Honestly, I eat a lot of starches — pasta, potatoes, rice, crackers — but I opt for whole-grain and organic whenever possible. I love salads but am picky when it comes to cooked veggies. Doesn’t help that I am allergic to the one vegetable I love the most — broccoli. I can eat it in small amounts but only occasionally. Also, onions. I can eat them in small amounts used for seasoning — tiny pieces stir-fried or sauteed, for example — but slices of onion, raw or cooked, trigger an allergic reaction.

I am an odd eater in that I don’t like a lot of variety at a meal. My father was the same so I blame him ;) For example, I will eat mashed potatoes and a salad or rice and a cooked vegetable or a baked potato with cheese on top. Rarely, will you find more than 2 items on my plate. And, I get in moods when I will eat the same thing for days and then not touch it for months! I like variety but over a period of time, not at a meal. The exception, of course, is some restaurant meals, but even with those, I often eat two items and take the others home.

For me, breakfast is one item and coffee or tea. Oatmeal or a muffin or a pancake or a banana or a danish. In the spring, I like a bowl of fresh berries — strawberries, blueberries and blackberries and maybe, a few slices of banana. That is a complex breakfast for me!

I don’t care for lunch, especially when I’m working. My lunch is typically a few crackers or mini-pretzels, a veggie-based protein drink or a piece of fruit. Again, one item!

So, I am not the best person to give diet advice. Very few people would enjoy eating the way I do!