Aliment: WIAW: Eating and Exercising on Vacation -

Here we are again well into summer marked by Indepenence Day -

Happy 4th of July!

Each Wednesday Tamar and I alternate sharing our meals, thoughts on food, recipes and more all courtesy of Jenn from the blog Peas and Crayons. For more on WIAW click here, for artfully crafted food check out P & TY- recipes. This month's focus is Food and Fitness which to me go together like peas and, well, crayons, I mean carrots.

Eating at home and eating away from home, especially for any period of time are two entirely different animals, especially when you don't eat animals. Though in recent years there is far more vegetarian fare at many restaurants. But now that I've taken my healthful veggie eating beyond french fries and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (though I still enjoy both from time to time.) Lately I've concentrating on clean, lean and green, minimizing processed food and maximizing whole grains, vegetables and protein. Don't get me wrong I still eat treats, but they are just that. Treats. But while vacationing nearly every day feels like a day worthy a treat or two so here I will share how I balanced what feels best for my body and mind as well as indulging and taking pleasure in what I eat.

Since away from the convenience of my kitchen, I forwent my usual breakfast (GASP!!) and ate a deconstructed version involving: coconut water (in place of almond milk,) a Pure nutrition bar (stashed a few from home - in place of Ezekiel) and some fresh blueberries and a banana.

For lunch we I had a sesame seed bagel sandwich consisting of lettuce, tomato, shredded carrot, sliced peppers, hummus and cheddar cheese. Plus some green grapes. No photo. For some reason this trip I wasn't the usual, "Say Cheese" mom at every turn. But finally by the end of the day I returned to my photo taking roots and got a snap of dinner.

I gave in and had a veggie burger with banana peppers, lettuce and tomato and sweet potato fries on the side...the burger was a bit dry, but the fries more than made up for it with all their greasy goodness. YUM! Though I wasn't sure what the white sauce was all about? Tasted kind of like tartar sauce.

At three different places I spied GIANT peanut butter cookies...and at three different places, I BOUGHT a giant peanut butter cookie and I may have shared a crumb or two of the cookie, the size of my head, but that was it. Each While the kids enjoyed their ice cream cones and whoopie pies, I ate my cookie. Each one was unique: one was soft and chewy, one was crunchy and crumby and the third, miraculously, was a combination of the two. Why oh why didn't I document this?

As for the exercise I did to justify what amounted to an entire batch of cookies, I went running, did lots of walking and swam in the ocean each day on my trip, this day in particular called for me swimming from shore...to boat...(there was a tender to bring me out, but who doesn't love the frigid Atlantic!?!)