This post is part of a regular series focusing on making small changes to improve our health. I shared my journey with changing my diet and moving to a clean eating approach which you can read here. I also had the lovely Katie Rainbird from Katie 180 undertake an analysis of my food intake for one day in that post, which was another step in the right direction.
Together we also offered the same opportunity to readers of Planning With Kids. We were blown away with the response and while I can’t guarantee will get to all of them this year, Katie has been busy working on many of the submissions already and we will publish as many as we can.
It is not possible for Katie to cover off everything in these posts. The aim is for her to find some small things you can change to what you are putting on your plate to help you achieve your current goal for your eating habits. You can read previous Changing my plate posts by clicking here.
Changing my plate – Bethan’s day
Katie Rainbird (AKA Katie180) is a Sydney-based Nutritionist who is just as likely to be found jogging as she is baking. She is a mother to two, a keen home cook, prefers to get around in her workout gear and has a major passion for the written word. You can learn more at www.katie180.com.au.
Katie reviewed what a reader Bethan submitted that she ate in a 24 hour period. This is what Katie had to say about her day:
What is your current goal with your eating habits?
Trying to be ALOT more healthy
Breakfast
8am – Bowl of cornflakes with semi-skimmed milk. Ate at home (whilst chasing kids to eat)
Switch from cornflakes to either whole rolled oats or puffed organic grain such as brown rice, kamut, spelt or even corn. You can soak the oats overnight so that they are ready to go in the morning, either eat them cold with some fresh grated apple and a drizzle of honey or add some more milk and warm them up in the microwave then sweeten with honey, maple syrup, a little jam or perhaps brown sugar. And you can sweeten puffed grains similarly or add some dried fruit.
Also switch from skimmed milk to full cream milk: full cream dairy keeps you fuller longer, reduces spikes in insulin (and as such, spikes in hunger) and comes with natural GOOD fats plus fat soluble nutrients.
Lunch
Ham and grated cheese sandwich with a packet of salt and vinegar crisps. Ate and made at home
Crisps begone! Rather take a whole carrot, don’t even bother peeling or chopping it if you’re too busy, just wash it and then dip it into some humus. Instead of ham (processed meat, blergh) perhaps buy a free range BBQ chicken and shred it up for sandwich fillings then keep it in the fridge for a few days, add plenty of leafy greens, sprouts, cucumber to your sandwich fillings and if you tire of sandwiches, make a batch of brown rice or even just crack open a tin of four bean mix then add the chicken meat along with some fresh cut salad veg and voila – there’s lunch!
Dinner
Chicken Curry (Skinless chicken breast, fresh onions, mushrooms, sweet red pepper, garlic puree, with white rice.
Fine.
Snack 1
Mid morning – 10am – Few biscuits
Biscuits are OK every other day, but it’s the quality and the quantity that make the difference. If you’re reaching for them for a sugar hit or because you are just SO hungry then they’re not going to foot the bill. Rather buy a bag of dates and a bag of almonds and a packet of good quality dark chocolate and measure out: 2 x dates, 20 x almonds and 1 x row of chocolate into individual snap lock bags or little containers so that you have a portion controlled serve ready to go. Or if you are able to, bake some biscuits or muesli bars at home so that you can control what goes into them.
Snack 2
2.30pm – couple of cocktail sausages
Purge these from your fridge! Afternoon protein hit can be met with a smoothie: try milk (or almond or coconut milk) with an egg, some vanilla extract, honey or maple syrup and a frozen banana. Keep frozen banana pieces at hand for a lovely, ice-cream style smoothie texture.
Snack 3
N/a
Snack 4
N/a
Dessert
N/a
Nutritional supplements
Daily fluid intake
Two Pints of sugar free cordial and water. 6 – 7 Cups of tea, with milk and sugar.
Try to reduce your cordial intake, if you must have your water flavoured buy some organic apple or pear juice and rather mix it with water 1/3:2/3. I can understand why you reach for tea 6 – 7 times per day, as you have three kids under five! But it would be ideal if you can reduce this by at least half and replace them with herbal alternatives.
Any further information you’d like to share or special dietary requirements to factor in?
Have three children under five, and the youngest is disabled so do struggle to fit healthy eating in!
Further reading and recipes
Disclaimer
Katie is a qualified nutritionist (Adv. Dip. Nutr. Med.).
Any diet or lifestyle changes that you implement as a result of reading this blog are your own responsibility.
This blog does not provide medical advice, any particular health conditions must be managed by your own health professional.
The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.