In our busy, fast-paced lives it can sometimes be difficult to get the spread of meals and foods over the day just right. To make it easy, we spoke with leading Nutritionist Cassandra Barns about how you should eat like a nutritionist, from breakfast to dinner – and everything in between.

Eat like a nutritionist – in the morning

Oats are an effective mood booster because they slowly release energy into the bloodstream, which keeps blood sugar and mood stable (as opposed to providing a ‘sugar high’ that will quickly crash, leaving you feeling more irritable). Nutritionist Cassandra Barns recommends starting the day with a big bowl of porridge: “porridge oats provide slow-releasing carbohydrates to help replenish your muscle glycogen (the energy stored in your muscles) and are a good source of magnesium, which may support relaxation. Stir in chopped nuts, raspberries or sliced strawberries, and cinnamon.” Now there’s a breakfast to get out of bed for!”

Eat like a nutritionist – mid-morning 

If you need a mid-morning pick me up, try Kombucha; a fermented drink made from green tea, cane sugar and a live culture called a ‘SCOBY’ (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). Cassandra comments: ‘Kombucha is good for our gut because it contains natural friendly bacteria. It’s like a natural probiotic in drink form – but better, because it can provide a much wider range of bacteria than a typical probiotic supplement or yoghurt drink, and also contains vitamins and enzymes that are produced by the bacteria during fermentation.’

Eat like a nutritionist – for lunch 

Today, there are so many convenience foods on the market that are often full of unhealthy ingredients. Luckily there are quick, easy and most importantly healthier options available! CCD’s favourite high street lunch option has to be itsu– in particular, No Meat Monday which manages to keep us all feeling full and energised for the whole afternoon.

Eat like a nutritionist – for an afternoon snack 

Sea vegetables have gone from near obscurity to a popular health trend in a matter of months as seaweed snacks are popping up on the high street. And rightly so!

Eat like a nutritionist – for dinner

For a healthy, balanced dinner make sure to include a lean protein, a veggie, and a healthy starch. It’s also important to avoid eating 2–3 hours before bedtime to give your body time to digest and reset.