If you’ve read any of the latest issues of People magazine, you may have noticed their weekly celebrity “What I Eat In A Day” feature.
While it’s always fun to get a glimpse into the real lives of our favorite celebrities, I think this particular column is not only misleading but also quite dangerous.
Many of the featured celebrities are listed as eating somewhere around 1200 calories per day, making it seem like this is what anyone who wants a body like theirs should also do.
In one feature where the celebrity actually did eat a higher amount of calories, the nutritionist recommended she scale her portions back—even though the celebrity in question leads a highly active lifestyle and is far from overweight!
By only showing one day in the life, with no disclaimers about how much these women are consuming on average in a week or month, I think the article unintentionally sends out a dangerous message, especially to impressionable kids and teenagers wishing to emulate their favorite celebs.
The featured women look healthy and vibrant, which most likely means they’re either eating more than they claim or are just not giving the full picture by mentioning occasional splurges on drinks, dinners out, or other indulgences to account for the extra calories keeping them properly fueled.
(While 1200 calories per day may be healthy for some individuals, the USDA lists a much higher number as the average caloric needs of a young and active woman not looking to lose weight.)
I wanted to publish today’s post as my answer to the “What I Eat In A Day” feature; to show an alternative to the Hollywood standard of eating. Not all healthy women are eating the way Hollywood would like you to believe, and no one should ever make you feel guilty for eating a less-than-“perfect” diet or indulging in dessert.
When I read the weekly features, I’m shocked at how clean these girls eat. Eating clean is great… but eating should also be fun. Unless you get enjoyment out of eating only steamed veggies and proteins every day (which is perfectly fine if you really do), you’re missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures.
(For more on this topic, see my post on Orthorexia – The New Eating Disorder.)
*Disclaimer: As always, be sure to listen to your own body or ask a doctor or nutritionist if you’re concerned about how many calories and other nutrients you should be eating.
Just like the magazine feature shouldn’t be used as a guide for how much to eat for your own ideal health, today’s post is also just showing what works for one person.
So many people write to me and ask for meal plans, and it scares me because bloggers on the internet—unless they are also certified nutritionists or health professionals—should not be writing meal plans for people they’ve never met. This is an alarming way that some bloggers seem to be making money, so please be careful and trust your health only to a professional.
**To clarify: The photos in this post were taken either before or after eating. They were styled for food photography purposes and do not show the actual portions eaten.
What I Eat In A Day
As a teenager, I loved sleeping until noon. Now I somehow wake up naturally around 4 am, and I immediately go looking for food!
There really isn’t a typical day for me in terms of variety; but the amount I eat stays pretty constant. Exercise includes running once or twice a week (sometimes more, sometimes less) and walking quite a bit since I live in a city.
I enjoy being outside and am not really a gym person.
Morning:
I’ll usually grab a small handful of raw nuts, seeds, or some coconut butter.
Today my hand found the bag of cashews. If I’m going running, I might make a cup of coffee and eat a bit more. Otherwise, I just sip water as I make real breakfast.
Breakfast:
Breakfast this morning was a giant bowl of peanut butter oat bran.
I cooked 1.5 servings of oat bran with unsweetened cashewmilk then stirred in some peanut butter and melted a piece of a 95% chocolate bar.
If you happen to run into me at 9 am, I’ve probably already eaten chocolate at least once.
Lunch:
Lunch is usually comprised of whatever leftovers I can find in the fridge.
Some mornings are so busy that I have to pull something from the freezer. I often will make huge batches of recipes so I can keep the freezer well-stocked at all times.
And by well-stocked, I mean things may or may not fall out when you open it…
Lunch today was rice, white beans, and homemade Coconut Curry.
Snack:
Snack was one of my favorite things – I call them “Extra Melty Gooey Brownies.”
They are so fantastically delicious… but I’ve never posted the recipe because they are so gooey that they often fall apart! Plus, I know not everyone is as big a fan of super gooey brownies as I am.
