What I Eat In A Week
Good Monday morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are starting this week with a refreshed spirit, ready to tackle this week ahead! I’m excited about a fresh week and a clean slate to get all the things done and to continue on the healthy food journey I started. I thought I’d share what I eat in a week since eliminating meat in my diet to help you come up with healthy meal options or put together your own meal plan!
Eating Less Meat
After two weeks of totally being off my game- just busy with work and life and not consistently working out, I needed a reset. Then, I caught a stomach bug and couldn’t really eat much for two days. Coming off of that, I felt very inspired to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, along with less meat.  I’m not against eating meat, and usually do eat it, but this week I wanted to try something different.
Also, we went to the farmer’s market last weekend, and that prompted me to realize just how many varieties of fruits and veggies I could incorporate into my diet. Everything feels so vibrant and alive at the farmer’s market and I wanted that to carry over into my meals.
I know when we start eating less meat, a concern is always how are we going to get enough protein? We need protein to build and maintain the tissues in our body. Your muscles, organs and immune system are mostly made of protein.
But, you can get protein through lots of other sources: beans, legumes, chickpeas, nuts, peanut butter, Greek yogurt, milk, quinoa, and eggs. Even veggies like broccoli have a lot of protein in them.
BREAKFAST
Let’s start with breakfast. I’m the girl that doesn’t go more than 10 minutes from waking up before she needs something in her tummy. Traditionally, if I’m waking up early to workout, I’ll have a cup of Muscle Egg- chocolate flavored egg whites. It’s enough to give me a little bit of energy to get me through a class, but won’t weigh me down.
Oatmeal
Otherwise, I still ate my STEEL CUT OATMEAL. I always add raisins, sliced almonds, cinnamon, and almond milk, but this week, I added fresh peaches to it.
Juice Smoothie
I also started drinking a small amount of a JUICE SMOOTHIE. I know these can have a high amount of calories and sugar, but I’m just dipping my toe in and I love the flavor of this one. I only drink about a half a cup at a time, and consider it a sweet treat, along with getting fruit juices in. I’d love to hear your fruit/veggie smoothie recommendations.Â
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Fruit
When we were at the farmer’s market, we bought PEACHES AND WATERMELON. We kept the watermelon cut into chunks in the fridge, so throughout the day, starting in the morning, I’d make sure to eat a few. This is probably something simple for most people, but for me it’s really different. I normally would leave this kind of fruit for my kids only. I don’t know why I did that, but now I’m partaking too and it’s delicious!
SNACKS
I may have mentioned in other posts, my ‘go to’ snacks are:
- Hummus and carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers
- Apples and peanut butter
- Edamame
- Yogurt
- Bliss balls
- A piece of fruit or piece of gum after a meal if I’m craving (but trying to avoid) dessert
Apples & Peanut Butter
My very favorite afternoon snack is APPLES AND PEANUT BUTTER. This is what we’ve been eating lately every day around 3:00. It’s actually a great break in the day because it gets everyone together to reconnect after I’ve been working in my office and the kids have been playing. For me and the kids, I typically slice two apples (thinly) and spoon about 3 tablespoons of peanut butter and we all get to dipping.
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Yogurt
GREEK YOGURT WITH BERRIES AND SLICED ALMONDS is another filling and yummy snack that has a good amount of protein.
Hummus
HUMMUS and CARROTS/BELL PEPPERS is another snack I ate and shared with Jordan. She only likes dipping carrots in and eating the hummus part.
Healthy Bean Dip
WHITE BEAN DIP is meant as a snack/appetizer, but I also ate a large portion for dinner one night with pita chips. It’s from the cookbook, 100 Days of Real Food.
Kale Chips
I’m crazy for ROASTED KALE CHIPS. As long as you don’t overcook them, they are light, flakey chips with a zesty kick.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Drizzle clean, chopped kale with a little olive oil, salt and (optional) chili powder (I used the Shichimi spice below).
Spread kale onto single layer on a baking sheet and cook for about 12 minutes, until the edges begin to brown.
