I thought y’all might find it interesting to see everything I eat in a single work-day. Kath believes that I’m a pretty good intuitive eater overall – I eat pretty much whatever I want, I occasionally indulge but usually eat healthily, I don’t restrict myself from any foods, and I eat when I’m hungry.
I’ll say that it wasn’t always like this. I really love food, and there was a time that I felt like I ate everything just because I wanted to taste everything. Even now, I refuse to leave a plate uncleaned, I try every single food at buffets, and my inhibitions are inhibited by alcohol. Still, I believe I follow Kath’s “squiggly-line effect” in the grand scope of things. So let’s begin!
When I wake up at 3:25, you have to remember it wasn’t that long ago that I had dinner, so I’m usually not too hungry. Thirst is a bigger problem for me – somehow I seem to get more dehydrated than most people when I sleep. I usually end up drinking the shower water (cue gross-out noise)!
The bike-ride to work is 5.3 miles, and I ride pretty much everyday that I’m healthy and the weather is good. When I get to the bakery there’s a big schedule of things to do, but I manage to eat a piece of fruit I bring in:
Sometimes I’ll wait about 30 minutes until the sweets baker pulls the muffins out of the oven. I like our Blackberry Oatbran muffins the best… lots of crispy chew.
I immediately begin making the doughs for the day, one after another according to our varying schedule. I usually plan the schedule out so that I have just enough time between doughs to wash some dishes, write up schedules and data, consolidate ingredient bins, and prepare for the next few doughs.
After about 30 minutes, I cut a couple slices off a mini-Dakota loaf from the day before and toasted them in the oven. I topped one with some butter, and the other with some Naturally Nutty butter:
At some point I’ll brew coffee and have a cup in one of my mugs. Usually I use my big thermos that Kath gave me for Christmas – it’s an Oxo and keeps my drink warm for so long. But sometimes I need to use my other coffee cup:
Maybe I’ll have another piece of bread in a couple hours, or sometimes I’ll wait until a special bread comes out of the oven before eating something else (like on Fridays we make Challah, and man it’s good when it’s hot). Today Mike’s cinnamon rolls were looking pretty good:
So I had a cini-mini just before we started shaping the doughs at 8am:
The next 3 hours or so are pretty much nonstop action, and I while I might have another cup or two of coffee, I don’t really eat too much else. Maybe a taste of dough here and there or a piece of a roll, but this is more to test for quality than actual eating.
I definitely have a problem with boredom eating, but the great thing about working at Great Harvest is there’s always something new to do. So you don’t really have time to think about the act of eating, which usually leads to making not-so-great choices. Instead, you suddenly realize “I am HUNGRY! It’s time for food!” For me, this happens around 11:30-12. And that means I get to make the most satisfying sandwich ever! The grilled cheese!
When we’re scaling out our loaves of bread from giant piles of dough, there’s frequently a small bit left over that can’t quite make a full loaf. We’ll sometimes bake these mini-loaves for employees to take home, or use them as testers for different experiments. Well today we had a mini-sourdough hunk, which I promptly turned into a creation:
I sliced the little loaf lengthwise, then topped one side with sharp cheddar, and the other with gruyere. Then sprinkle with black pepper and a few specks of dried garlic. Pop it in the oven for 10 minutes and voila!
Now the secret to a great grilled cheese – put the two halves together, and then completely smash the bread with all your weight so it flattens out. NOW you can get your mouth around it!
It fills me with happiness.
I usually work until 2pm or so, and then bike on home. Of course, not before leaving a few bits of mischief around:
When I get home, I like to take a nap so I don’t look too destroyed during the evening/dinner. But before that I try to drink some water. Today I read my newest beer book while hydrating up:
After a nap, I got busy on some taxes (curses!!!!!!!!). Actually, doing taxes isn’t that bad since I’ve been using taxactonline.com for the past few years. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re thinking about doing your own taxes. Pretty easy stuff.
Of course, the agony of taxes needs an antithesis, and for today’s foil I chose a Victory Golden Monkey! You can find a review here!
