When planning meals, think about balancing the macronutrients: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Choose something from each of these categories to include on your plate.
| PROTEIN | FAT | CARBOHYDRATE |
| Pasture Raised Chicken | Olive Oil | Organic Vegetables |
| Grass Fed Beef | Coconut Oil | Organic Legumes |
| Grass Fed Bison | Butter | Organic Whole Wheat |
| Wild Caught Fish | Ghee | Organic Jasmine/White Rice |
| Pasture Raised Pork | Tallow | Organic Fruits |
| Pasture Raised Lamb | Lard | Organic Oatmeal |
| Pasture Raised Turkey | Avocado Oil | Organic Quinoa |
| Organic Seeds & Nuts | Raw Milk | Raw Milk |
| Pasture Raised Eggs | Fermented Vegetables | |
| Legumes | ||
| Raw Cheese | ||
| Raw Milk |
Breakfast should be high in protein and healthy fats. This will ensure that your blood sugar levels don’t spike first thing in the morning. Blood sugar dysregulation can lead to insulin resistance which leads to weight gain. So, when drinking smoothies for breakfast, be sure they contain plenty of fat (added coconut oil or MCT oil is a great option). Also, breakfasts that are high in protein and fat keep us satiated until the next meal which helps decrease the urge to snack. Consider cooking breakfast in bulk on the weekend so you can easily heat up during the week. Below you will find some delicious, nutrient-dense and macro balanced meals.
- 2 scrambled eggs with parmesan cheese cooked in coconut oil + 2 TBSP sauerkraut + 1 apple
- 2 scrambled eggs with 3 TBSP (prepared) pico de gallo + 2 TBSP sauerkraut + 1 pear
- 2 fried eggs cooked in butter + 2 TBSP sauerkraut + mixed berry salad (blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries) with whip cream on top (whip cream recipe: Mix 1 cup heavy cream & 1 TBSP maple syrup. Blend with mixer until thick and creamy) + 2TBSP sauerkraut or kimchi
- Hard Boiled Egg Mini Sandwiches: slices of hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers and avocado stacked on top of one another, seasoned with sea salt and pepper + 1 mango + 2 TBSP sauerkraut or kimchi
- Blueberry Pineapple Parfait: 1 cup plain organic, full fat yogurt (such as Grazziers or White Mountain Bulgarian) topped with frozen blueberries, sliced bananas, chopped pineapple, shredded coconut flakes.
- Yogurt and Fruit Compote: chopped apples, pears and pitted dates cooked in a pot with cinnamon, lemon juice and a little water. Serve compote over plain, full fat yogurt and sprinkle with shredded coconut flakes.
- 2 eggs cooked sunny side up in coconut oil or pastured butter. Top with chopped tomatoes, avocado, corn and cilantro and season with sea salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime + 2 TBSP sauerkraut or kimchi + 1 orange
- 3 slices of uncured bacon (such as Pederson’s brand) + 2TBSP sauerkraut + berry salad with whipped cream
- Make Ahead Idea: Apple, bacon, sausage hash: Cook 8 slices of chopped bacon and 1 pound of Breakfast Sausage over medium heat, stirring until crispy. Add 4 chopped apples and cook until hot. Add 1 tbsp butter or ghee and stir until melted. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp sea salt and cinnamon (if desired). This meal is easily heated and served during the week. Try it with a fried egg on top. YUM!
- Make Ahead Idea: Frittata—6-8 Pasture raised eggs+1/3 cup milk or cream+1/4 diced red onion+1/2 pound bacon (cooked until crispy)+1/2cup raw cheese + 2 cups of your favorite green (kale, spinach, Swiss chard). Mix all ingredients and add to oven safe skillet. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.
- Make Ahead Idea: Summer hash—1/4 cup chopped onion+1/2 cup diced yellow squash+1/2 cup diced zucchini squash. Combine and cook in your cooking fat of choice (i.e. butter, ghee, coconut oil, etc.) until softened. This is excellent with a fried egg on top. Be creative, use whatever veggies you have on hand (i.e. asparagus, broccoli, cubed sweet potatoes, cubed butternut squash, diced beets, etc.).
- Dinner for Breakfast: reheat left-overs from your previous night’s dinner 😊
Lunch is a great way to fuel your body at midday. But it doesn’t need to be complicated. A packed lunch box could be a simple as a baggie full of veggies (i.e. sweet mini peppers, cucumber slices, snap peas, carrots, etc.) and a few slices of organic turkey breast or ham and a few slices of raw cheese along with a boiled egg. Again, to keep blood sugar stabilized, be sure to have a protein, fat, and carbohydrate . Here are a few ideas:
- Ham and Cheese rolls. Roll sliced ham/turkey (Applegate farms and Mary’s are good brands) and cheese together + 2 TBSP sauerkraut + berry salad with whipped topping + kalamata olives + 1 Bubbies fermented pickle.
