Meal Prep 6/5/17: Simplicity

It's been a busy few months around here!! Back in February I accepted a new position at my full time job, which changed my work schedule and switched up my routine. Shortly after that, I spent a weekend out of town attending Expo West in Anaheim, which was an absolutely jam packed experience. About a month later my husband and I took a two week vacation abroad, and then 10 days after that, I was in Austin for Paleo FX. All that to say, I'm ready for things to settle down for a little bit! These busy weekends have kept me on my toes, and while I'm grateful for all of the incredible opportunities they have provided, I'm a homebody at heart. I don't follow horoscopes or anything, but recently saw an article on Well and Good that said that for my astrological sign, I need to be at home in a cozy and comfortable space to relax, and I would agree with that 100%! 

All that to say, this week I stuck to meat and veggie all-in-one meals for lunch and dinner, and it feels good to get back to simplicity. While I do plan and prep everything for the whole week, I also sometimes mix it up depending on what I feel like and what I have on hand that needs to be eaten. I freeze all the prepped food in individual portions, which makes it easy to save for later if I decide to be spontaneous or eat intuitively based on what sounds good. Because let's be real, sometimes I just don't want to eat what I prepped, and that's okay!

Here's the plan for this week:

Breakfast: Chocolate Protein Shake // Equip Prime Protein, Aroy-D full fat coconut milk, Four Sigmatic Chaga elixir, and some veggies and fruit. Lately I've been steaming zucchini, carrots, and cauliflower to freeze and blend into my shakes because they have such a neutral flavor and they help to add volume, fiber, and nutrients! On days that I do a more intense workout (as opposed to just walking) I usually also add about a cup of fruit. 

Lunch: Honey Mustard Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Smoky Kale // This meal was a breeze to make. I roasted the chopped carrots with coconut oil at 400 for about 40 minutes until golden. While they roasted, I made the chicken in my Instant Pot by dumping in about 1# of chicken tenders from US Wellness Meats and 1/4 cup of Primal Kitchens honey mustard dressing. I cooked on high pressure for 10 minutes, then released the pressure and shredded the meat. I added another 1/4 cup of honey mustard, because I like lots of flavor! I rinsed out the Instant Pot insert, then loaded in the torn leaves of two heads of kale, along with about 2 tbsp of ghee and some liquid smoke. I cooked that on high pressure for 7 minutes, then allowed the pressure to release naturally. I like my kale on the softer side, as it's much easier for my system to digest! By the time all of that was done, so were the carrots, so I portioned everything out into dishes and popped them in the freezer! (If you're new to my blog, I reheat my food in my Hot Logic Mini every day! It takes about an hour and in my option, maintains the flavor much better than a microwave!) 

Dinner: Lamb Hash // One of my staple recipes, you can find the recipe on my blog here! 

Snacks: Apple + RxBar // I also keep Artisana Organics coconut butter at my office, which I usually have with the apple!

Have a great week!

-Tracey

Meal Prep 5/15/17: From the Freezer

Hello, and happy Monday! This week's meal prep is not as streamlined as usual. I'm headed out of town on Thursday for PaleoFX (who else will be there??) so I'm using up some of my frozen stash at the beginning of the week to keep things simple! I'm also continuing my trial of dairy this week by incorporating some yogurt on a daily basis, and boy am I looking forward to that! Fingers crossed that all goes well in the digestion department. Lastly, I'll be relying on my favorite Zupa soups as a veggie source in my no-cook dinners ("wholedailylife" for 20% off of your order!). No complaints here! I could happily drink them every day!

Breakfast: Rootz Protein Shakes // 2 scoops Rootz Paleo Protein powder ("wholedailylife for 10% off) + 1.5-2 cups steamed then frozen cauliflower/zucchini/carrots + FourSigmatic Chaga Elixir + enough almond milk to blend! I love adding in the veggies because it makes it super thick, and you don't even taste them. I've also been all about the chaga elixir lately because as a medicinal mushroom, chaga is a great way to reduce inflammation and support immunity!

