Did you ever wonder what to eat in a day? We’re going to discuss how to find the right foods for breakfast lunch and dinner meal plan for a week and tell you some tips about them. It’s not always an easy task because there are thousands of food options and even more combinations.
A meal plan is one of the best ways to get in shape, lose weight and keep healthy. Without a plan, how are you supposed to know what to eat? If you don’t have meal plans then I’m sure you’ve been buying a bunch of different food that has no rhyme or reason to it.
Breakfast Lunch And Dinner Meal Plan For A Week
Dear friends: I hope you’re enjoying your morning. Before the girls get up, I’m grabbing a sip of my detox beverage, and then we’ll start the customary morning routine. I can’t wait to teach barre later today and squeeze in a quick workout of my own. A day that ends with rosé shouldn’t be too bad since it’s girls’ night tonight.
I’m dropping in this morning to talk about food essentials! My are my go-to options when I’m in a bind, and you may find me switching between so many of these faves quite frequently. These will always fulfill my hunger (a crucial component), appease the beast, and I know I can cook them quickly, which is essential on hectic weekdays. I’ve discovered that I don’t have time to prepare snacks for myself like I used to because I’m typically racing around with the girls. I’ve been concentrating lately on eating three more substantial meals along with smaller snacks as needed.
Here are my top 5 favorite healthy options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfast:
1. Giant egg patty, salad and toast. For my giant egg patties, I’ll use 1 egg and 2-3 egg whites cooked in butter. When it’s firm on one side, I flip the entire thing over (using this enormous flipper the Pilot put in my Christmas stocking). It’s like a huge over-medium egg. I’ll put the egg on top of a spinach and chopped veggie salad, and cover it with hot sauce or Primal Kitchen dressing (ordered from Thrive Market). On the side, I’ll either have oats or a slice of toasted sourdough. <— I freeze it and then heat it up in the toaster. Note: if I’m going to be working out, I’ll either have my breakfast after cardio – most of the time I do cardio on an empty stomach – or skip the toast/oats until after I lift weights. (I go for protein before my workout, protein + carbs after.)
2. A filling smoothie. This is one of my favorite breakfasts because I can drink it in the car while I’m doing preschool drop-off or racing to teach a class. The combos are always different, but I’ll either use a Daily Harvest container (adding collagen and protein) or the Fab Four formula.
One of my favorite combos is:
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
- 1 scoop Garden of Life vanilla protein (from Thrive Market)
- 1 scoop Vital Proteins collagen
- a little frozen cauliflower
- a giant handful of spinach
- a teaspoon of Moon Juice dust
- Cinnamon
- a heaping tablespoon of almond butter
- a tablespoon of cocoa powder
Just blend it up, pour and go!
3. Breakfast cookie or another type of overnight oats. The breakfast cookie has been a staple in my breakfast routine since the early blog days (2008!). It tastes like dessert and you can easily customize it to suit your tastes and preferences. This one had a little cocoa powder mixed in, collagen and a drizzle of peanut butter on top.
For overnight oats, I’ll usually combine 1/2 cup of oats with a tablespoon of chia seeds, cinnamon, almond butter and almond milk. I’ll let it set in the fridge overnight and add protein powder and berries in the morning. When I’m in a time pinch – usually when it’s midnight and I want to go to bed instead of prepping breakfast – I still love the Quaker overnight oats (the oatmeal raisin is the best!), and have also tried a few from Thrive Market.
4. Protein egg-y oatmeal. Lately, I’ve been soaking my oats in the fridge overnight in water. It’s supposed to reduce the amount of lectins which can decrease the inflammatory response and make them easier to digest. It also gives oats an AWESOME super fluffy texture. I’ll rinse the soaked oats and add them to a pot with water to cook. When they’re about 80% cooked, I’ll stir in 2-3 egg whites and some almond milk. I’ll stir continuously as the eggs cook – nothing like biting into a chunk of eggs – and add cinnamon, maybe a little protein powder. When everything is cooked, I’ll remove it from the heat, and add some berries, a spoonful of almond butter, and a splash of maple syrup (just to make sure they’re no egg taste to it).
