Without further adieu, here is Part 2 of Real Life Examples of Intuitive Eating! In case you missed Part 1, I shared how I make eating decisions as an intuitive eater, as well as examples of what I might eat throughout the day to nourish my body from a place of joy and satisfaction. In this post, you get to hear from my colleague, Libby Stenzel. Libby works as a dietitian serving clients with eating disorders and disordered eating. She practices virtually in Michigan. Please check out her practice! 

Part of the purpose of these blogs are to highlight how intuitive eating looks different for everyone! Libby and I both consider ourselves to be intuitive eaters who have recovered from eating disorders in the past. Eating in a way that honors our physical health and our relationships with food looks different for each of us. All right, let’s get into it! Here’s Libby:

I wake up pretty early and always start my day with one of my homemade energy bites (they taste like a fudgy brownie bite!). I’m not always hungry at this time, but I like to eat right away as this helps decrease cortisol levels and I also know from experience of maintaining my weight / energy levels that I need this morning snack to help meet my nutrition needs. Intuitive eating is more than just responding to hunger cues!

On most days of the week I don’t eat breakfast until after my morning workout, so this energy bite functions as my pre-workout snack. If I’m heading out for a run I’ll also have a good handful of some coconut chips and dried mulberries! 

Along with my early-morning snack, while I’m reading my Bible and journaling I’ll have a large mug of hot water. I prefer to not drink caffeine early in the morning as this raises cortisol levels, but I do enjoy the sensation of something warm at this time. That being said, I don’t see this as a hard and fast rule for myself and sometimes if I’m extra tired and craving some early-morning coffee I’ll go ahead and make myself a cup then!

After my workout, I’ll sit down for breakfast. In contrast to Alexis, who might tune into what sounds good in the morning, I personally prefer to reduce my decisions in the morning (food included!) and stick to a routine most of the time. 

I’ll typically have a higher-protein mix/match-style breakfast which consists of a maple blueberry turkey sausage patty, a strip of bacon, my Equip chocolate protein powder drink, and a bowl of fruit. I often reflect back (with some compassionate self-humor) on how bacon was one of the foods I feared the most during my eating disorder days! 

I’ll also add some melted coconut oil into my protein powder drink on the mornings I go running. I’ll also have half a banana on the side on these days. Again, using some nutrition knowledge here to increase my overall intake (and healthy fat + carb intake specifically!) when I’m expending more energy! 

I’m not always feeling that physically hungry for breakfast. I know I would be if I waited another 30 mins or so, but normally I go ahead and eat right after my post-workout shower since I have things to get to and I know I need the fuel anyway! I’ll also have my morning coffee at this point.

While most of my breakfasts are pretty routine, I do love a fun breakfast once in a while! I try to make something more fun like pancakes or waffles with chocolate chips or a fruit compote a couple times a month to switch it up and because I love to get creative in the kitchen. In the future / in a different season of life I’d love to do this more often!

As someone who is very Type A and structured, each week I’ll plan out one lunch main for the week and this will include a few different protein sources that I’ll have throughout the week to make sure I’m getting in nutritional variety (usually ground beef, chicken, salmon, and eggs).

For lunch, I’ll typically have a hearty salad with a couple different protein sources on it (such as ground beef and hard-boiled eggs), chicken salad with a couple of sides, or a pasta salad with meat or salmon and hard-boiled eggs.

I’m grateful that I often have the flexibility with my schedule to have lunch whenever I start to get hungry, which is usually around 3 hours or so after I’ve had breakfast. I know it’s time for lunch when I start to feel a gnawing sensation in my stomach, my energy is dipping, and my mind is going to food!

What I planned for lunch for the week is usually at least decently appealing, even if it’s not exactly what I might be “perfectly craving” at the moment. Sometimes eating intuitively is about prepping something in advance for the sake of convenience and reducing daily decisions!

I like to include a solid amount of protein in my lunches, which helps keep me full and energized for the afternoon. Oftentimes I’ll start to experience hunger cues a few hours later around 3 or 4pm. Similar to what I described before, for me this usually feels like a gnawing sensation in my stomach and decreased energy.

What I have for an afternoon snack usually depends on how hungry I am and how close it is to dinner. I’ll also have a heartier snack if I know I’ve done more movement that day or if I’ve been exerting myself with a busy day of work / client sessions!

A typical afternoon snack for me might be some combination of a beef stick, a slice of my homemade chocolate chip banana bread, and/or some carrots + celery sticks.

I try to time my afternoon snack so that I’m still nice and hungry for dinner. That being said, this isn’t always the case. My husband and I generally eat dinner at 6:15pm and sometimes that means I’m not “perfectly hungry” as I might like to be, but I’ll still eat a full dinner anyways since I know I need the nutrition and we have an evening to move on to without overly delaying dinner! 

Dinners are where I especially love to get creative in the kitchen! Usually I’ll plan 3 meals for the week, meaning I’ll cook 3 times and we’ll have leftovers 3 times. The other remaining dinner is something super quick and easy! 

I love exploring new recipes and also repeating our favorites. There is a lot of variety as far as what I might make for dinner goes, but some typical dinners might be a meat / veggie / potato dish with a tasty sauce, a veggie and meat-centric curry or pasta dish, a frittata with roasted potatoes, or a homemade soup or chili with sides. I’ll also have a side salad with veggies and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. 

When I’m deciding what to make for dinner that week, I’ll think about what sounds good, what is in season, how much time I have (or don’t have!) to cook that week, and what provides a good balance nutritionally! 

I always end my dinner with a sweet treat! Of course, this often looks like some chocolate :). My go-to chocolate bar is Trader Joe’s organic Belgian dark chocolate – I’ll have several squares of this (more than the “serving size”) to cap off my meal. 

I also enjoy baking fun desserts, whether that’s a new recipe or a routine favorite. Some of my favorite baked goods to make are my favorite brownie recipe, chocolate truffles, or a cobbler with whatever fruit is in season!

To wrap up my day of eats + drinks, I’ll have a cup of hot herbal tea. This provides some lingering satisfaction and flavor for the evening after I’ve finished eating. It is also a calming and enjoyable way to wind down for the evening! 

We hope you enjoyed getting a sneak peak of what our daily eats might look like, as well as the intuitive decisions behind them! Eating looks different for everyone (including for the two of us!)