Well here you have it, three great meal ideas for each meal of the day (meals that are actually filling)! This is the first of many posts from our “Real Life” series. We’re bringing you reality, what actual fitness fanatics actually eat and do to stay fit, toned and healthy!
We rounded up some of the best fitness and nutrition experts we know, from Pro Bikini Model, Lisa Marie Vazquez to Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist, Bianca Meehan, to our fabulous Fitness & Lifestyle Coach, Cynthia Spenla.
We asked them, “What are your ‘Go-To’ Meals for Breakfast, for Lunch and for Dinner?”
We wanted to bring our readers some really great tried, tested and approved meal ideas. We asked each expert for three recipes for each meal of the day, 3 for Breakfast, 3 for Lunch and 3 for Dinner. These meal ideas are their “Go-To” meals that can help you with your weight loss efforts (and also help you maintain your weight once you’ve reached your goal!).
I know it’s hard to figure out what to eat and when to eat it. When you search the internet for a good diet plan…. You fall prey to information overload, and also, you most likely have no idea what will work and what won’t work. From the recommendations that Dr. Oz and the Biggest Loser throw at you, to the information about the types of workouts that will work, like Beachbody or Crossfit or Jillian Michael’s Shred workout programs…after searching the web for a weight loss diet and workout program, you probably just give up!
Below, are some “Real Life” examples of the types of meals that work for our fitness experts. Everyone’s DNA is different, so remember that what works for someone else may not work for you. So you may have to tweak it to your liking and for your DNA…but, when it’s all said and done, if you’re looking to drop the LB’s, incorporating some of these meal ideas will really help you get there! Read on for the Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Fat Burning Meals that our health & fitness fanatics include in their daily diet!
Today’s Fitness Expert, Lisa Vazquez:
33-year-old mother of two beautiful children, military spouse, Teacher (holding two master’s degrees), small business owner, and a fitness fanatic! Lisa is a CrossFit competitor, recently placing 16th and 4th in two local CrossFit competitions. She is also a National Physique Committee competitor, competing in the bikini division, and recently placing 6th and 3rd.
Lisa’s #1 Vital Tip:
“Devote yourself to your goal; whatever it may be – as simple as getting outside for a walk 3-5 times a week or as complex as I WANT ABS (those suckers ARE NOT easy to get!!!) and MAKE IT HAPPEN! Struggle on it, overcome it. Get after it! Your biggest challenge resides in your own head and hands. You are in control of your destiny. I’m not telling you it will be easy, but I am telling you it will be WORTH IT!”
Lisa’s Reality Check:
“MEAL PREP IS KEY for me to stay focused on my fitness goals. Every Sunday my family preps our meals for the whole week. We cook mass quantities of chicken, ground turkey, bacon, egg whites, sweet potatoes, boiled eggs, and steamed veggies (don’t let me fool you here, we buy the steamable bags of veggies). We portion out, into little snack baggies, other foods such as servings of berries, nuts, and veggies (like cut up celery sticks, cucumbers, etc.). We even portion out our protein and add the extra BCAA’s into it using little sandwich baggies as well. We take our meals to work and I take them with me to family/friend functions so I won’t be tempted to snack on the food that is at the function… I once traveled from Colorado to Virginia with my 6-Pack Meal Prep cooler on a plane for a friend’s wedding and brought my food to rehearsal dinner!”
Note: For flavoring purposes, follow the “Rule of 3”… if a dressing or sauce has 3 or UNDER grams of fats, sugars, and carbohydrates use the heck out of it! If it has more than 3 grams of fats, sugar, or carbs than use with caution. During the work week it is hard to get everything done in the mornings; getting herself ready, getting her two young children ready, taking care of her dogs, etc. That’s why most of her “Go-To” breakfast meals are things that are quick and easy to either make or grab.
