Below
is a snapshot of what my meals and snacking looks like when I am on the 24-Day
Challenge. You can find a list of suggested foods and those to stay away from
or eat in moderation in the 24-Day Challenge Manual pdf. or in your booklet
which accompanies the Challenge. All the info was overwhelming for me when I
first started eating clean. I found if I came up with a few go to meals and
snacks and kept these items on hand then I always had something healthy to eat.
This eliminated my binging on junk food when I was hungry as there is no longer
any in my house. I also found the healthier I eat the less my old food choices
taste good. (Goodbye Diet Coke!) I don’t eat red meat or pork and only have to
cook for my husband, myself and an occasional drop in college boy so meal
preparation is now quick and according to my grocery bill about $200 cheaper a
month! Since I eat like this 90% of the
time an occasional chocolate, BBQ or cornbread splurge is now considered a
treat instead of a cheat. J
Breakfast
· Hard boiled, poached or scrambled
eggs, whole grain toast with a tiny bit of butter or peanut butter and side of fruit
· Scrambled Eggs (1 egg plus 1 egg
white)
o Spinach, light sprinkle of feta,
goat or parmesan cheese
o Spinach, chopped artichoke hearts,
light sprinkle of feta, goat or parmesan cheese
o Pica de Gallo (I cook the pico first
to cook down some of the juice from the tomato)
I like any of these variations with
a side of fruit and a piece of whole grain toast or ½ of English muffin.
Sometimes I ditch the toast put the scramble in a whole grain tortilla
· Oatmeal- if you buy the packaged
kind make sure it’s not loaded with sugar. Best to go with the natural kind and
add your own toppings. I buy the Organic single serving packages at HEB (great
for on the road) and while the water is cooking I throw in whatever frozen or
fresh fruit I have on hand (blueberries, cherries, strawberries). By the time
the oatmeal is done the fruit is thawed and perfect. Add a sprinkle of pecans,
walnuts, sliced almonds or banana. For a little more flavor add a dash of
cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
· Whole grain toast with peanut butter
or almond butter plus sliced apples or bananas on top
· ½ whole grain English Muffin spread
with hummus, topped with sliced hard boiled egg & capers
· In a hurry a hard boiled egg and
banana will always do the job
Lunch
· Sliced Boar’s Head turkey (no
preservatives added) in whole grain pita bread with a little mustard, tomatoes
and lettuce. I also will sometimes sprinkle a tiny bit of tamari vinaigrette
(SASS brand is incredible) instead of or in addition to the mustard
· Sliced turkey with tamari vinaigrette
and sliced avocado, chopped tomato on a lettuce leaf (Bibb, butter lettuce or
iceberg works best) for a tasty lettuce roll
· Albacore tuna drained and mixed with
½ smashed avocado instead of mayo. You won’t believe how good this is! Add in
chopped scallions and celery. You can stuff this in a pita, put on whole grain
bread for a sandwich or add to a pile of lettuce with a little tomato and other
salad favorites.
· Salad – I figured out a few things
about salads and making them a meal I now look forward to instead of considered
the diet dread. The first is to use the right lettuce. Though it’s a bit more
expensive I figure if I’m going to actually consume it instead of throwing it
out a week later when it wilts then in the long run it’s worth it. I buy the
“living” lettuce whenever it’s available in either butter lettuce or red or
green oak leaf. It still has the root ball on it and you cannot find a fresher
taste. I also like organic baby spring mix. The other trick I learned is to
throw the lettuce in a big bowl as you are tearing up or cutting the
leaves. Add a little olive oil or SASS
Tamari dressing and sometimes a squeeze of lemon or lime; toss then add salt
and pepper along with any other spices and occasionally a teaspoon of Parmesan
and toss again. It’s important to be very reserved with the dressing. You just
want enough to coat the leaves, not saturate the salad. This way the spices and
Parmesan are distributed evenly and stick to the oiled leaves really giving it
a good but not overwhelming flavor. I then put it on a plate and add whatever I
have on hand. Some of my standards are:
Cherry
tomato’s (try the kind that are a variety of reds and yellow),
Hearts of palm
Artichoke hearts
Green or black olives
Radishes
Cucumber
Avocado
Walnuts, pecans or sliced almonds
(really nice if you toast them in the oven first)
Sliced chicken or salmon (I always
make extra when cooking these for dinner)
Hard-boiled egg
Shredded carrots
Chopped green apple
Dinner
· My standard no brainer is basic
grilled chicken breast or fish (tilapia or salmon are my favs)
I use coconut oil in the pan, which
gives it a wonderful flavor, a little salt/pepper, and maybe throw on some
rosemary, thyme or garlic. I cook both of these on a griddle pan with a lid and
when done let sit a few minutes for extra moistness (learned this on Chopped!)
· Salmon baked in the
oven or cooked on griddle pan with a splash of Liquid Amino (low sodium form of
Soy Sauce) and lime
· Sundays at our
house is crockpot anything goes day. This is where I get all the veggies still
in the fridge and throw them in the crock pot with some chicken broth, cumin,
chili powder, chicken breasts, onions, celery, green chili’s, and whatever
looks good in the pantry i.e., beans, corn, hominy. I let it cook on low all
day then shred the chicken and set out the soup with sides of cilantro,
jalapeno, avocado, lime, Pico de Gallo and a little crumbled Mexican cheese. When
I am not on the Challenge I will make up a batch of cornbread or serve with
tortilla chips. This is great for football watching weather and tastes even
better for lunch or dinner the next day.
· Some easy side dishes:
o
Spinach or greens cooked in a little chicken broth instead
of olive oil with sautéed onions
o
Sliced steamed carrots
o
Steamed green beans with sliced/slivered almonds & lemon
juice
o
Green beans sautéed in a little sesame oil
o
Sweet potatoes diced, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper
and lime juice. Bake in 325-oven turning after about 10 minutes; continue to
bake until tender and a little browned then toss with cilantro and serve
o
HEB Brand Couscous & Quinoa with Mixed Vegetables.
Steams in the microwave in 5 minutes
o
Broccoli and or cauliflower sautéed in coconut oil or olive
oil until just browned
o Cauliflower tossed
in olive oil and baked on a cookie sheet until almost tender; sprinkle a little
Parmesan and bake until lightly browned
Snacks
· Almonds – I never leave home without a snack
size bag of these in my purse
·
Advobar – Love the yogurt covered and keep one in my purse
for emergencies
·
Apple with peanut butter. I buy the organic kind and drizzle
it over sliced apples
·
Hard boiled eggs – I cook at lease 6 of these on Sunday so I
will have them during the week
·
Hummus – HEB has Grandmother Brand Hummus, which is highly
addicting. I slice some zucchini add a little salt/pepper and dip away. Better
than potato chops
·
Baby carrots
· Watermelon with
lime juice and cilantro
I am always
looking for new ideas to try. The key for me has been to keep it simple but
also add something new from time to time to keep things from becoming boring. I
find a lot of good ideas by searching Advocare boards on Pinterest and would
love to hear what has worked for you!
