When you're losing weight, you know in general the things you should eat–more greens, less fat. However, sometimes everything you read can be a little bit confusing. Sometimes what you really need to know is what a certified nutritionist would eat in order to lose weight. Lucky for us, registered dietician Elana Natker revealed her meal plan to Women's Health. Here is what you need to know about what a nutritionist actually eats to drop the pounds.
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A pre-workout snack first thing in the morning that fuels the body.
If you're planning to go for a morning run or do any other kind of exercise first thing in the morning (before breakfast), then you'll want to fuel your body. A rice cake with almond butter will give you the boost you need to have a good workout.
A simple smoothie that's high in fiber and low in calories and sugar.
If you're working out first, then you'll want to have a hearty breakfast like poached eggs and avocado toast. But if you're not exercising first thing in the morning, then start your day with a smoothie made of an apple, a carrot, cucumber, one large kale leaf and almond milk. Some berries in there wouldn't be bad either!
A mid-morning snack with carbs, protein, healthy fat and fiber.
If you can't hold out until lunch, then your best bet is to have a well-balanced snack around 11am. You'll want to pick an apple with peanut butter, which contains carbs, protein, healthy fat and fiber. Just make sure that you buy peanut butter without any added sugars.
An easy lunch that's high in protein, low in sugar and has crunch.
Don't feel that you have to go overboard for lunch. It's totally fine to have something simple, like a high-protein Greek or Icelandic yogurt with fruit and some hemp seeds for crunch. You can also opt for soup with a side of crackers or a kale and bean quesadilla that takes only 10 minutes to make.
An afternoon popcorn snack that will fill you up with fiber.
There's nothing quite like an air-popped popcorn for a great healthy snack that's totally packed with fiber. If you're feeling like spicing things up a bit, you can use a few spritzes of spray butter and a sprinkle of truffle oil to take the snack to the next flavor level. And a dash of grated Parmesan cheese won't hurt either.
A portion controlled dinner that you won't be able to resist.
For dinner, you'll want to have something to keep you on track… Store-bought tuna packets in a lettuce wrap are a great option, as is a delicious salad packed with beans for protein and tons of veggies. You can also keep some pantry staples on hand and create an easy dinner with whole grains (quinoa or brown wice will work), black beans and fire-roasted tomatoes or corn.
A dessert that has a little bit of sugar and some protein.
Just because you're on a diet doesn't mean that you can't indulge in a little bit of dessert. Here's what a nutritionist will try: Fruit paletas (yes, really!) that aren't made with high-fructose corn syrup but rather with real fruit… Or a roasted grapefruit with cottage cheese. Adding the cottage cheese gives your dessert a little bit of protein while still being plenty delicious.
