- A 39-year-old man presented an average day of eating for review at the BI Nutrition Clinic.
- A nutritionist said that eating protein in the morning would help with satiety and recovery.
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Justin, 39, featured his eating routine in Business Insider’s nutrition clinic, where qualified dietitians and registered nutritionists offer advice on readers’ eating habits.
He told BI that his goals are to lose fat and weight in general to support his running goals. “I put on a few pounds during a recent injury,” Justin said.
Justin is an avid runner: A typical week is 60-80 miles of running over six days.
“I also do some basic strength training,” he said. “Planks, push-ups, and deadlifts—six days a week, and then some pull-ups, split squats, goblet squats, and step-ups a few times a week. Mostly bodyweight or light dumbbell stuff; nothing crazy with the lifting, and I I’m just starting to get more disciplined with it after a cycle of injury.”
Registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert told BI it’s great that Justin is so active and his high activity levels should keep him healthy and fit in later life.
Tip 1: Protein in the morning
Justin runs first thing in the morning and then eats a half cup of oatmeal with soy milk, pecans, and raisins. Sometimes he adds two hard-boiled eggs, he said.
He eats a banana or a handful of cashews later in the morning.
Lambert said it’s good to eat fiber-rich foods like oats, rice, beans, vegetables and fruit: “These support digestion, help with satiety and are beneficial for long-term gut health.”
Protein in every breakfast, whether it’s eggs or yogurt, would also help with satiety and Justin’s recovery from intense workouts, Lambert said.
Tip 2: Vary your meals to improve gut health
For lunch, Justin often eats a bowl of brown rice with chicken and black beans, plus raw carrots, peppers and cucumbers with hummus. Sometimes he has a banana, berries or a handful of nuts afterward, or cheese and gluten-free crackers, he said.
Lambert said Justin’s meals like this lunch are well balanced. They include protein (chicken, eggs, beans), healthy fats (pecans, cashews, hummus) and carbohydrates (oats, rice, sweet potatoes), which are essential for maintaining energy.
While Justin is consuming a lot of plant-based foods, he can try to increase the variety by changing his meals.
“Research has found that people who consume 30 (or more) different plants per week, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, legumes, legumes, etc., had a significantly more diverse and healthy gut microbiome than those who consumed less than 10. a week,” said Lambert.
Tip 3: High-fiber snacks with healthy fats
In the afternoon, Justin might eat pretzels, granola, or a handful of candy or similar candy to “keep the sweet tooth at bay,” he said.
Snacks like pretzels, skittles, or granola can be high in sugar and low in fiber, which are generally not the best choices for satiety and energy, Lambert said.
She recommends whole fruit paired with Greek yogurt. A small handful of nuts is another nutritious snack, paired with dark chocolate, Medjool dates or dried fruit for sweetness.
“All of these add fiber and healthy fats, promoting better satiety and blood sugar control,” Lambert said.
“All of this will help Justin feel fuller for longer, avoid any energy crashes and may also stop him from overeating throughout the day.”
Tip 4: Fish and plant-based proteins
As the father of an 8-year-old and a five-year-old, Justin loves to make fun dinners, such as gluten-free spaghetti with ground chicken, tomato sauce and parmesan; grilled chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli; homemade gluten-free pizza; or ground chicken or turkey tacos.
After dinner, Justin might have a bowl of Cheerios with soy milk or a bag of popcorn to share, he said.
While chicken is an excellent source of protein, Lambert recommends variety.
“Incorporating fish into his diet like salmon would significantly increase his intake of omega-3s, which are essential for heart and eye health, or he could choose plant-based options like lentils or chickpeas which are rich in protein, but are also higher. in fiber, which is great for gut health,” Lambert said.
Tip 5: Portion sizes
Justin said he carries a 32-ounce water bottle with him throughout the day and refills it regularly to stay hydrated. “I also drink two to three cups of coffee a day and sometimes a glass of tea or diet soda,” he said.
“His focus on hydration is great, especially since endurance athletes like Justin need to ensure they are constantly getting enough fluids for training and recovery,” said Lambert.
Justin’s high activity levels require a lot of fuel for energy and recovery, but to lose fat he needs to be in a caloric deficit.
“Keeping an eye on portion sizes for foods like cheese, nuts and oils can help Justin toward his weight goals,” Lambert said. “It’s important to monitor how often after-dinner snacks like Cheerios or popcorn occur. These can keep him from reaching the calorie deficit needed for fat loss.”