Shalita Grant:
Shalita Grant is an actress on NCIS New Orleans. She lives by the motto, “Eat to fuel your body, not to stuff your feelings” . She can “nail a stunt, because her body is dope!”. And just take a look, it is dope.
Hydration: 6 - 8 bottles of water (that’s 12-16 glasses!!) plus a 16 oz. Kampuchea.
Breakfast: Omelet
This omelet was freaking delicious! And it was a proper portion.
This is a two-egg omelet with a 1/4 cup of sautéed kale, cooked in olive oil and seasoned with salt. Bless her heart, a star who finally seasons her food! I guess all that time filming in New Orleans must have had an effect on her.
I was a little worried about how this would come out because I had to photograph it, but I was happy with the result. Not all omelet attempts are a success.
First I sautéed the kale and set that aside, so my pan was good and hot when I added the eggs and kale. I believe the key to a successful omelet is a hot pan, and to my delight, it worked.
A good breakfast really can change your outlook on the day.
I have to up my water game today. I am sure filming in New Orleans keeps her thirsty and needing plenty of hydration!
Snack: Yogurt with Blueberries and Granola
This was the perfect little snack at the perfect little time. It is a half cup of plain low-fat yogurt with a 1/4 cup each of blueberries and granola.
If I had to change anything, I would drizzle a little agave nectar on it for some sweetness, but I loved the texture, especially the crunch of the granola. A 1/4 cup granola is more than you think. I thought it would be gimp, but it wasn’t.
I like how this girl eats! It’s been a great eating day so far.
Lunch: Salad
Look how beautiful this salad is!! This consist of 1/2 cup of black beans, 1/4 cup of white rice, 1/4 cup of diced cucumber, 1/4 cup of diced red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon of white onion, fresh herbs, (basil, thyme, mint and chives....it’s what I have in my garden), dressed with 1 tablespoon each apple cider vinegar and olive oil. It’s seasoned with salt and pepper.
It is both pretty and delicious! I didn’t think a quarter cup of this and a quarter cup of that would add up to much, but it was the perfect portion.
To drink: Kambucha. I have never been a kambucha fan, so I chose one that had the most flavor. This one had raspberry, lemon and ginger in it. I thought you were supposed to shake it before drinking. It exploded like a soda. Luckily, I didn’t lose that much or make a big mess. Upon closer inspection, in very small print, it says, “Do not shake before opening”. Oops.
This kambucha was actually very tasty, and I managed to drink all of it with lunch.
Snack: Kimchi
This is a 1/4 of a cup of kimchi, and was an odd and weirdly delicious snack.
For those of you who are not familiar with kimchi, it is fermented cabbage. It is a staple of Korean cuisine. (It can actually refer to any fermented vegetables, but in America, we associate it with fermented cabbage). If you were buy kimchi at the store, you would get cabbage. I have not actually seen any other type of kimchi for sale.
Although I like kimchi, I would never think to just grab some from a jar as a snack. I have had kimchi plenty of times, but always as an accompaniment to a dish. It’s supposed to be super healthy for you. It is said to aid in everything from good gut bacteria to lowering your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Dinner: Seared Tofu with Buckwheat Soba Noodles
This may look delicious, and without the tofu it would have been. Why the hell do people eat that stuff? Seriously, is didn’t taste like anything. People say it tastes like cardboard, but at least cardboard tastes like cardboard. This didn’t taste like anything. Totally bland. And the bitch of it is, it would have been a great dish, minus the tofu.
This meal is a 1/2 cup or buckwheat soba noodles with bok choy, Chinese eggplant, enoki mushrooms and 6 oz. of tofu. It is tossed with tamari, (which is a type of soy sauce), and red pepper flakes
I would have GLADLY given up the tofu for more of EVERYTHING ELSE. Husband hated the tofu so much he picked it out and fed it to Dog. Dog, by the way, had no complaints whatsoever, and happily gobbled it up. I was, however, hungry, (not starving), for dinner and ate all of mine.
Dessert: 1-2 oz of artisanal chocolate
This is 1.5 oz. of 72% dark chocolate with sea salt and almonds.
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, even for chocolate, and would have happily given this up for wine with dinner. It was good, but just saying, wine would have been more satisfying.
What is the aversion to alcohol? I just don’t get it. FYI, myth busted......not drinking ANY alcohol does not help you sleep any better.
At the end of week one, I am still a firm believer in “everything in moderation”.
My verdict:
Shelita Grant defiantly was the clear winner this week! I did not starve at all. In fact, I was satisfied and sated all day. Her food was tasty, healthy and pretty.
Note: From People Magazine on-line, “I have a chef come in every day and prepare my meals,” the 4’11” actress, 28, told PEOPLE. “There is no way I could do the stunt work, stay up as late as I have to, or be outside in the heat if I’m eating poorly. That means I can’t eat craft services!”
Hmmmm.....at least she admits it. I am sure that Oprah and Julia are not preparing their meals either. And when you reach a certain star status, you can demand a chef and not have to eat from “craft services”, aka, “mass catering for the plebians on set”.
People Magazine Verdict:
Shalita has a very good gut diet. (Agreed!). She could add more whole grains to her diet. ( Even though I had an early dinner, I was happily satisfied with the amount of food and the portions. If I worked out like she does, I would probably want more whole grains, but I am not a star, and don’ t exercise like one.)
She get praise for snacking on sweet and savory superfood. (Agreed, although the kimchi was a little weird. I could have easily just had another yogurt.)
I managed to drink 12 glasses of water today!