meal plan: week 2

Alright, since you asked for more, here it is - another ‘what we eat’ meal plan share.

In need of intro and more background on how and why I plan and meal prep? Check out my first post in this series.

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PLANNING PROCESS

We were out of town the weekend I came up with this meal plan, so I did my brainstorming Sunday morning over breakfast in Jersey, made a stop at Trader Joe’s by my parents before hitting the road, and then swung by the grocery store once we got back to Baltimore for last minute things. I kept things plain and tried to select meals we could easily piece together rather than using recipes.

Could I have just come home and not worried about what we were going to eat? Sure. BUT, with such a hectic schedule this would mean needing to eat out a ton during the week ($$$) and likely eating minimal veg. The bit of extra effort is worth it to me when I consider the alternatives. This isn’t all fun, but our health is one of my biggest priorities, so I do it anyway.

week 2: what we eat in a week

BREAKFASTS

• Hard boiled eggs (in the Instant Pot) (2 per serving) eaten with….

• Blueberry baked oatmeal (used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar for lower glycemic index) - made recipe as written so we had 6 pieces, enough for 3 days. Once it ran out we ate HBE with english muffins which we had in the freezer and made….

• Breakfast sandwiches for Friday (2 eggs + cheese on an english muffin)

MEALS

I select 2 meals that will incorporate our starch, protein, vegetables, and fat. We batch cook (large portions) so that we are fed from it ideally 3-4 times each. If this requires me to cook a larger protein portion than stated in the recipe I will increase some of the spices slightly.

• Instant Pot Carnitas + corn tortillas (to make tacos) + sour cream + salad (tomato, feta, avocado)

• 2 lb peeled, deveined shrimp (cooked from frozen; 1 serving = 9-11 pieces of 21 to 30 count shrimp) + whole wheat spaghetti (1/2 c) with wilted spinach + zucchini + EVOO + parmesan cheese

• Cubed and roasted sweet potatoes to have in the fridge for as needed

BACK-UP MEALS

We needed some backup protein to make it through the end of the week…

• 2 Hot dogs (nitrate free, like Applegate farms) OR 2 chicken sausage paired with leftover veg + cooked cubed sweet potato OR salad

SNACKS

I pack us each a morning and afternoon snack. These are snacks we had on hand that I mix and match each day based on each of our needs.

• Yogurt + almonds

• KIND bar or Health Warrior Chia Seed Bar

• Rice cakes + cheese stick

• Grapes, frozen mango and strawberries (snack or dessert)

• Kodiak Cakes muffins (made from mix)

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lessons learned: no added sugar

Hey friends!

How was your February? Two weeks ago me and my friend, and fellow RD, Becky went one week without added sugar. Did you join us? If you missed the challenge, you can find the details here.

Today I am sharing some of the lessons learned during our brief seven days without added sugar. Don’t worry, I am back on the donuts, but it was a great, eye opening challenge.

lessons learned: added sugar

1. Too much sugar can make you feel crappy and can aggravate IBS.

2. Added sugar is in SO many foods. Truthfully, I tend to think my added sugar intake is fairly low day-to-day (unless I bake cookies or am PMSing) but, getting reacquainted with the food label on staple foods in my diet made me realize that I likely come very close to the ‘recommended’ added sugar limit of 25 g/d. Between sausage or bacon, a granola bar, bread, sauces, and so much more, sugar is literally everywhere, and often in places it really doesn’t need to be.

3. Eating sweets can quickly become a habit. We found that nighttime snacks and post dinner treats weren’t really something that was needed or even really wanted.

4. Sweets are often used to comfort when stressed, or occupy when bored. Yikes!!! I am all about mindful eating, I really try to think before I eat and this challenge helped me identify the moments when I normally would reach for some m&ms or chocolate in the cabinet. This challenge forced me to check-in. EVERY SINGLE TIME I had that urge it was due to looking for a distraction from something I didn’t want to do, or feeling stressed / overwhelmed and wanting a moment of comfort. I prefer intentional treat selection for enjoyment, but I am not immune to the comfort of my favorite chocolate to escape my stress. I definitely do this way more often than I realized and I am glad for my better awareness. Now I am more apt to stop and ask ‘what am I really feeling right now?’ It is challenging, but powerful.

5. A savory breakfast can be just as satisfying as a sweet breakfast. PS Becky has some amazing recipes and breakfast shares on her IG so make sure you’re following her.

6. Fruit makes a great dessert! We both really enjoyed adding more fruit to our day, either at breakfast, as a snack, or as dessert after a meal. Clementines and grapes are extra tasty this time of year and are certainly sweet!

7. Carbohydrate intake didn’t decrease. This eye opening experience showed us that we do love carbs and can eat carbs and will eat carbs for fuel and satisfaction but perhaps the countless sources of added hidden sugars in our diet don’t all need to be there too. I rely on bread a lot more than I ever have (due to my schedule) and I recognized there were higher quality breads I could invest in for more nutrition and less / no added sugar.