Lunch:  Frozen Leftovers // I have one portion of smoky meatballs with roasted veggies, one portion of creamy kale soup that I'll add some Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides to for extra protein, and one portion of leftover veggies from the weekend that I'll have with a yogurt as my protein source.

Dinner: No Cook Grab Bag // I'll be mixing and matching a Zupa soup, an Epic Jerky stick, an apple, and some almond butter to make a meal here! 

Snacks: RX Bar, Fresh Bar, or Siggi's yogurt, whichever I'm in the mood for! And of course, some Eating Evolved chocolate :) ("traceygmt" for a free gift with your order!)

This week is going to fly by, and then it will be off to PaleoFX, which I look forward to all year long! I'll be working at the Barefoot Provisions booth, so please stop by and introduce yourself!!

-Tracey

Meal Prep 5/8/17: Post Vacation

Returning from two weeks of vacation in Europe has definitely left me with the post-vacation blues. I had so much fun exploring cities, walking all day every day, and eating alllll of the good food and gluten free treats! I'm putting together a post on our favorite places, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, here's what I prepped for this week, including all the veggies that I've been missing while we were away. I kept things simple since I know it will be a busy week at work getting all caught up!

Breakfast: Rootz Protein Shake // 2 scoops of Rootz protein powder (use code "wholedailylife" for 10% off), homemade almond milk, Foursigmatic Chaga (I love this stuff for an antioxidant punch!), and steamed and then frozen carrots, cauliflower, and zucchini. For flavor variations, I add cold brew coffee, cinnamon, maca, etc. 

Lunch: Chicken Salad + Butter Lettuce + Zesty Nacho Kale Chips // The chicken salad is just chicken tenders cooked in a pan and then shredded, mixed with some Primal Kitchen mayo, a dab of mustard, balsamic, and a handful of walnuts. The Kale Chip recipe is by Leanne Vogel of Healthful Pursuit: roughly 1 cup hemp hearts, 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 1 bell pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp ACV, 2 tsp garlic, and 2-4 tbsp water. Blend until smooth, massage into two heads of kale torn into pieces, and dehydrate until crispy. 

Dinner: Green Flatbread + Cucumber/Radish + Apple + Perfect Bar // You can find my green flatbread recipe here; I modified it to fit what I had on hand this week. I also added some Bone Broth Protein Powder as well as some Almond Pro almond flour and Guiltless Superfoods Seven Seed flour ("wholedailylife" for 5% off). I also have a handful of Perfect Bars floating around in my fridge, so I'm incorporating them into my meal plan this week!

Snacks: Rx Bar + ZupaNoma Soup (not pictured) // Stay tuned for a giveaway of the new Rx bar flavors on my Instagram page soon! The Zupa soups are something that I love to keep on hand as an easy, whole food source of veggies. Use code "wholedailylife" for 20% off of your order!

Have a great week!

-Tracey

Meal Prep 4/10/17: Back to Basics

These past few weeks of "all the samples" have been fun, but I do miss my usual routine of #morevegetablesthanavegetarian! This week I'm getting back to the basics with lots of roasted veggies, meatballs, veggie based shakes, and some pantry staples (green flatbread and sardines). 

Before we get there though, I do want to mention how much I LOVED those ZUPA soups from last week! I looked forward to them every day, and every single bottle impressed me with the depth of flavor and freshness. As much as I love fresh veggies, I could definitely get on board with having these soups in my life on a daily basis! 

I was also impressed with Ample Meal as an on-the-go meal replacement option, and appreciated that they offer both 400 calorie and 600 calorie bottles. The flavor was simple and delicious, and I enjoyed both the original and the vegetarian (rice protein based) versions. This is the first product that I have come across like this with an ingredient list that I can get behind, and I'm so glad to know that they're out there! 

