As a mom and Nutrition Consultant, I’m often in search of that sweet spot: the one where speedy meets satiating. Some days I nail it. Other days I don’t. Some evenings, we’re having a peaceful, sit-down family meal. Others, the house is in disarray, our toddler is having a meltdown, and I’m nursing our infant—all between bites of a haphazard #GirlDinner. It’s a dynamic season, ya’ll. If you’re in the same boat (or simply need efficient meal ideas), I come bearing inspo. With convenience in mind, I’m sharing what I eat in a busy day. Consider this a guide to integrating practical nourishment during a time-sensitive era.
Plus, get a pulse on my fridge, freezer, and pantry staples—ingredients that bring together a nutritious meal in minutes.
Is What I Eat in a Day Content helpful or harmful?
Love watching What I Eat in a Day videos? Join the club. Across social media, this topic rakes in views. But without proper context, WIEIAD content can be a slippery slope. What is her activity level like? Is she in a season of weight gain, loss, or maintenance? Does she count macros or have food intolerances? You get the gist. When in doubt, take WIEIAD content with a grain of salt (and keep in mind your own relationship with food). After all, not every influencer is a credential health expert. Nor is that particular day reflective of their overall diet.
This Isn’t a Template for Your Own Diet
We each have a unique genetic blueprint. When combined with individual health needs, hunger levels, and circumstances, our bodies respond differently to various foods. Hello, bio-individuality! As such, there’s no one-size-fits-all perfect diet. Rather, it’s your job to discover what makes you tick. And spoiler alert: this will ebb and flow throughout your entire life. Therefore, lean into WIEIAD content as inspiration—not a strict template for your own eats.
How I Prioritize Nutrition on Busy Days
Ultimately, I aim for convenience that doesn’t skimp on nutrition. To keep my energy up, blood sugar stable, and cravings satisfied, I use the following guidelines for each meal:
- Approximately 30 grams of protein
- 1/2 plate of high-fiber carbs
- 1-2 sources of healthy fats
- Something “fun” to satisfy a texture or flavor craving
What this looks like in practice: a bowl of tender greens, a few slices of chopped deli turkey, chickpeas, leftover roasted potatoes, sliced cucumber, and crumbled goat cheese—all drizzled with a generous pour of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
As far as snacks are concerned, I focus on blood sugar balance, i.e. pairing carbs with fat and/or protein. A few favorites include:
- dried apricots with walnuts
- a rice cake with mashed avocado and hemp seeds
- a cup of cottage cheese with grain-free tortilla chips
Healthy Eating Tips for Busy People
A little bit of meal prep goes a long way. After all, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! Below are top tips for eating well when time is limited.
- When your schedule allows, plan 1-2 meals and prep a few ingredients in advance. This could look like air frying chicken or tofu, boiling eggs, massaging kale, making a batch of chia pudding, and popping a few whole sweet potatoes in the oven.
- Stock bags of frozen veggies or veggie burgers. They can be quickly thawed as a side or thrown into salads, stir-fries, or grain bowls.
- Batch cook a soup or stew. Once or twice a month, make a hearty soup. Freeze portions for when you’re short on time.
- Keep healthy snacks at the ready. Raw nuts or nut butter packets, pre-chopped veggies, turkey jerky, string cheese, protein bars, etc.
- Make smart substitutions. Swap out less nutritious ingredients for healthier alternatives. For example, use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
- Utilize your pantry space. From legume-based pasta to canned beans and tinned fish, there are plenty of protein options that are also shelf-stable.
- Try not to rely on caffeine! You’ll end up on an adrenaline roller coaster. Instead, reach for a non-jittery boost and pair it with a low-sugar, high-protein snack.
10 Ingredients for 10 Nourishing Meals
Don’t underestimate the power of 10 versatile ingredients. With a few pantry staples—and a bit of creativity—you can hack your way to convenient nourishment. Below are ingredients you’ll almost always find in our fridge or freezer, along with household favorites like ghee and nut butter.
- Chicken (or chicken sausages)
- Cottage cheese
- Greek yogurt
- Eggs
- Spinach
- Frozen broccoli
- Avocado
- Bread
- Berries (fresh and frozen)
- Sweet potatoes
Easy Meals to Make
Breakfast
Berry Greek yogurt smoothie. This protein-rich smoothie is creamy and filled with antioxidants. Blend together frozen berries, frozen avocado, Greek yogurt, spinach, and non-dairy milk. Increase the sweetness with half a frozen banana and make it a protein powerhouse with a scoop of vanilla protein powder.
Cottage cheese and fruit bowl. Cottage cheese topped with berries. Make this more filling with granola and hemp seeds.
Spinach and egg muffins. Whisk together eggs, spinach, thawed broccoli, and cottage cheese. Bake in muffin tins. Serve with avocado toast and berries. Have deli turkey or tomatoes? Toss these in too!
