What It Means to Eat Clean on a Menu Plan

The reality is, that even when we are clean eaters, we can still over eat in calories.  This is where I found myself a couple of weeks ago.  It's few and far between that I put a ton of crap in my body (minus out my rare visits to Ugly Omelete, where I absolutely must have their Peanut Butter Chip Pancakes), but the reality hit around last Wednesday when I just knew that I had been over eating.  I had been using my extreme workouts as an excuse to eat what ever portion of food that I desired, and so, I found myself making very little progress with my appearance, and great gains with my actual cardio.  TRAGIC!!!  To spend so much time kicking my own butt, and then to over eat so that I see no results on the outside from it.  Well, c'est la vie! It's over, it's in the past...

Monday I started a Les Mills Challenge Group with a group of girls, some who I currently working with, some who I knew from other restaurants.  Going back to a menu plan was indeed some work.  Just setting it up was a mini project, and then teaching others my process was also a learning experience.  The first week of the Eat Right for the Fight Nutrition Guide is a 7-Day Metabolic Jump-Start Program where women are suggested to eat around 1200 calories and men 1500.

1200 calories for me was like food prison.  With P90X I was eating about 1800-2100 calories a day, never mind that I had been over eating for the last week leading up to that Monday, so you can imagine how that caloric deficit made me feel!  But, I went through the meal plan, set up my meals for the week, and made my grocery list based off of that.  Little did I know, this was going to not only introduce me to some awesome new recipes, but it was going to finally catapult me out of the 'snack' rut that I had been in for months.

What follows is just a brief glimpse of what I ate during our 7-Day Metabolic Jump-Start Plan.  In the end, some meals near the end of the week ended up getting swapped around because I did not want anything to go past it's expiration date.

7-Day Metabolic Jump-Start Plan

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
BREAKFAST	Rainbow Scramble	Eggs with Smoked Turkey	Pro-Oatmeal	Broccoli and Feta Omelet	Rainbow Scramble	Eggs with Smoked Turkey	Pro-Oatmeal
SNACK 1	PB Toast and Cottage Cheese	Chocolate Green Tea Smoothie	Turkey and Cheese on Rice Cake	Chocolate Green Tea Smoothie	PB Toast and Cottage Cheese	Chocolate Green Tea Smoothie	Turkey and Cheese on Rice Cake
LUNCH	Avocado, Tempeh, and Almond Salad	Brown Rice Bowl	Burger and Salad	Greek Pita Sandwich	Avocado, Tempeh, and Almond Salad	Brown Rice Bowl	Burger and Salad
SNACK 2	Citrus Berry Smoothie	Turkey & Cheese of Rice Cake	Citrus Berry Smoothie	Mediterranean Eggs	Citrus Berry Smoothie	Roast Beef Sandwich	Citrus Berry Smoothie
DINNER	Southwestern Chicken Salad	Grilled Tuna over Mixed Greens	Spicy Tomato and Lentil Soup	Grilled Steak and Arugula Salad	Southwestern Chicken Salad	Grilled Tuna over Mixed Greens	Spicy Tomato and Lentil Soup
Calories	1207	1243	1207	1220	1207	1234	1207

Day 1

Proved to be pretty darn delicious.  Convenience definitely went out the window basically because I had to learn new recipes, prep, and remember how to measure ingredients and use correct portion sizes, but it definitely refreshed my memory on how I had been way over eating! 

Day 2

Again, the food was amazing.  I had never really used Shakeology with Greek Yogurt, and truth be told, I didn't love this recipe, but I like that it included the the metabolic boosters of yogurt and green tea, and for that, I'll make sacrifices on my usual recipe.  Also, my original scheduled snack wasn't Turkey and Cheese on Rice Cake with Raspberries, but I wasn't in the mood for what I had originally put on, so I substituted.  The Tuna salad for dinner was amazing, although I could find Tuna Steak in either of the two grocery stores near me, so I ended up having to use canned tuna.  Still, it was an amazing recipe!

Day 3

LUH-UV the Pro-Oatmeal, although I have to say I was a bit shocked to see just how little the portion size was for it.  I mean, I served it with egg whites and fruit, but still, it didn't even fill the 1 cup ramekin that I had it in, and that was just disappointing!  However, the burger was AMAZING, and the tomato and lentil soup was something I couldn't wait to have again.  

Day 4

This was probably one of my favorite days of meal plans.  I loved that I could have Feta Cheese, in fact I love all cheese, so any cheese is better than no cheese.  Also, I cannot believe how much I like the hard boiled egg whites with the hummus in place of the yolk.  It tasted so much like deviled eggs, that I'm pretty sure it tricked my brain into thinking it actually was deviled eggs.  I was bummed when I realized later in the day that I forgot to put Feta Cheese on my pita. It was still pretty delicious, but I was bummed nonetheless!  And steak on my salad, well, I am a red meat lover, so that was a nice little treat.

