Today we’re discussing food and nutrition for the professional with question one from this list.

Yesterday: What did you have for breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Snacks? Beverages? Other?

The answer to this question is probably determined by where you were and what you had on your schedule for the day, right?

If you were at a conference all day and had no time and/or access to much of anything, your “food day” probably looked similar to this:

Breakfast: Nothing or a muffin/doughnut/bagel with coffee or a soda.

Lunch: Nothing or the nearest fast food stop or an express sandwich, soup or salad.

Dinner: Nothing or pizza or grab-n-go or various snacks until you were too full to remember you should have eaten dinner.

Snacks: Nothing or chips/ice cream/cake/cookies/candy/soda.

Beverages: Coffee or soda or energy drinks or water.

It should come as no surprise to you that these choices are not ideal (and yes, that includes the “nothing” followed by junk).  Not only will they make your pants fit a little tighter, but they are also guaranteed to leave you feeling lethargic and less than optimal for your busy days.

But I get it, “There was no time to eat until all the sudden I was so starved that I reached for anything!” I’ve been there, and I’ve done that. 

So what’s the busy professional supposed to eat?

I’m taking you through a day, in the most simple way possible.

{Please keep in mind that the below is not for those who need to follow special diets for gut healing. That is a whole other conversation, which I have hundreds of articles for.}

Food and Nutrition for the Professional

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Breakfast 

Eat it! And eat it immediately upon awakening if you think it might be your only chance to eat until later day. This is the most important meal of the day (for most people, but not always if you practice Intermittent Fasting).

It’s the fuel to your fire. Try a banana with peanut butter, eggs + fruit, breakfast meats or my 4-Ingredient Mini Breakfast Poppers, oatmeal (not sugar-filled instant) + protein powder and berries mixed in, or a super breakfast bowl.

Some of my favorite breakfast recipes can also be found in The Leaky Gut Meal Plan.

Lunch

You might think that by skipping lunch you are doing yourself a big favor since you are planning to eat a huge dinner. But please reconsider this thought. When you skip lunch by the time dinner comes around you will be left feeling famished and want to eat everything (unhealthy) in site. Try a homemade tuna wrap, a grilled chicken sandwich on Ezekiel Bread, soup with a side salad (topped with grilled fish and olive oil).

Here are 25+ more healthy lunch recipes to fuel your afternoon from EatingWell.

Dinner

We’re often starving by now, and on the road traveling! Be mindful of this when planning the rest of your day. Don’t allow yourself to be too hungry, and don’t say, “pass the bread” 5 times!

Try these simple real food meal planning steps to create your perfect dinner.

If you are out to eat and you must get pasta or other full-flavor, full-fat entree, try eating just half and boxing the rest (and forego the appetizer/dessert). 

Snacks

Snack time is my favorite time! Snacks are good because they keep us satisfied and full of energy all day long. And you need this for your busy days, especially if you’re not sitting down and eating full meals.

But when you reach for all sugar, fat and sodium-packed items, you are doing yourself no good. Choose these wisely, and you will quickly notice a change for the better.

Try raw almonds/other nuts, yogurt with some fruit or granola, apple with almond butter, an Epic Bar, baby carrots with hummus, and/or make your own homemade trail mix.

Beverages

Just because you think that “light” mocha with whipped cream is “light,” please know that it’s doing nothing for your overall energy, mood, and waist.

You must drink beverages throughout the day, but make the majority of them be water.

If you are like me and do not care for the “plain water” taste, try putting a lemon (or other fruit) in your water. Alternatively, you can try my homemade lemonade recipe. Or, drink tea. Traditional Medicinals is my favorite.

Energy drinks and soda alike are just chemicals. Stay away from them. And when you want a drink at night, remember that a little will leave you feeling ready for the next day; not hungover and miserable.

 I have a post on alcohol you can checkout HERE.

What we put into our bodies

With your busy professional life, it is important to remember the things you put into your body. If it’s true that “we are what we eat,” then do you really want to be a Snicker’s Bar producing content and managing big projects?!

If you can remember just 3 things and take them today as your “To-Do,” I would encourage the following 3:

  1. Eat breakfast.
  2. Snack smart.
  3. Enjoy that (one) glass of red wine.

Any questions?!

 


Xox,
SKH

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