New Item to Try

I made my way through Costco today sampling the bratwurst, the oatmeal, the pizza and the Fage yogurt. At no other time in my life do I mix the most random and god-awful foods like I do when I go to Costco. I wouldn’t even dream of it or my colon would combust all over the place (like it doesn’t already).

This is Esther giving out small penises. I passed on those not wanting to eat penises in public.

So, by the time I got home at 2:00 p.m. I needed a small, healthy lunch to balance out the disgusting sample consumption. I’m not going to lie – I have a tough time with lunch. I work from home, so I always eat-in. I’m forever trying to find the “right” lunch food – satisfying yet not to heavy.

Today I found the perfect score at Costco. This is a new item. So new that the cashier had to stop for about five minutes to study the package -  kind of like my role model Kristin Wiig does on the SNL Target skit. I wanted to scream at her that this was not show and tell, but I have impulse control.

Try not to get a boner like the cashier when I show you this. Here is the new item:

If you are all about New York Strip you are rolling your eyes. But, for those of us who can’t stomach a lot of meat or rich food, we have to find our options.

You take a chance when you buy something like this. Yes, I am risk taker. The last time I bought vegetable soufflés at Costco they were so hideous I actually returned them. You can return anything at Costco including stained sheets and soiled underwear. Not sure about used condoms though.

This risk totally panned out. One of my favorite lunches is to take a veggie or bean burger and put it on a spinach salad. I add in other veggies, maybe some cheese and top it with Annie’s Goddess dressing, my favorite.

Today I just did the spinach, spinach/chickpea patty and dressing because I just needed a little something.

Yes, it is spinach on spinach. Kind of weird – like putting ketchup on a tomato. But, I am a lover of spinach. Raw, in spinach pies, creamed up in a casserole, sautéed with a touch of garlic and parmesan cheese. It is a total staple in my life. In fact I never eat lettuce. Only spinach. I figure if you’re doing leaves, why not do the one that carries the most nutritional punch? Kale is good too. Basically the darker the green, the more nutritional value it will have.

Let me tell you about these patties. The inside mixture is spinach and seasonings like garlic, cumin and coriander, giving it a taste somewhat like falafel. The outside of the patty is a chick pea crust. Very tasty indeed. Perfect for a quick and healthy lunch. Low in fat and calories, 5 g of protein, 350 mg of sodium. For a pre-packaged item, that’s not too bad. It would also be really good wrapped up with avocado and hummus in a tortilla.

Price is $9.99 for 12 tasty patties.

On my next run I’m going to bring one of these instead of a gel. Just kidding.

On a different note, Laura at Running 4 the Reason is holding an auction to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with Team in Training (TIT). She is running the Rock ‘n Roll San Diego Marathon in June. Laura’s got tons of cool items she is auctioning including headphones, a Polar watch, compression gear and jewelry. Best of all is a prize pack that includes an SUAR tech shirt. Hop on over to Laura’s blog and do some bidding! It’s for a great cause.

What’s your favorite quick and healthy lunch? I need ideas.

What’s the most pathetic thing you’ve ever returned? I once returned a coffee maker. The box had dog crap on it because I had thrown it away, then changed my mind about keeping it. I’m going to hell.

 SUAR