If I had a dollar for all the times I turned to nachos for meals in the past five weeks I’d have a down payment on a Prius.
But it’s a new week and with my new goals in mind, I’ve started making meals (and, thankfully, worshiping vegetables again).
So without further ado, a day of my (recent) eats:
Breakfast
I’ve downsized my usual breakfast sandwich into an English muffin – it fills me up just the same as a bagel (thanks, protein!) but makes me feel less guilty about the half and half I need (yes, need) in my coffee.
1 egg, 2 tablespoons egg whites, bell peppers, onions, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and onion powder on an English muffin. It ain’t pretty but it sits in my stomach like a cheesy, delicious rock, so I go with it.
Lunch
I had a day off yesterday before I started my new job, so lunch was spent at home. My mom and I split a pizza from Trader Joe’s: spinach, feta and mozzarella with greens on the side. Dressing is easy as pie: TJ’s balsamic glaze + olive oil.
In the afternoon I went to my first hot yoga class. Spoiler alert: hot yoga is hard.
Between the heat and my general distaste for water/addiction to coffee, this was no picnic. I had to take a few breaks just to wipe my mat down and guzzle water. Now, let’s call a spade a spade: this was no typical ashtanga session. It was a Sahara bootcamp. 100 degrees of slippery mats and sumo squats. Needless to say I was lightheaded and gasping for air like a fish out of water, but about twenty minutes after I left the building my body was overcome by the inevitable high that can only come from exercise and I basically floated home. Beautiful session, beautiful afternoon.
Snacks
An unpictured Larabar. Exciting stuff, I know.
Dinner
Once I was back in the burbs I was about ready to eat my hand. I knew I wanted veggies, as many as I could possibly shovel into my mouth, so I drove straight for the motherland: Portillos.
Good things come to those who wait (and yes, the line is always this long). This is, by far, the biggest thing non-Chicagoans are missing out on. Italian beef, Chicago hot dogs, cheese fries (ooooh the cheese fries), chocolate cake shakes, and the chopped salad. If you locked me in a Portillos for 30 years I wouldn’t even be mad.
Oh my goodness – the closeup is what really does this salad justice. And just so you don’t think I’m too healthy, they serve their salads with a huge chunk of bread which I quickly slathered with butter and demolished. It was all gone in less than 20 minutes and I spent the next thirty lying on the couch in a glorious food coma. Hot yoga makes you hungry, apparently. Or any activity besides Netflix, I guess.
Dessert
Be still my heart.
Question:
- If you’ve ever visited, did you try Portillos? Have you ever heard of it?
- What have you been craving this week? Let’s talk food! It’s been too long 🙂
i had a big lunch 
I would love to get my hands on some Portillos, but I feel like it wouldn’t go so well in the tummy. SO GLAD YOU ARE A CPYer. That means all the yoga for us. ALL THE YOGA. I have seriously just been putting anything and everything in my mouth (TWSS?), I’m sure because of running. 16+ miles will do that to you. Who would have thought? It’s weird though, I’m not really CRAVING anything. It it just kind of, I dunno. ALLTHEFOOD.
Per Usual.
Well I actually just went there for a free class through my employer (can you guess where it is yet?!) I did the Yoga Sculpt class and it kicked my butt. GAH if I can ever run 16 miles straight I will eat so much my mouth will never fully close – no joke. You are a BEAST!
I have wanted to try hot yoga for soooo long but need someone to go with! Would totally jump on a plane and join you if I could – and we would have to go to portillos for dinner! 🙂
So many reasons for you to hop on a plane and get here haha just add this to the list!
Never heard of Portillos. Let’s add it to the list! I couldn’t sleep last night, so I started watching vlogs on YouTube. Someone got donut holes, and I immediately wanted them, so I got them for breakfast this morning. Delicious! I am also craving Indian food, but that’s a constant for me.
So many places on the list for when you get here haha but Portillos is quick so it’s not a huge commitment 🙂 I’ve actually never had Indian food (idk but I think I won’t like it?) so that’s on my bucket list!
Caprese!! I am going to make some in the next week all because of you 😉
Aw I’m honored. Caprese runs my life in the hot summer months 🙂
Hot yoga is challenging but I love it! I’ve only been to hot vanyasa so I’m not sure about any other styles, but that it tough enough for me!
See that sounds amazing and very therapeutic – hot yoga sculpt was great but when I hear “yoga” I don’t expect that much intensity!
I AM ALLLLLL ABOUT that chopped salad – OH HECK YES!!! 😀 😀
It’s a GIANT bowl of pure goodness 🙂
I misread this post title…I thought it was about portobello mushrooms lol- and was like…Lauren likes mushrooms? Where’s the Mexican?!
Hot Yoga IS punishment…seriously.
Mushrooms and I DO NOT get along!
The mostaccioli at Portillos. That bread. NOM.
Honestly, yoga of any kind seems too hard… my weak wrists and upper body wouldn’t be a huge fan. Hot yoga just seems like torture. Drink more water!!!!!!
That’s on my list of goals lol and what’s better than a giant free hunk of bread with your meal? Nothing – except maybe the chocolate cake
Um I need to visit Portillos. Right now. This looks so good!!
Chicken + cheese + veggies + bread = heaven
Portillossssssss! Love love love. I always try to get the healthiest meal there I can, because, unless I’m feeling seriously ill or it’s Lent, I ALWAYS get a cake shake when I go to Portillos. Always. My coworkers make fun of me for it when we all go there for lunch (which doesn’t happen very often, but usually a couple times per year). It’s just so good! Cake AND ice cream all in one! One of these days I’m going to have just get a slice of their cake, because I’ve never had it plain. But those cake shakes, man…. So, so good.
CorePower! Aw, I miss CorePower. I went for five weeks but then my free membership ran out and my money tree is dead, so no more CorePower for me 😦 I had a teacher I really liked there and I get sad on Thursdays knowing she’s teaching class and I’m not there, because she was the bomb. Oh well 😦 If you ever get the chance to go back again, I’d check out a CP1 class. They’re not very heated (80-85 degrees, I believe) and WAY more doable imo. I could barely handle a CP1.5 class which is only a little heated (90 degrees?), so I can only imagine how insane your class must have been.
That Shake is downright sinful it’s so so good. Yeah those classes sound like a better place to start than mine haha
The words chocolate cake shake are almost enough for me to book an impromptu trip to Chicago. Obsessed. It’s been years since I’ve had one. And honestly, that’s way too long.
It’s definitely an art and they’ve mastered it!
Oh I LOVE the protillo’s chop salad! I always struggle trying not to eat the entire muffin that comes with it. And that dressing…ahh! Perhaps that will be dinner tonight : ) I love hot yoga but it definitely takes time to get used to it. Invest in a yoga towel (Marshalls has some awesome ones) and enjoy!
That’s a GREAT idea – I was slipping and sliding in my own sweat lol (TMI?)
That is the WORST feeling!
never heard of Portillos and never done hot yoga…i feel like i want to WANT to try it, but the sweating all over myself with other people around me doesn’t reallllly appeal to me too much. maybe i’ll make it one day. craving this week, hmmm…welp i think i’ve had more wine than anything else, sadly, so let’s go with that.
I’ve been drinking wine like water lately too! haha. And honestly the hard part isn’t the sweating it’s the breathing – the air gets so thick! You leave feeling totally rejuvenated though so there are pros/cons. Definitely worth a try!
Ohh man, all this food looks so legit. I have never even heard of Portillos, HA!
The chopped salad is what dreams are made of. Easily recreate-able though I’m sure!