I'm back!

Hello world! (I'm taking a leaf from my intro to computer programming class). 

I have officially returned to the blogging realm. Unfortunately, when time became of the essence and my grades took a toll, I gradually seeded out writing in this blog. I never subscribed to a meal plan however! As an engineer, many of my lunches were not spent socializing in the dining hall or at a local cafe, but rather in the library! The cool thing about college libraries is that you can eat in them! So, my go-to lunch was prepared the night before. It was a life changing discovery... the Mason Jar salad a.k.a the Tupperware salad a.k.a the Any Container with a Lid salad. 

Here is a visual and tutorial from this website.

First, I started with a homemade balsamic dressing that I used up in 2 weeks. I also stored that in a Mason jar. I found the recipe on Pinterest and the basic ingredients were: balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, brown sugar, lemon juice, onion, and salt. The key is to place your salad dressing on the bottom and to put your least "vulnerable to sogginess" vegetables on the bottom layer. The final layer in your salad will be the lettuce. Just give the jar a little shake and it's ready to be eaten!

Another staple meal that I prepared ahead of time was overnight oatmeal. I first learned about overnight oatmeal from a healthy eating seminar at UVA OpenGrounds. OpenGrounds is a concert, poetry, seminar venue on the Corner and it's a great opportunity to plug into local movements! While at the food seminar, I met Kath, of the blog Kath Eats Real Food and the owner of the Great Harvest Bread Company in Charlottesville. I was in a gym glass first thing in the mornings so I was getting very hungry by the time lunch rolled around. Therefore, the night before my workout, I made overnight oatmeal in a Mason Jar and included: Greek yogurt, peanut butter, flax seeds, fresh fruit, and oatmeal. My hunger was definitely satisfied. Below is an awesome pic of the many combinations you can have with overnight oatmeal taken from the blog Milu's Kitchen

Stay tuned for a plot twist...!