Before we get to my Plain Jane day I’m going to distract you with some thoughts running through my head 
3 meals + 2 snax?
I’m sure you’ve heard the 3 meals + 2 snax recommendation before. Various sources claim it’s the best way to keep your metabolism going and blood sugar levels stable. If you’ve been reading LLE for even a week, you know that some days I may eat 0 meals and 10 snax OR 2 HUGE meals and 1 snack OR 1 meal, and 4 snax….it just depends on the day.
Being a college student, I have a fairly odd schedule. I have various appointments, meetings,and events that change from day to day. Thus, routine is very difficult to come by. I often wonder if this recommendation is the best way to fuel my body and whether or not my non-routine eating patterns are helping or hurting my body.
Well, yesterday I read this article on That’s Fit that addresses this question. Johnny’s answer is ’sometimes.’ People have different physiological and mental responses to eating more or less often. By eating 5 times a day, your insulin is also going up 5 times a day. Some people have found that eating 3 meals a day, each with a starting point and an ending point, works better for them. The takeaway point is while eating 5 times a day works for some people, if it doesn’t work for you, don’t worry! Everyone is different and it’s best to find the eating strategy that works for you. **This is just a summary of the article—I think his explanation is worth reading if you’re curious to learn more.
What’s your meal+snack routine? Do you have a routine or does it depend on your schedule?
***
Caramel deLites?
The other day, I opened the pantry and found THIS box. My jaw dropped to the floor.
Yes, my jaw dropped because I wanted to eat one but that wasn’t the main reason. I saw ‘Caramel deLites’ printed on the box in place of ‘Samoas!’
Having been a Girl Scout for 13 years and sold ‘Samoas’ at hundreds of doors and grocery stores, I couldn’t believe my eyes! I’m pretty sure my first word after picking up my jaw was, ‘WHAT!?’ I looked up why Googled it and apparently there are two different bakers for GS cookies. One cannot use the name ‘Samoas’ since it is trademarked under a different baker (I’m not 100% sure if this is the answer). I just wanted to give you a heads up
What’s your favorite Girl Scout Cookie!? Mine is definitely Samoas. I was a big Trefoil fan back in the day as well.
***
So that’s what was swirling in my head. Let’s get to the food now!
I completely forgot that our power was scheduled to be turned off for 2 hours yesterday morning so everything went dark while I was preparing my breakfast! All I have to say is thank goodness I didn’t wait to brew my coffee!!
1/2 Bagel with Pumpkin Butter and Almond Butter
1 Egg Whole and 1 Egg White with ketchup
Strawberries ‘n’ Mango
With my brewed-in-the-nick-of-time coffee:
Since the power was out, and the sun was shinin’ bright, I went out and read-walked. A bunch of you have asked how I do it. I walk this loop around my apartment that is about 1/3 mile. It’s sidewalk most of the way with some parking lots and steps thrown in there. Ya just gotta pick up your feet so you don’t trip on anything . It’s really not as hard as it may seem.
I like to read-walk so I can’t get distracted by the internet, the pantry, or anything else swirling in my head. I can’t stop reading to write out a grocery list, for example. It works wonders for my highly distractible personality.
2 miles and 60 pages later, I was ready for some SNAX.
Kefir + Kashi Go Lean + Pecans+ Strawberries + Mango
And continued to read….
I also had a lot of unpictured random nibbles. It was one of those foraging in the pantry kinda afternoons.
***
I brought theses apple slices to munch on during class.
After class, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to work out or not. I figured I would walk in the direction of the gym and see if I turned back around. I didn’t. So I worked out
60 min. elliptical and 20 min. full body strength training. Not too shabby for an almost-skipped-my-workout day!
***
Post workout, I was craving some breakfast action.
Green Amazing Grass Kefir Smoothie
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1/3 banana
- 1/2 packet Amazing Grass Smoothie Infusion
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup kefir
- H20
- Graham cracker crumbles
Oat Bran in a Pumpkin Butter Jar!
