What I Eat In A Day

by zAcufGk1sVgMk91jxQLc6ZOkpBAwp19684

Last week I wrote about my food journey, which begs the question: what do I eat? Years ago, I remember hearing of people who gave up grains, and I just felt so sorry for them. How can one live without grains? While it is certainly not a fun transition, it can be done. And, I believe, done well. Read on to learn how I do it.


One thing before I jump in to what I eat, however. I have discovered that I can eat rice, corn, and oats, with no problem, as long as the portion sizes are around half a cup or less. So that definitely gives me more freedom with what I eat. I can also get away with occasionally having sourdough bread. Other times, if it’s a special occasion or if there are not a lot of options for me, I’ll just eat what’s served. My gut is to the point where I can handle dairy or gluten with just a little bit of gas or bloating, and maybe a slight headache. That it so much better than the heavy brain fog and stomach aches I used to get. But, I’m not healed yet, so I still stick to a mostly grain-, dairy-, and sugar-free diet.

A typical day for me looks like this. I wake between 6-7. I sometimes start with just water, and then sit outside in the warmer months and spend time reading the Bible and praying. That’s when I can get up before my kids. If not, I jump right into serving them breakfast, doing hair, helping find clothes, etc. I may heat up a cup of chicken broth and drink it out of a mug. Other times I wait until the kids’ needs are met, and then saute some veggies, add broth, and poach a couple of eggs in it. Similar to this post and this one. By that point it’s around 7:30 or 8 when I eat breakfast. Soup for breakfast may seem strange, but it fills me up and makes me feel good. When I had been eating granola or cereal years ago, I was always hungry by 9:30. Eating carbs and sugar makes me feel heavy then hungry all day, with little energy.

Soup for breakfast
After breakfast, I have energy for the morning. I sometimes do a workout. Other days I squeeze it in later, or I take the day off if there isn’t enough time. I don’t have planned workout days, because life isn’t that predictable. Instead I try to workout every day. That ends up happening about five days out of the week. By 11 am I’m getting pretty hungry for lunch. I often start preparing it at 11:30, and eat around noon.
Lunch is cooked at home or packed. If it’s packed, it’s usually a salad with lots of fat (avocado, nuts, olive oil, olives, etc.) plus protein (soft boiled eggs, leftover chicken, salmon/tuna salad, etc.) and a rainbow of vegetables. I try to pack at least seven different vegetables in my salad, and it fills a quart container. Dressing is a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Sometimes I add blue cheese, the one type of dairy I can get away with.
Salad for lunch is kind of the rule; cooked lunch is more the exception. For example, if I’m out of salad greens or if I have to use up leftovers. I saute veggies and add protein. Or I make a wrap. Lately I’ve been using collard greens to make wraps. I will post a recipe for this in the future, but basically, take a couple of nice big collard greens, trim out the lower thick stem, and hold it carefully over a pot of steaming water. The leaf will begin to turn bright green and soften. Lay it down flat, fill with favorite veggies, protein, fat, and grains if you tolerate them. Add a dressing so it doesn’t get too dry, and roll it up. It’s delicious. 
Collard wraps with tempeh, brown rice, avocado, veggies, sesame oil

I usually have fruit after lunch and dinner, or a paleo style dessert made of peanut butter, coconut oil, collagen, and chia seeds. It’s kind of like a fudge. Again, I will post the recipe soon. I still have a sweet tooth, even though I’m off sugar, so fruit is a nice way to end the meal.

Dinner happens between 5:30 – 6:30. It could be anything. Usually it’s roasted or sauteed vegetables, protein such as beef, chicken, or fish. Sometimes it’s a frittata with veggies, greens, a salad on the side, a side of rice. We often have potatoes or sweet potatoes. Avocado with the meal, or a peanut butter/coconut oil mix after the meal, helps me feel satisfied and full. 
For this particular frittata, I sauteed about 1/2 cup each of tomatoes, broccoli rabe, yellow squash, zucchini, and probably a 1/4 cup of chopped onion. While that was cooking, I whipped 6 eggs with salt and pepper. When the vegetables were soft but not mushy, I poured in the egg. I let it cook until the edges were set, then I slipped it into a 400 degree often and finished cooking for about 10 minutes. The frittata is done when it’s not jiggly in the middle. I ate this fritta with a side of avocado and cilantro, mango, and garden fresh cucumbers sprinkled with flaky sea salt. 
Eating this way makes me feel happy, light, and strong. Don’t believe I’m a saint, though. There are plenty of times that I go off track and give into temptation. It only takes a couple of days of eating sugar/gluten/dairy that I think, this is dumb. This doesn’t make me feel good. I want to feel good and fuel my body well. 

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