Carrie Walder is the force behind Walder Wellness, a popular blog dedicated to sharing how easy it can be to make delicious and healthy meals. Originally from Canada, Carrie spent the last four years in NYC completing her master’s degree and clinical training. Now, the registered dietitian is back in Vancouver and shares her wellness-minded recipes daily, most of which are inspired by  the meals her Malaysian mother and Swiss father used to make. If you’re in the Vancouver area, Carrie has just started a private practice, and is taking clients for nutrition counseling. If not, we can still get some of her expert knowledge below, where she shares the healthy meals she eats daily.

Breakfast

What I eat: A yogurt bowl with plain Greek yogurt, banana, peanut butter, blackberry chia jam and toppings like hemp seeds, cacao nibs, cinnamon, and a touch of blackstrap molasses. I also make a giant mug of matcha almost every morning using Ippodo matcha – it’s the best! I rarely add anything to it, just whisk with hot (but not boiling) water.
The time I eat it: 10:15 A.M. (after my morning workout).
How I make it or where I get it: Made it at home. I’m not a huge fan of savory breakfasts, so I usually alternate between Greek yogurt bowls, oatmeal, peanut butter toast, or chia pudding to start my day!

Lunch

What I eat: Massaged lacinato kale salad with ½ a baked sweet potato, 1 hard-boiled egg, steamed baby beets, ¼ avocado, pomegranate, crumbled goat cheese, and olive oil.
The time I eat it: 1:30 P.M.
How I make it or where I get it: I made this lunch using items I batch-cooked over the weekend. I packed it in a glass container and brought it with me to my office. I love preparing batches of items that take longer to prepare so that I can throw together quick and balanced meals throughout the week. Some of my favorite things to prepare are quinoa or roasted sweet potatoes, baked salmon, and roasted seasonal veggies – you can make so many yummy meals using these ingredients!

Snack

What I eat:  Homemade trail mix with popcorn, pepitas, walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chips.
The time I eat it: 4 P.M.
How I make it or where I get it: I made it at home using ingredients that I purchased in bulk. I love making my own trail mix – you have so much more control over the ingredients and can play around with flavor combinations. So many store-bought trail mixes are loaded with salt, sugar, and preservatives! After making a large batch I just portion out a serving to take with me on-the-go.

Dinner

What I eat: Leftover brown pad thai rice noodles with a vegan pumpkin sage cashew cream. I reheated it and served it with sautéed kale and nutritional yeast on top for a cheesy flavor.
The time I eat it: 8 P.M. – a bit of a later dinner than usual, but I had an evening session with a private nutrition client.
How I make it or where I get it: I made it at home; it was the leftovers from a recent recipe development I did with one of my favorite brands!

Snack

What I ate: 1 medjool date and a cup of peppermint tea. 
The time I ate it: 10 P.M.
How I made it or where I got it: I’ve been purchasing my medjool dates at Costco – they’re so soft and some of the best I’ve tried!

Workout

Workout I did: 20-minute interval workout on the elliptical followed by weights in my apartment gym.
The time I did it: 9 A.M.

Overall thoughts about your day today and how you feel

I’ve been feeling extra energized and excited about life recently! After so many years in school, it’s been so great to finally focus on building my business. I feel so grateful for the opportunity to do what I love. Not only do I get to help people work on their health and wellness goals, but I get to create things every day – nutrition is both an art and a science, which appeals to both my creative and nerdy sides. 

What are other wellness activities or habits that make you feel like your best self?

While I don’t have the most consistent exercise routine, I always try to move my body every day. If I don’t have time or simply don’t feel like a workout, I at least try to get a walk in! I always feel so much better and more energized when I do. Another huge priority for me is sleep and stress management. No matter how healthy your diet or workout routine is, none of it matters if you’re sacrificing sleep or if you’re overly stressed and anxious. I try my best to put my phone away and read at the end of the night (although I admit this doesn’t always happen), and I aim for 7-8 hours of sleep!

Anything else you’d like to add

What I’ve outlined above is just a sample of what a day of eating looks like for me. Not every day looks like this, and some days I dine out and indulge just like everyone else. As a dietitian I know that there is no one way of eating that works for everyone, and I think trying to eat “perfectly” only causes more harm than good. While I love creating balanced, nutritious meals most of the time because it feels good, I also love having pizza, fries, and sweets every now and then – we’ve got to nourish our souls too!