5. Banana-egg-oatmeal pancakes. I make these pancakes at least twice a week. The best part is that they’re the girls’ absolute favorite breakfast (and they have no idea they’re just eating egg, banana and oats). I’ll do a double batch and freeze any leftovers so I can quickly reheat them in the morning. The girls love them with berries and maple syrup. I’ve made buttermilk pancakes a handful of times, and they always eat these pancakes so much better and ask for seconds.
Lunch:
1. Daily Harvest grain bowl with leftover protein from the night before or scrambled eggs. I recently tried the grain bowls and I LOVE THEM. The only downfall is that they’re kind of high in sodium – I have to watch my salt intake post-surgery or I still swell quite a bit – so I’ll have half a container at a time. I’ll stir in some quick protein (either tuna, black beans cooked in the Instant Pot, or leftover chicken) and boom: lunch is done. They have a lot of savory flavor combos, and it’s been fun to switch up the lunch routine.
2. Coconut wrap with tuna salad, tempeh bacon and veg, or chicken. I get these turmeric coconut wraps from Thrive Market, and the coconut flavor is really mild. I’ll usually fill them with a mix of toppings depending on how I’m feelin’.
3. Egg scramble with veggies and avocado. The classic never dies. Eggs are my #1 favorite food so I’ll usually have them at least once during the day. I’ll roast a large batch of veggies for the week and use these for egg scrambles, wrap fillings and salad toppings. For some extra healthy fats, I’ll either slice up half an avocado or drink some tea with MCT oil.
4. A filling smoothie. This is the same recipe from above. If I don’t have one for breakfast, I’ll usually have one for lunch.
5. Protein, lots of veggies, and Primal Kitchen dressing. (<— sometimes I’ll add rice in here, too.) Salads and grain bowls are always so satisfying – so many flavors and textures – and they’re fun to personalize with whatever we have in the fridge. I’ll usually fill up my bowl with half rice and the rest veggies, then top with protein and dressing.
Dinner:
1. Cobb Salad. This is one of our “classic” dinners and something we make fairly often. The girls love theirs deconstructed, so I’ll make little piles of each topping for them, and it’s an easy way to eat like a PRO (lots of PROtein and PROduce). Here’s our favorite recipe!
2. Poke bowl. This one is quickly edging up to the Cobb salad for most frequent dinner in our house. It requires minimal prep, so I can make it quickly during a busy weeknight (clutch), and everyone loves it. I’ll either use frozen tuna tataki (you can find at at Whole Foods in the freezer by the sushi), smoked or baked salmon. We fill our bowls with sushi rice (cooked in the Instant Pot, then seasoned with rice vinegar and sesame and seeds), cucumber, nori, avocado, seaweed salad, and salmon/tuna. Top it with some soy sauce (or coconut aminos!) and sriracha: best dinner ever.
3. Big pot of soup, roasted veggies + homemade sourdough. My standard Instant Pot soup recipe is here! I’ll usually make a batch to have on hand for easy lunches for the girls, or as a heartwarming dinner. I’ll use lots of veggies (zucchini, onion, carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, sweet potato), fresh herbs, chicken, garlic and chicken broth. Each time it turns out a little differently, but it’s always delicious. As far as the homemade sourdough goes, it’s ruined us all for store-bought bread. There’s nothing like it! Making the starter was intimidating until I just decided to go for it. This recipe is pretty foolproof.
4. BBQ salmon, sweet potato, and salad. I’ll pan-sear the salmon (seasoned with salt and pepper) and then baste it with BBQ sauce before baking (about 10-12 minutes at 375). Usually I’ll try to bake a batch of sweet potatoes each week, so i’ll heat these up, top with cinnamon and butter, and serve everything with a simple salad.
5. Chicken stir fry with rice and cashews. This is what I do when we have a lot of produce on hand. I’ll stir fry onion, garlic, ginger, veggies (carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, etc.) and add chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper, coconut aminos, a little maple syrup, and cayenne. When everything is cooked through, I’ll add chopped fresh herbs, cashews, and serve with rice cooked in the Instant Pot. This one always takes less than 20-30 minutes from start to finish.
