Illustration: Florie Duhau
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SLIDESHOW
Jessica Crandall, RDN based in Denver
We love her evening Manhattans and adventurous palate (see why she says bison makes the best burgers). But doing this food diary showed Crandall that she's not following a crucial piece of advice she gives to clients.
Day 1 (Friday)
Breakfast - 7 a.m.
1 banana with 2 Tbsp. low-sugar peanut butter; 2 high-protein pancakes made with whole-grain oat flour, whey protein isolate, egg whites, buttermilk, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. "I tell my clients to aim for 20 grams of protein per meal and I follow the same rule myself. This food diary has been eye-opening, though, because now that I look at it, I'm not sure if I'm reaching that goal."
Lunch - noon
2 tofu veggie spring rolls with 1 Tbsp. peanut vinaigrette; 1 1/2 cups fruit salad with mangos, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and kiwi; 2 cups of coffee with 8 ounces of almond milk.
Dinner - 6 p.m.
8 ounce sirloin steak; 1 cup arugula salad with balsamic vinegar; 2 slices of bruschetta topped with fat-free feta cheese and cherry tomatoes; 1 oatmeal cookie.
Day 2 (Saturday)
Breakfast - 7 a.m.
2 protein pancakes with 1 Tbsp. chia-seed jelly; 2 egg whites and diced veggies with Parmesan cheese; 2 cups of coffee with 8 ounces of almond milk.
Lunch - noon
2-ounce bison burger (no bun) with 1 Tbsp. each of ketchup and mustard; 2 ounces of grilled chicken; 1 cup of watermelon; 1 cup of black beans with 1 ounce of corn tortilla chips, 1/4 cup guacamole and 1/4 cup pico de gallo. "Bison is really flavorful, and it's raised locally here in Colorado. It makes for a really good burger because it doesn't dry out like lean cuts of beef do."
Dinner& - 6 p.m.
3 ounces of tuna tartar with guacamole and mango; 1 ounce of wheat crackers; 1 cup white-bean chicken chili; 1/2 cup beet salad with fat-free feta cheese and arugula; 1-ounce custard-cup dessert; 1 Manhattan.
Day 3 (Sunday)
Highlights of the day: Chicken for lunch and dinner, each with a delicious seasoning. Lunch called for garlic, red pepper flakes, turmeric, cumin and olive oil, while dinner's dish had rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, lemon zest and lemon juice, minced garlic, pepper and olive oil. Plus a Manhattan.
Day 4 (Monday)
Breakfast - 7 a.m.
Homemade cinnamon biscotti; 2 cups of coffee with 8 ounces of high-protein milk. "It's a double-filtered milk, which gives it more protein and calcium than normal milk."
Lunch - noon
1 container of Greek yogurt; 3 ounces of deli chicken; 1 cheese stick; 1 apple; 1 cup bell pepper; 20 wheat crackers.
Dinner - 6 p.m.
4 ounces of grilled chicken; 2 cups bell-pepper-and-cucumber salad with poppy seed dressing; 2 cups grilled broccoli; 1 almond-flour date cookie.
After dinner snack
1 ounce of almonds and 1 cup of grapes.
Day 5 (Tuesday)
Breakfast - 7 a.m.
2 pieces of homemade whole-wheat cinnamon toast with 1 Tbsp. of butter; 2 cups of coffee with 8 ounces of high-protein milk.
Lunch - noon
Mexican salad—chicken, pinto beans, pico de gallo, 2 cups of lettuce, 5 corn chips.
Snack - 3 p.m.
1 grapefruit.
Dinner - 6 p.m.
4-ounce buffalo burger (no bun); 1 medium roasted and sliced sweet potato; 2 cups bell-pepper-and-cucumber salad with poppy seed dressing; 1 cup of herbal tea; 1-ounce brownie. "I try to get a lot of variety in my diet, including the kinds of meat I eat. You get different nutrients from different types."
Day 6 (Wednesday)
Highlights of the day: Whole-wheat cinnamon toast for breakfast, an afternoon soymilk latte, and grilled chicken with bell-pepper-and-cucumber salad and acorn squash sprinkled with cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar for dinner.
Crandall is a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
