There’s a common misconception about what a Nutritionist eats. Most people tend to assume I eat really well. And most of the time I would say I do, but my diet is far from perfect. I, like most other people, have specific challenges and barriers, that prevent me from having a perfect diet all the time. What I have been able to do, is notice and learn what my downfalls are, and have some simple strategies to address them as best I can.

‘What are her downfalls?’ I’m sure you’re wondering. Lucky you, today I’m going to lay out all the negative things about my diet, and how I try to address them. 

My common struggles are: having a sweet tooth, never being prepared for lunches, dealing with one little fussy eater and being a creature of habit (meaning I could easily eat the same foods every, single, day!). With these things in mind, here are some common things to implement to mitigate the impact these things have on what a Nutritionist eats.

Veggie Box Delivery

I’m a total creature of habit. In fact, I think I’ve had the same smoothie for breakfast for about 6 years now. It might have changed slightly, but it’s basically the same! This can be detrimental as the diversity of the plant-based foods we eat is crucial to building a robust microbiome. One of the ways I’ve implemented getting more diversity in my diet is by ordering a local fruit and vegetable box every week. This way I’m getting delivered fruit and veg that I may have not ordered myself and it encourages me to use these in my meal planning every week. 

Meal Planning

Planning out the family dinners a week in advance, and then doing the online shop for all the ingredients prevents quite a few downfalls. Firstly, having a plan means we’re less stressed and we generally eat better meals. It avoids the need for takeaway foods on a regular basis. You can then also note what other events/dinners are in your week and plan around those. It allows partners or housemates to be involved in the meal prep as they have the plan and all the ingredients – they have no excuses not to help! There’s plenty of research that shows people who plan their meals can lose more weight and they eat more fruits and vegetables.

The Online Shop

Simply, don’t buy the food that you try so hard not to eat. I have a sweet tooth and my favourite thing is the Pods (Twix flavour only thanks). So, I never buy these. I probably have them once every 1-2 months if my husband buys them for me (aw), or maybe I’ve had a bad day and go and get them myself. But because I have to go to the effort to head to the shops and buy them, it happens very rarely, as opposed to me having them readily available in the fridge to eat at a moment’s notice.

The online shop is also great to avoid browsing the aisles and buying things you don’t need. It also allows you NOT to take your children, who let’s face it, always end up with something in the shopping trolley that you didn’t intend on them having, but that’s easier than the meltdown in the chocolate aisle.

Plan B Meals

As I’m usually unprepared for lunches, I have a few Plan B meals I can fall back on and I always ensure the ingredients for these are in my weekly online shop. A plan B meal is a QUICK + EASY (not-brought) option for when we run out of time, we lack energy or we’re unprepared. Key elements for a plan B meal are high protein, a decent amount of fibre and a healthy fat. Just getting all the three elements above is our priority in these options. 

Here are my fave plan B meals:

• Salad: 2 small tins of tuna, a pre-mix salad bag or pre-cut veggies, plus a small handful of a nut or seed (either on top of the salad or on the side) or 1 tbsp of Good Fat Mayo
• Wrap: a Genius gluten-free wrap, 3 scrambled eggs (if at work, use a microwave), 1/4 avocado, a handful of baby spinach, tomato sauce
• Smoothie (use a Nutribullet-type): 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1 tbsp chia seeds or nut butter, 1 serve protein powder, 1 cup of milk, blend + go

Routines

Desert is a big one for a lot of people. Not only does it involve high-sugar foods that aren’t always the best for us, but it also involves eating later at night which also isn’t an ideal time to be eating. One of the biggest things I have done to combat this is brushing my teeth and washing my face when the kids are in the bath (which is usually straight after dinner).