I’ve always been fascinated with what people eat on a daily basis. I’m not just talking about people from other cultures but also from within your own city or country, people’s diets vary so widely. Some people have the funniest eating habits and portion sizes and meal times vary considerably too.
My friend recently Joan Holloway told me about her new flat mates. We were having lunch and she was relieved to be eating “normal” food in a normal way. Apparently, she has two new flatmates and one has a restricted diet (gluten free) but she actually isn’t gluten intolerant while the other one doesn’t eat very much at all.
Herb jar
“I’m so glad to be eating normally with a normal person” she said to me (isn’t it nice when people call you a normal person when you know that your eating habits may not be normal? 
). Is what I eat normal? Who knows!
Quite a few of you have asked me what I eat on a day to day basis so I figured that I could keep track of what I ate in a typical week (although there is no real typical week for me). There were some false starts-a couple of days I completely forgot to take photos of what I ate so I had to start from the beginning again. But here it is, in all of its gory and calorific details. Nothing has been styled to look pretty, indeed some of it admittedly could use some zjushing. I also get the fantastic Lydia Sutakowsky, a ‘real world’ dietitian to give her opinion on things. And let me tell you that I was nibbling my thumbnail as her email was downloading as I felt like I was getting a report card! Bon appetit! x
Sunday
Ahh the first day and any good weekend day starts with a sleep in and brunch. Mr NQN was away sailing and we had a full fridge from shopping so I made myself a pita pocket with shaved chicken breast, mango chutney, mayonnaise, salad and fresh parsley and coriander. As I can’t grow a thing (I truly have a black thumb) I buy bunches of herbs fresh and place them in a glass and pluck off what I need.
Lydia: A good start to the week, some leafy greens, lean protein – a lovely fresh light brunch. And a great way to add flavour is with tasty relishes, mustards, chutneys and fresh herbs. Good thinking 99.
Dinner was the result of testing out things for the blog. I went to my parents’ house to try out some of my mum’s recipes which we were testing for the blog. We made a rice dish with Chinese sausage and shiitake mushrooms-that one needed reworking but the fried rice was fantastic as were the bananaques for dessert.
Lydia: As for dinner,a bit difficult to judge, but Sunday nights are great for a comfort meal. I can see some colour in the rice so its looks like some vegetables made an appearance. As for dessert, well bananas are fruit. Not sure what you did to them, but they look delicious. I will tell you my thoughts on delicious comfort food later.
Monday
I’m going to get in trouble but I really don’t eat breakfast most days. I know, I know, that’s terrible but once I get into work, I really don’t stop and I find I don’t get hungry until about 11am. I always start my day off with one thing though and that is a cup of hot lemon water. I know, coffee lovers will probably laugh but I find that it’s fabulous for the skin and I can notice the difference straight away (try it for 2-3 days and tell me what you think ). If you want to try it, just add 20ml of fresh lemon juice to lukewarm water-I set my kettle to go to 50C/122F and then very importantly, drink it through a straw as lemon juice is acidic and isn’t good for tooth enamel.
Around lunchtime, I made a big batch of cauliflower coleslaw which is enough to last 2 days for my lunch as well as Mr NQN’s lunch. It also makes a great snack for when you’re hungry. I interchange cauliflower for cabbage, whatever is better at the market and even on day two, it’s fabulously crunchy, creamy and full of flavour. If you want the recipe just let me know!
I know it’s ugly…
Dinner was not very exciting I’ll admit. Turkey patties with more of the coleslaw but I have to admit that I love simple dinners too. Oh and I almost forgot, I had a late night snack of steamed asparagus. I was saving up my calories for the next few days
Lydia: Okay so now its time to put my serious dietitian’s hat on – here we have an excellent example of planning and organisation OR healthy weight rule number 1. Think ahead, if you know you are in for some serious eating, have a few light days. Lorraine gets a gold star for her caulislaw. Crunchy fresh vegetables need lots of chewing giving you time to fill up, provide you with loads of fibre and goodness (anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals) but minimal kilojoules. Also, by making a batch you are thinking ahead and making it easier to choose something healthy later on. Lunch and dinner are light, healthy and there is some good quality protein in the turkey patties. All is forgiven for the not restaurant quality appearance. And I’m not going to comment on the lack of breakfast (whats that saying about flogging a dead horse).
Tuesday
By now you’re wondering how boring can my lunches be . In short, very boring. Another pita bread sandwich with roast beef and more of the cauliflower coleslaw and beetroot leaves on top. But I had to make a quickie because I had a meeting at noon.
And yes, I burnt my own quesadillas. Mr NQN’s remained unburnt…
Tuesday dinner was quesadillas. It didn’t stop me from burning the quesadillas though as I was distracted with taking phone calls while cooking them. They were filled with roast beef, red bean puree, cheese, coriander, baby spinach, light sour cream and salad and a side of roasted beetroot.
