It wasn’t until I read through the comments of Emily and Alina’s food diaries that I understood just how many of you were curious about what I eat throughout the week. Who knew?!?! I’m flattered (and a little nervous). I spend so much time coaching clients on their food choices, based on what they love, so this was completely different for me.
Full disclosure, for starters: I really didn’t like keeping a log of what I eat. It can certainly be a helpful tool when you’re looking to gain more insight into what you’re eating, how you’re feeling about it, and why you’re making certain food choices, but, it can also force you to think about food too much. I like to focus on eating while I’m eating, and having to write down all my meals temporarily halted my mindfulness game. Having said that, it was a helpful reminder that I really need to drink more water. So, without further ado, below is my 5-day food diary.
7:15 a.m. – My weekday morning meals go pretty much like clockwork. I usually get gluten-free sourdough bread from the farmers’ market on Sundays and have two slices with ghee and sea salt, but my baker hasn’t been there the last couple of weeks, so it was time to mix things up a bit. This morning I had 2/3 cup paleo granola, 1 tablespoon goji berries with about 1/2 cup cashew cream (recipe from It’s All Easy), and water.
10:00 a.m. – I drank a matcha Moon Juice after my workout. It’s from a small juice spot in L.A. and it’s one of my all-time favorites.
1:00 p.m. – For lunch I had kelp noodles with sautéed vegetables and flank steak, which I picked up from the Erewhon hot bar over the weekend.
4:00 p.m. – Kombucha with half an avocado and sea salt (which is one of myall-time favorite snacks).
7:30 p.m. – Tonight I made chicken meatballs, salad, and Kabocha squash for my husband and myself. It wasn’t until after we devoured it all that it occurred to me that I should have taken a picture…Regardless, this is one of my go-to dinners because it’s relatively quick and I make it often, so I don’t have to be too precious about it.
9:00 p.m. – Was feeling like a little treat so I had about 1/4 cup of goji berries and these roasted maple-sesame cashews I can’t get enough of. It also occurred to me that I hadn’t drank enough water throughout the day so I chugged about 16 ounces.
7:15 a.m. – Behold! I found a loaf of the gluten-free sourdough hiding in the back of my freezer. I defrosted two slices and then toasted them with about 2 tablespoons of ghee and a pinch of sea salt. It definitely wasn’t as good as the fresh loaves, but delicious and satisfying nonetheless.
9:45 a.m. – 2 dark chocolate peppermint patties. (DELICIOUS, especially before noon).
1:30 p.m. – I had a meeting in Santa Monica, and as I drove past Farmshop it occurred to me that it was TUESDAY! Their Taco Tuesday spread is one of my all-time favorites, so I picked up slow-cooked chicken, lettuces, guacamole, and salsa and made makeshift lettuce-wrapped tacos. I was so pleased, I can’t even tell you.
Note: In theory I could have thought about where I was going to grab lunch ahead of time, but this is real life and it doesn’t always work out that way (see, I practice self-compassion, too!), but in this case it all worked out for the best because those tacos were beyond.
4:00 p.m. – Munched on some crudités I sliced up on Sunday.
7:00 p.m. – I quickly sautéed some broccoli with a shallot, olive oil, and sea salt, and had that with the leftover chicken meatballs and Kabocha squash from the previous night.
9:00 p.m. – A tablespoon or so of pecan butter with a pinch of sea salt and a teaspoon of maple syrup on top.
7:15 a.m. – Two slices of gluten-free sourdough with ghee and a pinch of sea salt and a glass of water.
Note: Really trying to drink more water in general, starting with breakfast.
8:30 a.m. – Before I leave to workout I’m still a little hungry, so I have a heaping tablespoon of pecan butter and about 4 ounces of kombucha.
10:00 a.m. – After my workout, I pick up an iced matcha from Alfred’s and sip it at my desk.
