What I Eat to Stay Lean

Thank you to Macy’s and Shopstyle for sponsoring today’s post.

Hi friends!  I hope you had a fabulous weekend! Ours slowed way down when James came down with the stomach bug that had him down for the count all day Saturday.  And Jordan napped for three hours, so that was reeeealllly nice for a change. On Sunday, everyone was feeling good and we spent a lot of time in the backyard enjoying our beautiful weather.

Finally, Sunday evening I went for a jog with Jordan in the jogging stroller (something I haven’t done in forever!), which prompted me to bring back the Move 20 Minutes a Day ChallengeIt’s 30 days and all you have to do is commit to exercising for 20 minutes a day- no matter what type of exercise it is.  Today starts Day 1, so I’d love to have you do it with me!

If you struggle with what exercise to do, you can use the Get Fit Done Guide that has 5 weeks worth of workouts you can do at home!  Or, check out this Fitness Challenge page on my blog for tons of free workouts.

WHAT I EAT IN A DAY

Today’s post is an often requested What I Eat to Stay Lean/What I Eat in a Day.  I know lots of us struggle with what to eat to stay lean and also what to feed our families.  We’re short on time, but still want yummy, healthy food.  I don’t count calories or track macros daily anymore, but I do try to eat balanced meals with a combo of protein, carbs and healthy fats.  I also include a sweet treat every day- a couple pieces of dark chocolate at the end of the day is my fave.  Maybe more than that if I’m being honest!

Below is an example of what I eat in a day and all of this is also included in the Get Fit Done Guide.

WATER

First things first!  If you’ve been following me for long, you know one of my daily healthy habits includes making sure I drink enough water each day.  To help with this, I fill up two big tumblers with water right when I wake up.  One stays downstairs and one goes up so that I always have a drink handy.

MUSCLE EGG

I am not one of those people that can delay my first meal of the day for long.  I have to get something in my system pretty soon after I wake up.  Also, I’m not good at working out on an empty stomach, so I usually drink a cup of Muscle Egg (flavored liquid egg whites).  The chocolate flavor is the best!

Some people are turned off by the thought of drinking egg whites, so in that case, you can substitute a smoothie.  The Get Fit Done Guide has a couple easy and delicious smoothie recipes.

Then, I always eat breakfast, lunch, a snack and dinner.  It’s a very rare occasion that I skip a meal, and it’s never because I “forgot to eat” but it could be because I just got so busy that it got away from me.
Since I work from home, I tend to cook from scratch, but there are lots of healthy meal delivery services and I’ll share more about one I really like later this week.  Also, I’m no gourmet chef, my meals are super easy!
Black shorts yellow top

COFFEE

I can’t write a “what I eat in a day” post without mentioning my coffee.  Yes, I’m that kind of girl that doesn’t get her day started without a cup of coffee – and 3 tablespoons of vanilla caramel creamer. #letmelive

BREAKFAST • EGG MUFFINS

I have a few breakfast dishes I rotate often : oatmeal, protein pancakes, avocado toast with an egg, and egg muffins. This egg muffin recipe is a special treat from our Get Fit Done Guide. It’s easy to make and reheats well throughout the week.

INGREDIENTS

6 eggs

3 egg whites (or 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup milk or almond milk

1/2 cup spinach and/or any other veggies

salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Spray muffin tin (12 muffins) with cooking spray and preheat oven to 350.

Combine eggs, egg whites and milk in a bowl and whisk.

Add spinach and other veggies.

Pour mixture into muffin tins 3/4 full and bake 20-25 minutes. 

TIP :  to reheat, cover 2 muffins in a paper towel and heat for 20-30 seconds in microwave.

