Weekly Meal Plan: 12/29 - 1/4 .... Why Wait? Starting [or keep] eating healthy NOW.

Better late than never!

I am "down for the count" with acute bronchitis right now, so NO exercise until these lungs heal.  Boo.

BUT, the one thing that I CAN control is what I eat.  So, back to the meal plan -- that always helps.  Writing it down, in one way or another, is the BEST WAY to get or stay on track!

So, here is our plan for the holiday week:

Monday: Leftovers (the boys are headed out to a hockey game tonight, sick girls will stay home)
Tuesday: Bolognese Sauce with Whole-Wheat Pasta and "Zoodles" (pulled from our freezer)
Wednesday: New Year's Eve Party (hopefully I can attend, even if just for a bit!)
Thursday: Brown Sugar and Dijon-Glazed Pork Loin with Baby Potatoes and Asparagus
Friday: Heading to a holiday party and bringing this dish - Spinach and Orzo Salad
Saturday: Italian Turkey Burger Soup
Sunday: Fend-For-Yourself

Let me know what YOU'RE making this week -- would love to hear it!  And, if you ever try any of the recipes that I post, I would love to hear your feedback. 

Why wait until January 1st to start making a plan?  Eat healthy NOW. 

ALL THE BEST,

Dinner Menu Plan for the Week of 12/8-12/14

Dinner Menu Plan for the Week of 12/8-12/14

Welcome!  I hope that you find this more detailed menu-plan helpful!  It will include links to the relevant recipes for the week, in addition to a grocery list for our week. 

I am experimenting as I go here, so feedback and helpful hints are surely welcome.

If you have any questions about how I do this (I use Pinterest A LOT), please let me know.

For breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, I buy or always have on-hand the following:  plenty of fruits and vegetables, a big "box" of mixed green salad, whole-wheat bread and nitrate-free lunch meats, eggs, nuts, healthy granola/snack bars, yogurt, oatmeal, and of course, Shakeology!  We also eat plenty of leftovers for lunches.

So our dinners for the week of 12/8-12/14 will include:

Monday:  Thai Chicken & Pineapple Stir-Fry
Tuesday:  Fend-For-Yourself
Wednesday:  Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats
Thursday:  Vegetarian Minestrone
Friday:  Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries (I most often use Butterball Turkey Burger Patties)
Saturday:  Leftovers OR Dinner Out
Sunday:  Taco Casserole Bake (made with whole-wheat tortilla chips)

This list is the "main entrée".  I always serve the entrée with 1-2 vegetable side dishes or a large mixed green salad.

I've created general, categorized grocery list for this menu-plan, assuming you have the usual pantry items.  Next week, I'll include more about the "pantry items" and specific amounts of each item if that would be helpful.  Here it is:

Again, I hope that you find this beneficial.  Comments are welcome!  And please, do let me know if you try any of the meals! 

Thanks for your patience.

ALL THE BEST,

These are SO DARNED Good ..... I Feel Compelled to Share.

These are SO DARNED good.

Now, I'm not saying that I don't eat REAL pizza.  That is one food that will never be removed from my diet. 

But, I seriously LOVE pizza.  I could eat it every day.

Thankfully, I recently discovered these Flatout Artisan Thin Pizza Crusts.  And, have been trying out different toppings on them -- they totally do the trick for my frequent "pizza cravings"!  In the photo above, I used a Rosemary and Olive Oil Pizza Crust, along with some ricotta cheese (spiced up), a bit of organic pizza sauce, and fresh chopped spinach.

In this next photo, I used ricotta cheese again, along with some oven-roasted broccoli that we had left over in the refrigerator.  I always pre-season the ricotta with a little salt, garlic, and onion powder. 

These totally taste like a "cheat food" to me. 

You can use the link I posted above to input your zip code, and find a store near you that carries them.  You can usually find the Flatout products near the produce or deli section in your local grocery store.

If you do buy them, let me know.  I would love to hear what combinations you come up with!

If you would like to participate in one of my monthly 21 Day Fix online accountability groups, get in touch with me here, or email me directly at chrispechulis@gmail.com!

