VO2Connection

Here are suggestions for what to do for simple meals.

Breakfast (EAT SOMETHING!!!):

• Juice as often as you can for part of breakfast or instead of a snack!
• Try a little nut butter or butter on a piece of toast and a piece of fruit.
• Make a fruit smoothie (I like to have peeled frozen bananas in the freezer to add because it makes the smoothie taste creamier) add a little ice and/or water to the fruit in a blender. You can also add a few nuts, etc.
• Try a couple of scrambled eggs with a little bit of cayenne pepper (burns fat and increases metabolism) and salt with a little bit of cheddar cheese shredded on top.
• Oatmeal or another grain cereal is always an option as well. I like it with a little yogurt mixed in.

• PROBARS for sale at REI are also fantastic. They have a lot of calories, but they provide sustained energy and they are a whole food bar. I eat little bits of them at a time throughout the day instead of other snacks. They are by far one of the healthiest bars I have found yet.

Lunch and Dinner Ideas:

• At the beginning of each week or on a day that works, cook a big pot of brown rice or some other grain (try not to get hooked on just one type of grain) such as quinoa, wild rice, etc.
• Cut up several pounds of veggies into sticks or bite size pieces and keep them in containers with 1-2 cups per container (such as baggies or Tupperware bowls, etc.).
• Choose a lean meat such as chicken, or fish and cook and season as you like. Separate into portions about the size of your closed fist (you can keep them all in the same container).
• In the morning before work, you can steam the veggies for a few minutes and put them in the bowl with ½ to 1 cup of the rice and add some sea salt and pepper or a little Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (you can get at wild oats) or soy sauce for flavoring. Put one of the protein portions in with it. Don’t be afraid to add a little cheese or cold pressed olive oil (be brave!) or a few raw nuts or sprinkle of sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
• You can also bring some of the veggies raw or some cut up fruit for snacks.

This makes great easy meals for 1-2 meals of your day. Another meal can be salads. Each week at the grocery store, choose some greens and at least five + other veggies. Try not to get hooked on the same ones (look at the ABC foods list for veggie ideas). Make a big salad each day with these veggies (try also adding a few raisins or grapes or pieces of cut up apple or pear for a sweet twist). For dressing, I like to make my own, but otherwise a vinegar and oil based dressing is typically better than the cream dressings (when I make my own, I often squeeze half a lemon or lime on the salad and add a little olive oil and red or raw apple cider vinegar with a little Braggs Liquid Aminos and stir it all up. I will also add a little sea salt and pepper). I like to sprinkle some chopped raw nuts or seeds on top. It makes a great salad and the possibilities are endless with the veggie combinations. You can add a little meat, egg or fish for more protein if you’d like.

REMEMBER TO DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!!

Other ideas to consider would be sautéed veggies/meats of your choice eaten in a tortilla or wrapped in a romaine or other large lettuce leaf.

Cook some pasta and at the end drain most of the water (don’t rinse) and stir in some sliced carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, etc and put the lid on the pan and turn off the heat. You can then add some marinara sauce or a little olive oil and herbs, etc and a little chicken if you want.

Just remember that food doesn’t have to be fancy and complicated to be delicious. Typically the simpler it is, the more nutritious it will be and the easier it will be to get the results you desire.

Call or email me at any time with questions, etc.
Rachel (801) 694-0859 rcanyon1@gmail.com