All In A Day's Diet (Collegiate Compatible)

By Sydne Kilberg on October 2, 2015

I used to love cooking with all sorts of weirdo super-food ingredients that most don’t even know how to pronounce (Cacao, Acai, Chia, Goji, Spirulina, etc.) in order to create healthy, aesthetic, and appetizing Pinterest-inspired meals, but that had to be deducted from my shopping list when I was no longer under the ‘rents roof since going green still costs a lot of green.

My friends always ask for simple ideas, since they’re not crazy like me and don’t read labels religiously. So after much consolidation and variation, here are some staples that I would include in an entire day’s worth of food, take no more than 5 minutes to scrape together, and keep your stomach and wallet full and happy.

They also are for the most part gluten-free, and low in sugar and sodium.

*Eating every 3-4 hours is most effective for weight loss in order to keep your blood sugar from falling (after 6-7 hours your blood sugar spikes, creating excess insulin in your blood aka you’ll store fat easier), and your appetite from deceiving you.

Breakfast: 

CinnAgave Muffins

Nutritional Facts:
- Calories: 369
- Fat: 19g
- Sodium: 213mg
- Carbs: 30g
- Sugar: 10g
- Protein: 9g

 

What you’ll need:

- English muffins of some sort (they’re like ALWAYS bogo at Publix, winning!)

- Coconut oil (make sure it is not hydrogenated)

- Cinnamon

- Agave Nectar

- Himalayan Sea Salt

- Optional: chia Seeds and cacao nibs

  • The protein english muffins keep you fuller longer, though I wouldn’t eat that kind before working out, too much before can be counteractive, so I stick with the light multi-grain in that case. Stay clear from hydrogenated coconut oil, as it is bad for your heart since it lowers HDL (good cholesterol) and raises LDL (bad cholesterol), and usually is high in calories and low in nutrients. Sugar in the agave nectar provides just the right amount of sweetness but with a lower glyemic index than traditional sugary syrups.  Pop that baby in the toaster, cover with all the goodies, and let it melt in your mouth like the weight off your body.

Snack: 

Apple Nachos

Nutritional Facts:
- Calories: 381
- Fat: 20g
- Sodium: 20mg
- Carbs: 34g
- Sugar: 22g
- Protein: 9g


What you’ll need:

- Apple

- Melted peanut butter (microwave :20)

- Agave nectar

- Cinnamon

- Optional: Chia seeds and crushed raw almonds

  • Simply slice the apple thinly, drizzle the peanut butter atop, sprinkle any of the above mentioned – white chocolate chips, or any chocolate chips for that matter are delicious too if you’re trying to indulge a little! This not only fills you up but wakes you up since apples have natural caffeine in them! Also the chia seeds are rich in Omega-3s, expand when in contact with water making you feel fuller, and aid in digestion.

Lunch:

Cucumber & Cayenne Crisp

Nutritional Facts:
- Calories:154
- Fat: 4g
- Sodium: 145mg
- Carbs: 26
- Sugar: 2g
- Protein: 3g

 

 

What you’ll need:

- Lundberg Lightly Salted Brown Rice Cakes

- Hummus

- Cucumber slices

- Cayenne pepper

- Black pepper

- Optional: tomato and avocado

  • I love Lundberg’s Lightly Salted Brown Rice Cakes, spread some of your favorite hummus on top (stay away from Sabra as it includes MSG), top with some sliced cucumbers, and your favorite seasonings like black and cayenne pepper since the spice speeds up your metabolism! Tomatoes are really tasty to top with too!

Snack: 

KIND Bars

Nutritional Facts (vary with flavor but relatively the same):
Calories: 140
Fat: 4.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 95mg
Total Carb: 24g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 3g

  •  I am obSESSED with these things, especially now that they’ve come out with a wide variety of options. The brand distinguished itself by including “ingredients you can see & pronounce”, which I think appeals to all. You have to be careful with a lot of the “snack bars” at grocery stores, actually read the labels, a lot of them are basically condensed blocks of carbs and fats (the bad ones).

Dinner:

Power Greens and Protein

Nutritional Facts:
- Calories: 320
- Fat: 14g
- Sodium: 701mg
- Carbs: 19g 
- Sugar: 7g
- Protein: 26g
(plus dressing)

What you’ll need:

- 2 handfuls of your favorite salad mix (50/50 or power greens will have the most protein i.e. keep you fuller longer as well as more vitamins)

- 1 Boneless Chicken Breast

- 1/2 Avocado

- Handful of carrot chips

- 4 slices of cucumber

- Coconut oil

- Paprika

- Cayenne Pepper

- Garlic salt

- Black pepper

- Basil

- 2 Tbsp Walden Farms Calorie Free Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (or marinade of choice)

- Dressing of choice

  • First, glaze the chicken with the BBQ sauce, dash plenty of each seasoning (maybe not the garlic salt) covering the chicken, cover and let sit in fridge while you make the salad, dicing the avocado, carrot chips, and cucumber to put on top of the greens. Use 2 tbsp of coconut oil when heating a pan on medium-high. Cook the chicken for one minute on each side, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for another 3 minutes on each side. As soon as that’s done just throw it right on top of the salad, and dress it with your dressing of choice, be cautious of the nutritious value of those though as well.

 

Late Night:

  • My addiction is reaalll with Skinnygirl Pop, it satisfies salty cravings without leaving that filmy feeling on the roof of your mouth after eating the faux-butter-laden popcorn offered by other brands. They have 3 different kinds too: Lime & Salt, Butter & Sea Salt, and Rosemary & Olive Oil!

 

  • If sweets suit you best, Chobani Flip is sooo satisfying. Walk past that ice cream isle and indulge in flavors like Chocolate Haze Craze, Peanut Butter Dream, Salted Caramel Crunch, and for the #basics out there (for a limited time only) Pumpkin Harvest Crisp, guilt-free.

 

As with everything… moderation is key.

  • This along with staying active, you’re bound to shed some of that unwanted weight. This diet allows you to have the right amount of energy to fuel your days without cutting out the joy of eating good food.

 

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