The What I Eat in a Day format is a popular one in the influencer sphere. Every diet pro and fitness coach posts these. And, if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know this ain’t my first rodeo with it either. I certainly like to see what other wellness enthusiasts are eating. But, whether your fave health guru is vegan, Paleo, gluten free, counting macros or anything in between, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
First, and foremost, one single day of eating is not descriptive of an entire eating lifestyle. To at least some extent it is important to understand, most of us are showing you our ideal days. For transparency sake, I meal plan and prep so most of my days are pretty well thought out. But life happens. More frequently than many of us would like to admit, so there are days when the best laid plans get thrown out the window. The wellness crowd isn’t showing you those days. For the record, we should be. In fact, if you want a side by side (what I planned vs. what actually happened) record of a day of eating, let me know in the comments.
In the previous paragraph, did you notice I said “ideal days” and not “good days?” Yeah, that was on purpose. I don’t believe in labeling food or eating days as good and bad. And you can read my thoughts on why here. However, a lot out there is labelled “a good day of eating,” or maybe the YouTuber makes a comment about “being good.” I think it is important to remember that one day will not make or break anything. Consistency over time is what leads to body composition changes, health changes, stronger hair and nails, insert your goal of choice here. And one day is not exactly a lot of time in the grand scheme of things.
I, by no means, try to present myself as a perfect eater. It goes back to the idea of labeling good and bad. Also depending on who you, reader, are and your standpoint on things, I may be the most amazingly healthful eater you have encountered or I might be the devil incarnate.
My goal when I do these type of posts is to show you how a person juggling many things, tries to make healthful choices. I hopefully can show you some creative ways to get fruits and veggies in your diet in a straightforward yet delicious way. While I do eat meat, I am also trying to show that a plant based diet still largely rules and that you don’t need to go to 6 specialty grocery stores to make it work. And, in case it wasn’t hugely evident in my previous what I eat posts, I love dark chocolate.
So, what do I eat in a typical day? This particular day, everything I consumed happened to be in a bowl, which is kind of cool. What is more important was that everything was delicious. If you have been around this corner of the web, you know breakfast is oatmeal. This particular day, I had berry cheesecake overnight oats topped with roasted almonds and a bit of dark chocolate. If that isn’t a great way to start the day, I don’t know what is.
Snack numero uno mid morning was a homemade pumpkin muffin. It was a project with my little guy and of course we were going to do a quality assurance check after they came out of the oven.
Lunch was a roasted chickpea, sweet potato, and sweet pepper Buddha bowl with broccoli and some tahini dressing. Side of red grapes for sweetness and crunch.
Snack numero dos was a banana and a homemade energy bite (dates, peanut butter, and, of course, dark chocolate).
Dinner was homemade chili with beef, carrots, onions, and crushed tomatoes. Served over egg noodles, with a bit of cheese and a heaping pile of green beans.
A full rainbow of fruits and veggies, lots of complex carbohydrates for energy (I am running around after a four year old here), healthy monounsaturated fats, and protein. As a side note, my little guy ate identically for the day save the oatmeal. His was plain with berries and almonds on top. What can I say, cheesecake doesn’t appeal to his four year old palate yet. Everything here was also either prepped in advance or made with simple strategies that even a novice cook can easily manage.
The takeaway message here is to remember that one day of eating is simply part of a larger story about who you were and what you needed on that day. Keep listening to your body and be patient with yourself if today wasn’t what you’d hoped. There is always tomorrow.
Until next time, be well, friends!
