What I eat in a day as a teacher

One of my goals this year is to go to the gym to lift heavier and get bigger. Doing that requires eating a lot, especially since I have such a fast metabolism, making putting weight on difficult.

This is no exaggeration: I’ve been eating way more than the average person for my entire life and never really put on much weight at all. In my first term at University, I even lost weight where most would gain! It was both a blessing and a curse: while it was great to stay slim, I did want to bulk up.

Fast forward to a time where I have the sense to meal plan and bulk cook, and putting on weight has become a little easier. I’ve now got into a good rhythm when eating is concerned. I don’t track calories, as I find this to be a little laborious, but know that I’m roughly fitting in what I need, despite living an ever-hectic life as an educator. However, for the purpose of this post, I’ve done the maths using the S-Health app on my phone.

Here’s what I eat in a day as a teacher.

Breakfast

This changes based on how much time I have in the morning. Here are a few of my variations:

OPTION 1: 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of brown toast (smeared with peanut butter) and a glass of orange juice. I have been judged for this combination, but it’s calorific and fills me up. 635kcal, 60g carbs, 31g fat, 28.4g protein.

OPTION 2: Porridge, granola, a banana and a glass of OJ. 569kcal, 117.2g carbs, 6.4g fat, 14.5g protein.

OPTION 3: Branflakes, weetabix, granola, a glass of OJ (of course). For the lazy mornings. 744kcal, 128.1g carbs, 11.6g fat, 27.3g protein.

If I’m eating on the weekend, I’ll probably scramble some eggs, chuck bacon into the air fryer, toast some bread and have a cup of coffee.

Lunch

3 main options for lunch. All of the below are served with the following: grapes, banana, apple and a yoghurt. These sides come to: 416kcal, 7.7g carbs, 1.9g fat and 27.8g of protein. So add those on if you’re counting your macros.

OPTION 1: Tuna pasta salad, with Mayo, 4 spring onions, half a red pepper, half a cup of peas and plenty of pepper. 400kcal, 35g carbs, 14.6g fat, 29.2g protein.

OPTION 2: Lettuce, cucumber, a whole tomato, chicken slices, cheese and salad cream. 399kcal, 21.5g carbs, 20g fat, 32.8g protein.

OPTION 3: An egg sandwich – what a classic. Brown bread, 2 eggs and 2 slices of ham with a lot of salad cream. 479kcal, 36.1g carbs, 24.8g fat and 24.8g protein.

Option 2 looking good enough to eat. I made this over on my Instagram!

Dinner

I cook far too many things that I love to list them all here. I’ll give just one example: spaghetti bolognese, using this recipe.

Sometimes I’ll eat more than one portion, but for argument’s sake, I will stick to what the website suggests. This comes to 754kcal, 71g carbs, 30g fat and 41g protein.

Snacks

Life wouldn’t be worth living without a plethora of food to snack on! In a typical day, I’ll munch on a protein bar, a portion of mixed fruit and nuts and a protein shake. This adds up to, roughly, 511kcal, 33.6g carbs, 16.3g fat and 51.9g protein.

Thoughts on food

It’s really important, if you’re aiming to set any kind of weight goals, that you don’t let calorie counting control you. As long as you feel on the right lines, and you’re getting a balanced, healthy diet, you’re probably eating the right kind of stuff. It might help if you track your food for a few days just to ensure that you’re getting enough in.

Also, don’t blame yourself if you don’t meet your goals every single day. We’re only human; not all of us can eat like The Rock does. Sometimes I’ll swap a protein bar for a Dairy Milk, or an apple for a packet of crisps. We all get cravings, and treating yourself every now and then is perfectly healthy.

With all that in mind, what does my typical day look like? Well, if I stick with option 1 throughout, get in all my snacks and don’t eat anything else, here’s what I’d be looking at (I’ve compared each figure to my rough daily goal):