Lisa’s Top Three Go-To Breakfast Recipes:
Breakfast Recipe #1: Eggs & Bacon w/an English Muffin and Fruit
- 6 egg whites (cook a whole carton of egg whites during meal prep time)
- 1 portion of fruit (1 small apple OR 1 “Cutie” orange OR 1 banana OR 1 cup of berries – usually
- strawberries)
- 1 Whole Wheat English Muffin (w/sugar free jelly during her “on season training” OR crunchy nut butter during her “off/bulking season training”)
- 1 protein shake (she’s a fan of Cellucor protein products, namely; S’Mores, Cake Batter, and Peanut Butter Marshmallow) *also add BCAA’s into all shakes*
- 2 pieces of bacon (turkey bacon during her “in season training” OR real bacon during her “off/bulking season training”)
Breakfast Recipe #2: Southwestern Chicken Omelet
- 6 egg whites
- 1/3 cup of Veggie Cheese
- Shredded chicken (the amount is up to you)
- 1 serving of Salsa (as long as it follows the “Rule of 3”)
- 1 protein shake (she’s a fan of Cellucor protein products, namely; S’Mores, Cake Batter, and Peanut Butter Marshmallow) *also add BCAA’s into all shakes*
- 1 portion of fruit (1 small apple OR 1 “Cutie” orange OR 1 banana OR 1 cup of berries – usually strawberries)
Pour the egg whites into a skillet pan on medium heat, add your chicken, veggie cheese, and salsa, close up the omelet, flip it over in the skillet, and ENJOY.
Breakfast Recipe #3: Breakfast Mash
- 2 pieces of wheat bread (pull aparts into little dime-sized pieces)
- 6-10 egg whites
- 6 pieces of bacon (cooked and then cut up into small pieces – turkey bacon during her “in season
- training” OR real bacon during her “off/bulking season training”)
- 2/3rd cup of Veggie Cheese
- 1 protein shake *also add BCAA’s into all shakes*
Scramble egg whites first, then pour into a baking dish along with the bread pieces, bacon pieces, and cheese. Bake in the oven on 400 for 5-7 minutes just to melt the cheese into the mash. Enjoy!
Lisa’s Top Three Go-To Lunch Recipes:
Lisa’s Lunch & Dinner Advice:
“Lunch meals and dinner meals are pretty interchangeable to me because they mainly consist of protein, carbs, and greens. I ALWAYS portion my meals based on my fitness goals. During my “off season training”, when I am trying to gain healthy mass, my portions are bigger, 6oz of chicken for example. During my “in season training” my portions are smaller, 4oz of chicken for example. If I find that I am hungry at any time I up my vegetable and water intake to satisfy the hunger while still remaining lean with my foods.”
Lunch Recipe #1: Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad w/ Kale Chips
For Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad
- 1lb chicken
- Ranch powder (I use Hidden Valley’s Ranch dressing powder and I sprinkle to taste)
- ½ cup of Buffalo Sauce (as long as it follows the “Rule of 3” you are set to use it following the serving suggestion)
- Salad items (use the veggies you wish to create your salad… Lisa’s tip: choose spinach as a healthier alternative to lettuce and add egg whites, bacon bits, cucumbers, carrots, and broccoli to your salad)
Bake or boil chicken until it is thoroughly cooked. Cut into small cubes. Place chicken pieces into large bowl and pour/sprinkle buffalo sauce and ranch seasoning over the chicken. Cover the bowl and shake contents around to get full flavor coverage on the chicken! Dump chicken pieces over salad mix and ENJOY!
For Kale Chips
- Fresh Kale (cut off its stalk and into leaf-sized pieces)
- Coconut Oil
- Salt
Set oven on to 400. Place kale into large bowl with coconut oil, salt, and any other flavorings you wish to use (following the “Rule of 3”). After kale has been well mixed with flavorings, dump the kale onto a baking sheet, spread out, and place kale in the oven for 8-12 minutes depending on your oven’s cooking intensity. You may want to flip the leaves about ½ way through cooking them. Voila, kale chips!
