So you’ve got the hang of the no refined white carbs thing. Bread, rice, pasta, you name it, they’re all firmly in your no-go zone and that’s great….. but sometimes you just need mash potatoes and there’s no two ways about it – this is the prefect way to get the satisfaction you need without the carbs and calories!
Saving Time and Money
You might not realize it, but you waste a lot of time standing in front of your fridge each afternoon deciding what to make for dinner. Not to mention the money you wast running to the shop 4 to 5 times a week to pick up last minute ingredients. By planning your meals in advance, you save money long term.
Eliminating the Last Minute Stress
Everyone knows how stressful it is to make a last minute decision about a meal. If you have a meal plan, you can take care of things in advance and all that is left at the end of a long day are those last few things to cook.
Helping You Avoid Unhealthy Choices
How many times have you opted to stop at the fast food shop on the way home or buy a ready made meal instead of preparing a healthy meal? Probably more times than you care to admit. Meal planning eliminates the need to rely on this unhealthy last minute option.
WHAT TO DO NOW:
Take a few moments to think about what you have going on next week week. Taking a quick note of everyone’s plans will give you a rough idea of how many meals you’ll need to get through the week, and how much you can get from each recipe.
If you have a crazy busy week coming up, make a mental note to be on the lookout for quick, slow cooker or make-ahead meals that can served up in a hurry. We’re big fans of the cook once, eat twice (or thrice) approach.
Things like the weather, a change in seasons, and food cravings can impact what sounds good on any given day. Thinking about these things beforehand will make recipe selection process faster and meal times easier on everyone.
Now the fun part! Once you know how many meals you’ll need, it’s time to find some healthy recipes and fill in your calendar for the week.
Having a list of go-to meals is one of the easiest ways to expedite the meal planning process. Consider trying one or two new recipes and use a few old favorites to fill in the gaps. Every time you find a new meal you love, add it to the rotation!
Finding delicious, healthy recipes isn’t hard–you just need to know where to look. Health-conscious cookbooks and food magazines are great but the internet can literally provide millions of healthy recipes at your fingertips.
COLLECT & CALENDAR YOUR RECIPE
Example Meals for Meal Prep
Here’s a few examples of tasty meals and snacks you can prepare in advance:
Hot meals for reheating:
Blackened salmon with sweet potato and broccoli
Thai curry with brown rice
Chilli with brown rice
Turkey curry with brown rice
Fish curry with brown rice
Sweet Baked potato with tuna in brine, avocado & salad
Cold Meals:
Chicken salad (spinach, rocket, pine nut, satsuma
Mackerel salad (shredded lettuce, pine nuts, grapes)
Chicken and avocado salad with salt and pepper
Cold Snacks:
Rice cakes with Merdian almond butter and banana
Juice Plus Protein flapjack
Juice Plus Protein brownies
Juice Plus Protein carrot cupcakes
Any un-salted/roasted nuts
0% Total Greek yogurt with natural honey and berries
Raw avocado
✅Under 200 calories,
✅low fat
✅low in carbohydrates
✅low sugar
✅high protein
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
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Simple mashed avocado egg salad makes an excellent spread for ryvita or with a salad for lunch. It also tastes great with a jacket potato on those days when you’ve got too many plans to really cook.
The blend of creamy avocado and mashed eggs is spiced up with zesty lemon and dijon mustard so chances are you won’t miss the mayonnaise- or the processed calories!
The avocado blended with the egg gives a high level of protein keeping you fuller for longer and the avocado contains healthy days and vitamin E- good for hair & nails!
Ingredients
4 large hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
0.5 avocado (about 100g)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
0.5 of a small lime or lemon, juiced
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional Toppings & Garnishes
Sliced tomatoes
Lettuce leaves
Sprinkle of fresh parsley
Herb spices
Extra sea salt
Directions
1. Add hard boiled eggs, avocado, dijon mustard, lime/lemon juice, and salt and pepper to a small bowl and mash with the back of a fork until fully combined.
2. If desired, serve on a slice of toasted bread with tomato, lettuce, a sprinkle of fresh herbs or dried spices, and a pinch of coarse sea salt. Can also be served on a bed of lettuce.
3. Serve immediately and eat the same day you prepare it.
Nutrition Information- Serves: 2, Serving Size: 1/2 egg salad,
Per serving: Calories: 205; Total Fat: 14g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 370mg; Sodium: 348mg; Carbohydrate: 5g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 0g; Protein: 13g
NOTE: Nutrition information doesn’t include bread and optional toppings and garnishes.
Cauliflower is a great classic low carb option. It is so versitile and this is just one of the many ways it can be used. This is adapted from a recipe i found on Pinterest, i have altered it slightly. With childhood obesity at it’s highest ever don’t tell your kids it’s actually cauliflower and they will never know! These can also be frozen which is great if you make too many and can be de-frosted the morning of the day you plan to eat them.
Serves 6
Ingredients
– 2 eggs
– 1 cup light Mozzarella
– 1 cup riced, fresh cauliflower (not cooked- use a blender or grater)
– 10 slices smoked ham cut into quarters
– 0.75-1 tsp Garlic powder (depending on preference)
– 0.5 tsp Crushed red pepper
– 1 large slice tomato diced
– side salad- rocket , lettuce, cucumber & cherry tomatoes (dressing Balsamic vinegar & pepper)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.Combine all your ingredients and mix well.
3.Pour into greased bagel baking tray**
4. Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes, or until set.
