Planning your meals

I'll be the first person to tell you that eating healthy is expensive. It certainly is, but it's worth it, and there are ways to making the most out of what you buy. I'm only one person, obviously, and therefore only have to cook for myself which is less costly. But last week, I spent about $175 on groceries, and $60 this week. Granted, a lot of what I buy is produce-I love love love fruit and most of my meals contain various vegetables. When I go to the grocery store, I make sure to plan accordingly. I plan out my meals for the week, and have a general idea what I'll eating each day, to ensure I'm hitting all of the food groups accordingly. I workout a lot, so my diet is important. I'm not one of those people that can workout and just eat whatever I want. I can look at a candy bar and gain one pound! Here's what my meals for this week looked like:

Chicken Quesadillas
White Bean Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Chinese Chicken Stirfry
Stuffed Peppers
Buffalo chicken Salad
Black Bean Burger w/ side of carrots and homemade tomato basil hummus

Each of these meals are my staples. I alternate them throughout the week so that I don't get bored. I look forward to eating, so I make sure my meals aren't only healthy, but ones I'll look forward to enjoying.

The turkey chili is a dish that I make and freeze. It serves 9-so, I have it for 9 meals. It's a great quick go-to if I'm running late in the morning, or even of I'm getting home late at night and don't feel like cooking. The rest serve 3-4, and keep fresh in airtight containers for up to 5 days. Works perfectly! Easy peasy! Tonight, I'm serving up my buffalo chicken salad-my own concoction-grilled chicken on top of spring mix lettuce, with fat free feta cheese, cucumbers, and Fran's Red Hot as my dressing. I had Chinese Chicken Stirfry for lunch and a protein bar for a late afternoon snack, so the salad will be a perfect way to balance my carb intake.

As you can see, I plan balanced meals that are healthy, filling, and contain protein. Must haves.

Here's my delicious lunch-recipe courtesy of Skinny Confidential, via Eat Yourself Skinny.

Xoxo,
Brittany