Dessert was some yogurt and some stewed strawberries-I had to stew them because they seem to go off so quickly nowadays!
Lydia: Another light day but your nutritional needs have been met. Lean protein, a little bit of carbohydrate in the pita bread and tortillas, some more caulislaw, beautiful nutrient rich beetroot, some fresh greens in the spinach and coriander, dairy from the cheese, sour cream and yoghurt – everything in moderation. All berries are packed with nutrients but very little kilojoules, so that’s a lovely light dessert.
Wednesday
Remember the light dinner from the night before? Well the reason why was because of lunch and dinner. Lunch was at Kurtosh, a new cake place that I was visiting with friends Buxom Wench and Silver Fox. They sell cakes by weight and you can get as little or as much as you want. So of course we had to try a few things. For research purposes you know
Lydia: So what does a dietitian think about cake for lunch? Lets put this down as an occupational hazard. When you are a professional full time food blogger you will need to review cake shops, cafes and bakeries. I can see the sense in making a meal out of it from an energy (kilojoule) point of view. If you had eaten breakfast and lunch then energy dense cakes would cause strive with your waistline. But from a nutritional point of view (I really don’t like getting up on my soapbox) there isn’t a lot of goodness here. Apart from buttery, golden pastry goodness. Warning- if you eat fast and can’t control yourself when hungry, this strategy could backfire. You could easily and quickly consume too many kilojoules and no nutrition in a very short period of time.
A fresh vegetable juice (think carrots, beetroot, celery, cucumber and ginger) would make a healthy aperitif.
Then that evening, was a food fest. Dinner was at The Morrison with two gals that love food as much as I do. We came, we ate and then ate more. But it’s important to try as much of the menu as we can. Still, I ended up with a package of shoulder of lamb to take home as we hate wasting anything. This will go into lil lamb & mint pies for Mr NQN for when I am away.
Lydia: I’m not sure what exactly was eaten here, I can see some beautiful natural oysters (I instantly think of salty, sexy, zinc rich goodness)(minerals – iron, zinc, magnesium, selenium, chromium – so important for good health). I digress but would like to add that nuts are rich in fibre and minerals. A great snack. There are some salads, carrots, iceberg lettuce, a fettucine dish, some unctuous looking lamb and a selection of desserts. I can’t really determine what Lorraine ate but I presume she tasted everything. Dietitians tip number two – the pleasure is in the first three mouthfuls. So taste, enjoy then move onto the next dish.
Thursday
Thursday lunch was one of my favourite lunches, eaten in front of the computer. A slice of rye bread with salad, a new batch of cauliflower coleslaw and some Snowy Mountains smoked trout on top. All in preparation for dinner with my friend Ute that evening.
Lydia: This is a beautiful lunch. Try and eat fish several times a week. Smoked trout provided protein, gorgeous heart healthy omega 3 fats not to mention satisfying deliciousness. That’s a real word, really it is. You could turn this into a healthy dinner with some pre boiled potatoes, avocado and fresh dill.
Dinner started out at Chat Thai in Haymarket where we were quite restrained. Mainly because I had been dying to go to a new chocolate cafe nearby. After fish cakes, satay, blue eyed cod and prawns and one sticky rice and mango dessert (I can never pass up Thai desserts), we adjourned to Princess Coco to share a hot chocolate, some truffles and a cake. I like to think that sharing these meant that we didn’t eat that much but I’d be called Cleopatra, the queen of denial
Lydia: I’m going straight to dessert and I’m sorry, but I can’t say a bad word about chocolate. Rich in ‘mood elevating and pleasure enhancing’ compounds, sharing some dark, rich chocolate treats with friends can only enrich your life and make you healthier and happier. Look up theobromine and phenylethylamine if you don’t believe me.
Friday 27th September
I was too engrossed in work to realise that by noon that I was starving. Not wanting to break concentration, I took a quick 5 minute break and made some kale chips using some Tuscan kale that Celia had given me from her garden. I set it to bake and 20 minutes later, I had the best snack ever. And I know, that’s not breakfast but there you go…As I had the oven on, I threw in some whole beetroot and some pumpkin and baked those for lunch.
My late lunch was a pita pocket stuffed with cauliflower coleslaw, greens and some roasted pumpkin because it was just before grocery day and we didn’t have much else.
Dinner was a bit of an anticlimax. I was hoping to go out but Mr NQN was tired so it was a tortilla stuffed with cauliflower coleslaw and greens and a few chunks of sweet roasted pumpkin and beetroot. But then…I remembered I had some ice cream to test! Connoisseur sent four of their new “Australian” flavours made with dessert chefs and Mr NQN tested these out while watching The Big Bang Theory. The two flavours I liked were the salted caramel and the honey and fig. The white chocolate and raspberry wasn’t bad but it was too sweet and the blueberry crumble held such promise (crumble in ice cream!) but it just didn’t do it and was a bit of a let down.
