Lena Biel, a registered dietitian, first learned about nutrition from her own family.

“My great-grandparents were farmers, so they grew almost everything they ate and made all their own preserved foods,” Beal, a cardiovascular dietitian at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Business Insider.

Her roots inspired her profession. “It was generational wisdom,” she says. “The foods that give us the most nutrients and the most joy are the most sustainable and practical.” In her own life, she prefers minimally processed, A plant-rich dietcontains chicken, Sometimes fish and eggs.

However, this does not mean there is no room for flexibility.

Once a week, Beal eats what she calls “joy food,” something she enjoys that is best consumed in moderation, such as sweets and alcohol. Beer, a Christian, associates the food of pleasure with the Sabbath, or day of rest.

Her version is eating fun foods on Sundays. 80/20 diethelped her stay on track by eating mostly heart-healthy foods while adding in the occasional treat. “That way you can intentionally enjoy them without feeling like you’re always negotiating with yourself,” she said.

Mr. Beer told us what he eats during the week to get enough protein, and what he enjoys on a typical Sunday.

She relies on plant-based protein sources

With a focus on cardiovascular health, Beal said she always focuses on: heart healthy foods To keep her energized throughout the day.

“It’s subconscious,” she said. “Those things are really important to me: making sure I’m getting hearty, fiber-rich, omega-3-rich foods that contain those macronutrients.”

On a typical day, her meals look like this:

• Breakfast rich in protein and fiber oatmeal, nuts and fruit
• Lunch, her biggest meal of the day, is usually A hearty salad, Grain bowl or soup. She focuses on plant-based protein sources such as legumes, dried beans, and chickpeas, but may also include chopped eggs or fish fillets.
• snacks such as mixed nutsgranola bars, or yogurt with fresh berries
• light, mostly plant-based dinners like steamed cabbage With brown rice and black-eyed peas

She focuses on protein, as she trains at least three to four days a week, including strength training, brisk walking, and yoga. She said her goal is to reach the recommended 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week for most people.

Her diet is helping her stay on track. “My eating pattern is relatively stable, so it supports strength, energy, and flexibility,” she said.

reduce red meat

Beer had no interest in intentionally following a strict vegan or vegetarian diet. Instead, her diet has naturally evolved over the past eight years to include: low in red meat.

“I’ve never really been a big red meat eater,” she said. “I didn’t enjoy it anymore. It was too heavy for me.” Doing it once a week was easier for her because she didn’t feel like she was making a lot of sacrifices.

Sometimes she also eats lean animal protein sources like chicken or turkey during the week. low in saturated fat.

Joy meals such as mimosas and French toast

As Sunday approaches, she doesn’t go all out on sugar and cocktails. She still aims to continue with her normal habits, such as eating a light dinner. Because it leads to better sleep.

“I don’t push the envelope too much,” she said. Treating yourself might be more similar to your weekday choices: French toast, mimosas, or fish in a rich cream sauce.

It was the easiest way to keep her life balanced. Beer, who taught you? weight management In past classes, we were told that words like “diet” and “cheat food” can cause many negative emotions in people.

“I shy away from that language,” she said. “I call them ‘fun foods,’ because if you intentionally leave room for them, they absolutely fit.”

she focuses on flexibility

Beer takes some supplements – vitamin D And iron is based on a doctor’s recommendation considering her age and medical history.

Otherwise, she gets all her nutrients from her diet. I find it easy to maintain that because I eat whole foods I like during the week, but I also have the flexibility to enjoy sweet treats and wine.

“Eating healthily is most effective when it leaves you with room to live,” Beer says. “When you wake up from a meal, you should feel good, whether it’s nostalgic or full. That’s what food is.”