To continue our theme of healthy, mindful eating per our Heathy Steps’ team of nutritionist, this post covers a day-in-the-life of Lindsay Pasdera.

8am: Breakfast– Greek yogurt with homemade chocolate coconut “granola”

I adapted this low-carb “granola” recipe  choosing to use almond slices and pecan pieces (without grinding in a food processor), add shredded unsweetened coconut and use almond extract instead of hazelnut extract. I make a big batch every few weeks and freeze it so it’s always fresh when I want some.

I really enjoy Oikos Triple Zero Greek yogurt. It has 15 grams of protein and is stevia sweetened, so it’s delicious but has no added sugar and no artificial sweeteners. I like most of the flavors, but my definite favorite with the “granola” is coconut crème.

11:30am: Lunch– Caesar salad with 4 ounces chicken breast, shaved parmesan, and homemade garlic-parmesan whole wheat croutons

I freeze a big batch of homemade croutons and reheat a few in my toaster oven whenever I want. It really dresses up any old salad into something special. It’s not especially nutritious, but I love Cardini’s Caesar dressing…try it with a squeeze of lemon. It’s as good as any restaurant Caesar in my opinion.

3pm: Afternoon Snack– String cheese and an apple

6pm: Dinner– Pescado A La Veracruzana (cod in a spicy tomato-onion sauce) topped with avocado, with a small flour tortilla and 1 clementine for dessert

I love this recipe! I bake any sustainable white fish in the oven. Meanwhile, I sprinkle chopped onions, garlic, sweet peppers and jalapeños with salt and sauté in a little olive oil. When the veggies are softened, I add fresh or canned diced tomatoes and dried Mexican Oregano (or you can absolutely use dried Italian Oregano if that’s what you have in your pantry) and sauté for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to integrate. When the fish is done baking, I finish the sauce by stirring in lots of chopped green olives and fresh cilantro. I place a 4-ounce portion of fish in the bottom of a bowl and scoop big spoonfuls of sauce over the top. This can be a complete meal on its own, but I sometimes pair it with a small tortilla.

9:30pm: Bedtime Snack– Triple Chocolate PowerCrunch protein bar

What can I say? I love chocolate (as was probably evident by my breakfast choice!). I often crave sweets in the evening, but I’ve found that if I plan a healthy sweet snack in advance, I don’t go off the deep end with cookies or cake, etc. I like the triple chocolate flavor of the PowerCrunch bars because that flavor has no artificial sweeteners (it’s stevia sweetened).  Also, I am one of those people who often get physically hungry before bedtime and absolutely can NOT sleep if I don’t eat something. Many people struggle with heartburn if they eat right before bed, so if this happens to you, avoid eating for at least 2 hours before you plan to lie down.

EXERCISE: In the morning I did 35 minutes on the elliptical; 25 minutes lower body and core strength training (I alternate lower body, upper body and a day of cardio only) and 10 solid minutes of stretching (the best part!).