I realize how weird that title sounds but it seemed more interesting than here's what I eat during a day. The reality is that's what so many people I come across are interested in. How do I fuel myself during high mileage training, with 2 toddlers, and with the restrictions of a few food allergies. The biggest rule I try to follow when it comes to diet and nutrition is viewing food as fuel. You want what you put in your body to serve a purpose for what you are asking of your body. For me I'm running between 90 and 115 miles a week on average and so I essentially am eating around the clock. There are no right or wrong times of the day to eat. I've heard and read a lot of articles that tell you eating past a certain time of the night will make you gain weight. That is false. Your body doesn't know what time it is, it simply knows whether it's in caloric deficit or if it's sufficiently fueled.
Lastly one thing to remember. What works for someone else, might not work for you. I know I should eat more clean as an athlete but for me a salad isn't a meal. I believe everything is moderation. I don't actually like the taste of coconut water. Fruit isn't dessert to me. Chocolate is. A glass of wine will not make the difference of who I beat in a race. You have to find a diet routine that aligns with your lifestyle and is sustainable.
Here's what a typical day looks like for me and the timing of my meals so you can get an idea of how I manage my calories throughout the day.
6:00-6:30 Wake Up: Drink 8-10 oz of water.
6-8 oz of black coffee or an almond milk latte in a really fun mug.
Breakfast: Picky Bar or Bowl of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brown Rice Hot cereal. I make about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of uncooked. Add a few spoons of maple almond butter, raisins, cinnamon, almond milk, walnuts
Homemade Corn Flake Granola: corn puffs, corn flakes, almond butter, maple syrup, sunflower seeds, dried cherries, cinnamon. BAKE at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.
8:30-10 Post Run: Gatorade, water. Picky Bar + smoothie (banana, frozen cherries, peanut butter, almond milk, rice protein powder, try to add a green like kale but I usually forget)
11-12 Brunch: Here are some of my go tos:
Leftover dinner.
4 corn tortillas with 3-4 stripes of bacon, black beans, avocado, cilantro. Side of Jasmine rice. Glass of OJ or apple juice.
Rice bowl with chicken, avocado, stir fried veggies.
Dine out at Tourist Home or Toasted Owl: Hash bowl with sweet and regular potatoes, bacon, cilantro vegan pesto, avocado + orange juice.
Post lunch: Theo's dark chocolate and sea salt squares or apple with peanut butter.
2-3 Pre run: another Picky Bar or bowl of Gluten free corn flakes with raisins, walnuts, black coffee.
Cookie Doughpness
4-5 Post Run: Gatorade, water. Whatever I haven't eaten during the day. Maybe a smoothie if I didn't have in the morning.
Tortilla Chips + guacamole or Bowl of cereal with almond milk, hummus + veggies.
6-7 Dinner: Here's where it gets important. I'm very lucky to have my husband Ben as the chef of the house because really if you're not that great of a cook why pretend to be just because you're the mom. That's me!
Tacos: ground beef with taco seasoning, bell peppers, onions, black beans, jasmine rice, avocado, cilantro over corn tortillas
Chicken and veggie stir fry made with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey mustard, turmeric, and ginger. I'm big on turmeric and ginger as they are great additions for inflammation and gut healing. We use boneless chicken thighs.
Meatballs and gluten free pasta with red sauce. Ground beef, basil, almond flour, garlic, spices, canned diced tomatoes. + Arugula salad with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, pepitias, strawberries, sunflower seeds.
I'll have a glass of Pinot Grigio maybe 2-3 nights a week. .
8-9 Dessert: Usually Theo Dark Chocolate bars or peanut butter cups. Lemon and Ginger tea + honey: every night.
The Goody Drawyer
Everyone should have a goody drawyer
I don't count calories as I eat but I do weigh myself regularly. That's been important for my career and my body. So a scale is not scary or a dictator of what I eat. It's a helpful tool as an athlete. I would guess I consume between 2800-3800 calories during my normal training weeks.
Snacks: Picky Bars, apples, nuts, nut butters.
Vices: Target/movie popcorn and soda. French Fries from 5 Guys Burgers, Bacon, Potato Chips. I do eat these items a few times a month especially knowing with how much I train I can afford them calorie wise, but I try not to have these as the bulk of my nutrition.
Inspiring Recipes or Chefs: my husband Ben Bruce who cooks all our dinners, does most of the grocery shopping and keeps our house together.
Run Fast Eat Slow Cookbook
My good friend Ali Gregg