3 Nutritionists Wrote Down Everything They Ate for a Week
They all snacked, two enjoyed cocktails, wine, or beer, and none of them ate any kale!
By Emma Haak
Marisa Moore, RDN based in Atlanta
Tacos, tostadas, nachos and more are staples for her (rejoice, Mexican-food lovers!), plus she has a salmon secret that'll make your wallet and your waistline very happy.
Day 1 (Thursday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
1/4 cup dry steel-cut oats cooked with water, topped with a little cinnamon; 1/2 small very ripe banana, sliced with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter. "Breakfast is an autopilot meal most days, and oatmeal is my go-to. It's quick to make and full of fiber."
Snack - 10 a.m.
5 ounces plain Greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp. blueberry jam.
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Egg and avocado toast—1/2 small avocado, smashed and spread on a piece of toasted sourdough bread from the bakery, topped with 1 sliced boiled egg and sprinkled with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. "I work from home most days, and because I usually have avocados in the house, this is a quick, satisfying meal in my regular rotation. The avocado adds a little decadence to a basic egg sandwich."
Snack - 4 p.m.
1/2 cup roasted strawberries with 1 Tbsp. chopped almonds and 2 Tbsp. coconut whipped cream.
Dinner - 7:30 p.m.
4 ounces BBQ broiled salmon with 1 1/2 cup olive-oil-roasted broccoli. "I buy fresh salmon when it's in season or on sale, but most of the time I buy frozen. It's a convenient and affordable way to get healthy omega 3s."
After Dinner
A little less than 1/4 cup sesame-brittle ice cream.
Day 2 (Friday)
Highlights of the day: Breakfast and lunch were the same as yesterday ("I had to use up the other half of the avocado!"), but a dinner out with friends included a slice of New York–style thin-crust cheese pizza.
Day 3 (Saturday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
3/4 cup steel cut oats (cooked) with 1/2 cup fresh blackberries plus a drizzle of maple syrup.
Snack - 10 a.m.
Blueberry-kefir smoothie—1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 cup fresh spinach, 1/2 cup plain kefir, water.
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Egg and avocado tacos—2 soft corn tortillas, charred topped with 2 eggs scrambled with chopped onions, 1/2 small avocado and lots of salsa
Snack - 4 p.m.
1 ounce of chili-lime roasted peanuts.
Dinner - 8 p.m.
Pasta dinner out at a local Italian restaurant—1/2 of a Lemon-Thyme Salmon Bowtie Pasta entree (included salmon, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes) and 1 piece garlic herb bread. "I took the other half of the entree with me so I could have it for lunch the next day."
Day 4 (Sunday)
Highlights of the day: A filling toasted-oats breakfast, the other half of last night's pasta for lunch, plus 3 ounces of mustard grilled chicken, 1/2 cup roasted herb potatoes and 1 cup of warm sesame ginger broccoli and carrot slaw for dinner. "I quickly sautéed shredded broccoli stalks with a few shredded carrots, sesame seeds, garlic and toasted sesame oil."
Day 5 (Monday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
Steel cut oats, blackberries and maple syrup.
Snack - 10 a.m.
Coconut ginger matcha latte.
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Olive oil tuna salad over greens—4 ounces albacore tuna, drained, 1 Tbsp. olive oil vinaigrette, 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved, 1 Tbsp. chopped kalamata olives, 1 cup raw spinach; plus 4 rice-and-nut crackers.
Snack - 4 p.m.
Sesame cucumber salad—1 medium cucumber, spiralized, topped with sesame vinaigrette, 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds and some crushed red pepper flakes. "I was testing recipes today, and this salad was one of the ones I was working on."
Dinner - 7:30 p.m.
Black bean tostadas—1 cup seasoned black beans, 2 Tbsp. shredded pepper jack cheese, 1/2 cup fresh salsa and fresh cilantro over 2 baked tostadas, plus 1/2 cup sautéed radishes with olive oil and topped with parsley. "I often make vegetarian nachos or tostadas for a quick meal. Here, I used store-bought baked tostadas, and the black beans were leftovers."
Day 6 (Tuesday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
Steel-cut oats with cinnamon; a banana with peanut butter.
Snack - 10 a.m.
5 ounces plain Greek yogurt with 1 cup frozen raspberries plus 1/2 tsp. honey
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Two bean-and-cheese quesadillas—1/2 cup smashed pinto beans (with garlic and onion) and 2 Tbsp. pepper jack cheese on two 2 6-inch corn tortillas folded in half.
Snack - 4p.m.
20 frozen grapes.
Dinner - 7:30 p.m.
Two fish tacos—4 ounces pan-seared cod flaked onto 2 soft corn tortillas topped with lots of shredded raw cabbage, avocado slices and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice; plus 1/2 cup black beans cooked with green pepper, onion and spices.
