We Eat! Weekly Meal Plan + Time Saving Tips!

My favorite blog posts to read are what everyone is eating...because lets face it, nutrition is everything. You could workout 5 X a day and eat McDonalds and I am guessing you won't get the results you want. So I thought I would share with you another post on what we are eating. Plus its the #1 question I get. What do you eat and how do you plan.  Nutrition is the hardest for me personally because I am a stress eater and I LOVE sweets.  Starting the week with a good plan is a great way to stay on track.  

I follow the 21 Day Fix meal plan pretty consistently. 

-->You can download the template to plan your own workouts and meals here.  

-->I also have a full list of previous meal plans I have used here. 

This week we are eating a lot of yogurt, apples, quinoa and lean protein sources.  I try to repeat some of the meals so they are easier to pack each night before work. The recipes can be found below. 

Breakfast: I vary between plain oats with cinnamon and berries and sometimes an extra veggie when I need it. On the weekend I eat a whole grain waffle with peanut butter and banana. YUM!

Snacks: Morning snacks are always Shakeology. This is my game changer. I switch the flavor every few days and it keeps me full until lunch. Snacks consist of yogurt (I am sort of obsessed with Trader Joes Coconut Cream Greek yogurt right now) and a few chia seeds. Its a great source of protein. I eat 2 carbs a day and on the days when I haven't had my allotment yet I add some organic granola. Its a great afternoon snack. 

Lunch: Lunch is usually a protein + green. This week I threw in a quinoa bowl. The concept is to bulk prep on the weekends. (Think of yourself as a healthy Chipotle). Make rice, quionoa, couscous, veggies, beans and lean protein. Then during the week you can make your own bowls, tacos and pretty much anything you can think of! (Recipe below). 

Dinner: Dinners vary based on the week but I pretty much always have a recipe from Skinnytaste. Its my favorite. 

RECIPES

- How to make Shakeology

- Crockpot Pork Tenderloin

- Stuffed Peppers

QUINOA SALAD

1 cup cooked quinoa12 ounces grilled or baked chicken (can use rotisserie as well) Assorted veggies ( Peppers, cucumber, carrots, broccoli,red onion, celery etc.)

Dressing2 T soy sauce2 T cider vinegar
1/2 t fresh chopped chili pepper or srisacha (I used srisacha)1 clove minced garlic1 t coconut or olive oil

Instructions

Mix together and enjoy! Top with feta cheese for some extra flavor!

TIME SAVERS

I purchase turkey meatballs, buffalo burgers and shrimp stir fry from Trader Joes. It definitely helps on those busy week nights! I make my zoodles from fresh zucchini with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. Just toss in a pan for about 5 minutes!

Enjoy! And let me know what you think!

Sunny Side Up!

I just wrapped a 5 day Breakfast Club Challenge (aka recipe exchange) and was so excited about some of the recipes I wanted to share! These are a fun twist to those morning eggs or cereal... 

p.s. If you enjoy these recipes and are interested a fitness / meal planning challenge let me know. Another group is starting Monday, May 25th!

First up, Overnight Oats!

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I love making this and especially in cute mason jars. Its sure to get your week of to a great start. The best part, you can make it the night before! Great for a busy schedule.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 – 1/2 cup milk [depending on how thick you like it]
1/3 cup plain yogurt1/2 banana1/2 tbsp chia seedsPinch saltPinch cinnamon

Stir everything together in a bowl. Place in fridge overnight. In the morning top with something crunchy and something with healthy fats – like nut butter or nuts.

#2 Green Monster Smoothies!

Smoothies are a great breakfast treat, but what really changed the way I made smoothies was an article on the "Green Monster" smoothie movement. What is this? A simple step to add spinach (or greens) to your smoothies. I swear you can't taste it. For every smoothie I make I use the following base.

- 1 banana (1/2 if you are on the 21 Day Fix!)

- 1 cup Almond milk (water if you are on the 21 Day Fix!)
- 1 cup of Frozen Spinach

You can add additional fruit, protein powder and even peanut or almond butter to this, but this base is sure to give you a great smoothie every time! 

#3 Frozen Yogurt Bark

This is the best breakfast ever. Frozen yogurt bark 

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Ingredients
2 c. plain greek yogurt
1/3 c. honey
1 tbsp vanilla extract (I used vanilla paste)
2 c. blueberries, washed and stray stems removed

Instructions:
In medium sized bowl, stir together the yogurt, honey and vanilla.
Gently stir in the blueberries and mix until all combined.
In a parchment lined 9x13 pan, pour in the yogurt mixture and spread out evenly making sure blueberries are evenly distributed.
Freeze overnight and cut into desired serving size

#4 Open Faced Banana Sandwiches

This is one of my new favorite recipes because its so easy! You can mix it up with different nut butters, add toppings, fruit etc. The possibilities are endless!

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#5 Breakfast Cupcakes

Last but not least we have breakfast cupcakes 

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Ingredients:
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cups applesauce, unsweetened
1 banana, mashed
1/4 cup honey
2 1/2 cups, Old Fashioned rolled oats 
1/8 cup chai seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk 
Optional toppings: blueberries, raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips, pomegranate seeds.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and honey together in a bowl.
Add in oats, chai seeds (if using), cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients.
Finally pour in milk and combine.
Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Divide mixture evenly into muffin tin cups. I used a 1/4 measuring cup, measure just a tad under 1/4 cup to make 12 servings.
Add the toppings...Bake 30 Minutes.