Naomi, What Do You Eat In a Typical Day? (Includes 2 NEW Recipes!)

HEY!

I wanted to write a post to show you guys what a typical day of food looks like for me. Before you get all crazy and write all of this down for you to follow OR take the opposite route and go judging me…keep in mind this is ONE DAY and it is a ball park example of what I take down in a typical day. Things vary every single day depending on my work schedule, what is available to me at home, what I am doing that day, my workout, how I am feeling, what I am craving etc. This is not how or what I eat EVERYDAY.

Breakfast always starts out with a bang. It is BY FAR my favorite meal of the day. I usually wake up hungry, but even if I don’t, it is really important to me to get something in my system within 30 minutes of waking up. I am constantly moving all day long so this sets the tone for the day for me.  Below I have an example of breakfast that I ate. I happened to have some pre cooked quinoa along with some canned organic pumpkin so I mixed the two and came up with this beauty. Some days when I have more time, I make myself some pancakes DELICIOUS PANCAKES!   or choose from one of many breakfast recipes that I adore!

Oh and I always have COFFEE and WATER

This is a typical breakfast that I have during the week. Usually, I always make something the night before and store it in the fridge. Its easy for me to grab and go and then at work–I will eat it cold if its something like chia pudding OR heat it up in the microwave.  It is really important that my breakfast has a good balance of nutrients because it fuels me for a morning of running around while training clients. Some days I will have something fancier like this mason jar of goodness and other days, I will literally grab what I see in the fridge (I have been known to have chicken, sweet potato, avocado and an apple because its convenient and it works!) Of course, I would rather have something a bit more interesting like this mason jar BUT in a pinch? There are no rules that say ‘you can’t have chicken at breakfast’ if you like it and want it and it works–go for it. 

THE RECIPE IS POSTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST!!

Then I get to work training clients

And having fun along the way! 

Did I mention that I got these new GFAST Gap Distance leggings and LOVE them?!  They have cute little zippers in the back and go all the way down to the ankles to keep my warm in the colder months. They are compression material, similar to that of Under Armour (which I also love!)

THEN…it’s time to eat again a couple hours later. Okay so I have been on a HUGE Greek Yogurt kick lately! Below I mixed some Greek Yogurt with cinnamon, raspberries and sweet potato. I also added a tablespoon of flaxmeal for some added fats and fiber. I have never been and will never be scared of carbs–When I say carbs I don’t mean veggies and fruit and yogurt because I know there are some people reading this saying “umm I eat carbs! cucumbers have carbs!” because lets face it- virtually everything has carbs. When I refer to carbs, I am referring to REAL carbs like oats, rice and quinoa and whole grain breads and sweet potato. I eat them, I love them–they provide energy and fuel for the body. If you’re one of those living in the Atkins diet world of 1999…it’s time to move forward.  

When you are exercising and asking demands of your muscles to work hard or produce strong contractions, they need to access fast burning fuel AKA carbohydrates. Your body and muscles can use fats and aminos (proteins) to produce energy by converting them into useable forms of sugar, however this takes a bit longer for the body to accomplish and is not your bodys number one source of usable energy.  

After training more clients, work work work, blah blah blah…about 2.5 hours later its time to eat again! 

LUNCH

I usually pack my lunch the night before so It is super easy to grab and go. I have a few requirements with lunch and then from there–the sky is the limit! This is my meal right smack dab in the middle of the day so It NEEDS to provide me with energy for the rest of my afternoon. Of course I eat about 3 more times, but I really enjoy my lunchtime meal so I make it GOOD!