Lydia: So this was a very light eating day, lots of vegetables, lots of colour and no meat. The ice cream testing increased the fat and energy but overall, this was a good counterpoint to the chocolate fest the night before.
Saturday 28th September
It’s almost therapeutic feeding Mr NQN food. He usually skips breakfast at work and goes straight onto lunch after a morning coffee so every weekend day, I try and make him a good breakfast (ironic I know since I always miss it, breakfast by proxy?). We were out of oatmeal so I took a loaf of Hearthfire macadamia and fruit nut loaf we had bought a few weeks ago from Bellingen and froze so we could have it later. He’s a maniac for fruit smoothies so I made him one of those and then stole bites and slurps from both because as you know, pilfered calories don’t count
If you are after the smoothie recipe, it’s very easy and here it is:
Blueberry Smoothie
Serves 2
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2/3 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 medium banana, peeled
- 3-4 tablespoons honey
- 3 heaped tablespoons natural Greek style yogurt
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
1. Blend everything together in a blender until smooth. Serve cold.
That night, we went out to Chat Thai for round two. Mr NQN was hungry so we ordered an enormous range of dishes-our initial embarrassment at not being able to fit everything on the table soon passed as we realised that the couple next to us did exactly the same thing!
Lydia: This brunch was delightful for a number of reasons. Have I mentioned that I’m a huge fan of nuts? And is there a more nutrient packed nut than macadamia nuts from Qld or NSW? The oil in nuts goes rancid rather quickly, nuts don’t like heat, light or moisture. I’ve given up on imported walnuts, they are usually rancid on purchase. Qld and northern NSW grow gorgeous peanuts, pecans and macadamia nuts. Elsewhere in Australia you can get fresh almonds (major harvests are in April-May). Tassie growers are producing fresh walnuts. So buy local and buy in season for maximum flavour and freshness. Oopsie, on the soap box again. Also, the smoothie is a winner for obvious reasons, I’ll stop ranting now.
Sunday
Do you ever get up in the morning and have the sudden urge to eat something. In this case, I woke up (and no need to read anything into it) wanting balls! The balls I meant were those delicious Vietnamese Chè xôi nước balls stuffed with mung bean paste with a sweet rice flour coating. They’re served in a gingery syrup with coconut cream and they usually come as two enormous balls and about half a dozen smaller ones. Anyway, we were on an adventure after shopping for clothing for Mr NQN to find me some of these.
Mr NQN was hungry so we had the same breakfast smoothie (blueberry, banana yogurt, chia & honey) followed by a couple of pieces of fruit and macadamia nut bread. Around lunch time we had some watermelon. I was deliriously happy because the day before I had found some long watermelons at Paddy’s Markets. Those of you that have read the Food Bank story know why I am so happy. The long watermelons have black pips and are sweeter and juicier than seedless melons but they have disappeared from supermarket shelves.
Just before we left, I had a slice of rye bread with salad, some roasted beetroot from yesterday, some smoked rainbow trout and fresh dill-can you tell we had done the shopping? The day after grocery shopping day is the best food day! 
Nothing until about 6pm where we visited a restaurant as part of a story on Burwood-I had heard that other things were good there but I didn’t want to write that they were until I tested it myself. We ended up sharing a plate of bbq pork and bbq duck with rice and a won ton noodle soup. The pork and duck were my favourite and they also gave us a warming bowl of fantastic broth as it was unseasonably chilly outside.
I got my balls! I could taste them all day and nothing else would do until I sank my teeth into them. They were divine and worth waiting for. I bought Mr NQN a container of coconut cream taro sago which he wolfed down. I offered him a bite of the balls and he didn’t much care for them so they were all mine. Oh and just because I had to test it out, we bought a slice of cheesecake from another shop just for the article.
Lydia: So we have come full circle and we are back to some Sunday comfort eating. Whatever it is that you enjoy on a Sunday (the traditional Aussie roast perhaps) my message is to make time to enjoy a meal with those that you love.
In summary, I’m not surprised that NQN maintains her petite proportions. Take note of the lack of snacks (one late night snack was steamed asparagus – no complaints here). Snacking can contribute a lot of unnecessary kilojoules, fat and sugar. Take a leaf out of Lorraine’s book and limit snacks or choose raw or lightly steamed vegetables or a handful of raw nuts.
Remember rules number 1 (planning and organisation) so think ahead, prepare some healthy meals when you have time (think the crunchy caulislaw) and balance the indulgent days with lighter ones.
If you find yourself craving rich treat foods, remember rule number 2. The pleasure is in the first three mouthfuls. So enjoy the cheesecake or chocolate, but don’t eat it all, just enough to satisfy your craving. Store the remainder safely in the fridge and enjoy the rest on another day.
I don’t believe in guilt so don’t beat yourself up when your eating doesn’t go to plan. Be kind to yourself, forgive yourself and plan something positive for the next day. Start with a brisk walk (some lemon water ), have that gorgeous smoked trout for lunch and feel good about yourself.
