Here is your second healthy meal plan! For everyone who is particiapting in the whole food challenge, how is it going? I am doing well so far. The first few days were the hardest, but my body and mind have adapted and I’m going strong! This week I only did six meals so that you can add one of your own. I have found that I like a 5-6 meal plan better than a seven meal plan becuase I always have impromtu meals, eating out, get togethers, left over nights, and the like mixed in and I can’t use up the produce for seven meals before it starts to go bad.
Make sure you read through all the notes I have made! I explain my changes and tips to make it all easier. Click the name of the meal or the picture to go to the actual recipe.
Here is the Printable Shopping List. CLICK HERE and then click “print” in your browser.
Cross off things you already have and don’t forget to add ingredients for breakfasts, lunches, sides, and snacks.
The blogs these recipes come from are truly beautiful and delicious and I encourage you to browse all their recipes for healthy meal ideas.
MEAL 1: ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH FETA, CAPERS, RED BELL PEPPER, AND GREEN ONION by Kalyn’s Kitchen (gluten free, vegetarian)
This recipe is so stinking good. We polished off the entire massive bowl, just the three of us. It kind of seems like a side dish, but that’s how I roll. I make side dishes into the main dish and add something simple as the side dish. If you followed my meal plan from last week, you will have left over feta cheese from that Greek salad. Use it in this recipe! The salty briney flavors meshing with the sweet peppers and cauliflower and the fragrant Greek seasoning… Love it. We served this with some cut up fruit and called it dinner.
MEAL 2: LOADED THAI SWEET POTATOES by Edible Experiments (vegan, gluten free)
Anothe loaded sweet potato? I couldn’t resist because its one of my all time favorite dinners. Its easy, healthy, and filling. Its simple, really. Just a roasted sweet potato, topped with veggies, and drizzled with a quick peanut sauce. And every topping tastes so good in this context. I use frozen shelled edamme and it really ups the protein content in this recipe, which already has quite a bit from the peanuts. Feel free to roast your sweet potatoes ahead of time to save time during dinner prep.
MEAL 3: SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN MEXICAN SALAD by Two Peas and Their Pod (vegetarian, gluten free)
This salad is one of my husband’s favorite meals. And my daughter turns into a monster when I set this salad on the table, doing what ever it takes to get to the bowl and grab a handful of sweet potatoes to eat. We are trying to teach her table manners, but when she is going crazy over something so healthy its hard to want to stop her. I sprinkled some “Slap Ya Mamma” seasoning on the sweet potatoes before roasting. I sprinkle it on half the food I make, its that good. Plan this meal for a day when your avocados will be ripe. I decided to use a different dressing recipe becuase the dressing that accompanies this recipe uses buttermilk, yogurt, and two avocados ( I only had one to spare). If you aren’t participating in my food challenge, feel free to use the dressing from Two Peas and Their Pod. Its delicious, too. I used the 5 Minute Avocado Cilantro Dressing by Pinch of Yum instead. It does call for a small amount of greek yogurt, but that is one of the foods I have allowed in my challenge. Click the link in this paragraph for the dressing recipe. I have included that dressing’s ingredients in the shopping list. Be sure to alter it if you choose to make a different dressing.
MEAL 4: ROASTED ASPARAGUS AVOCADO SOUP by Cook Eat Paleo (vegan, gluten free, paleo)
Another simple, but awesome recipe to warm you up this winter. I love that the avocado makes it nice and creamy. I didn’t have any garlic infused olive oil, so I used plain olive oil and added a bit of garlic powder to the salt and pepper when I was coating the asparagus. I also skip the step of transfering it from the Vitamix to the pot to warm, and I just blend it all in the Vitamix until the soup is hot and steaming and serve straight from there. Check to make sure your blender has the ability to warm things before trying this. Also, if you are feeding more than 2 or 3, double the recipe.
MEAL 5 : RAD RAINBOW RAW PAD THAI by Oh She Glows (gluten free, vegan, paleo)
I got a veggie spiralizer for Chrismtas and so I thought I would throw on a recipe with spiralized veggie noodles. My husband picked out THIS ONE for me and it was $10. If you don’t have one, you can julienne the veggies by hand or using a mandolin to slice. A Julienne Peeler would work, too. The other option is to feed them through a shredding blade of a food processor. They wont be as cleanly noodle like or as long, but it will work in a pinch. You can also buy your carrots from the store in matchstick form, leaving only the zucchini to be julienned. I planned this recipe this week because it helps use up the rest of the cabbage left over from the Sweet Potato Mexican Salad. If you don’t have or can’t find hemp seeds, just leave them out. They have lots of protien and nutrients, but its not a big deal if its not worth the trouble to you to hunt them down. You can also use soy sauce instead of tamari if you like.
MEAL SIX: SPAGHETTI SQUASH CHOW MEIN by Little Bits Of (vegan, gluten free, paleo)
For this recipe you can make the spaghetti squash ahead of time. If it were me, I would throw it in the oven with the sweet potatoes on the day I make the Loaded Thai Sweet Potatoes. Feel free to use maple, honey, or agave instead of the brown sugar. This would be good served with a huge pile of steamed edamame pods, sesame garlic roasted asparagus, or a quick egg drop soup.
TIPS:
- I know there are lots of salad-like options this week. I wanted you to be able to use up your cabbage, so I did more salad-like meals than I normally would. If you feel like these aren’t hearty or filling enough, add some sides to bulk up the meal. Side Ideas: fresh fruit, fried egg, roasted veggies, kale chips, baked sweet potato fries, beans, and edamame- steamed or roasted in the pod (I buy mine frozen at Kroger, Smiths, Trader Joe’s, or Sam’s Club).
- When you have veggies that are used in multiple dishes, do the chopping all at once. Example, when you make the Mexican Salad, chop the whole head of cabbage. Use some in the salad and save the rest for when you make the Rad Rainbow Raw Pad Thai.