- Chicken or tuna salad with grain free crackers. Just mix 2 cups chopped chicken or 2 cans Wild Planet tuna fish with 1/2 cup of Primal Kitchen mayo, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, 2 tablespoons finely diced celery, 1 TSBP Bubbies pickle relish and salt and pepper to taste. Consider adding apples, grapes, walnuts to your salad to add extra healthy fats and minerals. You can also eat this on a bed of red or green leaf lettuce.
- Individual Charcuterie Plate. Fill a plate with Apple Gate pepperoni, raw cheese, crackers, mixed nuts, grapes, and slices of cucumbers, radishes, apples, and carrots+ 1 Bubbies pickle. This lunch is a good source of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
- Nachos. Just use organic tortilla chips (or grain free tortilla chips such as Siete brand) and raw cheese. Toast in the oven until cheese is melted. Then add your favorite delicious toppings: avocado, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, fermented full fat sour cream, salsa.
- Caprese salad with olive oil. Mix 8 oz chopped mozzarella cheese or small mozzarella balls, 2 cups halved grape tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped basil, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper. + bowl of chopped fruit + 2 TBSP sauerkraut
- Quesadilla: Use Siete brand grain-free tortillas to make a cheese quesadilla. Serve with fermented sour cream, guacamole, and salsa + apple slices.
- Hummus with vegetables and grain free or Jovial Einkorn crackers along with a handful of cashews, pistachios, or almonds and a small apple or pear.
- Omelets—If you are able to cook for lunch, make a 2 egg omelet with your favorite toppings. A Greek omelet is delicious and nutritious. Mix 2 eggs in a bowl. Pour into preheated pan with melted butter/ghee or coconut oil. Add ¼ cup chopped kalamata olive, ½ cup chopped fresh spinach, ¼ cup feta cheese.
- Old fashioned ham and cheese on freshly milled homemade bread. Add ham or turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sprouts and Primal Kitchen or Sir Kensington Mayonnaise and mustard.
- Lettuce Wrap—Grain Free? That’s ok. Layer your favorite sandwich toppings over several pieces of green leaf lettuce and roll up to enjoy a nutrient-dense, grain free lunch.
- Leftovers from dinner 😊
Dinners really can be simple and shouldn’t require too much planning or stress. As with breakfast and lunch, you just need a protein (i.e. chicken, shrimp, fish, beef, lamb, pork), a little fat (i.e. coconut oil, ghee, butter, olive oil) and a carbohydrate (i.e. vegetables). Try to eat dinner earlier in the evening. Finish by 6pm if possible as this will increase your fasting window from dinner to breakfast. Longer fasting windows (ex. No food from 6:30pm to 7:30 am or longer) are linked to weight loss.
Helpful dinner tips:
- Double or triple the recipe. Leftovers make great breakfast and lunch meals that you don’t have to plan for or think about. After dinner, portion out the leftovers in individual serving dishes so they are easy to grab for breakfast or lunch the next day.
- Make large amounts of meat to use in various recipes throughout the week and to have meat to throw on a salad or heat up for a quick snack. For instance, brown 3 pounds of ground meat with just onions, salt and pepper. When ready to prepare a meal, use this meat for tacos, soup, as part of an omelet or sprinkled on top of a salad. Another example is roast: place a 3-4 pound beef chuck roast in the crock-pot with a jar of pepperoncini peppers, 1-2 cups beef broth and 3 TBSP of fresh rosemary. Cook on low for 5-6 hours (Pioneer Woman, Drip Beef). This can be served on buns one night for sandwiches and on nachos Saturday night for a quick and delicious dinner. Whatever is left after these 2 meals is used in omelets or served in Siete tortillas with cheese and avocado slices.
- Keep weeknights simple by having a weeknight plan. For example:
Monday: some type of easy hamburger meat meal (tonight: sloppy joes served on potatoes, ground beef and veggie hash—just brown ground meat, add your favorite spices, then add chopped veggies and cook until crisp tender. Add a side salad with an easy homemade vinaigrette for a completely balanced meal)
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday! Some variation of tacos such as crunchy beef, carnitas, chicken soft tacos or some other variation of Mexican meal (ex. Enchilada skillet, enchilada casserole, quesadilla on Siete grain free tortillas or freshly milled homemade tortillas, etc.).
Wednesday: Some type of chicken meal (ex. Bacon wrapped chicken thighs cooked on 425 degrees until internal temp reaches 165 degrees or grilled chicken breasts along with a side salad).
Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner (ex. Quiche, omelets, breakfast casseroles, breakfast tacos, eggs and bacon along with fermented sauerkraut and fruit or cheesy eggs, sausage and sourdough discard waffles or freshly milled homemade pancakes )
Friday: pizza
Saturday: grill out or “fun night” (i.e.. Nachos, quesadillas, spicy chicken wings, hamburgers, fajitas)
Sunday: some type of crock pot meal or oven ready meal (i.e. sheet pan meals make a great fast meal)
- On Sunday evening, take meat out of the freezer that you will be using for meals and put it in a casserole dish inside the refrigerator. That way, it’s all thawed out when you need it.