I aim for lots of colourful foods to ensure that I get a good mix of nutrients and anti-oxidants. Its easy to get the greens, reds and orange foods in but the tricky ones are the purples and blues. Take note that NQN includes beetroot, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, red beans in her diet.
I also have to give Lorraine 10/10 for the lemon water through a straw. Not for the nutrition but for the imagery. That is so cute, I’m sure it makes Mr NQN smile every morning.
Phew! Now that was quite a lot of food. And when I look back and see how much three of us ate at The Morrison, I’m astounded. I do try my best to balance things, even if it doesn’t look apparent at all. Being 155cms tall, every little mouthful shows. I was so relieved that Lydia didn’t lecture me on my less than healthy food consumption but then again, she is a real world dietitian who eats real food i.e. butter, not margarine so she is my sort of gal. I really loved what she said about the pleasure being in the first three mouthfuls-slowly savoured, there’s nothing better. So, there you go! I hope I haven’t horrified you too much but there you go, what I eat in one week Dear Readers
So tell me Dear Reader, what do you eat in a week and do you have a favourite lunch or dinner? Have you ever kept a food diary? Do you eat differently on weekends? And can you just eat three mouthfuls or are you always compelled to finish the plate?
About Lydia: Lydia Sutakowsky has been a member of the Dietitians Association of Australia for 22 years and is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian. Her position at the University of the Sunshine Coast encompasses all aspects of the clinical placement experience that students in the Nutrition and Dietetics program undertake in their fourth year of study.
She loves everything about food, talking about it, cooking it, eating it and learning about it. The perfect week for Lydia will include yoga, a swim, one or two short runs and anything that is fun. Lydia shares her life with the ‘gorgeous M’ and his 4 year old son. She loves her black kelpie Pirate and her three fat hens.
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106 Comments | Add your own
Great food! I’d love to eat so many lovely things during the week (at lunch time I eat alone, so I keep it VERY simple)…
Cheers,
Rosa
I eat oatmeal for breakfast and salads for lunch and then at dinner, pretty much anything goes! I do a lot of my recipe testing for the blog in the evenings, so sometimes it’s just cook and nibble, cook and nibble….
Loved seeing your version!!
xxoo,
RMW
A really fascinating post on your food habits. I would be terrified of doing a food diary for me. I live alone and am out often in the evenings, I really don’t cook that much for myself. not so healthy as you. I usually finish my plate. Big difference on the weekend is I often forget to eat lunch and at 4pm I am starving.
Hmm, I don’t know if your eating is exactly normal… But it does look yummy!
…I don’t think I will photograph what I eat in a day!!! Let alone a week
This is super interesting! Love that you got a nutritionist to check it all out for you!
The cauliflower coleslaw looks gorgeous. Lorraine, would you share the recipe?
Hi Vivien! Absolutely, will do
Hi Jay! Oh that’s so sweet to hear! Thanks so much for letting me know x
I love seeing what people eat on a day to day basis (yes, slightly creepy of me) – I guess that’s what I spend all my time on tumblr doing… ;P
I loved this post. It IS interesting to see what people eat in a week xo
p.s. went to Eat Drink Blog on the weekend and you were held up as a shining example of food blogginess, or would that be food bloggerness? Either way, it’s nice to be recognised by your peers:)
Definitely food for thought. With slight weight gaining, this was a fantastic insite to the amount of food we consume. In other words take 3 bites and leave the rest. Will be hard to do but a great challenge. Love the article will keep you posted how I’m going. Thanks again
WOW, I don’t think that ‘mess’ of food was bad at all!!! Would like that cauliflower slaw recipe, yes I know, I could figure it out but it’s better from you
Thanks.
Hi Susan! I’ll definitely put it up soon! Promise!
Really interesting post, Lorraine,and I think you DEFINITELY need to share the caulislaw recipe. Just knowing you have this so often is recommendation enough!
I’m also not surprised how you stay slim – I did wonder! It looks like almost all your indulgences appear on your blog and practically everything else gets a big tick from the nutrition police.
That tip about the first three mouthfuls is really very helpful.
And I agree – that new Connoisseur Salted Caramel Ice Cream is do die for. I think for the blueberry, if you are going to try crumble, it needs to be sold in an airtight container on top of the ice cream so you can mix it in once you’ve melted the ice cream a bit, and it stays crunchy.
Great post Lorraine. I have kept several food diaries over the years and it always amazes me what I eat in a day. I have a half a grapefruit and some blueberries every morning. I try to drink a glass or two of water, but I love your idea of the hot lemon water. I eat a lot of greens, I put most things (chicken cacciatore, fish, etc) on a bed of greens and I usually snack on celery sticks (we got through about 1 every two days). I also exercise regularly and I am going to add an hour of walking to my day. I like the sound of the slaw, please post or email me the recipe.
