GLOWING GURU MEAL PLANNING! WHY MEAL PLAN? Look at Meal Planning as an act of staying on top of your life. When you are organized in your fridge your week will flow much more smoothly. I want you to think of meal planning as more of just a planning tool in general which will encompass your exercise, your fun time and your work time as well as a means of getting proper nutrition in your body through meals that nourish you and suit your lifestyle needs. As you read through this, be sure to highlight key points that stand out to you. Nourishment and Satisfaction. The components that are key to meal planning are not only getting balanced nutrition, but getting satisfaction as well to minimize cravings or binges. It s just as important to balance textures, flavors, and have a variety of cooking methods in order to provide diversity in nutritional profiles and satisfaction. HOW TO MEAL PLAN Elements to Consider: Macronutrients: Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats Micronutrients: Vitamins and Minerals Flavor: Spicy, Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter Color: Green, Red Orange/yellow, white, Black, Blue, Purple, Brown (Variety in Color means Variety in Nutrients) Make sure you are really tasting the rainbow Texture: Crunchy, crispy, chewy, smooth, chunky, grainy, soft, creamy. Cooking Methods: Raw, Boiled, Roasted, Blanched, Braised, Grilled, Steamed, Poached, Pureed, Stirfry, Sauteed, Baked, Fermented, Pickled, Caramelized. Seasonal Example Dinner Plate: Raw Element (often a salad), Grain, Protein (bean or legume or organic meat), Vegetable, and a Green (could be sauteed or raw).
The key here is variety. Not every meal needs to be perfectly balanced in a texture, cooking method kind of way. Healthy fats and protein are what give you sustained energy throughout the day. Use these guidelines as a tool for your day and week to ensure you have variety in your diet. THE PLAN When meal planning, find a method that works best for you to write out what you are making that week. I like to just write on my chalkboard: Smoothies, amaranth porridge, Cannelini Bean Soup, Thai Collard Wraps for example. If you actually want to place it in a calender that s fine too. Especially if you have a family to cook for this might be the best method. Get them involved in the process. 1. Gather your Inspiration pick meals. Keep some of your staples and try a new one each week. 2. Write it out On a calender, on a piece of paper, whiteboard or chalkboard. Have a visual! If you have kids, get them involved. 3. Get the groceries! 4. ***KEY: Prep the food. Don t overbuy groceries that you aren t going to prepare. TIPS AND TRICKS Time. Most people have busy lifestyles and not enough time to make healthy delicious meals. The key is to focus on the quick and easy to always make sure you can be NOURISHED, then add in a well prepared meal when you actually have time. Don t be intimidated by feeling like you have to have gourmet, delicious food out every night. It s easy to keep things simple. Always having goods for a salad, lots of snacks and some quick and easy breakfasts. Understand your week how much time do you have? Where can you save time? What can you cancel to give yourself some more space. Setting your kitchen up for Success. Having an inspiring kitchen to work in is important. Have appropriate containers for storage, have a chalkboard or sticky note pad on the fridge where you can accessibly write down groceries and/or new meals to try. Make your kitchen inviting. Clean pantries, etc.
Stocking your freezer. It s always important to have your freezer stocked with portion sized premade meals. From Veggie enchiladas, to chili, to homemade soups, bars, and some healthy treats like cookies and cakes made with whole food ingredients. Pull out the day before to thaw and you re ready to go. Grab and go snacks. Fresh fruit. Fresh fruit. Fresh fruit. From apples to pears, to grapes or just berries. Always have fresh fruit on hand. I really believe in eating avocado 3-4 days per week. Having fresh made guacamole in the fridge is always a healthy, filling snack. Hard Boiled eggs are also great if you are not vegan. For vegans, a spirulina superfood ball is perfect. Check out the snacks section at end of handout for more inspiration. Gather Inspiration. Have a variety of your favourite cookbooks on hand. Flip through Magazines, go online and get some ideas for the week ahead. You don t have to make it complicated. Look over the Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Dinner list at the end of this handout to grab some ideas. Think about a dish you might like to make and then how you might like to repurpose that dish. For example a cannelini bean soup. Maybe make a cannelini bean salad as well, or a spread or dip with the cannelini beans. Pre-portioning and Chopping. Having things chopped and ready to be thrown together is important. You can cut all your vegetables and have some homemade dressings in the fridge, ready for a marinade of to top on salad. Get your Staples Down. Have some staple dishes that you love and can make really easy. From a simple kale salad to refried bean tacos or quesadillas on sprouted grain tortillas or a salad that you throw together with some homemade falafels that you have in the freezer. Rotate through some of your staple dishes and just mix up some of the sides or dressings from time to time. Making Bulk. Don t be afraid to make a little extra for either freezing or swapping with a friend. Especially if cooking solo, this can really help with variety.
