Here's How Much a Philly Nutritionist Really Spends on Food in a Week

Welcome to Sweat Diaries, Be Well Philly’s look at the time, energy, and money people invest in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle in Philly. For each Sweat Diary, we ask one Philadelphian to spend a week tracking everything they eat, all the exercise they get, and the money they spend on both. Want to submit a Sweat Diary? Email ccunningham@phillymag.com with details.

Who I am: Zoe Fienman, 27

What I do: I’m a one-on-one virtual nutrition consultant for OnPoint Nutrition, with clients in the Philadelphia area and across the world. OnPoint Nutrition specializes in general nutrition, weight loss, diabetes management, sports nutrition, plant-based diets and more. We also do a ton of events throughout the city — you may have seen us at Be Well Philly Boot Camp, Fit Academy, and Athleta events.

What role health and fitness plays in my life: I was always interested in health and fitness in my personal life. It just made sense to choose a career I’m passionate about. It’s an amazing feeling helping others achieve their health and fitness goals through nutrition and lifestyle changes. After becoming a Registered Dietitian in 2014, I decided to take my fitness to the next level. I ran my first half marathon in March 2015 and I was hooked! I’ve run over ten half marathons since then and there’s no stopping me now. I’m about to start training for my first full marathon, which is terrifying but exciting.

Health memberships: I don’t really belong to a “gym” or “studio” currently. I’ll usually pop in to a work out class a few times a month using ClassPass. I also utilize Nike Training Club app and free weights in addition to running and biking outside.

Monday

Photograph courtesy Zoe Fienman.

6:30 a.m. — Rise and shine, time to get ready for work. Coffee with almond milk is a must first thing on a Monday morning.

7 a.m. — I go for a quick 15-minute walk before starting my day.

7:20 a.m. — Breakfast is one slice of Ezekiel toast, one egg with spinach, and tomato slices.

7:30 a.m. — Jump on the bus which drops me off half mile from work. (I love squeezing in walks whenever I can.)

8 a.m. — Arrive at work and start my client calls. I speak to my clients for 30 minutes twice a week via Facetime or phone call. My calls consist of one-on-one meetings that focus on the client’s specific goals which range from fueling their work outs properly, weight loss, and disease management.

11 a.m. — Walk to Sweetgreen with a coworker (It’s Monday and I didn’t have time to prepare lunch, so Sweetgreen it is — plus I get to fit in another 20-minute walk). I ordered the Guacamole greens salad: mix of romaine/kale, chicken, tomato, onion, cucumber, avocado, tortilla chips, lime squeeze, and lime cilantro dressing on the side. DELICIOUS ($10).

2 p.m. — I leave work and walk about 1.5 miles to Whole Foods for my weekly produce ($45).

3 p.m. — More coffee from a local coffee shop in Fairmount ($2.50). Then I have a two-hour break to prepare my dinner and meal prep for the next day. I quickly eat my tofu, mushroom, and quinoa creation before my evening calls start at 5 p.m.

8 p.m. — I finish with my client calls for the night, quickly put on my sneakers, and go for a three-mile run on Kelly Drive. I didn’t drink enough water today, so I bring my water bottle along.

8:30 p.m. — I grab an apple and peanut butter and walk over to my friend’s house to watch The Bachelorette to end the night. Drinking a glass of wine is a must!

10:30 p.m. — Lights out.

Daily total: $57.50

Tuesday

Photograph courtesy Zoe Fienman.

7 p.m. — Breakfast is one slice of toast with almond butter, handful of blueberries, and my morning coffee.

7:30 a.m. — Catch the bus then walk the remaining half mile to work.

8 a.m. — Ready to start my work day. Time to jump on my client calls.

10 a.m. — My mid-morning snack is handful of nuts. I know it’s boring, but it works.

12 p.m. — Lunch time. I have leftovers from dinner (tofu, mushrooms, quinoa). I was feeling super sluggish for some reason, so I treat myself to a Starbucks almond milk latte after lunch ($5.25).

2 p.m. — I grab a Gingerberry kombucha. I drink it for the probiotic benefit, plus it’s super tasty.

2:30 p.m. — Normal two-mile walk home. This usually takes me between 40 to 50 minutes. I usually turn up the tunes or call my mom to chit chat.