After a solid 1.5 hours of tax work (which got me about half done… seriously, you gotta try this website out), I started making dinner. I decided to use up one of the soup cans I was encouraged to eat:
I chopped up a poblano pepper and a pack of mushrooms first and sauteed them briefly.
I also found these chickpeas from last week, so I tossed them in, with some typical seasonings (garlic powder, cumin, red pepper flakes).
Too bad I didn’t have any greek yogurt for topping:
So I put a little drizzle of this mini-hot sauce bottle I got from Buzz for Christmas:
Serve with a giant hunk of wheaty levain:
And lastly, have a little blondie for dessert!
Besides a few little nibbles, and several big glasses of water, that’s everything I ate today! While it was pretty carb-centric, I burn a lot of calories from 4am-3pm and I’m guessing everything I eat goes straight towards fueling my activity. I admit I could eat some more fruits and veggies throughout. I bet some cucumbers and sprouts on my grilled cheese would be pretty awesome…
Now it’s off to bed for an even earlier rise tomorrow since I’m baking sweets! That means 2:45am wakeup if I’m going to bike!
That was great! Thanks for sharing that with us! Dont be too hard on yourself I think you eat great for a guy who works in a bakery!
Hey Matt,
I think you could add in some protein as well since you didn’t seem to get much in your meals for the day.
your days sound excellent! the bakery must be an awesome place to work.
Matt, that was very interesting, thanks for sharing. Do you ever pack food to eat, or do you just eat what you find at work? Also, do you, as a guy, freak out less than us girls when you gain a couple pounds or don’t eat all your fruits and veggies? You seem pretty laid back about the whole thing, good for you!
I have to remind myself that a bakery job is HARD WORK (because otherwise it sounds like heaven!) I loved seeing all the awesome food you get at work!
awesome eats! i want a bite of that grilled cheese!! and way to go on dressing up that soup 🙂
Oh. My. God. I am licking the screen. I am so jealous of your taste buds. I had to call my husband over to look at that sandwich. Thank you for sharing!
I think men are just generally better at “intuitive eating” than women … even if for one day thier veggie/protien intake is a little off. What’s the deal?! My husband is exactly the same way! Sometimes it seems like I try so hard and he doesn’t try at all … Good thing I love him anyway! 🙂
Hi Matt!
At what temperature did you cook the grilled cheese or was it just under the brolier? I’ve tried FOREVER to make the perfect grilled cheese and yours looks so easy….and amazing! Help me please!!!!!!
Thanks for your post of the day’s eats, Matt! What an awesome place to work (other than the extremely early mornings). The cini-mini looks delectable.
Hey Matt– do you plan on doing something “further” with the home-brewing, or do you see it staying purely recreational?
This was such a fascinating post!!! I have always wondered what you eat in a day (Oh God I do sound crazy!).
I love seeing what men in general, I guess. So much more than us wee ladies get to eat. No fair! lol. I love your obsession with bread.
Wow, thanks for taking the time to share your day! It’s really interesting to see the male perspective of food blogging. The bread all looks wonderful!
That was the funniest thing that I have ever read! I love the coffee cup! You are such a great sport. Kath is very lucky.
that’s an awesome coffee cup! and omg that grilled cheese looks amazing, i want to scrape the cheese off the sheet.
ahhhh what an amazing day of BREAD 🙂
you’ve got to make use of what you have — i’m sure the produce will work its way in in no time!
Matt I am a true bread baby as well! I am loving all the bread you eat 🙂
zest!
Aweesome eats! That was really cool…thanks for sharing!
So much yummy bread! I have to laugh about you cursing your taxes. I currently am an intern at the IRS Office of Chief Counsel and kinda like taxes. (yes I am a HUGE nerd).
Wow, what a great post! I loved seeing “A Day In The Life Of Matt.” You were definitley born to blog. Can’t wait for your next post!
So interesting!
The grilled cheese looks delicious!
Holy shizzz, that sandwich looks fantastic.
I wish I could eat bread all day long – esp fresh out of the oven bread!