Day 5 repeated Day 1's meal plan, and Day 7 repeated Day 3's meal plan, so there were no big surprises there.  Day 6 did have a tiny bit of a change up in that I made the Roast Beef Sandwich (I wish I had done that earlier in the week, it was delicious), and the Grilled Tuna over Mixed Greens got a bit of a remix because of what we had left in the fridge.

Day 6

The Roast Beef Sandwich was amazing, and I ended up modifying the Tuna Salad again because I couldn't find tuna steak, and I put an over easy egg on the salad because I didn't have any hard boiled.  I also used the remainder of some canned tomatoes because I didn't have any fresh tomatoes, and I didn't want to waste what I had already opened.  

I do want to briefly touch on how I felt during this 7-Day Metabolic Jump-Start Plan because I think it's important for other people to realize that this journey is not easy, even for someone who has made the clean eating jump already, and knows how to organize and set up a menu plan, and shopping list.

The first couple days of this Challenge we extremely hard.  The workouts weren't nearly as intense as Asylum, which I had just finished, but the lack of calories really did a number on my energy levels.  I know that the second day at work was a real challenge, not only for myself, but for the other girls who were working that night as well.  We were all hungry, we were all tired, and we were all cranky.  When your body is used to a certain number of calories, and you introduce a new and different workout, you're going to see a reaction in how you function and how you sleep.  FACT.  I found that my Coaching really took place during these first few days when we were all getting in the swing of things, and were struggling to adjust our daily caloric intake.  

Just like my workouts, I approached this caloric deficit day-by-day, crossing off each day on my calendar.  Was I hungry the first couple of days?  ABSOLUTELY, but I trucked on until I was feeling amazing by day four.  I had adjusted to the calories that I was taking in, I was in a rhythm with my meal planning, and I was enjoying being introduced to new recipes.  I had totally fallen into a rut with my clean eating where I was eating the same snack all of the time, and preparing the same meals all of the time because I was getting lazy, and not paying attention to what my body needed.

Below you will find a video on how to transition from the 7-Day Metabolic Jump-Start Plan to the day-to-day menu planning for the remainder of the program.  So, if you're someone who is interested in the program, and is curious what the meal plans are like, or you're someone who's currently doing the program, and needs help moving forward, definitely check it out!

Stay tuned throughout the next couple months, as this journey continues for myself, and my Challenge Group girls.  Who knows, maybe I can get one of them to share their experience with changing over to a new clean eating lifestyle!

Until then, KEEP STRONG.  KEEP MOVING. And, KEEP PUSHING PLAY!!!

Maria

Natural Protein Pancake with Peanut Butter and "Banana Jelly"

OMG have I been a busy bee!  I'm looking through my pictures to see what I want to blog about next, and I realize that I have about a dozen recipes that need some blog love.  Summer always seems to distract me from my side projects and manages to keep me focused on my healthy tan (which is going very well in case you're interested).  With that in mind, and bikini season in full effect, I'm always looking for fresh breakfast ideas that aren't my usual egg white omelette, or my oatmeal with fresh fruit, but which also aren't going to require me to stand over the stove for 30 minutes.  I came across this recipe in Oxygen Magazine's latest issue, and decided to jazz it up a bit with some banana on top since peanut butter and banana are the bestest of friends.

This recipe really interested me primarily because I have now completely given up protein powder, and since doing so, have not had the opportunity to have my morning breakfast protein pancakes.  With this recipe, I get the protein from the egg whites, cottage cheese, and peanut butter, without all the unnatural ingredients of a man made protein powder.  I can honestly say that I was hesitant at first, but after my first bite I was sold, not only on flavor, but the fluffiness compared to the density of the regular protein pancake.  Give it a shot, and you may give up your protein powder all together!

Ingredients:

1/2 C. Rolled oats
3 large Egg whites
1/3 C. Fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 tbsp.  All natural smooth peanut butter
1/2 Medium banana
1 tsp. Stevia
2 tsp. Cinnamon, divided
1 tsp. Water

In a blender (I use a hand-held, individual size because it's easier to blend and clean), place oats, egg whites, cottage cheese, peanut butter and 1 tsp. of cinnamon.  Blend until smooth (you may need to scrape down the sides to get all the oatmeal mixed in).

Pour the batter into a pan heated on medium and cook until brown on both sides (about 3-4 minutes on each side).