Fruit Salad
At our nephew’s 2nd birthday party this weekend, I made sure to skip the Doritos and head for the FRUIT SALAD. It was scorching outside (102 degrees!), and the fruit bowl was sitting on ice and so refreshingly good. A simple combo of watermelon, strawberries, raspberries and purple grapes is so easy to assemble in our own kitchens and keep on hand.
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A simple combo of watermelon, strawberries, raspberries and purple grapes is so easy to assemble in our own kitchens and keep on hand.
LUNCH & DINNER
So, for my main meals, I thought about trying to incorporate VEGGIES, QUINOA OR POTATOES, and some HEALTHY FAT like olive oil, nuts or avocado. Many of these dishes are just assembled rather than following a certain recipe. But, there were a few meals here and there where I just ate a plate of veggies. This requires a shift in my thinking from my upbringing. My Dad didn’t consider dinner made unless there was meat on the plate.
Turning a “side” into a main meal doesn’t come naturally to me, but I actually really enjoy it. And come to think of it, the sides are what I really enjoy the most when we have a big meal like at Thanksgiving or Christmas! And I often serve Jordan just veggies for a meal with a ‘side’ of fruit, so why can’t I eat that way too??
MEAL #1: HEALTHY QUINOA SALAD BOWL
- A bed of butter and Romain lettuce
- Quinoa
- Roasted bell peppers and roasted potatoes
- Pumpkin seeds and Sesame seeds (for crunch)
- Avocado
I made enough to have this again the next day and ending up heating it up and eating on the road to an appointment. I hate eating in the car, but I was running late.
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MEAL #2: BUTTERNUT SQUASH
- Roasted butternut squash
- Roasted carrots
- simply seasoned with salt and pepper and a little olive oil
I actually made this for Jordan for lunch one day and then just ate some of it myself.
MEAL #3: BUTTERNUT SQUASH + QUINOA SALAD
- Using leftover Roasted butternut squash & Roasted carrots
- Quinoa
- Leftover kale chips
- Pumpkin seeds
- Dried cranberries
I like mixing all of this together into a big salad.
MEAL #4: BALSAMIC & BACON BRUSSEL SPROUTS
- Brussel Sprouts
- Crispy bacon
- Toasted Pecans
- Balsamic Reduction
One of my favorite veggie dishes this week is a recipe I followed from Joanna Gaines new cookbook, Magnolia Table. Let me tell you friends, I was skeptical about this cookbook. I mean, how many talents can one woman have?! I mean, she’s obviously a creative decorator and designer, with a flair for fashion and furniture, but gorgeous, genuine, and good cook too?! It’s just not fair! The book is full of food that I bet you and your whole family will love with beautiful stories and photos that accompany it.
I omitted the bacon this time and used a store bought balsamic.
MEAL #5: ROASTED SWEET POTATO & BUTTERNUT SQUASH BOWL
- Brussel Sprouts
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Quinoa
- Avocado
- Sesame seeds
Again, I took leftovers (the Brussels spouts, roasted sweet potato and quinoa) and just added avocado and sesame seeds to it.
MEAL #6: ROASTED POTATOES
- Roasted potatoes
- Onions
- Asparagus
I swear I could eat roasted red potatoes and crispy roasted onions everyday! I just love em! I will literally eat the onions standing at the stove, right out of the sheet pan!
MEAL #7: ROASTED CAULIFLOWER & CHICKPEA SALAD
I’m lucky I get to eat any of this dish. It’s one of Jordan’s favorites and she will practically eat the whole thing, always asking for “More, please!” It works out though, because her favorite part is the cauliflower and mine is the chickpeas. I found this recipe in Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Good Cookbook!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried
- 1 head of cauliflower, outer leaves removed and discarded, cut into bite-sized florets
- 3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Coarse sea salt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon seeded mustard (i.e., grainy mustard)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set the rack in the middle. Toss chickpeas and cauliflower together in a large roasting pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Roast, stirring now and then, until everything is dark brown and the cauliflower is quite soft, about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together mustards, vinegar, and 1/4 cup of olive oil with a big pinch of salt and a few healthy grinds of black pepper. While the chickpeas and cauliflower are still warm, toss them with the mustard dressing and the parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.