5. Serve with side salad
NOTES: Can be frozen without the toppings after the first baking. Simply thaw, top and then bake for 12-15 minutes in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven.
**£8.90 Ebay – CLICK HERE
Ingredients
1 cup Mixed vegetables
1 Chicken breast
1 tsp Pesto
1 tbsp low fat cream cheese (Philadelphia)
50g Polenta
1 slice low-fat cheese
Directions
1. Cook the chicken breast and then chop up into slices
2. Boil the vegetables and drain
3. Heat 200ml water in a pan and when it starts to simmer immediately add the polenta and make sure you keep stirring.
4. Add the fromage frais and pesto and stir.
,
5. Add the chicken and vegetables and mix into the polenta
6. Pour into your dish and sprinkle with cheese.
7. Put the dish a pre-heated oven 200 degrees for 20 mins , then switch on the grill and pop under for 5 mins so the cheese bubbles and you get a nice crispy too!
ENJOY!
Ingredients
50g dried Rice noodles
75g Cooked King prawns
1 tbsp Pesto
2 tbsp Low fat Fromage Frais
1 cup Broccoli
0.5 cup Cherry tomatoes
Directions
1. Boil water in a pan and add the broccoli
2. Whilst it’s boiling mix the pesto & fromage frais with a fork in a bowl
3. Chop tomatoes into halves and add to pesto mixture
4. Drain the broccoli when it’s cooked
5. Boil water in a pan and add the noodles
6. When noodles are cooked (about 6 mins) drain
7. Pour all ingredients into pan and mix
This dish is easy, healthy, low fat, gluten & wheat free, and only takes 15 minutes to make!
Who said being healthy is hard?
ENJOY!!
An Italian accompaniment dish made from ground maize, polenta makes a great change from serving pasta and potatoes.
There are three different types of polenta sold in supermarkets and delis. Traditional polenta takes around 40 minutes to cook, and it does need to be stirred while it’s on the stove.
Supermarkets sell instant polenta, which can be brought to the table, piping hot, in less than 10 minutes.
If all this seems too much like hard work, check out the ready-to-use pre-cooked variety. It’s sold in good delis as a slab or a roll.
My ingredients
Polenta 50g
250ml water
Prawns 60g
Light chive Philadelphia 30g
Brocolli
Tomatoes
Peas
Carrots
HOW TO PREPARE
Because traditional polenta takes longer to cook, it’s an idea to get hold of a sturdy saucepan, which isn’t likely to scorch.
As a rough guide, allow 50g polenta per person and about 250ml water for cooking.
Add the polenta in a thin steady stream into a saucepan of boiling water. Don’t forget to stir it constantly, or it might go lumpy on you.
When cooked, polenta has a smooth, creamy texture and comes away from the sides of the pan.
If you don’t like my serving suggestion why not try these yummy alternatives ?
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Serve it softly set, straight from the pan, with a hearty casserole or rich sauce.
You can also leave it to cool on a tray before cutting into fingers and deep frying.
Ring the changes – try using polenta instead of flour for a nutty, slightly crunchy flavour in cakes and biscuits.
Creamy Tomato Polenta
Mediterranean vegetable stack with chargrilled polenta and sauce vierge
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mediterraneanvegetab_86234
Crispy polenta cake
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/crispypolentacake_84562
Crispy salmon, polenta chips and grilled asparagus
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/crispy_salmon_polenta_67895
http://www.momswhothink.com/diet-and-nutrition/high-protein-foods.htm
This link has a fantastic table of high protein foods with their protein content and RDA!!
“Why should you care which foods are high protein foods? Protein is the most basic building block of all the tissues in the body. Still don’t think that’s important? Do you want shiny luxurious hair or smooth skin or strong bones and muscles? It isn’t going to happen unless you supply your body with the basic materials it needs to make and repair those things. You guessed it; protein is where all those building materials are found.
In addition to growth and repair of the body protein plays a key role in the production of enzymes, digestion, and proper immune function.
Just because most of us equate protein with animal products does not mean that they are the only source. Vegetarians know that protein is important, and they eat plenty of it, just not from meat products. Below is a list of foods high in protein, many from sources friendly to a meat free palate.
How much is enough?
The US RDA amounts for protein varies greatly depending on gender and age. The recommended amount for adults is between 46 and 60 grams each day. Below is a list of high protein foods to guide you in getting enough protein in your diet.”
Serves 1
Ingredients
5-6 new potatoes (depending in size)
100g cooked & peeled Prawns
Bag of fresh Spinach
2 tbsp of Peas (frozen or tinned)
Grated low fat cheddar Cheese
Spray cooking Oil
35g light garlic & herb Philadelphia
Directions
1. Place potatoes in boiling water in a saucepan on a medium heat.
2. Once they are nearly cooked add peas and spinach. Leave to boil for 5-8mins.
3. Drain the potatoes and veg but make sure you preserve 2 tbsp of the hot water.
4. Mix the Philadelphia with this water using a fork and whisk like you would an egg. It should melt and form a sauce.
5. Spray a dish with oil then chop the potatoes into thin slices.
6. Layer half the sliced potatoes on the bottom of the dish then mix the prawns and veg together and pour over the sliced potatoes.
7. Pour the Philadelphia sauce over this and then place the rest of the sliced potatoes over the top to form the top of the pie.
8. Spray the top layer with oil and then sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
9. Place dish in a pre-heated oven at 250 degrees and leave for 20 mins.
10. Take out the oven and put into a pre-heated grill for 5 mins so the potatoes go crispy and the cheese bubbles!
Enjoy!
Born To Inspire 