managedmacros

One of the first steps of creating a healthy lifestyle is meal planning.  Being hungry without an action plan is a sure way to watch all heck break loose.  Am I right??  'I'll just grab a sandwich from the drive through.'   ' Maybe I'll just grab some chips and a pop from the vending machine.'  'Sure, I'll join you for that all you can eat Chinese Buffet.'  Then what??

Then....'Well I've ruined my diet now. Might as well have that brownie for dessert. I'll just start again tomorrow.'  Rinse. Repeat.

Planning and Timing. That is what it is all about. Knowing what you are going to eat and when. Planning your nutrition to meet your goals takes time and effort. Yup, It can be a real pain in the butt sometimes....heck, that's why convenience food is for, right???  Food made easy for us by the food industry catering to our busy lifestyles. But now we see the real price this nation has paid for convenience.

Batch cooking. Pictured above is four chicken breasts that I cook once to twice a week. These four breast are actually about 6-8 ounces each, so what we have here is really 7-8 planned meals of 4 ounce chicken to use in multiple recipes  (No...one chicken breast does not always equal one serving!). 

So...what recipes you ask???  Well, let me share some examples!

Chicken meal ideas:

• Whole grain tortilla with veggies and chicken.  Fill with combos of; spinach, tomato, hummus, avocado, black beans, salsa, onion, broccoli slaw, cubed sweet potato....the possibilites are endless!
• Chicken Salad. Spinach toassed with; strawberries, grapefruit, oranges, almonds, tomato, red onion, beans, salsa, avocado, peppers, cucumbers....and so on and so on!
• Chicken with a favorite grain and veggie makes a great filling satisfying middle of the day lunch.
• Use cooked chicken to make a quick soup. Use a low sodium stock and combine with your favorite fresh veggies.
• Now I also have chicken on hand to make quick snacks and lunches for the kiddo....chicken and cheese quesadilla, chicken roll ups and my version of chicken friend rice. Easy!

Nutrition Facts per 4 ounce serving: 110 calories, 25 g protein, 0 carbohydrate, 2 gram fat