Vitality Perspective What if I told you there were some potential side effects associated with consuming a diet built primarily on whole foods?
What if I told you the “side effects” were really all positive, too? As a nutrition science student, this is the kind of topic I live for – learning about how the food we eat can help us feel better, perform better, and be better, healthier people.
I choose to consume everything mentioned here because I genuinely enjoy them and the way eating whole makes me feel.
These are some of the meals/foods I’ve eaten recently and the reasons their ingredients support things like steady energy, digestion, and overall balance.
🧇 #1. Protein Waffles
- Pumpkin ➡️ complex carbohydrates, good source of vitamin A for supporting eye health, skin, and immune health
- Oats ➡️ another great source of complex carbs and fiber, providing a steady release of blood sugar and energy
- Protein Powder ➡️ satiety, muscle repair, great taste
- Cinnamon ➡️ antioxidant + antimicrobial, protects your cells from free radical load
- Almond/milk ➡️ calcium, can help contribute to maintaining bone density
🍌 #2. Protein Banana Split
*Totally inspired by @fueledbyfitnesss on instagram*
- Banana ➡️ good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates, helping with digestion
- Greek yogurt ➡️ calcium, protein for satiety & muscle repair
- Protein Powder ➡️ muscle repair, steady energy
- Peanut Butter ➡️ vitamin E, healthy fats for hormones and brain health
- Walnuts ➡️ healthy fats, fiber to support blood sugar balance and satiety
🥯 #3. Tuna Bagel
- Bagel ➡️ quick carbohydrates, quick energy
- Cream cheese ➡️ tastes DELISH on bagels, adds fats for satiety
- Avocado ➡️ healthy fats, potassium, fiber for lasting fullness
- Onion ➡️ detoxifying agent, flavor, prebiotics to feed your gut microbiome!
- Tomato ➡️ 93% water for hydration, powerful UV-protective antioxidants (lycopene) for anti-aging
- White Albacore Tuna ➡️ protein-packed for muscle health, essential nutrients including Vitamin D, selenium & B12 for immunity and thyroid
🍛 #4. Vegan Brown Rice & Garbanzo Bean Bowl
- Brown Rice ➡️ complex carbohydrate with fiber contributing to satiety and smoother digestion
- Roasted Garbanzo Beans ➡️ plant protein, fiber for blood sugar balance, Vitamin B6, iron & magnesium for heart and muscle health
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil ➡️ healthy fats for hormone and brain health
- Garlic ➡️ detoxifying agent, great immune-supporting food
- Carrots ➡️ Vitamin A for eye health, fiber for satiety
- Zucchini ➡️ antioxidants & micronutrients (Vitamin C), hydrating
- Mushrooms ➡️ inflammation-reducing agent, immunity, B-vitamins, Vitamin D
🥭 #5. Smoothie Bowl
- Banana ➡️ good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates
- Tofu ➡️ versatile plant protein for satiety & muscle repair
- Berries ➡️ antioxidant power, protecting cells from free radical damage
- Protein Powder ➡️ maintains steady energy, yummy taste (I love Legion)
- Cocoa Powder ➡️ flavor, antioxidant benefits, magnesium to promote muscle health
🍞 #6. Homemade Garden Sourdough Bread
- Wheat Flour ➡️ quick carbohydrates, quick energy
- Sourdough Starter ➡️ fermented & good for the gut microbiota
- Colorful Veggies ➡️ antioxidants & micronutrients
- Parsley ➡️ Vitamins A, C, K for bone, heart, and eye health, aids detoxification of heavy metals in the body
🥔 #7. Balanced Ingredient Assembly Plate
- Russet Potato ➡️ complex carbohydrates, at the TOP of the satiety index 🥰, so a GREAT source of fiber
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil ➡️ healthy fats, anti-inflammatory
- Brussels Sprouts ➡️ colorful veggie = antioxidants & micronutrients, lots of fiber as well for digestion
- (Canned) Chicken ➡️ protein = building block of collagen for skin and ligament health + repair
- Garlic ➡️ anti-inflammatory and immunity
- Iodized salt ➡️ flavor, enriched salt benefits thyroid function
🦪 #8. Linguine Frutti Di Mare
- Linguine ➡️ carb-dense & energy dense
- Tomato (Sauce Base) ➡️ lycopene antioxidant for skin health
- Shellfish ➡️ lean proteins for muscle repair, omega-3-rich for brain & heart health, vitamin & mineral-rich (B12, selenium, zinc)
- White Wine ➡️ polyphenol-rich (antioxidants), linked to better cholesterol when consumed in moderation (1 glass/women, 2/men daily)
- Parsley ➡️ detoxifying
🥩 #9. Chipotle Bowl
- Brown Rice ➡️ complex carbohydrates to offer satiety and fiber
- Lettuce ➡️ hydrating, Vitamins A, C, K, folate for immunity and bone health
- Steak ➡️ protein, iron-rich for blood and cellular health
- Avocado ➡️ healthy fats, Vitamin E
- Colorful Veggie Salsa ➡️ antioxidants, micronutrients, vitamins
Tips For Healthier Eating
Good nutrition doesn’t need to be complicated. Creating meals built around ensuring a balance of vital nutrient sources can make it much simpler.
Ingredient prep > meal prep can make eating well easier. What I mean by this is prepping basic, whole ingredients at a time, such as washing, chopping, and cooking a big batch of veggies and meat, and batches of rice, potatoes, or pasta to store and have ready-made to use how you like and make a variety of different meals with. Sometimes this can be easier than following numerous different recipes that require more ingredients and sometimes more time to prepare. Ingredient prep, rather than recipe prep, allows for more creativity and versatility with your meals each day, offering a great way to keep your meals exciting as well.
Simplicity definitely does not equal boring, either! With some good seasonings and sauces, you can make just about anything to your liking.
The hardest part is getting into the routine of buying and doing the prep, which can feel timely, in making healthier meals. All it can take is 2-3 hours on 1-2 days of your week, to save more time and money in your entire week, and later in your life, too, because you’ll be a healthier person from it.
Reflection
In sharing, I want to reinforce that this is not “what I eat in a day”, but can sort of be applied to “what I eat in a week”.
Eating in this way, of a more whole foods-based approach, truly has me feeling great everyday. I love the food I eat and it tastes better because I know its ingredients are often beneficial.
None of these meals are perfect or planned weeks in advance, but each one supports my body in small ways. Noticing how ingredients work together has helped me build meals that feel both satisfying and supportive without overthinking it.
