Written By: Tania Tarafdar | Updated : June 1, 2016 10:16 AM IST
As a registered dietitian and nutritionist, Akansha Jhalani is always preaching about healthy eating, importance of fresh produce, having a balanced meal and staying fit. She is also the founder and consultant at Beyond The Weighing Scale. Her life revolves around food. With constantly advising people on what they should be eating, people do get curious about what she eats on a typical day. Here she talks about what s on her plate on a normal day.
Every once in a while, I am asked if I eat a bowl of salad for all my meals, how do I balance between hectic work schedules and mindful eating, if I only eat organic and if I only stick to low fat. Here is an honest confession. I think about food all the time. I do give into cravings. I fail at eating healthy frequently, and I love chocolate and French fries! I firmly believe that eating healthy can be a lot of fun, and it s all about making judicious food choices for yourself.One cannot stay on a diet for a lifetime, and there is no one size fits all approach when we talk about eating healthy.
My day on my plate
I wake up early and try to eat clean and avoid packaged food. I cook with local produce, and I move now and then. Here is an insight into my routine on a typical day with recommendations that can help you adapt the clean eating philosophy.
Early morning: Thin buttermilk with black salt.
Tip- Buttermilk is a probiotic and can enhance your gut to aid in better digestion. You can also start your day with warm water and lemon.
Breakfast: I cannot do without my cup of tea every morning. I couple it with sprouts and a traditional Indian meal like upma, poha or dosa. Try preparing this vegetable upma.
Lunch: Slices of cucumber and tomato, two rotis, one bowl of vegetable, dal along with some vegetable raita. Here's a protein-rich lauki raita you can try.
Tip- Do couple your meal and dinner with some salad and curd. I do not like rice so I prefer rotis. Rice is not your enemy as long as you take care of the portions. You should ideally eat one medium sized bowl of rice. Eat a healthy serving of vegetable. Try including more greens on your plate.
Evening snack: Honestly, this is the time I get most cravings. I grab a fruit or indulge in some bhel or chat. Sometimes, I also drink cold coffee or kokum sherbet.
Tip: Whenever hunger strikes try and stick to healthy snacking options like roasted channa, sprout salad, jowar puff, roasted soy crackers, and smoothies. Also, add these ingredients to your smoothies.
Dinner: If I am eating dinner at home, I try sticking salad, two rotis, one bowl of vegetable and dal. Sometimes, I also go for stir fried vegetables with rice. When dining at a restaurant, I love ordering dishes like vegetable uttapam, a stir fry with rice, a thin crust pizza with lots of vegetable toppings, a soulful soup and vegetables tossed with spaghetti. Here are expert tips to eat healthy in a pub.
Dessert: I indulge in a dessert one a week, and I relish it. On other days, I satisfy my sweet tooth with dried figs, dates, home-made fruit custard or a tiny piece of chocolate.
Her fitness regime
I work-out for 45 minutes every morning and alternate between a walk and yoga. I aim at working out at least five times a week as there are days where I just don t feel like it, and it s ok to feel that. I try and walk around as much as I can and have a pedometer on my smartphone to track my daily activity. I consciously drink 3-4 litres of water and hydrate myself throughout the day. Also, drink a lot of coconut water, buttermilk, unsweetened smoothies, and lemonade.
Tip to stay on track
A sensible way to go about it is to create a combination of various items to balance it out. Make mindful choices when eating out like drinking a healthy smoothie along with a small portion of french fries, choosing starters that are not fried like steamed momos, paneer tikka, grilled chicken, and poached fish. Try and avoid oily gravies and fast food.
Image source: Getty Imges, Akansha Jhalani