GOING OUT TO EAT
On Friday night, we headed out to dinner at a super cute new restaurant, Bungalow. The place was packed with hip minglers and I’m sure a family of four with a 2 and 8 year-old wasn’t what they had in mind! #oops. The only (3) seats were at the bar, so Jordan crawled onto my lap and we bellied up.
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I’m not much of a drinker, dessert is more my jam, but I do like a glass of wine here and there. Especially when I’m at a restaurant bar with my kids and there’s only three seats for four of us. A lot of times, I don’t even finish my whole glass. #hangsheadinshameÂ
MEAL #8: CHICKEN SALAD
There’s not many meat-free options here, so I got a CHICKEN SALAD and skipped the chicken part. I have to be honest though – I was still hungry when we got home so I ate a bowl of cereal.
It’s rare we go out two nights in a row, but we had some errands to run on Saturday evening and found ourselves out at dinnertime. This time we went to Churrosco’s, lured by the memory of fried plantains! I swear I could eat a bucket of them! Have you ever had them?! If so, you know what I mean!
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MEAL #9: AHI TUNA SALAD
(not pictured: said FRIED PLANTAINS)Â Is it bad that I offered them to my kids and then was happy when they declined?! I really couldn’t believe Jordan passed them up!Â
I love a good tuna tartare, tuna sashimi/sushi, seared tuna or tuna salad. I don’t make it that often at the house, so I like to see it on a menu.
A perfect weekend day includes a hard workout (check), some pool time (check), and then relaxing back at home while Jordan naps (check).
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GREEN SMOOTHIE
For those who know me, you’d be surprised to hear that I passed up my poolside Piña Colada (they make the best ones!) for of a green smoothie!
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This one has pineapple, spinach, kale, avocado, lemon, banana and protein. It was yummy! Maybe I should try making a smoothie at home- I hardly ever do that! It always seems like it takes so much food to make a small drink! Am I wrong??Â
I will mention that my husband didn’t eat every meal with me. He made a one-pot meal (rice with white beans and Italian sausage) that he and Jordan both ate sometimes if he didn’t want what I was having. James always eats the same thing for lunch and dinner, so we stuck with that.
DESSERT
To satisfy my sweet tooth, I had about 2-3 GHIRARDELLI DARK CHOCOLATE SQUARES a few times this week.
So did you enjoy this post? Should I write more posts like this sharing what I eat in a week or weekly meal plan? Let me know in the comments and, if you’re not already subscribed to my blog, subscribe here so you never miss a post!
AND, good news! I will be bringing back the HWH Fitness Challenge in September! I’m super excited for it! Let me know if you’re in for Round 2!
Have a great day friends!
Love your snack ideas! And I didn’t get to join the fitness challenge last time so I’m super excited!
Yay Alexis! SO happy to have you!
I loved this post!! You gave me inspiration again. I am too eating less meat and more veggies and finding new recipes to cook without meat. Thank you! Incant wait for the fitness challenge!
Thanks for the inspiration! I love veggies but have a hard time coming up with new ways to eat them, and at times try to eat less meat as well. I don’t like to follow a recipe for simple every day meals, so this post was perfect!
I would def love to see more of these posts as to what u ate in a week ! Helps with great healthy ideas. Thank you
Thanks for letting me know! I’ll definitely keep these posts up!
Love this post!! I started Weight Watchers in Feb and the plan encourages a lot of veggies and fruits so this is similar to how I’ve been eating the past several months (plus lots of chicken and turkey). 🙂 I’m a foodie…..I like to be creative with my meals, otherwise I will get bored. I tried the cauliflower chick pea recipe from one of your previous posts and it is sooooo good (hubby even LOVED it)! Thanks for the ideas!
Thank you for sharing all your meals! I am trying to eat a more plant based diet and the struggle is real!!! I will definitely incorporate some of your meals this week! Thanks Megan!!
Thanks so much Leigh! I’m so glad this post is helpful!
Great post! Love the food ideas! I had a terrible workout this morning and I KNOW it’s because I simply ate too much crap this weekend. Seeing your post gave me some good ideas of how to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my much-needed “cleaned up” diet! Where did you purchase that smoothie?! It looks fabulous!
