Balance Your Day With These Great Meals
According to MayoClinic.com, eating more frequently reduces your risk of obesity by decreasing the blood insulin response to long fasts that increase fat storage and weight gain. It’s important to plan your grazing to ensure you eat the right amount of calories and get the vitamins and minerals you need over the span of 14-18 hours.
16 ounces of cold water
- The first thing I do when I wake up is have 16 ounces of cold water. Water is the most important nutrient for your body and sleeping 6-10 hours without fluid intake induces mild dehydration.
- Studies show that drinking cold water can increase metabolism as much as 25% for 2 hours after finishing.
Breakfast
Half a grapefruit- Grapefruits are high in enzymes that burn fat. They have high amounts of water content which helps boost metabolism as well as containing numerous antioxidants.
- Calories- 40
- Carbs- 9g
- Fat- 0g
- Protein- 1g
- Sodium-0g
- Sugar-5g
2 eggs scrambled & chicken breast- Eggs and chicken are great sources of lean protein that are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Studies show that a breakfast high in protein will keep you feeling full throughout the morning.
- Calories- 300
- Carbs- 0g
- Fat- 13 g
- Protein- 37 g
- Sodium-270g
- Sugar-0g
Vegetable mix broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, & hummus- Vegetables in the morning allow you to get a good balance of vitamins and minerals to start of your day. Vegetables mixed with the healthy fats from the hummus can help stabilize blood sugar levels.
- Calories- 180
- Carbs- 25g
- Fat- 3 g
- Protein- 8 g
- Sodium-250g
- Sugar-9g
100% Organic arabica black coffee– Coffee beans are loaded with antioxidants that help combat cancer and prevent type 2 diabetes.
- Calories- 5
- Carbs- 0g
- Fat- 0g
- Protein- 0 g
- Sodium-0g
- Sugar-0g
Mid Morning Snack
Plain greek yogurt with whey protein/flaxseed – With twice the protein of normal yogurt and no preservatives or artificial flavors, greek yogurt paired with flaxseed and whey protein is a great source of probiotics and omega 3 fatty acids.
- Calories- 300
- Carbs- 12g
- Fat- 4g
- Protein- 38 g
- Sodium-100 g
- Sugar-11g
- Calories- 50
- Carbs- 11g
- Fat- 0g
- Protein- 1 g
- Sodium-0 g
- Sugar-7g
Lunch
Steel cut oats/quinoa with walnuts/chia seeds/mixed berries/cinnamon- This oatmeal blend is a great source of slow digesting carbohydrates that can be used for energy. The walnuts/berries/cinnamon provide healthy fats and potent antioxidants. For more info see on this meal see http://www.builtlean.com/2012/03/14/steel-cut-oats-recipe/
- Calories- 390
- Carbs- 35 g
- Fat- 5 g
- Protein- 11 g
- Sodium-60 g
- Sugar-10g
Edamame- Soy beans are a great alternative source of protein and dietary fiber superstar.
- Calories- 120
- Carbs- 10 g
- Fat- 5 g
- Protein- 11 g
- Sodium- 5 g
- Sugar-2 g
Post Workout
10 g of Branch Chain Amino Acids (during workout)– BCAA’s support everything from anabolic muscle-building to high intensity endurance training and are among the 9 essential amino acids that help fuel muscle repair and recovery.
100% Whey isolate protein (unflavored/no additives) with glutamine– A great source of protein with no added sugars or artificial flavors you get with most products. Glutamine helps minimize breakdown of muscle and improve protein metabolism
- Calories- 120
- Carbs- 1 g
- Fat- 0 g
- Protein- 25 g
- Sodium- 30 g
- Sugar-1 g
Banana-Eating food rich in carbohydrates, like a banana, between 15 and 60 minutes after a workout is most advantageous to your muscles and glycogen recovery. The nutrition-rich fruit contains potassium, carbohydrates, protein and vitamin C.
- Calories- 100
- Carbs- 27 g
- Fat- 0 g
- Protein- 1 g
- Sodium- 0 g
- Sugar-14 g
Mid Afternoon Snack
Broccoli with natural almond butter- Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse with noteworthy nutrients including vitamin a, c, beta-carotene, calcium, folic acid, and fiber. Pair this with healthy monounsaturated fats and the protein you get with almond butter makes this combination a great snack.
- Calories 210
- Carbs- 12 g
- Fat- 16 g
- Protein- 10 g
- Sodium- 80 g
- Sugar-3 g
Tea (Chinese oolong)-Tea is loaded with catechins which is essential in aiding your immune system and can reduce the risk of four of the major health problems: stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes.
Dinner
Wild Atlantic Salmon-Salmon is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins A, B and D as well as the minerals calcium, iron, phosphorus and selenium. This is also an excellent source of lean protein.
- Calories 300
- Carbs- 0 g
- Fat- 20 g
- Protein- 35 g
- Sodium- 100 g
- Sugar-0 g
Brussels sprouts/mushroom/onion mix-Brussels sprouts are high in protein, accounting for more than a quarter of their calories. The sprouts are very high in fiber and belong to the disease-fighting cabbage family.
- Calories 120
- Carbs- 10 g
- Fat- 0 g
- Protein- 10 g
- Sodium- 10 g
- Sugar-4 g
Spinach salad with tomatoes/mixed peppers/avocado/flaxseed- Spinach is another super-food that should be apart of everyone’s daily regimen in combination with antioxidant loaded mixed peppers/tomatoes and the healthy fats from avocado and flaxseed make this a great side.
- Calories 150
- Carbs- 7 g
- Fat- 10 g
- Protein- 10 g
- Sodium- 30 g
- Sugar-10 g
- Calories 100
- Carbs- 0 g
- Fat- 2 g
- Protein- 15 g
- Sodium- 400 g
- Sugar-5 g
Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any questions or comments.
From South Bend,
