How to Get Started Eating Clean: Prep!

There is NO way that I could stick to eating healthy if I didn't prepare my grocery list and meals ahead of time. Trust me on this, because I have tried. Why stress yourself out everyday about what you are going to eat- when you can just spend some time on the weekend getting everything ready and then heat & eat during the week??

This detailed shopping list tells you exactly how much food to buy at the grocery store. Follow the recipes that explain how to cook five individual-serving-size dinners. You'll also be able to pack up extra food for lunches during the day! Easy Peasy! 

Spare a couple of hours planning, shopping, and cooking, and you'll actually have time to enjoy the healthy lifestyle you work hard to achieve!


1-Week Fit Meal Planner Shopping List
1 lb brown rice or quinoa or buy a bit of both!
8 oz container of old-fashioned oats
3 lbs of lean ground turkey (try for 85-90% lean)
1 flank steak (1 lb can be divided into 2 servings; 2 lbs
makes 4 servings)
1 dozen eggs
1 avocado
1 large package fresh spinach salad mix
Fresh veggies including:
2 bell peppers
1 head of broccoli (or 1 package pre-chopped, fresh
broccoli)
1 bunch asparagus
1 pack pre-cut and washed mushrooms (or 1 lb fresh
mushrooms-but then you have to cut them yourself)
1 pack celery
1 package fresh pre-cut stir-fry veggies (or build your own
by buying onion, Chinese cabbage, shredded carrots,
broccoli, snow peas, and water chestnuts)




Pantry/Fridge Essentials
Garlic Powder or Fresh Garlic
Mustard Powder
Thyme
Sage
Black Pepper
Worcestershire Sauce
Egg Whites (or enough eggs to use the whites)
Soy Sauce
Vinegar
Onion or dried onion flakes
Fresh Ginger
Brown Sugar
Oil (Olive Oil or Canola Oil is recommended)
Homemade Dressing




Sunday Night Meal: Meat Muffins
2 lbs ground meat (I've used beef, turkey, and
combinations)
1/4 heaping cup chopped celery
1/4 heaping cup mushroom, diced
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup finely chopped onion or 1 tbsp dehydrated onion
flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1/4 cup water
Directions:
Preheat oven at 325 degrees.
Spray 2 muffin tins with nonstick spray or oil.Mix all ingredients in a bowl (using your hands works best).
Cook at 325 degrees for 22 minutes.


Monday Night Meal: Quinoa Bowl
1/3 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked ground turkey
1 cup stir fry veggies
Directions:
Mix together and add 1 tbsp soy sauce.



Tuesday Night Meal: Meat Muffins
Warm up the meat muffins you baked on Sunday.
Sautee 1 cup of veggies (mushrooms, celery, and asparagus in a
small amount of soy sauce)

Wednesday Night Meal: Steak And Veggies
Ginger Soy Marinated Flank Steak
1/2 cup soy
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp onion
1 tbsp oil
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp pepper
Directions:Mix the above ingredients together in a big enough container to
fit your steak. Marinade the flank steak for as long as you like.
Start the night before or in the morning when you leave for work,
or even when arriving home if you plan to eat a bit later. For a
great flavor, you want at least a couple hours in the marinade.
To cook the steak, grill or broil it for 8 minutes on one side and 6
minutes on the other side. Adjust the cooking time according to
the thickness of the meat and how done you like your steak. A 2-
pound flank steak feeds a little over four people in my family. So
if you cook for one, you may only need to buy a steak between 1
and 2 pounds. Or if you cook the whole 4-pound steak, you should
have plenty of leftovers for easy lunches!
Veggie Salad
Asparagus
Broccoli
Red and green bell peppers
Directions:
Mix the above ingredients together in a salad bowl.


Thursday Night Meal: Omelet/Egg Scramble
2/3 cup egg whites
1/4 cup ground turkey
1/4 cup favorite veggies and/or 2 tbsp quinoa
1/2 avocado
Directions:
Scramble the egg whites, ground turkey and veggies together
and top with the avocado.


Friday Night Meal: Chef Salad
2 large handfuls spinach salad mix
1/2 cup ground turkey
1/2 avocado
1 cup chopped veggies (bell pepper, broccoli, mushrooms)
2 tbsp homemade dressing
Directions:
Mix the above ingredients together in a salad bowl.


These are just a few meal ideas but a lot can be done with egg whites, quinoa, veggies and ground meat. Get creative and plan ahead. You can also preplan your lunches by grilling a bunch of chicken or having tuna packets on hand for lunches. The secret is to learn to pair a great source of protein (chicken, tuna, ground turkey, flank steak) with your favorite vegetables. Once you find the combinations that you like, prepare big batches of food that you can throw together for easy lunches and dinners.

If you have a family, finding vegetables and healthy recipes that everyone likes could be challenging. This meal plan makes it easy to follow your personal nutrition needs even if your family has different needs. Even if your family has a different set of nutrition goals from you-strict dieters and pre-contest folks, you know what I'm talking about-spend some time pre-planning, and you can spend time with your family at a stress-free dinner table.