What I Eat In A Day
One thing that I always found to be confusing when I followed “meal plans” was: how many times should I eat a day. If you have ever followed meal plans, some will say you will eat 5 times a day and others 3 times a day. It took me years to figure out what truly worked for me. Want to know how I did that? I started listening to my body’s signals for what I needed and when I was hungry.
Since I am sharing what I typically eat in a day, it is important for you to keep in mind that this is my body and what works for me may not work for you. I encourage you to listen to your body and eat when you are hungry. I typically eat about 3 times a day (sometimes 4 if I am extra hungry). I know that this won’t be the situation for other people so if you need 5 meals a day to stay full and energized then please do that! This blog post is to give you some healthy food inspiration.
The guidelines that I follow
Below are the “rules” that I follow for guidance when I create my meals. I hate to call them rules because at this point in my life, making my meals the way that I do is like second nature.
I don’t count calories. I honestly never have counted calories. As long as your ingredients are real, whole foods (with ingredients you can pronounce) then calories aren’t something that you should be too strict about. I eat till I am full but comfortable and that is what matters to me.
I don’t count macros. I don’t have the time or energy to count my fat, carbohydrate or protein intake. I am all about portion sizing to what I think feels best. I like to fill my plate with lots of vegetables and leafy greens and 25% protein and some carbohydrates. I don’t worry about fat intake because I use a lot of fatty fish, avocado and avocado, coconut and olive oil for cooking.
I try to stick to carbohydrates before 3pm. (Things like fruit, red potatoes and brown rice). I don’t mind sweet potatoes after 3pm. i feel my best when I stop eating starches before 3 pm (my digestion loves it).
I include protein, fiber and fat with every meal, this will help to stabilize blood sugar levels.
I change up my vegetables for dinner every night. I do this so I don’t get bored and it is important to get a variety of different vitamins and nutrients.
No added sugar- If I do any sugar it is in the form of whole fruit and dates. Once in a while I will make cookies with coconut sugar or maple syrup, but I try to save that for a weekend.
My meals are mostly made of whole foods vs. packaged foods. If it is a very busy day or week we will do grain free/gluten free pasta, store bought dressings and sauces. For the most part, I make everything homemade from fresh vegetables, fruits, oils and herbs.
I don’t eat for weightless. I am eating to fuel my muscles, support brain health, keep my gut health in check and keep my hormones balanced- my main goals.
What A Typical Day Of Eating Looks Like
First things in the AM: Lemon and cayenne water. This will help to balance blood sugar levels throughout the day, boost metabolism and ease digestion. I freeze the juice of lemons at the beginning of the week. In the morning after I wake up and take my dog out, I will heat up water in a kettle and put 2 lemon cubes in a mug. I then add a dash of cayenne pepper to the mug. Then I fill my mug up halfway with room temperature water and the other half with boiling water (this is so it is the perfect temperature to drink right away and none of the essential enzymes from the lemon will be killed off in the process).
Breakfast: After my workout, I get my breakfast going. Option 1: 2 pasture raised eggs with kale and avocado. If I did an intense workout, I will add a side of a gluten free english muffin with avocado. Option 2: A smoothie or I will do a smoothie bowl and top it with homemade granola. The must haves for my smoothie are: nut milk, protein powder, chia seeds and collagen. I will either do a green smoothie with lots of kale, oats and peanut butter or I will do a berry smoothie.
Coffee or matcha: I most always do coffee! I love an iced coffee with macadamia nut milk or coconut milk. If I don’t do coffee (about once a week) I will do a matcha latte with macadamia nut milk or coconut milk.
Lunch: I can almost always be found with a salad for lunch. Lunch is usually my “raw food” meal. Dinner is always cooked in some way, so lunch is my time to get in some fresh raw goods. I always start with a base of dark leafy greens like kale and arugula. Next I start loading on the veggies (radishes, bell peppers, red onion, cabbage, micro greens, cucumber, etc.). Next I like to add protein (salmon, tuna or quinoa). Then I add a homemade dressing: avocado oil, dijon mustard and red wine vinegar. I love adding warm brown rice on top (about 1/2 cup). Then I like to either do a side of sauerkraut or add pickles to the salad (for digestive support). If I am slammed with work, I will do a side of mixed greens with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and then canned tuna with mayonnaise, pickles, sauerkraut and celery.
Water: I am usually still sipping on my coffee up until lunch time. Once lunch hits, I switch over to water. I really do love water, but to make it more enjoyable and so I drink more, I add lots of fruit. I love adding sliced cucumbers, lemons, limes, raspberry, strawberry, ginger and fresh mint.
Dinner: Dinner is never planned. We are always cooking up something different. A typical meal is a filet of fish, a bunch of mixed veggies sautéed with herbs and seasonings, and a side of sweet potato fries. That is our go to meal. A couple times a month (when we don’t feel like cooking) we do a pasta night which will be a gluten free and grain free pasta and red sauce with veggies or a gluten free/ grain free/ vegan lasagna with homemade vegan cashew ricotta (this is our favorite meal and it is a great meal prep meal- it makes for a dinner and 2 lunches). Once a week we do cod tacos with homemade gluten free/ grain free tortillas. I will either make a mango lime salsa or a simple coleslaw to put on top.
After dinner: I don’t snack after dinner. I either have kombucha or sparkling water.
Snacks: I don’t snack often. If I do snack, I will snack on seaweed chips, grain free and gluten free crackers or sliced veggies and hummus with sauerkraut. I mostly only snack on Saturday or Sunday but I try to keep it clean.
My top 3 tips for eating healthy during the week
Find 3 dinner recipes that you can make in under 30 minutes and make those your go-to’s. For me that is gluten free/grain free pasta or cauliflower rice with veggies and marinara, a veggie sauté with coconut aminos and a side of glazed salmon, cod tacos with homemade tortillas and a 5 minutes coleslaw.
Meal prep as much as you can. I meal prep a large batch of brown rice, coffee and freeze bananas for smoothies. This doesn’t sound like a lot but I promise every little bit helps to save time.
Be consistent. Creating healthy habits requires being consistent. I created my guidelines knowing that they were something that worked for me and my body, they were doable and they were something that I could habitually do. This could be as simple as not eating out during the week, or having your lemon water first thing when you wake up.
I can’t wait to hear your thought in the comments below!
