Get Ready for Summer Fat-Loss Meal Plans
Summer is right around the corner and we're here to help you look and feel your best!
One of the most important things you can do to improve your health and fat-loss is to improve your diet. This refers to the foods you eat and the amount of those foods you eat on a consistent basis.
One of the most important diet skills we teach at DSC is to simply plan ahead.
Think about how most of us approach our nutrition with recent change in our lives: Breakfast is something quick or we skip it all together. Lunch is something thrown together quick or takeout from somewhere. Dinner is the only meal we make unless of course it's takeout again because we ran out of time. And the stress or boredom snacking is getting out of control.
We constantly run into situations where we have no plan and we're left hungry. Then we go for the most convenient food, which is often the least healthiest and contains the most calories. Do this day after day, and those excess calories keep us gaining weight.
Imagine the changes you could make by planning ahead. Imagine waking up and your healthy breakfast and lunch was prepared and ready to go. And it was super simple and easy to make. Think about the changes you could make to your energy and weight-loss.
Planning ahead is a key ingredient to your nutrition success in 2020 and we're here to help!
To get you started, we've created a list of quick and easy fat-loss meal plans that you're going to LOVE!
Quick note on portion sizes: A big part of fat-loss is learning to control portion sizes to avoid overeating.
As you will notice in the menu's below, we make portion sizes easy by measuring them against the size of your palm (protein sources), the size of your fist (vegetable sources), the size of your small cupped hand (carbohydrate sources), and the size of your thumb (fat sources).
Breakfast
1) Peanut Butter Dream Smoothie
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/2 banana
1 cup ice
1 thumb sized amount of natural peanut butter
1 fist size spinach
1 thumb sized amount of cocoa powder
Unsweetened almond milk
Add ice if needed
Directions: Blend and enjoy!
2) Overnight Oats
• 1 small cupped hand sized quick oats
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1 thumb size peanut butter
• 1 small cupped hand sized handful blueberries
• 1⁄2 banana - cut into slices
• 1 thumb sized chia seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon or cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
Directions: Add and mix all ingredients together into a cup, bowl, or mason jar and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Eat cold in the morning.
3) Avocado and Egg Toast
2 eggs — fried, scrambled, hard-boiled or poached
1 thumb sized amount of avocado
1 slice of whole wheat toast
1 small cupped hand sized blueberries or strawberries
Salt and pepper
Directions: Spread avocado on toast and top with eggs. Salt and pepper eggs to taste. Eat fruit as a side.
Lunch
1) Chicken Avocado Lettuce Wraps
2 large lettuce leafs
1 palm sized amount of rotisserie chicken (no skin)
1 thumb sized amount of hummus
1 small cupped-hand sized amount of tomatoes and cucumbers, diced
(on side) 1 small cupped-hand sized amount of fruit: blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, or a combination
Salt and pepper
Directions: Spread hummus on lettuce wraps. Add chicken and tomatoes and eat like a wrap.
2) Make Your Own Protein Salad
Pick 1 Base (1-2 fist sized amounts): romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula
Pick 1-3 Vegetables (1 small cupped-hand amount): tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, etc.
Pick 1 Protein Source (1 palm sized amount): chicken, turkey, tuna, egg, salmon
Pick 1 Fruit Source (1 small cupped-hand size amount): strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
Pick 1 Fat Source: (1 thumb sized amount): almonds, cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds, cheese
Pick 1 Dressing: (1 thumb sized amount): oil and vinegar, balsamic, etc.
Directions: Put all ingredients on plate in the order they are listed above and then add dressing.
3) Chicken Thigh and Potato
1 palm sized baked natural chicken thigh
1 small cupped hand amount of a baked sweet potato
1 thumb sized amount of butter
“Chick Magnet” chicken seasoning or favorite seasoning
Cinnamon (for sweet potato)
1 fist sized amount of green beans or broccoli (steamed)
Directions: Sprinkle seasoning on chicken and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Add butter and dash of cinnamon to cooked sweet potato.
Dinner
1) One Sheet Fish Dinner
Pick 1 Fish (1 palm sized amount): Haddock or cod
3 thumb sized amounts of almonds
1 clove garlic
1 thumb sized amount of olive oil
1 small cupped-hand sized amount of sweet potato (peeled and sliced)
1 fist size amount of asparagus
Directions: First make the topping for your fish. Add almonds, garlic and olive oil to food processor or blender. Cover baking sheet with tin foil and lightly coat with olive oil or cooking spray. Add fish to sheet and then top with almond topping. Add asparagus and sweet potatoes to pan. Cook at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until fish flakes apart.
2) Breakfast for Dinner
2 eggs + 1 egg white
1⁄2 fist sized amount of asparagus, diced
1⁄2 fist sized amount of bell pepper, diced
1/4 fist sized amount of onion, diced
1 thumb sized amount of low fat cheddar or feta cheese
1 slice whole grain toast
1 thumb sized amount of butter
Directions: scramble eggs and sauté with veggies and cheese and serve with toast. Enjoy!
3) Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders
1-2 boneless chicken breasts (cut into strips)
2 eggs
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup almond flour
Red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper
Small cupped hand amount potato
Fist sized amount favorite vegetable (steamed)
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix coconut, almond flour, red pepper, salt and pepper in a bowl. Dip chicken tenders in egg and cover with coconut-almond mixture. Place on greased cooking sheet on tinfoil. Cook until ready. Serve with potato and vegetable.
Snacks
1) Cottage Cheese or Yogurt Parfait
1-2 small cupped hand amount of cottage cheese or plain Greek yogurt
1 small cupped hand amount of fresh blueberries or strawberries
2) Celery boats
1-2 stalks of celery
1-2 Tbsp natural peanut butter or almond butter
Spread peanut butter over celery
3) Tuna Salad Snack Bowl
• 1 palm sized amount of canned tuna
• 1 thumb sized amount of mayonnaise
• 1 thumb sized amount of slivered almonds
• 1 tbs diced dill pickles
• 1 tbs dried cranberries
• Season with salt, pepper, and coriander to taste
Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and enjoy over salad greens or on its own!