*Edit: By popular request, the recipe can now be found in my brownie recipe archives: Healthy Brownies And Baked Goods
If it’s a baking day and I’ve eaten a lot of samples, I’ll sometimes just sample my way through snacktime and never actually sit down for a real snack.
Dinner:
Giant Monster Salad:
- 1 Large Avocado
- Raw Almonds
- Frozen Raspberries
- Raw Pumpkin Seeds
- Homemade Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Trader Joes Organic Kale
Tahini and a baked sweet potato, cooked extra long until it is all sweet and caramelized.
How To Cook Sweet Potatoes – 3 secret tricks
Night Snack:
2 servings of Creamy Pistachio Ice Cream – One of my top 5 favorite recipes from my new cookbook.
Surprise! For once, it’s not chocolate!
(Photo credit: Probably my mom, back in like 2005… I found this picture buried in a folder on my computer.)
Daily Total: 2,958 calories
(15g total added sugar for the day, and it easily meets the RDA for protein, calcium, and other nutrients vegans are always being asked about. I don’t worry about protein but do take daily Vitamins D, B12, and an Omega 3 supplement.)
Edit due to popular request: Link To Full Nutrition Facts
Patricia Powers says
I don’t believe you average around 3000 calories a day. It’d be nice if you would be more honest with yourself and others now you have so many followers you should not be posting misinformation. You look like you have an anorexic BMI, and if you did not have an eating disorder why would you need to make your oats look like a bigger portion, how about just making more oats. I know you posted a special post to address the question but it didn’t convince me and I would be surprised if it convinced you. You are a very nice person but it is very obvious to a professional that you have issues with control, diet and exercise. You do look a lot healthier and fuller than in some earlier posts when you were running yourself to the ground and that is good to see. If you keep up eating like this every day I am sure you will fill out even more healthily in no time at all, so good luck with it all 🙂
Jason Sanford says
I’m on the media team for Chocolate Covered Katie, which means I work with her closely and can assure you that she very much does eat. A lot. Sometimes more than what is posted here. It is her job to research and know nutrition and post low calorie options to make the blog accessible to her audience, many of whom have requested these options. The low calorie options do not necessarily reflect what Katie makes for herself at home, as she has mentioned on the blog. You are entitled to your opinion, but please remember that different people have different metabolic needs based on genetics, age, activity level, and other factors, and please also remember that telling someone they look anorexic can be just as hurtful as telling them they are overweight.
Tiffany says
Jason, I’m so glad you mentioned this as I was going to say something similar. Anorexia shouldn’t be an adjective to describe how somebody looks. It’s a serious and scary eating disorder that affects so many people. Personally, I eat a smaller amount than Katie but I have a larger frame than her as well, because that’s just how much I need to eat. Genetics, metabolic needs and many other components affect how much somebody needs to eat. Just wanted to remind everybody to stay kind and considerate in the comment section 🙂!
Pt says
That’s unfair. She is extremely underweight. I do not think it’s unhealthy unless there are psychological issues. Me personally I believe any woman in her 20s at this weight has food related psych issues but that hardly means anorexia or dysmorphia but rather something in the ocd spectrum related to control. Which is a lot of women. She doesn’t have a magical metabolism. No one does. Maybe she runs it all off. Running can easily burn 1200 calories. But I know nutrition and either she’s intensely exercising or she eats a very low amount of daily calories. It’s biology. She is a beautiful girl and I don’t think she’s in danger but lying is going to get pushback from someone. Other people want to believe there are girls with magic metabolism let them. This site is nice but it’s geared more towards her Appearance than the food. That’s why there’s this post. It’s more of a Katie brand than a food brand. That’s what social media is.
CCK Media Team says
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say is unfair. We know Katie personally; what she has posted is an accurate description of her diet. Since you don’t know her personally, making assumptions about (and attempting to diagnose the mental state of) a stranger on the internet is never a good idea. Katie is also not “extremely underweight” (which isn’t relevant but I mention it to defend her appearance and to further stress the dangers of making assumptions about someone you do not know). I’m just not sure what you are trying to achieve with your comments here.
