Meal Planning

Many people will ask me about what I eat (naturally because I am the fitness professional), so I wanted to share what I’m eating this week and strategies that I use so I am successful.

1. Make time in your schedule so that you make food in bulk for several days, so that healthy food is ready ahead of time and you avoid the drive-thru.
2. Use seasonings rather than heavy sauces on your food to add taste, this saves on the calories.
3. Modify your favorite recipes to make them healthier, such as substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream. Just look around the web and you can find ways to make healthier recipes from people more savvy in the kitchen than myself.
4. Utilize a crock pot so that you prep a meal in the morning, and you will have a fresh, home cooked meal ready when you get home at the end of the day.
5. Have snacks that are readily available, like nuts, veggies with a dip (plain greek yogurt with ranch or dill seasoning or humus), Lara Bars, Kind Bars, cottage cheese etc. (low carb snacks)
6. Drink lots of water, you may just be thirsty instead of hungry.
7. Don’t go the grocery store hungry, you’ll buy food that’s not good for you.
8. Keep poor food choices out of sight, instead keep good snacks where you can see them.
9. You have to treat eating right like a chore or a job, it takes planning and preparation.

Breakfast: (I make every morning)

• Breakfast Sandwich
  • 1 Ezekiel bread English muffin toasted
  • 1 slice of Low-Fat Swiss Cheese
  • 3-4 slices of lean deli ham
  • 1 whole egg
• Clementine
• Coffee
• Water

Snack: Veggies and Dip (makes several snacks)

• Dill Dip
  • Natural plain Greek yogurt
  • Packet of dill seasoning mixed into yogurt
• Cut veggies
  • Assorted bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sugar snap peas
• Water

Lunch: Mini Meat Loafs with Green Beans and Mashed Sweet Potatoes (makes several meals)

• Mini Meat Loafs
  • 2 lbs lean ground meat of your choice (sirloin, turkey breast, chicken)
  • 10oz frozen chopped spinach thawed
  • 1 onion finely chopped and sautéed
  • 1 8oz mushrooms finely chopped and sautéed
  • 10 baby carrots finely chopped
  • 4 whole eggs beaten
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • Combine all ingredients and mix by hand in a large bowl
  • Portion out into 2 muffin pans (18 total) and bake at 375 F for 30 min
• Mashed sweet potatoes
  • Peel and chop 5 sweet potatoes and boil in a pot until soft
  • Drain them and then mash in a bowl until you get the consistency you want
  • Add butter and cinnamon to taste
• Green Beans
  • Take a bag of frozen green beans and microwave it in a microwave safe dish according the instructions on the bag
• Water

Protein Shake: (post workout)

• 6-8oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein isolate

Dinner: Spanish Chicken on a bed of Quinoa (makes several meals)

• Spanish Chicken:
  • Spray the inside of a crockpot with coconut oil
  • Combine
    • 5 lbs cubed chicken breast
    • 1 lb Italian Chicken or Turkey Sausage
    • 1 red bell pepper chopped
    • 1 onion chopped
    • 1 small can of low sodium tomato paste
    • 2 small cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies
    • 1 10-14oz jar of artichoke hearts (drained)
    • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
    • 1 tsp oregano
    • 2 cloves of garlic minced
    • Sliced olives (optional)
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hrs
• Cook a whole box of quinoa in a rice cooker or according to the stovetop directions
• Water