Today’s post is a little different than the norm. After reading a comment from a reacher: Stephanie, I noticed that I haven’t talked about the Rabbit Food Pyramid since I started my blog in 2012! Since I often have new readers, I think now would be a great time to re-introduce the rabbit food pyramid and how it works!
How it started:
After being on Nutrisystem for a few months and not liking the groggy lethargic feeling that overly processed shelf stable foods gave me, I branched out on my own to continue my weight loss journey. After reading numerous health and fitness magazines and articles by registered dietitians and nutrition experts, I experimented with different styles of eating and found what works for me. I quickly realized that drastic diets and cutting out food groups following “no-carb” or “fat-free” fads were not for me. It left me hangry (hungry and angry) all the time, which led to uncontrollable binging and even worse, a severe eating disorder of restrictive eating, and eventually bulimia and a brief stint with anorexia. As you can tell, food rules were a terrible idea for someone like me who has OCD perfectionist qualities.
Determined to lose weight the proper way this time, I educated myself on how to portion meals properly with balance. That meant carbs, fat, produce, and protein to keep my body nurtured and healthy. This is when the Rabbit Food Pyramid was born. I gathered the proper recommended* serving sizes of each food/food group into a huge list and divided them into four categories.
Weight loss using the Rabbit Food Pyramid: 4 small meals per day!
Breakfast:
1 serving of fruit
1 serving of whole grain
1 serving of protein
1 serving of plant based fat
Lunch:
2 servings of vegetables
1 serving of whole grain
1 serving of protein
1 serving of plant based fat
Dinner:
2 servings of vegetables
1 serving of whole grain
1 serving of protein
1 serving of plant based fat
Snack Meal:
1 serving of fruit
1 serving of whole grain
1 serving of protein
1 serving of plant based fat
Free Extras:
Spices! Anything from cinnamon to chipotle or even zero calorie natural sweeteners like Stevia.
Now that you know the formula for each meal, all you have to do is pick your food for each category! I’ve provided ideas and sample servings for each category here.
If you aren’t sure what the proper measurement is for a certain food, refer to the Rabbit Food Pyramid page to double check!
LET’S START WITH AN EASY BREAKFAST:
Breakfast:
Produce/Fruit: 1/2 sliced banana
Whole Grain: 1 slice whole wheat bread
Protein: 1 cup (8oz) of soy milk
Plant Based Fat: 1 Tbsp unsalted peanut butter
Free Extras: Sprinkle of cinnamon
Easy peasy! No calories, points, carbs, or macros required! Just balance from each food group!
NOW LETS GET TRICKY WITH A BREAKFAST RECIPE:
Breakfast Recipe: French Toast
Produce/Fruit: 1 cup fresh raspberries
Whole Grain: 1 slice of whole wheat bread
Protein: 1/4 cup egg whites
Plant Based Fat: 2 Tbsp sliced almonds
Free Extras: 1/8 tsp cinnamon & 3 drops liquid stevia
Combine egg whites, cinnamon, and stevia in a bowl. Soak the slice of bread in the egg mixture until it is absorbed. Place the bread in a pan lightly coated in cooking spray over medium heat. Pour excess egg mixture on top of the bread. Flip and cook both sides until the egg is no longer runny. Transfer to a plate and top with fresh raspberries and sliced almonds.
Maintenance:
To maintain my weight, I learned that adding one additional snack meal or protein shake per day worked perfectly for me. Of course it took some trial and error to figure out what worked for me!
I hope that this breakdown of the Rabbit Food Pyramid helps you to better understand the way that I portion my meals and create recipes!
Health & Happiness xo
Catherine
Let me know if this was helpful or if you have any questions about the Rabbit Food Pyramid!
*What works for me, might not work for everyone. The suggested serving sized are based on my own personal experience. Everyone is built differently, so if you are taller or heavier than my starting weight, you may need another small meal in your diet to fit your nutrition needs. Please consult a doctor before making any changes to your diet. This is only a suggestion based on my personal experience.
Kath
September 25, 2013 at 3:10 pm (11 years ago)So simple…and without extravagance. Thanks!
Kath
September 25, 2013 at 3:11 pm (11 years ago)So easy…and without extravagance. Thanks!
Caitlin
September 25, 2013 at 4:00 pm (11 years ago)I love, love, LOVE the Rabbit Food Pyramid! I’ve been following it and reading your blog since May, and I’ve lost 55 pounds. 🙂 I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life, and I’ve still got more to lose, but your plan is the only plan that has ever worked for me. Thank you for sharing your story and continuing to share your knowledge and experiences!
