Thursday, January 22, 2015

What I Eat || A 3 Day Food Diary

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is what do I eat on a daily basis.   Do I diet and how do I stay thin?  I have to admit I love seeing what other people eat (especially celebrities).  I loved when Kristen Cavallari did a three day food diary so I thought I would do the same.  I tried to photograph every thing I put in my mouth best I could.   This was from this current week,  I documented Monday-Wednesday.

A few things.  I am happy with my weight right now, so it is more about maintaining this weight and not gaining.  I do not diet.  I love food way too much to restrict myself from anything.  I try to eat clean 70% of the time.  I do actually love salads and crave vegetables.  I am that weird person that when everyone else orders a burger I want the salad.  But I also love pizza, Mexican food, and indulging in alcohol too.   For me it is about enjoying those things in moderation.  I try to avoid pre-packaged and processed foods as much as I can.  I also try not to snack too much.  I try to eat fairly healthy during the week so on the weekends I can eat what I want and then get back on track Monday.   On Mondays and Tuesdays I focus heavily on a mostly vegetarian diet with no alcohol.   Those two days are like detox days to me, to cleanse from the weekend.   During the day I only drink water or unsweet green tea and lots of it.  I have just started exercising again but for me my weight is more determined by what I eat than rather I exercise or not.  I exercise for my mental sanity and to tone up not to lose weight.  I also want to mention I try and drink hot lemon water at least once a day, sometimes I don't but I think if you can it is so good for you.

DAY ONE || MONDAY

Breakfast was homemade green juice.  The kids had a doctors appt so I did not have time to eat.  The juice is 2 apples, 1 bunch spinach, kale, 1 lemon, 1 jalapeno and fresh mint.


Lunch was Barefoot Contessa' s Quinoa Tabbouleh (from the Cookbook Make It Ahead) , a toasted whole wheat pita, hummus and marinated feta.


Dinner that night was Earthfare Sushi.  I normally buy a few rolls and me and Matt and Sterling share them all.  I try to brown rice when they have it.  I ate about a whole roll that night.


After I put the kids to bed I make Lemon Ginger Water.  I fill a pot with fresh water and add one sliced lemon and sliced pieces of fresh ginger and bring to a boil.  I drink about 2 glasses before bed.



DAY TWO || TUESDAY
Breakfast was my standard Avocado Toast (I use fresh 9 grain bread from the Harris Tetter or Publix bakery), two pieces of turkey bacon, and half a grapefruit.  Plus a cup of decaf coffee and 1/2 a Suja Master Cleanse.

 I met a friend for lunch at Xao Bao Biscuit.  I had the Cabbage Pancake.  I ate about 3/4 of it and drank hot lemon water with it.



Afternoon snack.  I can not resist goldfish. The kids and I split one of the small cartons of gold fish.

Dinner was green soup with avocado toast and sprouts.  I found this green soup recipe in Molly Sims new book and really liked it, although I added a little cheese and hot sauce to mine.

Green Soup
To make the soup you sautee 1/2 onion and 2 minced garlic cloves.  Add in a quart of Chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add in one large head of broccoli trimmed, one bunch of kale stems removed and let simmer covered about 15 minutes.  Then add in 1 box or bag of baby spinach, salt and pepper.  Use an immersion blender and puree the whole thing.  I then added in fresh grated Parmesan cheese and haberno sauce to give it some flavor.


That night before bed I drank hot lemon water (no ginger this time) and took a shot of aloe vera juice.
I have read nothing but great things abut the health benefits of aloe vera juice.   I ordered mine here.


DAY THREE || WEDNESDAY
Breakfast was half a grapefruit, two pieces of turkey bacon and two energy balls.
I keep energy balls in my fridge most of the time, they are a great easy breakfast and the kids love them too.

Energy Balls : They are super easy to make: Mix 1 cup oats, 3/4 cups shredded coconut, 1/3 cup honey,1/2 cup Peanut Butter,  1/2 mini chocolate chips, 1 tsp vanilla. 1 tsp cinnamon.  Refrigerate for 30 mins then roll into balls.  Add flax seed or chia seeds if desired.


I had a piece of string cheese between breakfast and lunch.  I picked up lunch on the go because I had a million errands to run.  I eat in my car at least once a week!  I had the kale salad and spicy carrots from Butcher and Bee.


I was craving chocolate so I had one Justins Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup- these are so darn good.  It is hard not to eat both but I usually try to only eat one.


Dinner.  Wednesdays are always taco night.  I always have tequila too.
I normally eat two tacos one hard and one soft with no sides.


 I also normally have tequila.  We buy good tequila and just sip it.  I never drink mixed drinks it is extra calories.


Whew.  Are you bored yet?? That is what I ate for three days.  I am not health expert but I do try to take care of my body and this is what works for me.
Love to hear any tips or eating secrets you have!





29 comments:

Chicago Mom (Heather) said...

You eat very healthy but I would be STARVING if I ate as little as you! That's why you're a 2 and I'm a 6-8. :-)

Amber Steel said...

Please tell me how you can only eat one of the Justins dark peanut buttercups per sitting! Those things are my major weakness :)

Kelsey | Southern in Love said...

I love seeing what other people eat too! It's nice to see how everyone finds balance differently. Dessert is my weakness, but I'm trying to get better at limiting myself. I normally have two scrambled eggs with half a grapefruit for breakfast. I really think the grapefruit has helped speed up my metabolism, so thanks for that tip!

A Manolescu said...

