What A Nutritionist Eats in a Day | Wendy O’Brien, RD, LD
By Jackie Cartier
July 26, 2018
If you’re anything like us, your grocery list doesn’t vary too much from week to week, leading to less than inspired meals. For some fresh ideas, we reached out to Nutritional Weight & Wellness dietician Wendy O’Brien to see what meals she whips up on a typical day. You’ll find realistic ideas, nothing too complicated, and better yet, they are fast and delicious!
Breakfast
Fried eggs, bacon and leftover Brussels sprouts and peas.
Breakfast was two pasture-raised eggs fried in butter with three pieces of nitrate-free bacon, along with Brussels sprouts that were roasted in olive oil the night before. I’m a big fan of leftovers for breakfast, along with some freshly fried eggs and, of course, bacon. I make a pan of bacon at the beginning of the week that I can use for subsequent breakfasts.
Morning Snack
Almonds, grapes and a beef stick
This is a pretty typical snack for me. I tend to always have nitrate-free maple beef sticks and dry roasted almonds on hand. The carb, in this case organic grapes, often changes depending on what’s easy to grab and go. A small detail, but I pick the grapes apart immediately after washing them when I get home from the grocery store. I find this makes it more likely that I’ll actually grab them and go. I often suggest this tip to clients, especially those trying to eat real food; make the snack as easy as possible to grab and you’re more likely to eat it!
Lunch
Roasted chicken breast with sweet potato with butter and salad topped with homemade Green Goddess dressing and pine nuts.
This salad is tossed together with kale and cabbage I had on hand in the fridge and topped with pine nuts and my homemade Green Goddess dressing. This dressing is delicious and makes the most random leftovers taste fantastic. Along with the salad, I had 4 ounces of rotisserie chicken and a half cup sweet potato with butter.
Afternoon snack
Broccolini and red peppers to dip in hummus with roasted chicken.
For my snack at work, I had organic broccolini and red peppers to dip in hummus, then more of the roasted chicken I brought for lunch. I often pack extra protein for lunch knowing that I’ll be able to use it for my snack.
Dinner
Spaghetti squash, leftover chili, avocado and chopped salad.
I tried to make this look more attractive, but let’s call it what it is, leftovers! I love seeing what combinations I can come up with depending on what leftovers are available. This was definitely a mix, but I covered my protein, fat and carb bases. Protein came in the form of leftover chili, carbs came from spaghetti squash and the remains of a “Powerhouse Salad” (chopped broccoli, cauliflower and carrots with sunflower seeds and raisins) from a local grocer, and the fat came from avocado slices and butter on the spaghetti squash.
Salad mixes are one of my go-to items I always seem to buy. I love the different varieties available and rely on them often...especially those including kale, cabbage, Brussel’s sprouts, etc. They are a huge time saver, especially when I'm stopping at the store after work to pick up the evening's dinner. When I get home, I add things like nuts, seeds or avocado with a homemade dressing. I often use these mixes to add to soups, stir fry or even just sauté them in olive oil.
All in all, it was pretty delicious meal and cleaned out the fridge!
Bedtime snack
Strawberries with whipped heavy cream, topped with roasted cocoa nibs.
What’s not to love about this bedtime snack? Sliced organic strawberries with a dollop of whipped heavy cream and a sprinkle of roasted cocoa nibs.
It only take a few minutes to whip up the heavy cream. I make sure to use a chilled glass bowl (this shortens the time I need to run the hand mixer) and generally whip up enough to last a few days. But honestly, I don't think it's ever lasted more than three days in my fridge because it is so good. My teen daughters and I love it, especially during berry season. I don't add anything to the cream, as the berries make it sweet enough.
And that’s a wrap! Hopefully you’re more motivated in the kitchen and ready to take a creative look at the leftovers at your house. For more ideas, check out the other entries in the series or our catalog of real food recipes.
Maria Mannix
What are things to eat besides almonds, I have dentures and nuts are hard to chew,
August 1, 2018 at 4:12 pm
admin
If you enjoy nuts, there are a variety of nut butters available. Just be sure to check the ingredient labels. There should only be two ingredients listed: nuts and salt. Avoid any that include oils or other added ingredients. Other good sources of fat that could be part of a snack include avocado, full fat cream cheese, or olives.
Chris
My take on your ideas are that you are using too much processed meat and too much saturated fat (red meat, butter and heavy whipping cream) on a frequent basis. Although the bacon and beef sticks do not have nitrates, they are still processed red meat and you apparently eat them often during the week.
August 2, 2018 at 12:14 am
admin
Good point, but in my case I'm making up a pan of bacon for the week and dividing it among our household which gives us each a serving. This works well for our household, but each family is different. Fortunately there are many protein options to choose from.
The most up-to-date scientific research supports the inclusion of these fats, saturated fat in the form of butter and heavy whipping cream, etc. in our diet. Sally Fallon's book Nourishing Fats is a helpful explainer on it, as is this blog post from one of our nutritionists Heart-Healthy Fats.
Paula Stiernagle
Where do you find the nitrate free beef sticks
August 24, 2019 at 11:34 am
admin
Most natural groceries, co-ops, and whole foods with have some varieties which exclude nitrates. CHOMPS and The New Primal are two good brands of meat sticks. We also carry Epic bars which is more of a meat bar then a stick with lots of delicious flavors to try.