I totally know how that goes!! I got that smoothie at the Houstonian. 😉
Love this post! I have been trying to make more smoothies and it’s great for my kids because I don’t make them very sweet but they still like them and they get stuff that they wouldn’t want to eat on their own. If you are looking for some good smoothie recipes, check out Weelicious. She does a lot of great recipes for kids too. The easiest way to get into regularly drinking smoothies is to order some from Daily Harvest. My first order was 6 for the price of 3 because I used a link from someone onboard IG. Mostly organic, frozen smoothies that come packed in dry ice and are ready to throw in the blender. All you have to do is add liquid (almond milk, water, etc). I usually add collagen peptides (look it up – great protein source and is good for hair, joints, skin, etc) and it makes enough for me and my kids.
One of my favorite vegan meals is the Butternut Squash Buddha Bowl from Fit Foodie Finds. You would like it because it has roasted squash and chickpeas. We add other veggies, greens, etc but I love the idea of throwing everything in a bowl!
Oh I have that Weelicious cookbook! I’m all about the Budda Bowls- they look so pretty too!
Hi Megan,
Great post, my sister and I also love to snack on apples and peanut butter, but we use PB2, it’s dehydrated peanuts you just add water for the consistency you like; they just remove the oil, and add a very small amount of sugar compared to regular peanut butter. Keep up the good work, I am really enjoying your diet and exercise posts.
Patty
I’ve heard of that- used it in baking! Never thought to add it for my apples!
Check your freezer section for smoothie ingredients. My Kroger has a wide variety of options – frozen fruit with frozen veggies mixed in. I always add a little bit of peanut butter, which is delicious!
That’s a great idea- totally forgot about that!
My favorite smoothie at the moment has 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup native pecan brewed coffee, 2 tbl ground flax seeds, 1 banana, sprinkle of cinnamon & nutmeg, 4 or 5 ice cubes. Everything you are eating right now sounds right up my alley. Thanks for the ideas!
You had me at coffee!! 😉
Your food looks delicious! I follow a whole food plant-based diet, and loved seeing your recipes here! I’ll have to try that chickpea and cauliflower dish – chickpeas are my fave! Don’t worry about protein when you skip meat – there really is no such thing as a protein deficient diet (even cows who eat grass all day get enough protein – otherwise how would we get protein from them when we eat them? 😉 ). I’ve been meat/dairy/egg free for over a year and love the way it has made me feel.
For smoothies, I have a Ninja NutriPro blender, which makes things sooooo smooth. Every morning, I fill the big pitcher with kale, frozen fruit (usually mango and a berry mix), two bananas, and about a cup of water. During the summer when fresh watermelon and stone fruits are available, I use frozen watermelon chunks and fresh plums and nectarines with the kale and bananas. SOOO GOOD.
PS I always prep my kale by removing the stems and massaging the leaves with a sprinkle of salt for about 5 minutes – makes it so tender and removes the bite. It also makes it more salad-friendly if you want to eat it raw!
Thanks for that tip Allison, very helpful!
We do have a good blender- the Vitamix, but haven’t used it in forever! Need to break it out again! Thanks for sharing your smoothie!
All of those bean salads look delicious! Thanks for the recipes. We make something similar called cowboy caviar and it’s so good.
Check out Minimalist Baker – she has a blog but I love the cookbook as well. They’re all vegetarian & gluten free recipes with simple ingredients and I have loved everything I’ve made from her recipes. She’s awesome, and my non-vegetarian, gluten loving partner will eat anything I make from her blog.
I had forgotten about roasted carrots! YUm! Going to use some of these ideas. Thanks for sharing!
I love blog posts like these! Def going to try the chickpea and cauliflower recipe. I grew up the same way where we always had some kind of meat on our plates. Lately I’ve been wanting to make more meatless recipes, but can’t always find something me and the kids would like. And yes to the September challenge!
Hi Megan! This post was really interesting! BTW I love my Vitamix for smoothies! It’s the best 🙂 I also lift like you, and sometimes struggle to get enough protein in to gain and maintain muscle. Curious if you added any protein shakes to your day to make up for the protein lost through meat? I know there’s a lot of protein found in meat alternatives, but sometimes it’s pretty hard to get enough protein in that way. Just curious what you did 🙂
Love this post! So many great ideas! How do you roast your potatoes and veggies (oven temp., how long, seasonings)? Thank you for all the inspiration!!!