Scrumptious!
i eat much more like Matt than i do kath, haha
even as a girl, it works fine for weight maintenance.
this day illustrates intuitive eating perfectly. when you are hungry, eat a natural and minimally processed delicious thing. bread, cheese, beer… those will fill you up for the day. throw in several fruits and vegetables, maybe a granola bar, over the course of the day for fiber and general health, and you’ll be fine, and may even lose weight for it.
this is literally how i maintain my weight, and yes i used to weigh like 10 pounds more at one point just from eating too much, so this style of eating NOT just for guys! it annoys me that so many female bloggers seem to think it is though and instead try to subsist on a “girls’ diet” of yogurt and Protein bars. its’ really just any and all added sugars and unecessary processing of natural ingredients that will do it.. guys have the right idea when they avoid packaged snack crap in favor of something, well, just better.
so seriously, if you’re a girl and you don’t eat bread and cheese and beer all the time, try it! you may be pleasantly surprised. cut all (or most) of the processed crap instead.
I loved this post! It’s so interesting to see how you eat, Matt. It all seems so healthy and intuitive. I’m kinda thinking that S-Dawg has a point. Maybe if we all just ate real foods when we wanted, and however much we want at the time, then we’ll be content and healthy. I know I’m down for a diet of bread, beer and cheese.
The bakery looks like a fun job! And your grilled cheese looks amazing. 🙂
Baking is so fun! except for the early schedule, I think it’s a perfect work for someone who enjoys cooking/baking. i love the smell of fresh bread coming out from the oven,
And yes, you eat very healthy being a man. My bf would never bother to cook for himself! 🙂
I love this example of intuitive eating. My husband is the same way–eats whatever he likes, when he is hungry. Stops when he’s full. I’m working on it.
I haven’t commented in a long time, although I read regularly, but mostly came on to tell you this, Matt: The other day my six year old was looking over my shoulder, saw a picture of you, and said, “Is that the guy from Brew and Bake?” You are a celebrity!
Matt, Love the mischief left behind. You are too funny! Oh and love the coffee mug too. Hilarious. Have a great day!
All this bread looks amazing! Do you work at Great Harvest 5 days a week? Do you have a hard time getting on a normal time schedule on days off?
Matt, you’re doing such a great job posting while Kath is traveling! Thank you!!
Your job is my heaven!! Uh, except for the 3 a.m. wake up:)
Great eats, Matt! Love your drawings, too!
BLONDIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
great posts and good eats!! challah fresh out of the oven sounds fantastic!! I would say challah is in my top 5 favorite breads..what’s more satisfying then ripping off one of those knots and warming it up in the oven?? Nothing!!
That sandwich looks amazing!!! Also you had me cracking up the other day with the bears riding the box down the stairs.
Love this post, it was fun to see what an active male eats. I think you eat pretty good – especially since I know what crud goes in my husbands mouth. Your sandwich looks so delicious. I will say this again – I wish I had your job!!! I really would love to rise early and work at a bakery.
That sandwich looks amazing!
All that bread looks insanely delicious!
Thank you for sharing your day with us Matt! It is always really interesting to see 1. the lives of the men around us and 2. the life of a baker!
My fiance is much like you- eats mostly healthy, loves to bake on his own, and is a great intuitive eater. Wish I could always be like that!
mmm grilled cheese!!
Kath’s writing style always makes me happy, and I just wanted to say that this was an extremely well-written post. Whether you intended it or not- you’re good! Just sayin’.
mmm Shower Water.
Thanks for sharing your day with us. My DH also eats a lot of bread and he doesn’t work in a bakery 😉
That grilled cheese looks SO GOOD!!
fun post – it’s interesting to see what/how you eat with your strange job hours.
that grilled cheese looks amazing. I’ll have one of those and a cinamini 🙂
Please show us the sweets baking!
I loved seeing a recap of your day!! That grilled cheese is DIVINE! Seriously, I applaud it!
Oh I am SO missing my time as a baker at GH. Though the early mornings were brutal I so loved baking sweets 🙂 And that grilled cheese looks HEAVENLY!
