What a Registered Dietitian Eats in a Day

Ever wondered what a dietitian eats in a day? Here’s my personal food diary for a typical day.

Breakfast

Breakfast is really important to me. I always think about three things: am I getting a good source of fiber, fat and protein? Those three things help keep me full so I can make it to lunch without getting hangry. Today, I’m having a Kite Hill non-dairy yogurt that I’m obsessed with. As a topping, I like to defrost frozen berries in the fridge overnight, or quickly in the microwave in the morning. The berries sweeten the yogurt, without needing any added sugar or honey. I also add some hemp seeds as a nice little omega-3 rich fat.

Supplements

I like to take my supplements after breakfast when I have some food in my stomach. It’s the easiest time for me to remember to do it because I’m at home and I can see the bottles on my countertop. Today, I took OMG!, which is HUM’s fish oil that helps me keep my skin hydrated. I also took Skin Squad, which is a pre and probiotic. It helps increase diversity in the gut and just kinda makes me feel good, overall.

Lunch

After breakfast, I head into HUM. Today we’re having a probiotic lunch and learn. Lunch is being catered by Real Food Daily, which is all vegan. I’m not personally vegan, but I enjoy eating vegan for certain meals. There are lots of sandwich options. I don’t typically eat gluten in my diet, or a lot of bread. Instead, I go for the gluten-free, dairy-free grilled cheese. I also add a salad to get more vegetables on my plate – always very important. Then, I want a little crunch so I add some corn chips, as well. Also, there are brownies. I have a pretty big sweet tooth so I can’t resist these. But I only take half of one for a better portion size which I savor and enjoy very much. A lot of people assume that as a dietitian, I never eat sugar, I have this perfectly clean diet, blah, blah, blah… Not true! It’s all about that balance. I aim for an 80/20 diet where I can still enjoy things that I like occasionally, but primarily focus on getting nutrient-dense foods.

Snack

After lunch, I work on my computer for several hours. When I get hungry, I grab a cut up bell pepper out of the fridge. I cut up bell peppers as soon as I get home from the store to keep in my fridge. If they’re not already cut up, I’ll never eat them. But if they’re cut up and I open the fridge and I see them, I’ll eat them. So I have a bell pepper and a glass of kombucha, and that’s my mid-afternoon snack.

Dinner

After my light snack, I work for a couple more hours, and then I’m starving. I often prep my meals in advance but today I don’t have anything ready to go. I do have some leftover roasted beets, fennel and carrots. So for dinner, I put that together, and make some eggs to add as my protein. I also add a little bit of this sauerkraut from this company called the Fermented Fairy – which is the cutest name ever. I have the apple cinnamon sauerkraut right now, which sounds kind of odd, but it’s actually delicious. It’s a little random but a pretty filling and delicious dinner.

Dessert

After dinner, I get pretty deeply invested in some old Sex and the City episodes. I start to crave something sweet so I cut up some banana and spread some peanut butter over it. Still the best combination ever! That keeps me satisfied through another episode or two before bed. To learn more about what a registered dietitian is, read our article explaining all about it. To see more of Sarah’s daily food intake, follow her on Instagram.