Meal Planning Tip #2
One of my favorite things to do is plan menus for other people. I enjoy the creativity and science behind planning meals that meet specific nutritional requirements. Today, I'd love to give you some tips on how to plan a menu for the week that meets your recommended daily intakes and macro nutrient needs.
Tip #1: make a list of what you eat for about 3 days. You can plug your food into an app like Chronometer or MyFitnessPal to see about how many calories, carbs, fats, and grams of protein you consume. What I'm most interested in is your MICROnutrients. Things like iron, potassium, fiber, folate, and calcium can make or break a healthy eating lifestyle.
Tip #2: Once you've made a list of the foods you typically eat, look at your micronutrients to see which ones you're lacking on a daily basis. (This week I'll include a food list that can help you decide which foods to eat to meet nutritional requirements.)
Tip #3: Begin planning your meals and snacks around your MICROnutrients instead of your MACROnutrients (fat, carbs, protein). See which foods pair well together to optimize the absorption of nutrients into your body. You may think you're getting enough iron, but if your Vitamin C intake is low, your body is not able to absorb the right amount of iron, and vice versa.
Tip #4: Plan your meals and snacks to include your macronutrient requirements, filling in the gaps of your micronutrient meals and snacks.
Most people are concerned with how many calories they're consuming, when the focus should be more on micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. These are the things our cells need to function at their highest levels. You can have a diet full of protein, healthy carbs, and fats, but still be missing nutrients that can improve memory, mental clarity, and immune health.
This may all sound confusing and difficult to accomplish, which is why my mini lessons will come in handy over the next few weeks! I'll be posting more information about meal planning, nutrient absorption, and food pairing to put your mind at ease and make menu planning easier than you can imagine.
Happy Monday friends!!
Here's one of my favorite recipes for your meal plan this week Enjoy!
Roasted corn and black bean salad with quinoa and cilantro-lime dressing
1-2 cans of sweet corn (no salt added) or 2-3 cups of frozen corn; drained and rinsed
1-2 cans of black beans (no salt added); drained and rinsed
6-8 small tomatoes (grape, cherry, Roma, etc.) chopped into small pieces
1/2 purple onion, diced. The longer you let this sit, the better your body will be able to absorb the benefits of the onion.
1/2-1 green, red, or orange pepper, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (or 3-4 T minced garlic)
1-2 c cooked quinoa (plain, organic quinoa. cook according to package instructions)
salt, pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder (or more to taste)
1/4-1/2 c fresh cilantro, chopped (or 2 T dried cilantro)
juice of 1 lime
1/2 -1 jalapeno, sliced and deseeded (the amount of jalapeno you add will depend on how spicy you want your dressing)
1/8 c nutritional yeast
1 c cashews, soaked overnight or soaked for 10 minutes in hot water
save 3/4 c water from cashews for the sauce
Instructions
Begin by sautéing the corn in 1 tsp. of water or vegetable oil until it begins to brown. The corn will have liquid in it so you won't need much additional. Add in minced garlic. Season with cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Add in black beans, tomatoes, peppers, and onion. Sauté for just a few minutes. I still like my veggies to be crisp to give this dish texture.
Cook quinoa according to instructions and set aside in a large serving bowl.
When veggies are finished, add them to the bowl with the quinoa and stir. Taste. Add additional seasonings to your liking.
Set salad aside and make the dressing.
Dressing: place drained cashews, nutritional yeast, lime juice, jalapenos, and cilantro in a blender. Add salt and pepper. Blend ingredients until smooth. You can add some water if it's too thick. Set in the fridge to chill.
When ready to eat, top your salad with avocados and some of the dressing (the amount can vary based on your macro and micronutrient needs). Add another squeeze of lime to brighten everything. Stir together and enjoy warm or cold. For an added crunch, crumble 2-3 tortilla chips for the top!
This is a great lunch you can prep ahead of time and put into containers for the week
This meal is loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin A, iron, potassium, fiber, folate, and Omega-3s. It also has a healthy blend of fats, carbs, and protein to give you energy, build muscle, and burn fat.