What Does Your Nutrition Consultant Eat?

As a nutrition consultant, one of the most frequent questions I’m asked by clients, friends, and other curious people is, “So, what do you eat?”  That’s a fair question right?  You certainly want your nutrition consultant to be eating healthy foods!  You wouldn’t want them eating donuts for breakfast and fast food burgers and fries for lunch and dinner.  Nothing worse than the doctor who smokes cigarettes!  So, here’s a look at what I typically eat:

Breakfast:  I’m a big fan of a protein shake/smoothie in the morning.  I find them to be filling and satisfying and easily last me until lunch time.  My basic ingredients are 8 ounces of water (or a special cranwater concoction), a high quality protein mix (either whey, brown rice, pea, or some combination of these – never soy!), a cup of berries (blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries or some combination of them) either fresh or frozen, a handful of nuts and/or seeds (Brazil nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), some fresh greens or green powder, flax seed oil or ground flax seeds or chia seeds, and on occasion some yogurt and/or kefir.  What does this provide?  Plenty of protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and omega 3 and 6 fats.  On the days that I don’t have a smoothie, I’ll have eggs on some steamed leafy greens, in an omelet with a bunch of vegetables, or with some raw sauerkraut.  

Lunch: Generally 2-3 days of the week it will be one of the egg dishes that I describe above.  Other days it will be based on leftovers from the previous night’s dinner.  There is usually some type of animal protein involved, it can be grass fed beef, turkey, fish, chicken, and occasionally lamb.  During the warmer months I tend to have more raw vegetables in some type of salad and during the cooler months more cooked vegetables and soups. I use a homemade salad dressing from olive oil and vinegar. On occasion there will be a sandwich on some form of gluten free or sprouted grain, brown rice, lentils, or quinoa.  

Dinner:  Dinner is similar to lunch on the days I don’t have eggs.  There will be an animal protein along with several types of vegetables usually steamed, stir-fried in coconut oil, or baked. Once a week or so I’ll do my baked sweet potato fries. On about 2-3 of the days I’ll also have a whole grain side of brown rice, quinoa, or brown rice pasta.

I’m not a big snacker.  As I said, the smoothie usually lasts me until lunch.  Sometimes between lunch and dinner I’ll get a little hungry and I’ll have a hard-boiled egg, a protein bar, a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, or a bit of cheese.

What basic guidelines am I following?  I don’t skip meals.  I’m having protein at each meal.  I’m eating lots of vegetables of all different varieties and colors, both cooked and raw.  I’m limiting my carbohydrates in the form of grains, only doing whole grains, and not more than once per day.  I make sure I get high quality fats from the coconut oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, and organic butter or ghee.  I eat real food, avoiding processed and refined foods.  I have an occasional sweet, but of good quality. Nothing like a homemade organic chocolate chip cookie!  And, I have an occasional sweet of not so good quality – yes you may run into me at Dairy Queen occasionally!  And I do still love my pizza, but usually once a month at the most.  I try to limit eating out.

As I tell my clients, the most critical component is to control your home environment.  If it is not in your house, you’re not going to eat it, and after a while a nightly trip to go get ice cream will get tiring!  

I do use some supplements for additional nutritional support, but that will be the subject for next time!

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.