These pesky Mondays…they just seem to keep coming around. Like they’ve got a vendetta against us or something. The good news is that it’s December, so there will be plenty of office parties and excuses to have fun with family and friends. The bad news is that it can all be a little (or more than a little) stressful and most of those festivities involve excessive amounts of indulgent food that’s sure to test even the strongest of will powers. Mine included. Instead of stressing out about the fact that I’m probably going to gain a few pounds over the holidays, I’m just doing my best to stay on track for the next few weeks with meal prep and workouts. Holiday food will be fuel for my muscles come January 😉
Here’s what’s on the menu this week:
The Meal Plan:
Day 1
- Breakfast: Dairy Free Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins with egg white slices
- Lunch: Beef Bourguignon with Parsnip and Cauliflower Puree
- Dinner: Turkey Taco Salad
Day 2
- Breakfast: Dairy Free Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins with egg white slices
- Lunch: Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup
- Dinner: Beef Bourguignon with Parsnip and Cauliflower Puree
Day 3
- Breakfast: Dairy Free Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins with egg white slices
- Lunch: Turkey Taco Salad
- Dinner: Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup
Day 4
- Breakfast: Dairy Free Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins with egg white slices
- Lunch: Beef Bourguignon with Parsnip and Cauliflower Puree
- Dinner: Turkey Taco Salad
Day 5
- Breakfast: Dairy Free Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins with egg white slices
- Lunch: Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup
- Dinner: Beef Bourguignon with Parsnip and Cauliflower Puree
Day 6
- Breakfast: Dairy Free Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins with egg white slices
- Lunch: Turkey Taco Salad
- Dinner: Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup
The Snack Ideas:
- Flavored tuna packets with plantain chips
- Carrots with hummus
- Deli turkey (nitrate and nitrite free)
- Strawberries and blueberries
- Protein shakes
- Hard boiled egg whites
The Containers:
The Recipes:
Dairy-Free Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins
Servings: muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats, (205 grams)
- 2 scoops Optimum Nutrition Plant-Based Vanilla Protein, (76 grams)
- 3/4 cup fresh cranberries, chopped, (75 grams)
- 1/4 cup 50% Ocean Spray Reduced Sugar Dried Cranberries, chopped, (40 grams)
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar, (24 grams)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, (246 grams)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, (4 oz)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup, (2 oz)
- 2 tbsp Trop 50 orange juice, (1 oz)
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
- 2 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange 7 jumbo silicone baking cups on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, then add wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until tops begin to turn golden brown.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 249kcal (12%), Carbohydrates: 43g (14%), Protein: 13g (26%), Fat: 4g (6%), Cholesterol: 27mg (9%), Sodium: 186mg (8%), Potassium: 124mg (4%), Fiber: 6g (25%), Sugar: 18g (20%)
Egg White Slices
Servings: servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups egg whites
Instructions
- Pour egg whites into a cold, medium-sized, shallow pan and cover with a lid.
- Turn heat to just higher than medium and cook eggs until they no longer jiggle when you touch the pan and are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Vent the lid if the top of the egg whites begin to bubble.
- Remove from pan and slice into 6 pieces.
Tips & Tricks
Click here or scan the barcode below to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 48kcal (2%), Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 11g (22%), Sodium: 181mg (8%)
Beef Bourguignon
Servings: servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck, excess fat trimmed, cut into 1″ cubes
- 3 slices uncured bacon, chopped, (85 grams)
- 4 medium carrots, chopped, (200 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped white onion, (170 grams)
- 8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 2/3 cup pearl onions, peeled, (100 grams)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups Pinot Noir, (12 oz)
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted beef stock, (12 oz)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste, (1 oz)
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, (1/2 oz)
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp Flavor God Garlic Lover’s Seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Heat a 3-5 quart dutch oven over medium-high heat on the stove. Add bacon and sauté until cooked through. Set bacon aside on a paper towel lined plate.
- Add beef and brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes. Remove beef to a plate and set aside.
- Add chopped onions, carrots, and about 2/3 of the minced garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened, then return the beef and bacon to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, then toss with flour until evenly coated.