Breakfast hash. Scramble eggs with cubed sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, and cottage cheese (this adds creaminess and protein!). Top with avocado.
Savory Greek yogurt bowl. Sauté a handful of spinach and steam a few broccoli florets. Set aside. Fry 1-2 eggs. Spread a thick dollop of Greek yogurt in a cereal bowl. Add spinach, broccoli, and eggs. Drizzle with olive oil. Make this more filling with a scoop of cooked oatmeal. For more probiotics, add a forkful of kimchi.
Lunch or Dinner
Grilled chicken salad. Toss together mixed greens, grilled chicken, avocado slices, and drizzle of olive oil and balsamic. Serve with toasted bread. Add any other canned veggies (like chickpeas or artichokes) if you have them!
Veggie stir-fry. Sauté broccoli, spinach, and thinly sliced sweet potato. Elevate this stir-fry with cooked quinoa, frozen edamame, and a splash of tamari and sesame oil.
High-protein toast. Layer avocado, cottage cheese, and grilled chicken on a slice of bread. Add flavor with a handful of chopped herbs and a drizzle of chili oil or spicy honey.
Sweet potato toast. Thinly slice sweet potatoes, toast them in a toaster oven, then top with mashed avocado and a poached egg.
Loaded baked sweet potato. Stuff a baked sweet potato with cottage cheese, shredded chicken, and top with avocado. For a dose of flavor, drizzle with your favorite buffalo or barbecue sauce.
What I Eat in a Busy Day
Without compromising on nutrition quality, here’s a day’s worth of streamlined eats. Keep in mind that I don’t adhere to any particular diet (no allergies or intolerances), but I am currently breastfeeding! Therefore, I’m mindful of particular nutrients that babies need and the fact that nursing requires extra fuel.
Ultimately, my approach isn’t prescriptive or restrictive, and I try to include as much variety of vitamins and minerals as possible. Of course, adhering to cravings bears importance as well.
Breakfast
I’m currently loving scrambled eggs. Eggs are a wonderful source of choline, which most of us don’t get enough of! For sake of efficiency, I prep the veggies in a bowl the night before—Swiss chard, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. That way, it’s simply a matter of dumping them into a pan with ghee and cracking a couple of eggs. No chopping necessary! I had my eggs with sourdough topped with mashed avocado and cottage cheese (for healthy fats and more protein) alongside blueberries for antioxidants.
Other quick breakfasts I love: grain-free overnight oats, a couple of morning glory muffins crumbled over a bowl of Greek yogurt, and a slice of this goat cheese frittata with a side of berries.
Lunch
Thanks to meal prep, this lunch came together in less than five minutes. I threw pre-washed spinach into a bowl with leftover roasted purple sweet potato, sautéed summer squash, leeks, and Brussels sprouts, air fried chicken breasts (cooked the day before), and a handful of cherry tomatoes. I didn’t warm anything up—just enjoyed all the components cold. I topped this filling salad with grated parm and balsamic vinegar (for flavor), extra-virgin olive oil (for fat), Ithaca beet hummus (for fiber and fun), and local sauerkraut (for probiotics).
Other high-protein lunches I love: cottage cheese breakfast bowl, quinoa power bowl with rotisserie chicken, or a grazing board with deli turkey, walnuts, fruit, crackers, and hummus.
Snack
To help beat the afternoon slump, I noshed on a handful of apricots (quick carbs), chocolate covered almonds (was craving chocolate), and pistachios (healthy fats for blood sugar balance). My toddler had the same snack too! It was the perfect fuel to finish work and head out for a long walk.
Other energizing snacks I love: chocolate banana almond butter smoothie, vanilla chia pudding, and raspberry cocoa energy balls.
Dinner
After our evening walk, everyone was hangry. On these types of nights, I reach for ingredients we all love (and that cook quickly): chicken sausage, egg noodles, and frozen broccoli. I preheat our oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spread the broccoli (frozen) on a sheet pan with sea salt and pepper. I stick that in the oven as it preheats. It thaws and crisps up in less than 15 minutes! Meanwhile, I boiled egg noodles and popped a few sausages in the air fryer. For added flavor and nutrition, I topped my bowl with grated parm, cottage cheese, cherry tomatoes, sauerkraut, and extra-virgin olive oil.
Other nourishing dinners we love: baked salmon with jasmine rice, rigatoni with Brussels sprouts, and lemony sheet pan chicken and veggies.
Dessert/Snack
I tend to have a small dessert right after dinner—mainly to satisfy my sweet tooth—then a more substantial snack closer to bed. This cadence works well, knowing I’ll be up a couple of times in the middle of night to nurse our baby! I keep a stash of these almond flour chocolate chip and strawberry muffins in our freezer, and I had one while tidying the house. Shortly before bed, I had a simple green smoothie bowl with vanilla protein powder.