Thanks for the reminder about the lemon-ginger water--I used to drink this all the time, but kind of forgot about it.
I love seeing what others eat, too, thank you for sharing. I need to get back to eating more greens...I feel like the more veggies I eat, the more I crave those, and the less I crave sugar. Ok, still love my desserts, but I feel so much better when I eat them occasionally rather than daily.

Alissa

Gaby [The Vault Files] said...

So many delicious foods here!!!

Liz said...

Totally not bored - love seeing this. and i bought the same aloe juice, but have to mix it. so you did a straight shot of it? :)

xoxo

Portuguese Prepster said...

I love seeing what others eat too. I love food and like you try to eat healthy during the week and splurge more on weekends. I tend to prefer Mediterranean foods too!

Unknown said...

I am a hairdresser at Mario Tricoci. You are a beautiful girl and you may not see this in yourself, but your hair is fried and unhealth and a god-awful color. Please, please, please divorce your hairstylist and go spend some money on a new hair colorist. Get a hip new angled bob and a color that doesn't wash you out. Your top fly away bangs and your bang situation could be improved! Don't be afraid...GO FOR IT,

Amanda | Kids and Cabernet said...

Love reading this! You gave me some awesome food ideas. And I think I need to adopt the no alcohol a couple of times a week - I like your detox days!

Unknown said...

I love love loved this post!! Can you do it more often?! Its fun to see new ideas for food that I can start making!

Danielle said...

I actually love posts like this. :) I love getting to see a glimpse into other people's lives - I guess I'm just nosey like that! Ha! By the way, we're getting ready to head to your great city. We're staying downtown and have our restaurants mostly picked out. Any great shops to be sure to hit or other things to do? Thanks!

Christina said...

i've always thought we had very similar palates and this just proves it. girl you need to try some OCHO candy bars. even if it's just the minis! they're so good -- find them at WF and EarthFare. i really love the coconut one, the peppermint, and the caramel & peanut. the dark coffee and mocha are eh. god bless avocado toast. and bacon. and tequila. wait, what? haha xo

Unknown said...

I would loveeee to see you do a post like this more often!

"B" said...

I almost gagged myself when I read you sip tequila, a certain bad tailgating incident comes to mind pretty quickly:) However I used to enjoy sipping tequila too until see above happened! This post is making me hungry and you have way more controil than I - I would have eaten BOTH of those peanut butter cups!

Tess said...

Loved this post! I try really hard to detox/clean eat Monday and Tuesday with no exceptions too. makes the wine or tequila on Wednesday that much better!

Unknown said...

Thanks, love reading what others eat too!! I eat pretty similarly to maintain my weight, works well. I eat well and avoid alcohol during the week to allow for more eating out and wine on the weekends. ;) I *love* avocado on toast, it's my new fave lunch. I need to try the lemon ginger water, sounds good.

Unknown said...

Forgot to add I *always* have 2-3 small pieces of dark chocolate a day, it's vital. :) I need to try those PB cups ASAP!!

All Things Big and Small said...

I love posts like this! Thank you so much for sharing! Your discipline is amazing and I love your mantra as far as no dieting but being moderate in all things. Per your suggestion, I looked at Kristin Cavallari's app and am so hooked, I even downloaded Molly Sim's app too! Now I just need to get some of that Aloe Juice!

Lisa said...

LOVE this post! I eat basically the exact same way-- I add apple cider vinegar to my hot lemon water every morning and try not to eat after 6p! and kombucha is my saving grace I feel like i get a tiny buzz from it hahahahaha

Unknown said...

Love this post! More like this please. I'm always looking for new healthy ideas!

Pink Flamingo Style said...

Loved this post! You always have the best recipes! I think this is a good series in the making. I would also love to see a list of things you usually buy in the grocery store. I go into the store and totally blank out and come home with a bunch of junk.

Ginger said...

Love this post, Natalie! I'm going to have to try the green soup and energy balls. Thanks for the recipes and the food blog. Have a great evening!

Stephanie Chalk said...

I loved reading this post! The Quinoa Tabbouleh and Energy Balls are two of my favorites. Thanks for sharing so many new ideas! Xo, Stephanie

Amanda Leigh said...

Love posts like this! You should make it a regular :)
Im so impressed with how well you feed yourself. Im a new mom to a 10 week old, and I am lucky if I get to eat a handful of goldfish by 4 pm. You have 2 kids, and prepare excellent food!
is that kale salad from a fast food restaurant?
Also... I would love to start eating avacado on toast... but I do have a question for you or anybody else that eats it... do you use a whole one, or save half for the next day?

Unknown said...

So Interesting!!! What a great idea!

Emily {All You Need is Love} said...

Definitely trying out those energy balls! Yum!

Taylor said...

I love reading posts like this, so thanks for being honest and putting it out there. Ive been on a serious grapefruit kick lately too. I love them so much and love that they are so good for you. I should try the aloe juice (I saw that on Kristins app too!) but I have been doing the Apple Cider Vinegar shot with my grapefruit in the morning for now?? I need to work on taming my dinner portions big time…. I need your restraint with two tacos and no sides - HALP!

www.itsthelittlethingsblog.blogspot.com

Sara said...

Would you say that your genes are naturally skinny? I know you eat healthy and exercise and I do the same but have absolutely no metabolism (no matter any strategies I've tried). I just can't seem to get this skinny. My whole life I have tried to have skinny legs and a flat stomach and this has never happened.

Unknown said...

Hi Natalie!

Where do you buy fresh ginger? Also where did you hear about aloe juice, I want to read more on it. I loved this post! Thank you!!