Making food (especially healthy food) fun has been a top priority for vegan dietitian Rhyan Geiger for years. “I’ve always had the philosophy of trying to make nutrition fun because it can be really dry since it’s science,” she tells Women’s Health.
However, before going vegan and becoming a nutrition pro, Geiger admits her eating habits were less than health-focused. “Think of the worst diet that a person could eat and that’s what I was eating,” she says. “I ate fried chicken, fast food, soft drinks, packaged foods, desserts, all of it, every day.”
Then, after an a-ha moment during her junior year of college (where she studied nutrition), Rhyan overhauled her eating. “That year, everything just sort of clicked,” she says. Since then, Rhyan has completely phased animal foods out of her diet, found her healthiest self, and helped clients everywhere do the same.
“I really liked the aspect of not hurting animals,” she says. The fact that she already loved beans and lentils? A sweet, sweet bonus.
Five years later, the busy dietitian balances a corporate nine-to-five job and managing her own private practice, so keeping her eats simple and delicious is a must. Don’t worry, though, she has zero problem getting enough protein.
So what exactly does a vegan dietitian eat in a day to feel her best? Here’s the full breakdown.
Breakfast
Naturally, when you’re juggling multiple growing careers, mornings are hectic. On busy days, Rhyan goes for a quick smoothie. “I always opt for a green smoothie and use light-colored fruits like mangoes. I add kale, spinach, almond milk, maybe chia seeds, and maybe a protein powder.”
If she has a little more downtime, though, she digs a tofu scramble.“Tofu scramble is one of my go-to’s just because I love it; you can do so much with tofu. I put it on a tortilla or on avocado toast,” she says. Rhyan always adds a bunch of flavors to her scramble, including turmeric (for beautiful color and anti-inflammatory benefits), nutritional yeast (which offers cheesy flavor and a lot of B vitamins), and spices like paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
And when it comes to morning sips, caffeine isn’t a must for Geiger. “I drink coffee, but typically decaf,” she says. “I like a vanilla latte with almond milk.”
Mid-Morning Snack
Work can be super busy, so Rhyan keeps up her energy with bars. “I pick a bar that’s not high in sugar,” she says. “I personally like Orgain bars, because they have protein in them, taste really good, and don’t melt.”
Otherwise, she’ll grab some dried fruit (she loves Trader Joe’s dried mango).
Lunch
Geiger’s lunches can vary widely, depending on the day. “If I’m home for lunch, I’ll heat up leftovers from the previous night,” she says. “Otherwise, I’ll buy a salad from a cafe nearby. My favorite salad there has tofu, corn, black beans, some tortilla strips, avocado, mixed greens, and a balsamic-based dressing.” YUM.
Rhyan isn’t the only one grabbing vegan lunches on-the-go. Watch Jenna Dewan taste-test vegan fast food:
As for beverages, she typically sticks with good ol’ H2O. “I only drink water,” she says. “I rotate through different zero-calorie water flavorings to test them all out.”
Afternoon Snack
Sometime between lunch and dinner, Rhyan makes herself some DIY popcorn. “I have a reusable microwave popcorn popper and add nutritional yeast, herbs, salt, and a little bit of olive oil,” she says.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIbONS-pUNe/
A post shared by Rhyan, RDN Vegan Nutrition 🌱 (@phxvegandietitian)
When she’s on-the-go, she likes an apple with peanut butter and cinnamon or dates with peanut butter. “I always look for a peanut butter with just one ingredient: peanuts. My favorite is Crazy Richard’s.” (Rhyan stores the jar upside-down to keep the oils from separating.)
Dinner
To keep healthy evening meals interesting, Rhyan has been making a game out of recipe-hunting. “This year, I’ve been traveling with my taste buds,” she says. “I’ve been finding recipes that are popular in each of the 50 states and making them vegan.” Rhyan has lived in a few states herself (including Indiana and Arizona) and did some crowdsourcing online, so discovering new meals has been surprisingly easy.
One of her highlights: a dish called Brunswick Stew that has roots in Georgia. “It is basically just a bunch of stuff thrown together; whatever you have in your pantry. The base is usually some sort of shredded meat, so I used chickpeas and jackfruit. It was super good!”
When she’s not experimenting with different regional dishes, Rhyan loves a good veggie burger. Her favorite? Trader Joe’s Hi-Protein Veggie Burgers. She loves that it’s easy to whip up and contains fewer ingredients than the popular Impossible Burger or Beyond Burger patties.
Dessert
Dessert is Rhyan’s absolute favorite part of the day, so she doesn’t restrict herself. “I love chocolate chip cookies; they are probably my favorite food,” she says. Anything with chocolate goes, though.
“I always emphasize with my clients and patients that you can still have foods and desserts that you love,” she says. “That’s what makes eating fun. It’s just finding a healthy balance.”
A Vegan Dietitian’s Favorite Staples
Source: Read Full Article