What This Dietitian Eats in a Day

Many of you have been asking and today, I’m finally sharing what this dietitian eats in a day! By this dietitian, I mean me.

I often ask my patients for a 24-hour food recall to assess their nutrition. I ask them what they eat on a regular day and at what times. This is what I feel like I’m doing right now. I’m giving you guys my 24-hour food recall. Maybe a little more detailed than what I usually get from my patients!

Keep in mind that what I eat changes from one day to the other. I decided to give a few examples per meal and snack to give you a better idea of what I eat. I feel that sharing only one day as an example wouldn’t be representative. That day could be healthier than others or very different than others. So, instead, I’m sharing a few examples to give you an idea of how I generally eat.

I also want to note that I’m not suggesting I eat perfectly and that you guys should eat this way as well. Everyone is different. This is what works for me.

Also, this is not a representation of all dietitians. We’re people too and we’re all different and have our own preferences. You’ll notice that I eat a mostly vegetarian diet. No, I’m not vegetarian, but I do eat a plant-based diet 99% of the time. Again, this is a personal preference. It’s what makes me feel my best and what I truly enjoy eating.

I’ll share other posts like this as my meals and snacks change – It usually changes a bit with the seasons. For now, I hope you enjoy my first edition of what I eat in a day!

Breakfast (6:15 am)

During the week, I wake up at 5:45 am, roll out my mat and do 15 minutes of light yoga, followed by 1-5 minutes of meditation or deep breathing (I’m far from being good at meditating, but I’m trying!). I then take a shower and make breakfast. Personally, I don’t like having something savory first thing in the morning, so you may notice that my breakfasts are a little more carb-based. I do make sure to include some protein, usually in the form of nuts or seeds.

My breakfast is usually one of three things:

• 2 slices of whole grain toast with peanut butter or sunflower seed butter and a glass of unsweetened soy milk. Maybe a handful of berries during the summer.
• 5-minute raw granola power bowl
• A bowl of creamy oatmeal (usually my peanut butter banana oatmeal or blueberry flax oatmeal)

I also drink decaf coffee almost every morning. I switched to decaf a few months ago as the caffeine was making me overly anxious and shaky.

Finally, I’m not much of a smoothie person in the morning. I don’t find it satisfies me enough – I prefer eating my food rather than drink it. You’ll see that I do enjoy smoothies as snacks though.

Morning Snack (9:30-10:00 am)

Most days, I have a morning snack. These are my go-to’s:

• Fruit (whatever’s in season)
• Plain yogurt with fruit – I like to thaw some frozen mangoes or berries and add it to my yogurt. I sometimes add ground flax seeds as well.
• Homemade granola bar, energy bite or other sugar-free homemade treat – If I’m testing a new recipe, I’ll have that. If not, the ones I tend to make often are my seriously addictive no-bake granola bars and my sugar-free banana bread.
• A small portion of nuts and seeds with dried fruits (usually raisins)

Lunch (Noon)

When I’m at work, I often have leftovers from supper (see below). If not, I’ll usually make one of these two:

• A sandwich. It could be a mashed chickpea sandwich or a hummus, cheese and avocado sandwich. I’ll make a nut butter sandwich if I have absolutely no time or ingredients.
• A quinoa salad. This is so easy to make and I use whichever vegetables and legumes I have on hand. This Greek quinoa salad and this southwestern quinoa salad are my favorites, although I don’t usually follow a recipe.

I’ll usually have a few things on the side:

• Raw vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, celery, etc.), possibly with hummus
• Fruit

Afternoon Snack (4:00 pm)

I used to eat supper at 4:30 or 5:00 and skip an afternoon snack. Now, as I finish work at 3:30 and Shaun only comes home around 6:15, I started having a snack after work. I walk home from work, so I usually arrive home hungry. I also like to workout after work, so I need the energy! Here are my favorite snacks:

• Homemade sugar-free treat. This would be the same as what I mentioned in my morning snack.
• A small apple or banana with peanut butter and unsweetened chocolate.
• A small green smoothie.

I then wait a bit to digest and do a workout. It could be a run, a 20-minute strength training workout in our apartment gym or a short hike in the park. Whatever I feel like doing. This would be 3-4 times a week. On other days, I do some work until Shaun gets home.

Supper (6:30 pm)

Supper could be anything, but here are a few things I make regularly:

• A large salad with roasted chickpeas, potatoes (or sweet potatoes) and tahini dressing
• A bowl of curry or soup using the vegetables and legumes I have on hand. A good clean-out-the-fridge meal. I usually serve it with one or two slices of whole grain bread.
• Fish with roasted sweet potatoes and greens.
• Veggie burger with a side salad (I almost always have a few batches of veggie burgers in the freezer for quick weeknight meals).
• Pasta (it could be leftover vegetarian lasagna I made over the weekend or just pasta with a homemade sauce I have in the freezer). I try to make a side salad with it.
• 2-egg vegetable and cheese omelet with 2 slices of whole grain bread. I never eat eggs for breakfast, but I love having it for supper. It’s usually what I have by the end of the week when my fridge is empty.

I almost always finish my supper with something sweet. It could be a piece of homemade sugar-free treat (if I haven’t had 1-2 pieces already!), fruit or even a small piece of unsweetened chocolate or carob chips.

Evening Snack

I rarely have an evening snack. Typically, I go to bed around 9:30-10:00 pm, so I don’t feel hungry enough for a snack. I also don’t like to go to bed feeling too full. The only time I have a snack in the evening is when we’re watching a movie at home and make homemade popcorn (maybe once every two weeks).

A Note on Meal Prep

Since I work full time and never get enough light during the week for food photography, I tend to cook a lot during the weekends. Weekends are when I test and photograph my recipes, but it also serves as a sort of meal prep. I make several recipes over the weekend and have leftovers most of the week. I love to make large pots of soups or curries on the weekends, homemade bread, quinoa salads for lunches, hummus or a sugar-free treat for snacks. That way, lunches are packed quickly in the morning and it gives me more time in the evenings to work or relax. On weekends, I also like to try new recipes from my favorite cookbooks to make a change. My favorite cookbooks are the Oh She Glows cookbooks one and two and the Half Baked Harvest cookbook when making something special.

For more information, you can look at what I keep in my pantry! You can also find the answer to many of your questions in my FAQ page.

What are your go-to meals and snacks? Do you often make your own thing or do you tend to follow recipes? I would love to hear your thoughts!