8. Not drinking alcohol is tough. We had an alcohol goal, I did not succeed. Some weeks I drink 3-4 days, some weeks 1 day, some weeks 2 days. I wasn’t going to give up on a social outing and seeing friends because of this challenge. If I am out and socializing I prefer to drink. If I didn’t want to drink I would stay home and read. Worth highlighting two big points here: 1) Your alcohol intake isn’t benign, I know about my relationship with it, what’s yours? and 2) Your diet choices should not limit your social life and enjoyment of life.

9. And of course, as I always say, it is important to be able to enjoy a treat when you want it and when it is special. Sweets are for enjoyment, not just because you realized your taxes are almost due and your anxiety is thru the roof. My biggest take away, was to remind myself of this exact thing that I know and teach but can sometimes lose sight of. Choose the treats that matter, that are chosen for the sake of truly tasting and enjoying, not the treats that are used to numb.

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Well guys, there you have it. We survived, we learned a lot, we have new ideas for snacks, and a greater appreciation for why we make certain choices. Are we both back to eating sugar? You bet, however I always appreciate a learning moment and ideas about how to be more mindful and I look forward to using these lessons moving forward.

no added sugar week

taking a break from sugar

Hi there friends!

Tomorrow, February 18 thru February 24 I am doing a no added sugar week. My kitchen is full of sugar too, rough.

why

But WHY?! You might be asking. And before you shun sugar as the devil, or get on your intuitive eating high horse, hear me out.

This came about via my usual text thread with my good friend and fellow dietitian Becky (follow her on IG here). We were both complaining about sugar. Some of our common complaints include: eating more sugar than feels comfortable; post-sugar intake digestive distress; feeling trapped in a sugar habit; finding comfort in sugar.

It seems like since the new year started it has been worse. We both have a lot going on personally and professionally, but just like turning to alcohol won’t solve your problems, neither will turning to sweets. Talk about a reality check. We both know these things. We are both active, we eat well, prep food for the week, and take care to get as much sleep as we can. We treat ourselves well, yet we were letting sugar run the show more often than we cared to admit. We decided we would hold each other accountable to a little break.

intention

The intention of our added sugar break is this: to stop using sugar in ways it shouldn’t be used. When we’re upset or stressed, instead of reaching for that sweet, we will be literally forced to try another avenue. We will stop, think (this is huge), and make an intentional choice. Instead of reaching for whatever chocolate is in the cabinet, we will choose from more intentional, and honestly more helpful habits like calling a friend, going for a walk, meditating, doing a face mask, or taking a bath. We don’t think sugar is the devil. But, we prefer to have the ability to make the choice to eat sugar out of mindfulness and choice, not stress.

guidelines

Once our followers expressed interest in joining us we knew we had to write a post in case more people wanted to join. If you feel like you turn to sweets for any reason other than pure enjoyment I hope you will join us this week. See our guidelines below.

1. No added sugar for 7 days. We are doing Feb 18- Feb 24 but feel free to pick seven days that work better for you. No added sugar includes things like maple syrup and honey.

2. Fruit is okay. Fruit has natural sugar, use it for dessert, post workout refuel, or a more natural way to settle a true sweet craving. Dates are an unsweetened fruit, so use these as you wish!

3. Carbs are okay. Just need to remind everyone of this tidbit. We aren’t doing a Whole 30 or anything dramatic. Literally, just tuning in before we use sugary sweet treats to tune out. Basic components of a nourishing diet should stay put.

4. Alcohol is okay - in moderation. We decided on no more than 2 drinks at a time and no more than 2 days this week. Cutting out alcohol didn’t make sense to us because we enjoy our social life and seeing friends. If you prefer to cut it out totally, you do you.

5. Get a friend to join you, an accountability partner, and someone to call when you’re having a freakout stressful day, is super helpful.

6. No artificial sweeteners. I won’t get into why I despise artificial sweeteners here. Just know that they are definitely out.

7. Be mindful. Thats the point of this challenge after all. To think before you eat. See what comes up for you. Is your trip to the cookies after work truly a desire for cookies? Or maybe it has become a way to decompress after a hard day? Are the never ending sweets at work really impossible for you to say no to? Or do you use that as an excuse to eat things you don’t even really like that much?

If you are ready to join us on this challenge and take control of your cravings then comment below and share this post with your friends. Remember, enjoying sweets isn’t a bad thing, but most of us use sweets outside of pure enjoyment and instead to play some role or manage some emotion that could be better filled and managed elsewhere. Lets reconnect to what is really going on in our mind, and to what our body truly needs.

Can’t wait to see your journey!! You can tag us on social media @realfoodcourt @becka_rd on Instagram to share how your week is going.