Poke holes in my diet please

[Broadsky]

Hi Everybody,

I have just designed this diet.  I am pretty sure it is **ahem** perfect but would love if someone could poke holes it.  Please let me know if you can think of anything that would improve it.  My only thinking so far is that there is lack of variety, but the only advantage variety offers is in more nutrients in theory which should be covered through the daily mulit vitamin that I take.

Here is the fish oil I take:

Here is the daily multi vitamin i take:

Base Meals:                                      

Meal 1:                                                             Meal 4 

4 oz chicken        110                      1 tsb peanut butter          100

6 oz Veggie         90                         1slice of bread   100

8 oz milk              80                         1 banana             121

2 oz blueberries 30                         8 oz milk              80

40g oatmeal       150                      2 oz chicken        55

2 oz Red Sauce   22                         1/2 Avocado       161

                                                                Total: 617

Meal 2:                                              

4 oz chicken        110                                      

6 oz Veggie         90                                         

8 oz milk              80                                         

2 oz grapes         30                                         

40g oatmeal       150                                      

1 oz Siracha Sauce            50                                                                                      

Meal 3:                                              

4 oz chicken        110                                      

6 oz Veggie         90                                         

8 oz milk              80                                         

2 oz strawberries              30                          

2 oz Alfredo Sauce           80                                         

Meal 1   482                                      

Meal 2   510                                      

Meal 3   390                                      

Total:    1382                                    

Total of 3 Base Meals and Meal 4:             1999                                     

Total of 3 Base Meals, Meal 4 and Dessert:            1999                                                   

Total Calories in a day:    1999

 This is everyday of the week, Thanks!

[A_Lurker]

Okay, 4 meals and 4 meals + dessert are the same.  Could be you meant 4 meals or 3 meals + dessert.

How many calories does your Fitbit estimate that you burn?  I'm assuming that you know that 2000 calories is a good intake for yourself.  There's nothing wrong with this way of eating.  Your covered with protein, vegtables, fruit, grains, healthy fats, etc.  I'm assuming that a good portion of the veggies are not starchy ones.  How long do you plan to eat this way?  My usual answer for people is not to try something you don't feel that you can do forever.  There's always the risk that the moment you go back to your regular way of eating that you'll gain weight back.

I do a fair amount of food prep myself.  This week I cooked up chicken that I took for lunch, made a couscous salad, and make a baked egg dish for breakfast.  To these I added fruit, fresh vegetables, and I keep some self-made 100 cal packs in my desk.  Dinner is a mix of things and then I make up the bulk of my calories with nuts, homemade protein popsicles, popcorn at times, hummus at times, a little bit of junk.  Your diet may be way more balanced than mine, but I feel how I'm eating now I can eat forever.

[Broadsky]

what is meant by the dessert calculation is that what would be the total calorie count of the 4 meals + the dessert calories.  I am not currently eating dessert so there is no additional calories added there.  I copied this from a google doc that i use but had to remove the formating and paste it as plain text for it to fit in the character limit of the post so the format isnt really clear.  On my google spread sheet I have a box for dessert and the total calories from eating the dessert would end up being added in that line if there were any right now.

I have been eating this way for a while now and its definately my staple diet.  I burn, depending on the day,  between 2500 and 3000 calories.  I am mainly interested if someone can think of a way to improve it. 

[erincody]

I'd consider some variety in your protien. Things like eggs, lean pork, and fish are good options because, like chicken, they are complete protiens. Eggs include good choletserol, and mixing up your diet will make it easier to maintain. Also, I would consider mixing up your fruits. Different colored fruits will generally offer different nutrients, and many multi-vitamins don't absorb into your body nearly as effectively as food nutrients. 

The potassium content of your multi is also really low, as well as a couple other necessary minerals. Consider which vegetables you are eating so you can include what is lacking. 

[emili]

I don't know what veg you are picking- but there isn't enough color in your diet. each color fruit or veg comes with different vitamins and minerals. Plus you should pick power fruit and veg- ones that have lycopene or calcium and more berries- cancer fighters. Here is my lunch as an example:

350-375 calories: tomato, pepper (any color but green), squash, mushroom, snap peas, cucumber, 1oz of reduced fat feta, 28grams of black bean hummus (instead of dressing), 15 grams of hard pretzels broken on top (instead of croutons) huge cup of coffee with almond milk and a noni biscotti (cause I love them). you can sub out 100 calories of berries for the cookie. Everything is raw and the cucumber is filler (nutritionally poor, but at 3 calories per oz- filler). My breakfast is three different fruit for 130 calories. Dinner is 200 calories of three different colored veg. Go for color.