I have wanted to write this post for quite some time and I am really excited to introduce this new series! What a Dietitian Eats in a Week is a fun way to look at what I eat - the good, the bad, and the indulgent! As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, what I eat is often a topic of interest - and I get it, people are curious! While I enjoy all foods, like dessert, pizza, and wine, I do try to eat a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables in a variety of shapes and colors. I don't count calories or follow any specific meal plan or diet, but rather my meals revolve around ease, getting creative with leftovers, and seasonal ingredients. Most of my meals are homemade but I also love a good restaurant and occasionally eat my breakfast in a hurry hunched over the kitchen sink.
My diet isn't perfect and in no way am I suggesting everyone should eat like me. Through this series I hope to dispel any myths about food and diet trends by showing what a real nutrition expert eats. While I can't speak for all dietitians, this dietitian right here doesn't eat anything with a diet or zero-caloire label, enjoys real food, and eats a ton of gluten. Now let's peek at my week!
What a Dietitian Eats in a Week
Monday
Breakfast: Coffe with milk, cinnamon crunch cereal with milk, and a GoodBelly probiotic shot. Lunch: Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with mayo, mustard, and a pickle. Also, had a mixed green salad with tomatoes and creamy balsamic dressing, and mini pears. Snack: Handful of mixed nuts and dried fruit. Dinner: Teriyaki salmon with white rice, sautéed shiitake mushrooms, zucchini, and onion, topped with cilantro. I sautéed the veggies with olive oil when cooking.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Fried egg (cooked in olive oil) on whole wheat toast, coffee with milk, and a GoodBelly probiotic shot. Lunch: Poke bowl from Ahi Poke in Scottsdale (my favorite!). I ordered my bowl with white rice, salmon, avocado, edamame, cucumbers, seaweed, red onion, crab mix, and sesame seeds - yes, I went all out! Dinner: Rigatoni pasta with homemade tomato sauce and a seared chicken breast. Also, a side salad with tomatoes, avocado, and creamy balsamic dressing.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Coffee with milk, and cinnamon crunch cereal, also with milk. Lunch: Leftover teriyaki salmon with sautéed veggies and cilantro. Snack: Handful of mixed nuts and dried fruit, mini pears, and cherry tomatoes. Dinner: Rigatoni pasta with homemade tomato sauce loaded with ground beef, chopped onion, and zucchini. Also, a side salad with tomatoes and creamy balsamic dressing.
Thursday
Breakfast: Coffee with milk, cinnamon crunch cereal with milk, and a GoodBelly probiotic shot. Lunch: Leftover salmon teriyaki with white rice. There wasn't a lot of vegetables leftover in the dish, so I decided to add frozen spinach to the dish before reheating in the microwave. Dinner: I attended an evening event, so I had a few bites of what they were serving, which were a few slices of a veggie wrap and dried fruit. I was still a little hungry when I got home but it was about 9pm, so I had a glass of milk before going to bed.
Friday
Breakfast: Coffee with milk, and low-fat vanilla yogurt with granola. Lunch: Turkey sandwich on a toasted whole wheat bagel with mayo, mustard, and a pickle. Also, added some sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Snack: Pumpkin spice latte and a persimmon. Dinner: We tried a new Italian restaurant, which is one of our new favorite spots. We first ordered a bottle of wine and shared a shrimp appetizer in a creamy lemon sauce. We then split a beet salad, which was shaped like a beet ravioli with two beet slices pressed together with ricotta in the middle. For my entree I ordered the squid ink seafood pasta, of which I ended up eating half and took the rest home. But we, of course, had room for dessert and shared the tiramisu. Yum!
Saturday
Breakfast: Coffee with milk. Mid-Morning Snack: Pork buns and potstickers from the farmers market. Lunch: Ramen bowl with pork belly at a new ramen restaurant. Dinner: Tried a new recipe for adobo chicken and kale enchiladas, topped with avocado. It was like a deconstructed enchilada we baked in a cast iron skillet!
Sunday
Breakfast: Pancakes topped with syrup, a fried egg and clementines. Lunch: Leftover squid ink pasta with a few shrimp. Also, added a side of tomatoes and sliced cucumbers, all drizzled in a creamy balsamic dressing. Snack: Chai latte. Dinner: Made a zucchini lasagna where the lasagna pasta sheets were replaced with zucchini strips. I baked this glorious lasagna dish with mozzarella, lots (and lots) of fresh basil, the last of my homemade tomato sauce, and topped with freshly grated parmesan. Not pictured were my two medium scoops of ice cream, Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream - it's the best!
I hope this provided some insight on what a dietitian eats in a week. I love all food, but more importantly I love real food. I incorporate vegetables into almost every meal but I also love my ramen and tiramisu. If I am going to splurge and eat indulgently, I make it worth it!
Are you surprised by anything I ate? Do you think it's helpful to see what a dietitian eats in a week? Comment below!
A says
Surprised by the captain crunch for breakfast, would have thought that some more protein to begin the day would be beneficial. It seems to be empty calories!
Love all the veggies included!
Michele Sidorenkov, RDN says
Hi Anna! I should have included the name of the cereal brand instead of just the flavor, it is not Captain Crunch. I haven't purchased that cereal in years, so I forget the exact brand but it was probably Kashi or a similar brand. I try to find cereals that are low in sugar and high in protein and fiber. I agree with you that my breakfasts were low in protein, although I don't feel like the bowl I used properly represented how much milk add to the cereal. I eat breakfast later in the morning with my higher protein lunches usually not too far behind. Thank you for your comment and I hope that clarified a little!