While the pancake is cooking, in a small bowl slice the banana, and add the Stevia, 1 tsp. of cinnamon and the water.  Mash everything together until you get a nice jelly consistency.  

Remove the pancake from the pan, and top with the banana jelly.  I promise, you will not be disappointed, and if you're a morning sweets person like myself, this will fulfill your sweet pancake cravings, and your morning protein requirements! 

Clean Eggs Benedict

Egg whites.  All by itself, another boring ingredient.  When my husband and I first starting eating clean, all I knew to do was make egg whites scrambled, or make an omlette.  Needless to say, after two months, my husband objected, and said he just couldn't eat any more egg whites.  So, in my food journey, I am always looking to modify, and build on any breakfast recipe that contains egg whites.  

This recipe is courtesy of The Best of Clean Eating, although I pretty much halved the recipe, changed the type of mushrooms, and used Fat-free Cheddar cheese.  I also changed the order in which the recipe is executed, because I wasn't about to use three pans in order to make one egg-white based dish.  Sorry, but I don't own a dishwasher, and it turns out my personal maid is on a permanent vacation.  

Ingredients:
Non-stick Olive Oil spray
3 c. Baby spinach
1 c. Mushrooms, diced
Olive Oil cooking spray
5 Egg whites, scrambled
1 tbsp. whole-wheat flour
1/2 c. Skim milk
1/4 c. shredded Fat-free Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Sprouted grain English muffins, toasted

Heat a saute pan on medium heat, spray with non-stick spray, and saute mushrooms for about 5 minutes.  Add the baby spinach and saute until spinach is wilted.  Season lightly with salt and pepper, and remove from pan.

Spray the pan again with non-stick spray, and add your egg whites.  Scramble egg whites for about 5 minutes, until cooked through.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and remove from pan. 

To the same pan, over low-medium heat, add 1 tbsp. of whole-wheat flour, and skim milk.  Whisk these ingredients together until the mixture becomes thick.  It can take any where from 4-6 minutes.  Just as it starts to thicken, add your Fat-free cheese and whisk until smooth.  If you find that the sauce is to thick, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time.

On your toasted English muffins, place egg whites, topped with the spinach and mushroom mixture, and then topped with your cheese sauce.  

You may find that although this technically makes two servings, one half of the English muffin may be filling enough.  In that case, save the other half for a snack later, or for breakfast the next day.  Remember, the easiest way to stay on track and stay clean, is to make extra, keep your left-overs, and use them as a snack or meal at a later time.  

Easy Breakfast Options: Your Grains, Egg Whites, Soy Sausage and Grapes

As nice as it is to make all sorts of fancy, flavorful breakfasts, the reality is that we all need some breakfast options that don't require a trip to the grocery store, and a list of instructions.  This is one of my go to breakfasts, and I feel like it incorporates all the food groups that you need to get yourself going in the morning.  

Ingredients:

1 slice of 7 Sprouted Grains Bread
2 Egg whites, scrambled
Fat-free cheese of your choice
1 small patty of Gimme Lean Ground Soy Sausage
Fruit of your choice

This breakfast is so great because the concept can be put together in so many different ways.  Sometimes I use the 7 Sprouted Grains Bread, sometimes I use an Organic English Muffin.  Sometimes I use two egg whites, sometimes I use one whole egg with yolk.  Sometimes I use Fat-free Mozzarella, sometimes I use Fat-free Cheddar, and sometimes I use grapes, and sometimes I eat half a grapefruit.  But, all the time I make sure that I'm incorporated some grains, some soy, some fruit and some egg.  

Breakfast doesn't always have to be fancy, but it can always be simple and tasty!

The Egg White, Oatmeal, Banana, Almond Butter Omelet

I eat weird stuff to nourish my body.  It is what it is.  If you aren't aware, all of the Superfoods are great food choices in and of themselves, but it's the synergy between eating them all together that gets us the greatest benefit from the nutrients that they provide.  So take a look at this bad boy.  We've got egg whites, oatmeal, banana, almond butter, and a hint of cinnamon all mixed up into one.  

The recipe was introduced to me by a co-worker, and there are a handful of us that eat it, and I've found that we all have a different way of putting it together.  I take three egg whites and scramble them before adding anything else to the bowl.  I then place in about 1/8 c. of oatmeal, 1/2 a banana very thinly sliced and a touch of cinnamon.  I mix this all together very well to make sure that both the oatmeal and the banana are covered in the egg whites.  I pour everything into a 9in. saute pan heated to medium and sprayed with non-stick spray and cook until it starts to become firm.  I then flip the egg mixture over, and on the cooked side spread about 1-2 tbs. of almond butter (use whatever butter it is you prefer).  When the bottom is cooked, I fold it over and ENJOY!