You love your slaw!! Hehe. I want those balls. Please tell me where I can try them – I’m in Five Dock near Burwood
Hi Erin! I bought them in the main street of Bankstown. Not exactly close by but we wanted to go for a drive and my craving for those balls (arrgh that sounds dodgy) was so strong!
I LOVED this post Lorraine
I always like finding out what others eat on a daily basis too ~ But for me I think it’s because I want to know if I really am THAT sugar crazy LOL even though I know I am 
I think you do a great job balancing everything out given that you are a full time food blogger, you can’t really eat ‘healthy’ all the time, but I think it’s fine to indulge in moderation
Can you PLEASE post the caulislaw recipe? I’d love to try ~
I’ve never kept a food diary but you have inspired to do it once
But i guess Instagram is kind of like my food diary hahaha!
I’m so glad you ended up with a gold star for your assignment. I would have been tense too. Did you find yourself eating differently that week because you knew you were being ‘watched’? I think I would stand up a bit straighter if I knew someone was watching me. Love the look of the violet smoothies xx
Despite your busy lifestyle, just like anyone else, you have to eat! And it’s great to show your readers a snapshot inside the eating life of Lorraine
Sadly my mondays-fridays consist of the same old breakfast and lunches (its what happens when you work in an office and sit on a chair all day). Not much excitement goes into my meals but that’s what I find my weekends are for.
You clearly love Caulislaw – and it takes you thru the week and is good for you – Would love the recipe!!!
Dear Lorraine,
Very interesting post about our diet. I was amazed at the stuff we ate looking back at photos since we started blogging about food.
Hi Lorraine, Yes I eat LOTS during the week and very varied…which is the reason I have put on so much weught! So I am finally learning NOT to finish EVERYTHING on my plate. I agree the first 3 mouthfuls are always the best…and if I dont like the dish I don’t eat it!!! (so hard when you have been brought up not waste food!) So now I am taking a food dairy to keep track of what I am consuming so I dont forget (I have such a baaad memory). I also am not a breaky person but my dietition has made me promise to start!!! I have about 150g proteins 150g vegies and a piece of fruit three times a day….or at least twice a day with yoghurt and fruit and nuts for the third meal (I even have that at dinner time/tea time for something different) My favourite is salmon poached with a dash of soy sauce and some ginger and shallots served with broccolini. I try to plan ahead as much as possble too for those days when everything just falls apart! A loss of 3.5 kilos this week is good going (tho I know that will slow down a little as it was mostly fluid) so stay tunes for a new slim trim me! ….now what am I going to have for lunch….
Lorraine,
Please share the recipe for the cauliflower coleslaw!!
x
If I wrote a post on what I ate in a week it would be sooo boring. I go through lunch phases when I’m at home. The most recent being mushroom and feta omelets. I do like my breakfast though. I wake up hungry nearly every day and could never go without.
You’re so good with all your veges and greens!
My favourite after-school snacks were banana cue and sweet potato cue. Your photo of the banana cue made my mouth water.
Loved this article and loved to hear what the nutritionist said. I always eat breakfast, but rarely have the same breakfast for more than 2 days in a row. It get bored really quickly and I think breakfast is a boring meal!
The nutritionist didn’t think much of you lemon water then?
Wow! You eat so healthy! My week usually consists of healthy breakfasts of cereal and yogurt and healthy lunches of cold meat wraps with salad and then whatever we feel like for dinner. I try to keep dinner healthy but often find myself nibbling on the leftovers :S And no… can’t eat just 3 bites, lol!
Very much enjoyed this post and had to laugh that, in many ways, we ate quite alike
! I keep a food diary in my head, never count calories, have no allergies, but plan a week’s meals ahead. Working from home and rurally I can and do have fairly fixed meal hours: a light juice/coffee/open sandwich at 7am, an early lunch with wine about 11 am, a [laughing] healthy ‘high tea’ [oft stuffed pita!] at about 4.30 pm followed by green tea, fruit, yogurt at about 8 pm if I am alone. I switch countries ever few days: say from Morocco > Tunisia > Lebanon for one week, then travelling across Persian cooking > various Indian provinces> Far East, probably staying with Szechwan, Shanghainese > Thai recipes for the next. If a blog recipe thrills, shall fit that in between! Whatever cuisine, always copious salads, some fruit and lots of grains. Yogurt never far away! Suits me 
! Thanks for a fab idea from you . . .
Lorraine, you made me feel so much better
Reading through all the posts that you made, I was happy knowing that when I don’t cook five star dinners, I am not being the laziest um..err..Mum in the world. Just practical and sort of healthy. LOVED this post.
Love it – insightful and educational. Thanks Lydia and NQN – although you eat much healthier than I, Lorraine…
This was so much fun to read and I loved seeing the photos. You own some very pretty mugs.
The Connoisseur ice-cream is definitely on my list of things to try and your 2 favourites are the ones I would pick to try.
I kind of feel surprised that you can drink a big glass of milk (smoothie) and feel well afterwards. So I guess you must digest lactose well.
