The foods I eat for health & for fun
My ideal diet for home & travel
I've been writing online for almost a year now, but I haven't written much about FOOD. That changes today.
This is everything I eat regularly when I'm home, in one place. Travel is a separate category, and I'll touch on that too.
There's far too much chit-chat online about the perfect diet, but everyone knows what foods are healthy for our bodies. Does it have one ingredient? Then it's good for ya. Chickpeas, rice, bananas, almonds, broccoli, salmon, eggs. The only ingredient in a sweet potato is sweet potato.
Conversation over. We've discovered the secret. Healthy Hallelujah, praise the cheese board!
The majority of my diet is these whole foods. Over the years, this has boosted my physical and mental health, and healthy eating became a habit. I don't think much about it anymore. I know that most of the foods I crave are good for me.
I stick to this general rule
At home? Whole foods. Smoothies, oatmeal, one-pot meals and fruit for snacks.
Out-and-about? Anything goes. Bring on the pizza, noodles, fried chicken or gelato.
80% tasty & healthy, 20% tasty & not-so-healthy.
Plants & animals
I didn't eat meat for three years, and I never kept animal products in my home. I was on a whole food plant-based kick, which means I mostly ate those plant foods with one ingredient.
But then I went to Portugal, and I ate loads of fish, like salted cod and sardines. In Budapest, I fell in love with the local goulash dish, a beef and potato stew.
I now choose meat often when I'm eating out. But I'll still make mostly plant-based meals if I'm cooking for myself. More on that, below.
Coffee
I use the pour over method to make my morning joe. This is a simple process. Heat up the kettle, drop three scoops of beans in the grinder, pop in the paper filter, pour hot water, drink great black coffee.
I've been using a pour over since 2015. It's better than a standard coffee maker because it soaks the grounds entirely more than once, which extracts more from the beans. The result is much better tasting coffee with no plastic pieces involved.
I've tried other options like French press and moka pot, but prefer this method for taste, simplicity and ease of cleanup. Those other options are great to switch it up from time to time.
Smoothies
My introduction to nutrition was smoothies. I view a morning smoothie as a way to "cover my bases" to start the day. I load it up with healthy whole foods. If I happen to eat pizza for the rest of the day, at least I had my smoothie first.
I battled with inferior blenders before finally buying a Vitamix. I instantly regretted my previous purchases. There's a reason why smoothie shops use Vitamix, because this is the king of blenders. It might be my favorite possession.
The ingredients for my smoothies vary, but it's often a combination of some of these:
Water instead of milk
Frozen leafy greens, either spinach or kale or both
Frozen berries, usually blueberries
Banana
Apple
Oats
Sweet potato
One scoop of protein powder (and creatine)
Peanut butter
Cinnamon
Turmeric & black pepper
A pinch of salt
One scoop of chia/flax/hemp seed mixture I store in a jar in the fridge
I learned that apples and bananas decrease the nutritional properties of berries, so I won't combine those together in a smoothie.
I just got back from Guatemala, and now I'm inspired to add more tropical fruits, like pineapple, papaya and oranges. These would pair well with fresh ginger too.
Oatmeal
Option B for breakfast is oatmeal. Smoothies are my usual go-to, but I'll make oatmeal instead if I want warm foods in the morning. An easy trick is to pour hot kettle water over dry rolled oats. Let it sit for a minute or two, then add toppings like peanut butter, cinnamon and fruit. This is faster than stove top oatmeal, and is far less messy.
These breakfasts are filling - full of carbs, protein, fats and fiber. They flood my body with nutrients to start each day.
I never feel too full or bloated. I never experience a crash after eating, or get hungry again shortly after. I don't eat meals during specific times each day, I just eat when I'm hungry.
One-pot meals
My one-pot creations are often a combination of beans, lentils, rice, couscous, tomato, onion, garlic, olive oil and spices.
I mix it up, so I'll make a batch of chili to eat for a few days, then a batch of lentil curry. Fall meals might include butternut squash and pumpkin spice. Avocado tops it all off to add healthy fats.
These meals are nutritionally dense, healthy and filling. And yes, I get enough protein without the beef. I've been able to put on maybe 15-20 pounds of muscle over the years despite not eating tons of meat. I'll drink a few protein shakes daily to help supplement.
Eating enough protein is less of a challenge than eating enough calories for muscle growth. Smoothies help, as I could cram 1,000 calories into the blender. But it's no mystery why many people struggle to put on muscle mass - it's difficult to maintain a caloric surplus.
Animal foods are more highly caloric because of the higher fat content. Steak + eggs = thiccc thighs.
Travel treats
Oh, the joys of eating whatever I want whenever I want. I ate ice cream for breakfast a few times this year. Too many pizzas to count.
This wouldn't be possible without weight lifting, without regular exercise. Actually, it would be possible, but then I'd end up looking like the girl from Willy Wonka.
That Hungarian beef goulash I mentioned? I've found it has international cousins in dishes like Mexican birria or Guatemalan hilachas.
While it's rare for me to have a second cup of coffee when I'm at home, the afternoon espresso is a daily staple when I'm traveling. My favorite post-lunch treat.
Don't forget to snag a bag of fruit from a corner stand, walk the streets and taste those fibrous local sweets.
I've learned it's foolish to try to maintain a strict diet when visiting new places. Food is often the magnet for the places we want to visit. Trying the dishes with centuries-deep roots in a foreign culture is non-negotiable, even if it's sheep organs in Scotland. Rinse it down with local bread, beer or a pastry.
The more you eat, the more you can walk and explore. Just pretend you're a thru-hiker or a world-walker and you need the calories for a great expedition.
Gobble, gobble. Happy Thanksgiving!
Everything I make is here — loganletsgo.com
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