MilkShake says
And also, she dosen’t lie. Be kind!
Lyndsey Sutton says
What a horrible, bullying reply.
Jessica says
Patricia. How dare you? What awful things to say. Just when I thought your comment couldn’t get any more cruel, it did. Frankly, you should be embarrassed and consider enrolling in sensitivity training and classes on how to treat and speak to other human beings. As a child and adolescent psychologist with a specialty in eating disorders, this type of injurious rhetoric terrifies me. It is absolutely not her responsibility to convince you of anything. It is in fact not “very obvious” to a professional that she has “issues” with control, diet, and exercise. Not to this professional (me), or any professional who has not directly assessed her as a client. What is your authority to diagnose this individual to whom you’ve likely never even spoken? You have no right to judge her, call her a liar, or to offer unsolicited pseudo advice. Your poisonous and malicious comments, under a guise of support and helpfulness, should be kept to yourself. The next time you find yourself cruelly judging someone, perhaps opt for introspection. You’ll be better for it, I assure you.
Sarahaha says
Women are especially vulnerable to diet traps that convince them they should only eat 1200 calories a day. (And yes… I think many celebrity women are fibbing about how much they eat, because they’re expected to. Much like how male celebrities claim they go to the gym for 4-6 hours a day, which is absurd.) And in reality, most women are unaware that one of the reasons they are struggling with weight is that they aren’t eating enough. The human body holds on to energy (calories… food…) when it feels that it is necessary for survival. That weight becomes stubborn because your body thinks you need it due to famine… a famine you’re creating! If you eat a healthy amount regularly, your body will not so desperately cling to every joule you put in it. You have to convince your body you’re not in a food shortage and it doesn’t need to keep you alive off your energy stores.
Kathy Baxter says
Hi katie. Thank you for this realistic approach to improving health and dietary habits. I am 61 years old and last july, at my heaviest weight of 205 lbs I took a flight home to visit my father who is living with Alzheimer’s disease. I felt horrible…was bloated, had headaches, back pain, IBS and fibromyalgia. When I retuned home a week later I knew I had to take charge of my health and set out to make some much needed health changes. I quit all soda…I only drank diet soda but since there is nothing even remotely healthy about diet Dr. Pepper it had to go. In it’s place I drink purified water with natural fruit essence…or sometimes La Croix flaved bubbly water if I want that soda experience. I now eat gluten free (this has eradicated my IBS), dairy free ( I eat plant based dairy, flax milk, almond milk…always unsweetened, Miyokos vegan cashew butter (delish), Nut Tree, Chaoi, and Daya vegan cheese), I don’t eat any grains except oats and brown rice. I watch my salt intake, eat only plant based protiens, beans, chicken, turkey, seafood and eggs…. no pork or red meat. I use Erythitol, light maple syrup in moderation or stevia. I include plenty of healthy fats ( cocoanut oil, EVOO, avocado, cashews, walnuts), veggies make up alot of my meals and fresh fruit. I make up batches of power balls and chocolate avocado mousse and keep on hand for my sweet tooth as well as dark chocolate bars I get from the health food store. I started making my own salad dressings, guacamole, salsas, sauces and marinades. Eating this way I have been able to come off my blood pressure medicine, with an A1C of 4.8 I am no longer pre-diabetic, and have lost over 60 lbs and have gone from a size 16-18 to an 8-10…which for me at my age with an average build and at 5’3 looks svelte and healthy. I move around alot and walk outside when the weather permits. Just recently…6 weeks ago I gave up alcohol…which resulted in the loss of an additional 10 lbs. Since I have Hoshimotos disease, which is a form of hypothyroidism none of my success can be attributed to a high metabolism. My Doctor is astonished and says I am in better health than he is…and he is millennial! I now LOVE to create healthy recipes, enjoy shopping for groceries and do a good bit of meal prepping. I say all this to let anyone out there who is looking to improve their health and maybe lose some weight that it is not about what the scales say…because if you exercise alot and build muscle where there was fat then muscle weighs more than fat so you can easily be decieved into thinking that more exercise equals less pounds. I aimed for healthy and happy and I got it. I don’t have to cheat because there are so many healthy and delicious options out there so I never feel deprived. BTW..,eating healthy does not have to break the bank…I shop predominantly at Aldi for there great prices on fresh produce and for their terrific healthy food options. I thank you for your sensible approach to healthy eating and for your incredible devotion to us…your grateful readers. May God richly bless you! Kathy
Maria says
Kathy, impressive story! Keep up good work!
