What Does a Nutrition Coach Eat?
Let’s talk about the #1 question fitness and nutrition pros hear — “What do YOU eat?”
Most of the time, people are genuinely interested or looking for some inspiration. But sometimes if feels like they’re looking for a magic formula or maybe just an excuse to eat pizza.
So let’s get it out of the way: there is no magic formula, and we don’t need excuses for enjoying our favorite foods.
Disclosure: Some links on this blog contain affiliates. When you buy through one of our links we will receive a commission. This is at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting us and allowing us to continue to bring you valuable content.
Writing down what you eat can help identify some of the pretty awesome things you already do, and help you find new healthy habits to add.
Why does it matter what a nutrition coach eats?
A coach who is doing their job sets a positive example for their clients and community. The opportunity to show what a healthy life looks like is such a rewarding experience, especially when people see that it’s not about deprivation!
People want to know their coach is human. You’ll see some non-perfect things in my food log and that’s OK. I want you to see that. I can’t tell you how many times people have said “I bet you eat perfectly every day.” My response is always something like, “I had (insert something a food nazi would hate) this weekend, and it was perfect.” I’ll say this 1,000 more times this year, but there is no such thing as a bad food and there’s no such thing as a perfect diet.
Last week, several of my clients asked me if they could have a look at my food journal, so I took it as a challenge to write this blog post.
I’m sharing a 7-day snapshot of how I ate for 7 days in a row. Whether you are a coach or a simply a confidant, when looking at anyone’s food journal it is important to consider a few things about the person who keeping the journal. Hold any judgement and try to understand what the data tells you. Take the following into consideration before you draw any conclusions about whether it is a good or bad diet.
Once you have analyzed it, chances are, you’ll see a few opportunities to improve. That’s usually the easy part, especially when we look at our own food journals. But what about the bright spots? Are there any successes you can identify and turn into new healthy habits?
Since this is my food journal, I’m also sharing some context so you can get a clearer picture. These are the things to consider when analyzing a food journal.
Goals
My goals are good energy, mental clarity, to manage stress and control inflammation. For that, I’ll need plenty of vegetables, healthy fats, some proteins and also some fun foods (like my daily chocolate). Imagine how stressful that would be not to let myself enjoy something like that on a daily basis!
You may notice that I eat more carbs than you might expect. There are plenty of them in my diet and most of them are slow carbs, which are awesome for stress management and sustained energy. While low-carb works for some people, in my experience, it doesn’t work long-term for me. A diet low in carbs can be very stressful on the body, and I find it too restrictive to be a realistic lifestyle.
Health history
I have genetic mutations, so that’s fun. Everyone does, but mine relate specifically to the liver and digestive system. For that reason, I avoid fortified foods, alcohol, and foods that are linked to inflammation (gluten, wheat, cow dairy etc.
I keep my animal protein to a minimum, due to a risk factor for cancer (my body likes to grow things). Why haven’t I gone vegan? Because limitations aren’t fun, and not having fun is stressful. But you will notice that my diet is mostly plants. I’ve included quantities on most things, and you can see the work I’m doing trying to get 7-9 fist-sized servings of vegetables every day (this is the “secret recipe” of nutrition coaching).
Schedule
Right now I’m following a 12-hour eating window. Sometimes I have a longer window, and sometimes it’s shorter. When I worked 10-hour days (before the pandemic), The past couple of weeks have been stressful, so I’m giving my body a break from the added stress of longer fasting periods.
Time of the year
Food is seasonal and eating should be, too. I try to include food that are in season locally and regionally this time of year. Am I strict about it? Not really, but I t is important to keep in mind that nature rotates foods in and out of our diets, which helps heal the gut and prevent severe sensitivities.