Re-purposing. My favorite way to repurpose is to think vegetables. You can chop them in your salad, roast them as a side dish and left overs can be juiced. This can also be thought of as changing up your cooking method. Beets: Roast with olive oil and rosmary for a side dish for dinner. Use extras on salad the next day. Save some left over raw beets for a fresh juice. Collard Greens: Great in smoothies. Also, can be blanched and used for wraps with chopped carrots, shredded cabbage or brussel sprouts tossed in sesame oil and dipped in an asian tahini sauce, or chopped and sauteed in a little olive oil and sea salt as a warm side dish with fresh squeezed lemon juice and a pinch of goats cheese and toasted pine nuts. STARTING YOUR DAY: Morning Routine: If you wake up feeling groggy, or have negative thoughts happening, it s important to start your day setting the tone for your day. Jumping out of bed and rushing off to work sets your pace for the day to be rushed. Take a few minutes to breath. Even if just 3-5 deep breaths. Start with some positive thinking. Affirmations. Getting in a positive frame of mind is key to your day. Jumping up and down on the spot for one minute can also shake some of the negative thinking and release some endorphins. Self massage/stretch. I always spend a minimum of 5 minutes up to 45 minutes if time permits to self massage my neck and arms and do a few sun salutations up to a larger yoga practice if possible in the morning. Shifting your body to Drink a minimum of 8 oz (up to 1 L) of water with some fresh lemon. Warm water with lemon and fresh cut ginger slices is great to stimulate digestive juices, alkalize the body from the night s worth of detoxifacation and cleansing and rehydrate your body. Eat Breakfast, grab any snacks and check refrigerator to mark if you are out of anything.
BREAKFASTS: *Think Protein and Healthy Fats. Best time to get in Superfoods as well. Smoothies Bars Amaranth Porridge Oatmeal Chia Pudding Eggs Sliced Avocado/Tomato Grapefruit Berries and Yogurt with Hemp Seeds Sprouted Grain Toast with Almond Butter Superfoods: Ground Flax, Hemp Seeds, Chia Seeds, Maca, Raw Cacao, Spirulina (or other algae), Goji Berries SNACKS: When you think of your body as a fuel burning stove, you gotta keep putting logs on the fire! Having snacks throughout your day keeps you fueled and maintains blood sugar levels. 1 Hard Boiled Egg 5 Celery Sticks with almond butter or natural peanut butter and raisins 6 Rice Crackers, hummus and cucumber (or your fave vegetable: peppers or avocado or tomato are great options too!) 1 Sliced apple and almond butter or natural peanut butter 3/4 Cup Cottage Cheese and ½ Cup Pineapple, blueberries or fruit of choice. 1 Inch of Raw Bar Sliced Oranges with Coconut Flakes (one-two whole oranges) Handful of Almonds (about 8 almonds) with ½ Cup Blueberries ½ Cup Salsa with 2 Tbsp of Hemp Seeds and 1 Tbsp of Greek Yogurt with Organic Tortilla Chips Choose a Veggie: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Red, Yellow, or Orange Pepper, Snap Peas, Cucumber, etc. etc. Veggies with 1/3 Cup Tbsp Hummus Veggies with 1/3 Cup Tzaziki ½ Cup Raw Spinach Dip with Organic Corn Tortillas or Veggies 2-3 Vietnamese Veggie Rolls with sweet chili sauce
6 Pecan Stuffed Dates 2 Tbsp of Raw Chocolate Truffle LUNCH: Soup and Sandwich Wraps: Lettuce, Brown Rice, Thai Collards, corn tortilla wrap, nori wraps. Salads: Include beans, grains, pastas, cooked vegetables, nuts and seeds. Load with vegetables: beets, carrots, dulse (seaweeds) DINNER: Tacos with homemade salsa and guacamole Burritos homemade big batch kept in freezer or use Annie s Organics brand in Freezer Section. Burgers vegetarian, turkey or bison with yam fries, side salad, and pickles Indian Dish Curried chickpeas with veggies and coconut milk over a bed of basmati coconut rice Falafels with pita and Greek Salad Quesedillas Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Toasted Sprouted Grain Bread and raw veggies and dip Lasagna use Zuccini as noodles Pasta Dishes load with vegetables Casseroles with sides of steamed green beans, kale salad Stirfy with garlic and ginger, a little tamari and a bed of rice Soups with Bread Marinated Meats or Fish with steamed veggies and lemon juice and roasted vegetable and salad. Kebabs with roasted vegetables on Rice and side salad Quiche
SAMPLE DAY PLAN: AWAKE: 1 Liter of Water with fresh Lemon 1 Liter of Green Juice BREAKFAST: SMOOTHIE: GREEN/CHOCOLATE *Ensure minimum 2 Tbsp combination of superfoods, including spirulina, maca, chia, raw cacao, and a scoop of protein powder, cashews or peanut butter. MORNING SNACK: Apple and Almond Butter (2 Tbsp) LUNCH: Quinoa Salad (3 Cups) with ½ Avocado and handful of organic corn tortilla chips Piece of Fruit, Grapes, Berries, etc. Raw Bar (2 inch piece.) AFTERNOON SNACK: Thai Collard Wraps with Asian Tahini dressing DINNER (If still Hungry): 2 Cups of Homemade Soup or Vegan Chili with Side Salad EVENING YOGA AFTER YOGA: Electrolytic Elixir 1 Liter