With some bananas. I loved eating outta this jar…it was perfect for holding in my hand.
My hunger was still lingering (at 11pm!!) so I had a Luna Bar and some chocolate chips.
I’ve got an assignment to start and finish before class today. Yeehaw Senioritis!!!
{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
I liked your added touch of putting another plate under your egg so it wouldn’t get ‘lost’ on the white – smart thinking!
Oh, and I’m a Thin Mint girl ; )
I totally agree with you on the food front – people should do what works for them and not eat 6 meals if it stresses them out! As for me, I change my mind daily.
Sometimes I eat 4 big ones, other days its 7-8 small ones.
I may have fallen out of my chair when I saw Caramel deLites instead of Somoas on a box. Somoas are definitely my fave. No Thin Mints for me.
OMG I LOVE SOMOAS!! I noticed the Caramel Delight dealy last year and was also blown away. Have you ever tried somoa ice cream?? It’s pretty epic
haha i was a gs too! gold+silver awards (nerd). i called the cookies carmel delites(!!) – but samoas is much cuter
they’re definitely my favorite gs cookie – caramel and chocolate, great combo. tagalongs are good too though! i love peanut butter…
i definitely don’t eat the same every day. sometimes i wish i was more regular with my meals but maybe when i graduate i will be. you sure got a lot of exercise in! that’s awesome
i love to read/walk too
Nice Great Divide pint glass- CO love
. I’m trying to figure out what eating schedule works best for me. I tend to get hungry pretty often even if I eat a big meal so I just bring a bunch of food and eat it as I feel the need. I noticed I gained a few lbs lately (likely due to making too many desserts lately!) so I am trying to really pay attention to how much and when I feel hungry and eat. Umm, so guess I will get back to you since that was just a bunch of ramblings!
Haha, thanks for letting us know how you walk and read. I may try it out sometime! =P Girl, I’ve got senioritis too! Guhhhh. And all of this missing school because of sickness and snow is causing me to not want to go back when I have to!
We’ve always called them Caramel deLites where I grew up in the midwest, I was a long time Girl Scout too. Yes, they are my very favorite!!
I prefer to eat three meals per day, spaced out about 4.5 hours between one another.
I am a 3 meals + 1 snack person. More out of habit than anything else…not quite in touch with my body enough right now, but I seem to be eating breakfast earlier and earlier each week so might need to rethink my plan.
I’ve never had any girl scouts cookies
Those smaller bagels sound really good- are they flatter than regular or just smaller? The mini ones are too small but the bigger ones are too big for me most of the time (now I sound like Goldilocks!) and the light ones are too airy-fairy.
I know I couldn’t believe when they started calling the Samoa’s that either! Don’t worry – they’re still just as good
And they would be my favorite!
I’m all about Tag-A-Longs. DQ even had a blizzard with them awhile back and I made a few special DQ runs! ha. And are my hands just getting bigger, or are the cookies smaller???? Not cool!
I loved thin mints! Mmmm…
I used to read and walk all the time in Belgium. There was this sidewalk by the lake where I wouldn’t see a lot of people at all, and it was perfectly safe to walk with my eyes off the path. I totally agree, it prevented me from getting distracted!
The Girl Scouts use two different bakeries throughout the country – one bakery calls them “Caramel DeLites” and the other calls them “Samoas.” I have actually ONLY seen “Caramel Delites” here in South Florida for YEARS, but this past month, they were offering Samoas! My BF (Massachusetts native) swears that the Samoas are crunchier than the Caramel Delights, but I didn’t notice a difference. I think they must have done a switcheroo with the distribution this year. Either way, these are my favorites.. unquestionably! (Although I used to be a fan of thin mints – I don’t know what they are called by the other bakery.)
Thin mints, all the way!
I eat three meals a day and a snack around 3pm. Works for me and keeps me from ever being starving.
I loveeeeee Tagalongs!! (I think now they call them PB Patties??)