This is a Josephs Lavash wrap with about 4oz nitrate free turkey breast from Whole Foods, 1/3 avocado, lettuce, cucumbers and some grainy mustard. I also some green beans and persian cucumbers on the side as well as 10 almonds for some added good fat

 

This is another example of a lunchtime meal I may bring into work. I literally just fill a medium sized tupperware with a ton of veggies, some carb source, protein and good fat. This salad has lettuce, sprouts, asparagus, sweet potato, tuna, red pepper, mushrooms and some olive oil/balsamic dressing. Hits the Spot. My meals are nothing fancy but they do the job. (as you can see this is a current theme) 

You may be asking “So Naomi…when do you workout and how do you plan what you eat before and after?” My workout time depends on when I have my free time during the day. Because I have the ability to make my own schedule, I always make sure to set aside time for my own workout–when this is during the day differs. I wouldn’t say “Im a morning workout person” or “lunch time” I literally workout whenever I can fit it in. Some days this is around 9:30am, while on others it may be around 3 or 4pm (basically anytime that the 9-5’ers aren’t exercising) This lunch above may also be my pre workout meal. If I know that I am working out after lunch time and my workout will be pretty intense (a HIIT workout or challenging strength training routine) then I MAKE SURE that my lunchtime meal has protein and carbs the reason being, at a higher intensity the body burns 85-90% carbohydrate for fuel.

PRE WORKOUT I always try to take in 20-30 grams of protein pre workout (this is about 3-4oz and I am 5’2″ so you will have to adjust for your height and weight) But certainly taking in protein is a MUST in order to preserve hard earned muscle during your upcoming working along with energy and to prevent muscle loss.

I try to avoid sugary or overly starchy foods pre workout because they have a tendency to increase insulin, decreasing the fat burning effect during a workout

I also make SURE I am taking in some sort of carbohydrate source pre workout, as this provides my body energy I need. I love sweet potatoes, Ezekial bread,  oats or quinoa for pre workout carbs for the most part. Protein is broken down by the muscles and used. As you can see my pre workout carbs tend to be lower GI, rather than higher GI carbs such as white rice, rice cakes, white potato, honey, bananas.

That lavash wrap is a great post workout meal for me that I have about once a week. If I am doing a lower intensity yoga class or simply some mobility work, I don’t worry as much about getting in the perfect ratio of carbs to fat to protein. As long as I am getting in SOME food (protein bar, apple and some almonds, banana, greek yogurt with some almonds) then I am good to go. Like I mentioned, with a higher intensity workout, the type of food is a bit more important for my performance.

POST WORKOUT I will usually have some quicker digesting carbs and protein (again this depends on the workout!) Today, I did a kettlebell full body strength circuit that was pretty intense and then I hopped on the treadmill and completed 10-30 second sprints at incline of 2% at 10.o speed. The whole workout was under 45 minutes–the way I like it-BUT it was intense. Carbs and protein to the rescue! 

I Typically I like to get food in my system within 30-45 minutes This is called the “window” where  I am looking to maximize on my muscle growth without compromising the hard work I just put in with my workout.  I tend to keep carbs higher GI (rice cakes, potato, rice, banana with honey) During a workout, blood glucose levels drop because your muscles use the glucose for energy. In order to replenish those loss glycogen stores, and a quick carbohydrate such as honey gets into your system FAST,  replenishing the muscles. You will set your body up for quicker recovery and muscle growth! I really try to take advantage of my post workout window to get in those carbs while my body is still in a high fat burning mode.

I tend to avoid fats directly post workout as they can interfere with the muscle building process and slow the digestion process. Again, this is what I FOLLOW. If you eat fats post workout and see results or enjoy it–stick with that!

I would recommend 20-30 grams of protein and 20-30 grams of carbs post workout  ( of course depending on your size) post workout.

With all of this food that I am showing you guys, like I said earlier this is just giving you AN IDEA of what I eat. Nothing is set in stone and first and foremost, I listen to my body. If  I have certain meals planned out and then something happens where I am extra hungry or not as hungry…I just adjust my intake. For instance, after this protein shake, if I drink it around 5pm…usually I am okay until dinner around 7:30 BUT, I also know that somedays I will be hungrier than normal ( I call this a bottomless pit day) So, do I sit around and twiddle my thumbs about to eat my fingers off? NO WAY. I eat. 

I usually keep a stash of protein energizer bunny balls  or protein almond flour bites in my freezer at home and at work and pop a few for a quick boost of energy. I also may munch on some almonds, fruit, dark chocolate or Quest bar. 

ANd then its DINNER TIME!

