Back on Track Wheat Berries and Chickpea Salad…Eat.Live.Be. for a Better 2011!

Everyone always says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Not to go against six thousand years of research.  But I’m a rabble-rouser.  This is what I do.

And so I maintain that, yeah, breakfast is important.  But lunch?  Lunch is totally the new breakfast.

You see, for me at least, breakfast is easy.  I eat the same thing every day.  There’s no temptation or choice involved.  It is what it is.  Breakfast.  Just eat it and eat it well, and you’ll be good to go.

But lunch, on the other hand?  Lunch can be a breaking point.  It can make or break your whole day.

It’s that critical moment where you’ve been working for a few hours, or sitting in class, or sitting in your bed watching 5 hours of lecture, or just come home from a 20 mile run.  And you’re hungry and tired and it would be so easy to just order something in, or hit up the vending machine, or eat ice cream out of the container.

And, I don’t know about you guys, but once I mess up for the day, it’s all over for the next 24 hours.  I am terrible at bouncing back and saying, “Okay, well, this meal was a disaster but the next one is going to be a nutritional rock star!”  Oh no.  Usually what happens is that the guilt invades ever fiber of my being and convinces me that I’ve done such a terrible thing to my body that I should follow it up with more terrible things.  Because…that makes sense.

I know this is a bad way to think. I’m trying to get it in check.  But till I do…it’s better to just have a lunch plan.  One that involves lots of fruits and veggies and color and whole grains.  So that I’ll feel so good about what I ate for lunch that I’ll be motivated to keep at it for the rest of the day.  Like I said.  More hinges on that midday meal than you think.  Be prepared.

I knew this salad was a keeper when I ate it the night before my 20 mile run.  And then rocked it.  My calves were virtually pain free.  And I ran the 20 miles faster than I ran my 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 mile runs.  Which is unheard of.  Sure there were a few mental blocks along the way, but I chose to run a 15K (9.3 mile) race in the middle of it to raise money for colon cancer, which kept me motivated.  There’s something about racing that puts me into this zone where pain doesn’t exist (well, most of the time.  Unless your two pelvic stress fractures decide that they’ve had enough and finally decide to give way…yeah.  That wasn’t a fun race.), time is inconsequential, and I lose all sense of who I am or what is going on. I just run.  It’s kind of like euphoria or what I imagine being on heroin must feel like.  A runner’s high. Literally.

And then I also ate this salad after the 20 mile run. With an avocado mixed in.  Yup.  An avocado.  A whole avocado.  Gotta eat back those calories somehow!  Which is also proof that this salad is totally versatile.  Whatever veggies you have, just throw em in!  And then relish in how many vitamins and minerals you’ve practically injected into your body.  Yeah, you’re virtuous.  And you know it.

What is your favorite way to stay on track during lunch?  Feel free to write about it on your blog and link up here, or leave a message in the comments!

And check out what the other Eat.Live.Be-ers eat for lunch every day!

• Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Cate from Sweetnicks
• Chris Arpante – Melecotte
• Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
• Claire – Cooking is Medicine
• Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations

Back on Track Wheat Berry and Chickpea Salad
Serves 6, adapted from Oh She Glows

1 cup dry wheat berries, cooked and drained
2 cups chickpeas (or any bean of your choice!)
1 zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh parsley, diced
4 scallions, diced
Arugula/spinach/spring greens
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp tamari or soy saucce
2 tbsp lemon juice

1. In a medium bowl, soak the raw wheat berries overnight in cold water.  The next day, drain them and cook them in a medium-sized pot, covered in three inches of salted water.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium, simmering for 1 hour.  Drain and cool.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the diced veggies (zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, scallions).  Add in beans and stir.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Set aside.

4. When the wheat berries are ready, drain and rinse and then stir into salad.  Add the dressing just before serving and toss well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve on a bed of greens of your choice!

I am submitting this to:
Meatless Mondays hosted by Chaya of Sweet and Savory
Maniac Meatless Mondays hosted by Rebecca Jean of Midnight Maniac
Souper Sundays hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen
The Hearth and Soul Blog Hop