Day 1 (Friday)
10 a.m. — 2 eggs and a smoothie bowl (3/4 cup cauliflower, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup butternut squash, 2 strawberries, 1 tbsp almond butter, 3 tbsp coconut, nuts & seeds on top)
10:30 a.m. — chickory/cocoa “fake coffee” drink
11 a.m. — green tea
1 p.m. 2 cups sautéed cauliflower, 1/2 bulb sautéed fennel, 1/4 lb. sausage, 1 oz. goat cheese, 2 tbsp avocado oil (for sauteeing)
3 p.m. — smoothie (8 oz, almond milk, 1 scoop vanilla collagen, 1/2 up cauliflower, 2 strawberries)
6 p.m. — 1 banana w/ 2 tbsp almond butter
8 p.m. — 2 pc. Gluten-free air fried chicken wings (I use an almond/cassava/chickpea flour blend, flax meal and spices), 1-1/4 cup German-style potato salad (potatoes, scallions, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper), 3 cups sautéed kale (kale, 1-1/2 tsp avocado oil, 1/4 cup water, garlic)
9 p.m. — 1.25 oz Taza chocolate (my favorite, highly recommend), 3 oz. coconut drinking chocolate (coconut milk, cocoa, erythritol, vanilla)
Day 2 (Saturday)
9:30 a.m. — 1 pc. fried chicken (see above), smoothie bowl (3/4 cup cauliflower, 1/2 banana, 2 strawberries, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 cup almond milk, 3 tbsp coconut, nuts & seeds)
2 p.m. — Nachos (1 cup refried pinto beans (beans + 2 tsp olive oil), 3 cups grain-free tapioca chips, 1/2 cup zucchini cheese (zucchini, nutritional yeast, gelatin, olive oil, lemon), 2 cups sautéed riced cauliflower
4 p.m. — 1.25 oz. Taza Chocolate
6 p.m. — 2 pc. Fried chicken, 2 cups sautéed kale, 2 cups potato salad
8 p.m. — 3 oz. drinking chocolate, .75 oz dark chocolate, 1/2 banana w/ almond butter
Day 3 (Sunday)
9:15 a.m. — Smoothie bowl (3/4 cup cauliflower, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup butternut squash, 2 strawberries, 1 tbsp almond butter, 3 tbsp coconut, nuts & seeds on top), matcha latte (1/4 tsp matcha, 8 oz. almond milk, 1 packet stevia)
1 p.m. — Salad (4 cups lettuce, zucchini cheese, pinto beans, carrot, pepitas, buffalo ranch dressing), 1 slice paleo pumpkin bread, 1 paleo brownie
6 p.m. — Nachos (beans, chips, zucchini cheese, cauliflower rice)
6:30 p.m. .75 oz. dark chocolate
9 p.m. 1 slice paleo pumpkin bread, 8 oz. almond milk
Day 4 (Monday)
8:15 a.m. — Smoothie bowl (1 cup cauliflower, 1/2 banana, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1 tbsp almond butter, 3 tbsp coconut, nuts & seeds on top), green tea
1:30 p.m. — 2 eggs, fried in avocado oil, 2 cups potato salad (see above) 4 celery stalks w/ 2 tbsp almond butter & ~30 raisins
3 p.m. — Smoothie (8 oz almond milk, vanilla collagen, 1/2 cup pumpkin, pumpkin spice)
6 p.m. — 8 nut & seed crackers with goat cheese and pepper jelly, 6 oz. homemade plum kombucha
7:30 p.m. — Vegan red beans & cauliflower rice (kidney beans, mirepoix, spices over riced cauliflower and jasmine rice) w/ Tabasco hot sauce
8 p.m. .75 oz. chocolate, 3 oz. drinking chocolate
Day 5 (Tuesday)
9 a.m. — Smoothie bowl (1 cup cauliflower, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup pineapple, 1 tbsp almond butter, 3 tbsp coconut, nuts & seeds on top), 1/2 piece paleo pumpkin bread w/ 1/2 tbsp earth balance soy free butter
1 p.m. — Salad (4 cups lettuce, zucchini cheese, pinto beans, carrot, pepitas, buffalo ranch dressing), 1/4 paleo brownie
3 p.m. — Smoothie (8 oz almond milk, vanilla collagen, 1/2 cup pumpkin, pumpkin spice)
7 p.m. — 2 fried eggs over leftover red beans & cauliflower rice w/ Tabasco hot sauce
8 p.m. — 6 oz. kombucha, .75 oz. dark chocolate, 3 oz. drinking chocolate
9 p.m. — 6 crackers with Kite Hill almond cheese & homemade pepper jelly
Day 6 (Wednesday)
9 a.m. — Smoothie bowl (3/4 cup cauliflower, 1 date, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup butternut squash, 2 strawberries, 1 tbsp almond butter, 3 tbsp coconut, nuts & seeds on top)
1 p.m. — Red beans & cauliflower rice, 1/4 paleo brownie, 1/2 apple w/ 2 tbsp almond butter
4 p.m. — 1/4 cup trail mix (almond, pecan, cranberry, orange), 1/4 cup plantain chips, smoothie (8 oz almond milk, vanilla collagen, 1 tbsp almond butter, nutmeg)
8 p.m. Cauliflower risotto (3:1 cauliflower rice to jasmine rice) w/ 4 oz. Italian sausage, basil and parsley
9 p.m. — .75 oz chocolate, 1/2 mango, 1/4 cup trail mix (see above), 1/4 cup plantain chips
Day 7 (Thursday)
9 a.m. — Smoothie bowl (3/4 cup cauliflower, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup butternut squash, 2 strawberries, 1 tbsp almond butter, 3 tbsp coconut, nuts & seeds on top)
1 p.m. — 2 fried eggs (fried in 1-1/2 tsp bacon fat) over leftover cauliflower risotto w/ 1/4 lb. Italian sausage, basil and parsley
4 p.m. — Smoothie (8 oz almond milk, vanilla collagen, 1 tbsp almond butter, nutmeg)
7 p.m. — Nacho bowl (see above) w/ 1/2 avocado & a dash of lime
8 p.m. .75 oz. chocolate, 3 oz. drinking chocolate, 6 oz. kombucha
Successes & opportunities
Everyone has a few things they’d like to improve on eating-wise. The idea of every food journal is to be able to analyze. Look for successes and opportunities. What are some of my successes? What are some opportunities?
A call to action
I meet with hundreds of people per year to talk about their diet & healthy lifestyle and I offer everyone one free consultation. If you’d like some help with your diet or are interested in working with a nutrition coach, let’s get scheduled! In fact, we have built an entire Facebook group around giving people an inclusive, supportive environment online. Check it out!
I hope this gives you a better idea of how this nutrition coach eats, and inspires some great ideas you can start right away.