What a Dietitian Eats in a Day by Cari Culp, RD.

What’s the most important decision you will make today? It turns out, what you eat is pretty high on the list. What we eat or our nutrition habits are the biggest determinants of our health outcomes. I have many clients ask what they should eat so I thought it would be helpful to share a day of my meals.

Breakfast


Green smoothie

This is my typical weekday breakfast and I make enough for the whole family. It’s quick, portable and provides a balanced meal full of high quality nutrition. My go to recipe is 1 cup of frozen berries, 1 cup frozen spinach or kale, 1 small banana, a couple tablespoons of almond butter or hemp hearts and unsweetened vanilla almond milk but, I often change it up and throw in any fruit or veggies I have on hand. I love to mix orange or apple with beets, ginger and carrots and add pumpkin seeds for protein and healthy fat. On weekends I will typically change things up and make eggs or high protein pancakes made with almond flour or cashews and have fruit on the side.

Morning Snack



Greek yogurt made from almond milk sweetened with, yes, a baby food pouch

Sounds strange I know, but it is super portable and a great way to sweeten plain yogurt while also adding in some veggies. And, it’s delicious I promise! I love the Kite Hill brand Plain Greek yogurt. It is made with almond milk, has 11 grams of protein, minimal ingredients and only 1 gram of sugar! Other go-to snacks for me include carrot sticks with almond butter, fruit with nuts or veggies with hummus. The key to planning any meal or snack is balance. You want protein, smart carbs, healthy fats and produce!

Lunch


Fruit and veggies with protein and healthy fat

This is a typical weekday lunch. It’s super quick and easy to toss together on the go and provides a delicious, colorful, balanced meal that sticks with you throughout the afternoon. My dressing of choice is olive oil, red wine vinegar and a little Himalayan sea salt.

Afternoon snack

I always have an afternoon snack to stay ahead of hunger and prevent over indulging at dinner. This varies quite a bit and could be anything from a couple squares of Lily’s dark chocolate which is sweetened with stevia, so no added sugar with plenty of healthy fats and antioxidants. I may add a handful of walnuts to this or have an apple with an Artisan brand walnut butter squeeze pack or any of the snacks mentioned above. Again the key is to have a balance of healthy fat, protein, smart carbs and fiber to keep your energy level up and prevent crashing.

Dinner