Since launching Sweats & The City nearly 3 years ago, a “what we eat in a day” has been one of our most highly requested blog posts. So why has it taken us this long to put one together? Our hesitation has come from the fact that diet is a LOADED topic. Dietary needs(& restrictions), portion sizes and food choices vary so heavily from person to person, and what make us feel our best might not necessarily do the same for you! The last thing we’d want is for someone to modify their eating habits in a way that might not work for them long term … for whatever reason! We’re also not dietitians or nutritionists and do NOT believe in a one-size-fits-all “diet.”
That being said, we decided to finally share a typical day of eating (both for E & D), because we want to show you guys that a healthy lifestyle does not necessarily equate to a fad diet or any type of labeled eating (paleo, plant-based, keto, etc.) The only eliminations we do are strictly for health reasons (esp. Eliz as she heals her gut and tried to figure out what’s going on!), we enjoy treats and meals that some might label as “unhealthy” in moderation, and when we’re craving them. Also – we love to dine out and most certainly don’t always cook our own food! Food is there to be enjoyed, make you feel good and give you the energy & nutrients you NEED.
Now that we have that all out of the way, let’s begin!
Dale’s Day On a Plate:
Breakfast:
My favorite meal of the day! I almost always wake up hungry, so I eat within 30 minutes of waking (after I’ve had a large glass of water).
Coffee: First things first: a homemade collagen cafe au lait with Almond Milk! I use my Nespresso for coffee and froth my almond milk with Further Foods collagen powder. I absolutely love this collagen, it’s tasteless and packed with nutrients for your skin, hair, nails & joints. And it has protein that makes my milk extra frothy. They also have a marine version (that’s wild caught!) for those who don’t eat meat.
Breakfast Bowl: Literally the main reason I get out of bed in the morning. Here’s what’s in it: 1 container of Icelandic Yogurt (I actually love to do half coconut and half plain if I have both). I then add blueberries, cacao nibs, 1 spoonful almond or peanut butter, 2 handfuls of granola (I usually mix Sakara Life and Julian’s Bakery Pro Granola) and finish it off with Sukrin Gold Fiber Syrup. This syrup is an amazing alternative to honey or maple syrup, as it’s low in sugar yet gives my bowl some added sweetness! I always have one in my cupboard.
AM Snack: I’m usually on the go in the morning, so today I had a RawRev bar. A lot of days, I’ll also pick up a matcha latte or have another cafe au lait if I’m working from a coffee shop or am extra tired!
Lunch:
For lunch, I hit up Sweetgreen. Here is what’s in my salad:
Kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, chicken, caramelized onions + leeks, butternut squash & parmesan cheese. Dressing: lemon squeeze, balsamic vinegar and cucumber tahini dressing on the side! I always need to finish up my meal with something sweet, so I also had an apple.
Afternoon Snack: around 4pm, I get hungry! Today I was craving something salty, so I had about 8-10 Flackers, with some avocado + EBTB seasoning and some carrots and celery. On days I’m craving something sweet, I’ll put almond butter and jam on the crackers instead.
Dinner:
This dinner is one of my favorite dishes to make – so simple + delicious! You don’t need to be highly skilled in the kitchen to cook your own dinner. As long as you know how to cook a few really tasty, go-to healthy meals, you’re good to go! I cooked my salmon in the oven with seasoning and a homemade dijon mustard sauce. I also always load up my plate with roasted vegetables (such as brussels, asparagus, spinach & mushrooms), as well as a complex carbohydrate on the side (either brown rice, quinoa or sweet potatoes).
Dessert: I never, ever skip dessert! I find a little dessert a day goes a long way. If you have a sweet tooth like me, you’re better off just having the dessert each day than trying to control the urges and going overboard later. My absolute favorite is Lily’s Chocolate! It’s sweetened with stevia instead of sugar, and they have so many delicious flavors. Pro Tip: keep them in the fridge for an added crunch.
Evening Snack: I usually need something small before bed! Tonight I fixed myself a bowl of almond milk & Julian’s Pro Granola, topped with blueberries.
Elizabeth’s Day On a Plate
Breakfast
AM Tonic: Before eating, I always have my morning tonic (I even travel with the fixings). Recently, I’ve been using just a mug of warm water with about a teaspoon of coconut vinegar. The only reason I’m using this alternative to apple cider vinegar is because of my current dietary restrictions. Both are great options!
Breakfast Toasts: I’m with Dale in that I LOVE breakfast! Because of the fact that I’m currently dairy-free while I try to figure out what exactly is going on with my gut, I’ve been exploring not only dairy-alternative yogurts (which, TBH, good quality ones are hard to come by), but also breakfasts that just flat out, normally aren’t made with any dairy. And, my recent obsession has been these Ezekiel sprouted whole grain english muffins – my sister calls them hockey pucks because they are do dense and keep you full for so long. I topped mine with Trader Joe’s crunchy almond butter & strawberry preserves (this brand) – always look for one with minimal ingredients & no added sugar!
Coffee: After breakfast and once I’m ready for the day and settled somewhere to work, I have my coffee. Today it’s an almond milk cappuccino. I prefer cappuccinos over coffee because I like it with a little less milk.
Lunch
Lunch today is a cauliflower soup I made using my Instant Pot with a paleo biscuit from Hu Kitchen. This soup is so simple, tasty and EASY to make (literally 15 min.)! Recipe here.
Afternoon snack: Similar to Dale, hunger pains generally hit around 3:30 or 4pm for me. I’m usually working from The Wing or somewhere at this point in the day, so I make sure I come prepared with a satisfying snack. I try very hard to avoid letting my blood sugar drop! Today’s snack is an almond flour banana muffin (recipe here!) and a Culina coconut yogurt.
Dinner
Dinner tonight is a bowl of random yum that I had in my fridge: the base is a lettuce salad with peaches and roasted chickpeas. For the dressing, I used EVOO, lemon, salt & pepper. On top I have half an avocado, and two pieces of salmon baked with EBTB seasoning & olive oil. (noticing an EBTB theme here with us?!). And a big lemon water, of course!
Dessert: I’ve found that once I find something non-dairy for either breakfast or dessert (the two ‘meals’ I’ve found the hardest to replicate) that I like, I eat it on repeat. Current obsession is Chloe’s Soft Serve (I order on Seamless or Postmates). I go with the traditional banana flavor, and add chocolate chips. These bowls are pretty big, and I can usually get two nights worth of dessert out of them.
We hope you enjoyed our What We Eat in a Day, what are your go-to meals?
xx
e+d