Ally says
Where did you generate the nutrition label linked at the bottom?
Liv12 says
Dear Humans:
I’m 12, Truning 13 on November 5th! I’m 5’4, and about 80 lbs. I run about 6 miles per week, and I’m very very athletic.(Surfing, running, skateboarding) Katie is a healthy young women, and I don’t know why everybody gives her a hard time about self image! Everybody is differnt, some a tall and wide, some short and thin, god made all of us, we are on this earth for a short time, make the most of it!
-Liv
Maggie says
You sound like a great young lady and you’re not only smarter but also a lot kinder than some of the people who have commented on here. They could lead a lot from you!—Maggie
Maggie says
LIV12 That was supposed to say “learn” a lot from you.
Liv13 says
How kind!!! Thank you Ms. Maggie.
Lizette madrid says
Thank you for all the healthy wonderful recipes. I was so happy to find them because I do follow a clean diet but love to indulge at times and I feel these wouldn’t make me feel so guilty. You seem like a beautiful person and soul ! Always remember if anyone tries to put you down its really how they feel about themselves or how miserable they are with their life. Kudos and much appreciation for your hard work..
Lauren says
If you are a professional (BREANNA AND PATRICIA) you shouldn’t make educated guesses of someone’s actual intake verses how her body metabolizes the food and all of the details of her daily life that are not posted. You should know that EACH person is chemically made up differently having different dietary needs, and if she has anything else going on, it is NOT the focal point of her work. Like Katie said, people will always search for things out of curiosity, always trying to dig dirt on people so they feel better about themselves or so they can give fuel to their own issues.
I have spent more than half of my 35 years alive struggling with an eating disorder (ED-NOS). I have had endless dietitians, been inpatient at treatment facilities and outpatient (over 5 times), and I am just now getting a healthy routine set. Each dietitian had THEIR OWN OPNION AND NOT EVERY ONE GAVE ADVICE THAT HELPED. Some dietitians used a generic height/weight chart (never helped) and made me eat way more than my body could process in a day, and they themselves were so thin and barely ate (this was inpatient so I saw them eat daily), it felt incredibly hypocritical. I’ve had great dietitians as well, helping me figure out the best balance for my body.
Bottom line is, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. Those who are seeking thinspirations and the sort will do so regardless of truths or not. You could be PERFECTLY HEALTHY and just have a thin frame, yet girls looking for thinspirations will see you as what they want you to be.
I admire Katie, and I’m sorry that people are going to judge her negatively just because of her body type. Please keep up the positively INSPIRATIONAL blogs, cookbooks, etc. Every recipe is just delicious and fantastic and your confidence and openness is super CONTAGIOUS!!!
You’re inspiring this 35 year old to follow through with my own dreams that food addiction has held me back from. Thank you for all the hard work you’ve done and positive messages you send. And the freaking amazing brownies 🤗🤤
marge201 says
Made the cake tonight and it’s excellent. It’ll probably be even better in the morning. My tweaks are (1) deleted the salt, (2) 1t vanilla, (3) added 1/2C sliced almonds, (4) added 1T DIY almond milk and 1T of the mash, and (5) added 1T + 2t of boiled and then chopped dates which I froze in a gummy bear mold. Maybe I’ll add another tablespoon of chopped dates next time. Seems sweet enough now. Very enjoyable. 53 minutes and toothpick comes out clean.
Kate says
Lmao. If you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner like she does, sure you’d have room for delicious desserts. You can eat all the delicious (healthy or otherwise) desserts you want!
Deb says
What is your age? I’m going to try your receipes.