What I Eat Everyday
I’m taking a break from delivering a meat-free recipe this Meatless Monday by answering one of the most common questions I receive as a nutrition grad student: “What do you eat?”
To be honest, my meals are not as elaborate, well thought-out, as you might think, but one thing is for sure…I am consistent!
In my (humble) opinion, consistency is KEY when it comes to a well-balanced diet. If you have go-to meals, snacks, and dining out options that you trust, make your body feel good, and are easily accessible, healthy eating isn’t so hard after all.
Since I’m meat-free nearly everyday (with the addition of fish on some non-Mondays), I figured today is as great of a day as any to share with you my favorites eats! While no two days are exactly the same with my varied schedule, here’s what a typical day-in-the-life [FOOD-wise] looks like for me. For more day-to-day updates, be sure to follow me on Instagram!
{All pictures have been taken with my phone.}
Here’s what I eat everyday…
6:30-7:30 am — Wake up, good morning! First thing’s first, I guzzle my iced coffee — black! I’m a sucker for Starbucks unsweetened iced coffee, so instead of paying almost $3 everyday, I typically brew a large pot at the beginning of the week to enjoy in the comfort of my own home. But below, a treat…
8:30 am — Breakfast! I start everyday with fruit for the energy and fiber, plus I look forward to eating it! Typically on the weekends I’ll eat eggs, but weekdays, it’s always fruit with some form of seeds [for protein]. Lately, I’ve been loving Food for Life Baking Company’s Ezekiel bread that provides 4 grams of protein per slice with sunflower seed butter, fruit (instead of sugary jam) with chia seeds!
Or sometimes I start my day with a green smoothie…YUM! Find the recipe here!
11 am — Snack time…sometimes! On days I wake up on the earlier side I usually need a snack by 10:30-11 am. Other days I skip a mid-morning snack.
1 pm — Lunch! Chopped salads call my name for lunch. I fill my plate with a hodge podge of leftovers, food prep staples (check back next week!), and veggies (duh!). I always make sure to include fiber + protein + healthy fats. On really great days, I have a leftover bean burger (those are the best days!) or I eat blog “experiments.”
4-5 pm — Snack time! I try to eat something (~200-250 calories) every 4-ish hours to keep my metabolism from crashing and prevent getting so hungry that I’m ravenous later. What I eat depends on what I ate earlier in the day, if I’m fitting a workout in, or how late I have class. Sometimes it’s ants on a log or chopped veggies with edamame or air-popped popcorn.
Other days it’s more substantial like avocado toast…
8 pm — Dinner. My least favorite meal of the day is usually centered around VEGGIES! I don’t like going to bed on a full stomach so I typically try to keep my dinner light. Tons of veggies fill me up, but by the time I get into bed I’m not stuffed! Lately, it’s been a big bowl of soup, spaghetti squash or ZOODLES…
Oodles and oodles of zoodles!
10 pm — Bedtime snack. I’m usually not hungry, per se, before bed, but desire something. To keep the calorie count low this late at night, I love munching on grapes (they’re SO filling so I don’t consume too many) or a silky smooth piece of dark chocolate.
Lately, however, with this cold weather joining us in New York, I’ve been comforted by a mug of hot cocoa!
If you are actually hungry for a snack before bed, my best scientifically-proven advice is a combination of complex carbs and protein. Try a couple of whole grain crackers with nut butter and you’ll be counting sheep in no time!
11 pm — Time for bed…goodnight!
I hope this answered plenty of questions that many of you have had over the past few months and gave you some #MeatlessMonday meal and snack ideas! Of course, every day is different, and what I eat varies with my appetite, activity level, and what I have on hand.
As always, nothing written here is intended to diagnose or treat any medical conditions. Please consult with your personal physician or registered dietitian if you want a meal plan tailored to fit your needs.
Have a great week!
XO