Critique this food nutritionally

In My Humble Opinion
1

ETA: I ask because if I’m eating almost the same thing every day, but there’s something wrong with what I’m eating nutritionally speaking, then I’m causing myself problems even if I “lose weight.”)

Breakfast: Apple or banana, plus twenty almonds (sweetened with cinnamon and sucralose)

Second breakfast: Apple or banana, plus twenty almonds as above

Lunch: Half cup of rice plus quarter cup of chicken in some Indian based sauce. (Varies between vindaloo, tikka masala, and others.) OR palak paneer, cup and a half (I think), no naan

Midafternoon snack: hummus and veggies, usually carrots, sometimes celery, broccoli or cauliflower

Dinner: Could be anything. Shrink the portion, add a small salad. (This makes it hard to evaluate the day nutritionally, I know.)

After dinner: either hummus and veggies, or another small salad.

Note: I do not use “diet” salad dressings, but I use only half a tablespoon or so of what I do eat. Ranges from various Vinegraites to Blue Cheese or Caesar–so hard to count calories here, but like I said, it’s just half a tablespoon or so. Also, I add some shreded parmesan usually.

So anyway, I’ve lost ten pounds, but my question is, am I harming myself, or does this appear healthy to you?

I’m trying to follow the rule I read somewhere: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. I add my own rule–avoid bread (but not like it’s poison), as I am sedentary and I am given to understand that bread is pretty bad if you don’t exercise.

2

What are you having for dinner? Looking at just your other meals, I’d say you need to eat more protein. It doesn’t have to be meat, but beans, quinoa, soy, etc.

Edit: Try tracking your food intake for a week at http://www.myfitnesspal.com or http://www.sparkpeople.com, etc, and see what your macronutrient split is (% fat, %protein, %carbohydrate) and run reports on your vitamin/mineral/salt intake to see if you see any big deficits in your diet.

3

I would maybe swap out a different fruit for breakfast #2 and add a veggie and fruit to lunch, but that’s just me. I like to have large, veggie & fruit-filled lunches. It prevents me from absent-mindedly eating when I’m making everyone’s dinner in the evening.

4

Punch your info into ChooseMyPlate.gov. It’s about time your tax dollars did something useful!

(It really is slick, and free! And easier to use that the old MyPyramid)

5

Just tacking on that I agree with this. I would add some cottage cheese or plain canned tuna to your ‘breakfasts.’

Aside: why are you sweetening your almonds? I like them all on their own.

6

Without knowing what’s for dinner, it’s hard to say, but you don’t list much in the way of protein, I didn’t see any dairy and you’ll want to make sure you get enough healthy fat in your daily diet. Fat is an essential nutrient that aids in the absorption of nutrients. Healthy fats are those rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. I like to add 2 teaspoons of flax seed oil to my yogurt each morning.

7

The real question is: How are you feeling?
That diet is very good, but everyone is different. If you feel fine, there are plenty of nutrients. Some people would “need” more meat, others would “need” more carbs. Most of that is just in the mind.

8

Rice is high glycemic, which is probably not the best for a diet. Try quinoa instead; it is tastier and more nutritious.

9

Agree with the comments about it seeming to be low in protein.

Is there a reason you’re eating 2 small breakfasts? Could one larger one with yoghurt, porridge, eggs, cottage cheese or other protein source be possible? It would likely keep you full for longer.

Seems pretty low in calcium, which is normally a concern for women, but men get osteoporosis too.

It also seems to be low in good fats - there are some in the almonds and a little in the hummus from tahini, but your Indian sauce is likely to be high fat from butter/ghee, rather than a vegetable oil.

I’m also not seeing a lot of fibre - there is some in the fruit and vegies/hummus, but little in the rice and salads. Consider the quinoa instead of rice, a dahl with lunch or add some beans/chickpeas/edamame/lentils to your salads.

Forgoing the processed salad dressings in favour of an oil/vinegar or oil/lemon juice mix will also reduce the amount of preservatives and other additives you’re eating and be just as tasty. I find a good balsamic vinegar is lovely just on its own.