Nutrition Confessions From a Glutton

I never thought this would happen, but here I am writing a blog post on nutrition as per request by my Instafriend Black Bird Chronicles. I am a huge fan of hers.

To start, I am not gluten-free, I am not dairy free, I am not vegetarian, nor vegan.

 

 

My Nutrition Stance:

• I believe in a healthy, wholesome diet that doesn’t try to re-invent the wheel.
• Many times when we go out of our way to find alternatives we end up ingesting too much of another food category.
• Everything in moderation is the key to a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
• Strict regimens often hinder sustainable eating habits and frequently don’t allow us to choose appropriately on a daily basis.
• Being in touch with our own bodies and thinking smartly and informatively about nutrition will always ring truer than following a fad.
• It’s still important to respect other people’s way of eating, whatever that might encompass.

That being said, upbringing also has a lot do with diet.

Comfort foods, (mine is Parmigiano Reggiano), style of cooking (Mediterranean), culture, (Italian) and familiar spices (oregano!) all play a huge role.

 

All photos taken by me and can be found in my Instagram feed. Click here for more.
 

 

Breakfast

I am usually pretty careful with that I eat first thing in the morning because If I start my day with something heavy I am much more likely to continue on eating in that fashion.

So I’ll have a light breakfast, then plan all my workouts back to back in the middle of the day and then eat a giant meal while watching Family Guy (which is my favorite meal routine EVER).

Choices are:

Just fruit- pear,  peach, or some strawberries, papaya, cantaloupe.

A green smoothie- One type of fruit, spinach or kale, coconut water, and some cashew/almond milk.

Oatmeal- I love oatmeal! My parents think it’s food for pigs.

Plain yogurt with banana, honey and almond butter.

Piece of bread with almond butter and strawberry jam

Scone, croissant, pizza, cake, Nutella with bread, chocolate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch

I’ve started making these big plates that combine a bunch of veggies, lettuce, cheese and an egg or prosciutto.

Ingredients can range from steamed broccoli, sauteed string beans, baked eggplant, baked Brussels sprouts, sautéed zucchini, shredded carrots, apples, olives, avocado, lentils, quinoa, tomatoes, anything that looks good, and then I’ll fry an egg, slap it on top, or prosciutto on the side, and add a ton of goat cheese or feta cheese.

If I need more substance I’ll make Pasta alla Norma, which is pasta with eggplant and tomato, or pasta with shrimp and zucchini.

Sometimes i’ll have a tamale with beans in it, or I’ll make polenta and bake it until it’s crunchy and golden.

I’ll also sprinkle spoonfuls of hummus or roast potatoes, crackers, bread or tortillas in my lunch platters.

 

 

 

 

 

Snack

I don’t believe in snacking constantly- I prefer bigger and more substantial meals,  but after lunch I often need a sweet pick-me-up.

Strictly – milk – chocolate

Frozen cappuccino.

“Healthy” dessert”- I blend a few pieces of frozen banana, some bittersweet cocoa powder, cashew cream, a splash of cinnamon, a handful of almonds.

If not, I opt for a chocolate milk shake ( can be very addicting).

Crepes with Nutella, gelato, brownies, cake, cookies are all fair game.

 

 

 

 

Dinner

I usually keep dinner simple because by nighttime I’m too lazy to cook.

I’ll have some soup.

If I’m hungry I’ll usually have meat or fish. I only read meat, pork and fish.

My favorite meats are pork chop, pulled pork sandwiches, ribs, ground beef in any form. For fish I get something that is easy to make, like Tilapia. I always buy wild fish and grass fed meat.

For vegetables I love leafy greens because they take no time to cook.

When I’m feeling more productive I’ll make pizza from scratch, and put goat cheese on top, mushrooms, olives and arugula or gorgonzola, pears and walnuts.

On a special occasion I’ll  treat myself to home made butter nut squash gnocchi with sage, quiche, or a BaconLettuceTomato sandwich.

 

 

 

 

 

Drinks

I drink water like a camel. Literally, I cannot go anywhere without my water bottle otherwise I freak out.

I used to drink a lot of orange juice, but I stopped because  it was making me eat less fruit. So now I keep it as a special treat.

I like to drink fizzy water, especially Perrier. Sorry Stefano. My cousin is indignant that I prefer the french fizzy water brand over the italian San Pellegrino.

Home-made ice tea. (and I love this!) I make my own Mango or Roobois ice tea in glass jars that I slowly brew in the sun and then refrigerate.

I barely drink alcohol. Sometimes I go weeks without drinking and other times I drink when I go out. My favorite drinks are rose’ wine, Prosecco and Champagne. I won’t turn down a light beer (Blue Moon is my favorite) and I also enjoy cocktails from time to time.

 

 

The Takeaway

I believe your body instinctually knows what is good for you to eat.

We all have dietary weirdnesses and those need to be respected within reason.

For example, I can’t eat garlic, onion and peppers. Even though all those things are widely known as health foods, my stomach cannot take them.

Some days I know I can get away with eating french fries, some days I can tell my stomach is too delicate for them. Same with sweets. Some days I really need them, some days I know I need to cut it out.

It’s best not to restrict from an eating experience just because we’ve labelled ourselves a certain way.

And treat food as a delicious experience that can enhance our daily lives and nurture and support us.