In "Eating Healthier: Picking the Right Ingredients," I covered the importance of meals that include healthy fats and anti-inflammatory ingredients, as well as the importance of avoiding saturated fats.
These recipes for five meals throughout a day provide detailed instructions to help you achieve your goal. Even if you're not a seasoned cook, these meals will be easy to prepare.
You'll need a sauté pan with lid, a pot with lid, a spatula, a sharp knife, a cutting board, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, a garlic press, a small bowl for making salad dressing and sauces, and a larger bowl for tossing salad.
Allow yourself about 15 minutes of preparation time for the lunches and dinners, including cooking if you use fast-cooking rice. Each recipe makes one serving. When cooking for more than one person, multiply the ingredients by the number of people. If you can't find coconut flour, coconut oil, pumpkin-seed protein powder, pumpkin-seed oil, pumpkin-seed butter, avocado oil, or ground flaxseeds at your local health food store, order online from Omega Nutrition.
Use organic ingredients when available that aren't too expensive. Organic food tastes better, is better for you, and better for the environment.
Breakfast: Pomegranate Blueberry Blast Smoothie
¾ cup unsweetened chilled pomegranate juice
½ cup chilled water
¾ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
2 tablespoons pumpkin seed protein powder
1 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil
2 ice cubes
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
Wash spinach and blueberries thoroughly. Combine pomegranate juice, water, blueberries, spinach, pumpkin-seed protein powder, pumpkin seed oil, and ice cubes in blender. Blend until smooth. Stir in ground flaxseeds. Pour into glass and drink while it's cold.
If you exercise regularly and need extra calories, add ½ cup of chopped fresh apple and an extra tablespoon of ground flaxseed to your smoothie.
Variations: Instead of spinach, use fresh kale. Instead of blueberries, use black raspberries. Instead of pomegranate juice, use tart cherry juice or purple carrot juice. If you can't find the juices at your local store, purchase them at Smart Juice.
Morning Snack:
One fresh apple, sliced. Serve with 1 tablespoon of almond butter.
Variations: Instead of apple, have a pear. Instead of almond butter, use pumpkin-seed butter.