Identifying Patterns... What Does a Dietitian Really Eat?

I've seen articles where dietitians share photos of all the food they ate in a day (here is one, and here is another), and I'm probably not the only one who wonders if that's how they truly eat. Every. Day. Really?

Maybe they do, maybe they don't. One thing's for sure - a 24-hour diet record is the least reliable way to measure eating patterns. It's far better to look at eating habits over time. You get lots of data, but you also get a better idea of your true habits.

I've been tracking my food for long enough that I've learned a few things about myself:

1. I often don't eat enough vegetables. I'm a champ when it's come to fruit (I LOVE IT), but veggies? Not so much.
2. I like sweets. I almost always exceed my sugar recommendation.
3. I like fat, particularly from cheese. Mmmm.. cheeeeeese.

What do I do well?

1. I almost always choose whole grain versions - pasta, bread, cereal, you name it. This comes naturally to me because I actually like the taste better. Plus, I find whole grains to be way more satisfying than their refined (white) counterparts.
2. I eat plenty of fruit.
3. I mostly drink water. 

In terms of overall eating habits, I tend to eat a relatively lighter breakfast and lunch, then snack during the afternoon and have a more substantial dinner. As you'll read below, I end up eating every 2-3 hours.

• Breakfast: I start the day with a mocha to wake myself up. Steamed low-fat milk, 2 shots of espresso, and a Dove Promise (hey, at least it's dark chocolate). Around 8:00 I have breakfast - usually oatmeal made with water, topped with some nuts and dried fruit, and sweetened with a little bit of cinnamon syrup.

• Snack: I'm usually hungry again by 10:00 and then have a snack of 150-200 calories (e.g., celery with peanut butter, cheese and a piece of fruit or baby carrots).

• Lunch:  Almost always a Greek yogurt parfait around noon. I actually really like plain Greek yogurt! I find the taste of nonfat versions to be a little too... acidic? So, I go for full-fat. Yes, it's higher in calories, but there is a lot of good nutrition that comes along with it -- protein, calcium, etc. It's also delicious! The taste reminds me of sour cream or cream cheese. Anyway, I always have my yogurt with about 1 cup of sliced/cut-up fruit: thawed frozen mango or berries are my usuals. For crunch, I add 1/4-1/2 cup of cereal. Lately, I've been mixing some good old-fashioned granola with high-fiber cereal.

• Snack: I'm usually ready for a little something around 2:30 pm and then again around 4 or 4:30. Same deal as before - some kind of protein combined with carbohydrate (could be grains, fruit, or vegetable). 

• Dinner: I'm usually hungry by 6:00, and will most often have leftovers from the weekend or something I made ahead and froze. I love to cook, just not during the week. I really like to make soups, stews, and casseroles, and these usually incorporate some kind of whole grain (like rice or pasta), protein (like chicken, sausage, beef, beans, or seafood), and veggies. I struggle with portion control at dinner, and this is where I've gone awry in the past 6 months. I've also had a hard time controlling my eating before bed. Maybe it's the stress of the day finally coming out, who knows? But when I'm on my game, I have a sensible portion of casserole (1.5 - 2 cups).

• Snack: Around 8:00 I will have something sweet. In the past, it's just been another Dove Promise, but with my pregnancy I have replaced that with a mug of hot chocolate. I mix a couple of tablespoons of powder with Fairlife 2% milk, which is higher in protein and lactose free (I can't drink a lot of milk without it giving me gas). It's definitely a premium product, but it makes delicious cocoa. I also add a bit of whipped cream... I could probably stand to cut that out, but it's so good! Don't judge the pregnant lady! :)

Case in point... here is what I tracked on MyFitnessPal for yesterday:

How did I do overall?

Yesterday was actually a near perfect day for me:

• I met most of my nutrient needs within my calorie goal (note that for yesterday, I shot for about 2000 calories because I did not exercise). 
• Most importantly, I paid attention to my physical hunger. I ate when I was hungry and didn't when I wasn't. When I was, in fact, hungry, I mostly chose nutrient-dense foods. That's a huge win in my book!

Yet... there are some things to be improved:

• Looking more closely at my diet record, I could probably spread my protein throughout the day more. This will help me better utilize the protein I take in and also help with hunger and satisfaction. This will be especially helpful when I'm working to lose weight postpartum. 
• As expected, too much sugar and a little too much fat. 
• Also, not enough vegetables, but wowza, look at all that fiber!

So there you have it. Total transparency from me and an honest look at what I do well and not so well. Keeping track of what you eat is absolutely essential for identifying areas to improve.

What are some things you know you do well? What are some things you could do better?