
The key for fitting clean eating into a busy schedule is being prepared. You've heard me say that before and I'm sure you'll hear me say it again. Prepping a large quantity of protein is going to be the foundation of all your meals. My go to protein is ground turkey.
I take 3 pounds of ground turkey, break it up in a giant frying pan and cook it. Really, just like that. No magic tricks or recipes. I use 97/3 fat ratio. That means the package of meat is made up of 97% lean mean and 3% fat. Obviously, the leaner the better. The 97/3 has a slightly higher calorie content than the 99% but I think it tastes a little better. Get a pack of both and do a taste test! Also, you should experiment with different brands. I like Shady Brook Farms, Nature's Promise (for all the Stop and Shop shoppers) or Perdue. The best part is a whole pound is usually less than 5 bucks so it’s super cheap too!
To mix it up, I also cook about 2lbs of ground beef. I follow the same rules as above for the ground beef. (Leaner the better - giant pan, heat and eat) I usually buy less beef than turkey at a time. I try not to exceed 2 servings of red meat a day because of the fat. You get more bang for your buck calorie wise sticking with the turkey meat which works for my plan right now.
So, I got all this plain protein - now what? Get creative! The possibilities are really endless. Portion out your servings. I eat 3oz at a time so I combine my turkey with a heaping mound of veggies and a serving of whatever carb I made. For example - today was Turkey, String Beans and Sweet Potato (Check out the visual). Another fave is a healthy Taco Salad (Also pictured here). I usually use the ground beef for this meal. Think giant salad with lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, few baby tomatoes, onions, or whatever "free" veggies you like, the serving of lean beef, 1/2 cup of black beans, hot sauce and fresh salsa as dressing. So good! And I swear you'll be stuffed. Eating clean doesn’t have to be boring if you stick to the rules.
People will say, “How can you eat the same thing every day?” I tell them that by adding different spices and mixing up the combos of proteins, carbs and fats it honestly doesn’t feel like I am. I also remind them that FOOD IS FUEL! Every meal can’t be a special Christmas Feast or you’ll start to resemble St. Nick. Choose your celebration meals wisely, but stick to the lifestyle for the day to day if you want to see results.
I take 3 pounds of ground turkey, break it up in a giant frying pan and cook it. Really, just like that. No magic tricks or recipes. I use 97/3 fat ratio. That means the package of meat is made up of 97% lean mean and 3% fat. Obviously, the leaner the better. The 97/3 has a slightly higher calorie content than the 99% but I think it tastes a little better. Get a pack of both and do a taste test! Also, you should experiment with different brands. I like Shady Brook Farms, Nature's Promise (for all the Stop and Shop shoppers) or Perdue. The best part is a whole pound is usually less than 5 bucks so it’s super cheap too!
To mix it up, I also cook about 2lbs of ground beef. I follow the same rules as above for the ground beef. (Leaner the better - giant pan, heat and eat) I usually buy less beef than turkey at a time. I try not to exceed 2 servings of red meat a day because of the fat. You get more bang for your buck calorie wise sticking with the turkey meat which works for my plan right now.
So, I got all this plain protein - now what? Get creative! The possibilities are really endless. Portion out your servings. I eat 3oz at a time so I combine my turkey with a heaping mound of veggies and a serving of whatever carb I made. For example - today was Turkey, String Beans and Sweet Potato (Check out the visual). Another fave is a healthy Taco Salad (Also pictured here). I usually use the ground beef for this meal. Think giant salad with lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, few baby tomatoes, onions, or whatever "free" veggies you like, the serving of lean beef, 1/2 cup of black beans, hot sauce and fresh salsa as dressing. So good! And I swear you'll be stuffed. Eating clean doesn’t have to be boring if you stick to the rules.
People will say, “How can you eat the same thing every day?” I tell them that by adding different spices and mixing up the combos of proteins, carbs and fats it honestly doesn’t feel like I am. I also remind them that FOOD IS FUEL! Every meal can’t be a special Christmas Feast or you’ll start to resemble St. Nick. Choose your celebration meals wisely, but stick to the lifestyle for the day to day if you want to see results.