As a dietitian there are repeat questions I get asked by friends, family and strangers alike. One of those is “do you write meal plans?”
My immediate response is no, I don’t. Meal plans are inherently flawed for a few reasons.
- It’s impossible for me to give you recommendations without knowing anything about your habits, preferences, needs or goals. Ideally the person writing you a plan would know this about you, but I’d say that’s rare.
- It’s a restrictive way to give advice. A dietitian suggesting you eat from a specific list of foods at specific times of the day (unless medically indicated) can feel prescriptive and it limits your freedom to make your own choices.
- It’s a lot of work. This one is selfish, but meal plans are very time consuming to put together. Especially if you’re asking for calories/macros. It’s usually just not worth the time, and we can talk about meal planning in more productive ways during a session.
So, that being said I know I did promise you a meal plan when you opened this email. And I don’t want to go back on my promise, so here is one done my way! This leaves you room to make your own choices but provides the guidance I think you want.
AM:
Start off with a glass of water before anything else. Some of you I know are getting caffeine into your blood before anything else. Give your body a minute to adjust to being awake, and hold off on caffeine until after you’ve had a glass of water.
Breakfast:
Aim for a mixture of macronutrients. Carbs will feel satisfying and provide energy, but only carbs will probably leave you a little sluggish. Protein will provide satiety, but only protein probably isn’t the most satisfying. A little fat will keep you full, but too much fat will cause you to miss out on nutrition that comes from carbs and protein. I’ve been having oatmeal with egg whites (whisked in during cooking) and a spoonful of peanut butter.
AM snack:
If you need a snack before lunch, go for something that’s a protein or a fat. Or both. Like some nuts, or a half a banana with nut butter. Or maybe a container of yogurt. Keep snacks small to separate them from meals.
Lunch:
This one really depends on you. How much time you have, if you’re having to prep, if you’re going out for lunch, how many hours until you are going to eat again, etc. I like salads for lunch (typical dietitian behavior but it’s true) because I never feel bad after eating them. It’s the middle of the day and you still have stuff to do so something energizing has to be on the menu. Salads are light but you can add whatever you want to them to make them more filling. A protein is a must (I like hardboiled egg or tofu with lots of pumpkin seeds). If you struggle with getting in vegetables, a salad for lunch is a good way to check that box.
PM snack:
This is where a fruit would be a good idea. If you’re super hungry then I’d evaluate your lunch to make sure it’s sufficient. I like to snack on fruit in the afternoon because it’s usually when I want something sweet and especially in the summer it’s been very satisfying to just chow down on some cold watermelon.
Dinner:
Please have some fun with this one! I rarely ever eat a protein separated on my plate from the carb and the vegetable. I love entree salads, grain bowls, tacos, stir fry dishes, sandwiches or sheet pan meals. Prioritize colors. Dinner should never, ever just be beige.
After dinner snack:
I typically don’t recommend eating after dinner. There is nothing wrong with dessert but I would be selective about it! If you find yourself digging into 1/2 a pint of ice cream every single night you might want to evaluate the rest of your day to see if there is a reason for that. Give your body time to settle down and digest before winding down for bed.
So there’s your meal plan, WBW way! If you want to talk more about this, click here to schedule a call with me. My goal is for you to be self-sufficient and confident when it comes to food. You have the power to create your own meal plan and for it to totally rock!