The Beginners Guide To Easy Meal Planning

People have been asking me for this. So here it is - one week of meal planning to get you going on a successful weight management adventure.

PLAN The key to any successful weight management program is Meal Planning. “If you fail to plan your plan will fail.” We plan for most things in life: time with friends, children or pet playdates, college, buying a car, when we do laundry and clean house, going on a date… EAT OFTEN If you eat every 2-3 hours it prevents you from getting hungry which results in losing discipline. To get caught during the day starving and nothing from your meal plan, your hormones will play havoc with you. The result? Drive throughs or grabbing the quickest item that appeals to your hungriness. That is sabotage 101 on what you are trying to accomplish. Make sense? Prepare and plan and execute! That equals success.

If you eat every 2-3 hours it prevents you from getting hungry which results in losing discipline. To get caught during the day starving and nothing from your meal plan, your hormones will play havoc with you. The result? Drive thrus or grabbing the quickest item that appeals to your hungriness. That is sabotage 101 on what you are trying to accomplish. Make sense? Prepare and plan and execute! That equals success.

B=choice of one line-first water w/lemon fresh fruit & hard boiled egg fresh fruit & 2 slices avocado w/ lemon squeezed over it avocado toast & half an apple or orange ½ c whole grain cereal w/fiber w/almond or hemp milk, berries or banana 1 scrb egg white w/mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, spinach & fruit

S=choice of one line-first water w/lemon 1.5 ounces nut mix Fruit (choice of 1 apple, orange or small cup mixed fruit) Baked sweet potato Cut up celery and carrots (snack ziplock bag) Avocado w/lemon juice (snack ziplock bag)

L=choice of one line-first 1 glass water w/lemon Mixed green salad w/tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, carrots, seeds-sunflower/hemp/almonds Vegetable pasta salad with chicken Grilled fish or chicken w/side of veggies Wrap w/avocado or chicken & greens w/pickled shallots

S=choice of one line-first water w/lemon 1.5 ounces nut mix Fruit (choice of 1 apple, orange or small cup mixed fruit) Baked sweet potato Cut up celery and carrots (snack ziplock bag) Avocado w/lemon juice (snack ziplock bag)

D=choice of one line-first water w/lemon Grilled chicken, fish, meat w/2 veggies (see vegetable list), dessert fresh fruit Wrap w/protein choice & greens & pickled shallots, dessert fresh fruit Stir fry w/choice of protein (see recipes), dessert fresh fruit Baked stuffed tomato or pepper (see recipes) dessert fresh fruit Baked stuffed chicken, cauliflower rice, side of veggies, dessert fresh fruit Baked lamb or pork chop (see recipes) sweet potato noodles, w/veggies, dessert fresh fruit Quantities: keep small-2-3 ounce servings. All food is prepped in advance and portioned out for single use. No restaurant eating when possible. For fruit cut it up fresh each serving or take a banana, small bag of grapes, apple or orange with you. Meal prepping is done on a 2-3 hour span when not working or when working from home. Remember you are cooking each dish to provide 2-3 meals for you for the week with 2-3 ounce servings for each item. Choose the recipes you want to plan out meals for 7 days of snacks, lunch and dinner. Breakfast will take you maybe 2-3 minutes to prepare if you have your prepped items ready. Prepare in small servings of 2-3 ounces. Pack into airtight containers for taking with you and for meals at home. Do not keep over one week. Cool before freezing or refrigerating. Shopping is done by making a list and doing it once a week-if possible. In the long run it will free up time each day. I promise you. Nice to come home from a long day and the meal is already cooked!!! RECIPES: BAKED STUFFED CHICKEN Clean the chicken well, flavor with salt & pepper inside and out Prepare stuffing: cut up small: ½ onion, clove garlic, parsley, mushrooms, 1 squash or sm pumpkin, 1 apricot or sm apple, choices of celery, peppers, carrots, tomato, 1 raw egg white, ½ oz Italian bread crumbs-mix & stuff into chicken Mix: ½ lemon juice, chopped garlic, salt & pepper, choice of: cumin, coriander, turmeric-spread over chicken before going in the oven Bake: Chicken Roasting Time and Temperature Guide Estimated Times for Roasting Whole Chickens · 1 1/2 to 2 pounds—400 F (200 C/Gas 6)—45 minutes to 1 hour. · 2 to 2 1/2 pounds—400 F (200 C/Gas 6)—1 to 1 1/4 hours. · 2 1/2 to 3 pounds—375 F (190 C/Gas 5)—1 1/4 to ` 3/4 hours. STIR FRY

Choice of protein-can use shrimp, scallops, cut up (sliced or bite size-lean & no skin) chicken, tender red meat, pork. Sprinkle w/salt & pepper, 1 Tbs coconut oil in pan on high-flash cook so outside is golden brown stirring so it doesn’t stick, burn, or dry out- 2-3 minutes. Add thinly sliced garlic clove-stir 1 min, add sliced onions-stir 1 min, lower to med high, add sliced sweet potato-stir 2-3 min, OPTION to add all or 1-cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, lower to medium. Add mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus-stir 1-2 min-stir often so you don’t burn it and so it doesn’t become dry-3-4 minutes, cover 2 minutes on low to create juices.

