Hi everyone! Today I wanted to post a new type of post sharing some “behind the scenes” as far as what thoughts/considerations might go into a typical day of my daily eats. This is NOT meant to be a comparison or a “you should eat like me” type of post —  HECK NO. More meant to encourage you as far as what it might look like to have a normal relationship with food!

Everyone’s nutrition needs and food preferences are different. In my work with clients, I consider myself to be the nutrition professional and the client to be the expert on herself/her goals/what she likes/what might work best for her. Not everyone’s eating looks the same, so no cookie cutter approaches here! I am all about helping others work towards an intuitive eating way of eating where you grow in listening to your body’s inner signals, considering your thoughts/feelings about food, and trusting your overall intuition, as we are born knowing how to intuitively eat. I hope these types of posts help you grow in your own journey of peace with food and joyful nourishment of your body!

A typical day of eats! This was last Thursday when I was home doing private practice work.

After waking up and heading downstairs, 99.5% of the time my day starts out with one of my fudgy cacao energy bites. Sometimes I am feeling physically hungry, but I’d say more often than not I am feeling neutral and just want to eat something since I don’t eat my actual breakfast until later. Hunger/fullness cues is only one thing to consider when eating intuitively. While I usually eat when I am hungry, sometimes I eat in anticipation of feeling overly hungry if I didn’t eat in the moment / when I have a chance. I have some devotional time, unload the dishwasher, and head out for a run all before breakfast, so I know I would be starving before my workout if I didn’t eat beforehand! Also washed down by a glass of almond milk because I find chocolatey foods infinitely more satisfying that way. Sometimes I will have a couple of these bites if I actually wake up physically hungry.

While I am eating my early-morning snack, I get this tasty morning drink going. I like to have something warm while I am reading/journaling but don’t really want to be drinking coffee quite so early. Lately I have been keeping on hand a blend of cacao powder, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and sea salt (maybe other things too depending on what I am feeling at the time I make it, lol). I simply use my Keurig to get a cup of steaming hot water, mix in the cacao blend, and add a decent splash of almond milk. This drink is mostly for enjoyment, a key cornerstone of my eating philosophy!

After I get back from my run and do some brief stretching/strength exercises, I get a blended “green drink” out of the fridge (that I prepped the day before). Usually a frozen mix of spinach + cucumber + celery + lemon + apple + ginger. I like to sip on something while I am getting ready for the day, and started drinking this regularly a few years ago basically for the nutritional punch!

Finally preparing breakfast! Classic but absolutely delish bowl of overnight oats making its routine appearance. Overnight oats + drizzle of agave syrup + generous spoonful of PB + fresh blueberries. Coffee with almond milk.

Some people might get bored eating roughly the same thing every day for breakfast, but I have found that this works for me! (Of course, sometimes I switch it up, especially if I have time to make pancakes on the weekend). Some things I like about choosing this breakfast most days:

–> Satisfies my hunger
–> Sits well with me and is what I’m craving in the mornings (some sort of nut butter and some sort of fruit is basically a prerequisite for my breakfasts of choice)
–> I like not having to think about what I’m going to eat for breakfast each day (when I already have so many other decisions/things to take care of, especially in the mornings)
–> Well-rounded meal w/ good amount of protein + fat + carb
–> I can still switch it up depending on what I’m feeling or the time of year (hot or cold oatmeal, different nut butters or fruits, etc.)

Despite having a filling breakfast, it usually only holds me over for ~ 2 hours, and then I am on to lunch! I tend to have more hunger in the mornings with waking up pretty early and exercising in the mornings. As is typical, this day I did some housework and then sat down for about an hour or so of private practice work before taking a break for lunch. I generally get hungry about every 2-3 (or sometimes 4) hours and thus eat my meals/snacks accordingly!

I like to try and eat “mindfully,” slowing down and enjoying my meal. However, I don’t think this needs to always mean not doing anything else except eating! Since I am home alone eating lunch, I might use the time to read a blog post from one of my favorite blogs, or maybe look at a cookbook. This also provides a nice mental distraction/break from my work day. A post I read during this lunch.

I ate a salad with arugula + farro + strawberries + toasted hazelnuts, and some carrots + tortilla chips on the side. Even with the farro (carb source) on the salad, I usually like to have something more crunchy and cracker or chip-like to round out my lunches! Using my nutrition knowledge to create a nutrient-dense lunch and incorporating my gut instinct as far as what sounds good / what I am feeling.

I generally will have one lunch planned that I will eat most days of that week. That doesn’t mean after having it for a few days it is what I am totally craving. (Such as was this day). BUT, it makes my life easier not having to think of “what’s for lunch” each day of the week. While satisfaction is a main guiding pursuit in intuitive eating, it doesn’t mean every meal has or will be the most satisfying. That isn’t really realistic. I ate what I had on hand, enjoyed it for the most part, and looked forward to more satisfying experiences for the rest of the day!

I usually get hungry for a snack around 2:30pm or so. I had a break between clients so went downstairs to snag one of my coconut cacao bars that I am obsessed with. Washed down by more almond milk. The snack I am absolutely loving lately!  I know from general experience that this is likely to hold me over for at least a couple of hours. I also had some grapes on the side.

I think of my eating as having a “flexible structure.” Some structure, because I know from experience what generally works well for me, and I don’t want to totally reinvent the wheel each day as far as eating goes. Also flexible, because I by no means have to stay tied to any eating pattern or food choice – I am free at any moment to eat something, eat something unplanned, or to switch it up! It is somewhat of a “loose structure that is above all guided by my intuition/hunger cues/unique daily circumstances” approach to each day.

After an afternoon of clients, it is a quick transition to making dinner! This evening’s menu was a veggie frittata w/ arugula + cherry tomato + red bell pepper + shredded cheddar. Planned earlier in the week (when I plan meals for the week), this was a combination of what we had leftover in the fridge from the previous week + what veggies were sounding good together.

This ended up being one of the most satisfying dinners I have had in a long time! SO GOOD. Served with some cornbread smothered with honey + butter and a side salad. I added the honey + butter for taste, extra healthy fat, + maximum satisfaction! When I make a frittata I think up some sort of main carbohydrate side to serve with it, such as cornbread, sourdough, or roasted potatoes. (All 3 macronutrients present in adequate amounts as a foundation for creating a satisfying meal).

Dinner is usually the meal where I linger longer, chat with Alec, and focus just on the food and conversation!

Such a luxury to have a slower night with nothing planned! I rounded out the day by spending some extra time reading (finished The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter and also currently reading Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child) and enjoying some dark chocolate with almond milk. I find my usual dark chocolate evening snack so enjoyable due to both the taste (not all chocolate is created equal!) and I like how it is something that takes longer to eat, so it is a slower, more experiential aspect of my evening routine! (While I obviously eat other desserts too, I find something like a cookie I tend to eat faster / don’t enjoy the process of it quite the same. I also sleep better with this snack since it doesn’t spike my blood sugar like other options might right before bed).

I always end the day with an evening snack, usually around 7:30 or 8pm. This is both for satisfaction (ending my eating on a sweeter/tasty note) and to ensure that I don’t wake up hungry in the middle of the night!

That’s the inside scoop on my eating rhythm from a (typical) day last week! I hope you have a fabulous Wednesday!

What’s something tasty you’ve been eating lately??