Before I started actually taking my health seriously my eating habits were…interesting. And by interesting I mean gross/wildly unhealthy/a product of my childhood fantasies.
I would never eat breakfast because I’ve never been naturally hungry in the mornings, then eat take out leftovers from the night before, snack on some chips throughout the day, follow that up with ice cream or cheese and then end the day with either more take out, a slice of pizza, or my favorite corner store combo: hot cheetos and a cup of noodles. Spicy shrimp to be specific.
There were many reasons why I ate like such trash. I was lazy, I didn’t like cooking, I love junk food and I had zero self-control. When I started on this health journey I made several astounding discoveries:
- The better you eat, the better you feel (imagine that)
- It is less expensive to buy actual groceries and prepare your own meals
- You can lose weight rapidly when you stop eating 3000 calories a day (that may be an exaggeration but I’m sure I was close some days)
- You sleep more soundly when you don’t have your last meal at 11pm
- You can enjoy the food you’re eating and still make healthy choices
Shocking, I know. Listen, I’ve never claimed to be a beacon of health. I am who I am. But I knew that shit had to change or I was going to go my entire life feeling lethargic, sluggish and totally out of shape. And as I’m entering my late twenties I am feeling this metabolism slooooow down. Like a lot. Sigh. Gone are the days of never working out, guzzling beer and eating fried rice for breakfast.
Over the past six months, I’ve been able to transform the way I eat and the results have been pretty amazing. Not only have I lost 20 pounds (woo!) but I feel so much more energetic and happy overall. I still eat things I love and look forward to but they’re way healthier and fuel me rather than weigh me down. It has taken some experimentation to figure out exactly when/how often I eat throughout the day but I’ve gotten it down to a pretty solid schedule that feels easy and natural for my body.
Obviouslyyyy I am no expert or nutritionist but this is what has been most effective for me!
To learn my super simple, quick and easy meal plan that I created (if you can even call it that, it’s pretty basic lololol) then read on:
BREAKFAST
B/W 6:00-8:00 AM
Depending on what time I get up (between 5 and 7) I usually eat about an hour after I’m awake. Like I mentioned above I have never been a hungry morning person. I could honestly wait until lunch to eat but the problem with that is I’m usually RAVENOUS by that time and therefore am tempted to overeat. So I make sure I have a little something not too long after I wake up.
My typical breakfast:
Protein Shake (300 calories)
I mentioned in my How Eliminating Dairy Transformd My Body post that I was eating meal replacement protein shakes for dinner and that did work for me for a while but I grew tired of it kind of quickly. At the end of a long work day, I want REAL food. But I still love all the nutrients the shake gives me so I moved it from the evening to the morning. It’s perfect because I’m never picky with what I eat in the morning since I’m not very hungry anyway.
Ingredients:
- One scoop of the Garden of Life Vegan Protein Powder (get it here)
- A tablespoon of almond butter
- Half a banana (I like to chop them up at the beginning of the week and freeze them to make the shake extra cold)
- 8 ounces of almond milk
All you do is blend and you’re done! It’s sweet and a little salty from the almond butter so definitely doable.
Alternatives:
Apple Slice & Almond Butter (160 calories)
This feels like such a treat in the morning so if I’m not running out the door I’ll slice up a green apple (my fave) and drizzle a tablespoon of almond butter on top. It’s like the healthy version of a caramel apple or at least that’s what I like to tell myself to fight off the cravings.
Veggie Sausage Links (80 calories)
Ya girl loves sausage. You may interpret that in any way you’d like. Buuuut greasy sausage can really be a doozy on my tummy so I opt for the protein filled Morning Star Farms Veggie Sausage that I get from Trader Joes. Two links are only 80 calories and I often times eat this will my apple and almond butter to get a more complete breakfast.
Nut Butter Filled Cliff Bars (230 calories)
Okay, I am NOT a bar person. I think they all taste bland af and have the consistency of sawdust. I have tried them all. Even the ones that people rave about just don’t do it for me. But I decided to give these a try because the nut butter filling intrigued me. They are DELISH! They also have a “smoothie” filled bar that is pretty tasty. These are a great quick breakfast if I have zero time to blend a shake and I always keep one in my bag.
MID MORNING SNACK
10:00 AM
I don’t purposely eat every two hours necessarily but my body is just hungry after a couple of hours. I eat when I’m hungry and if I want to eat because I think I’m hungry (aka bored) then I guzzle a big glass of water first and see how I feel. I’m pretty in tune with my body so I can usually tell the difference. Around 10 am I start getting peckish so I reach for an easy snack. I prefer something with protein but also will opt for a veggie/fruit situation too.
