Introduction:
This guide is an example of nutritional recipes that I provide to my clients. I am not a Registered Dietitian. This guide is based on personal nutrition research, awesome books and materials provided in the BeachBody program. I have over 10 years of experience in fitness and believe wholeheartedly that eating clean REAL food and daily movement is the secret to wellness. I am also a realist. I know that complicated meal plans are not realistic or sustainable. What I will provide here are suggestions. This guide will outline a 1 week meal plan. You can mix and match, add your own flair and modify where needed.
Tried and True Tips and Tricks:
1. Drink Water! Drinking water helps your entire body. It promotes weight loss, healthier skin, and a healthier gut. The national guidelines for water consumption are about 2.5-3 litres per day for women. To help you get your daily water, you can add lemon, lime, orange, cucumber, mint, berries or any combination.
2. Plan! This does not have to be complicated. It is as simple as picking your meals and making a shopping list. If you don’t have the ingredients it will be awfully hard to stick to the plan:) But in the same turn, it will be hard to stick to the plan if you have things that are not one the list. If you can grab cookies or chips for a snack, chances are you will.
3. Avoid Processed! If it is in a bag or a box etc. it is processed. As much as possible buy organically and locally. This helps reduce the extra toxins and reduce the number of free radicals in your body. When there are free radicals and other items in your body that your body doesn’t want, your immune system engages which increases inflammation in your body. Notice I said as much as possible. Nobody is perfect, just be mindful.
4. Read Labels! I love Siete Chips….especially the lime ones! They are processed but the ingredients list is short and quality. There is a great article about reading labels on the BeachBody blog. You can read it here.
5. Spice it up! – Just because you are trying to eat healthy, doesn’t mean you need to make things bland and boring. One thing I always try to have available in my kitchen is a versatile collection of spices. Having a number of different options makes it so even if you are cooking the same vegetables, proteins, carbs, etc., each time you cook, they are ever so slightly different.
By reading different recipes online you can also learn to make a number of different meal-based spices including taco seasoning, chili seasoning, and even bbq sauce that you can then have on hand to add to your meals. This is a list of spices I’ve collected that are used regularly in my meal prep:
- Spices: chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, paprika, ground cumin, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, pumpkin spice, thyme, curry powder.
- Trader Joes: They have an AWESOME seasoning section. I love the “Everything Bagel,” “Chili Lime,” and “Elote,” seasoning blends
5. Make foods you’ll like (but with a twist) – Think a little bit about your favorite meals (whether or not they are “healthy”). It could be pizza, BBQ chicken, pancakes, anything that makes you happy. Don’t try to force yourself to eat a plain salad every day for 7 days (you’ll go insane). My favorite thing to do is to search for” healthy” alternatives to my favorite meals by just searching “healthy pizza” or “no sugar added pancakes”. You have to skim a little, because not all “healthy” recipes are truly nutritious. However, overtime the more you do this, the more comfortable you will get with searching for, trying out, and modifying recipes.
6. Incorporate a superfood protein, dense nutrition shake into your diet: Incorporating all of the food groups into everyday can be difficult, which is why having an alternative can be very helpful! Beachbody offers both whey protein and vegan options in a variety of flavors. Some of the benefits of adding superfoods to you diet include:
- Between 16-17g of protein per serving including 9 essential amino acids to build strong bones and cartilage and support normal hormone production
- Vitamins, minerals, superfoods, and phytonutrients to help improve your body’s ability to adapt to stress (both physical and mental)
- Antioxidants to combat free radicals in the body
- Soluble fiber, pre-biotics, pro-biotics, and digestive enzymes for gut health and regularity
7. Be versatile – Eating the same exact thing for 3 nights in a row can feel boring and is a quick way to make you fall off your healthy eating plan. Try to make foods that you can enjoy in multiple different forms. My best example is taco meat. Every time I make taco meat, I use a pound of ground turkey and about an equal amount of veggies (peppers, mushrooms, onions). That “taco meat” is then used over the following days to make taco salad with a base of lettuce, soft shell tacos with whole grain wraps, and meat alone with a side of beans or veggies. That way one single prepped meal is endlessly exciting!
8. Key Supplements – Check out the supplements that I use daily to enhance wellness HERE!
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