FAQ: What Should I Eat?

Clients, friends and acquaintances regularly ask what and how they should eat.  Sometimes I'm asked what I eat.  A prescriptive answer may be desired but I don't have one. As with nearly all fitness or dietary related questions, the answer is, of course, it depends.  For most people, what works best is to consume a wide variety of whole, nutrient-dense foods that support individual needs, goals, and preferences and include a mix of carbohydrates, fats, and protein.   That's not quite the answer people seem to be looking for but it's the one I've got! 

As for what I eat, the answer is almost everything.   I eat mostly whole, nutrient-dense foods including plenty of vegetables, fruits, nuts, lean meats with some processed foods and dining out.  I don’t count calories or macros but I generally follow the PN portion control method. I don't do a lot of food prep but I have an idea of my meals for the week before I go shopping.   What I do may or may not work for you and that's okay.  Below are a few simple tips anyone can use to support healthy dietary habits.

• Have go-to ingredients in your home.   These foods should be mostly nutrient-dense foods you enjoy that can be prepared relatively quickly.  (For those times you get a bit over-hungry and need food NOW!)  Your go-to foods will be dependent upon food preferences and sensitivities.  Some examples of my go-tos:  1.  Frozen and fresh vegetables and fruits such as  spinach, onion, bell pepper, broccoli, green beans, carrots, cucumbers, berries, apples, bananas  2. Peanut butter or almond butter, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, avocados, olive oil, coconut oil 3. Whole wheat bread, brown rice, jasmine rice, canned beans, whole wheat pasta, veggie pasta, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, red potatoes  4. Greek yogurt, eggs, lesser-processed turkey deli meat, chicken breasts, tuna, black bean veggie burgers
• Addition first.  Focus on increasing the amount of vegetables and fruits and other whole foods you are eating rather than removing foods from your diet.  It will be a slow shift but as you up the intake of these nutrient-dense foods, you won't have as much room for the other stuff.  As mentioned above, frozen is perfectly acceptable!   It took a while but now I reach for some type (any type!) of vegetable and /or fruit virtually every time I eat.
• Don’t bring it home unless you want to eat it eventually and you’ll feel okay after eating it.   You will find ice cream, potato chips, and similar foods in my kitchen but you will not typically find donuts or store-bought cookies and cakes.  Most processed foods can be fun add-ons that allow for a sense of balance.  By including these foods, you won't feel deprived.  However, don't buy the foods that you find too easy to over-eat or leave you feeling unwell.
• Pay attention to how you feel before and after eating.  Not too long ago, it seemed that I was always hungry. If not hungry, I was consumed with thoughts of food.  I'd over-eat and then restrict. It was a terrible pattern.  I'd be thinking about what I would eat the next day when I went to bed or what I would have at lunch right after eating breakfast.  Who wants to spend so much time thinking about food? I NEEDED a change. I was tired of being constantly hungry despite eating seemingly large amounts of food.  Our  bodies can send some pretty important messages if we're willing to listen. For some reason, we tend to ignore them!  The realization that increasing my intake of "healthy foods" led to feeling MORE satisfied and energetic was surprising.  It was the opposite of what I experienced when trying to eat healthier in the past.  That was when I was going about it all wrong and focusing on restricting rather than adding (see previous point).   This slowly changed my eating patterns. Of course, I still occasionally eat to the point of being uncomfortably full or consume foods that don't agree with me even though I know what will happen. But the majority of my dietary choices reflect my nutritional needs and make me feel good.    Symptoms such as headaches, excessive gas/bloating, heartburn, upset stomach, skin reactions, or constant hunger could be telling you something about what you should and should not eat.  If you have recurring symptoms such as these after meals, see a medical professional. 
  
• Only track your food if it supports you and doesn't stress you out or make you feel guilty.   If tracking works for you, go for it!  It can be enlightening in terms of portion sizes too, which is great.   However, if tracking has been the only way you have approached changing how you eat and you find it tedious, stressful or guilt-inducing, you are better off finding another way. (Let's talk about the PN portion method, for example) If you tend to fall off the wagon of "eating well" or you can't shake the feast or famine mentality, it is time to consider coaching.  Coaching can help you identify areas that need attention, prioritize, and then tackle them one at a time:   Struggle with portion size or eating until too full? Late-night snacking?  Eating out often?  Not even sure where to begin?    You don't have to figure it out yourself.  In-person or online coaching could be your key to establishing sustainable, healthy eating habits. 

Recent Frequent Eats ... & a few more personal tips
These foods may or may not fit in with your dietary needs or preferences but they are a few examples of the things I eat on regular basis.  I don't cook much and prefer simple meals and snacks. 

• Summertime=watermelon!
• Scrambled eggs (2) with onion, bell pepper, spinach and toast
• Overnight oats topped with nuts and berries
• Whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter and banana or blueberries
• Natural turkey deli meat or tuna sandwich on wheat with a side of low sodium chips and vegetables of some form  
• Boneless skinless chicken breast, salmon, or other protein with steamed or sauteed veggies and rice or potato
• Black beans, ground turkey (taco meat), and salsa on top of a baked potato or with sauteed vegetables
  
• Salads of almost any variety:  spinach or romaine topped with beans or meat, whatever veggies I have on hand, avocado, a drizzle of salad dressing
  
• Pasta and steamed veggies with marinara
• Snack attack:
  • One or two squares of dark chocolate, 1/4 cup of nuts (usually walnuts) and berries
    
  • Black pepper Triscuits, turkey slices, apple
    
  • Baby carrots, bell pepper strips, tortilla chips (about a handful) with red pepper hummus or guacamole
    
  • Scoop of non-dairy ice cream with sliced strawberries, walnuts, and a square of dark chocolate broken up on top
    
  • Protein-overnight oats with blueberries and banana slices
    
• Going out to eat:
  • Most often I opt for a vegetable side instead of fries or I select a vegetable heavy dish.  Sometimes I get the fries.
  • Pay attention to fullness cues.  I have a greater tendency to overeat at restaurants, especially if leftovers cannot be taken home.  I have found it helpful to remind myself that the money is spent for the meal regardless of what is eaten or what is left.  Eating to the point of feeling uncomfortable or sick doesn't provide a greater value to me.  
• Late night snacking:
  • There I was, rummaging through the cabinets after 8 pm once again saying, "I just want to eat."   I often wasn't hungry.  I was bored or anxious or tired or stressed.   Eating late at night was not only adding unnecessary calories to my day but negatively impacting my sleep that night.  Currently, I have a self-imposed cut-off at 8 pm on routine nights.  It works well.  I simply eat what I feel I need prior to that time and I don't eat again until after 8 am the next morning.
    

This post may not have explicitly answered the question, "what should I eat?" but my hope is that it gave you some ideas to consider and try out for yourself.  Additional Frequently Asked Question posts on health & fitness are coming.  Got something in particular you'd like to see here?  Post a comment below or send me an e-mail. 

Thanks for reading!