I would love if this became a weekly feature! I started following you for your fitness and exercise content, and would love to see some more.
Thanks for the meat-free recipe ideas!
Loved this post! Meal planning and healthy eating are my biggest struggles right now. Thanks for the inspiration and great ideas!
You’re welcome Meagan!
I loved this post! Your meal prep seems so manageable versus some healthy suggestions online that would have me at the grocery store every day ?.
Can u share how u roast your veggies? I can cook fancy Indian food but I always seem to overcook something simple as roasting veggies. ?
Loved this post! Given me lots of inspiration!
I love this post but I’m in a similar dilemma. My husband wouldn’t eat those meals (he’s a meat and potatoes type) or my toddler. It’s hard enough having time to make one meal, let alone two!
I understand that!
We’ve been on a smoothie kick for breakfast in our house! However, I get canker sores with too much acidic fruit so i have to skip the pineapple and strawberries
Smooth Green Smoothie:
Cup of Kale
Cup of Spinach
Cup or so of water (or whatever liquid you want)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
Blend that up first to make sure its not grainy
Then add: frozen banana, frozen mango, frozen peaches
Also there is a frozen kale berry smoothie mix at Target that is really good.
Thanks for sharing that berry mix, I’m gonna look it!
I did enjoy this post! My family is vegan so it was fun to Pin a few meal ideas from this post! I often keep quinoa which I find has much more flavor if I cook it in veggie stock rather than water, or wild rice mixed with brown in the fridge for lunches. All of those options are good for the protein and I just add whatever roasted veggies to it! During summer I eat more cold salads with fresh veggies from my garden like tomatoes and herbs but I still add the chickpeas or quinoa for the protein. I’m going to make that bean salad tonight!!
Thanks so much Sara! I hope you enjoy it!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog!!! Great post! I love to see what other people eat…it inspires me to try new and “real” things! I’d love it if you continued to post your meals! SO many wonderful ideas. My son is a picky eater, is James? How do you handle it? What are his favs?
I am so appreciative of the myriad of details throughout your blog! Thank you!!
Thank you so much Valerie. I appreciate you recognizing the hard work I put into my blog! James eats the same things on repeat and we’re working with his pediatrician to incorporate new foods. It’s definitely a challenge.
I loved this post, it’s so interesting and helpful to see the healthy meals people are eating. I have a can of white beans in my pantry that I bought for a soup that I never made but that White Bean Dip looks delicious and I have all the ingredients to make it tonight! Yay!
THANK YOU for this post!! I’m a lifelong vegetarian and I love to see what others eat when not eating meet! Making that cauli/chickpea recipe STAT!
That one is Jordan’s fave too!
Thank you!! This is exactly the inspiration I needed after a week of indulgence on vacation!
Me too girl!! 🙂
Love your blog, you’ve mentioned James is a picky eater. What is his food preference?
Thank you Lynn! He tends to eat the same things on repeat. I know he’s kinda shy about it so we just continue to work on it.
Your blog is so well done and inspiring!! The amount of effort you put forth is commendable. Everything in it is relate-able. You are the real deal! Keep on going!!
Sally, thank you so much for that- it means so much!!
White Bean salad looks delicious so am going to make this weekend to take to office for lunch. Love your post and fitness inspiration!
Thank you so much Debbie! I appreciate that!
Megan, I love your blog< I sarted a diet but includes lots of fish and different meats.. Are you still not eating meat?..
Thanks so much Tita! I do eat meat, mostly chicken, but I also eat fish and shrimp and also get protein from eggs, beans, edamama, quinoa, nuts, etc.
I just started working out 4/5 days a week. 3 months now:) I love seeing your meals/snacks to stay lean healthy, and build muscle. Would love to see more posts like these. Thank you!
Good for you! I bet you feel so good! I have another healthy meal post coming up on Thursday, and more fitness posts coming this month. Thank you for letting me know you like them!
Thanks for the reply! Great can’t wait for them 🙂
I loved this post and appreciate the time you took to give us this information! Thanks!