Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies. I love putting new Pinterest recipes to the test and eating clean, healthy, hearty meals. In today’s “what I eat in a day,” I’m going to be sharing a savory breakfast meal, my all-time favorite salad recipe, and my go-to dessert.
Keep scrolling to watch my “What I Eat in a Day” vlog!
Morning Ritual
I find it so important to start the day off on the right foot because it sets the tone for the rest of my day. Each morning I make sure to do the following three things:
- Hydrate: I drink at least 12 oz. of water first thing in the morning—no lemon, nothing fancy, just plain water.
- Supplements & vitamins: Before working out, I mix a serving size of Optimum Nutrition Amin.O. Energy with 8 oz. of water. I prefer this product over a standard pre-workout because it doesn’t make me feel super jittery and it gives me the perfect boost of energy to begin my day. I also take the following vitamins/pills: vitamin D, vitamin C, apple cider vinegar pills, a probiotic, a turmeric pill, and a multivitamin with at least 8 oz. of water.
- Coffee: I’m what they call a coffee-holic. I usually consume three cups of coffee a day. After working out, I will have a cup of hot coffee or cold brew mixed with a creamer.
Post-Workout
After working out, I mix 8 oz. of water with a serving size of protein powder. My favorite protein powder has to be the Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey in “Double Rich Chocolate.” I struggled for months finding a protein powder that wasn’t torturous to drink. After having this one, I’m never going back. This is my third time purchasing this protein and I actually enjoy drinking it. If you’re a chocolate milk lover, you will be head over heels with this protein powder—mark my words.
Nutrition facts:
- Calories: 120
- Fat: 1.5 grams
- Carbohydrates: 3 grams
- Protein: 24 grams
Coffee
As I said above, I typically drink two cups of coffee a day with creamer. I used to drink my coffee with oat milk and Stevia, but that started getting a bit boring. Caramel and hazelnut have been my go-to creamer flavors lately. I pour an overflowing tablespoon in with each cup. At the moment, I switch off between International Delight Caramel Macchiato and 365 by Whole Foods Hazelnut coffee creamers—both delicious.
Nutrition facts for 1.5 Tbsp. of either creamer:
- Calories: 35
- Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Protein: 0 g
Breakfast
A little twist on your basic bagel and eggs. There’s nothing more satisfying than breaking the yolk of an over-easy egg and letting it drench your bagel—so good!
When I’m not craving oatmeal, I’m most likely indulging this super easy breakfast recipe.
Ingredients:
- Everything bagel
- 2 eggs
- Handful of arugula
- Sprinkle of feta cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe:
- Toast your bagel in a toaster to get it nice and crunchy.
- Cook eggs over low/medium heat in a skillet with butter. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Try not to break the yolk when flipping!
- Before transferring the eggs to your bagel, place a handful of arugula across both bagel halves.
- Carefully place eggs on each bagel and top with feta cheese. Next time I make this, I’m drizzling on some balsamic vinaigrette!
Nutrition facts:
- Calories: 480
- Fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Protein: 28g
Lunch
Photos don’t do this colorful salad justice. This arugula salad features loads of fresh veggies, crispy pancetta, and homemade crunchy croutons. My mom introduced me to this mouthwatering recipe and it’s become my favorite salad, and it’s soon going to be yours.
Ingredients (serves 2):
- 3 oz. thinly sliced pancetta (you can use less, but I like extra for topping)
- 5 oz. arugula
- 1/4 cup red onion
- 1/3 loaf crusty Italian bread (you can use less, but I like extra croutons)
- 6 oz. mixed heirloom tomatoes
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives (optional)
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large skillet, cook pancetta in batches over medium heat until crisp. Make sure slices are spread out and aren’t layering each other. Cover pancetta on a plate with a paper towel to soak up extra oils. Save and set aside pancetta drippings in skillet.
- Cut Italian bread into cubes and place in a bowl. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. olive oil and the pancetta drippings from the pan on top of the bread cubes. Add salt and pepper and toss. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cook for 15 minutes and stir/toss halfway through.
- In a salad bowl, combine chopped red onion, cut-up heirloom tomatoes, and arugula. While croutons cook, prepare the dressing. Whisk 2 Tbsp. olive oil with 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- When croutons are toasted, let them cool for 5 minutes. Crumble feta cheese and crispy pancetta pieces on top with hands, but save a whole piece for “decor.”
- Toss croutons into salad bowl and lightly pour the olive oil mixture on top while mixing.
- To plate, scoop the salad onto a plate and place the saved piece of pancetta on top and crumble extra feta.
Nutrition facts:
- Calories: 530
- Fat: 31 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Protein: 18 g
Snack
My snacks vary from day-to-day. Today I was craving something on the sweeter side. I recently discovered these cookies n’ creme protein bars from Barebells and I can’t get enough of them! If I didn’t know it was a protein bar, I’d think I was eating a candy bar. As if the cookies n’ creme filling isn’t enough, the entire bar is coated in a silky chocolate coating. My mouth is watering as I sit here trying to describe it. Pick up one of these protein-packed treats from Trader Joe’s and try it for yourself!
Nutrition facts:
- Calories: 200
- Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Protein: 20 g
Dinner
But first, a glass of wine to kick off the evening. I love me a good cabernet sauvignon. On the menu for tonight, I have a very flavorful and easy chicken recipe—honey garlic chicken with rice and broccoli inspired by RecipeTin Eats.
Ingredients (serves 2):
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2.5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe:
- Sprinkle both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Pour flour onto a plate and coat chicken in flour.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium/high heat. Place chicken in skillet and cook both sides until golden (cut in center to make sure there’s no pink).
- Turn down heat and add the minced garlic. Stir for a minute or until fragrant.
- Add apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and honey into skillet. Stir and coat the mixture on the chicken with a spoon. Reduce heat to low and let chicken sit in the sauce for a minute.
- Transfer chicken breast to plate and serve with brown rice and steamed broccoli.
Nutrition facts:
- Calories: 323 g
- Fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Protein: 28 g
Dessert
The night doesn’t end without some dessert. Tonight I had one of my favorite sweet treats—Trader Joe’s Joe-Joes Slims. These chocolate and vanilla cookies are essentially knock-off Oreos, but cheaper and slightly healthier. I usually limit myself to a serving size, but they’re so addicting to eat that I sometimes catch myself eating more.
Nutrition facts (4 cookies):
- Calories: 150
- Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Protein: 2 g
Watch my “What I Eat in a Day” video for more content!
And that completes my day of eating. Let me know which recipe you’re most excited to try and what you think of them in the comments below!
-Emma
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