Happy Wednesday! We’re halfway through this work week….you’ll make it through, I promise! I’m already excited for the weekend. My little baby cousin is finally 21, so we’re all going out to celebrate! Should be a good time.

It’s not the weekend yet though, jeez Meghan, focus. It’s time for What I Ate Wednesday! For those of you unfamiliar with WIAW it’s put on by the lovely hostess Jen over at Peas and Crayons, and it’s an opportunity for bloggers to share an entire day of eats! Without further ado, here’s a day in the life of me at grad school. Also known as a day of snacking. Or, what I eat when I have no time to eat.

After my workout Monday morning, I was ravenous so I made a nice big breakfast that I hoped would carry me through at least my first class of the day.

10:15am

A classic egg sandwich (1 egg, egg whites, cheddar cheese, and hummus) on gluten free bread, alongside a couple slices of turkey bacon and a perfectly sweet McIntosh apple. I also chugged some (unpictured) coffee. Hit the spot!

During my first class I snacked on some grapes. They have been crazy cheap lately, so I’ve definitely been taking advantage.

1:30pm

During my second class of the day (from 3:00-4:15) I was pretty hungry, but felt awkward snacking during class because it’s a small lecture and no one else was eating (what’s with that? People at Cornell were always chomping away during lectures). I managed to sneak a few bites of my Puffins original cereal though…obsessed with this stuff!

3:00pm

Finally after class it was time to eat something a little more substantial. Chobani and granola (you know I can’t live without it).

5:00pm

I enjoyed my break between classes by catching up on some blogs and reading the paper!

My last class of the day finished up at 7:15pm, so I walked to the T station and hopped on the red line towards South Station. I snacked on some Archer Farms black and white trail mix from Target…this stuff is amahzing (Happy Endings? Anyone catching that reference?). It’s basically a mixture of chocolate covered and yogurt covered peanuts and raisins. SO good. I did take a picture, but it’s one of the most awkward lap pictures of all time so I’m not posting it.

7:30pm

::imagine awkward lap photo of trail mix::

When I finally got home at 9:30pm, there was no way I was up for a big dinner. When I’m tired and run down after a long day, all I want is breakfast food. So I had a rice cake with some almond butter, banana, and cinnamon, followed by a bowl of Rice Krispies with the other half of the banana.

9:30pm

I’m not a huge fan of Rice Krispies, but we have a ginormous box of it leftover from making rice krispie treats for Labor Day. Someone’s gotta eat it!

Overall, I think my eats could be better, and they could be worse. At least I avoided buying greasy campus food or an overpriced protein bar. But my diet was seriously lacking in veggies today. Not a single one made the roster. Maybe that’s part of the reason I felt so drained at night? I think I’ll try to sneak a green smoothie in on my drive to the train next time. Definitely couldn’t hurt!

Since there was nothing all that special about my eats today, let’s talk about something special I had this weekend! Pancakes! Healthified with protein powder and no flour (gluten free! yay). I love my normal protein pancake recipe, but I’m always up for trying something different!

Protein Pancakes with Peach and Banana
Adapted from Fitness Perks. Serves 1.

Ingredients:

1 scoop protein powder (I used 365 Whey Protein Powder – Vanilla, found at Whole Foods)
2 tbsp old fashioned oats
2 tbsp almond milk
2 tbsp of fat-free cottage cheese
1 egg
Couple shakes of cinnamon
sliced peach (optional)
sliced banana (optional)

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients into a blender or food processor, and pulse until smooth. Batter will be very watery.
2. Pour batter onto a heated griddle, sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure griddle is hot so the batter doesn’t run too much.
3. If desired, add sliced fruit, chocolate chips, whatever add-ins you want. Keep in mind the pancakes are thin!
4. After cooking on one side for 2-3 minutes, flip pancakes (carefully, using 2 spatulas if necessary), and cook other side for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Remove from griddle, and serve with fresh fruit, honey, maple syrup, etc. etc.!

Nutrition:

Notes:

My pancake didn’t pack as much protein as Annette‘s (different protein powder sources), but it was quite tasty! I think next time I would add more protein powder and/or oats to thicken the batter a bit. Mine was definitely watery, making it a little difficult to flip my pancakes easily. Also, I would highly recommend using a protein powder that you really love, because that’s the primary flavor of these pancakes.

YUM. I hope you try these out, and let me know how it goes!