Thanks again for the peek into your diet.
My meals feel so plain in comparison!
Here in Peru we have to eat, eat real meal for lunch and for dinner. Breakfast can be light or not, it depends if it’s weekend. I used not to have a heavy dinner,but it’s me, most of people used to eat for lunch and dinner the same meal.
Thanks for sharing Lorraine and for Lydia’s insights. A while ago I reluctantly took on the ‘no carbs for dinner’ rule but now I love it. It really helps with weight management and I never go to bed feeling bloated (or hungry!). I also live by the 80/20 rule – invariably the weekend is the 20 so I try not to go too crazy and plan for a healthy week again : )
You know I love to hear about what people eat – it’s my job! haha. Great post, Lorraine. I find that eating less at dinner makes me wake up HUNGRY & unable to skip breakfast. Not that you eat heaps at dinner but I find this a successful way to get my clients eating breakfast…just a thought! My brain cannot function without breakfast. & tea.
Fun post!
Heidi xo
I grow cacti–it’s the only thing I don’t kill.
I would die for some smoked trout. Have you posted the cauliflower recipe?
Love this post! I love finding out what everyone eats too so this was intriguing, to say the least.
Especially loved the lunch from Kurtosh for “research purposes”!!
Great post Lorraine! I am fascinated by what other people eat – you have a wonderful diet. Such bright coloured fruits and veg, lots of great sources of protein and good quality carbohydrates. Good work! When you eat like that, cake for lunch every now and then doesn’t hurt….
WOW a lot of food indeed!
Always makes for a unique feed!
I too have a LOT of curiosity what and how people eat, TRUE!
OK, fess up, how much exercise weekly do you do lol
You would not want my grocery bills for a week or month too!
As the Mickeister is always making wonderfully colorful dishes to suit her personality too!
There was a book published… probably about a decade ago, called Planet Food. A pair of photographers travelled all over the world and photographed families with all the food they would buy in a week, in a single photo. It is so, so, so interesting. Maybe see if your library has a copy?
I tried it here (so long ago!)
http://lupinbunny.blogspot.com.au/2007/06/what-do-you-eat.html
And looking at that blog post reminded me that you can see part of the book here:
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519,00.html
Great post Lorraine! Lots of delicious looking healthy recipes in there I need to try out
No wonder you stay so slender, I need to take a page out of your book!
What a great story, you have managed to turn a list into a great read. I have only recently been making an effort to reduce my intake on “off” days if I know a big eating day (or days) loom. It really does help with keeping the kilos off
So now we know why you don’t look as round as your are tall. Wonderful post, Lorraine.
Wow, all your meals look fresh, delicious and healthy (aside from those ferocious desserts!!). And the meals are all different! Imagination on a plate.
I have a mean sweet-tooth, so am always testing out ‘healthy’ dessert recipes, I found a real winner, with quinoa muffins with frozen fruit. This is what I have for brekkie!
Your meals are very healthy in between the blogging meals – little wonder you stay so slim!
Haha I’d rather not keep a food diary to remind myself of how all-over-the-place my diet is… Muesli and yogurt for brekky one day and Rocky Road the next
This is an awesome post. I was always curious as to what your daily life was like when I see all these great meals
My food week looks VERY boring compared to yours! I definitely need more variety!
I’m not good with breakfast either but I will have something around 10am. I eat a small lunch, a decent supper and most nights we have a slice of cake for dessert! Not sure how healthy it all is but I weigh the same as I did 10 years ago.
An insight my friend you are incredibly healthy and I love your delicious choices – perfect balance
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
This was a very interesting post, Lorraine, and I was delighted to see a great range of food being consumed.
I don’t keep a food diary myself but I do my best to eat well (which works half the time, haha). For breakfast, I do eat red meat and vegies (with egg sometimes) as opposed to ‘normal’ things such as oats and cereal, which my workmates find really weird but I find that it works well for me (i.e. no bloating, keeps me full longer)
Would love the cauliflower recipe.
Always enjoy reading your posts!
What a great post Lorraine! Lots of fun for us to read, and very open and honest (and brave) of you to write. And any nutritionist that advocates chocolate is a hero in my book
This is very encouraging. I love reading how you capture of what you eat. I sometimes think the same way, too and keeping track really helps to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
PS: I’m glad to be normal, lol. Can’t wait to read your recipes!
Hiya – I’m sorry if I’ve missed it being posted, but I’d love the recipe for cauliflower coleslaw. I have a feeling yours will be different to what my mum’s coleslaw was, so would like to try yours!
You don’t eat much at all! Some days you only eat two small meals! I understand that this balances out though with your bigger meals etc, but still woowa..don’t I feel like an oompa haha.
