Mighty Winter Meal Plan

Today's theme is "meal" and I was struggling with what I was going to blog about. Thanks so much to my sister-in-law Kerianne who asked for a meal plan this morning and inspired this post!

I am following the Fit Girls Guide 28 Day Jumpstart for February. If you're following to the letter, the provide a meal plan, grocery list, exercise plan and more! (Comment if you want a copy). I've been diligent with the work outs but a little looser with the meal plans, but still making sure I follow the calorie count.

The best part about this meal plan is you can do SO much prep at the beginning of the week, you'll be good to just grab stuff and go.



Breakfast: Overnight Oats

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup steel cut oats
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds
• 2/3 cup milk of your choice (I use coconut)

Mix all of these in a mason jar or tupperware (BPA free!). Each morning, you can top with fruit of your choice - blueberries, strawberries, bananas - and a touch of cinnamon if you like. I cut up any fruit at the beginning of the week so I can just scoop it in and go.

Lunch: Veggie Bowls

The premise of these bowls are:

• 1/3-1/2 cup quinoa or brown rice
• 3 oz. of protein - chicken, beef, tofu, whatever you like, organic/certified humane is best
• 1 - 1.5 cups veggies of choice
• 2 squares of dark chocolate

At the beginning of the week, make a big batch of quinoa/rice and cook the chicken with salt and pepper. Roast your veggies of choice. I made a couple different versions by just easily changing the seasoning and veggies:

• Mediterranean: Add pesto and touch of balsamic vinegar to chicken. Veggies were roasted butternut squash, roasted zucchini, roasted eggplant and roasted peppers, sprinkled with garlic and onion powder and oregano.
• Mexican: Add salsa to the chicken. Veggies were roasted sweet potato, roasted peppers and sautéed onions with paprika and cayenne pepper. You can also add a side of beans. 
• Asian: Add soy sauce to the chicken. Veggies were roasted zucchini, edamame, sautéed green beans with a sesame dressing, and raw carrots and hummus.

Dinner: 400 Calories of Goodness

Dinner is where I've been mixing it up from the plan, but it's still been easy enough to make these in advance and heat them up the night of.

Sweet Potato Tacos (we ate these twice)

• Whole wheat tortillas
• Roasted sweet potato
• Refried beans (love this recipe from 100 Days of Real Food)
• Sautéed onions and peppers
• Avocado
• Tomatoes
• Cheddar cheese
• Greek yogurt or sour cream

When you're ready to make them, heat up all the veggies and top your tacos with whatever you'd like! 

Veggie Pizza (ate this twice, too)

Tonight I'll be trying out a homemade dough recipe, but you can buy store bought. Try to get the least processed whole wheat dough you can find. I top it with:

• Tomato sauce
• Dabs of pesto (optional, to taste)
• Roasted eggplant
• Roasted tomato
• Roasted garlic
• Roasted peppers
• Sautéed onions
• Mozzarella
• Parmesan

Depending on how many people you're feeding, this can last 1-2 meals. Since there are just two of us, we usually have leftovers. Also feel free to add any other veggies you like. This is a great way to 1. clean out the fridge and 2. sneak some veggies in to people.

Chopped Salad

This is also a great fridge clearer, because anything goes. Chop everything, mix, add dressing. We usually have lettuce, sprouts, hard boiled egg, broccoli, apples, carrots, cucumbers, avocado, and any left over quinoa. 

For more easy recipes you can prep ahead of time, check out my Hawaiian One Pot Wonder and Crock Pot Comfort Food. This phenomenal Honey Lime Tilapia from One Lovely Life can't be made in advanced, but is quick enough to make an easy weeknight dinner.

Make this next week and have a healthy and easy week!