Day 7 (Wednesday)
Highlights of the day: Same breakfast as yesterday, but lunch called for avocado toast with pumpkin seeds, afternoon snack included filling black-bean chips, and dinner was omega 3–rich steelhead trout baked with a Dijon mustard sauce.
Day 1 (Thursday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
1/4 cup dry steel-cut oats cooked with water, topped with a little cinnamon; 1/2 small very ripe banana, sliced with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter. "Breakfast is an autopilot meal most days, and oatmeal is my go-to. It's quick to make and full of fiber."
Snack - 10 a.m.
5 ounces plain Greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp. blueberry jam.
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Egg and avocado toast—1/2 small avocado, smashed and spread on a piece of toasted sourdough bread from the bakery, topped with 1 sliced boiled egg and sprinkled with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. "I work from home most days, and because I usually have avocados in the house, this is a quick, satisfying meal in my regular rotation. The avocado adds a little decadence to a basic egg sandwich."
Snack - 4 p.m.
1/2 cup roasted strawberries with 1 Tbsp. chopped almonds and 2 Tbsp. coconut whipped cream.
Dinner - 7:30 p.m.
4 ounces BBQ broiled salmon with 1 1/2 cup olive-oil-roasted broccoli. "I buy fresh salmon when it's in season or on sale, but most of the time I buy frozen. It's a convenient and affordable way to get healthy omega 3s."
After Dinner
A little less than 1/4 cup sesame-brittle ice cream.
Day 2 (Friday)
Highlights of the day: Breakfast and lunch were the same as yesterday ("I had to use up the other half of the avocado!"), but a dinner out with friends included a slice of New York–style thin-crust cheese pizza.
Day 3 (Saturday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
3/4 cup steel cut oats (cooked) with 1/2 cup fresh blackberries plus a drizzle of maple syrup.
Snack - 10 a.m.
Blueberry-kefir smoothie—1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 cup fresh spinach, 1/2 cup plain kefir, water.
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Egg and avocado tacos—2 soft corn tortillas, charred topped with 2 eggs scrambled with chopped onions, 1/2 small avocado and lots of salsa
Snack - 4 p.m.
1 ounce of chili-lime roasted peanuts.
Dinner - 8 p.m.
Pasta dinner out at a local Italian restaurant—1/2 of a Lemon-Thyme Salmon Bowtie Pasta entree (included salmon, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes) and 1 piece garlic herb bread. "I took the other half of the entree with me so I could have it for lunch the next day."
Day 4 (Sunday)
Highlights of the day: A filling toasted-oats breakfast, the other half of last night's pasta for lunch, plus 3 ounces of mustard grilled chicken, 1/2 cup roasted herb potatoes and 1 cup of warm sesame ginger broccoli and carrot slaw for dinner. "I quickly sautéed shredded broccoli stalks with a few shredded carrots, sesame seeds, garlic and toasted sesame oil."
Day 5 (Monday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
Steel cut oats, blackberries and maple syrup.
Snack - 10 a.m.
Coconut ginger matcha latte.
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Olive oil tuna salad over greens—4 ounces albacore tuna, drained, 1 Tbsp. olive oil vinaigrette, 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved, 1 Tbsp. chopped kalamata olives, 1 cup raw spinach; plus 4 rice-and-nut crackers.
Snack - 4 p.m.
Sesame cucumber salad—1 medium cucumber, spiralized, topped with sesame vinaigrette, 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds and some crushed red pepper flakes. "I was testing recipes today, and this salad was one of the ones I was working on."
Dinner - 7:30 p.m.
Black bean tostadas—1 cup seasoned black beans, 2 Tbsp. shredded pepper jack cheese, 1/2 cup fresh salsa and fresh cilantro over 2 baked tostadas, plus 1/2 cup sautéed radishes with olive oil and topped with parsley. "I often make vegetarian nachos or tostadas for a quick meal. Here, I used store-bought baked tostadas, and the black beans were leftovers."
Day 6 (Tuesday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
Steel-cut oats with cinnamon; a banana with peanut butter.
Snack - 10 a.m.
5 ounces plain Greek yogurt with 1 cup frozen raspberries plus 1/2 tsp. honey
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Two bean-and-cheese quesadillas—1/2 cup smashed pinto beans (with garlic and onion) and 2 Tbsp. pepper jack cheese on two 2 6-inch corn tortillas folded in half.
Snack - 4p.m.
20 frozen grapes.
Dinner - 7:30 p.m.
Two fish tacos—4 ounces pan-seared cod flaked onto 2 soft corn tortillas topped with lots of shredded raw cabbage, avocado slices and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice; plus 1/2 cup black beans cooked with green pepper, onion and spices.
Day 7 (Wednesday)
Highlights of the day: Same breakfast as yesterday, but lunch called for avocado toast with pumpkin seeds, afternoon snack included filling black-bean chips, and dinner was omega 3–rich steelhead trout baked with a Dijon mustard sauce.
Published 06/23/2016