9 September 2009

Upgrade You: Haley

Haley recently became a pescetarian, and has also recently been cutting back on soy. She wants to make sure her diet has enough protein, as well as suggestions for other meals/snacks that are soy free. My comments and upgrades are below:

Breakfast: Nature Path flax whole grain flakes with skim or Ezekial bread with almond butter

I’d like to see Haley eat a bit more at breakfast, whether that means adding some fruit to her cereal or a banana to her toast. Remember, for a breakfast with staying power, shoot for 300-400 calories minimum. Haley could also try almond milk for a soy-free alternative to regular dairy.

Lunch: Sandwich with Ezekial bread, hummus, red pepper; grapes and snap peas on the side or large salad with spinach, broccoli, chickpeas, kidney beans, parmesan, and fat free Italian dressing

Important salad rule: Never use fat-free dressing! You need some healthy fat with your vegetables to help absorb the nutrients. I’d swap that fat-free Italian for some good old olive oil and vinegar (or any other type of olive oil-based vinaigrette). You only have to use a teaspoon or two of oil to get the benefits, so it really doesn’t add a significant amount of calories. For the sandwich lunch, I’d recommend bulking it up with some spinach or other veggie.

Snacks: Fat-free Greek yogurt and Kashi 7 grain crackers; Larabar and a piece of fruit; or tart frozen yogurt with fruit and coconut

Those are good soy-free snacks, but here are some other suggestions:

• Hard-boiled egg with fruit
• Tuna salad (made with Greek yogurt) and whole grain crackers
• Pitted dates and almonds (the deconstructed Larabar!)
• Hummus and pita
• Banana with a tablespoon of PB
• Frozen whole wheat waffle with PB
• English muffin with cream cheese and tomato

Dinner: Vegetable stir fry or salmon sashimi and fruit

Haley should make sure she’s getting at least a small portion of whole grains for dinner. Both meals could benefit from a serving of brown rice (if it’s not already being incorporated into them).

Overall, Haley has a very healthy, produce-heavy diet, which I definitely approve of. With a few upgrades, she’ll be golden. Want me to upgrade your diet? Send me a sample daily food log along with some info about your lifestyle.