Nutrition is a key factor in contributing to how we feel, how we perform, how we sleep, how we look, and how our body internally functions. Fueling our body well has significant long term benefits and short term benefits. In the long term, your likelihood of chronic disease (hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome) greatly decreases when you fuel your body with nutrient-dense, fresh (aka not processed) foods. In the short term, you will notice significant positive changes in how your body feels and looks, your energy levels, and how you sleep -- all based on what you put into your body.
The short term and long term benefits explain why proper nutrition is SO vital to living well. Yet, so often we can overlook nutrition. We can fall prey to the social aspect of food and the taste of food, forgetting that food is PRIMARILY fuel. Yes, we should enjoy it. Food does bring us together. Cooking is an art, but we primarily eat to nourish our bodies. I know that statement is simplistic, but I believe it is overlooked as most of us (who are reading this blog) are blessed with a surplus of food. It is easy to fall into the mentality that we eat to enjoy ourselves and forget, rather, that we eat primarily to nourish our bodies, and secondarily to gather and enjoy. You can nourish your body, and nourish your soul at the same time -- they don't need to be independent. If you are seeking to co-exist nourishment and enjoyment, look no further!
A few things to note:
This meal plan is created for an individual who is exercising 30-60 minutes/day with a target goal of 1,700-1,800 calories/day. This plan is also dairy-free and low gluten.
Consume as much as you want of the following: water (at least half your body weight in ounces), fresh lemon/lime juice, spices/herbs, mustard, vinegar, green onion, chiles, hot sauce, pure flavor extract, cocoa powder (unsweetened — good in smoothies).
You can eat as many vegetables as you desire — there is no limit on those. Four servings is just a guide!
At the end of the day, listen to your body. You know what it needs better than anyone else!
Day 1
Breakfast: Smoothie
1 handful of spinach
2 tbsp of hemp seeds
1/4 avocado
1 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
1/4 cup of your favorite fruit (strawberries, pineapple, berries…)
2 scoops of unflavored Vital Protein’s Collagen Peptides (or your favorite protein powder).
Lunch: Open-Faced Panini + Carrots + Apple
1 slice of Ezekiel bread topped with 2 tsp. of vegan pesto (click here for recipe ) & 2/3 cup rotisserie chicken
10 baby carrots
1 small apple
Dinner: Lettuce wrapped turkey burgers + Caramelized Onions + Avocado, Sweet Potato Fries, & Broccolini
Butterhead lettuce (as much as you want)
6 oz turkey patty
Caramelized onion (as much as want — just use 1 tsp oil/butter per serving!)
1/8 avocado
1/2 cup sweet potato fries (use 1 tsp oil 1/2 cup serving).
Broccolini (as much as you want, at least 5 oz).
Post-workout snack: 1/2 cup lactose-free plain yogurt topped with 1 cup blueberries
Anytime Snack: 1 cup sliced cucumbers & 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal topped with 1/2 small banana
Day 2
Breakfast: Omelette + Turkey Bacon + Toast + Side of fruit
2 eggs
A handful of sautéd spinach
Add as much as you’d like of...tomato, onion, green onion, peppers
1/4 avocado or 1/4 cup dairy-free “cheese”
4 slices of nitrate and nitrite-free turkey bacon
1/4 cup of your favorite fruit
1 slice of Ezekiel bread with 1 tsp of nut butter
Lunch: Salad + Fruit
1+ cups of greens (Choose your favorite — baby romaine, spinach, kale, arugula, iceberg…etc)
2/3 cups of rotisserie chicken
1 tbsp of either unsalted pumpkin seeds or unsalted sunflower seeds
Optional: chopped onion
1 tbsp of your favorite dressing (Primal Kitchen has great options)
3/4 cup of chopped pineapple or 3/4 cup strawberries
Dinner: Chicken, Asparagus, Rice
Roughly 3/4 cup when sliced chicken breast
10 large spears of asparagus
1/2 cup cooked of seasoned brown rice
Post-Workout Snack: 1 large banana, 10 baby carrots, 1/4 cup hummus
Grocery List
P R O D U C E
Spinach
Greens of your choice
Avocado (1)
Favorite fruit (strawberries, pineapples, berries) (2)
Carrots
Butterhead lettuce
Yellow onion (1)
Broccolini
Organic apple (1)
Cucumbers
Bananas (2)
Asparagus
Optional: tomato, green onion, peppers
P A N T R Y
Hemp Seeds
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
Oatmeal
Nut butter *flavor of your choice
Unsalted sunflower or unsalted pumpkin seeds
Favorite dressing (Primal Kitchen has great clean options!)
Brown rice
M E A T
Rotisserie Chicken (1)
Turkey Patties
Turkey Bacon (nitrate & nitrite-free)
USDA Organic Chicken Breasts
R E F R I G E R A T E D / F R O Z E N
Unsweetened coconut or almond milk
Ezekiel bread
Lactose-free plain yogurt
Pasture-raised eggs
Hummus
Optional: Dairy-free cheese
O T H E R
Vegan Pesto (or the ingredients to make it: 2 cups fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic cloves, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, extra virgin olive oil)
Each of our bodies are unique. I create nutrient-dense meal plans based on an individual's goals, dietary needs, body type, and habits. If you are interested in customized meal plans, contact me here.
Curating a meal plan specific to a unique individual takes significant customization, research, and time.