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    The Food Diary of a Dietitian

    The Food Diary of a Dietitian

    Food-diary

    Last month we took a look at what Intermountain dietitians favorite eats were. We received comments on the post about what a day of eating looks like for our dietitians, so we tracked down a few to follow. We asked 3 Intermountain registered dietitians (the experts in food and nutrition) to complete a 24 hour food diary so you could see how dietitians typically eat. What do you think of their responses? Hopefully you will be relieved to know that dietitians are humans too, and enjoy the flexibility to choose a variety of foods!

    Amanda’s Food Diary:

    Breakfast:

    • 1 cup Fresh fruit—peaches, pineapple , and blueberries
    • 5 oz Greek Yogurt
    • Coffee with 2 packs of Splenda© and a Tbsp almond milk

    Lunch:

    • Salad with lots of fresh fruit & vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, mandarin oranges, onions, and green peppers) with 1 Tbsp low calorie vinaigrette dressing (Sundried tomato)
    • 20 oz Lite lemonade

    Afternoon Snack:

    • 1 cup Sugar snap peas
    • 2 oz Almonds
    • 20 oz Water

    Dinner:

    • Fajitas made with 2- 6 inch whole wheat tortilla along with 4 oz chicken and on cup of  onions and  bell peppers
    • Side salad
    • 20 oz Water

    “I try to incorporate fruit or vegetables with most meals to get a variety of vitamins and minerals. I like to eat salads because it is a great way to get a lot of fruits and vegetables in one meal. I usually have an afternoon snack to tie me over until dinner.  Sugar snap peas are a great choice because they have a great and satisfying crunch!  Add some almonds and you have a perfectly satiating snack.”

    “Weekdays tend to be easier to eat healthy for me because my days are more structured.  I try to be more creative with what I eat on the weekends and at dinner to get some more variety in my diet.  I like to try new recipes when I have the extra time to experiment .”

    Jennifer’s  Food Diary:

    Breakfast:

    • 1 egg, baked in oven with 2 cups arugula sautéed in olive oil, topped with ¼ cup spicy greek yogurt
    • 1 slice whole wheat toast
    • ½ banana
    • 1 cup coffee with 2 Tbsp half&half

    Morning snack:

    • 1 Tbsp peanut butter with 4 whole wheat crackers
    • 1 nectarine

    Lunch:

    • 3 oz turkey on 2 slices whole wheat bread with cucumber, tomato, mustard, and mayo
    • ½ cup fresh blueberries
    • ¾ cup plain greek yogurt

    Dinner:

    • 1 medium baked sweet potato, topped with ¼ cup black beans and ¼ cup chopped zucchini sautéed with cumin
    • 1 Tbsp sour cream
    • 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

    Evening snack:

    • 1 small snow cone

    “I would imagine it might be surprising to see sautéed arugula included with my breakfast! I’m always looking for ways to squeeze in more vegetables into my diet, and I’ve found breakfast to be one of my favorite meals to do so. I always make a point to wake up early enough to cook a good breakfast, and chopping extra veggies with dinner the night before and having them ready to sautée in the morning is an easy way to make a delicious, savory breakfast without a huge time commitment.”

    “Another one of my favorite go-to dishes is a baked potato topped with black beans for dinner. The black beans are really delicious when quickly cooked with cumin, and the cilantro really adds to the flavor! That’s probably my best secret for cooking healthy meals: get very acquainted with herbs and spices, because they make a huge difference in elevating the taste of your food without compromising nutritional quality!”

    “My last snack, a small snow cone, obviously isn’t a health food, but I am human after all and do like to have something a little bit sweet now and then. I don’t make it a regular habit, but having a treat on occasion is definitely allowable in an otherwise balanced diet.”

    Caitlin’s Food Diary:

    Breakfast:

    • 5 oz Vanilla bean greek yogurt
    • Trail Mix Cliff Bar©

    Lunch:

    • Small spinach salad with soy beans, cucumbers, red bell pepper, broccoli, 1 Tbsp almonds and 2 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

    Snack #1:

    • 6 oz 100% fresh orange juice
    • 2/3 cups great grains protein cereal with ½ cup almond milk

    Snack #2:

    • 10 cherries
    • 1 cup low-fat potato chips

    Dinner:

    • 5 oz grilled salmon with butter, lemon, garlic, and spices
    • ½ cup arugula with lemon juice and grated parmesan
    • Roasted red potatoes and asparagus with olive oil and salt and pepper (about one cup)

    Dessert:

    • One cup strawberry and chocolate swirl frozen yogurt

    “This was a work day, so usually I have a grab-n-go style breakfast to eat at work when I don’t have time to cook. Greek yogurt is my go-to because it keeps me full with twice the amount of protein as regular yogurt. “

    “I had snack number one after work because I went for a long hike up the canyon, and I wanted some carbohydrates to keep me fueled! I prefer to use almond milk with my cereal because I like the taste and it is actually fortified to have more calcium per serving than dairy milk. Snack number two happened because I needed something to tide me over after my hike before I was able to finish cooking dinner so that I was not tempted to snack and mindlessly eat while I was prepping the food.”

    “I topped the evening off with dessert because it was a Saturday night and I was out with my friends! I live by the 90/10 rule, 90% of the time I try to eat healthful and balanced, and 10% of the time I eat whatever tastes or sounds good to me, no matter the nutritional value. I also had an extra snack on this day because I needed more energy to make up for the energy I expended during my hike. This is always important for me so that I don’t feel too tired and sluggish at the end of the day after a good workout.”

    For more information, or to review your own 24 hours food diary with a Registered Dietitian, visit Intermountain Healthcare Nutrition Services: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/nutrition-services/