A Day With Emily: What's On Her Real Food Plate?

Wildly Organic's blog writer Emily shares... If spending time in the kitchen was a sport, then I'd be a gold medal winner... When I'm not eating, I'm probably thinking about what I'm going to eat next. When I'm not eating or thinking about what I'm going to eat, I'm probably writing about, shopping for, or outside growing said food. In my younger adult years, I certainly wasn't a princess in the kitchen when it came to preparing food. For the most part, the faster I could transfer my food from microwave to plate and from plate to mouth, the better. As little signs of ill health started creeping into my 20-something body — like lethargy, dermatitis, and hormonal imbalances — I started to question if what I was putting in my body was somehow affecting what was happening to my body. Ding! Ding!

The "Perfect Plate"

As I began to research, I unravelled a whole new world of Real Food Eating that blew. my. mind. However, in doing so, I became infatuated with the idea of the "perfect plate". I write about food and take pictures of my food. A lot. So, I spent hours gawking at others' food photography, but then not eating myself. Actually making that drool-worthy food would've been a much better use of my time because I found myself glaring down at my plate of microwave dinner feeling guilty and oh so not satisfied. I came to learn that I didn't need to spend my time trying to recreate the picture-perfect Buddha bowls, vegan cheese boards, and chunk-free green smoothies if I wasn't even eating well balanced and healthy meals everyday. It was more important for me to use that time to prepare healthy and wholesome food... and eat it. The pictures could wait. I think most people look at a food blogger's website or Instagram feed and assume all their meals look like Michelin-worthy masterpieces. But I can assure you, this is not the case. Let's be real... Most humans don't have enough time in the day to brush their hair. Don't let this idea of "perfection on a plate" ever dissuade you from eating well. It's more important that you're actually eating the food on the plate instead of striving for perfection. To give you a peek into my life (and maybe some inspiration, too), I've journaled what's on my Real Food plate for a day to share with you. My diet probably doesn't look like yours, and that's ok. This works for me. I think I have a healthy, balanced diet. Most of the time, my plate consists of high quality meat and vegetables. I snack on nuts, seeds and the sometimes a piece of fruit. I still drink coffee and certainly enjoy an occasional glass of red wine and cheese. It's not extreme and I find it's easy to maintain and my health now reflects this.

Breakfast

• corn tortillas with a fried egg, fresh avocado, and mango salsa

Today's breakfast was fancier than usual. Normally, I'll just eat some eggs and stir-fried greens with avocado (when in season), or fermented veggies. A meal like that takes less than 10 mins to prepare and cook. However, I recently found some amazing corn tortillas made using a traditional, stone-ground method. I haven't had tortillas like this since my travels in Mexico many years ago! I had to buy some and cook them up as soon as possible!  

Bonus Healthy Breakfast Ideas:

• Sweet Potato & Sausage Breakfast Bake
• Gluten-Free Goji Berry Granola
• Activated Seed Granola
• Coconut Quinoa Porridge

Lunch

• grass-fed beef sausages with mixed veggies sautéed in coconut oil

To keep things simple, I usually try to save some leftovers from the previous night's dinner for lunch the next day. I also love preparing big, hearty salads for lunch with some form of ready to serve protein. This particular day, though, I was on the go, so I took my lunch to-go.  Simple and delicious!

Bonus Healthy Lunch Options:

• Olive Oil & Coconut Vinegar Massaged Kale Salad
• Paleo Sweet Potato Salad
• Omega 3 Rich Salmon, Feta & Spinach Frittatas
• Low Carb Paleo Tabbouleh
• Wild Mushroom Grilled Chicken
• Strawberry & Spinach Salad

Dinner

• grilled fish with tomato salsa, a side salad, an avocado, and roasted carrots and sweet potatoes

For most people, dinner is the meal of the day where the most effort is spent. I will usually cook a piece of protein with a hearty serving of vegetables. Oven-roasted vegetables (with generous amounts of coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil) are my favorite.

Bonus Healthy Dinner Options:

• Cacao-Spiced Steak Rub
• Dairy-Free Saffron & Dill Salmon Chowder
• Hearty Paleo Beef Mushroom Stew
• Grain-Free Turkey Pot Pie
• Indonesian Vegetable Curry
• Garlic Ginger Lime Chicken & Sweet Potato Sheet Pan Dinner
• Paleo Brazilian Fish Stew

I wanna know...What does a typical day on your plate look like?