Catherine
September 25, 2013 at 4:08 pm (11 years ago)WOW that’s incredible Caitlin! I’m so happy that the Pyramid has been working for you 🙂 Thank you so so much for sharing, you are so inspiring! xoxo
Stephanie
September 25, 2013 at 4:06 pm (11 years ago)Ahh I love this! 😀 I’m looking forward to continuing the Rabbit Food Pyramid lifestyle and being healthy like you! Oh and I made your Rustic Ricotta & Peach Pizza the other day – love it!!! Sooo yummmy.
Catherine
September 25, 2013 at 4:08 pm (11 years ago)Awww thank you so much for inspiring this post! I’m so glad you loved the Rustic Ricotta & Peach Pizza recipe! xo
Megan
September 25, 2013 at 8:52 pm (11 years ago)Thank you thank you for this!! Creating my meals as we speak. I can totally relate to the perfectionism that comes with losing weight. I’ve always thought of myself as not a perfectionist because I’m usually okay with things not being perfect but just realized this perfectionism coming out with only how I view myself. It’s absolutely draining and bounding. I do not want to live this way and to be free from counting, excluding, etc is refreshing!!
Thanks for sharing!!
Catherine
September 25, 2013 at 11:12 pm (11 years ago)Hi Megan! Thank you so much for commenting! I most definitely relate. I’m so happy you found my blog! xo
Megan Staggs
October 5, 2013 at 3:48 pm (11 years ago)week one on the pyramid and it was SO great! seriously… I could not believe how easy it was once I memorized what to eat each meal and filling I felt! I know this is something I can stick to long term
Catherine
October 9, 2013 at 4:14 pm (11 years ago)Awwww that’s incredible Megan! I’m so happy you are loving the Rabbit Food Pyramid so far! Keep me updated on your journey! xo
Jess
September 26, 2013 at 6:44 am (11 years ago)Thanks for this great intro! It was super helpful, and I am definitely trying to keep this in mind when I eat! Could you please do a day in the life of your eating habits? Like a complete day’s worth of meals following the Rabbit Food Pyramid? Breakfast is pretty easy for me to plan, but I sort of lose focus as the day goes on! I know you post examples of different meals, but I would love to see an entire day laid out! Thanks so much!
Erin
September 26, 2013 at 8:00 am (11 years ago)I love the simplicity and common sense of your food pyramid. So often people get caught up in the “counting” and this redirects that focus to simple, clean eating!
Marisa C
September 28, 2013 at 4:24 am (11 years ago)This information is fabulous. I would love to see this as a printable so we can all put it up on our refrigerators!
Cailee @ http://www.hellohealthyeating.com
September 28, 2013 at 6:44 am (11 years ago)Very nice! I love how you focus on balance rather than obsessing over calories or carbs! Great refresher!
Britany
October 21, 2013 at 9:00 pm (11 years ago)Hi! New to your site today. The beginning of your story is SO similar to mine! Growing up I felt like being overweight was a curse and I was so angry that it happened to me. I’m barely 5 feet tall and was around 180lbs in high school. My brother, on the hand, is over 6 feet tall, eats the equivalent of TWO full fast food meals for EVERY meal and has had a six pack of abs his entire life. It was just SO UNFAIR. However, I’ve finally realized that this isn’t something that’s happened TO me, it’s something that happened BECAUSE of me. Today I made the commitment to own my choice and start making the right ones.
I quite my job a few months ago to start my own business at home and even though I have so much more free time and get more sleep, I’m still mentally and physically exhausted ALL the time. It just doesn’t make any sense, but I get the feeling it’s all the junk I put into my body. I’m incredibly excited to get started with simple this method. Thank you for sharing everything on this site!!! You’ve given me someone to relate to and aspire to be!
Cathy
January 22, 2014 at 1:22 am (11 years ago)Hi Catherine.
Just checking again your Rabbit Food Pyramid because I’m trying to loose some pounds.
But I’m missing the fish in the pyramid. Why?
Greetings from Germany,
Cathy
Annabel
April 6, 2014 at 12:50 pm (11 years ago)I am so excited to try this method! Just done myself a little plan of meals and I am so looking forward to it! I struggle a bit with eating the right amounts of everything, so this was really useful to me, thank you so much 🙂