I'll try to keep it short and simple. I am NOT a nutritionist, by the way. There is a lot I have yet to learn.
I eat real food. & one of my biggest pet peeves is for someone to tell me that I do not eat enough. I always get those friendly comments about how I "hardly ate anything" or those tips like, "You should add ___/more/etc." I don't mind the tips from people who know what they're talking about (nutrition/health), and I'm sorry if that offends anyone. Really, I eat just fine. I have 3 square meals a day with snacks in between. I consume PLENTY. I just don't do it in one sitting. Or unhealthily.
This might turn into a Pro-Organic blog posts because that is what I am. There is just WAY too much information out there for me to even want to go into WHY but I will recommend to you this awesome, awesome book: "Master Your Metabolism". I did a lot of researching and reading (besides this book) and finally made the personal choice that I'm just not willing to throw my hands in the air, say "We'll see what happens!" about what the food I put into my body contains. I eat meat, mostly chicken, turkey but also red meat, though not too much in one sitting.
I eat a lot of veggies, fruits and nuts which we've all heard before! You're probably tired of hearing it but here it is again. & why do you think that is? Guess what, folks, exercise alone will not get you healthy and fit. It has a lot to do with what you fuel your body with.
My mornings usually consists of oats so I might eat a bowl of oatmeal with fruits mixed in. I'll have 8oz of organic apple juice and a slice of whole grain, whole wheat bread with peanut butter instead of butter.
I don't deprive myself of anything REAL & GOOD. I'm not anti-fat, anti-carbs or anti-whatever else is new. I simply do not eat too much of anything.
Mid-Morning snack might be a piece of grilled chicken I packed the night before and shredded into pieces. I usually take this to school because I get hungry in class #2 so I can pop it out and it doesn't make the crunching sound nuts might make. I'll have water on hand too. At all times. Haha. Honestly, you won't find me without water. But it could also be a nut mix, a piece of fruit or a KIND bar.
Lunch might consists of veggie mix/salad, a tuna patty cooked with a bit of olive oil, avocado and a few of my Late July Organic crackers. & water.
OR
I'm usually ravenous within the hour of finishing my workout so I have another snack:
Apple/Banana/Orange/You get the idea.
Dinner might be home made beans, grilled fajita on a whole grain tortilla, Mexican homemade salsa (never store bought), and some rice. With homemade lemonade.
As for the question, "Is eating at night bad for me?". Answer, maybe.
When you sleep, your body is in fasting mode. It hasn't stopped working just because you're dreaming. & if you don't have SOMETHING in there, it could have a catabolic effect on your muscles. NOT good. All that hard work you've put in at the gym is going to waste because all there is for your body to "eat" is your muscle. ::sad face::
Which is why I don't really eat before bedtime. But I do take my Isopure protein shake WITH 8OZ OF MILK this time. Casein protein is ESSENTIAL as a pre-bedtime snack. & while my Isopure is not a casein protein powder, MILK is 80% casein so, yea - you guessed it, I take it only with non/low fat ORGANIC milk.
I don't really eat a lot of dairy. I don't think it's essential in our diets as adults but I do take it with my protein at night and I sometimes eat yogurt. I digest it just fine, I buy dairy only if it's organic and I'm okay with eating/drinking it in moderation.
I know I only touched on a few things here and some might have questions so feel free to ask. I'd be happy to answer questions as to why I do or don't do something in specific. This was just a sample and not what I eat every day. Variety is the spice of life!
(PS., please keep in mind that your meals should reflect your goal. If I had a clone and one wanted to lose weight, the other wanted to build muscle, they would both have different meal plans.)