 

Dinner is always a free for all and really dependent on what’s pre cooked in my fridge (always some sort of protein) and if I am meeting a friend out for dinner etc. Tonight, I had some chicken that I precooked alongside some brussels sprouts. I also had some butternut squash on there as well. Easy peasy and delicious!

I usually always eat something post dinner as well, unless dinner ends up being super late for some reason, but most likely it’s not and I eat protein and fat or chocolate. There’s always room for chocolate.  

I made this grain free pumpkin bread and OMG ITS DELICIOUS! I made it for the first time and have made it 2 more times since then! I devour it. Seriously SO GOOD! Andddd just because I love you guys, I posted the recipe below! SO this evening I had a couple of slices of this bread after it was fresh out of the oven. It hit the spot regarding sweetness, texture, nutrition and deliciously marvelous fall flavors. Did I mention it made my apartment smell INCREDIBLE?! Go make it!

 

OMG This was such a hit of a recipe and this evening, I dug right in and had a few thin slices. IT IS SO GOOD, YOU GUYS!! 

GRAIN FREE PUMPKIN BREAD!

****Ingredients***

• 1/2C almond flour
• 1/4C canned organic pumpkin
• 1/4tsp baking powder
• 1T pumpkin pie spice
• 1T honey or agave
• 1 packet stevia
• 2 whole eggs
• pinch of sea salt
• 2tsp chia seeds (optional for topping)

 

***DIRECTIONS***

• Mix almond flour, baking soda and spices in a bowl.
• Add in pumpkin, eggs, honey and stevia
• Mix well and pour into a pre-sprayed baking dish (I used a loaf pan sized tin)
• Sprinkle chia seeds on top!
• Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes **This may depend on your oven! Be sure to check after about 10 to see how its doing!) My oven is on crack and took about 15-20 tops
• Let cool and enjoy! You can eat all at once or feel free to freeze some of the bread to enjoy later!

 

Nutritional information for the ENTIRE LOAF:
523 calories
39g fat
21g carbs
28g fiber
4g sugar
25g protein

***********

As you guys can see, I try to keep my food simple and nutritious. Of course, there are days where I want to go out and buy my lunch-so I do. There are days when I bring a whole days worth of food but end up eating half of it because I end up not wanting the rest of what I brought or I am not particularly hungry. On the flip side, there are days where I end up eating twice the amount of food that I brought to work. It totally depends! The most important thing I want you to take away from this post is the importance of FLEXIBILITY and LISTENING to your body. My god, if I hear one more person talking about their desired 6 pack abs or ‘thigh gap’ or ‘v-cut’ obliques I will bang my head against the wall.  What we eat has a HUGE impact on not only our performance, but more importantly our HEALTH AND WELL BEING.  If you are so caught up bringing chicken in plastic baggies out to restaurants and turning down social events with friends because of your strict food regimen-it may be time to check yourself and the flexibility in your routine. THis is no way to live! Be smart, stop over thinking it.

My most successful clients are the ones who literally stop obsessing about every single morsel of food they put in their mouths and the ones who stick to their program but don’t question it. They stay focused on THEMSELVES. I want to share my way of eating with you all because I know how helpful it can be to some to visually see what I am eating and the WHY behind it. I get it–and that’s why I really never try to hide anything from you guys. Lets keep it real here. There was a time when I did bring baggies of chicken to restaurants and started having heart palpitations when I would be in a social food situation. Then I realized–I need to live my life. Not only did my crazy health scare make me realize how grateful I am to have this body but also the importance of ALL nutrients in a balanced, healthy diet.  If you want to know what too much stress with diet/exercise and being unbalanced feels like, seriously GO READ MY POST This was the scariest moment I have ever experienced in my whole life. I am healthier, happier and understand my body better than I have in my 27 years of living. Most of that comes from eating right, resting properly and doing every little thing in moderation. 

There is way more to life than cold chicken, brown rice and broccoli for 5 meals a day. If you are struggling with balance–be honest with yourself and seek out help or you can always chat with me! I want everyone to be happy healthy and understand the power that they have over their health. 

If you want to check out another post about how I fuel for my workouts and health CLICK HERE! 

RECIPE FOR QUINOA EGGY COCO JAR WITH POM SEEDS