The Clean Eating Mama

It’s the weekend! Hope everyone is enjoying themselves! Me? Well… I am planning on going for a nice run, hopefully over 6 miles, BUT Seattle has yet to let the sun shine nor has it even let the rain stop. Looks like I might have to suck it up and get a little wet. Oh well – all in the life of a Seattleite.
I want to share another AMAZING salad I ate yesterday:
 

Big pieces of romaine, red onion, peas, garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts, toasted pumpkin and soy beans, orange bell pepper, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, EVOO and salt and pepper. I cannot stop eating these giant salads. Everyday I seem to crave them more and more! I remember I went through a time this winter that I didn’t even touch a salad – for weeks I was salad-less. =( But in the dead of winter when produce doesn’t look appealing all I wanted to do was warm up with a hot bowl of soup. I guess I am making up for my lack of salads the past few weeks.
 
Questions

How many calories do you eat on average?

Oh gosh – I really hate this question. I really have no idea how many calories I eat, nor do I really care (in a nice way =). I had struggled with counting calories and my weight for years. I was a slave to the calorie and fat content of every single piece of food that went into my mouth – it was a very low point in my life. When I started to eat clean, then vegetarian/vegan, I stopped worrying about my calorie intake because I knew the foods that I eat are healthy and wholesome. I still have will power, however, and eat very little extra sugar, like desserts. Pieces of dark chocolate curb my sweet tooth when I am in need of something sweet.
What I do know about my calorie intake is that I eat just right. My weight is steady, meaning I have not lost nor gained any weight in months. I am still very active; running 5 times a week and keep up with a toddler is a great workout! =) And with all of the avocado, EVOO and nuts I eat on a daily basis… I am not sure if I really want to know how many calories I am consuming! I have a hunch that I might freak out a little; even though I am in a much better mental state regarding food I know those thoughts are still there somewhere. For now I feel that ignorance is bliss.

I have run across some recipes that call from coconut oil. I do not like coconut–is there something I can use in place of it?

Oh wow – great question! I have never used coconut oil. It is one ingredient that has been on my grocery list for a while now but I haven’t splurged yet. I would have to see the recipe in order to give a good substitution but are they recipes that you can sub EVOO or grape seed oil for? I am going to have to open the floor up to my readers – any suggestions for this?
Thanks again for the questions! I love them!