My Meal Plan for Week 4 of the 30-Day Real Food and Fitness Challenge
Can you believe that there is just a little over a week remaining of the challenge? During this past week, I even forgot I was doing a challenge some days (okay not really), but it was significantly easier than in the beginning. The healthy habits I’ve been forming are starting to feel more like routine, and less like a burdensome chore. Namely: no mindless snacking, subbing extra veggies for breads, no unnecessary sweetening foods like oatmeal, and getting my butt off the couch and to the gym in the morning. Don’t get me wrong, there have been countless hurdles along the way. One afternoon I ended up at a restaurant and had to scrutinize their home-cookin’ style menu to find a challenge-approved meal–I did find one. There have also been countless cupcakes, pumpkin cakes, and candy lurking at every corner. I’ve found that the more I keep my goals in mind, the easier it is to pass over those types of foods I know my body doesn’t need.
So let’s finish out the 30-day challenge strong! Here is my final meal plan for this challenge:
My meals for week 4 of the 30-Day Real Food and Fitness Challenge
Day 22-Monday
Breakfast: Apple cranberry oatmeal: 1/2 cup certified gluten-free oats cooked in unsweetened soy milk, 1/2 a chopped apple, 1/4 cup fresh cranberries ($1 for a 12 oz bag at Sprouts!), 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1.5 tbsp chia seeds; coffee with 2 tbsp canned coconut milk
Snack: handful of cashews and 1/2 cup baby carrots
Lunch: 1.5 cups spaghetti squash topped with shredded chicken (I’ll be cooking several lbs of chicken in the crock pot for the week), 1/2 cup Delallo roasted garlic pasta sauce (no sugar in ingredients list, just tomatoes and spices), 1/2 a sliced green pepper; 1 apple
Dinner: grilled cod with mint, lemon and basil; roasted butternut squash & cranberries; served over 1/2 cup cooked quinoa; 1 cup pineapple
Exercise: run 2 miles, 45 min weights
Day 23-Tuesday
Breakfast: smoothie made with 1 cup fresh pineapple, 1/2 a frozen banana, 1 cup unsweetened soy milk, 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut, large handful of spinach, 1 serving hemp protein powder; coffee with 2 tbsp canned coconut milk
Snack: 1 hard-boiled egg and handful of cashews
Lunch: 1.5 cups spaghetti squash topped with 1 can tuna, 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced green pepper, 2 tbsp dried cherries, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1/4 tsp dried basil; 1 pear
Dinner: 1 small baked potato topped with 4 oz chicken, and piled high with sliced bell peppers, onion, 1/2 a small avocado, salsa (no sugar in ingredients list); 1 cup steamed broccoli; 1 cup grapes
Exercise: rest
Day 24-Wednesday
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs; 1/2 a small sliced avocado & grape tomatoes; 1/2 a grapefruit; coffee with 2 tbsp canned coconut milk
Snack:1/2 cup baby carrots with 1/4 cup hummus
Lunch: 1.5 cups spaghetti squash topped with 4 oz shredded chicken, 1/2 cup Delallo roasted garlic pasta sauce (no sugar in ingredients list, just tomatoes and spices), sliced green pepper; 1 apple
Dinner: savory jumbo chickpea pancake (apparently you can make chickpea flour from dried chickpeas in a Vitamix–I will be trying) topped with sliced avocado, roasted tomatoes, black olives; 1 apple
Exercise: run 4 miles
Day 25-Thursday
Breakfast: smoothie made with 1 cup frozen pineapple, 1 kiwi, 1/2 frozen banana, large handful spinach leaves 1 cup unsweetened soy milk, 1 serving hemp protein powder; coffee with 2 tbsp canned coconut milk
Snack: 1/2 cup baby carrots and 1/4 cup hummus
Lunch: 2 cups spinach salad with 4 oz shredded chicken, 2 tbsp dried cranberries, 2 tbsp walnuts, 1/2 a sliced red pepper. Dressing: plain balsamic vinegar to taste (I don’t use any oil, but you can add 1 tsp olive oil to the balsamic); 1/2 cup cooked green peas
Dinner: 1 serving vegetable & garbanzo curry; 4oz baked tilapia filet seasonend with 1 tsp coconut oil, sprinkle of dried ginger, garlic, and salt (making 2 tilapia filets–1 for tomorrow’s lunch); 1 orange
Exercise: run 2 miles, 45 min weights
Day 26-Friday
Breakfast: Apple cranberry oatmeal: 1/2 cup certified gluten-free oats cooked in unsweetened soy milk, 1/2 a chopped apple, 1/4 cup fresh cranberries, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1.5 tbsp chia seeds; coffee with 2 tbsp canned coconut milk
Snack: 1 hard-boiled egg; small handful cashews
Lunch: 1 serving vegetable & garbanzo curry; 4oz baked tilapia filet seasonend with 1 tsp coconut oil, sprinkle of dried ginger, garlic, and salt (making 2 tilapia filets–1 for tomorrow’s lunch); 1 orange
Dinner: sweet potato, black bean, and quinoa stuffed peppers (omitting cheese); 1 cup grapes
Exercise: run 3 miles
Day 27-Saturday
Breakfast: smoothie made with 1 frozen banana, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1.5 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 serving hemp protein powder; coffee with 2 tbsp canned coconut milk
Snack: 1/4 cup fruit & nut only trail mix
Lunch: 1.5 cups spaghetti squash topped with 4 oz shredded chicken, 1/2 cup Delallo roasted garlic pasta sauce (no sugar in ingredients list, just tomatoes and spices), sliced green pepper; 1 apple
Dinner: southwestern chicken and rice skillet (will use brown rice, and homemade taco seasoning) it makes 2 meals; 1 cup pineapple
Exercise: 45 min weight training
Day 28-Sunday
Breakfast: Apple pie quinoa bowl (makes 4 servings)
Snack: baby carrots at 1/4 cup hummus
Lunch: egg & avocado salad (makes 2 lunches): 4 hard-boiled eggs, 1 large mashed avocado, 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1/4 tsp cayenne, and 1/2 tsp salt served in a bell pepper; 1 cup cooked brown rice (sometimes I just mix the rice into my egg salad)
Dinner: leftover southwestern chicken and rice skillet; 1 cup pineapple
Exercise: run 9 miles
Day 29-Monday
Breakfast: Apple pie quinoa bowl: reheat leftovers from yesterday
Snack: baby carrots and 1/4 cup hummus
Lunch: leftover egg & avocado salad: hard-boiled eggs, mashed avocado, dill, cayenne, and salt served in a bell pepper; 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
Dinner: italian beef and lentil stew (makes enough for multiple meals); 1 cup grapes
Exercise: rest
Day 30-Tuesday
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs; 1/2 a small sliced avocado & grape tomatoes; 1/2 a grapefruit; coffee with 2 tbsp canned coconut milk
Snack: 1/4 cup fruit & nut only trail mix
Lunch: chicken salad made with 4 oz chicken thigh, 1/2 a mashed avocado, 1/4 cup diced red pepper, 2 tbsp diced celery, garlic powder, served on thick cucumber slices (like a fancy appetizer!); 1 cup frozen green peas (heated)
Dinner: leftover italian beef and lentil stew; 1 cup grapes
Exercise: run 3 miles; 45 min weight training