Meal Plan/Prep

Meal planning - grocery shopping - meal prepping. These have been the most important parts of MY dietary success, so I want to share what I do to keep myself on the right track.

This process is something I did long before I started my journey to remission, as I had to meal plan before going shopping so I knew what I was making for my family that week, and so we wouldn't have an abundance of one thing and lack another. Even then, getting the perfect balance is tricky (and darn it when I forget ONE thing on that list!!!). But now that I am eating a separate diet from my family it is even MORE important that I plan ahead. I mentioned this in another blog, but it is so important to me that I wanted to discuss it again, and REALLY break it down.

Meal Planning

I start by sitting down to make a list. This is the easy part. I say do it while hungry, even! I categorize by meals, snacks, and drinks (really just coffee, tea [for my hubby], or almond/coconut milk in my house), and then any other special thing I may want to make that week. I also have a running list (I use Anylist) where I write stuff down as we run out of something. For meals, I like to give myself a couple options, so if I'm not feeling one meal that day, I'll choose the other. This list ONLY reflects meals for ME, and not the WHOLE list I make for my family AND myself. The grocery list does not include EVERY ingredient, because some of it I already have. Another thing is MOST of what I consume is organic/grass-fed/free-range. I don't like spending a ton of money on something super fancy if I don't have to, but I also don't want to put toxins in my body and put my money where it counts--especially during this sensitive time of healing for me. Refer to this blog for more on why.

My list looks something like this (I am adding the amount I use for your reference/curiosity. It's not actually included in MY list):

Breakfast

2 scrambled eggs (with 1 tbsp plain yogurt & 1/2 tbsp ghee) (7 days),

1-2 sweet potato pancakes (I follow this recipe) with 1 tbsp fruit spread (4 days)

OR

1 peeled apple with 2 tbsp almond butter (3 days)

AND

Bulletproof coffee (7 days) (coffee, scoop of collagen peptides, half a scoop of beef gelatin, 1 tsp L-glutamine, EITHER 1 heaping tbsp of coconut cream OR 1/2 tbsp ghee, 1 tbsp date paste [I keep some in the fridge at all times]--if I feel like having sugar that day, 1/4 tsp vanilla OR almond extract [for flavor--not necessary)

Lunch

2 cups bone broth with 2 eggs (4 days)

OR

1/2 cup shredded chicken (<<from the whole chicken the broth was made with) mixed with 1 serving avo dip -- made into a "chicken salad" and served on 1-2 pieces of cauli toast (3 days)

Dinner (*my family and I often share the same dinner, but sometimes I make a few changes to mine*)

1 ahi tuna steak (about 4 oz) with ghee/garlic "sauce" & 1 cup steamed broccoli with ghee and sea salt (1 day)

1 fillet of maple salmon (I used this recipe) & 1 cup chopped, sautéed zucchini in olive oil, s&p, and garlic powder (1 day)

1 sautéed chicken breast (about 4 oz) and 1 cup chopped zucchini (same skillet) with garlic, ghee & olive oil, s&p (2 days)

Hamburgers with grain-free bread (I used this recipe) (2 days)

*About once per week my family eats pizza or we go out to eat, in which case I have some broth and eggs OR make a good choice at a restaurant*

Snacks

1 batch of brownies

18 boiled eggs

Smoothies (keep frozen fruit/veg stocked in freezer)

Protein shakes (hemp protein OR fermented pea protein & almond milk)

Ginger tea, as needed (for upset stomach -- I keep this stocked in my freezer. I puree it and place in ice cube trays, so I can quickly boil some water, add the cube, strain it off, and drink)

Drinks - as needed

1 bag of coffee (I get this kind from Aldi!)

2 bottles of almond milk (I get this kind; it is seriously amazing)

2 of each - coconut milk & coconut cream (I get this kind from Sprouts. It isn't TOTALLY healthy because of guar gum, but right now I am too lazy/busy to make my own)

Grocery Shopping - The List

ALDI (<<only when they have organic/free-range/grass-fed; if not, I get what I need at Sprouts, but I always go here first to see)

Whole chicken x 1

Chicken breast x 2 packs

Ground beef x 1 pack

Ahi tuna x 1 pack

Salmon x 1 pack

Eggs x 3 dozen

Apples x 1 bag

Green onion x 1 bunch

Avocados x 3

Zucchini x 2 packs (aldi has packs), or 6-8 whole

Broccoli x 2 packs

SPROUTS

Sweet potatoes x 2

Parsley x 1 bunch

Celery x 1 bunch

Cauliflower x 1 head

Almond milk (MALK brand) x 2 bottles

Coconut aminos x 1 bottle

Meal Prep

All of this (NOT including my family's meal prep and a special batch of cookies I made for an old friend) took around 1 1/2 hours to complete. This helped to set me up for success for the the week so I didn't have to worry about all the hassle when the h-ANGRY-ness hit me.

• Steam sweet potatoes (pic below)

• Make sweet potato pancakes; freeze (pic below)

• Cut and blanch zucchini; freeze (pic below)

• Steam and puree cauliflower; freeze (pic below)

• Make chicken bone broth (classic recipe); save meat separately (pic below; recipe here)

• Make brownies (not shown; recipe here)

• Boil eggs (not shown)

• Grate and freeze ginger (not shown)

If I'm being honest, it's not my favorite part of the week, BUT it is a necessary one. I would love to hear if this helped you, what your meal planning/prepping looks like, or what you do differently!