I’ve been heavy on the meal planning lately. I find it’s so much easier to stick to healthy eating if all I have that’s ready to go… are healthy meals and snacks!
I’ll use Saturday to prep my veggies (that’s when we hit the farmers market) and Sunday to cook large batches of quinoa, or quinoa pasta that I can use later in the week. Then, I focus on breakfast stuff. I’ll make my almond milk for the week, breakfast balls or bars and store them in a sealed container, work on some snacks and make a dip for the week (hummus, guacamole), tackle my lunch and dole out my greens into containers and add a variety of toppings for salads. I’ll also make a salad dressing or two and store them in a container. Dinner, I tend to make all week, unless I have something I can double and use as leftovers, then dinner is pre-planned. Other than that, pretty easy meal prep! A lot of healthy fuel for the week in no time at all.
This is a little sample of what one day looks like for me when I plan ahead.
Breakfast: Green tea and two Maca Energy Balls
Snack: Apple & a handful of nuts
Lunch: Large salad- grapefruit, arugula, radicchio, walnuts, alfalfa sprouts w/ oil-free dressing.
Snack: Veggies & dip
Dinner: Stuffed quinoa mushrooms & a salad; brussel sprouts & arugula, tomato and pine nuts w/ apple cider vinegar/Dijon dressing.
It’s so nice not having to think about meals, or spend time preparing food for ME, especially when I have to worry about meals and snacks for my kids all week. It’s truly the way to go.
One dip I whipped up this week is a tangy avocado and dill dip. I basically used what I had in my fridge and kept it simple. I was going for a creamy, tangy, dip to pair with veggies for the week and this dip filled the bill.
Avocados are such an important food to get into your diet. They’re so rich in nutrients, vitamins and healthy fats that are great for your heart and amazing for your skin.
This dip is zesty and creamy, it’s the perfect complement to any vegetable: bell peppers, cucumbers carrots, zucchini and tomatoes. You can also use it as a dip for sweet potato fries, or even to top a dish like salmon. Lots of uses for this simple sensation.
You can get a few days out of this dip too. Usually avocados turn brown when exposed to air, but the lemon juice swirled inside keeps them from browning fast (same goes for apples! You can slice them and drizzle lemon juice on top and it preserves them a little better).
Here’s what you’ll need for this easy, Avocado & Dill Dip:
Avocado & Dill Dip Ingredients:
2 small avocados
the juice of 1/2 to 1 whole lemon
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
2 & 1/2 heaping Tbsp of fresh dill (6-8 sprigs of dill)
Directions:
- Place avocados in a blender or food processor along with lemon juice, nutritional yeast, sea salt and blend.
- Take dill off the stems and add to blender and blend until creamy.
- Taste dip, may need to add additional lemon juice or salt. Season to taste.
- Place in an air tight container and store in the fridge. Will last up to 4-days.
Notes:
*Dip may lose some of its zest after a day or two in the fridge, may need to stir in additional salt and add additional lemon juice. Start with 1/4 tsp of sea salt and 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice. Stir in by hand.
