Meal Planning
Tips and Tricks

This is such a commonly asked question!! You can meal plan in whatever way works for your family and preferences, but I've been asked so often that I thought I'd share my thought process here. Note: I don't use recipes because I don't enjoy following them, not because I think you shouldn't use them :)

Each week we plan meals based on our schedule with the kids and work - takeout is penciled in for busy nights to take the pressure off of getting dinner on the table. Faster meals are planned for nights where one of us is working a bit later, or we have kid activities. Meals that are more involved (more chopping, the food takes longer to cook, etc.) are planned for nights where we don't have much going on at all.

I rotate many of the same carbs, proteins, and veggies, and I think about flavor profiles rather than trying to make all of the components go together - for example, Asian, Mexican, Italian, Mediterranean, etc.

Carbs:
Pasta - I like Jovial brand, made of brown rice, but you use what your family likes!
White Rice - you can do microwaveable or IP or just on the stove
Sweet Potato - either cubed and roasted at 375-400 on parchment (spray with oil, sprinkle with salt, toss occasionally and watch they don't burn), or baked whole at 450 for about an hour or so depending on the size (poke with a fork)
White Potato - I buy the small baby potatoes and quarter to make oven fries, spray with oil, salt, roast at 400-425 on parchment so they don't stick

Proteins:
Ground beef - either for Asian flavor sautéed with coconut aminos and served with rice and veggies, or browned and then simmered in tomato sauce for Italian with pasta, or formed into burgers and grilled
Ground turkey - same as beef
Chicken breast - we grill this in a big batch to have on hand, I have an IG highlight for simple marinade of lemon juice, olive oil, etc.
Chicken thigh - grill with salt and garlic powder on top
Salmon - grilled, also an IG highlight!! Farm-raised tastes better than wild caught, to us, even though the nutrition might not be quite as rich - it's okay :)
Eggs - breakfast for dinner is such an easy way to make a balanced meal that's fast, I have a "Jammy Egg" highlight for soft-boiled instructions, but scrambled are great, too!
Sausages - we like chicken sausage or bratwurst, just notice fat content of these related to protein (usually 1.5 is the right amount of protein) and keep fat lower in the meal if it's a higher fat sausage. Sometimes the sausage is higher fat just because of the kind of protein and in that case you just want to be aware of it, but if there's cheese in the sausage (for example) you'll want to adjust other fat in your meal and not add much else.

Veggies:
We tend to stick to Brussels sprouts (I buy them already chopped and roast them, or shaved and sauté), green beans (IG highlight), zucchini, frozen broccoli (roast on parchment at 450 with salt and garlic powder), and salad greens. It's great to have variety, but it's also great to keep it simple :)

Fat:
For me, because I don't tolerate dairy, this comes from things like mayo, avocado, sometimes DF cheese, and cooking oils. It's fine to not add fat beyond the oil you cook your food with if you find the meal satisfying without any additional fat - otherwise, use MED for fat-based condiments.

Putting it all together:

Asian: rice, some sort of ground meat or chicken thigh, a veggie, coconut aminos, sometimes guac or avocado, maybe sriracha mixed with mayo

Pasta: chicken thigh and veggie with pesto as fat, sausage and tomato sauce and a veggie (sometimes with chickpea pasta to add more protein because sausage is lower in protein!), ground beef with tomato sauce and a veggie (usually zucchini or broccoli!)

A protein/veggie/carb (PVC) meal: these are super simple, not a mixed bowl - just something like grilled chicken, veggies, and a carb like white potato or sweet potato on the side, often with something to dip things in. Use MED for dips, and account for the carbs or fat in your overall meal portions.

Mexican: our takeout is usually this flavor, so I don't often cook it at home - but taco salads are great, and I love the "trick" of putting the protein/veggie/fat in a bowl and putting some of that into a tortilla or taco that's between 20-30g of carbs. Can also add rice, beans, corn, etc. as carb to a taco salad and not have a tortilla.

Mediterranean: this is a meal where we have to balance all of the different fats - not impossible, just something to be aware of! Olives, feta, tahini, etc... ground lamb is a great protein for these flavors, if that's your jam. I also love the combo of raisins and kalamata olives added to ground lamb for a sweet and salty flavor - oregano and thyme are delish with this, too. Can keep the carb simple and do rice, or have something like pita with!

Client Meal Ideas

I will continue to add to this as I receive new ideas - remember that you can sub any protein or veggie or whatever it is that you don't enjoy eating for something you like more! These are just ideas. 

BREAKFAST

Cold Brew Protein Smoothie
6oz cold brew, 2oz almond milk
Half a banana
Cup of frozen cauliflower rice
Tablespoon (or MED) of peanut butter
Chocolate protein powder (Active Stacks)
Two ice cubes
Blend/add water to desired consistency if needed

Cherry shake
2/3c frozen sweet cherries
1/2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
vanilla protein
1 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 ice cubes
Fill the rest with water to desired thickness
(Or half the amounts for a mini snack)

Oatmeal
1/2 c oats
Flax, chia, or nut butter
3/4 cup water
Let it sit overnight in the fridge and then add some water and cinnamon apples (cooked in a little butter) and warm in microwave 3 mins
Then add a scoop of vanilla protein and mix up with a splash of almond milk to cool
(alternatively, add the protein powder before microwaving if eating the same day, and can do with other fiberwater fruit)

Simple balanced plate breakfast ideas
Eggs + cooking fat/sprinkle of cheese
Banana
Raw bell Peppers (or cook into eggs)
or
Eggs
1/2 bagel with MED butter
Berries

