Hey, that’s today 
Fun lunch today. I ate it realllllly slowly. It took me a full 30 minutes. When I have lunches with 3 or less parts, I tend to eat them faster and then am sad when it’s over. So I’m trying to focus more on eating slowly.
Leftover lentil salad with extra snap peas –
Crackers
and grapes
I did pretty well on the nutrition test we got back today! And I finally finished my Foodservice recipe. Now I just have to study for this huge Micro test tomorrow night for the rest of today and tomorrow. I am already procrastinating by playing on my computer, toying with going for a walk, etc. I just need to go through my flashcards 3-4 more times and I’ll be set, but making myself start is the obstacle.
Anddd now I am just sitting here thinking of more things to type to procrastinate more…. 
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Kath – your lunch looks wonderful – I too have been focusing on slowing down and CHEWING and enjoying food. It works wonders AND helps so much with the digestion process.
I know you do not use the microwave that often – mostly when you are short for time – but thought you might be interested in this anyways or for others who use a microwave more frequently:
http://www.foodmatters.tv/what-is-your-microwave-doing-to-your-health.html
It is just so sad how your food can go from being so healthy to destruction…
Kat
You can do it Kath!
Your lunch looks great – I think I’m going to try the lentil salad sometime. Good luck on your micro test!
Eating slowly is hard but it’s really rewarding when I actually do it…
Kat’s Veggie Life,
I’m not really buying those “facts.” Microwaves cook food with waves – just like radio waves, TV’s and cell phones. They make food molecules vibrate, which creates friction, which produces heat, which then cooks the food. While I do think putting things other than food in a microwave (i.e. plastics) could contaminate food if the item breaks down from an increase in energy, I don’t think microwaves in general are anything to be concerned with.
Kath
I need to learn to eat my lunch slower. I too am always sad when its over.
Good luck on your test!
Lentils are one of my new fav foods!
Love that Green Day song (your post title)
ACE THAT TEST, KATH!!!
I am REALLY curious if you have information about your prep and the lentils and stuff like that. I have BAGS of lentils, black beans, red beans and the sort but have NO idea how to make them or make them healthy.
i like to procrastinate too.
isn’t that why we all get so many comments/post so much during the week (while there’s school and work) and much less on the weekends?
yep.
Great idea and great job eating slowly. I’m the SAME WAY. Not paying attention, shoving food down my throat, etc. I’ve been *trying* to employ this with not much success. Thanks for the motivation.
lunch looks like it was divine!
I love snap peas. Good luck with the studying!
Good luck with Micro!
lol, your situation sounds all too familiar
I’m glad you shot down the microwave thing, every once in a while an article like this surfaces but it never really seems lagit to me, those facts are pretty intense you would think we would see more direct links!
i agree with your microwave theory! i always questioned it too…
good job on your test! you seem like a really good student haha
Kath,
You are right about the heating process – I just think there is more to it than that, such as damaging the food cells through friction and changing the way they react in our body – possibly as free radicals.
It just doesn’t seem natural to me.
Thanks for your reply though!
Kat
I’m with you on the procrastinating thing. I’ve got a big week next week for classes AND I’m moving this weekend but for some reason it just makes me want to procrastinate! Ugh. I forgot how stressful being a student can be!
omg I use flash cards too to study.
*geek love*
Yes I can’t agree more, getting started is the HARDEST thing! NOW is the hardest moment, but once it passes and you look back, you’ll probably think this Micro test wasn’t so difficult after all.
GO Kath, you can do it!
You said you like to walk and read..Maybe you could trade your magazine for some flashcards next walk!
Good luck!
I can’t eat left over lentils.i love them right after I make them, but they change somehow overnight. i think its a conspiracy.
Kelly Turner
http://www.groundedfitess.com
Quick question, similar to the lentil thing… I love chickpeas and have had AMAZING chickpea type salads, but have no idea how to cook them, what spices to add, etc. Seriously right now I usually just mix w/ spinach and add tomato sauce though I know yummy recipes exist somewhere. Anyway have any advice or direction for me??
On a similar note, I bought a can of salmon because I had some in a salad bar at a whole-food type place and it was delicious…however, now I’m afraid to open it because, again, unsure of how to make something yummy from canned salmon (again, if no one knows, its not too much $ lot, but would love to learn!)
mozzie – you can make salmon burgers!! i dont have a specific recipe, but i am sure if you go to a recipe database like myrecipes.com or foodnetwork.com you can find one. yum!
Salmon Burgers:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1723360
I just saw Charlotte on the news today–I can’t believe the insane gas shortage! Over $8 for a gallon of gas? That’s insane! They reported a man was arrested for pulling a gun on someone who cut him off at the gas pump. Craziness… Good luck! I hope things improve soon.
Tamara Cosby,
The side of the bag should have cooking info. The next time I make them I’ll try to get an exact method, but it’s pretty much just boil until tender and drain.
Kat’s Veggie Life,
If it’s just the heating that causes the free radicals then all cooking methods must be dangerous. Since people have been cooking food since the cavemen, I don’t think it’s harming our species, esp. if we get lots of antioxidants
Caroline F.,
I’ve definitely done it before – good suggestion! Perhaps tomorrow to get me out of the house
RD2be ,
$8!?!? Really!? I was lucky to get it without waiting in line yesterday for $4.09. Better make it another fuel-less weekend since I have to commute so far during the week.
Kath
Hmm, maybe it was a case of media over-inflation. I’m on the west coast so it’s hard to know if it’s true or exaggeration.
Kath – me too have been trying to eat slower but I find it tough especially when I have no one to talk to. If I eat with another person I find it a bit easier… but so true – I am so sad when all the food is gone!!
Love your blog. I think your amazing. Good luck on the test!
Zesty
I would love to believe that.
I guess this is for Matt. I noticed that the bread is wrapped in plastic. I’ve done that, but it always makes the bread go stale or soft more quickly. I like to keep it in a brown paper bag instead. How come you used plastic? Have you noticed the symptoms I speak of?
HangryPants,
You know, I’ve never really figured out the best way to keep bread. Since all my breads are at least partially sourdough, they keep longer than “regular” breads. I’ve mostly used plastic or ziptop bags because I don’t want to lose too much moisture. I’ve actually found paper bags do that!
I should mention that it doesn’t really matter what you keep it in when it hasn’t been sliced yet. It’s when you expose a non-crusty surface to the world that difficulties arise.