Weekly Meal Plan 08

This week’s focus is whole food, intentional eating.  For almost a year I have eaten a whole food/ Paleo diet and the look I get from people is usually saucer eyes with their mouth open.  At one point I actually went without any sugar in my diet for over 7 months…not just sugar, but ANYTHING that turned into sugar…beans, the majority of fruits, grains etc…it was part of a health/healing process I will share about in another post.  Usually people say, “I could NEVER do that!”  Well, it’s actually not as difficult as one would think.  It does take getting  used to, that’s for sure.  I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that there is very little left you can enjoy and that it all tastes like cardboard.  Wrong, and wrong.  There is such a better more intentional way to eat, and once you make it priority it becomes second nature.  Most recently I was asked by someone to give them some Paleo diet ideas.  So I thought, why not a whole meal plan of them.  Now don’t click away without looking at these options first because I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the options here.  And remember that the recipes in these weekly meal plans come from a community of food bloggers…which means yes, I found these compliant meals on regular food blogs, not ones that are solely geared towards Paleo or Whole 30.  And once you know the basics of those diets, it is so simple to switch up most recipes to be compliant.

I hope you are excited to see this weeks options, and even more excited to be a part of a week of intentional healthy eating!  So go grab your grocery and meal planner here, print it off and start making your list while you browse through this week’s recipes!

 

What’s for Dinner?

Salmon is our family go to fish.  The richness of it is unprecedented and honestly I could totally eat it every day.  Be sure to look for fish that is not farm raised and that comes from an organic source.  This Cilantro Lime Salmon recipe is unbelievable!  You want to be sure to try it and make a little extra because it is amazing on a salad cold the next day for lunch!  I would typically pair this salmon dish for dinner with some grilled asparagus and mashed cauliflower.

I think one of the other misconceptions is that you can’t have the beloved comfort foods we once had.  Wrong again.  Who doesn’t love Sunday dinner with some roast beef?  This Balsamic Glazed Roast Beef recipe will leave you drooling while it cooks.  Best thing is that you don’t have to feel like you can’t entertain because nobody will even know it’s Paleo.  Looking for a great side dish to pair with this?  How about our Sweet Potato Au Gratin recipe.  I made that at Thanksgiving and it was a HUGE hit – and if my husband’s family would have known it had coconut milk in it, I’m pretty confident the majority of them wouldn’t have even tried it.

For me one of the easiest dinners is tossing a whole chicken into the oven.  This Thyme and Lemon roasted Chicken is no different.  I love how I can pop it in and get right back to work, cleaning, or running an errand or two.  Also love making them on the weekend and picking off of it for lunches during the week!  A Cesar salad would be amazing with this chicken as well or some roasted veggies.

I have found that BIG flavor is where it’s at while eating a clean intentional diet.  This Braised Garlic Chicken Adobo does the trick there.  Lots of big flavor and simplicity in cooking.  Why not pair it with some sprouted grain quinoa to soak up those tasty juices and some asparagus?

Having soups in my fridge or freezer are a must.  Here are two amazing ones both super healthy – for the Sausage and Kale soup be sure to look for an organic gluten free option, our local farmers market makes the best chicken sausage that would be outstanding in this soup.   The Roasted Acorn Squash Soup is creamy and will warm you during the winter months as well as on the soon to come crisp spring days.  Both make a great meal choice paired with a big fresh greens salad with lots of chopped veggies.

  

Lunch Time!

For great lunch ideas visit our Pinterest Lunch Board by clicking HERE!

Breakfast

One of the biggest things I hear about clean eating is that people want something other than eggs…I did too haha!  So I took the smoothie to a new level and filled it with a ton of healthy fat, for slow burning energy that lasts me all morning, antioxident rich berries and awesome greens that nobody would ever know was in there.  To make this not as frosty frozen use fresh berries.  But you seriously don’t want to start your day without this Protein Power Smoothie

 

A Little Something Sweet!

Everyone needs a little something every once in awhile right?  You have to try these Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Perfect thing to satisfy that little nagging craving 😉

Wishing you a blessed week full of beautiful moments and intentional healthy eating.