Answered: What I Eat In A Day

As a personal trainer and fitness instructor, my body is my livelihood. Not only is it part of my job to stay fit and energetic for classes and 1:1 sessions. There is also a huge amount of emphasis on “looking the part.” That requires a dedication to my own workout routine AND a habit of consistent, healthy eating. Nutrition is often the MOST difficult part for them to get the hang of, which is way I’ve heard the following statement so many times:

“You must it healthy ALL the time.” If you only knew the truth. Oh, wait. I can actually share it with you! That’s why today I’m giving you a glimpse into my personal nutrition habits by sharing what I eat in a day.

What I Eat for Breakfast: Tacos

Bacon and eggs — Image made with Canva

I wish I could say that I’m more creative with my food in the mornings. But the reality is that my daily breakfast MUST include bacon in order for me to feel good about the world. If I don’t eat bacon in the morning, my day doesn’t feel right.

In fact, I recently learned that bacon is quite nutritious. It contains loads of B vitamins (which boost your mood), selenium, phosphorous, and a smattering of minerals. It is also high in salt, which, for someone who sweats for a living like a day, is a blessing that helps me stay hydrated. With eggs, bacon, and a corn tortilla combined, I have delicious, high-protein, low-carb breakfast tacos.

Occasional Breakfast Swap: Toast

There are some times of the month when I’m craving the satisfaction of a crunchy slice of bread covered in cream cheese or peanut butter. In that case, I swap out my corn tortilla for a slice or two of gluten free toast. This has to be rare for me because my body doesn’t do well on a constant regimen of grains. I also haven’t found a decent brand of grain-free bread to add to my arsenal (Note: if you have a recommendation, PLEASE let me know in the comments). However, when my training schedule is heavier than normal or I’m on my menstrual cycle, the toast actually increases my energy levels.

What I Eat for Lunch: Fruit & Fat

Apple slices with peanut butter — Image made with Canva

Apple slices and peanut butter are more of a snack than a lunch. However, I find that it is insanely filling. Not only are apples chock full of fiber, they also contain vitamin C and phytochemicals like quercetin, which are good for your immune system and fight cancer. Most days I’ll just one, sliced.

Get Nadia Santiago - Fitness & Wellness Creator’s stories in your inbox

Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.

Remember me for faster sign in

As for the peanut butter. Just like you wouldn’t measure the amount of barbecue sauce you need to dunk every single nugget, I don’t measure out my peanut butter. Rather, I use as much as it takes to coat each slice of apple in it. If I had to guesstimate, I’d say that’s about a quarter cup. Both my apples and my peanut butter are organic.

How I Add My Protein

I don’t necessarily need MORE protein than what I consume during breakfast every day. However, I like to add some to my lunch/snack sometimes just to balance out my macros. There are two ways:

1. Add protein powder and/or hemp seeds to my peanut butter — they both pack a solid punch and thicken up the peanut butter so it’s less drippy and more solid.
2. Enjoy a protein mocha latte on the side — during the winter months, I love a good mocha to keep me warm. It’s so easy to add protein powder that I make it a habit several times a week. I use the unflavored collagen protein from Vital Proteins.

Lunch Alternative: Protein Smoothie

During the warmer months, when I spend more time outside, I will literally LIVE on protein fruit smoothies (usually blueberry or mixed berry). If you’re interested in the recipe, let me know in the comments. I’ll write a separate blog on it just for you 😘

What I Eat for Dinner: Stir Fry

In the evenings, I want my meals to be super simple and super healthy. Since I tend to skimp on greens during the day, I go heavier at night. I used to get a farm box with local organic vegetables to make my stir fry, but whenever life got busy (which was more often than not), they would go bad before I had a chance to cook them. Now I buy a frozen mix of organic vegetables from Costco. It’s budget friendly and my veggies no longer go to waste.

How I Make My Stir Fry

Making stir fry is soooo easy. All you have to do is this:

1. Put a small spoon of coconut oil in a pan.
2. Pour as many vegetables in as you can fit. Note: if you’re using fresh veggies, I recommend you cover the pan to help them steam.
3. Once your veggies are warm, add your spices of choice. I use himalayan pink salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Optional: Once you see some slight searing on your veggies, you can add a sauce like barbecue sauce and quickly stir it in or a pre-made curry sauce and let the sauce soak in.
5. Pull your veggies off of the stove and eat with a protein of choice. For me, rotisserie chicken or beef sausage are solid picks.

High Carb Option

There are some days when my body needs more carbohydrates for recovery. My favorite option is white Jasmine rice. However, I often use gluten free pasta well. My favorite pasta options are also grain free, such as lentil or chickpea pasta.

Copy What I Eat, Look Like Me?

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the foods that your friendly Bay Area trainer eats on a typical day. As you can see, not everything on the menu is perfectly healthy. But it’s what I choose to sustain myself because, most of it is good for my body and it tastes pretty darn good too. However, I feel the need to add a word of caution for those who are thinking about adopting my daily diet:

Eating like I do, doesn’t mean you’ll look like I do.

…or feel the way I do, for that matter. Our bodies are unique. The way we look and feel is determined by a number of factors, including but not limited to:

• age
• genetics
• ethnic background
• sex hormones
• weight
• history

I could go on and on. I’m not trying to lose weight. I’m not trying to gain a ton of muscle. I’m mostly trying to maintain where I am, stay as energized as possible, and improve my health, without triggering allergies and food sensitivities (more on those in a future blog 😅). If you have a specific goal in mind and different dietary needs, you’ll need go-to items of your own.

I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach, so if you have any questions about how to create a nutrition plan that’s right for you or you want to see more blogs that focus on healthy eating, leave your thoughts in a comment. I love sharing tips on how to be happier, healthier, and fit.

Sincerely,

Coach Nadia