Kate is a 35 year old woman who is interested in improving her diet and overall health. She has struggled with her weight over the years and wants to learn how to eat in a way that will help her lose weight and keep it off long-term. Kate doesn’t follow any specific diet plan, but tries to make healthy choices within her busy lifestyle. Her diet consists of a mix of home cooked meals and convenience foods. Lately, she has been trying to increase her consumption of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains while limiting sweets, fried foods, and processed snacks.
What does Kate typically eat for breakfast?
Kate usually starts her day with a quick breakfast before heading off to work. Some typical breakfast choices for Kate include:
- A whole wheat English muffin with natural peanut butter and banana slices
- Overnight oats made with rolled oats, chia seeds, milk, and fresh or frozen fruit
- A veggie omelet with spinach, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and feta cheese
- Greek yogurt topped with granola and berries
If Kate is running late for work, she will often opt for a breakfast sandwich or bar that she can eat on the go. She tries to choose options made with whole grains, protein, and limited added sugars.
What does Kate eat for lunch on a work day?
Kate usually has about an hour for lunch while at the office. She will either eat out at a nearby cafe or restaurant or bring a homemade lunch. Some typical lunch choices include:
- Salad with grilled chicken or salmon, veggies, beans, and balsamic vinaigrette
- Veggie wrap with hummus, roasted vegetables, greens, and goat cheese
- Lentil or vegetarian minestrone soup with whole grain crackers or bread
- Quinoa bowls with sauteed veggies, avocado, and protein like chickpeas or chicken
If dining out, Kate does her best to choose healthier menu items like salads, lean proteins, and vegetarian dishes instead of burgers, fries, or heavy pasta dishes.
How does Kate snack during her work day?
Kate knows that mindless snacking from the office vending machine or candy jar can really add up in terms of empty calories and fat. She tries to keep healthier snacks on hand to curb cravings and maintain energy levels throughout her workday. Her go-to snacks include:
- Fresh fruits like apples, berries, and oranges
- Vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, and snap peas with hummus for dipping
- Small portions of unsalted nuts or seeds
- Non-fat Greek yogurt
- Protein bars with limited added sugar
- Air-popped or stovetop popcorn
Staying hydrated with water is also key for Kate throughout her workday. She tries to drink at least 64 ounces over the course of the day.
What does a typical dinner look like for Kate?
Since Kate is busy and often tired after a long work day, she aims for quick, simple dinners most nights of the week. Her go-to dinner choices typically include:
- Sheet pan meals with protein and roasted veggies
- Stir fries with lean protein, loads of veggies, and brown rice
- Salmon baked in the oven with quinoa and roasted broccoli
- Vegetable and bean soups or chilis served with whole grain bread
- Tacos or fajitas made with lean protein, beans, salsa, and veggies
Kate focuses on getting a balance of lean protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and antioxidant-packed vegetables and fruits with her dinners. She limits high-fat ingredients like cheese, sour cream, and oils when cooking at home.
How often does Kate eat dessert?
Kate definitely has a sweet tooth and enjoys ending her day with something sweet after dinner. However, she tries to keep her dessert portions small and aim for healthier options most nights of the week. Some of her go-to lighter dessert choices include:
- Fresh fruit like berries topped with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt
- Small square of dark chocolate
- Low fat pudding cup
- Few pieces of dried fruit like dates, figs, or apricots
- Frozen fruit popsicle made from 100% fruit juice
A few times a week, especially on weekends, Kate will have a slightly larger dessert like a scoop of ice cream, small slice of cake or pie, or cookies. But she does her best to avoid having heavy dessert every single night.
What does Kate drink throughout the day?
Here is a look at Kate’s typical daily beverage choices:
- Morning: Coffee with unsweetened plant milk. Sometimes green tea or hot lemon water.
- Mid-morning: Sparkling water or iced tea (unsweetened).
- Lunch: Water with lemon. Sometimes unsweetened iced tea or coffee.
- Afternoon: More water, sparkling water, or green tea.
- Evening: Herbal tea, infused water, or a glass of wine or light beer with dinner.
Kate drinks water throughout the day and limits beverages like juice, soda, sweetened coffee and tea, and alcohol. Staying hydrated helps her feel energized and curbs cravings.
How does Kate indulge or splurge on her diet?
While Kate aims for healthy choices most of the time, she still enjoys treating herself or indulging on occasion. Some ways she works fun foods and drinks into her diet include:
- Having a larger dessert after dinner on weekends
- Getting appetizers, drinks, or dessert when going out to dinner with friends on weekends
- Enjoying a cocktail, glass of wine, or beer during happy hours or social gatherings
- Partaking in the food at social gatherings like birthday parties, weddings, work events etc.
- Going out for brunch on weekends and enjoying pancakes, French toast, eggs benedict etc.
- Grabbing a scoop of ice cream on a hot summer night
The key for Kate is keeping these indulgences and splurges to once or twice a week rather than every day. This allows her to eat foods she enjoys in moderation without derailing her overall healthy eating.
How does Kate stay on track with her diet?
While Kate doesn’t follow a rigid diet plan, she does her best to implement strategies to keep her eating on track most of the time. Here are some of the ways she maintains an overall healthy diet:
- Planning out meals and snacks for the workweek on Sundays to set herself up for success
- Grocery shopping on Sundays and stocking up on healthy foods for the week
- Cooking large batches of grains like quinoa and rice on weekends to use during the week
- Preparing hardy servings of proteins like chicken, fish, and beans to quickly assemble meals
- Chopping and prepping veggies and fruits to have on hand for easy snacks and meals
- Keeping her kitchen stocked with healthy convenient items like frozen veggies, canned beans, nuts, seeds etc.
- Bringing healthy homemade lunches to limit eating out during her busy workdays
- Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated throughout the day
- Exercising 4-5 days a week to complement her healthy diet
Using these meal prepping strategies allows Kate to set herself up for healthy eating success.
Conclusion
Kate has made great strides in improving her diet and making healthier choices in her day-to-day life. She focuses on balanced portion sizes, leaning on whole, minimally processed foods like fruits, veggies, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Hydration and meal prepping are key for Kate to maintain this way of eating long-term. While she still enjoys treats and indulgences in moderation, her overall diet is full of nutritious foods that help her feel and look her best. With consistency over time, Kate’s smart dietary choices will continue benefiting her health and wellbeing.
