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I know what you?re thinking? When you ask a nutritionist what they eat in a day, you are expecting it to be something ridiculously healthy, like only fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. While these foods are definitely part of a nutritionist?s diet, they do not make up their entire diet. As a qualified nutritionist, I want to walk you through a REALISTIC day in the life of a nutritionist.


Now, as I?m just one person, I can only really talk about what I typically eat. Although, in saying this, I?ve found that many other nutritionists eat in a similar manner to me.



A Nutritionist?s Diet In A Nutshell


I do not follow any diets or ?diet-like? practices (e.g. no keto, intermittent fasting etc.). Nor do I restrict myself from any food groups (e.g. carbs or fats).


I truly believe in the 80/20 balance. That is, 80% of the time I choose to eat whole foods (e.g. fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains etc.) as they make me feel energized; and 20% of the time I indulge in what I like to call my ?soul? foods (e.g. chocolate, hot chips, ice cream etc.). 


No matter if you are trying to lose weight or maintain your current weight, there is a place for all food groups in your diet!


Please remember that the information I?m giving within this post should not be used to compare your current diet to mine. Instead, use it as inspiration for some healthy meal ideas and habits that you can adopt. Please also note that everyone is completely different and will therefore be eating different foods on different days. 


So, without further ado, let?s dive deep into what I eat, as a qualified nutritionist, in a typical day. 



Breakfast (8.30-9am): Yoghurt + Granola Bowl


Coffee first ALWAYS! I love my coffee and it?s something I have every single day without fail. My go-to coffee order is a small almond milk latte. 


I find that for myself, breakfast sets the foundation and sets me up for a good day. If I start the day with a good, wholesome breakfast, it seems to have a positive impact on my other food choices throughout the day. This is because it will typically fill me up and doesn?t leave me craving certain food groups throughout the day. My breakfast keeps me going for a few hours; and this is especially important for me, as this is when I personally get most of my work done for the day.


My current go-to breakfast is a Yoghurt Bowl and includes:



Lunch (1-1.30pm): Tuna Salad


For lunch, I like to have something quick and easy. Typically, I will have leftovers from the night before (I cook extra so that I can eat it for lunch the next day), otherwise, I always make sure that I have ingredients for a tuna salad sitting in my pantry. This salad isn?t your average salad. It is high volume, filling, and tastes delicious. I promise that you will not be left feeling unsatisfied after this salad? Unless you don?t like tuna (in which case you could swap the tuna out for a different source of protein). 


This salad includes:





Afternoon Snack (3-4pm): Chocolate Protein Slice + Fruit


Yep, I pretty much always have an afternoon snack. As a nutritionist, I often hear people tell others they need to cut out snacking in order to lose weight (or maintain their current weight). However, I am happy to announce that this is not the case. Afternoon snacks (or any snack) don?t have to be bad. 


In fact, an afternoon snack can be very beneficial, even if you are trying to lose weight. Having a GOOD afternoon snack will help you go into dinner feeling more satisfied and satiated. This will ultimately stop you from overeating during dinner. 


I love to bake, and I also love having something in the afternoon that has chocolate in it. Thus, as a snack, I typically opt for some kind of chocolatey baked good with some fruit. 


My current go-to baked good is this chocolate protein slice. I will normally pair it with some watermelon or strawberries? Yum!





Dinner (6.30-7pm): Taco Bowl


My dinners are different every single night. For every dinner, I try to make sure that I have a lean source of protein (typically chicken, turkey, seafood, tofu or beans), a complex carbohydrate (typically brown rice, wholemeal pasta, quinoa or potato), a healthy fat (e.g. olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds etc.) and lots of vegetables. 


At the moment, I am absolutely loving this taco bowl and am usually having it at least once per week. It is SO delicious. I alternate between serving it in a bowl with brown rice or in a whole grain tortilla wrap. It just depends on how I?m feeling on that particular day. Remember, I am all about balance!


You can find the recipe for this taco bowl below:


Ingredients:


Method:

  1. Cook the rice according to the packet?s instructions.  
  2. Heat a medium frying pan to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and let heat up for 20 seconds. Add the onion and garlic, stir fry until the onion starts to soften. Add the turkey mince breaking it up into very small lumps. 
  3. Once the turkey mince is no longer pink add the Mexican seasoning and crushed tomatoes and ¼ cup water. Cook for 5-10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir through the kidney beans. 
  4. Meanwhile to a bowl add the capsicum, tomato, cucumber, corn and parsley stir to combine. 
  5. To assemble the bowls, add rice, lettuce, grated carrot, cucumber and tomato mix, top with Mexican turkey mince. Drizzle over garlic aioli. 





Dessert (8.30-9pm): Ice Cream or Chocolate


Yes, I do have dessert EVERY night of the week! I absolutely love ending the day with something sweet. I?ve said it before and I?ll say it again? You do not have to deprive yourself of the foods you love!


My night will always end with chocolate in one way or another. Chocolate ice cream, chocolate brownie, chocolate cookie or just straight chocolate squares. 


Recently I?ve been enjoying chocolate ice cream with a drizzle of peanut butter. I?ll also have a cup of peppermint tea.



Other Snacks


This concludes my day of eating. Some days, if I have done a tough workout, I may eat a couple of extra snacks to keep me going. However, it really depends on how I?m feeling at the time... Like I said, every day is different. 


Let me know if you have any questions, or if you would like to see more of these ?what I eat in a day? posts. 


Also, if you're interested in what I, as a qualified nutritionist, think of the keto diet, then be sure to check out this post here.