I’ve been running since I was in 7th grade. I’ve been into healthy eating and general fitness just as long. My mom got me a subscription for Fitness magazine, followed by Shape magazine and my dad fittingly subscribed to Runner’s World magazine. We had books on healthy diets and exercise. I learned the old food pyramid in school. I also watched a lot of morning exercise shows and informercials. I knew I was on a healthy living quest for the rest of my life. Still, I grew up mostly on rural Ohio staples: meat, white potatoes, white pasta (for my running family).
Me as a little 7th grader starting a mile race on our stone track! Check out those paw-print socks and school-color-matching shoes!
In college, I started thinking more about diet. Not the way many people thought about diet like “going on a diet” or “losing weight” or “taking away” foods. I started thinking about what I put into my body on a daily basis. I decided to start buying organic produce, adding more fruits and veggies in general, and dropping cow’s milk (after becoming lactose intolerant). At the time, I started drinking Silk Soy Milk.
Here I am in college, when I was still eating burgers quite often. This particular burger was from In-N-Out Burger.
After college, I moved to Seattle. I started dropping meat from my diet. I also started physically feeling better than ever. I lost about 10 pounds. When I started dropping meat, I added all sorts of new foods like tofu, tempeh, seitan, quinoa, barley, avocados, sweet potatoes, spinach – things I eat almost daily now and can’t imagine my life without!
Every year, I pick up a few new foods to try. My favorite new finds in 2012 were delicata squash and almond milk. I heard of delicata squash through my CSA (community supported agriculture) share and I can’t believe I lived without it all these years! I heard of almond milk a few years ago, but was always too scared to try it. Milk… made from almonds? For some reason, I didn’t have the same reservations about soy milk, maybe because I heard about it first and knew people who drank it. I didn’t know anyone at the time who drank almond milk. It just seemed strange.
One day in early 2012, for some reason, I decided to try Silk PureAlmond Original. I think it was because I saw a coupon in the Sunday newspaper. It sat in the refrigerator for a few days. I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I ended up using it in a post-run smoothie, combining with frozen banana, almond butter and cinnamon and I was hooked! The stuff was delicious! I started buying it weekly.
Just a few months ago, I realized there was an unsweetened version of the Silk PureAlmond so I decided to try it. It has just half the calories of the original (just 30 calories per serving). The transition was seamless. I didn’t notice any difference in my recipes. Score!
If you are somewhat new to almond milk like me, Silk has a “Rethink What You Drink” campaign going on right now on their Facebook page. You will find 30 awesome recipes (including some overnight breakfast ideas that are really easy and tasty!) by 30 bloggers, using the 30 calorie Silk PureAlmond! My favorite recipes are the breakfast ideas and the smoothies. You know I drink a smoothie every day!
Speaking of amazing smoothies and recipes, I HIT THE JACKPOT with smoothie creation yesterday. I can easily say this is the best smoothie I’ve ever made. And it was easy! Here’s a rough recipe. I recommend you try this at home:
Blow My Mind Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- 1 cup Silk PureAlmond
- 1/2 cup fresh cut pineapple
- 1/2 cup fresh red grapes
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1/2 of a 12 oz bag of frozen strawberries
Hey, Jen!!
I just started drinking almond milk a couple of days ago myself! What a coincidence! I actually made the same smoothie, but with blueberries instead of strawberries. It was delicious! I am actually a huuuuuuuuge milk fan, and it’s going to be EXTREMELY hard giving up dairy, but I think I may have some celiac-related allergies to it, so I’m trying an elimination diet.
Are you still not eating meat? I’d love to learn more about some of those alternatives that you mentioned, maybe some recipes you could recommend. I don’t think I could ever give up meat, but I would love to try some new things!
Take care!
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne! Yes, we make similar blueberry smoothies as well! SO GOOD! In college before I developed lactose intolerance, I would drink 3 glasses of milk with breakfast and 3 more with dinner! I loved it too. I’m not sure how I gave it up so easily. Maybe because it caused such severe pain when my body couldn’t handle it anymore. I still have a hard time giving up cheese because it only bothers my stomach when I’m training really hard, long distances… I hope to someday eliminate it completely.
I eat meat occasionally, but I don’t cook it at home. With the meat alternatives, I keep it VERY simple. I don’t do many complicated recipes. Oil + pan + meat alternative. Use in stirfry! People do much more complicated things and I’ve had awesome sandwiches at restaurants made with all three. But… I keep it simple and lazy at home!
I hope you get your stomach issues cleared up. I know you’ve been working on it for awhile. Your bread making pics were cute.
Your husband is funny taking the booty pic. 
I love your smoothie idea! YUMMMM, almond milk!
I grew up in TN so I know what you are talking about re: growing up diet. My family now is all weirded out when I by almond milk or coconut milk when I’m at home. They also can’t believe it because I was such a picky eater when I was little and now I’m anything but (well, mostly).