1:00 pm – For lunch, I had what you could call a fairly hodgepodge selection: crudités, half an avocado with sea salt, and 2/3 cup paleo granola with coconut milk. It was all so tasty but I didn’t really feel like a proper lunch, and now I’m determined to make it to the grocery store after work, so that dinner feels more legitimate.
3:00 p.m. – For a snack I have the other half of the avocado and about 2 heaping tablespoons of sauerkraut.
7:00 p.m. – So freaking grateful I made time to go to the grocery store. After my lunch I was ready for a real meal, so I made braised chicken, a big simple salad, and roasted sweet potatoes.
9:45 p.m. – Still in the mood for something, but not necessarily something sweet, so I have some sliced bell pepper.
7:15 a.m. – Today I had 2/3 cup paleo granola, 1 tablespoon goji berries with 1 cup of coconut milk, and a large iced tea that I got yesterday when I picked up my matcha.
10:00 a.m. – For a snack I had 2 little fresh apricots and a handful of the roasted cashews.
Note: Here’s a place I could definitely drink some water. The hydrating struggle is tremendously real for me but I can do better for sure.
1:25 pm – I had a work lunch at Sycamore Kitchen and ordered one of my all-time favorite salads: the Italian chop with extra dressing, sans cheese, almonds, or beets (nothing wrong with any of those things, but I don’t like beets at all, I’m allergic to almonds, and don’t do dairy) and a large black iced tea. I also split a bag of the potato chips with my lunch date (they are made fresh and are heavenly). I love this salad so freaking much, I think it’s the dressing, which they say is just EVOO, lemon and herbs—let me know if you have any more intel!
4:30 p.m. – Went straight to another meeting after my Sycamore lunch and felt pretty tired and hungry so I had about 1/4 cup of the roasted maple cashews and 8 ounces of kombucha. I don’t know if it’s the slightly sour taste or the bubbles, but the kombucha definitely gave me the pep in my step I needed to power through all the emails and writing I needed to tackle before dinner.
7:00 p.m. – For dinner I wasn’t feeling any of my usual takeout options, but I also wasn’t up for making a whole thing from scratch, so I spiralized some zucchini and threw on a delicious creamy tomato sauce I had in my freezer from the last time I made a big batch, along with some organic rotisserie chicken that I got the day before. I had a sparkling water with my dinner, which made me drink a little more water than usual.
7:15 a.m. – This morning I had the final two slices of gluten-free sourdough with ghee and a pinch of sea salt and water.
10:00 a.m. – I brought an iced matcha to the dentist (I chipped a tooth) but the dentist told me the matcha might stain the tooth repair green (yikes!) so I brought it home without drinking it. Not ideal, but an opportunity to chug some water.
1:30 p.m. – I ordered another one of my all-time favorite salads, this one from Huckleberry, with romaine, carrots, avocado, onion, garbanzo beans, and double pepperoncini. I threw on my own simple dressing (EVOO, white wine vinegar, and garlic) because theirs has dairy.
Note: I could still be drinking more water, but at least now I’m being more conscious of it.
3:30 p.m. – I was recipe-testing in the afternoon, so I had bites of things I was making, mostly snacky things like nuts and a few bites of fruit.
7:30 p.m. – I was straight-up exhausted, so my husband and I ordered in from one of our favorite casual places, Sunnin. It’s Lebanese food and I absolutely love it. I had a chicken kebab, green salad with cucumbers and tomatoes, and three gluten-free falafel with tahini. TGIF. I also drank a bunch of water.
9:00 p.m. – I was in the mood for a sweet snack, so I had a couple of squares of dark chocolate
And there you have it. Overall, I feel good about the week. I loved everything I ate and I’m going to continue to try and drink more water. Continue to write in the comments, I read them all! And stay tuned until next month!
Shira will be back in August, so if there’s anything you want her to cover, leave your requests in the comments below—and keep up with her in the meantime by following her on her social media handles below!
