La Petite Maison Verte: Creamy and Crunchy

Although I've been loving my protein-oatmeal bowls these last few mornings, I decided to change it up today. My breakfast this morning was a creamy and crunchy favorite:

1/2 cup 2% plain Fage greek yogurt (my favorite brand)
about 1/4 cup plain (unsweetened) shredded wheat
about 1/4 cup Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax granola
a few raw almonds
1 packet stevia, sprinkled over the whole delicious mess for a little sweetness

Satisfies the need for protein, fiber and CRUNCH!

Kinda beige...maybe I'll add some fruit for color next time! Berries are Beautiful!

Brian laughs when I'm rooting around in the kitchen for just the right snack/food and I declare: "I just need to crunch!"

In my post about intuitive eating and listening to your body, I mentioned how at least for me, my desire for certain food textures is often stronger than my craving for a particular food in general. This may sound silly but I love crunching. This could be dangerous because if I wasn't aware that I just needed to crunch on something, I might reach for chips or crackers, or something crunchy but unhealthy. Or worse, I might eat everything tasty-looking in sight until I find something crunchy that satisfies me. So now carrots, raw almonds, apple slices and dry cereal are often my favorite snacks when I'm in one of those moods.

As I've started to really pay attention to what it is my body wants at any given time, I have also noticed that I get tired of foods that are (to use a Food Network term) "one-note," especially in the texture or sweetness departments. While I love foods that are creamy: ice cream, pureed soups, yogurt, etc. I enjoy them so much more when they have some varying textures going on, or when I can alternate creamy bites with crunchy bites. For example: ice cream with toppings, soup with a slice of toasted bread on the side, yogurt with crunchy toppings (see above!). And not only do I enjoy the foods more, but I don't have to eat as much in order to feel satisfied.