what's good around the web + weekly meal plan

Bonjour from Paris! I hope you've all got fun weekends planned - mind will be filled with baguettes and croissants and fromage, oh my!

We get home from Paris on Monday evening, and I'm sure we'll be in need of a nice big salad then! I'm not sure if we'll have the time or energy for lunch packing on Monday night, so I'm planning on having the last portion of lentil shepherd's pie from my freezer for lunch on Tuesday. Then I'm hoping I can throw together a quick and nourishing quinoa and veggie stir to pack for the remaining lunches next week. Since we won't have any weekend leftovers for our Tuesday dinner, it'll be soup from the freezer for dinner that night. We usually make soup on Sundays, and always have at least a couple of kinds on standby in the freezer. I know for sure there's some of this lovely cauliflower and pea soup, which has been calling my name.

Next week I know I've got a couple of annoying days at work with a zillion meetings which means I won't be able to get out for a swim at lunch, so I'm planning to eat on the light side those days, hence the green smoothies for breakfast (this is my current fave) and no mid-morning overnight oats. Then on Friday the husband is leaving for an overseas business trip, which means I get the house to myself for a whole week! I'll be celebrating with a single lady supper (I'm thinking grilled cheese with pickled jalapeños up in) and as many episodes of Grey's Anatomy as I can get through.

On to the links!

1. Stop Demonizing Almonds! Apparently California almond production is under scrutiny with the new water restrictions, but the situation isn't so simple.

2. Also, Nuts are a Nutritional Powerhouse.

3. Warning - American snack food looks healthier all the time, but it really isn't.

4. Is baby food creating fussy eaters?

5. I'd like to start off by asking for a respectful dialogue around these last two articles. Both are interesting, thoughtfully written, and worth your time. As a nutrition professional and obesity researcher, I always strive to walk the line between a vested interest in both science and public health, and being a size-positive voice. It's an evolving area of research and one that I find equally blurry and fascinating. In The Weight of the Evidence the question of whether or not overweight individuals should be pressured to diet is explored. Although I do take issue with some of the commentary regarding the validity of obesity research, in general I agree with what is stated here and firmly believe that healthy exists at any size. The other, The Problem with Fat Talk explores the issues surrounding conversational body shaming (often self-shaming) and how we need to change the dialogue around our bodies. Thanks to Gena for bringing both of these brilliant articles to my attention.