I don’t think I could do the walk/read although it sounds like a great idea!!
I eat mostly three larger meals, and two snacks. But I also have a bite or two from time to time
Depends on the day.
Your kefir mess looks delicious!
Tagalongs are the sh*T!!!
Monday-Friday I’m a 3 meal, 3 snack kinda girl. On the weekend or holiday’s it’s more like 3 meals, 1 snack. I think I snack more through the week because I sit at a desk all day and get bored. I’m too busy on the “off” days to think about snacking.
Girl Guide cookies aren’t big here and we’ve certainly never had the flavours that the States has had. I always liked the caramel filled ones, though…
I am a big snacker, in fact I prefer snacking throughout the day instead of eating a large meal!
The only kind I like are peanut butter patties…yum!
all hte eats are looking fantastic!! i am right now doing 3 meals and 2 snacks and like it a lot but my meals are also big soo idk hahah. thanks for the info!!
I think that article – and what you wrote – is dead on. No single way of eating works for every person. It’s not one size fits all. You just have to experiment and see what works for you. I am definitely a “grazer,” and tend to eat 3 small-medium sized meals plus 2-3 snacks a day. But like you said, there are days when my eating habits change completely based on my schedule. I guess you just gotta go with the flow!
I ALWAYS read Allie…I don’t comment much anymore cause I know u have a million commenters anyways
i have to make myself eat 6x a day actually …it stinks…i am kind of all messed up cause i need to gain increased health, energy and body function overall
Its hard…i have done this all before…but its no easier. I wish I could eat so lovely and carefree like u…wish I could work out like u
i admire u lots girl…seriously.
I was a HUGE thin mint fan when I was younger, but as I got older I began to loooooove the samoas. The caramel-y goodness is just too hard to stay away from.
Digging the kashi/kefir combo. I’m pretty sure with the amount of kashi I’ve consumed in my life, I should be one of those little square bites.
I have got to try that luna bar flavor!
Errh egg white and ketchup!? Two of my least favourite foods ever!!
I’m a three meals, 3 snacks girl – BUT that’s not what I want to do, I’m never hungry for the snacks (or meals!!) I do it cos I want to put some weight on. I agree, it’s all down to the individual. TBH I think, if you’re hungry, eat. If not, don’t. Simples! It is tricky for students espec to get a regular pattern though, you’re right.
Have a good day!
Oh wow, is it Girl Scout cookie season again already? I love lemonades and the peanut butter sandwich ones. Samoas are a close third! Everyone’s crazy about thin mints, but I always hated the way they get stuck in your molars!
Love the green smoothie! I can’t wait to go home to my blender this weekend so I can try one!
fav girl scout cookie? THIN MINTS! cold!!
love the peppymint choc luna! its my fav!
Hmm, I know what you mean. I still struggle with what is the best “schedule” for me to eat on, but quite often I come back to around 3 meals + 2 snacks. Sometimes it’s only 1 snack, sometimes it’s none. But I know that just snacking through the day leads to waaay bad things for me, so if I try and stick to the 3 + 2 gameplan, things work out better
Mmmmmm…samoas are my FAVE!!!! I knew that they’d changed the name, but did not know why. I’ll have to show this to my sister– she didn’t believe me when I told her that they’d changed the name!
Everybody’s body is different, and that article seems really interesting! I’m gonna look at it right after this (clearly, I have a quiz tonight and am doing everything in my power to procrastinate studying), anyways, I eat about 5-6 times a day, it’s amazing! I feel so pumped for workouts and I am never hungry, my metabolism lovessss it!
As for Girl Scout Cookies, that Samoa thing is definitely quite disappointing! Those were my 2nd fav- Numero Uno was always Tag A Longs, I LOVE chocolate PB things, omgoodess
ps chocolate peppermint Luna- excellent choice, it’s the best one! hehe
I am the same as you: the only thing “routine” about my schedule is that it’s never routine!
I like to read/walk too! I can never get my head to calm down, but that’s one way I can. I think it might be the combo of using my body and head at once?
Good to see your a fan of the boiled egg! I’m loving my boiled egg snacks, your oiaj look fab! x x
Such a coincidence that you wrote about this today Allie – I have been working on a post this week about snacking and that it may not work for some people exactly for the reason you cited. Every time you eat insulin is released – while this isn’t a problem for some people for others it aint a good thing! I’ll link you to it once it’s published.
Me – I just eat 3 straight meals a day, no snacks. I eat plenty so I’m not hungry in between.
My favorite are Tagalongs but I also love Dos-i-Does, Samoas, and Trefoils. Oh and Thin Mints!
I think your 2nd baker theory is correct b/c it’s a regional thing. My cousin in FL sold the new stupid named ones, but some friends in VA – their daughter sells the normal ones. Even their websites and forms and everything were diff. for ordering. My cousin doesn’t sell them anymore though, so I can buy the normal one from the friend’s daughter and rejoice!
My meal “schedule” tends to be all over the place too. For me it’s more about my varying degrees of hunger than scheduling.
I like to eat 3 regular meals and an afternoon snack because after experimentation I found that it works for me. Bu, if you find changing it up every day works for you, then that’s perfectly fine
I LOVED Samoas when I was little — I don’t even want to mention how many I used to eat at once *blush* I’ve never seen Caramel delites, though. I wonder if it’s region specific?
How do you like Omnivore’s Dilemma? I thought it was an eye-opening book!
i’m reading the same book as you right now
I’ve fiddled around with my eating patterns before–I tried the 6 evenly spaced meals for a while, but soon realized it did NOT work well with my schedule. So now I am mostly a 3 meals + 2 snacks kind of girl.
YAY for Girl Scout season! My favorite is most def the Samoas, but Tagalongs (or “Peanut Butter Patties” as some people call them…) are pretty rockin’ too.
I believe that eating styles should be completely determined by the individual. For me, eating on a schedule is a must, because I have low blood sugar issues that will leave me lethargic and cranky if I get too hungry. But I think as long as we get the nutrients and calories we need each day, how we do it is up to us!
I love samoas!! I was also a huge thin mint fan… girl scout cookies are just amazing!!!
And I like to eat 3 meals a day with 3 snacks.. haha hey I’m an athlete.. I need a lot of food!
K girl – you need to try Samoas ice cream!! It’s soooooo good.
Oh most days, (like weekdays) I am a 3 meal 2 snack kind of girl, but I have a very routined schedule. On the weekends, it’s totally off the wall. Just goes to show that when we live on a schedule, our eating is usually scheduled, but when we live spontaneously, our eating becomes spontaneous. I say….so long as you are healthy, happy and never hungry, you’re doing it right!
Oh and WTF about the cookies?!?! I will always be a Thin Mint Girl. Especially if they are frozen. What happened to girl scout cookies though? When I was a scout, I remember selling them for 2$ a box. Now I think they cost more than my wedding dress! Ugh, sad!
in texas where im from they are called caramel delites, peanut butter sandwiches (or patties)… not samoas and do-see-does? it varies by region…
i always loved the PB ones and shortbread!
WEIRD about the samoas! Those were always my favorite, then tagalongs, then thin mints in the freezer! Top 3 fo sho. I haven’t had one in forever though! I kind of have 3 meals and many small snacks (or large snacks) throughout the day, depending on how early I got up, how much I worked out, how busy, etc. It obviously always changes!
You got coconut oil! Yay!!
And yes, Samosas are the best!
Nice post! May I ask what you do with your egg yolk???
Do you use them for something else or do you just throw it away?
I had no clue what Samoas were when I was in school in Maryland…people kept saying they were their favorite cookie and I’d never heard of them before since we called them Carmel Delights in Chicago! I think some of the other cookies had different names as well.
I ordered my box of thin mints, and trefoils! I had to get a box of samoas for the bf .
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