Who doesn’t like pictures of food?
Welcome to “What I Ate Wednesday.” What does a regular weekday of eating look like for me? It always has the same formula:
- Three bigger meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Two medium-sized snacks: Mid-morning and mid-afternoon
- One recovery drink: A protein shake consumed directly after my workout
- Lots of water
While I don’t count my calories (even though sometimes I check in on my protein intake via MyFitnessPal), I aim for fairly equal serving sizes for my meals most days by using similar containers/dishes for food. During the week, I tend to stick to a handful of tried and true healthy-ish items and save my desserts and indulgent eats for the weekends.
The biggest things I try to do each day include eating frequently enough that I’m never super hungry and having protein in every meal or snack so I stay full for longer.
Now what does all that look like in pictures? Here you go …
Breakfast at 5:30 a.m.
Overnight oats, made with Greek yogurt, almond milk, chia seeds, rolled oats and cinnamon, topped with a banana. A mug of green tea on the side.
A creature of habit, I eat this nearly every single day. Lately I’ve been trying new combinations, like adding a scoop of almond butter (it doesn’t spread well throughout the bowl) or crunched-up almonds (a little bland, and I eat enough almonds every day anyways), but nothing has been as good as the original. I’m still searching for a way to liven it up. Pumpkin perhaps? ‘Tis the season.
Morning snack at 8:45 a.m.
Cottage cheese with blueberries and crunched-up almonds.
Cottage cheese is full of protein and can be used as a base for anything. It’s a major staple in my diet. I go through a tub a week, sometimes more. I know it doesn’t sound tasty, but it’s worth a shot if you are looking for a filling and healthy snack idea.
Lunch at 11 a.m.
Salad with grilled chicken, grilled peppers, spinach, purple cabbage, grape tomatoes, garbanzo beans and balsamic vinaigrette.
My weekday salad is the place where I use any leftover meat and veggies from dinners. You can see taco night extras made it into this particular salad. In the break-room at work people always compliment my meals because the colors make it seem so fancy. It’s not fancy, but it does taste good.
Post-workout protein at 2 p.m.
One big scoop of Game Plan Vanilla Whey Protein mixed with water.
This is nearly the last of my Game Plan supply, so I’m on the hunt for another protein powder to try soon. I have a protein shake every day that I work out, within about 30 minutes of finishing, and it’s something I look forward to. I’ve been using this same pink bottle for so long, I think it may be time to invest in a new one. Poor little guy is starting to look worn.
Afternoon snack at 4 p.m.
Greek yogurt, a chopped up gala apple and some raw mixed-nut trail mix.
Parfaits are the way to my heart. I like to have plenty of textures and tastes in a meal, so mixing up a few of my staple items like this is an easy way to fill up with goodness. I’m pretty sure I go a little heavy on the nut eating these days, but they’re just so yummy.
Hydration stop at 5 p.m.
A hearty helping of coconut water.
Outside of one mug of green tea in the morning, water and milk, coconut water is the only flavored beverage I drink on the regular. This is my go-to brand, and when I’m feeling frisky on the weekend I like to reach for the pulpy kind. Coconut water is always in my water bottle when teaching BODYATTACK, because I need that little extra push to re-hydrate while dripping buckets full of sweat during the one-hour class.
Dinner at 8:30 p.m.
Zucchini pasta topped with sauteed collard greens, purple cabbage, tomatoes and turkey meatballs covered in tomato sauce.
Another smorgasboard of items, of course. I make my zucchini pasta noodles with a Veggetti during the day so I can have them ready quickly at night once I get home from classes or work. This is by far my favorite weekday dinner, and so I eat it at least twice a week. Last night was extra special, because I tried a new gourmet and healthy 100% natural pasta sauce sent to me by a company called Sauces n’ Love. More details on that coming soon, because it’s worth sharing.
*Un-pictured — A few swigs of almond milk straight from the carton. No judgment zone.
Okay, folks! That’s all the food I had yesterday, a regular ole’ Tuesday in the City. I’m heading off to work to train some clients and then teach BODYATTACK tonight.
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Stay in touch
I know you like to look at pictures of food via “What I Ate Wednesday,” so let’s stay in touch. Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin’, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for more food and fitness talk throughout the week. And if you want to enjoy more recaps of daily eating, check out my previous posts:
- A full day of eating in pictures
- Another full day of my eats and drinks
- Real food isn’t always pretty
- Do you have a balanced dining out strategy?
- What I ate and drank all day
- Three meals, two snacks and a shake
- Food trucks and rest-day eating
- Plenty of protein at every meal
- Colorful fuel for a day of training
- Long days of training require a lot of food
- Making do on “What I Ate Wednesday”
- Healthy foods for a rest day
Questions of the day
What’s one fun thing you’ve done lately? Do you have a favorite protein powder? What’s your most frequently eaten weeknight dinner?
I always use to love cottage cheese growing up, then got out of it. I see it on so many blogs though as a snack so perhaps it’s time to dip back in. Any brands or combinations you recommend to get me excited about it again?