Easy and Healthy Meals for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Meal planning can be very helpful when trying to eat healthy.
Having a list of go-to meals that are both nutritious and easy to make can save you time and money, especially when the recipes use pantry staples or long-lasting ingredients that you likely have on hand.
1. Overnight oats
A quick breakfast option that doesn’t require any preparation in the morning is overnight oats. Additionally, they are produced with inexpensive, basic materials.
A good quantity of beta glucan fiber, which may lower cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease, is also found in oats.
There are many different overnight oats recipes available online, but I particularly prefer these straightforward banana overnight oats.
2. Loaded avocado toast
Given that avocados are a fantastic source of healthy fats and are quite satisfying, avocado toast can be a healthy breakfast option.
Start by toasting a piece of rye, sourdough, or 100% whole grain bread. Smash one-half of an avocado with some lime or lemon juice in a small bowl. This should be spread over the toast.
Add one or two eggs for an increase in protein, or for a vegan version, mash white beans into the avocado. Add cheese crumbles, chopped nuts or seeds, baby greens, or cherry tomatoes as garnishes.
3. Broccoli and cheese egg bake
Eggs are a great source of protein as well as a number of essential vitamins and minerals.
For hassle-free mornings, prepare this 12-serving egg bake in advance and have healthy leftovers all week.
On my recipe blog, it is a reader favorite and is quite customisable. You are welcome to substitute any kind of cheese or milk you have on hand, and to add sliced bell peppers, chopped spinach, or mushrooms.
Learn how to make my simple broccoli and cheese egg bake in its entirety here.
4. Yogurt and fruit parfaits
Yogurt is a terrific complement to your breakfast since it contains calcium, a mineral that is necessary for strong bones.
Both children and adults adore yogurt parfaits, and you don’t even need a recipe to make one.
Set out Greek yogurt, fruit that is in season, granola, almonds, and seeds for your family to assemble their own parfaits if you have some time in the morning. Use plain yogurt and granola that doesn’t have a lot of sweeteners to reduce the amount of added sugar.
The parfaits can also be prepared ahead of time. They should be combined in separate jars and kept in the refrigerator.
5. Chocolate cherry chia pudding
Chia pudding, which only requires a few ingredients, is an easy but satisfying alternative for breakfast. The nicest thing is that you may prepare the recipe at night and have a rich, delectable pudding the following morning.
Chia seeds also contain a lot of antioxidant chemicals. Antioxidants assist in the battle against reactive chemicals known as free radicals, which can harm cells and cause disease.
There are many ways to make chia pudding, but this chocolate cherry version is one of my faves.
6. Bell pepper egg cups
Remove the stems and seeds from bell peppers before slicing them in half lengthwise for a quick, veggie-packed breakfast. Put them in a greased baking dish and bake them at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes.
After carefully cracking an egg into each pepper, remove the casserole from the oven. Add another 15 minutes of baking time, or until the eggs are done to your preference. Before eating, garnish with cheese, red pepper flakes, or herbs.
One serving is made up of two pepper halves with an egg inside each one. In addition to providing protein, bell peppers are a fantastic source of vitamins A and C, two nutrients that enhance immunity.
Remember that vitamin C can be ruined by cooking. Therefore, if you want to keep the vitamin C content, a quicker cooking time is preferred.
7. Peanut butter granola bars
Remove the stems and seeds from bell peppers before slicing them in half lengthwise for a quick, veggie-packed breakfast. Put them in a greased baking dish and bake them at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes.
After carefully cracking an egg into each pepper, remove the casserole from the oven. Add another 15 minutes of baking time, or until the eggs are done to your preference. Before eating, garnish with cheese, red pepper flakes, or herbs.
One serving is made up of two pepper halves with an egg inside each one. In addition to providing protein, bell peppers are a fantastic source of vitamins A and C, two nutrients that enhance immunity.
Remember that vitamin C can be ruined by cooking. Therefore, if you want to keep the vitamin C content, a quicker cooking time is preferred.