4:30 p.m. — Mid-afternoon snack/early dinner is Trader Joe’s Hi-Protein Veggie Burger (it has around 30 grams of protein!) over one cup of spinach.

6 p.m. — Time for a 5K race with Students Run Philly Style (SRPS) around Copper River Park.

8:30 p.m. — I meet up with two coworkers for dinner at Cantina Los Caballitos in East Passyunk. Chips, salsa, tacos, and two margaritas ($27). I needed the salt after that run!

Daily total: $32.25

Wednesday

Photograph courtesy Zoe Fienman.

8:30 a.m. — I’m able to work from home most of the day, which means I have more time to prepare breakfast. One egg on a whole English muffin with avocado, spinach, and salsa, with a side of berries. I work for a little at home before heading to the office for a meeting.

12:30 p.m. — Normal two-mile walk home. I make savory oatmeal for lunch with chives, turkey bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese. You seriously need to try it!

4:30 p.m. — I walk to Lumos Yoga & Barre, a beautiful new yoga studio in Fairmount and enjoy a hybrid yoga and pilates class. (I used ClassPass, which usually comes out to $12 a class).

Photograph courtesy Zoe Fienman.

6 p.m. — I need something to snack on, so I quickly cut up three mini cucumbers and pair them with hummus. Then it’s time for work, laundry, and catching up on cleaning.

8 p.m. — Finally dinner time! A friend came over and we cooked together. We prepared cauliflower pizza crust from Trader Joe’s and topped it with marinara sauce, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, and crab meat. Just one of my many strange cauliflower pizza crust creations.

9 p.m. — Banana, peanut butter and 1 tsp of cocoa nibs for dessert to satisfy my after-dinner sweet tooth.

10:30 p.m. — Lights out!

Daily total: $12

Thursday

Photograph courtesy Zoe Fienman.

7:30 a.m. — Breakfast is a rice cake with almond butter (and of course coffee), then I’m out the door to work.

9 a.m. — My mid-morning snack is quinoa. I know it’s strange, but hey I was hungry!

11:30 a.m. — Lunch is a salad I brought from home, made of spinach/butter lettuce mix with crab meat, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, and homemade dressing (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon, chives, salt, and pepper). I would be lost if I didn’t meal prep

Photograph courtesy Zoe Fienman.

2 p.m. — Time to head home. I stop at Whole Foods mid walk home to grab a quick bite to eat — watermelon salad, quinoa mix, and cucumber dill salad ($7.50). I pull out my laptop for 30 minutes, get some work done and head home. A change of scenery is necessary once in a while.

5 p.m. — Client calls.

8:30 p.m. — I fit in a quick run (around  two miles followed by 15 minutes of weight lifting). I make red lentil pasta with mushroom, peppers, and spinach paired with marinara sauce for dinner.

9 p.m. — Finish up with work, turn on Netflix and probably passed out five minutesinto the show.

Daily total: $7.50

Friday

Photograph courtesy Zoe Fienman.

7 a.m. — Jump out of bed, TGIF! I quickly grab a banana (I already have peanut butter at work) and hop on the bus.

8 a.m. — I catch up with my coworkers and start my clients calls for the morning.

10:30 a.m. — Mid-morning snack is two hard-boiled eggs and a handful of almonds.

11 a.m. — I treat myself to a Starbucks iced coffee because it’s Friday so why not ($3)? I might have a coffee problem.

12:30 p.m. — Lunch time, and I’m eating a quinoa salad I prepared at home with quinoa, tofu, black beans, tomato, cucumber, and green onion mixed with olive oil and lemon juice.

3 p.m. — Two-mile walk home. I grab my free weights and yoga mat and squeeze in a quick work out consisting of planks, pushups, bicep curls, crunches, low and high rows, squats, and lunges.

7 p.m. — Dinner time. I cook salmon, string beans, and roasted sweet potatoes. Easy and delicious.

Photograph courtesy Zoe Fienman.

7:30 p.m. — Meet up with some friends and enjoy one, maybe two glasses of wine on their porch.

10:30 p.m. — Early bed time because I need to be awake for my 9 a.m. workout class.

Daily total: $3

Weekly Totals

Money spent: $112.25

Walks: 10

Runs: 3

Workout classes: 1

At-home workouts: 1

Cups of coffee: 6

Meals with quinoa: 5

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