Here is a lamb chop, sweet potato noodles and veggie dinner-yummy! Lamb Chops-flavor w/salt, pepper, garlic, thinly spread mustard over before baking at 400 degrees for 20 minutes Pork chops-apply same mixture-bake time depending on thickness of chops BAKED STUFFED PEPPERES OR TOMATOES (add cleaned out insides to stuffing) Clean out inside of pepper or tomato, pat dry w/paper towel Mix partially cooked (prefer flash cook golden brown) cut up protein choice w/1 Tbs olive oil or coconut oil, salt & pepper, chopped onion, garlic, choice of 1 veggie,1 Tbs Italian bread crumbs, 1 tsp mustard, stuff each item, and bake on foil w/small spread of coconut or olive oil, at 375 for 20-30 min. Until outside is golden brown but not burned VEGGIE PASTA SALAD Boil veggie pasta, drain, set aside. Put 1 tsp olive oil in pan on med high. Add cut up mushrooms, broccoli, snap peas, salt & pepper and cook 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool. Mix 1/3 c olive oil, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar-(aged is best), 1 tsp mustard & mix w/chopped garlic, onion, parsley-mix all together with veggie pasta & cooked veggies. Add cooked chopped chicken or shrimp. VEGETABLES Brussel sprouts-bake with 1/3 cup mix of: olive oil, chopped garlic, cumin, salt & pepper-keep stirring in mixture while baking-roast to desired texture-should be soft to eat but not soggy or dry. bake at 350-375 Asparagus-sauté w/lemon, garlic-thinly slice garlic clove for best release of flavor-cook before adding asparagus, salt & pepper-cook to desired texture-can also add small amount of pine nuts sauté nuts first til light brown for best release of flavor. Sweet potato-puncture holes in potato (6-7), sprinkle w/salt, pepper, cinnamon, 2 Tbls water & wrap in foil loosely but sealed-bake at 375 for 1.5-2 hrs-till soft and moist-delicious! Squash-sauté w/olive oil, salt, pepper, sliced onions until desired texture Spinach-sauté w/1 Tbls olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt & pepper or boil-1 cup water 2-3 minutes then add mixture of: garlic, 1 Tbls olive oil, salt & pepper and mix well Sweet potato noodles-check on line for location to buy-flavor w/salt & pepper Pickled shallots-slice in thin strips 4-5 shallots, add 1 Tbls organic sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup Braggs apple cider vinegar, allow to marinate 6 hours minimum in frige-use to flavor salads, vegetables, wraps. WRAPS-use tomato or spinach wrap, spread thin layer humus, line of protein at one end, spread greens over protein, can add mushrooms, cucumber, peppers, spread pickled shallots and begin to wrap tucking ends and pressing together for a tight and secure wrap MEATS-flavor w/salt, pepper, garlic, lemon-can also bake, roast, grill & add papaya, mango or another fruit and or vegetable or thick slice onion on top. Be sure to trim all fat & skin. Bake, grill, roast time depending on thickness and how you like it-be sure it is cooked through. Look for meats on sale. Friday Publix had skinless, boneless, hormone/antibiotic free chicken breasts 2 for 1! Cook several chicken breasts and or thighs-skinless boneless, so you have them prepared to add to any salads or the stuffed peppers or tomatoes or pasta salad or just ready as your protein for dinner. Grilling vegetables-thick slices (1/3 inch) baste w/olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper, balsamic vinegar then grill or roast so outside is a little crispy Nut Mix Purchase raw nuts no salt-walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, brazil nuts… In baking pan lay out nuts in pan, 1 tsp coconut oil, light salt, place in preheated oven at 375, stir often, bake 15-20 min-should turn light golden brown. Remove. Cool. Distribute into snack ziplocks for snacks. Now that you have everything you need to drop those extra pounds and start eating healthy. IT is time to put your plan into action. Prep all of this and create each dish for each meal in a container so all you have to do is heat and eat!!!! For lunches you only have to grab a container to take with you! Snacks – again grab a container to take with you. If you need additional support use the 15 minute complimentary coaching sessions I am providing on Thursdays. I started yesterday and am on my way! Join me! Write any questions to me at cpatella@aol.com.