Become a Sustainavore!

Eat for your health, the planet, and your values.

Become a Sustainavore!

Eat for your health, the planet, and your values.

What I Eat in a Day

I’ve noticed a bunch of blog posts out there from nutritionists showing off what they eat in a day. What bugs me is the continued low-fat, low protein, high carbohydrate and generally low quantity of food these poor skinny women are bragging about. I feel sorry for them that they’re still brainwashed into thinking that they need to eat low-fat in order to be skinny, and that being skinny is equal to being “good”. I thought it might help to show what I eat in a day, as a busy mom of 2 and working full time (plus a commute) doing my dietetic internship. I have a very busy life. I get that it’s hard to get food on the table that’s tasty and healthy. I also find that illustrating how I eat really changes people’s perception that the paleo diet is “meat centric”. I do eat lower carbohydrates than most Americans, but I have found that for me, this works best for my energy levels and  overall health.


Mail AttachmentBreakfast is quick. It takes less time for me to scramble eggs than it does to boil a pot of water for my tea. I usually have 2-3 pasture-raised eggs, either over easy, in an omelet with veggies, or scrambled in butter like above, with about 1 tablespoon of pesto (or a little more). I’ll have one cup of lapsang souchong tea (it sort of tastes like a campfire) and then bring a cup of black coffee (1/2 caffeine, 1/2 decaf) along with me to work. When I don’t have my own farm eggs, I like to buy Vital Farms brand.


diana rodgers salmon lunch

This lunch is very typical of what I normally eat. Here is a big bowl of greens of mixed greens with herbs that I added 1/2 sliced red pepper and about 4-6oz of  wild salmon that my dad caught, leftover from last night. Before I added the greens, I drizzled some olive oil and lemon juice at the bottom of the bowl so that I can shake it up right before I eat it and the lettuce stays crisp. If I don’t have salmon, I’ll usually have some wild tuna or leftover protein (chicken, lamb, beef, pork) from the night before.


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If I go to the gym or have a long time till dinner, I’ll have a quick snack. Here is a handful of nut and dried fruit mix along with a blood orange. I actually don’t eat a ton of fruit, but when I do, I make sure to have a little protein and fat with it like nuts in order to make sure the blood sugar spike is minimal. During the summer, I focus on locally grown berries and melon from the farm and in the winter, I have either frozen berries or citrus.


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Dinner for me these days is usually something I have make in the Instant Pot. It’s great because I can toss in a bunch of vegetables, meat, broth, and herbs and in about one hour, dinner is done. This day, dinner was made from leftover rib roast. I placed the bones and some of the leftover meat into the pot, added carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, celery and about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. I covered it with water then added some fish sauce and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. I locked the lid and pressed “stew”. I garnished it with chopped fresh parsley. Our whole family had two bowls each.

For more on “What I Ate in a Day”, check out this recent podcast that I recorded with Ayla Withee. She also posted what she eats during her pregnancy here.

A note on how I feed my kids:

We try very hard to all eat together, which normally happens all but 2 or 3 nights a week due to sports commitments in the evenings. The kids generally eat what we eat. If I’m experimenting with a crazy spicy recipe or if they really hate the meal, they can have scrambled eggs or leftovers from the fridge. We seldom have dessert. If we do, we don’t tie it to good behavior or “if you finish your plate”. I’ll make creme brûlée for guests sometimes, or the kids will have some ice cream occasionally.

The kids generally eat eggs and sausages for breakfast. I do allow them to get school lunch sometimes (yes, shocker) however they know that this food isn’t “optimal nutrition”. Our home is gluten free because of me (I have diagnosed Celiac disease and the kids have tested negative), and I don’t keep sugary drinks or junk in the house. The kids are free to make their own choices when they’re out. We talk about how to balance meals, what is “healthy food”, and how their choices affect their energy levels. I’m proud to say the kids generally make very good choices. Because their ages are 10 and 12, I feel like my job as a good parent is to help them be independent and to think for themselves. I also teach them kitchen skills and they can now make meals for themselves (and sometimes cook for us!) I can no longer personally prepare every meal and control what goes into their mouths at all times. I believe they need the right tools to navigate the “outside world” and I’m pretty proud of the choices they make. They’re both very healthy, athletic, and smart kids who can really take care of themselves.

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Phoebe, age 10. She wants to be a famous actress, a writer, and a million other things.

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Anson, age 12. He wants to be a professional baseball player and then when he retires, a farmer in the summer and a surfing instructor in Costa Rica in the winter. I think he’s got things pretty much figured out.

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8 thoughts on “What I Eat in a Day”

  1. Pingback: [BLOCKED BY STBV] Real Food Radio Episode 008: The RFR Approach to "What I Ate Wednesday" - Sustainable DishSustainable Dish

  2. Pingback: [BLOCKED BY STBV] Real Food Radio Episode 008: The RFR Approach to “What I Ate Wednesday”

  3. Love this post! I listened to the podcast and pulled up the article as you guys were going through it. That “typical day” is like the healthy version of the standard American diet. Did you see the other What I ate Wednesday posts on the same site?? They were just as bad. One was a yoga teacher and the other was a functional medicine doctor, both females. They were both SO low in calories. I wouldn’t be able to make it through my day on that few calories! It’s so maddening. They’re just perpetuating the myth that women should only be eating 1200 calories a day and that it should mostly be lettuce and low fat. Thanks for fighting the good fight! Keep it up! I’m right there with you 🙂

  4. Pingback: [BLOCKED BY STBV] Real Food Radio Episode 008: The RFR Approach to “What I Ate Wednesday”

  5. Pingback: [BLOCKED BY STBV] Radiant Skin at 42 - Sustainable DishSustainable Dish

  6. I like hearing about what the kids eat. I have a bit more control over what our four year old eats, but with each passing year he makes more of his own choices as well as observations about what his peers eat/what’s available. My goal is what you describe, independence, mostly good choices. It is challenging. There are so many choices and situations that are not ideal.

  7. Pingback: [BLOCKED BY STBV] What I Eat in a Day | Primal Docs

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