A Vegetarian Coma
Since going vegetarian for Lent, I have been sleeping like a log! Basically, I can’t keep my eyes open passed 10 p.m. and I slip into this coma-like sleep state. I have no idea why, but I like it! Anyone ever hear of a vegetarian diet supporting good sleep?
I was looking forward to trying out another grainy breakfast. I got the inspiration from my Twitter friend, @NotJustCelery. She sent me the link to this Breakfast Quinoa. It sounded so great, I whipped it up first thing. The only change I made was to substitute unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze for the regular milk…
It was delicious!
Then, I was off to the gym. Why are so many people still there?! Everyone is doing a good job sticking with their New Year’s Resolutions 
I cranked out 40 minutes on the Arc Trainer while chatting with my friend, Coleen. She makes the torture less…well, torturous 
I ran a couple of errands in my stinkiness, then headed home to finish up my Examiner article. Before I knew it, hours had gone by and my stomach was screaming for some lunch!
And looky looky what I found…
Bagel Thins!!! I saw these a couple weeks back on TJ’s blog and I have been stalking the stores ever since.
I put it to work right away with a Cuban Black Bean Patty topped with cheese and a side of carrots and orange slices…
The Bagel Thin was bigger than an Arnold Sandwich Thin, soft and doughy. It was a nice alternative!
I did some house stuff in the afternoon, then got to making dinner. We have so many leftovers in the fridge right now! I’m trying my best to use everything up and not let anything go to waste. However, I like to eat different things all the time, so I need to change it up for myself or morph leftovers into something different.
For this dinner, I just tried to use up some of the veggies/herbs in the fridge that were about to go south to make Black Bean Burritos with Black Bean and Mango Salsa.
The burritos were filled with black beans, onions, orange bell pepper, leftover bruschetta topping, cumin and lime. To liven it up, I added a splash of new-to-me find. Say hello to my little friend…
Cholula is fab!!
I used La Tortilla Factory tortillas to wrap the filling and topped them with Cabot’s 75% reduced fat cheddar…
The Black Bean and Mango Salsa was just as easy. I combined black beans, chopped onion, 1 chopped mango, chopped orange bell pepper, cilantro, lime, a dash of cumin, s +p and 1 tsp. olive oil…
A delicious and very filling dinner!
I ended the night with a teensy bit of this…
Total- 23 POINTS
Thanks for the birthday wishes for big daughter!
Have a great day, everyone!
Questions? Email me! aloserforlife@gmail.com
26 comments
I’m a vegetarian but still have my sleepless nights. Nice thought though… And as for that breakfast quinoa , yum!
Bagel thins? Now THAT is a good idea!
Okay, Marisa, give it up. Where did you find the bagel thins????!!!! Been looking everywhere for them.!
Marisa Reply:
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:43 pm
I found them at Shop Rite and Target had them, too!
i’ve been scouring the stores for those bagel thins as well and so far no luck!!
and those burritos look SUPER yummy!!! MMMMmmm!!
PS My gym was empty this AM…evidently iowans aren’t at good at sticking w/their resolutions!
well i have gone TOTALLY vegetarian for Lent as well, and i DO sleep much better … someone said because protein from meat, is harder to digest, and your body is digesting at night, so that sometimes relays into not good sleep? i dont know…all i know is i sleep better…and i also ‘go’ better…if you know what i mean! ;o)
breakfast quinoa!! yay! a new recipe!
I’m a vegetarian and a gold star sleeper. I always thought it was the exercise that helped me sleep better than a lot of people I know. Maybe it’s my diet and my exercise?
I have seen the bagel thins but only the plain ones so didn’t get them as I’m holding out for the everything ones which look yum.
That salsa looks so good – wish my family would eat things like that cause I hate cooking seperate for us but seem to these days.
Better a veggie coma than a chocolate coma!!
Julia
http://juliasjourney-finallygettingfit.blogspot.com/
bagel thins sound awesome! Ditto to the breakfast quinoa. I tried this breakfast quinoa product one time called quinoa flakes and wasn’t a fan, but this looks amazing! Must true.
err, must TRY lol
hello lady lady! I wonder if you’ve added more carbs to your diet than usual which would make you sleepier? I can’t tell from your pictures so just something to consider. When i did my vegetarian for 10 days, I found myself eating way more carbs then i was used to.
What an interesting Lent giveup!! That’s dedication!
Vegetarian diet is usually easier on your digestive system. That’s the only reason I can think of.
I’m making Mexican Lasagna for dinner tonight. AND I have a perfect mango at home. I think I just found the best side dish ever!
Inspiring as usual. Of course, I crying over the bagel thins that are SHOCKINGLY not available in Canada. Go figger.
I could put Cholula on my shoes & be temped to take a bite. Love that stuff.
The only issue I’ve ever had with going veggie is that my energy levels are severely lowered. I sleep well yes, but I wouldn’t even have the energy to clean my house or exercise. As long as you are still ok in that area I’m sure you’re fine.
im jealous of those blueberries! they look so fresh and delicious!
and your dinner…i’ve been craving mango too! look at you with all those good fruits
i hear you on the leftovers…i just made a dinner plan for the rest of the week trying to keep in mind all the food i have in my fridge. otherwise, it just goes bad! i’m the worst…i always just want to cook whatever i’m in the “mood” for and forget about opened cans, containers, leftovers…
I’ve been looking all over for those Bagel Thins. My experiment with running over the regular ones with my car was a fiasco!
hahah i haven’t heard of vegetarian diets supporting sleep, but i’m guessing the increase in complex carbs in your diet must help!! I know carbs help sleep!!
OOOH those are adorable bagel thins. I have neither seen nor heard of them, but now i can say I saw it HERE first!!
Great job on keeping up the veggie girl stuff! I’ve got to try that Quinoa stuff…
I have been sleeping SO much better (except for last night,lol!) but I figured it was the weight loss in general, not really the vegetarian part. I want to try these bagel thins! I even wandered out of my Whole Foods to a normal grocery store and no luck in NYC
I love those bagel thins! Hard to find here still- I managed to snag a bag at Target last week.
I should eat what you are eating. I’ve been having some sleep issues… Plus, your food always looks & sounds so good!
Bagel thins sound good! I’ll have to see if I can find them….
I LOVE bagel thins – they’re awesome. And that salsa looks ridiculous!
Marisa, I suspect it’s your body reacting to the loss of all those sugars, processed starches, and the like. Someone else here said veggie doesn’t automatically mean better sleep – that’s true. I have fitful sleeps sometimes, and my husband’s been having insomnia for quite a while.
The thing you’ll probably notice as you replace processed foods with fresh is the way you feel in general. That bloated, too full, sick feeling melts away. You get a little more energy. Your skin looks a little perkier. You don’t ache so much.
It takes some time, but veggie can be a pretty nice switch.
I have been looking for those Bagel Thins, too! Jealous that you found them. And, i have never heard of veggies getting better sleep, but I’d like that side effect as well, please
I am so glad you mentioned the sleep thing! I’ve been veg for 2 weeks now, and I just mentioned on my blog how ridiculously tired I’ve been at night. I can’t keep my eyes open after 7-8pm. Glad to know it’s not just me, haha. Though I can’t keep going to sleep at 8pm and sleeping for 12 hours. I’m going to have to do some research and add something into my diet (food or vitamin) to help with this lower energy level.
When I saw the start of your post, I was excited because I have trouble sleeping. But then I remembered my try at going vegetarian. I had too much energy!!! I guess it’s different for everyone…?