Once I find something I like to eat that fits within my dietary requirements of the moment I lock-in. What I mean is I /can eat that same thing for weeks (even months) straight.

I guess my eating habits can resemble Steve Jobs’ drawer full of black sweaters. When I find something satisfying, healthy, and easy to prepare (and re-heat if needed), why look elsewhere?

The latest obsession for lunch, typically prepared post long run or bike ride, is the following dish:

Whole wheat (or buckwheat, brown rice, or lentil) pasta topped with hummus, nutty parm, crunchy veg, and sundried tomato.

First, you are probably wondering: Hummus on pasta?

Hell yes.

The piping hot pasta will melt the cool hummus enough to mix perfectly. Bonus points for using sundried tomato hummus, jalapeño hummus, white bean hummus, you get the idea, and double bonus points for making your own hummus (which I tend to do on the weekends for the week ahead).

Second, you saw “Nutty Parm” are were probably like, “Here we go, Nick is pushing some more of his hippie vegetarian vegan B.S. again”.

Hell yes.

But seriously, this is better than parmesan. I see you rolling your eyes. It’s cool. Ignore this game-changer if you want. It’s your loss.

The texture provided by the crunch of the processed nuts, along with the saltiness of the spices, tells parmesan “I’ll see your bet, and I’ll raise you +1000”. It simply can’t be beat.

Finally, the crunchy veg and sundried tomato might have jumped out as last-minute add-ons but don’t skip these.

Actually you can really ad-lib here with a whole assortment of things.

Adding (fresh) crunchy veg, really anything you have on hand, adds some cool texture. Add some salad greens, chopped tomatoes, or my favorite, carrots. Top it off with some tangy sundried tomatoes if you feel like it. I’ll even add in other leftovers like some of my leftover roasted beets and balsamic greens from the previous night.

Got nuts. No matter what, you got yourself an amazingly satisfying and healthy lunch.

Sorry parmesan, you’ve been replaced.