Please the cauliflower coleslaw receipe-looks wondrous.love your daily posts thanks
Hi Lorraine,
Fabulous post ……… love the honesty and “reality” of your weekly rundown. Last time I did that was on WW and I lost 12Kgs. Would love you to put up the cauliflower “slaw” as my dad taught me to eat raw cauli at a very early age, I still grab a few pieces before they go in the pot:) Your blog never disappoints, keep up the good work …… roll on the cook book.
Lorraine, I would love to eat all your meals! They’re definitely not ugly at all (you should see mine when it’s not styled) LOL!!
I had to keep a food diary for over three months, and it nearly killed me – the shame of writing I had a biscuit!! The dietician wasn’t judgmental, but I had to write how my body responded to various foods, so the shame was even greater!! A total exclusion low FODMAP diet was totally challenging, but when we introduced certain food groups back in the diary meant I could know what I couldn’t eat. It has worked out well, and I am a huge fan of dieticians now.
And your volume of food was quite small, but then again you’re quite small too.
fascinating reading what you eat.
Honestly.
Cause I always wonder how on earth you are not the side of a house.
But what about baking days? What do you do with all the spoils? Chuck em in the freezer straight away?
I’m always curious what people eat (especially foodies!), and it’s like dream come true for us to find out what YOU eat in a week!!! This was such a fun post. I was keeping food diary when I was on diet (ahem, I am on diet all the time…) but completely stopped because I just couldn’t keep it up. I tried with app too but same I forget after one week or so… I hope you share what you eat occasionally. Maybe very month, or even every season!
I loved this post and Lydia has a much better sense of humour than my dietitician.
Thanks ladies, it was fun.
Your week of food looks so exciting and yummy!! I hate being only tiny like you (158cms) as it means I get full wayyy to quickly
I wish I was taller just so I could eat more!
This is the best! And quite entertaining. I often wonder what people eat too, and find that my lunches are pretty standard and boring. I feel like I should draft a similar post to this. I too don’t have brekfast but one coffee and one up & Go
Now that’s an interesting diet you’ve got there. (Oh, and kudos on the banana-cues! They look fantastic!)
what are those amazing looking chocoloate ball things with the holes in the top?
What a fascinating post! I always like stickybeaking into people’s diets – thank-you for sharing! I’m glad to see you eat real food and mix up healthy and decadent foods – I was wondering if I’d see emu meatballs or activated almonds in this post! Heheh
Loved this post! Thank you for sharing this…I’m very interested in studying nutrition next year and this has made me even more interested! It was so interesting to see what you eat in a week. I think I would be horrified if I actually kept record of everything!! I wish I could say the first three mouthfuls were enough, but I do tend to finish my plate….brought up in a household that hated wasting food! Something to think about from now on
I have a neat app on my phone that tracks what I eat, it helps me make healthy choices
I really loved this post, I’m always interested in what other people eat!
What a great and interesting post. Loved hearing about what you eat in the week. None of it was boring at all. Inspiring! Some of it looked TOO good!I actually just made a post today about what I’ve been eating this week too (disguised as a chocolate cake post). Thanks for sharing x
I love this post, Lorraine. It’s a question that I’ve often wondered. You look so svelte that I knew there had to be salad meals happening sometimes.
I enjoyed this little behind the scenes peek into your life:-)
Wow you actually eat pretty well considering all the reviews you do. I don’t think my food diary would hold up as well with a nutritionist do a running commentary on it
Lorraine (and Lydia) this was truly a fascinating post! I always love looking in people’s grocery carts to get a peek into their lives and personalities but seeing what one person (and Lorraine!!) eats every day for a week is brilliant and is even more fascinating! And I loved reading Lydia’s comments. Especially this “Dietitians tip number two – the pleasure is in the first three mouthfuls. So taste, enjoy then move onto the next dish.” And Lorraine, boy oh boy, what food! I would so love to eat like this for a week!
Thanks for this post, Lorraine! I’m also really glad to see the absence of any ‘activated almonds’ or alkalised water and cultured vegetables in this ;-P
That was a fun journey. I love to see what others eat when honestly opening up! Because my husband is vegetarian, I mainly eat that way except for when I have classes. But when I eat out, which is frequent, then I get my meat fix if craving it. Tonight we ate baked sweet potatoes and mustard greens, but for lunch I had a shrimp burger, guava agua fresca, and yummy apple pie in a restaurant with a friend.
It’s so interesting seeing what other people eat on a daily basis, and what others consider healthy etc!
P.S. I can’t believe you don’t eat breakfast!
Your week looks great! Mine is so ridiculously boring from Monday through to Thursday. Same same every day and I always make extra portions so i can eat the same thing for days… too busy to cook something every day! But weekends I go all out
My eyes went straight to Sunday Dinner 19:17! Big YUM. It was lovely scrolling through all those fab dishes, but I went straight back to those Banana que pops. Definitely giving them a try.
May I please have the caulislaw recipe? Sounds heavenly!!!
I’m fascinated by food so this post was very cool
your diet is EXTREMELY colorful!