It’s so refreshing to have a man’s take on daily eats! It seems most of the health/food blogs are written by women. Thanks Matt!!!
Oh. My. Goodness. That grilled cheese sandwich looks amazing!
Such an interesting post! Your job looks hard but a lot of fun!
Sarah
I just wanted to thank you for doing such a great job with the blog while Kath is away. Your pictures make me laugh, especially the bear escapades and you on the tire. I think you and Kath are such a great couple and I love reading about your adventures!
Wow, that is one carb centric today! I am jealous of all your eats though, I wish I could get away with eating all that bread. I also wish I had a job where I could move around more. Sitting at a desk for 8 hours of the day is not my idea of time spent wisely in this world.
Matt, I have really been enjoying your posts while Kath has been away. You are truly a great guy and amazing husband to Kath. You two are so cute, that I hope to have the same loving relationship with my future husband one day. Well I atleast want to have someone who understands my crazy eating and running habits. ?
This was one of my favorite post ever! Thanks, Matt! Love you too, of course Kath! xoxo
Wow, bread much?! You are going to turn into a loaf of bread one of these days.
ps – I’m totally jeal you can eat like that and maintain your boyish figure. If I could, I would live off bread/rolls. Specifically Bertucci’s rolls…oh. my. lord. So bad, but oh so good.
I feel a bit afraid of how many people are commenting on how much or how many carbs Matt eats – I am a rather petite woman, who is reasonably active, and I definitely eat at least this much and probably every day; the fear over food and carbohydrates with respect to some of the comments, or about women needing to be “wee” eaters,” just makes me feel sad and afraid I guess. One of the things I love about Kath and her website is the clear example of eating well – I believe we have watched her let go of all of these fears since she started this blog – that eating enough/ intuitively/mindfully doesn’t make us unhealthy or huge – but awake, alive, present and healthy! I refuse to be a “wee” eater. I don’t wish to be jealous of what Matt eats; I wish to join abundance in eating. Ok – off my soap box.
Have you ever taken art classes Matt? Love the doodles. -Kim
I had that same soup last week. It’s really good, definitely my favorite canned soup. Might not be so great after eating that grilled cheese for lunch though.
Well said, Seuss! In eating and in life, I think it’s really hard to step off the beaten path and blaze your own trail to figure out what works for you. I think it’s fair to say that healthy eating probably means something a little different to every person. Some people are totally derailed by carbohydrates and sugar, but other people (like Matt here) thrive on hefty portions of bread. I think I’m somewhere in the middle 🙂
Matt, whenever I stop by KERF these days, I’ve been making a beeline for your posts. They are wonderful! I especially love your line about how your grilled cheese filled you with happiness! It made me sigh with pleasure.
Gotta love a boy’s eating habits! I think it’s refreshing to see the “food day in the life” from a guy’s perspective. And I can imagine you need a ton of fuel to get through a busy day at the bakery. Like Meghann, I sometimes wish I had a more active job.
Of course my favorite part was the cinnamon rolls. Your mini roll was perfect! 🙂
I want to eat as much bread as you do! It seems heavenly.
Your carb filled day looks yummy! I’d kill for a grilled cheese right about now. Thanks for sharing your day with us. My favorite part was your dry erase board humor :o)
I’m curious…. As a baker, how does it work with Kath’s schedule? I know she’s a student and you have to get up at the crack of dawn, but are you both planning on keeping the same schedule once she is out of school? I worked at a place called “Breadwinnners” in Dallas and I know from experience that being a baker is hard work with serious hours. Sorry if this is too personal of a comment, but I’ve always wondered about how you 2 make your schedules mesh.
Awesome post, Matt! Have you considered your own food blog? 😆
SO I know this post is from FOREVER ago… but I looooved reading about a “day in the life of” Matt! Well, I guess “previous life” is more like it. Y’all sure have moved on up!!
PS. isn’t blogging so neat?! It’s like a scrapbook…all neat and organized and easily accessible. Love it! squeeeee!