Almonds (90 calories in a serving or 22 almonds)
I use to not like almonds at all and I don’t what changed but now I am an almond freak. Gimmie all the almonds. I don’t necessarily count my almonds but I know that about a handful and a half for me is a serving. These totally fuel me and keep me full until lunch! Plus I love a salty snack! I always get smokey/salty/roasted almonds.
Green Apple (90 calories)
If I haven’t already had one for breakfast then I’ll eat an apple. If I’m at home I may even drizzle the almond butter but I try to keep my snacks under 100 calories if possible.
Biena Chickpea Snacks (120 calories)
You guys, these are good! They’re like healthy cornnuts, my favorite childhood snack. They have the same satisfying crunch but are packed full of protein and fiber. 1/4 cup is 120 calories but they keep you full af so they’re definitely a quality snack. I loooove the ranch and habañero flavors but they have a ton of great ones!
Broccoli Florets (220 calories per bag)
I love anything with simple ingredients and these crunchy, salty baked broccoli florets from Trader Joes are as simple as it gets. They’re just broccoli, palm oil, and sea salt. Whaaaaat? I can devour an entire bag in one sitting so I have to control myself but the best part is that if I do eat the entire thing it’s still low calorie! Win win!
LUNCH
12:00 PM
Meal prepping weekly isn’t super difficult for me because I really only prep for lunch. I don’t mind and in fact kind of enjoy the evening ritual of having some tea or a glass of wine while I cook dinner so I just make sure my lunches are prepped and ready to go! I do my grocery shopping on Sunday’s and meal prep right after. I am a boring bitch and will happily eat the same meal every day for lunch for an entire week so this may not work for all of you. On Sunday’s I decide what I want that week and then get the ingredients for it. These two have been my go-to lunches for the past few weeks:
Healthy Burrito Bowl (470 calories)
I love making any sort of grain bowl and lately have been really into making my own burrito bowls that fuel me and leave me satisfied. They’re so easy to meal prep for and are totally customizable so you can put whatever you like in them!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup of brown rice
- 1/4 cup of fat free refried beans from Trader Joes
- half of a Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burger from TJ (these are bombbb!)
- 1/2 cup of sauteed brussel sprouts (use olive oil or ghee)
- 1/2 cup of sauteed asparagus
- black olives (I know this weird but I have an olive obsession so feel free to nix lol)
- 2 tablespoons of Herdez Guacamole Salsa (so good and creamy)
I will season my brown rice with salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano and will salt my veggies but there really isn’t much to it! Sometimes I use ground turkey instead of the veggie burger or shrimp if I’m feeling crazy. Feel free to tweak it to your liking!
Low Fat Pasta Salad (350 calories per serving)
Is there anything better than pasta salad in the summer? I spent way too much time on Pinterest searching for a pasta salad dressing recipe that was dairy free and not gross. With a few minor tweaks from yours truly I was able to make one I love that isn’t a bazillion calories.
Ingredients:
- Trader Joe’s Organic Vegetable Radiatore (this pasta is made from spinach, beets, red bell pepper and a little wheat flour and it’s fab! Way better for you than traditional pasta and it honestly tastes the same)
- Green chiles (as many as you want)
- Jalapenos (same)
- A shit ton of veggies! I like to do zucchini and asparagus but you can pick whatever veggies you love
- Black olives (I have a problem)
- 2 tablespoons of corn
- The dressing: 2 tablespoons of mayo (I get the organic kind from TJs but they also have vegenaise if that’s your style), one lime, Tapatío, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cumin. You can adjust the ingredients to taste as you make it. So easy!
AFTERNOON SNACK #1
2:00 PM
Around this time is usually when I start getting sleepy and wanting to do nothing more than quit for the day and crawl under my covers, never to be heard from again. Buuuut since that’s not really an option for me I opt for a mid-afternoon snack. I usually start getting peckish again around this time. I make sure to pick my favorite snack of the day so I have something to look forward to. These are the snacks that get me through that 2 pm slump:
Trader Joes Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie (140 calories)
Ugh, you guys where do I even begin? These are FAB! My mom gave me one a few weeks ago and I have been obsessed ever since. Yes, they’re not the best thing you could ever have but if you’re going to have sweets then these are a much healthier option. They’re made with coconut and have the perfect texture. Not too chewy and not too crunchy. I highly recommend them! Although if you’re like me it may be hard to stick to just eating one a day.
