What Health Food Blogger and Nutritionist Tara Eats In A Day
No, this won’t be a boring account of kale salads and green juice. As a foodie, recipe developer and nutritionist, I’m always looking forward to something new and exciting on my plate. While no one day is the same, I put together a little account of what a typical day looks like amidst running to meetings for TheWholeTara and formulating fun, new meal ideas for my app.
8:00 am
Within one hour of waking up I always try to get lemon water in as a great way to start off your metabolism. Not all days does it happen, but trying is what counts! I’ve also just started becoming fond of coffee in the past 2 months and I love it! A good vanilla Nespresso or americano in the morning with breakfast always hits the spot for me. Breakfast almost always consists of 1 cup of Fage Yogurt with a small handful of blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries, or an apple. It’s the right combination of protein, fiber and vitamins that’s energizing and satisfying to get me day started for the day.
10:30 am
Whether I workout or not, I’m usually already hungry and very thirsty by mid-morning. In addition to tall of the water I’m sipping, I’ll have another mini breakfast. This time it’ll be ether a few spoonfuls of nut butter or an easy, balanced snack like a KIND bar. For nut butters, my favorite is dry roasted almond butter!
12:30 pm
Lunches are always changing, but a staple lunch that I have at a great spot near my house is a scoop of tuna salad over a big green house salad. The salad has kale, romaine, carrots, sprouts, tomato, and avocado. It’s topped with a green cilantro lime dressing that ties the whole salad together wonderfully. It’s a definite favorite of mine! If I’m feeling less hungry I’ll sub the salad for lentil soup plus a scoop of tuna or side of grilled tofu.
3:00 pm
Afternoon snacks are usually a product of what I made in the kitchen that day, so it could be anything from pita chips and homemade sundried tomato hummus to a bowl of carrot ginger soup. Today’s afternoon snack was a moroccan carrot salad mixed with corn and hearts of palm drizzled with tahini.
6:30 pm
I’m a fan of early dinners, just because I don’t like to go to bed with a full stomach. Dinner features a lean protein like grilled chicken or fish served with sautéed non-starchy vegetables and brown rice or quinoa. I try to make my meals as balanced as possible because then I’ll feel less inclined to overeat at the meal or snack later.
8:00 pm
I have a major sweet tooth, so it’s only natural that I have snacks prepared for when it hits big time. I recently fell in love with this vegan salted caramel ice cream from SO Delicious that is too good to be true. It’s made with cashew milk and coconut cream, so there’s no dairy involved. It’s on the border of too dangerous to have around because it’s so good!
Not every day is the same, but this is a general outline of how I eat. My goal is to eat as healthy as I can, but like everyone, some days are better than others. I strongly believe that our mood and bodies dictate the way we’re inclined to eat throughout the day. There’s also the important element of physical activity, which will often make us so much hungrier throughout the day. I don’t think there’s one way to eat or be “healthy”, but rather finding what works for you and your lifestyle!