And, as always, it is all about balance.  It is okay to enjoy that occasional slice of authentic pizza.  Along with a glass of wine.  XO

ALL THE BEST,

Healthy Crunchy Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

 

For ME, chicken or tuna salad MUST have some crunch.  Do you concur?  If so, give this recipe a shot!

 

 

Plain Greek yogurt is a great alternative to mayo.  I use it with tuna, and for this fresh and tasty Chicken Salad recipe -- which is oftentimes my lunch!  Give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Healthy Crunchy Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
(Makes 2 hearty, filling servings)

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups cooked chicken breast
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped red grapes
About 15 almonds, chopped or crushed
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 packet of Stevia
2 tsp. chopped dried parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Taste, and adjust seasonings to your preference.  Enjoy with fresh peppers and celery, or some whole-wheat crackers.

*Note:  Tastes better after chilling in the refrigerator for at least several hours.

(21 Day Fixers: Count 1 serving as -- 1.5 red containers, 1/2 a green, 1/2 a purple, and an orange.)


ALL THE BEST,

An Act of Violence.

That's right.  An act of violence.

I've often heard the quote, "Comparison is the thief of joy."  Solid truth there, right? 

Recently, I was browsing Pinterest one morning, and came across this photo and quote, also about COMPARISON.  Wow.  Did this one hit home?  Right in the gut.

We all know how dangerous comparison can be, in theory.  We all get -- on some level -- that it is damaging to our self-esteem.  We are deluged daily with photo-shopped images and advertisements, magazine articles and television shows:  perfect lives, perfect bodies, the perfect balance. 

And, don't even get me started on Facebook.  Known as the "highlight reel", where you never see the behind-the-scenes stories and struggles.

We all do it.  We are all guilty of comparison.

• Our friends have perfect lives, perfect spouses, and such well-behaved children.
• Our fitness friends have perfect bodies, and their scale cheers for them every morning.
• Our neighbors have perfect houses, that are perfectly decorated.
• Our acquaintances have the perfect hair and the perfect make-up.
• Our mom-friends have their lives together, and are so balanced. They somehow manage to get it all done, have a clean house, look great, and aren't stressed.

Bullshit (excuse the language).

I know I don't have a perfect life.  My husband isn't perfect.  My kids are sure-as-heck not always well-behaved -- just listen for the bickering coming from our house nearly every night.  I certainly don't have a perfect body and I'm pretty sure my scale groaned when I stepped on it this morning (I'm chalking that one up to PMS.)  My house is far from perfect, and I think I just saw a "tumbleweed" of dog hair go floating by. 

I am sitting here typing this with my glasses on, covered in post-workout sweat, yesterday's make-up on, and in my workout pants.  In which I slept last night.  I am SO NOT balanced and stress-free.

WHO IS?

Read it again:  "Comparison is an act of violence against the self."  VIOLENCE. 

I want to stop this cycle.  It is no good.  I'd love to see others stop it as well.  Here is what I know. 

• We ALL do our best.  Nearly every day.  And, that's simply enough.
• My life is good, and I'm thankful for it -- all of it, especially this past year.  I'm thankful for my husband, and for my constantly-bickering children.  They all bring joy to my life daily .... despite the craziness, fighting, and chaos.
• I work out almost every day and I aim to eat healthy.  I am in NO WAY perfect and deal with serious food issues (more to come on that in a future blog post) daily.  It is a struggle, but I am trying.  Recovery is hard, but I'm in it.  I know for a FACT that if I wasn't at least trying:  I would weigh well-over 300 pounds.  That is my truth.
• I love my house,  and the people that fill it, despite the clutter that also seems to fills it.
• Perfect make-up?  Nah.  I don't even know how to properly apply eye-shadow.
• I am not balanced and not stress-free.  Like, ever.  I am a true work-in-progress in that area.

So, let's stop the violence, okay?  Stop the comparison.  It is nonsense, it is false, and it isn't what we all deserve.

Just do your best.  Your best may not look like my best, either.  But, guess what? 

It is good enough.  And, SO ARE YOU. 

XOXO