- Add wine, beef stock, pearl onions, tomato paste, and herbs. (The liquid should just cover the beef and veggies – you may need to add or remove some liquid depending on the size of your pot.) Reduce heat to low and simmer for 4-6 hours until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
- As the beef finishes cooking, heat butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and mushrooms. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add 1-2 cups of the sauce from the pot.
- In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with about 1 tbsp of water to make a cornstarch slurry. Slowly whisk the slurry into the pan with the mushrooms. Add the whole mixture to the large pot and gently stir until mushroom mixture is well incorporated. Continue to simmer for 5-10 more minutes before removing from heat.
- Serve over mashed parsnips and cauliflower or another plain side like mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 363kcal (18%), Carbohydrates: 13g (4%), Protein: 31g (62%), Fat: 20g (31%), Cholesterol: 85mg (28%), Sodium: 379mg (16%), Potassium: 466mg (13%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 5g (6%)
Parsnip and Cauliflower Puree
Servings: servings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs parsnip, peeled, trimmed, and chopped
- 1 10 oz bag frozen cauliflower rice
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Add chopped parsnips to a pot and add water until it just covers the parsnips. Add salt, if desired, then cover and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for about 12 minutes or until parsnips are fork tender.
- Microwave cauliflower rice according to package directions.
- Add all ingredients to a large food processor and blend until smooth.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 160kcal (8%), Carbohydrates: 30g (10%), Protein: 3g (6%), Fat: 4g (6%), Cholesterol: 5mg (2%), Sodium: 29mg (1%), Potassium: 659mg (19%), Fiber: 8g (33%), Sugar: 8g (9%)
Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Servings: servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lb raw chicken breast
- 2/3 cup Lundberg Organic Wild Rice Blend, (270 grams)
- 10 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 10 oz frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out with a paper towel
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped, (150 grams)
- 1 cup celery, sliced, (180 grams)
- 1 cup carrot, sliced, (165 grams)
- 32 oz no salt added chicken stock
- 11 oz HEB Organics Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup
- 4 oz dry white wine, (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp Flavor God Garlic Lover’s Seasoning
- 1 tsp Flavor God Everything Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground mustard
- 1/4 tsp Oh My Spice! Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add chicken to the bottom of a slow cooker and season with Flavor God seasonings, thyme, ground mustard, salt, and pepper. Add bay leaves.
- Top chicken with minced garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. Pour chicken stock and condensed soup over vegetables.
- Cook on low for 5 1/2 hours. Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks, then return to slow cooker.
- Add wild rice to slow cooker and turn heat to high for 1 hr or until rice is cooked al dente.
- During the final 5-10 minutes of cooking, add spinach. Then, heat a skillet over medium high heat and add butter. Add mushrooms, season with Lemon Pepper seasoning and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add white wine and continue to sauté for 3-4 more minutes until mushrooms are softened. Add to slow cooker.
- Serve soup with fresh parsley and lemon juice, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 336kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 30g (10%), Protein: 39g (78%), Fat: 4g (6%), Cholesterol: 65mg (22%), Sodium: 711mg (31%), Potassium: 618mg (18%), Fiber: 5g (21%), Sugar: 4g (4%)
Turkey Taco Salad
Servings: servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb Jennie-O extra lean ground turkey, 99%
- 1/2 cup Frontera New Mexico Taco Skillet Sauce
- 2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 cup Casa Sanchez Taqueria Style Avocado Salsa
- 1/4 cup Fage 0% plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup tortilla strips
Instructions
- Layer lettuce, cherry tomatoes, black beans, and corn in a meal prep container.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add about 1 tsp of olive oil. Add ground turkey and break apart with a wooden spatula until nearly cooked through, then add skillet sauce and finish cooking.
- Serve over veggies, then add Greek yogurt, avocado salsa and tortilla strips on top.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 322kcal (16%), Carbohydrates: 34g (11%), Protein: 34g (68%), Fat: 5g (8%), Cholesterol: 56mg (19%), Sodium: 613mg (27%), Fiber: 6g (25%), Sugar: 8g (9%)
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