Baby Salami (140 calories)
Okay, that’s not actually the name of this but it’s what I call them! The Citterio salami sticks are so cute and precious and are also SO tasty! They’re a great source of protein and they’re easy to take with you on the go.
Trader Joe’s Sweet & Salty Popcorn Chips (110 calories)
I picked these up last week and at first, I was like “yeah, these are pretty good” but now I’m like “where did the entire bag go? who ate these?”. Um, spoiler: IT WAS ME! They’re basically sweet and salty chips but they’re made of all the good things! Chia seeds! Flax seeds! Quinoa! 17 chips are only 110 calories which makes for the perfect little afternoon pick me up!
AFTERNOON SNACK #2
4:00 PM
Because it’s getting closer to dinner I don’t want to overdo it with a heavy snack but I am usually needing a little something at this point. I always make this a veggie based snack to make sure I get in my 5 servings a day!
Carrots, Bell Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes & Hummus (120 calories)
I love love love hummus so this is a daily snack I rarely skip. My favorite is the Three Layer Hummus from, you guessed it, Trader Joes.
Spinach Salad (100 calories)
I want to make sure I’m getting in enough greens so I’ll also eat this salad with dinner if what I make doesn’t have a ton of veggies. It is simple af. I literally just eat a big bowl of raw baby spinach and a tablespoon of the vegan green goddess dressing from TJs. You can honestly pair it with any dressing you like as long as you only use a little bit! Tossing it with a little olive oil and salt is pretty good too. I also love argugula so I’ll swap that in as well.
DINNER
B/W 6:00-7:00 PM
Dinner depends on what time I finish working/get home but I try to eat as early as possible. I am an early riser so I go to bed around 8:30/9 most nights meaning that I need as much time to digest my dinner as possible. Here are some go-to dinners I’ve been loving lately:
Pesto Cauliflower Gnocchi (340 calories)
I was inspired by one of my favorite food accounts on Instagram @broccyourbody to make this dish and it honestly feels SINFUL it’s so good. To follower Carissa and check out her plethora of tasty, healthy, easy and inexpensive recipes then check out her blog here!
I love potato gnocchi but it’s not great for your body. So I was thrilled to learn that TJs (my fave) came out with a cauliflower version! These have such a good texture and honestly taste pretty similar to traditional gnocchi. I also love pesto so this dish feels like such a decadent meal but it’s not!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of TJs Cauliflower Gnocchi
- 1/3 cup of TJs Vegan Pesto
- Whatever veggies you love! I’ll sautee some zucchini, asapargus, and brussels!
You can obviously add shrimp or chicken if you’d like but I usually will just keep it a vegetarian dish. Carissa makes it very clear that you should NOT follow the directions on the bag of gnocchi and instead just sautee them with a little olive oil and a tablespoon of water until they turn a light golden brown. I will simultaneously sautee my veggies and then will put them all in the same pan and add the pesto. So fast and easy, I love it!
Zoodles w/ Shrimp (280 calories)
I love zucchini and am a huge fan of zoodles when I want a pasta fix but don’t want to have a heavy meal at the end of the day. I use my spiralizer to make the zoodles and then will briefly sautee them with salt, pepper and garlic powder because they have a ton of water in them and if you overdo it they will be limp af. I will also grill some shrimp and then add whatever sauce I want! I usually opt for the vegan pesto I mentioned above but will also use this vegan marinara sauce I love too.
Ingredients:
- One medium zucchini
- TJs vegan pesto sauce (or any sauce of your choosing)
- 10 medium shrimp (I prefer fresh but you can obviously use frozen if you want!)
You can also buy pre-spiralized zoodles at almost any grocery store if you don’t have a spiralizer at home!
Trader Joe’s Vegan Tikka Masala (430 calories)
Alright, we’re all human and sometimes I need something quick because I just want to be in my bed. I am not above picking up a healthy-ish frozen meal to keep in my freezer for those nights. I love this one from Trader Joe’s because it’s honestly DELICIOUS and totally filling. No shame in my game!
Keep in mind I budget $30 dollars for groceries each week and rarely overspend. And when I do it’s usually because I can’t decide on a bottle of wine so I just get both #treatyoself. My point is that this saves me a ton of money AND I’m eating well. I typically consume between 1300 and 1500 calories a day and that feels good for me. I never go to bed hungry and I do not feel deprived. Obviously, do what’s right for YOU and consult a professional before drastically dropping your calorie intake. But by choosing healthier snacks and eating only when you’re hungry you can see a huge difference in your body as well as your brain power!
What is your favorite healthy snack? Tell me in the comment below!
Xo,
She
