You asked for it, so here it is! This is how Chris and I keep on track with healthy eating. Truly, the majority of eating clean is in the preparation and organization of your schedule. Every Sunday, I write out the meal plan for the week in my At-A-Glance calendar alongside my daily to-do’s. We typically eat only one meal out per week, which is usually reserved for Friday or Saturday. Since we spend every weekday evening at our fitness studio teaching classes, our dinners are usually prepared in advance or are in the crockpot waiting when we arrive home. Here is a recent week’s meal plan and corresponding grocery list:
Sunday:
Breakfast: Pumpkin Pancakes with Turkey Bacon and Fresh Fruit (extra turkey bacon cooked for the week ahead)
Lunch: Shakeology
Dinner: Grilled Chicken breasts, steamed broccoli, brown rice, and field green salad (extra chicken breasts grilled for the week ahead)
Monday:
Breakfast: Shakeology
Lunch: Field green salad with grilled chicken breast (pre-packed) with Greek yoghurt and an apple
Dinner: Chicken verde (crockpot)
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Shakeology
Lunch: Grilled chicken breast with veggies and hummus, sweet potato chips, and an apple (pre-packed)
Dinner: Minestrone with turkey meatballs (prepared on Sunday)
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Shakeology
Lunch: Field green salad (pre-packed) topped with hard-boiled egg (prepared on Sunday), pumpkin seeds, and cherry tomatoes
Dinner: Chicken and quinoa noodles (crockpot)
Thursday:
Breakfast: Shakeology
Lunch: Trader Joe’s frozen veggie burrito with cup of pear sauce and mixed nuts
Dinner: Minestrone with turkey meatballs (round 2)
Friday:
Breakfast: Shakeology
Lunch: Field green salad topped with turkey bacon, cashews, and broccoli florets (pre-packed)
Dinner: OUT (typically sushi)
Saturday:
Breakfast: 2 whole eggs cooked in olive oil, slice of gluten-free toast with honey, mixed greens
Lunch: Shakeology
Dinner: Created on the go!
**Grocery shop for the week ahead!**
So you’ll see from reading above, most of what we consume is not only thought out in advance, but also made in advance. Our Saturday evening meal is the only thing we decide on the spot! On Sundays, I set aside 2 hours to prepare food. This is my regular routine:
* Make pancakes for breakfast along with turkey bacon, making EXTRA turkey bacon for the week (typically, this means 1 entire package)
* Hard-boil half dozen eggs
* Grill chicken breasts for dinner, making EXTRA for the week (typically, this means 6 chicken breasts)
* Bake turkey meatballs (or cook ground turkey, depending on meals).
* Cook quinoa noodles, drain, and place in tupperware in fridge to be added to any crockpot dish or soup
* Pack salads for Monday through Wednesday
I look forward to the feeling of an organized refrigerator and a healthy plan for clean eating through the week. So often, folks aren’t able to stay on track with their eating because of their lack of organization! Don’t fall into the trap. Instead, create a plan (list your meals for the week), write down ingredients needed, shop for the ingredients, and then set aside 2 hours on Sunday to prep everything in advance.
Happy, healthy meal planning!