Lisa’s Side Note:
“I always try to add flavor when I can, so I stumbled upon powdered popcorn seasonings such as Bacon Cheddar, Parmesan Garlic, and White Cheddar in the popcorn/chips isle of my local Wal-Mart Supercenter!! So we often sprinkle the aforementioned flavorings onto our Kale chips as well!”
Lunch Recipe #2: Chicken Teriyaki w/ Brown Rice
- 1lb chicken
- 1Tbsp coconut oil (or sometimes I boil my chicken in low-sodium/reduced-fat chicken broth)
- 2 cups broccoli
- 1 cup snap peas
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup celery
- ¼ cup water chest nuts
- 1 cup pineapple cubes
- 2 cups brown rice
- ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
- 1 tsp ginger
- ¼ cup Stevia in the raw- added slowly until desired sweetness achieved
- 1 tsp garlic powder
In a large skillet, cook chicken using 1 tbsp coconut oil. Once chicken is cooked add in broccoli, sugar peas, carrots, celery, chest nuts, pineapple cubes, soy sauce, agave nectar, ginger, stevia (to taste), and garlic powder. Lisa’s Tip: use steamable veggie bags for the veggies listed when you can! They are so easy.
Lunch Recipe #3: Simple Balsamic Chicken Salad
- 1lb chicken
- Reduced-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 serving Balsamic Vinegar dressing (use a Balsamic dressing that follows the “Rule of 3”)
- Salad items (use the veggies you wish to create your salad… spinach is best and also add egg whites, bacon bits, cucumbers, carrots, and broccoli to your salad)
Cut uncooked chicken into slices or chunks. In a large pan, boil chicken using as much chicken broth as you need. Mix all salad items together in a large bowl. Add chicken and dressing and enjoy!
Lisa’s Top Three Go-To Dinner Recipes:
Dinner Recipe #1: Cold Chicken Noodle Peanut Salad
- 1 package whole-wheat linguine or gluten free pasta
- 1/2 cup soy sauce – you can use reduced sodium
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 6 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon Stevia
- 2 cups cubed chicken breast
- 2 1/2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 yellow pepper sliced
- 6 scallions diced
- 1 cup fresh pea pods
Prepare noodles and cook until tender. In large skillet add sesame oil and cook chicken. In a separate bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, peanut butter and stevia. Then add the mixture to the chicken and oil. Then add veggies. Once fully cooked, let cool and store in air tight containers – keep refrigerated and serve cold.
Dinner Recipe #2: Sesame Chicken
- 2lbs chicken, rolled in almond flour and egg white
- 6 egg whites
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 cup agave nectar
- ½ cup soy sauce (use reduced sodium)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- Sesame Seeds
- 1 package whole wheat noodles
Trim chicken and chop into bite size portions, dip into whipped egg whites, than roll in almond flour to form breading. Place in hot pan with ¼ cup olive oil (add more as needed). Once chicken is cooked: add agave, soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic. Meanwhile boil noodles and once cooked add to chicken mixture. Top with sesame seeds and serve.
Dinner Recipe #3: Turkey Chili w/ Greek Yogurt Topping
For Chili
- 1lb extra lean ground turkey
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 large tomato chopped
- 1/3 cup onion chopped
- 1/3 cup orange pepper chopped
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1 large zucchini squash chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1Tbsp onion powder
- ¼ Tbsp cumin
For Yogurt Topping
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp garlic salt
Brown turkey in 1 tbsp olive oil, then add beans, veggies, and spices. Simmer on low as long as desired (you can also make this in the crock pot). If you like your chili with a kick, add crushed red pepper! When you’re ready to serve, mix Greek Yogurt, with Parmesan cheese and garlic salt and use for topping on chili!
So there you have it, our first 9 recipes of the February “Real Life” series. Next week, we will be bringing you nine more recipes from our Fitness & Lifestyle Coach, Cynthia Spenla! Be sure you are following our blog so you can receive all of our exciting fitness tips and healthy recipes!
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