Quick Eats Healthy Treats

A lot of people who are attempting to eat better will prep their meals. For me, that’s not something I really enjoy doing and I have a hard time setting aside two to three hours on Sunday to prep for the week. To compensate, I opt for quick to create foods.

Having said that, I do a tiny bit of food prep. For me, it’s so easy I don’t really worry about it because I can do other things simultaneously. For example, I’ll produce a large amount of salmon or chicken. Usually on the grill. Something I can go to at any time for one of my meals. Beyond that, however, I don’t like to spend time prepping.

On average I’m aiming for 120-160 grams of protein every day and I aim for around 1400-1500 calories. I haven’t tried to stick to calories with rigidity, but with consistency, for two reasons. One, I want my body to be a little confused. No matter what amount of food you take in, your body will eventually grow accustomed to it and stop responding to it.

To help rectify that I vary my calories at least once a week to 1500-1600 and also based on my activity level. The second thing I want is to be able to sustain and maintain my regimen for the long haul. To do it well, I don’t want to deprive myself of too much. Instead, I choose to limit anything that deviates from my plan by limiting its quantity and still targeting my calorie intake overall.

Another thing to consider is, not getting worked up if you accidentally go over a little one day. It’s a cumulative process. Think about it in terms of a week. Not a day. That said, it’s possible to blow a week with one or two really excessive meals or indulgences (think a Big Mac or Whopper here).

Overall, my food of choice has been to target more of a Mediterranean eating style and though I am losing pounds, I intend to do this for the long term. There are too many other health benefits that I will get by sticking to it.

And really, you cannot eat the way you did previously without yielding the same results. That’s a fool’s game. If you were overweight, you’ll be overweight again unless you change your habits and patterns.

In that regard, to finally move forward I had to learn about my own eating patterns. That has taken me years, but only because I wasn’t listening to myself on many different levels. I have known for a very long time that I eat late in the evening. That is my snack and feasting time.

If I did well all day long, I often overate because of my evening eating. To help with that, I’ve started what is essentially intermittent fasting during the day. Again, I’m not on a strict 16, 18, or 20 hours fast. I am listening to my body and eating only enough during the day to keep me mentally straight and not hungry.

Like the calories, my process is to do this for the long term, so I’m not fighting against myself. What does that mean? I have allowed myself to eat raw vegetables or a small number of almonds and dried fruit to help me sustain myself throughout the day. Then, later in the afternoon, like 2-4p (usually) I’ll have my first meal.

Here is what I mean: 20 almonds, 5 dried figs, or dates (180 Kcal 6.5g Protein). Instead, I’ve focused on my water intake.

As for my supplemental meals, as I refer to them, this is what I’m having. (I Typically have about 4 meals a day but most in the evening).

Protein Smoothie (200 Kcal – 25g Protein)

• 1 Scoop Gold Standard Vanilla Whey Protein
• 1 cup of frozen fruit (Usually Cherry/Berry blend)
• (Add water, ice, and blend. If you like Greek yogurt, and want a little more protein, add some in.)

Egg Breakfast (225 Kcal – 10g Protein)

• Hard Boiled/Poached Egg
• 1/2 small Avocado (crush with fork)
• 1 Slice of Sprout Bread (Toasted)
• 1 tsp. Everything Bagel Seasoning (Mix into the avocado)
• (Toast the bread. Mash the avocado and put on the toast. Sprinkle the bagel seasoning or mix it in. Put the egg on top.)

Lox (160 Kcal- 26g Protein)

• 4oz. Salmon Smoked
• 1 Tbsp. Capers
• 2 Tbsp. Plain, Non-fat Greek Yogurt
• 1 tsp. Everything bagel seasoning
• (No crackers, I just put this on a plate and mix everything bagel seasoning into my greek yogurt and eat with a fork.)

Fruit Crunch (175 Kcal – 19g Protein)

• 1 Full Serving of Plain, Non-fat Greek Yogurt (Usually 100 KCal.)
• 1/3 Cup of Fiber One Bran Cereal (Or substitute Almonds and adjust calories etc.)
• 1/2 Cup of Blueberries
• (Mix it all together and eat.)

DIY Frozen Yogurt (280 Kcal – 19g Protein)

• 1 Serving of OIKOS Vanilla, Low Fat Greek Yogurt
• 1 Cup Fresh Fruit

(Blend it all up and freeze. Get it when you have the time.)

Banana Egg Pancakes (8 Small Pancakes) (350 Kcal – 15g Protein)

• I Ripe banana (More ripe is better IMO)
• 2 Eggs beaten
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder, for fluffier pancakes
• 1 Cup fresh blueberries (Sometimes less is fine. It’s up to you.)
• (Mix ingredients, berries if you want but I usually put them on top and cook. They brown fast because of the banana sugars FYI.)

Banana Oatmeal Cookies (1 cookie, 52 kcal, 2g protein) Makes 8 cookies depending on ingredients

• 1 Large OverRipe Banana
• 1 Cup Quick Cook Oatmeal
• Optional 1/2 Cup Dark Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Not counted in calories)
• 2nd Option put a 1/2 tsp. dollop of peanut butter and jelly on the top when they are warm from the oven. (Not counted in Calories.)
• (Mix together. Heat oven to 350° and spray a pan with cooking oil. Scoop 1.5 Tbsp of mix. Bake for 15 minutes.)

HINTS: The thing I like to do is substitute cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo with Greek yogurt whenever it makes sense. You can also blend Greek Yogurt and Nafechatel to make mini cheesecake or richer Lox.

Enjoy! Reach out with questions in the comments below.

Sincerely,
Coach Sean