Welcome to this new series: What A Nutritionist Eats In A Day! I’m actually really excited to share this. Before we get into this, I really want to make it clear that the point of this article is to a) inspire you to eat well b)give you ideas on what to eat and c) know that in the real world (read: not Instagram) eating well is pretty boring–which is actually really powerful. Sometimes it can be daunting to see so many beautiful pictures of food on social media–smoothie bowls with all the fixings, epic salads or large dinner spreads. It’s a lot. Even for me–and I come from a food styling background (so I know how much work it takes to create those spreads)!
But eating healthy can be simple. And so, so attainable. And I’m really hoping that’s what this series gets across.
I had initially debated about running this post, because I know how people feel about them. People feel like they can perpetuate disordered eating or make you feel like you’re not doing enough, working hard enough, trying hard enough to better yourself. And I completely understand that. And if you’re someone who is triggered by seeing what other people eat in a day, this post is not for you.
That being said, as someone who struggled with an eating disorder for years, these kind of posts actually really helped me out. I struggled with binging/purging, and would often be starving and I had no idea how to fix it. I didn’t know what to eat, and I felt lost and frustrated. Ps. If that resonates with you, check out this post: 6 Reasons you’re always hungry.
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Seeing what other people ate gave me a framework. I could look and be like, okay, here’s what to eat. I think my first exposure to this was in the forums or comments of blogs (like Mark’s Daily Apple) where people shared what they had eaten that day, because they were excited about their healthy choices. These posts became more popular and it was not uncommon to see them on large platforms: often in an interview format And seeing that people could eat so differently and still be healthy, also helped me breakdown certain food rules I had (like, all carbs are bad. Or before that: all fat is bad). To me, these posts, as simple as they are, were quite life-changing. Because they made me think critically about nutrition.
And they made me see there really was no magic formula. Food is food. (Just make sure it’sactually food)
So if you are someone who isn’t in a place to read about I’m eating without it making you feel bad about yourself–then please don’t. It’s not worth it.
But if you’re someone who maybe just feels lost when it comes to healthy eating, and just wants to see what other people are doing to get ideas? Then I think you’ll like this post! (Unless you were hoping it would be all avocado toast + smoothie bowls, in which case, you will be very disappointed.)
So with that out of the way, let’s dive in!
Breakfast
I actually don’t usually eat breakfast. I typically wake up at 6am, have coffee and start working until about 9:30, before going to the gym. I’ll work out and then come home and then work the rest of the day. So when I do eat, it’s usually around 10:30-11 am. At which point, I’ll often make a smoothie or have oatmeal.
But today, I had such a craving for peanut butter waffles (which was my favourite breakfast eons ago) when I woke up. So pictured here are two buckwheat waffles (these are from Nature’s Path), topped with natural peanut butter and some maple syrup, that I ate around 8:30am.
I don’t eat this often, because it’s very sweet. But every once in awhile you just need it, you know? Need some breakfast inspo? Check out this post: 15 Healthy Breakfasts To Eat Right Now!
Lunch
You might think I ate this in a dungeon, but no, alas, my phone camera is actually just brutal. But for my lunch which I ate around 12pm, I had this Harvest Bowl from Impact Kitchen. (Another fun fact: this was one of the first recipes I helped develop years ago!)
If I wasn’t eating at Impact (I was doing work there) I’d probably just make a salad at home using whatever is in my fridge. I’ll often just eat a mish-mash of things and call it a day. But since I was at work, I had this salad which has arugula, egg, apple, green onions, chicken and pickled celery root. It comes with quinoa, but I’ll often get it without and opt for extra greens instead.
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Snack
I had to go to work to sample some bone broth, so I did that from 12:30-2:30. Naturally I decided to have some broth. You can read about the benefits of bone broth/how to make it, and more updated post on the health benefits of collagen here. And then I was feeling snacky so I also had a paleo cookie (this guy is high in fibre from all the flax!).
Oh, and if you want to drink bone broth (and don’t want to make it), click below to order this awesome brand, Kettle + Fire. They make their broth with grass-fed beef and organic, free-range chickens. So it’s really great quality!
Fun fact: see the Impact Broths on the table? I shot that! And then we have an amazing marketing coordinator and graphic designer who put it together.
Dinner
Okay, this does not look good, but it’s sooo tasty. These are the butter chicken meatballs (I’ll post the recipe in the next week or so) and they are so tasty. But obviously here, they don’t look their best. Anyway, this was my quick dinner. I just heated them up and ate them while I watched Doctor Who and did some work.
And then after dinner, I was craving something sweet, so I had a few dark chocolate covered almonds and (not pictured) some peppermint tea.
Alright, there you have it: what a nutritionist eats in a day! Or more accurately: what this nutritionist eats in a day. I hope you found this helpful, or, if you’re like me, it’s just fun to see what people eat. Again, I actually love seeing what people eat. I think that’s because my ent
ire profession (from nutrition, to food styling, to recipe development) is centred around food, so I can’t help but be nosy.
If you want some more inspiration on what to eat, check out these awesome cookbooks below. They’re so good!
And I hope you walk away with the key takeaway: knowing what foods nourish us is so powerful. But knowing how to integrate in a way that nourishes our self-esteem and our self-worth? It’s priceless. So don’t get too caught up in eating perfectly. (Hint: there’s no such thing.)
PS. If you want my Ultimate Healthy Kitchen Guide (includes a whole foods pantry list, grocery list + meal prep template) subscribe below to claim your copy!It’s a pretty exhaustive list, which is great if you feel unsure of what to eat!
With love,
