What I Eat

I am not a vegetarian, but I always try to eat healthy *real* food (not processed) and I also eat gluten-free. Gluten-free means I don't eat anything that has gluten in it. These are things like bread, barley, spelt, rye, wheat pasta, pastry, cakes, etc. There are gluten-free versions of most of those products, but I only eat them on rare occasions.

Right now I am aiming for no more than 1,000 calories a day. To some people this sounds like not a whole lot of food, but something people don't realize is just how much you can eat if you are sticking to fruit, veggies and lean meat.

For example, say you wanted to eat no more than 100 calories for a meal and you had a choice between 1 slice of low-calorie bread or 100 calories worth of broccoli florets. Do you know how much broccoli you would have to eat to make up 100 calories? 5 cups! That is a TON of broccoli, I dare anyone to be hungry for at least a couple hours after that! The bread, on the other hand, would make you hungry again in no time.

Foods I keep around the house for regular eating are as follows:

Veggies (always fresh, steamed or boiled, no extra butter or oil added):

• asparagus
• broccoli
• broccolini (one of my faves)
• cauliflower
• carrots
• baby potatoes
• arugula
• radish
• romaine lettuce
• tomato
• cucumber
• bok choy
• kale
• beets
• sweet potato

Fruit (I don't eat fruit much since I don't have a sweet-tooth, but I try to have one a day):

• raspberries
• strawberries
• blueberries
• pineapple
• kiwi
• mango
• banana
• watermelon
• peaches
• avocado (not too often though)

Meats & Other Protein (I always try to get some protein whenever I eat anything; there are many benefits):

• chicken
• eggs / egg whites
• pork
• lean beef
• telapia
• tuna
• salmon
• clams
• muscles
• yogurt (I only eat no-fat greek yogurt)
• cheese (sparingly)
• peanut butter
• pestachios (when I feel a strong salt craving)
• almonds
• beans (kidney, navy beans, chick peas, etc.)

Grains:

• quinoa
• rice
• gluten-free bread/buns (rarely)
• gluten-free pasta (no more than once a week)

Other:

• salsa
• guacamole
• mustard
• soy sauce (gluten-free)
• balsalmic dressing
• gluten-free chips for the occasional treat (usually corn chips, rice chips, or bean & rice chips)

Here are some pics of typical meals for me (I'll add as I have a chance to take pictures):

Breakfast

Canadian Bacon with Zucchini & Tomato (125 calories):

• 2 slices Canadian bacon, grilled
• 1/2 large zucchini, sliced and grilled
• 1 thick slice low acid tomato

Oats, Fruit & Yogurt (240 calories):

• 1/4 cup oats (pure oats, not instant, cooked with water)
• 1 cup cut strawberries
• 1 kiwi, peeled and cut-up
• 1/3 cup no-fat vanilla greek yogurt

Lunch

Chicken Breast & Veggies (150 calories):

(you can make this with any veggies, this is a common mix I make. No butter or extra fat added, just salt and pepper. I even eat this as a breakfast sometimes)

• 2 oz cooked chicken breast
• 3-4 spears of broccolini, cooked
• 1 carrot, cooked