Tell me about your diet and what kind of food you eat day to day?

[polarnightcap]

I used to like these features in magazines where women would detail their diets, its am interesting insight and for me was just fun to read so I thought I'd do a version on here if anyone else wants to post?

I'm a vegetarian, have been for 35 years and on a typical day I will eat porridge with fruit for breakfast, toast and humous and or avocado, or tomato or eggs. Lunch is usually soup, pasta with veggies, leftovers from dinner or sometimes a sandwich. I do snack during the day and will have things like nuts, fresh fruit, an oat cake with some cheese or a slice of malt loaf. Dinner is usually Pasta, Dal, Curry, Quiche, A salad with roast veggies, Tofu, Stir fry, baked potato with various toppings, roast veggies and flat breads, veggie pie with roast veg etc. I do tend to make most of my food at home from scratch including most of the bread, pastry, humous and so on but I don't make my own pasta.

I do have a sweet tooth so will have a cup of tea in the evenings after dinner and have something like a bit of dark chocolate or a homemade muffin / scone or my favourite 70% Dark Chocolate Hot Choc from Hotel Chocolat. During the day I drink decaf tea, green or herbal teas and occasionally an Earl grey if I'm having something sweet in the afternoon and lots of water.

I don't drink so at the weekend I'll have cordial with sparkling water or the San Pellegrino classic taste orange ( I don't like artificial sweeteners) and have salted nuts like pistachios, cashews or macadamia nuts. I only have breakfast and dinner on a Sunday so usually have a pudding that day and its normally just a scoop of nice ice cream like pistachio or Turkish delight flavour with a bit of fruit or I'll sometimes make a crumble or rice pudding or something nice from a good bakery if I am passing, this weekend we had some amazing black forest gateau!

Takeaway is not that usual maybe a few times a year and my favourite is Japanese or Indian food. We do eat out more often if we are out at a film or theatre so about once a month and we like to try different places for inspiration.

I think my diet is ok, a bit time consuming and I need to be careful to get enough protein and B12 but as I do eat dairy this isn't usually an issue and my health is good.

After loosing a lot of weight last year purely from cutting out upf I need to make sure I eat enough as my bmi is now quite low. I also strength train and am trying to gain lean mass.

I normally have a few walnuts at 7am followed by a black coffee.
At 8am I have rye crackers with roquefort or rye crackers with cream cheese, wild salmon and capers.

I will have a snack at 10am of either apple with peanut butter or rye bread with sardines and vinegar.

At 12 I have lunch (see photo) I normally aim for at least 15 different types of veg, some legumes and some protein (cheese, fish or chicken) and fermented food (normally saukercrat). After I have a kiwi and square of dark chocolate.

If I am hungry in the afternoon I have a handful of nuts.

I try to eat dinner before 6pm and normally have either fish or chicken, legumes and lots of veg. I will have fruit and dark chocolate after.

I don't eat post dinner as I try to get a fast of at least 12 hours.

Eating like this is easy, my meals never take more than 15 min to prepare and I never crave unhealthy food. I have lost all my belly fat despite being in peri menopause and feel at lot healthier. I got my hba1c down from 38 to 34 over the past year.

I'm veggie and trying to limit UPF. Breakfast is Greek yoghurt with a splash of honey, homemade fruit compote and homemade granola. Usually a decaf latte mid morning. Lunch is generally homemade sourdough bread with something, could be soup (minestrone is simmering now), or avocado and eggs, or homemade baked beans and egg. Sometimes a piece of homemade cake in the afternoon- I batch bake and freeze in chunks, ditto cookies so I have a choice. Dinner usually involves beans or lentils but tonight is sweet potato macaroni cheese. Last night was a bean hotpot.

I have IBS so generally no raw fruit as it's a trigger, and I can't eat a lot of salad. I don't mind the fruit but I do love salad (probably because I love salad dressing) and I miss that.

I drink too little water, I'm trying to cut down on hot chocolate which is easier because I'm fussy and there's only one I like, so once I've run out I can't have any more till I can get back to the shop. Very little alcohol.

Currently trying to lose some weight and eat better, as have always been a fussy eater with limited fruit and veg, who doesn't like rice or pasta(!).

Usual day is...
B: cottage cheese or yogurt and a green smoothie (spinach, broccoli, frozen blueberries, flaxseed powder, plus protein powder if it's a gym day)

L: homemade veg soup and turkey sandwich with butter on granary bread on work days.

Omelette with baked beans & cheese or tuna toastie on non work days.

D: cooked dinner for the family: chicken and broccoli bake / fish and homemade chips / stews / shepherd's pie.

Drink water, tea and green tea.

Before I started on this weightloss journey it was:
Cereal
Beans and cheese on toast
Biscuits & crisps
Cooked family dinner
More biscuits and crisps
Chocolate

My diet is all over the place. I like to switch things around a lot.

Drinks tea and water and low cal squash

Monday
B cardamon danish pastry and a coffee
L chickpea, sweet potato and spinach curry with flatbread
S two digestive biscuits
D pork and apple stew, mash and cabbage and green beans
glass of rose

Yesterday
B banana and skyr
L pork and apple stew and mash pots
S dates and a blood orange and some Milka chocolate
D pasta with homemade tomato sauce and parmesan
a dry cider

Today
B porridge with cinnamon sugar
L cheese and onion on toast and a dried fruit bar
S blood orange
D spanakopita, salad and tzatziki

Earl grey first thing, then a banana and maybe packet of crisps/twiglets/ popcorn around 9am, 2 slices of toast, cheese triangles and coffee first break (work in a school).

Lunch is usually left over from night before - today it's (homemade) mixed bean and mince chilli and rice. Sometimes a yogurt after.

Dinner tonight is shepherds pie made with 5% mince, baked beans, carrots and peas to bulk it out. Probably some extra veg on the side.

Trying not to drink on a school night! so will have elderflower fizzy water. Friday and Saturday I'll do 3/4 bottle both nights.

Earl grey and a biscuit/piece of chocolate around 9pm.