Shifting lifestyles can be hard but I’m here to make it easy! This week I’m sharing with you guys 3 sample meal plans that will help you plan out the perfect day of food. Remember it’s not about starving yourself – it’s about feeding your body with nutritious foods that make you feel good from the inside out.
The below food diaries showcase a variety of healthy carbs, leafy greens and the proper amount of protein for my body type and athletic performance. I store all of my meal preps in the fridge and they usually last me up to 5 days.
Food Diary 1
Here’s a sample day of pretty much all my food. Sometime I’ll add in an extra protein shake like Beachbody Performance Chocolate Recover if I workout a little harder. Something things to consider when planning your meals:
1) Dairy – While I usually limit my dairy overall, some types are better for you than others. Look for raw unpasteurized products that aren’t stripped of minerals & nutrients. This can be hard to find; so, some other options include Greek yogurt and cottage cheese which will be easier for your body to digest since they have probiotics. Just remember to watch out for added sugars in Greek yogurt and cottage cheeses.
2) Leafy greens – I try to add leafy greens to at least two of my meals if not more, usually foods like kale, spinach, broccoli or broccoli sprouts. They’re packed with fiber, folic acid, vitamins & minerals and a host of phytochemicals, such as lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene.
3) Carbs – While carbohydrates have be pinned as the devil, it’s important to feed your body the right amount or it can go into starvation mode & hold on to fat even more. So unless you’re doing a Keto diet, make sure to plan the proper amount. I like to eat a heavier amount of carbs post-workout like with the protein pancakes & berries and fill the rest of the day with my carbs from veggies. Then, I have a popcorn party at night because it’s delicious & low cal.
Here’s the full breakdown of this food diary:
7:00am Pre-Workout: Beachbody Performance Pre-Workout + Kaged Muscle Pure BCAAs
9:00am Meal 1 (post workout): Protein Pancakes
11:00am Snack 1 (not shown): Raw almonds (about 29 almonds or 200 calories worth)
1:00pm Lunch: 4oz ground turkey seasoned with Everything Spicy Flavorgod, cherry tomatoes, 1/2 a yellow bell pepper, and steamed broccoli
3:00pm Supper: Sautéed kale in 1 tsp of olive oil, steamed cauliflower, 4oz turmeric ground bison & sautéed purple cabbage
6:00pm Dinner: Chicken salad jar: balsamic vinegar, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1/2 cup cucumbers, 4oz chicken + spinach & broccoli sprouts.
8:00pm Night Snack: 1 cup cottage cheese & 3 cups popped popcorn (shown un-popped)
Below is my recipe for the protein pancakes in case you want to make them:
Food Diary 2
Here’s another sample food diary of mine. As you can see, I’m totally hooked on the protein pancake recipe. Here are some highlights from these meals and foods you should consider adding to your meal prep routine:
1) Lion’s Mane (in my Four Sigmatic coffee) – Studies show this mushroom to be beneficial from improving cognitive function, decreasing anxiety & depression symptoms & increasing your ability to concentrate. I love having this coffee at work with a little bit of stevia. You can get this coffee from FourSigmatic.com and use my code MealPrepMaster for 10% off! (Info Source)
2) Fermented foods like sauerkraut (in my dinner) – The process of making these fermented foods creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids and various strains of probiotics. Foods like kimchi and sauerkraut are probiotic rich and linked to better digestion & overall health. (Info source)
3) Artichokes (the hearts used in my snack) – Artichokes are packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients such as quercetin, ruin, gallic acid and cynarin. The high antioxidants indicate a powerful ability to fight oxidative stress in the body & ward off the growth of cancel cells. (Info Source)
Here’s the full breakdown of food diary 2:
7:00am Pre-Workout (not shown): Beachbody Performance Pre-Workout + Kaged Muscle Pure BCAAs
9:00am Meal 1 (post workout): Protein Pancakes + Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee
11:00am Snack 1: Two hard boiled eggs, snap peas, artichokes and baby carrots
1:00pm Lunch: Turkey salad jar: balsamic vinegar, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup sautéed purple cabbage, micro kale, 1/2 a yellow bell pepper, 4oz ground turkey and spinach
3:00pm Snack 2: Almonds
6:00pm Dinner: Turmeric ground bison, purple cabbage, sauerkraut and kale
8:00pm Night Snack: 1 cup cottage cheese & 3 cups popped popcorn (shown un-popped)
Food Diary 3
Here’s the third food diary of mine. As you can see, I swapped out protein pancakes for overnight oats. Here are some highlights from this day:
1) Cauliflower Rice – While there’s nothing wrong with rice, Cauliflower rice can save you calories and carbs for other meals like oatmeal or sweet potato. 1 cup of cauliflower rice = 33 calories & 5.3g carbs 2.6 g fiber VS. 1 cup white rice = 206 calories & 45g carbs 0.6g fiber. Plus Cauliflower is packed with vitamin C, also has vitamin K, vitamin B6, folate, choline+ more. All you have to do is blend/pulse Cauliflower to make it! (Info Source)
2) Sacha Inchi Seeds (Snack 1) – 1/4 cup Sacha Inchi Seeds has 170 calories 13g fat | 5g Carbs , 5g Fiber | 8g protein. The seeds are packed with omega 3, 6 & 9, alpha tocopherol, vitamin E, and carotenoids (Vitamin A). The omegas and healthy Fats are perfect brain fuel & help to fight off inflammation which reduce the risk of depression, fatigue, & memory issues. (Info Source)
3) Micro Kale (from Whole Foods) – A recent study shows that microgreens may have up to 4-6 times the nutrients of the mature plants. I love any excuse to get on more greens and these mini plants go well with a variety of meals. (Info Source)
Here’s the full breakdown of food diary 3:
7:00am Pre-Workout (not shown): Beachbody Performance Pre-Workout + Kaged Muscle Pure BCAAs
9:00am Meal 1 (post workout): Overnight oats with strawberries
11:00am Snack 1: Sacha Inchi Seeds
1:00pm Lunch: 4oz ground turkey, cilantro, yellow bell peppers, orange bell peppers, cherry tomatoes & obe lime.
3:00pm Supper: 4oz chicken, steamed green beans, micro kale and sautéed purple cabbage
6:00pm Dinner: Turmeric ground bison, purple cabbage, cauliflower rice and steam broccoli
8:00pm Night Snack: 1 cup cottage cheese & 3 cups popped popcorn (shown un-popped)
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Great suggestions! I will definitely be using some of these. Thanks for sharing!