Now, on to this week's meal plan:

Breakfast: Protein Shake with Veggies // I steamed a large cauliflower and a big bag of carrots unit tender and then portioned them up into baggies and froze for my morning smoothies. I've been loving adding frozen veggies to my shakes in the morning because it makes them extra thick and satisfying! Plus, I get the added benefit of extra nutrients. I steam them first because I digest them better that way. This week I'm using PureWOD Chocolate Build protein and The New Barn almond milk. I also add a spoonful of Eating Evolved roasted coconut butter (seriously, you need to try this stuff. Order at www.eatingevolved.com and use the code "traceygmt" for a free barand 1 tsp chia seeds. 

Lunch: Smoky Chicken Meatballs + Roasted Sweet Potato and Zucchini + Sautéed Kale // This is a pretty standard meal template for me. I use my Basic Meatball Recipe as a base, and this week used fresh garlic and a bunch of freshly chopped green onions. To get the smoky flavor, I add about 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke. I roasted the sweet potato and zucchini until golden (usually at 425 using Primal Kitchens Avocado Oil or Tin Star Foods Ghee) and sautéed the kale up in a big pot on the stovetop over medium heat with some ghee and a hearty pinch of salt! 

Dinner: Green Flatbread + Sardines + Fresh Veggies + Apple // You can find my green flatbread recipe here. I never used to like sardines, but after learning how nutrient dense they are, I changed my tune! Sometimes I eat them plain, and sometimes I mix them with some Primal Kitchens mayo. They're delicious either way, and Season is one of my favorite brands!

Snacks: Artisana Coconut Butter + Eating Evolved Chocolate 

And that's a wrap! 

Have a great week!

Meal Prep 4/3/17: All The Samples

The past two weeks have been pretty limited from a dietary standpoint, but this week is the exact opposite. I have several samples from Expo West that I've been looking forward to trying, so I incorporated them into this week's meal plan! The timing of this actually works well. I have a big trip coming up at the end of this month, and it will be good to test my gut a little bit and see how I feel with more dietary variance so that I will better know my boundaries while I'm away! 

Breakfast: Protein Shake // 1 scoop PureWOD Build or Nuzest Clean Lean Protein + New Barn almond milk + frozen steamed cauliflower/zucchini + Eating Evolved Roasted Coconut Butter (my new favorite smoothie ingredient! Use code "traceygmt" for a free bar with your order!). PureWOD is my staple, and I always have it in my pantry! Nuzest is new to me, and is sourced from golden peas. Historically I've had a hard time digesting pea protein, but I have this a try over the weekend and actually seemed to do fine with it! The thought of continuing to expand my FODMAP tolerance is very exciting, as there are so many vegetables that have been out of bounds for so long! The other consideration here is that peas and pea protein are generally considered higher in histamine, so I'll be monitoring for that as well, since I have some other high histamine foods in my diet this week too.

Lunch: Flatbread + Cucumber/Radish + Jerky Bar // Flatbread is such a convenient way to pack in a lot of greens. It's easy to make and I love the flavor! Check out the recipe here. I'll also be trying out some of the bars from companies that I met at Expo, including Wilde, DNX Bar, and Epic!  

Dinner: I have lots of variety in my dinners this week. I have a couple of frozen soups from last week's meal plan that I'm incorporating with Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides for protein, along with some homemade kale chips (seasoned with tahini and coconut aminos). I'm also trying out the Ample shake. I came across this company while doing some research for an article that I was writing at work, and they kindly sent me some samples! The ingredients are wholesome, and while I don't see myself using them as a daily meal replacement, they sure are convenient! One uses rice protein and the other uses whey. We'll see which one I digest better! 

Snacks: Zupa Soup + Apple + Barney Butter // This is probably the part of my meal plan that I'm most excited about. I've been eager to drink these Zupa soups since they arrived over the weekend! You can find out more about them here, but in short, they're whole veggies blended into delicious soups and are ready to drink right from the bottle! I plan on having them as snacks, or maybe in place of one of my flatbreads if I feel like it. I'll also have my usual apple on hand, along with some Barney Butter! 

It's going to be a fun week for this foodie :)