Breakfast is the meal I look forward to the most. During the week it usually consists of rye bread with cream cheese, cape seed bread with butter and jam, or muesli and yoghurt and reading your blog before starting work
. Sometimes it’s swapped for coffee and an almond croissant for a treat 
I’ve been experimenting with different coleslaw dressing recipes so would love to have your caulislaw recipe please!
What a great article Lorraine! I admire the dedication required to follow your eating habits all week, and remembering to photograph all while recording everything. Fantastic variety! It is great to see the old adage of many coloured vegetables/fruit holds true. I love the addition of chia seeds to your smoothie. Please share your cauliflower coleslaw recipe as this would be so great for summer.
Please I would love the caulislaw recipie
Love this peek into your week! My lunches are pretty routine (pita with hummus and veggies) but I like variety at dinner and I refuse to eat leftovers for more than a day or 2…
HI everyone! Thanks so much for your lovely comments and I’m so glad that you enjoyed the post. I’ll put up the Caulislaw recipe next week I promise
xxx
This was such a brilliant idea for a post! I’m so nosy (curious? lol!) about what other people eat. I love your approach that highlights balance and moderation. Beautiful idea eating light in prep for a couple heavy days! And, I have to say, we enjoy so many of the same foods! Beets (both greens and roots) are one of my fav veggies.
P.S. I had to look up what activated almonds were
Hi lorraine, love this post. Pls keep them coming! As for me, i tend to eat the same breaky & dinner during the week, coz i like routine. Never keep a food diary, and always be adventurous for weekend eating. In fact, its my fave part of the week, finding new places to try.
this is a fabulous post
Wow – when I saw the title, I decided to save this post to a time when I could savour it and read it properly – as the title indicated it would be a week in the life of Lorraine. Well, I wasn’t disappointed. And, as a bonus, you included a dietitian’s perspective. I’m a dietitian too and was so pleased to read Lydia’s down to earth and sensible and positive comments and feedback. Most enjoyable post – thanks!!
very interesting – though I was amazed at the lack of snacks – I could just snack all day some days esp when I am around food – and I have to have breakfast but I have heard that lemon water is very good for you. My favourite breakfast lately is a smoothie which I am loving but my lunches don’t seem to follow any patterns lately
Hi Lorraine, I thought I saw a post for the cauliflower recipe, but I could not see it this morning. Is it just me, or you took the post down? Thanks xx
Hi Livia! Sorry, I accidentally put it up yesterday but it was meant to be scheduled for this coming Monday
Waw, Lorraine! this was such a lovely & very unusual post! I loved reading it all! How cool with the dietician’s notes, on each meal you ate!
You did well too! I didn’t know that you were only 155 cm tall!
That’s too bad when you are going to rock concerts or maybe you sit onto the lovely MR.NQN shoulders?
I am so nosey that I adored this post, never realised the damage lemon does to teeth I am buying a pack of straws today.
I would love your cauliflower coleslaw recipe please?
The dietititian’s comments really help. I found myself wondering what she thought of the lemon water though-any thoughts?
Thankyou for the calislaw recipe this morning!!
I could NEVER do a post of what I eat in a week as the dietician would have a heart attack…you eat a lot less, and at home more often that I had thought you would…
Your’re really healthy! You have inspired me to make some of that cauliflower coleslaw. I really struggle with my diet as I work with horse so am always outside doing things, in Britain, which means its really cold now too. I tend to snack a lot, but rarely sit down and eat a proper meal :/ really unhealthy. Any tips on a healthy diet which is still fairly high energy much appreciated!
Hi Lorraine, have had such a busy few weeks and completely missed this post, I’m glad you referenced it in your coleslaw post. This is such a interesting read, I am always curious to know what other people eat. My parents have always told me to hav the water and lemon but of course who listens to their parents
I’m giving it a go starting today, who doesn’t want great skin. My mum makes the rice balls you like, it’s made on special occasions and are good luck and we all love eating them. It’s a recipe that I really must learn from my mum. I can never just have a few bites, I always have to finish what’s on my plate. I suspect this is from growing up and being told to always finish our food. We eat healthily during the week but tend to eat what we want on the weekend, our problem is we snack too much (unfortunately not on healthy food), after reading your post I am going to try to eat better and no snacks!!
Hi Stefanie! Oh your mum knows how to make them? Would she share the recipe? I love them SO much and I’d love to learn how to make them, especially the big ones with the mung beans in the centre. I’m drooling right now thinking about them!
Oh cool! And plmk what you think of the lemon water too and best of luck on the healthy eating too!
Hi Lorraine, she will be more than happy to share. I will speak to her and get back to you.
I loved reading this post, I always wondered how you kept your figure with all the eating out and recipe developing you do.
I love this post, it’s great to see the enormous variety in your diet but also how healthy and balanced it is, with no junk food whatsoever, and the results show clearly in your glowing skin and glossy hair (you can’t fake those things) as well as your zesty appetite for life.
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