Egg Cups

I like to put everything on a tray to keep it all in one place and make clean up a little faster. You can use medium sized mixing bowls to mix the ingredients together.  Then, as you’re chopping your veggies, use the large bowl as a garbage bowl that you can easily dump when you’re done.  Did I mention that I’m all for easy clean up?!
This set of melamine bowls from Martha Stewart come in the prettiest pastel shades.  There are four stackable bowls that come with coordinating lids if you want to save something for later or need to transport something.
Martha Stewart Mixing Bowls
I really like using this flex mat for small chopping jobs and also for keeping crumbs and messes from accumulating on the counter.  You can pop them in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.
I also use these mats every morning when I make James toast for breakfast and peanut butter sandwich for his school lunch.  It catches all those bread crumbs!
Egg Cups
Whisk the eggs, then stir the ingredients together.  Pour them into a muffin tin and pop into the oven.
I’ll usually eat two at a time for my breakfast or have one with a piece of wheat toast.  You can make several in advance, store them in the refrigerator in a seal tight container, then pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds to reheat.  I like these glass containers with lids that stack easily in the fridge.
Egg Cups

LUNCH • PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS & SPINACH

I like to eat lunch with Jordan almost every day. I break from working in my home office around noon so we can eat lunch at the breakfast table together.  I’m lucky she’s a good eater and she’ll usually eat whatever I’m having.  Often, it’s leftovers from the night before that we just reheat.

This pasta dish is just protein spiral noodles with red sauce.  I added sautéed spinach and mushrooms to mine to make it heartier.

INGREDIENTS

Protein Plus Rotini

Red sauce

Mushrooms

Spinach

METHOD

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms and spinach over medium heat with cooking spray.

When the pasta is al dente, drain and add the red sauce, then stir in the spinach and mushrooms

SNACK • GREEK YOGURT & BERRIES

My snacks of choice are usually hummus and veggies (or pita chips), apples and peanut butter, or this Greek yogurt and berries dish.  Now that it’s Spring, I find myself reaching for lighter snacks and especially fresh fruit in vibrant colors.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Greek yogurt

Handful of berries of choice

Tablespoon sliced almonds

Teaspoon hemp seeds (optional)

RECIPE

Scoop out the yogurt, then top with berries and nuts.  Super easy!
Fruit glass containers
If I’m extra prepared, I wash my fruit when I bring it home from the grocery store so it’s ready to go.  Then, I just slice up some strawberries, add blueberries or raspberries, sliced almonds and hemp for texture and added protein.
I buy Fage 2% Greek yogurt and on its own it’s too tart for my taste, but with the berries and other ingredients, it’s really good!  If you want to have this snack for dessert, drizzle caramel sauce on top!  It’s soooo yummy!
What I Eat in a Day - Yogurt and berries

DINNER • TRAY DINNER

I’ve been obsessed with the “tray dinner” ever since Cari introduced me to it in the Get Fit Done | 7 Day Reset.  The tray dinner is similar to a one-pot meal, but instead of cooking everything in one pot on the stove, you put your food on a tray and bake it in the oven.

In about 35 minutes, you have a healthy meal with minimal clean-up! Again, easy clean up is important!

INGREDIENTS

Unlimited veggies (try Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, etc)

2 servings of protein

flavor with herbs, spices, onion, chopped garlic

Drizzle with olive oil

METHOD

Combine all ingredients on a baking sheet or “tray” and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes tossing lightly halfway through. Continue baking until your protein is cooked thoroughly (especially if cooking raw meat).

*You can can eat leftovers cold (for salads) or reheat in microwave.

Get Fit Done Tray Dinner
I chose to use chicken tenders as my protein because I knew Jordan would eat it and the tenders cook faster and more evenly than a full chicken breast. I think a flank steak or even pork chop would work well as a protein for this too. Just make sure you’re checking your cooked meat temperature!
Get Fit Done Tray Dinner
This was so good the next day too, I chopped everything up a little smaller and put it on top of a bed of spinach leaves. Drizzled with a little vinaigrette, it was a whole new taste from the same ingredients.

