Rebecca, national squads coordinator at Netball NZ
Rebecca is an active 25-year-old who who heads to the office at 8am where she makes her breakfast, and works at her desk all morning and afternoon, regularly snacking on fruit and nuts. Lunch, brought from home, is had either at her desk or in the lunch room. At 4.30pm she heads to Les Mills gym, to burn 400 calories in her daily workout involving the cross trainer followed by sit-ups, press ups and leg weights. At 6pm she heads home for a shower beforemaking dinner for herself.
8.15am Special K — 1 cup with banana and trim milk. Trim hot chocolate with chocolate fish
10:30am 1 nectarine
12:10pm Starving and hanging out for lunch — homemade tomato and lentil soup with fresh coriander. 1 peach
2:30pm Small slice of chocolate brownie from cafe downstairs. Feeling guilty after eating it but figured I will go to the gym.
6:45pm Pre dinner snack — 3 gherkins and 2 slices of edam cheese. Dinner is a chicken salad with chickpeas, tomato, feta, crispy noodles, snowpeas and Paul Newman classic dressing. I was really hungry and tired, felt really full after eating.
8:00pm 1 nectarine
Nadia Lim’s nutrition quick fix
Your diet tick most boxes — a good breakfast, regular meals, a variety of fruit and vegetables, lean protein, complex carbohydrates and a small treat. I think it’s important we treat ourselves every now and again without feeling guilty, such as a small slice of brownie in your case (note: small is emphasised). Remember, it’s how you eat overall that counts. In addition, with the amount of exercise you are doing (400 calories, about a small meal’s worth) you can afford to eat a few more higher energy foods such as the dried fruit and nuts. Lentil and tomato soup — what a great healthy and convenient lunch idea. Healthy soups like this can be made in bulk and frozen in individual portions ready to heat up in the microwave at work.