full day of eating: what works for me + research-driven approach

In the past year and a half, I have taken great care in researching what foods are best for my body and learning how I can implement them into my daily eating habits. This process has been a constant evolution, and not every day is perfect, but I feel like I've drastically improved my relationship with food and figured out what I need to eat to feel my best. I will be sharing the literature I used to inform my choices, along with what a typical day of eating looks like for me. However, before we dive in, I want to give a couple disclaimers:

1. I am by no means a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), therefore I am unqualified to give out dietary recommendations to others. This post is intended to provide meal ideas and serve as a link to credible, peer-reviewed sources on nutrition science. Everyone's body has different needs, so what works for me may not work for you. Therefore, take this post with a grain of salt, and use it as a jumping point to learn more about the food you're eating, if that is the type of information you're seeking.

2. As you can tell from the pictures, my meals are a representation of the globalized food system; I have berries with my breakfast that were grown in Mexico, I cook with kale produced halfway around the country. Ultimately, my food comes at the cost of human exploitation and cheap labor. What amounts to "healthy eating" for me is at the expense of someone else. Therefore, as we move toward summer, I have a goal of eating locally whenever possible, and helping my sister in her garden to grow and share food so we can reduce our reliance on the globalized food system. If you have the means, I encourage you to do the same.

One book in particular that reframed the way I approach my eating habits is How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger, MD. You can check out his nonprofit NutritionFacts.org for the latest research on nutrition and public health issues, along with easy to follow, whole-food plant-based recipes. As much as possible, I try to design my meals to fit his "Daily Dozen" recommendations. Here's a brief summary of those guidelines:

3 servings of beans, 1 serving of berries, 3 servings of other fruits, 1 serving of cruciferous vegetables, 2 servings of greens, 2 servings of other vegetables, 1 serving of flaxseeds, 1 serving of nuts/other seeds, 1 serving of spices, 3 servings of whole grains, 5 servings of beverages, and 1 "serving" of exercise. I will break down individual meals in a future post (and share a variety of my favorite meals!), but here is brief example of how I try to incorporate these recommendations in my diet.

Breakfast:
Oatmeal: 1/2 c. of oats, a sprinkle of cinnamon, 1/2 of a banana, a handful of blueberries and one (large!) strawberry, pepitas, almonds, cinnamon drizzle of peanut butter.













Lunch:
Nourish Bowl: 1/2 c. quinoa, sauteed with kale, spinach, lemon juice, ginger, and garlic; 1/4 c. lentils, roasted sweet potato, roasted Brussels sprouts, cherry tomatoes, 1/4 of an avocado (approx.). Topped with hummus (optional).

I recommend meal prepping a grain of choice (rice, quinoa, etc.), some sort of legume (beans, chickpeas, lentils), and a few varieties of vegetables (I like to mix it up between sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower!). Combine these with any sort of vegetable or greens you have on hand to make a healthy meal in minutes.






Snacks:
I love having fun, pretty snacks to get me through the day! When I have the time, I usually go for an apple with peanut butter (pictured here as apple "doughnuts," a slice of toast, or a smoothie! If I'm in a rush, I prefer popcorn, almonds, an orange, or frozen fruit. 

Dinner:
While breakfast and lunch are pretty similar day to day, dinner is a bit more of a toss-up. Above are a couple of my favorite meals I've had lately. From left to right, we have southwest quinoa stew (Daily Dozen inspired!), black bean sweet potato nourish bowls, and chickpea pasta with kale, cherry tomatoes, and pesto. 

There you have it! A full day of meals, inspired by Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen recommendations. Something I like about this eating style is the flexibility -- the focus is adding nutrients, not taking away food or restricting calories. Thank you for reading, let me know if you try any of these meals out!

Comments

  1. This is so helpful and lovely. It's really nice to be able to look back at this for inspiration or reminders of fun and creative meals to make. I already eat pretty similar foods/bowls, which is also convenient. (: oh yeah and your sautéed kale/spinach mix looks really good too; I'll probably try it soon!

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