Death to Oatmeal

Years ago, when I was about 10, I spent the summer with my mom's parents in Arlington, TX. A summer with grandparents can be quite eventful. I was given full and endless access to Lucky Charms. YUM!!! I was spoiled wrotten by my uncle with trips to Six Flags and plane rides. My grandmother introduced me to family history and took me to probably every single cemetery in Texas to track down family gravesites. Sounds morbid I know, but to this day I still can't resist a good walk through a very old cemetary...during the daylight...with someone else. I'm WAY too chicken to ever be caught dead (no pun intended) to go to a cemetary alone or at night.

That summer, I also found out something about myself...my extreme dislike of oatmeal. On the days it was my Papa's turn to fix breakfast, it was always oatmeal. Sure, he jazzed it up with butter & sugar, but nothing you do to oatmeal could/can make me like it. I've tried every flavor combination under the moon, but always end up with the same results: Me gagging like a kid eating brussel sprouts. I really hate the stuff, yet I eat it because it fills me up and is good for me.

Well, today I had had enough. I was very close to going next door to the gym to grab something to eat, when I realized the freezer at work was full of meals I had just put in there. Granted none of them were "breakfast" foods, but at this point, I really didn't care. I just didn't want to eat oatmeal again for the 4th day in a row. Needless to say, I was one happy girl when I found something else to fill my belly with.

I think the lesson I learned here is always have a stash of healthy food on hand. Also, take it one step further and have a variety of healthy food. When you have it at your desk, or in the break room, your odds for making the healthier choice rather than the vending machine go way up.

Some of my favorite food to keep on hand at work include: Cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, hummas, cottage cheese, lentils, apples, peanut butter, and my most favorite snack of all...Lean Cuisine Spinach & Artichoke Dip single snacks. Cue the angels singing that stuff is AMAZING...and only 200 calories. For those two reasons alone, I can overlook the fact that it's probably loaded with preservatives. Oh well, you can't win all the battles :)