Here is my report about day #2 of my 7 day challenge. I am challenging myself to not eat any type of bread over the next 7 days. Why is this a challenge worthwhile to write about? I love to eat bread and at least one meal per day usually contains bread – be it breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, or as a snack for the quick hunger in between. Bread is a big part of my food life. Read about the challenge in more detail here.
Breakfast on Day #2
Since I go to the gym first thing in the morning, my breakfast is usually small to moderate. I often eat 2 or 3 slices of Challah bread with a little butter on it and then with either honey or jam. On some days I eat Oatmeal with Blueberries or Raisins. To replace my bread breakfast I actually decided to try something different. I made a Blueberry Milk Shake for breakfast. I used about 1.5 cups of fresh Blueberries and mixed with ~500ml 2% Lactose-free Milk (I cannot handle dairy milk). I always buy Lactaid Calcium enriched Reduced 2% Fat Milk. It contains a solid amount of protein, calcium, as well as Vitamin A and Vitamin D. It tasted really good and gave me lots of energy to burn at the gym. I am assuming roughly 350 calories for this type of breakfast. It probably matches a breakfast of 3 slices of Challah Bread with butter and jam – it might be a less, but it definitely comes in with much less carbs.
Lunch with no bread
I usually prepare my lunch the night before so that I do not have to rush in the mornings. All I do is grab my lunch box before heading out for the gym and the office. So, what did I come up with for lunch for day #2 of my 7 Day Challenge? My lunch is made of 2 hard-boiled eggs, fresh-cut tomatoes mixed with Mozzarella Cheese, fresh-cut red peppers, and some Blueberries. The Blueberries and the Red Peppers also make a great snack for in-between meals and so I am not really counting them as lunch. The eggs and the cheese provide me with protein which should provide me with a more filled feeling for a while. The Blueberries have lots of fiber and a whole variety of vitamins to offer. They are also known to be a great source of antioxidants. Tomatoes are great when it comes to eating. They barely carry any calories, but offer lots of healthy benefits. I have no idea how many calories my lunch would come in at. Please feel free to leave a comment with your estimated guess below.
Dinner
When I went to Costco on Sunday, I had bought fresh Atlantic Salmon Filet. I cut a piece for dinner and put it on the grill. Salmon is loaded with good fats (Omega-3s). Salmon is also loaded with Vitamin D and B12. And of course, Salmon provides me with protein. In addition to the Salmon I made a small bowl of salad. Yellow and Orange peppers, green leaf salad, and some Feta Cheese were my choice for this meal. From a calorie perspective this meal was definitely the largest meal of my day. I would estimate that I consumed about 600 calories.
Snacks and Drinks
I did not really have any snacks today – unless you count the Blueberries and the Red Peppers as a snack. However, I did have a protein recovery drink after my workout (very similar to this protein recovery product). This recovery protein drink clocks in at roughly 250 calories. Other than that I only drank water and some coffee with Splenda Sweetener.
Conclusion: Since I had enough time to prepare food for my day at the office the night before this was probably the easiest day of the week. I actually did not miss my beloved bread meal too much. I wonder if I can wean myself off this habit and land at a level where I have some break over the course of the week, but not as much as I used to have. I will see how things are next week and I am definitely considering to extend the challenge for one more week.
Legal Disclaimer: Even though I actually use a recovery protein mix like the one I link to above, the FTC requires me to post a disclaimer due to the commercial nature of the product. Please read my advertising policy and disclaimer here.
Related posts: