While many of us might think that in order to be healthy, you need to eat less, one dietitian is out to prove that in fact you may need to consume more calories in order to stay lean.
Leanne Ward, 28, recently shared a day on her plate – and it includes much more than you might expect.
The Brisbane-based dietitian revealed she usually eats around six meals a day, alongside plenty of herbal tea and water.
Leanne also shared her secrets for healthy eating success – which include meal prepping on a Sunday and setting your environment up so that it fits the framework for a healthier lifestyle.
Brisbane-based dietitian, Leanne Ward (pictured), recently shared her day on a plate – which comprises six meals daily and plenty of herbal tea
Leanne (pictured) shared her secrets for healthy eating success – which include meal prepping on a Sunday and setting your environment up so that it fits the framework for a healthy lifestyle
‘I’m 6ft tall and train weights four times a week and two cardio days a week (netball, HIIT and/or fasted cardio,’ the 28-year-old posted (pictured: the contents of her fridge)
Writing on her Instagram page, Leanne explained exactly what she ‘eats to stay lean’.
‘I’m 6ft tall and train weights four times a week and two cardio days a week (netball, HIIT and/or fasted cardio,’ the 28-year-old posted.
‘I currently weigh 72 kilograms which is healthy for my height.’
For her first meal of the day, Leanne will enjoy high protein Greek yoghurt with ‘wholegrain flaky cereal and fresh berries’.
She’ll top this with a sprinkling of nuts and seeds and wash it down with a green tea.
For her second meal of the day, the clinical and sports dietitian said typically she’ll have a ‘boiled egg and a banana with a coffee’.
Lunch – or Leanne’s third meal of the day – is a high fibre wrap with tinned tuna, cheese, grated carrot, lettuce and tomato.
Again, she’ll enjoy black or herbal tea with this – without sugar.
In the afternoon, Leanne said she’ll have another portion of high protein Greek yoghurt with two tablespoons of homemade granola (comprising nuts, seeds and dried cranberries).
The evening meal normally consists of something like ‘teriyaki salmon with greens and 100 grams of brown rice with herbal tea’.
‘Meal six is homemade peanut butter protein balls,’ she added.
Leanne swears by meal prepping for success – she sets aside an hour or two on a Sunday afternoon in order to prepare several days worth of meals (pictured: her meal prep)
‘I don’t count calories or deprive myself,’ Leanne explained (pictured: a typical day on the dietitian’s plate)
Explaining why she eats as she does, Leanne said ‘I don’t count calories or deprive myself’.
‘If there’s a celebration at work then of course I’ll eat cake, but it’s an occasional food.
‘As are things like alcohol, takeaway, sweets and fried foods. If you make the basis of your diet wholefoods, then there’s always room for occasional treats, too.’
Leanne (pictured) said if you want a healthy lifestyle, you need to set up your enviroment to match – she recommends clearing out your cupboards and pre-preparing snacks
The 28-year-old also has a few healthy eating tips which she swears by if you want to set up your environment and lifestyle for success.
‘If your goal is a healthier lifestyle, set up your environment to match,’ she posted.
‘It’s hard to make healthier choices and do more physical activity if our environments aren’t supportive of this. My favourite tips include removing processed foods from the house, laying out exercise gear the night before, pre-cutting vegetable sticks or fresh fruit for healthy snacks on the run or a weekly meal prep.’
The dietitian frequently shows off her own meal prepping skills, for which she sets aside an hour or two on a Sunday afternoon to get ready.
‘My meals for the next three days are loaded with fibre, protein & healthy fats,’ Leanne accompanied one recent meal prepping post.
‘The three nutrients I find essential for keeping you full and achieving successful weight loss!’.
Leanne (pictured) regularly shares honest posts about her approach to diet and fitness – which has seen her put on weight but tone up
On that particular occasion, Leanne prepped overnight oats with chia seeds and fresh strawberries, packed a banana and boiled egg, made ready a colourful salad comprising grilled tofu, olives, cucumber, tomato and lettuce and a chia pod with a handful of roasted nuts.
She then ate brown rice, mixed frozen vegetables and grilled tofu and marinated quorn for dinner, before having kiwi fruit and strawberries for pudding.
Lastly, for optimum health, Leanne recommends you pack your meals full with colours and nutrients – as wholefoods fill you up far faster than processed options.
To read more from Leanne Ward, visit her website here.