’t act like that’s a ton of food.
i was trying to convey that we can each eat an entire pint by ourselves – not sharing one pint.
Much better! I too can pretty much inhale a pint of ice cream, so I just buy sherbet instead.
oh ice cream, my greatest weakness! there are so many delicious frozen yogurt, ice cream parlors, and gelato places walking distance from my apartment in nyc. it is a blessing and a curse! so delicious when it’s hot out (or any weather)
i love your technique of incorporating sweets in smaller ways to keep you satisfied, i feel like i’m more inclined to eat really healthy (un-sweet) meals and then indulge in an awesome sundae or cone later on… not sure if that’s any better haha but delicious regardless!
one of the best sundae’s i’ve had ever happened the other day at a VEGAN ice cream parlor, i was shocked! here’s a pic of the brownie hot fudge oreo peanut butter goodness: http://candied-life.com/2012/07/07/finally-lulas/
i know you love ice cream too, figured i’d share.
have a great day julie!
Ben & Jerry’s forzen Greek yogurt. More specifically, the Banana Peanut Butter flavor. My husband buys me a pint almost every time he goes grocery shopping, which I appreciate, but then I plow through it that night while I watch ridiculous reality tv.
If I don’t have it in the house, I end up doing something that’s actually productive. Like cleaning, or making something that’s actually nutritious to snack on.
Ice cream is a major trigger food of mine.
peanutbutter.
and recently coooookies!!
Only buying a single portion (ie icecreamcone at McDonalds) and keeping these foods out of the house is pretty much the only way I can limit them…or else they continue to call my name from the kitchen,
“Moollllyyy….if were’re in your belly we’ll stop haunting youuu….”
like that e-card of the little boy… “I need to start eating more healthy but first I need to eat all the junk food so it’s not there to tempt me anymore.”
Cheez-its and goldfish are the culprits for me. I’ve been known to count out goldfish and put a serving size (55) in each snack bag. It may seem ridiculous to some, but it works for me!
I also refuse to keep ice cream in my house. That is reserved for special treats.
I LOVE little chocolate chip munching bowls like that! But i usually end up making multiple bowls…:)
Not that I’m stalking your dog on the internet, but “afternoon internet break” at work, I was looking at pictures of cute animals on Buzzfeed, and came across a little gem…
http://www.buzzfeed.com/lyapalater/17-animals-all-ready-for-bed
A list of “animals ready for bed.” I think you’ll see a familiar face on the list…
Cuteness!
I’m the same way with ice cream: a carton will barely make it a couple of days in my house. And I live alone. So…yeah. Haha!
For me it is the salty stuff not the sweet stuff. I can take down an entire bag of chips without even thinking about it. When I go overboard on sweets I get a tummy ache that will signal to stop (ha!) but with the salty stuff I am like a bottomless pit that can never be satisfied!
i definitely have to portion things out before i start eating them- count out a serving of nuts, put the container away, then go sit down and eat them. until my husband comes by and grabs some and im like RRGH!
things like Nutella though- i just have to stay away 🙂
I love the smart portions! i am the same way with chocolate! I love it way too much to stop!
Two of my vices: Ice Cream & Peanut Butter. My boyfriend and I have such a hard time controlling ourselves with ice cream around (I’ve definitely gained the “new relationship weight”!).
With peanut butter – the only time it’s worked successfully for me not to over-indulge is when I have given it up for lent. Otherwise, I could go through a jar & a half per week!
Yum! I’m all over this concoction of chicken-pesto goodness. I can eat PB from the jar and before I know it, I’m in 6 spoonfuls deep–gummy candy is another weakness so there is no way I have the will power to keep a costco sized portion in the house!
My downfall would be chips – could eat the entire bag.
Cereal!!
I’m craving chocolate and cereal now..
For candy or chips, I like to take out a serving and then put the bag back in the kitchen. That way I don’t have the urge to keep eating just because it is out in front of me!