When I started TWF it was VERY food focused. Why? Because food is fuel and the centerpiece for your health and well being. Food was also the major change I made in my life in terms of health and wellness. You can spend hours in the gym, but if you aren’t fueling your tank appropriately, you will never see any results. It is just like the old quote goes: “Let food be thy medicine. Let medicine be thy food.” When everything around me gets off track, healthy food choices ensure that I stay on the straight and narrow.
In today’s blog, I just wanted to give you some insight into the food choices I have on rotation throughout the week in hopes of inspiring you to keep it SIMPLE. REAL and DELICIOUS. Recently, we purchased our first Instant Pot and it has been a game changer. I would highly recommend investing in one. Especially if you work outside the home or are a parent, college student or someone who simply doesn’t love to spend hours in the kitchen.
When food shopping I follow a few rules of thumb:
Protein: If you are choosing meat, try to choose organic,wild-caught and free-range when possible.
Fruit and Vegetables: Choose organic when possible and do not be afraid to choose canned or frozen options. They are usually tons of organic options that are super affordable! I shop at Trader Joe’s and a lot of their non-organic items utilize simple ingredients. Since the Bay Area grocery stores can be extremely expensive it is my go-to store.
Read Your Labels: To me, the ingredient list is the single most important part of a food label. When buying packaged items, choose the least amount of ingredients possible and make sure you can actually read what is in your food. For example, Red #40 is not actually a food and has been linked to hyperactivity in children and is potentially carcinogenic.
Get to know your portions: Portion control is a major challenge for many of us. In America, we have a big problem with controlling portion sizes. Use this blog for a few more tips on portion control and with a little practice, you will be a pro!
So without further ado, here are my go-to breakfast, lunch and dinner choices!
Breakfast
Sourdough Toast with 1/2 Avocado and TJ’s bruschetta or Everything But The BagelSeasoning, topped with an egg
Oatmeal: with chia, flax, nut butter, berries and shaved coconut. Sometimes added protein of eg whites or vegan protein powder
Protein Pancakes: 2 eggs, 1 Banana, protein powder, flax seeds
Two eggs scrambled with spinach, tomato and onion in a sprouted wrap or with sprouted toast like Ezekiel or Dave’s Killer Bread with a side of berries
Smoothie: 1C spinach or baby kale, 1/2 C frozen berries, 1 C nut milk, 1 Tbsp flax and chia seeds mixed with 1 serving of protein powder
Egg Cups or Egg Bake: My favorite are the Mediterranean Egg Cups I created for the Models Do Eat cookbook, but I love them because you can make them ahead, add your favorite veggies and now I can even share them with my little guy. My rule of thumb is to use 7 eggs, bell pepper, spinach, onion and if I want meat I will use nitrate free turkey bacon or organic chicken sausage. If using bacon I will line each muffin tin and fill with veggies and top with egg mixture. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the middle is fluffy! You can use raw veggies, but I like to cook them down a bit before adding them to the egg. For Bake, add to an 11 x 9 prepared baking dish and add 1/4 C non-dairy milk.
Lunch
Mediterranean wrap: Hummus, Greek olive, red pepper, red onion, cucumber and roasted chicken drizzled with balsamic. Sometimes without chicken. BTW, I love making roasted chicken in the instant pot. It takes 20 minutes and its delicious.
Kitchen Sink Salad: Mixed greens, tomato, beans, pepitas, red or green onion, apple, feta cheese, olive oil and lemon or olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.
Mayo-free Avocado Chicken Salad: in a lettuce bun with a side of fruit
Lentil Bowl: I love the premade lentils from Trader Joes, but they are so easy to meal prep. I add them to a bowl and add greens, potato, carrots, broccoli and my new fav vegan ranch dressing!
Dinner:
Lean and Mean: Lately I have really been focused on more plant-based meals and thinking of meat more as a garnish than as the main event! I have noticed a difference in my digestion and bloating! So when building my dinner plate I focus on 1/2 of my plate being vegetables cooked or raw, 1/4 a complex carbohydrate like a potato (sweet, purple, white), quinoa or rice and 1/4 being roughly a 3 oz. portion of meat!
Shrimp or Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos: Marinate shrimp in lime juice, garlic and cilantro for at least 20 min. Sprouted whole wheat tortillas Tacos:Fat free refried beans, avocado, corn, slaw
Trader Joes Cauliflower or Sweet Potato Gnocchi with chicken sausage, greens and mushrooms
Buddha Bowls: Roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, brown rice, roasted chicken with a drizzle of sauce like vegan ranch.
Bruschetta Pasta: I love to use white flour alternative pastas. Jovial and Trader Joe’s Brown Rice & Quinoa pasta are my favorite options. I add two Sweet or Spicy Italian chicken sausage to a little coconut oil and then add a whole bag of spinach and cook it down. To that I add a container or TJ’s bruschetta which is simply a mix or tomato, onion, basil, garlic oil and vinegar to the pan and cook down. Add pasta and Mangia!