Healthy, Clean Eating Daily Meal Plan

I asked on my instagram story if you guys wanted some more posts on my typical diet, nutrition, and cooking, and the positive response was huge! So I figured I would start by sharing kind of a “day in the life” with what I typically eat every day.

I do eat generally the same things every day during the week, and the weekends stray a bit based on what we are up to. I have found that eating the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day does two things: {1} helps with digestions & belly issues & {2} takes less brain power. I actually heard that for people who are very, very busy and Type A multitaskers, it’s best to keep meals consistent because it clears the brain for other things & for making decisions. And since I am allergic to gluten & have had a lot of stomach issues in the past, keeping my meals consistent has really worked for me, and I rarely have digestive or stomach issues at all anymore! When I do, it’s either due to super high stress or the occasional indulging in a gluten-filled treat like a piece of birthday cake or something.

Obviously you want to leave wiggle room for yourself no matter what you do. I don’t consider myself “on a diet”…this is simply what I eat most days because it makes me feel my best and works for my lifestyle. I don’t believe in really restricting yourself because I think that can lead to overindulging/bingeing. My personal recommendation and the way I live by is to eat for overall health, energy & happiness. Fuel your body with good, natural things that are well-balanced, and mix in treats here and there. Be conscious of what you’re putting in your body {you only get one!}, but don’t let it take over or stress you out too much.

To be honest, I wish I didn’t eat any processed or packaged foods at all, but that’s just not feasible with {1} the country we live in & {2} the fast-paced, always running somewhere life I {and most of us} lead so I do what I can to eat naturally when I can. And I don’t overly stress myself. I also like nighttime snacks, so I don’t deny myself snacks, I just try to make smarter snack decisions and also consider why I am snacking if it gets excessive. For example, if I notice that I’m stress eating a container of something mindlessly, I consider if maybe I’m tired and just need to go to sleep or if it’s stress and I’m not even hungry and I need to take a breath for a minute.

Here’s a pretty regular example of snack substituting for me. I eat Lime Tostitos a lot at night. Yes, they are processed and don’t offer a ton of nutritional value, but they also aren’t terrible like a pack of Oreos would be or something like that. I’ll be honest, in the past, it would be a pack of gluten-free cookies at night or a whole bag of chocolates, but I’ve subbed in a better choice that won’t be so damaging to my nutrition and how I feel the next day. Tostitos are fairly low calorie and are low sugar.

Sugar {including artificial sweeteners} is what you honestly need to monitor the most, because sugar is what turns to fat and makes you gain weight. It also leads to a whole host of other health problems {read this article on 11 Reasons Too Much Sugar is Bad for You if you want more info}. And not just processed sugars, you need to watch your fruit intake too. Fruit has a lot of sugar {varies depending on what type of fruit}, unfortunately because I love fruit.

TIP: drinking the recommended daily intake of water is super important for keeping your metabolism moving & helping with food digestion as well as hydration and overall health of your body & skin!

If you missed my story about it not long ago, I shared that I was eating a TON of fruit daily, which was about twice what my daily intake of sugar should have been. I subbed out my huge plate of morning fruit for an avocado, and noticed a miraculous change in my body. My stomach got flatter and I lost about 4 lbs in 2 weeks! I don’t weigh myself very often at all, maybe once a month, but I happened to be feeling really good one day so jumped on the scale at the gym about 2 weeks after I got weighed at the doctor and was shocked at the difference!

At the end of the day, it takes a bit of trial and error to find what will work for your body because everyone’s body is different. I recommend meals that are high in lean protein and low in sugar. Veggies are the best carb, and try to stay away from too much processing, added sauces etc. Below is a typical daily menu of mine {the first in each section} plus some other well balanced ideas to give you some inspiration for where to start!

Balanced Eating Meal Plan

Breakfast

2 eggs
1 small avocado
cup of black coffee

on the run option:
1 cup of cottage cheese
3/4 cup of blueberries or strawberries or one orange

2 pieces of higher protein toast {not super processed, made with whole grains & real ingredients} with almond butter or peanut butter
1 small avocado
cup of black coffee

Lunch

2 pieces of all natural chicken sausage or 5-6 all natural chicken meatballs
1 1/2 cups of steamed vegetables of your choice {I get the organic frozen California blend veggies and just nuke them in my office

1 1/2 cups of riced cauliflower
6-8 sauteed or grilled shrimp
squeeze of lemon

1 can of low sodium lentil vegetable soup {I love this one!}
1 small avocado

Dinner

1 piece of seared raw ahi tuna
1 1/2 cups of steamed vegetables of your choice

all natural, organic microwave meal {I love Amy’s meals like this one for nights I am too tired to cook or need something quick. Luvo meals are great too!}

2 cups spiralized veggies like zucchini & squash
6-8 grilled or sauteed shrimp
olive oil, garlic & lemon
spices of your choice

1 baked chicken breast with lemon & rosemary
sauteed asparagus