Yep, I’m trying to convert my family into different eating habits, Meggie! I was so proud when my mom started buying hummus. 😉
I also love almond milk! Unsweetened regular or vanilla. The unsweetened vanilla can be hard to find sometimes. I have recently done 30 days non-dairy but went back to greek yogurt for breakfast bc I haven’t been able to find a high protein, keep me full til lunch non-dairy breakfast. I like eggs but not every morning. Too many carbs haven’t been sitting well with my stomach. Awesome you’re trying new things! I’m making yellow curry tofu stir fry tonight. My husband is a little nervous:)
I know what you mean, Lisa! It’s hard to find a breakfast that fills me up! I usually have 300-400 calories an hour before I run, then eat another breakfast after… How was the yellow curry tofu stir fry? Sounds great!
I have never liked milk but loved milk products cottage cheese especially. I started a new diet or rather lifestyle change about 4-5months ago. I no longer eat any dairy, gluten, or sugar except in fruit or organic raw honey. I only lost around 20lbs but feel 100 percent better. I even was able to stop taking 2 daily medications for stomach and bowel problems! Anyway I got addicted to tofu smoothies for breakfast. I used silkin tofu, berries(they are have a low glycemic index and happen to be my favorite), ice, and unsweetend almond/coconut milk. Still only 30 calories a serving I just liked the taste better!
Any good quinoa recipies? I love it just have never made it myself.
Awww Rach so proud of you! I remember eating slices of cheese at your house when we were younger. haha!
It was really good! 20lbs is a huge accomplishment! I had no idea you made all those changes. That’s awesome that you could stop the medications with diet changes. It all makes sense though.
I keep all my recipes REALLY simple. With quinoa, I just follow package instructions for cooking then top it with veggies/tofu in a soy sauce marinade. I usually top that off with avocado! I think it’s great that way!
Honestly, I love almond milk and Silk’s version is so delicious! Thanks for the tip about their “Rethink What you Drink” campaign!
I love almond milk! Especially in smoothies (and lattes). I’m going to have to try adding some almond butter to mine too. I usually just throw in whatever fruit I happen to have along with some chia seeds for extra omega 3s, fiber, antioxidants, iron, calcium, magnesium, etc….
Yes Heather, that’s what I love about smoothies! I just like to throw in whatever fruits I have laying around! They always turn out delicious!
My husband LOVES almond milk. His morning smoothie is made of almond milk, peanut butter, frozen banana, and a handful of spinich). It is easy and healthy!
Yes, smoothies are so easy and good! The worst part is cleaning the blender and now I just rinse and throw it in the dishwasher!
Almond milk saved my morning energy lows. I used to drink Silk Soy Vanilla and felt crappy at 11AM everyday on the dot. Almond milk stopped all that! Glad you found it too.
Very interesting about the energy levels! I feel great during the day now too! Never connected the two!
Almond milk is all my family will drink! My kids hate cow’s milk. I use almond milk in my smoothie every morning
I had a similar diet transformation as you, but during my pregnancies I started eating chicken and turkey and somehow was able to tolerate dairy again! So weird 
My daughter hates cows milk too! Her doctor said that’s fine. I was relieved. So many docs are kind of old school… That’s crazy that you were able to tolerate milk again! My body seems to reject it more every year…
I LOVE almond milk. I use it in place of milk all the time but my absolute favorite way to eat it is as follows:
2 frozen bananas
1/2 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
Blend together in the Vitamix and it is the perfect, yummy, fabulous dessert for everyone in the family! Not sure if it would work in a regular blender, though, as it is as thick as ice cream (or soft-serve ice cream). Soooo good!!
Oh yum! What a GREAT dessert idea! Thanks!
I LOVE old track photos! hahaha I need to post some of mine, I have some doooozies! I also had the same spikes for XC but mine were blue & black
I also love Silk Almond buuuuuuut I but the the healthiest flavor, the dark chocolate hahaha 😉
I should try the dark chocolate 😉
I drink alpro soya almond milk, but I usually go half-and-half with soy milk. Almond milk tastes better, but is relatively low in protein. They also do a “hazelnut drink” over here, which is similar in terms of protein and calories as almond milk (although sweetened), but is nice as a post-run recovery drink, or mixed with chocolate soya milk.
I just found your blog through Jason on twitter. I’m really excited to keep reading (I live and work in Oswego, NY at the college). I love the unsweetened almond milk, because of how much calcium it packs. As a runner too, I strive on getting a ton. I normally make smoothies with it as well. Anyways-can’t wait to keep reading!
Hi Hollie! Glad we found each other! Jason brings the whole world together! 😉
I’ve been through so many diet transformations. I grew up not eating unhealthy, but not eating healthy (if that makes sense). In college, I started watching what I was eating and eventually eliminated all meat from my diet. I immediately lost some weight. I felt great and found that I was running faster.
I didn’t eat meat for years. When I was pregnant with my first son, one night I had this indescribable desire for a steak – crazy, I know. We had steak that night and I’ve been eating it since (almost 2 1/2 yrs).
I’ve never tried almond milk before but am definitely intrigued and will have to try some the next time I go food shopping (after Nemo leaves us) =)
Hope you have a great weekend!