AFTER DINNER SNACK • DARK CHOCOLATE

I’m usually craving something sweet after I put Jordan to bed.  Honestly, I think I’m just in the habit of sitting down on the couch and decompressing with a dessert.  Like some people look forward to that evening glass of wine, I look forward to Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares.  I’ll have 2 or 3 and sometimes dip them in peanut butter.
If I stay up too late and get hungry again, I’ll eat a small bowl of cereal with almond milk (usually Multigrain Cheerios or Crispix) or I’ll have another cup of Muscle Egg.
One thing that helps me not eat too late, is to make a cup of hot tea at night.  I find it also relaxes me and puts me in the calming mood for sleep.  Opting for the tea instead of the chocolate is a great way to cut calories when I feel like I’m eating too many.
I’d love to hear what your go-to meals are!

CLICK THE PHOTOS BELOW TO SHOP

All of these cookware items are from Macy’s and make great registry items or wedding gifts.   I still use our China and not just for special occasions!  And, you know that bride is gonna be asked sooner or later, “What’s for dinner?” Hopefully, these items make coming up with something not so annoying intimidating! 😉

So who’s in with me on the 30 Day MOVE Challenge??!!  If you are, I’ll make a free printable so we can track our progress together! 
Here’s to a fantastic week friends!

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

36 Comments

  1. I am in too! I workout at Orange Theory 5-6 times a week but on the days I don’t go, I am a sloth 🙁

      1. OTF is amazing. The Staff treats you like family. Coaches push you when needed.
        I am a runner ( 4th Marathon this fall) but I have muscle places I have never had before because of OTF.
        Now I just need to figure out how not to snack when stressed :-0

  2. I am in. I fell way off of the workout/healthy eating wagon for the past month and I feel awful. I need to reset my healthy habits!

  3. Wow, this makes me feel so much better! I try so hard to eat well and feed my family well, but also enjoy a treat – creamer in my coffee, a bowl of cereal, etc – and seems like so many blogs each so much cleaner and stricter… So nice to see a realistic but healthy meal approach!!

  4. I’m in! I take Pure Barre classes 4-5 days a week and walk my dog every morning.

    The chicken recipe looks great. I’ve been eating EVERYTHING for the past 2 weeks (ok, months) and I need to get back to my regular lifestyle.

    My go-to healthy meal is chicken breasts covered in Rotel and 1 TBSP Mexican seasoning then cooked in crock pot. Serve over baked sweet potato, garnished with guacamole, cilantro and jalapeños. It sounds weird, but it’s one of our favorites.

  5. I love all your food posts, so relatable! Slightly unrelated question, but my digital bathroom scale just broke, do you recommend one?

  6. I am confused about the egg muffins. The recipe says for 12 muffins, but your pictures show you cooking it in a 6-muffin tin. Is that just a half-batch, or is that an extra-large muffins tin? And if they are larger, how did you adjust the cooking temp or time from the original recipe?

  7. I am going to try that egg muffin recipe! When I am out and about and want a healthy breakfast/lunch, I get the Soud Vida Egg bites from Starbucks, they are soooo good, and your recipe reminds me of those. I am also a fan of the sheet pan meal idea. Our favorite is sheet pan fajitas…so quick and easy and is a family favorite, we actually had it last night. I have leftovers and am going to make quesidilla’s for the kids dinner tonight, doesn’t get any easier than that!

    1. Hi! Great question Gina. No, my diet was way more strict – you can find it on the Fitness tab, Bikini Prep at the top of my blog. There’s lots of posts about when I was training for that!

    1. Oh wow, 2 a day! I’ve heard of people splitting it up like that. I bet that afternoon workout helps keep you from hitting the sweets at that time for an afternoon pick me up!

  8. Thanks for the healthy and easy meal options. I’ve been on a camo kick lately, where did you find that cute pink T-shirt? ?

  9. Love your full day of eats post! I have followed your nutrition and workout principles for a long time now. After some stress related weight gain I hopped back on your 40-day challenge Nutrition guidelines from a couple years ago and down 25lbs since September. These post keep my head in the game!

    1. That is so awesome Amanda- kudos to you though! You’re the one doing the hard work. It takes a lot of dedication and patience to lose 25 pounds! Proud of you girl!

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