Happy New Year! I hope your 2026 has got off to a flying start. The promise of a new year prompts us to reflect on and reassess our dreams, objectives and priorities, doesn’t it? I’ve done just that and concluded that The Nutritional Reset requires its own reset. But as I have other priorities at the moment, I’ve decided to step away. So after nearly a decade of posts, this one brings this chapter to a close and is my fond farewell.
It has been a privilege sharing my recipes and tips on improving nutrition and health with you. And I offer special thanks to those of you who invited me into your lives to accomplish these goals together. I also want to thank readers who reached out to me to share their own stories and tips. I enjoyed hearing from each and every one of you! You’ll be the first to know should I resume sharing bits & bites on my blog.
In the meantime, I leave you with this menu. It is the answer to the question I get asked most often…“What do you typically eat in a day?” So here it is: My Perfect Day.
Download the recipes from My Perfect Day here. And read on to find out why its perfect for me and why making protein a priority at breakfast is a healthy choice.
Why is this menu perfect for me? Well…
- the meals take no time at all to make,
- they require minimal skill in the kitchen,
- each recipe makes enough for 2 servings, so I can essentially take the next day off,
- it has the perfect daily amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat and fiber for me, my build and activity level
- while many of us forget about fiber, this menu doesn’t, providing 31 grams – this is super important for the health of your gut microbiome (which is super important for the health of you – here’s an article if you’d like to learn more)
- it provides me with significant quantities of calcium and magnesium, important minerals for overall health and bone strength,
- it starts my day off with over 30 grams of protein (read on for why that’s important),
- I can finesse the flexibility factor (I explain this in the next section)
- it ends my day with a lighter dinner and includes foods that help promote relaxation and rest (did you know cherries, especially tart ones, and walnuts contain melatonin?) and, perhaps most important,
- these meals both taste good and make me feel great!
Finesse the flexibility factor
I suggest you use recipes as a framework. Rather than feeling rigidly constrained, work with what you have. If a tray bake calls for zucchini but you have red peppers you want to use up, then use them. In the case of My Perfect Day, here’s how I might change things up:
- Overnight Oats – the recipe calls for blueberries use any fruit you like in the oats (bananas, strawberries, blackberries, kiwis, cherries, apples, pears etc) in any mix you like (lots of colour equals lots of healthy antioxidants) – I love using frozen berries for this and mix blueberries and raspberries
- Chickpea Salad – use any canned fish (tuna, mackerel, sardines) just avoid eating tuna too frequently, especially if pregnant, due to mercury exposure (here are some guidelines)
- One Pan Italian Chicken & Veggies – you can do anything you like with this tray bake … use any spice blend you have a hankering for and any vegetables you want/want to get rid of (the more veg in the meal the merrier) and swap chicken out for fish, shrimp or pork for example (just adjust cooking times as needed) and sometimes I’ve used halloumi
- Quinoa – you can change this up to use brown rice, farro, pasta, potatoes or leave it out altogether (I will generally minimize starchy carbs at dinner if I’ve had a lighter activity day)
- Cherries & Greek Yogurt with Walnuts – on lighter activity days I will either have only a half portion of this or skip it altogether in favour of clementine and a walnut or two, but Greek yogurt is a great way to get extra protein in for recovery on workout days
Make protein a priority at breakfast
Eating 30 grams or more of protein at breakfast better stimulates muscle repair and maintenance. Overnight, muscle protein synthesis drops and you drift into a catabolic/breakdown state. Muscle protein synthesis is only “switched back on” when a meal provides roughly 2.5–3 g of the amino acid leucine which, for high-quality proteins, typically corresponds to about 25–35 g protein per meal.
High-protein breakfasts also increase fullness, reduce hunger, and lower the desire to nosh throughout the morning compared with low-protein breakfasts or skipping breakfast. In trials, eating a protein-rich breakfast has been associated with reduced evening snacking and lower daily calorie intake, supporting weight management without deliberate restriction.
So if you are prone to mid-morning crashes or late-night nibbling, make protein a priority at breakfast. When I eat My Perfect Day breakfast, I’m good to go for about four hours because it is high in both fiber and protein. My recipe calls for Twaróg-style cottage cheese, which I get from M-C Dairy. You could use regular cottage cheese but I find so many of them have stabilizers and other unsavoury additions like modified starch and color. The Twaróg-style cottage cheese from M-C Dairy is a little drier/crumblier, but if you use thawed frozen berries like I do, there is enough juice from the berries to ensure the finished dish is nice and creamy. My perfect day starts with this breakfast since, as it is largely made the night before, it’s ready to go right after my morning run.
Thank you for sharing your time with me over the years and I wish you health, joy and balance in 2026 and the years to come!