Hi Ashley, Well, I usually buy the grocery store brand of 2 percent cottage cheese (It’s Lucerne/Safeway out here in SF), so that works fine. You can make it sweet by adding orange slices or even some strawberry preserves. Or you can add a little salt and pepper and eat it plain. There’s no wrong way to eat cottage cheese! So go get some:)
Most fun thing I’ve done lately was take a quick trip to visit one of my best friends in Boston for the weekend! We were able to eat at great restaurants and SHOP our little hearts out!
I’d have to say my favourite staple dinner food is chicken, whether bbq, made into fajitas or even stir fried I know I can count on it for some great flavours and a ton of variety in my meals!
I need to get back on the cottage cheese train, it is soo good and I often use yogurt instead but adding it to this weeks grocery list! Thanks for the reminder!
Glad you had a fun girl’s trip. Hope you enjoy some cottage cheese soon!
I used to eat overnight oats every morning, but over-did it and now I’ve moved onto a new breakfast obsession…but pumpkin in overnight oats is AWESOME. Also, adding in a little flavored protein is really good too. I’m about to try Stronger Faster Healthier protein powder because it’s supposed to have the most “real” ingredients with no fake anything.
Also love zucchini noodles and make them every week!! I recently made pad thai with zucchini noodles and that’s definitely my fav!
Hi Christa, I think I’m overdoing it and need to move on from the oats for a while for sure. Pad thai zucchini noodles? Yummy!!
Zucchini noodles sound so good!!
p.s. I love cottage cheese, whyyy do I forget to buy it at the store?! Gotta get on that. hehe
I always forget about cottage cheese too! 😉
I repeat so many of the same foods. Oatmeal is certainly one of them!
Your meals are so always so colorful! And I notice that you don’t eat much wheat or bread. Is that on purpose?
If I had to choose a favorite protein powder, I would say SunWarrior but I haven’t used it in forever. I just took my first BODY PUMP class last night in literally months and my body was really craving protein after so I might have to start back.
I’m excited for the new release next week! Are you guys launching too?
Howdy! I eat taco wraps on Sunday and Monday night, but not at a lot of bread — other than what comes with dinners out on Saturday nights. I used to rely too heavily on sandwiches, so I pulled back from that a little. I don’t eliminate bread or wheat, it’s just not something I eat a lot anymore.
And yes, launch starts Tuesday at 24 Hour Fitness in the City, and I need to start learning the new stuff. So glad you went to PUMP!! Happy Wednesday:)
YUM, looks like a great day of eats! I love your snacks and the looks of that zucchini pasta. I need to try an make some one of these days! 🙂
Hi Heather, Oh yes, it’s soooo good. A must-try. Dave doesn’t eat it, so he still gets regular pasta, but I always choose veggie for myself these days.
omg your eats have me legit drooling. I eat pretty much the same [as in 3 meals, 2 small snacks and a post workout refuel]. I literally feel like Im always eating, which is totally the way to go in my book 😉
Hi Kat, It’s good to keep your body fueled up with a lot of fuel. Hope you’re having a great Wednesday!
I need to try your cottage cheese/blueberry/almond snack. That looks SO good. I am partial to Trader Joe’s vanilla soy protein powder. It’s 25 grams of protein per serving (110 calories), and it’s less expensive than whey powders. I think a 2 LB tub is like $14. Pretty good deal. It tastes great, and it’s unsweetened so I can add whatever I want. It’s probably not super convenient for people who prefer to just add water, but I like to mix my powder with fruit or oatmeal and whatever. My favorite dinner as of late is so easy, so comforting, and so full of protein. I whip up a pan of Egg Beaters (or egg whites) and make a fluffy omelet thing, and I’ve been totally obsessed with vegan sausage…LightLife brand. It’s so, so good. Breakfast becomes dinner. I might also cover it in sugar free syrup. Because even if the pancakes aren’t there, syrup tops eggs and sausage like ketchup on fries. My opinion, but seriously. It’s good. =)
I’ve had breakfast for lunch and dinner a few times lately. I like the whole egg though. Thanks for the tip on the TJ’s product. Have a great evening!
I keep seeing zucchini noodles everywhere! I’ll definitely be making them once I get my hand on a spiralizer 🙂
For sure! It’s so easy too. You can even get one at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Give it a try!
Cottage cheese with fruit is one of my favorite snacks. I love cashews too!!
Hi Katie! Thanks for stopping by to read. Oh I pretty much like all nuts, which is funny because I didn’t like them at all a few years ago.
I’ve been struggling with re-regulating my diet since moving, so it’s great to see what a fit and healthy person consumes in a day. Definitely excited to follow this series!
Catherine
Thanks! I’ll keep it up.
Hi there, the best protein powder I’ve come across is Fit 365. It’s extremely clean and has no artificial taste whatsoever. Fab. It comes in choc and vanilla and is a daily staple for me. 😉
Hi Diane,
Thank you so much for the recommendation. I will check it out when I use up my current tub. Have a great day!