SNACK

Pretzel crisps
2 hard boiled eggs
1.5 tsp chocolate chips
Apple slices

Deli turkey
Raw veggies
Dip
Crackers (choose low fat if including fat in the snack)

Nonfat Greek yogurt with peanut butter
1/2 apple
Crackers


LUNCH/DINNER/ANYTIME

Egg scramble
3 scrambled eggs with salt and pepper
Sautéed spinach in olive oil and minced garlic, salt and pepper
1/2 c cooked rice (sautée the dry rice in olive oil, garlic and onion before boiling it in the water - makes it really yummy)
Mayo with sriracha mixed in (like an aioli)
Sauerkraut

Mexican casserole
-2 bags of uncle bens brown rice, warmed or 3 c cooked rice and then mixed with a whole jar of salsa
-2 lbs ground beef cooked in minced garlic, then add Mexican dry seasoning (I like the one from Against All Grain) and let simmer in water with seasoning until throughly mixed and absorbed
-add lot of fresh spinach to the meat and let it wilt
-chop onion, bell peppers, zuchini and more kale or spinach and sauté in garlic and a tiny bit of olive oil
-spray a 9x13 pan and then layer with all the rice, then meat, then veggie mix and sprinkle with cheese (use MED, or 6 servings worth)
-bake in oven until cheese melts a little
-let cool and put in fridge and cut into 6 portions after it sits in the fridge
NOTE: this recipe can be adjusted to be Greek, Italian, etc by adjusting the seasoning mix and salsa and cheese type
GREEK: would recommend NO rice but add a can of diced tomatoes, plus artichoke hearts and feta with a Greek seasoning mix on the meat (would be good to find eggplant in addition to zucchini), add tzatziki sauce on top and have a pita warmed with a little hummus on the side

Salmon bowl
Jasmine rice
Salmon (sprayed with olive oil, salt, and pepper and baked)
Veggies of your choice
Avocado
(I add sriracha and coconut aminos but you could also do soy sauce)

Turkey meatballs
Ground turkey with eggs mixed in and simmered in tomato sauce
Add with your favorite pasta and olive oil
Spinach or Swiss chard for greens

Quesadilla
Tortilla folded up with sprinkle of cheese, 3 eggs, and spinach

Plant-Based Bowl
Garbanzo beans
Shredded lettuce  + cut cherry tomatoes + blanched broccoli (I do olive oil and dried oregano and salt and pepper)
Can add hard boiled eggs for extra protein + another carb source (try half serving to start)

Asian beef bowls
- onion & mushrooms sautéed in liquid aminos and garlic, salt, pepper
- ground beef - same seasoning plus coriander and cumin
- rice
- blanched broccoli

Pasta
Chickpea pasta
Raos sauce
Ground chicken
Roasted veggies

Protein and veggie rice bowl
Salmon or chicken
Roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted asparagus, and/or summer squash
Rice
Seasoning tip from client: "anytime I cook I use a lot of seasoning without salt added and then add sea salt. For me, adding more seasonings and hot sauce is the key for making healthy food delicious"

Sweet potato bowl
Ground chicken
Sweet potato
Roasted Broccoli

Lunch plate
Deli chicken
Celery
Rice cake with mashed avocado

Rotisserie chicken plate
Chicken
Sautéed zucchini
Oven fries

Links for easy-to-prep proteins:

Slow Cooker Balsamic Shredded Beef
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

Plant-Based Meal Ideas

For my plant-based eaters, or any client who is looking for a meat-free meal that is balanced. Note: You won't be aiming for 20-30 grams of protein in a plant-based meal, which is absolutely okay :)


Smoothies:

Plant based protein powder
1 cup hemp milk
Kale
1 cup frozen pineapple
2 T ground flax

1 cup coconut milk
Plant based protein powder
Swiss chard
Frozen berries/cherries 1 cup
Handful walnuts
1/8 cup granola topping

1 cup soy milk
2 handfuls spinach fresh
1 medium frozen banana
2 T peanut butter


Snacks:

Edamame (roasted) (protein source + carbs)
Pumpkin seeds (fat + additional protein)
Dried cranberries (carbs)

Celery with 3 T peanut butter (protein + fat) and 1/4 cup raisins (carbs)

Carrots, radishes, cucumbers (fiberwater) with 1/4 cup hummus (protein, carbs, and fat)


Meal ideas:

Quinoa  1/2 cup cooked (carb source + additional protein)
Brussels 1-2 cups oven roasted (fiberwater)
Lentils 1 cup cooked (protein source + additional carbs)
Pistachios quarter cup (fat + additional protein)


Two large portobello mushrooms (fiberwater)
Salad with hemp seeds and dressing (protein + fat)
Bok choy 1 cup grilled or stir fried (fiberwater + fat)
Baked sweet potato (cupped handful, carb source)


Spelt/farro 1/2 cup cooked (carb source)
Green beans 1-2 cups steamed (fiberwater)
Split peas 1 cup cooked (protein source)
Sunflower seeds 1/8 cup (thumb, additional protein + fat)


Sandwich:
Tempeh bacon 5oz (protein)
Whole grain bread 2 slices (carb)
Romaine lettuce 4 leaves (fiberwater)
Whole tomato sliced (fiberwater)
Mayo 1-2 T (fat)


Wild rice 1/2 cup cooked (carb)
Broccoli 1-2 cups steamed (fiberwater)
Black bean chili 1 cup cooked (protein source + carbs)
Pumpkin seeds 1/4 cup (additional protein + fat)