What I Eat in a Day

I often get questions about my recipes and dietary choices, so I decided to share with you what I eat in a day! I am a teacher by profession, so while I do eat as healthy as I can throughout the school year, summer time just makes it a lot easier for me to eat as clean as I want. This is a luxury because if you don't know, being a teacher includes not always being able to go to the bathroom when you want, not being able to take a break when you want, difficulty drinking as much water as you want because you can't go to the bathroom frequently, sometimes being too tired to exercise, and of course, the constant temptation to eat sugar and carbs. Whew! 

During the summer, I like to go all out and eat as clean and healthy as I desire. Please note that I don't eat the same thing every day (unless it's apples and peanut butter, of course). I do like variety, but I also like to try to avoid as many processed and sugar-laden foods as I can. I have an affinity towards healthy, natural, non-toxicity foods and products, so not only do I pursue it in my lifestyle, I love to learn and research as much as I can about it. So, here is what I eat in a day!

BREAKFAST
For breakfast, I try to keep it light and nutritious. I like different variations of scrambled eggs which is a great way to get in your proteins, choline, vitamins and omega-3 fats. Often times, I like to season my eggs with salt and pepper and top with paprika. On occasion, I'll do something different like tomato and basil eggs or pepper jack cheesy eggs. I also enjoy boiled eggs. I don't eat eggs every single day because too much of anything can be bad for you. In this case, too much can lead to higher levels of saturated fats and cholesterol.

In addition to eggs, I like to have some sort of fruit or a smoothie/shake. It depends on the day, but I love having a chocolate peanut butter protein shake that I make using chocolate Orgain Protein Powder and PB2. Other days, I'm in the mood for a nice green smoothie full of spinach and fruits like frozen banana and strawberries. If I don't feel like blending a smoothie, I'll just eat the fruit itself. Apples with peanut butter, grapes, a banana or watermelon or my personal go to fruits for breakfast.

Do you see how much variety there is at breakfast? I can have an apple with peanut butter 3 days a week (because this is my favorite!), a chocolate peanut butter protein shake for 2 days, a green smoothie for 2 days and maybe a nice hot breakfast of oatmeal or turkey sausage and whole grain toast. That's a whole week of healthy breakfasts and then I'll pick a couple of those days to have eggs on the side.

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SNACKS
Since breakfast is so light, snacks are often necessary to get me to lunch. Here are some of my favorite healthy snacks:

• A Handful of Mixed Nuts
• A Handful of Raw Almonds
• Popcorn
• Fruit
• A Boiled Egg (If I haven't had one earlier)
• Unsweetened Apple Sauce
• Cucumbers with salt and pepper
• Baby Carrots with Dressing
• 3 ingredient corn chips with natural salsa

Usually, 1 of the above snacks is plenty to get me to lunch and they are still providing me nutrients during the day.

LUNCH
Lunch can be tricky sometimes, but I usually try to go for a salad. Pre-made salads work very well as long as the ingredients are good. However, I most frequently make my own simple salad which consists of spinach, baby carrots, grape tomatoes and cucumbers with dressing. This can be doctored up more with a boiled egg and a can of tuna, but I usually just stick with the veggies with dressing. It's faster, easier and most nutritious because it is all raw with no mercury content or extra added cholesterol since I like my eggs at breakfast. If I don't have a salad, I like to go for a can of sardines. I've come to really like those protein packed tiny fish! If all else fails, I'll sometimes have leftovers if I had more than enough from dinner, but I usually don't do this during the summer. I try to go for a small, nutritious meal with what I have on hand.

If needed, I'll squeeze in another healthy snack from the list above to help get me to dinner. Remember, during the day, I'm also drinking lots of water. I drink about 64-73 ounces of water per day right now and if I drink enough, that alone can fill me up and satisfy me until the next meal. Here is the water bottle that I'm using that holds all the water I need each day.

DINNER
For dinner, I like to cook meals that are quick, simple and nutritious. This usually includes a protein, a veggie and a grain. Some days, I may skip the grain and do 2 veggies with my protein. Feel free to browse some of my recipes here. Note that not every recipe on my site is perfectly nutrient dense because I wanted to provide variety for my readers and I'm a human, so I do have occasional days when I like a cheat meal to splurge on.  I also just recorded a What I Eat in a Day Youtube video which includes a yummy dinner idea. Watch it now!

DESSERT
This has always been my Achilles Heel, so to speak. However, for the past few months, I've been seeking healthier dessert options in effort to kick my artificial sugar cravings and so far, I've been successful with this.

• Apple with Peanut Butter
• Fruit
• Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie
• Dark Chocolate (at least 71% with minimal ingredients) with raw almonds
• A Couple Squares of Dark Chocolate (at least 71% with minimal ingredients)
• Tea (Preferably dandelion caramel nut or hibiscus)

Well, there you have it! That is my typical diet and what I eat in a day. Combine a nutritious diet with exercise, proper hydration and adequate sleep and you will feel unstoppable. Feel free to drop a comment and tell me if you implement or plan to implement anything I've mentioned into your own diet and lifestyle!

Talk to you soon!

Love, 

LaRissa J.