What I Ate, Day 7

Breakfast

2 cups coffee

1 banana

1 cup cooked Coach’s Oats

1 scoop protein powder

16 oz. sugar free vanilla almond milk

Carbohydrates:  87.5g   Protein:  58g       Fat:  17g

Snack

2 gingersnaps

Carbohydrates:  7g         Fat:  1g

Lunch

1 can Trader Joe’s split pea soup

2 strips fake bacon

1 cup cottage cheese

1 tsp. honey

Carbohydrates:  42.5g   Protein:  40.5g   Fat:  8.5g

Snack

1 serving savory thin crackers

2/3 cup snap peas

2 tbsp. hummus

4 oz. fat free strawberry yogurt

Palm sized serving of almonds (about ¼ cup)

Carbohydrates:  57g       Protein:  19g       Fat:  22g

Dinner

Trader Joe’s Mojito Salmon

½ cup brown rice

½ cup sweet potatoes

4 oz. glass red wine

Carbohydrates: 66g        Protein:  37g       Fat:  16g

How Did I Do?

Ballpark:               Carbohydrates:  263g     Protein:  175g    Fat:  39g

Actual:                  Carbohydrates:  260g     Protein:  154.5g Fat:  64.5g

What I Did:  After yesterday’s tough workout, I took an active rest day.  I spent the morning with friends and then came home and cleaned the garage.  My activity included lots of lifting.  Overall, my body feels nice and relaxed and well fed.  However, I am concerned that my fat intake was a little high and my protein was a little low.  I could have chosen another high protein snack to substitute for the almonds.  On a great note, look at those carbs!  Spot on!  I’m happy with what I ate today.

Tips!  As a mother of two, I look for the easiest way to get healthy food to my family.  I don’t want to spend more than 30 minutes toiling in the kitchen while the kids are running amok at 5 pm.  We eat frozen pizza at least once a week.  Sometimes we get a cheese pizza and add our own stuff and sometimes we get one that’s pre loaded.  We eat potatoes because we can throw them in the oven and let them bake while doing other things and we put whatever toppings on that we like.  My sister reminded me that hard boiled eggs are great snack foods for on-the-go, easy egg salad sandwiches, and toppers for salads.  You can make 12 at a time and they stay fresh for a long time in the fridge.  I make a lot of grains at a time.  I have a friend who doesn’t use baggies when she packs snacks.  She just brings the whole 12 or 16 oz. bag of veggies with her.  Smart.  These are all ways to save time and make healthful eating easier.  If you don’t have a taste for veggies, try eating them frozen out of the bag.  Mix it up!  Find what you like and go with it.  Eat steamed sweet potato spears and vanilla yogurt for snack.  The time is now to break all the rules.  Throw out the preconceived notions of what a healthy diet really is.  A healthy diet provides your body with the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fat to sustain normal functions and allows you to thrive.

Please note, I did not focus heavily on calories.  Focusing on calories only detracts from the goal of giving our bodies what they need.  Making sure I got enough carbohydrates, protein, and fat was more important than making sure I got 2100 calories.  I want the calories I eat to work hard for me!  I want those 2100 calories to come from the right places.

My hope this week was that I could show what a real diet looks like, in action.  That a healthy person eats a lot of food often, but for the most part, it’s good food.  It’s not complicated food or unusual food.  It’s familiar food from a grocery store, not necessarily a health food store.  I wanted to show that being vegetarian poses only minor limitations to dietary needs and that one can compensate with protein powders and soy-based substitutes.  I wanted to show that even busy moms can do it.  I wanted to show that everybody can do it.

Thank you for all of your comments this week, your questions, and for writing, “It’s inspiring.”  Honestly, it’s been fuel for my soul.  Thank you.  If you ever have questions, please email me at natskedat at gmail dot com.