What I Eat- Healthy Meal Ideas
Soooo…grab a latte and a blueberry scone, or maybe a black coffee and avocado toast ;-), and get ready for a read. A long one. Because I must first start with the longest preface in the history of blog prefaces…
First things first, what I really wanted to title this blog post was “What I Know I Should and Need to Eat to Lose Weight So I Am Using This Blog Post to Get Re-Motivated- Meal Ideas”. But there’s this thing called Google and SEO and Google thought that was a terrible title and too long so I changed it.
Next, I am not a nutritionist, a dietician, a weight loss professional or even anyone incredibly tiny. I am just a girl who lost 100 lbs about six or seven years ago and wrote a blog post about it and a whole lot of you saw it and keep e-mailing me for meal ideas.
And finally, I am not a food blogger. Nor a chef. Nor a food photographer. I actually do not like to cook. At all. So I am sharing THE easiest meal ideas EVER!!!
So now that I have covered the fact that I am NOT a professional, I would like to share my unprofessional thoughts and advice. I really truly think and would quite possibly swear that 90%+ of losing weight is what and how you eat. Yes, this is coming from a girl who does not love to work out and who has never and most likely will never run a marathon. However, it’s also coming from a girl who lost a lot of weight without mega working out. I DO however believe that it’s super important and that being tone and building muscle will help assist in weight loss. But I promise you, watch what you eat and watch the pounds fall off.
Next in my unprofessional advice series, I personally do not believe in taking supplements, weight loss pills or anything like that to successfully lose weight AND keep it off. This is all coming from someone who tried it ALL. I think you can lose weight that way but when it’s lost super quickly and in that manner, I think that your metabolism becomes shot from losing weight so fast. And most importantly, you don’t actually learn how to eat which is why you gained it all in the first place.
As I said before, about six years ago I went from 220 lbs (yes, I just wrote that for the world to see) to 120 lbs. I did not crash diet, I did not take pills, I did not seek professional help and I did not… not eat. I simply got rid of every single thing in our refrigerator and pantry, read an awesome book that truly taught me how to eat and became 110% determined to lose weight. I think each of these three things are SO important. So let’s chat about those…
I would venture to say that if you’re reading this, you may need to lose a pound or two or twenty or maybe even a hundred. And I would also venture to say that your will power is nill to none. Well, if not you, that is most definitely me! Well let me tell you, so long as you leave snacks in your pantry, you will not lose the weight. Period. As I said before, this is ALL from personal experience. Get rid of it ALLLLLLL. And yes, I promise your kiddos will learn to eat healthier too! My kids are GREAT eaters and they eat the EXACT things that we eat every single night. Next on my top three list is learning how to eat. Whether it’s the book I read or any other method of learning nutrition, it is CRUCIAL to learn what is healthy and what is not. I was honestly shocked at how bad some of the things were that I was eating and had thought were at least somewhat healthy. As I said in my last post, one thing I learned most is to shop the perimeter of the grocery store. I rarely buy anything in the middle aisles. And if I do, it’s mostly for my kiddos! And last but not least, get motivated. Whether it’s for confidence, for health reasons or just that you want to see a lower number on the scale, whatever the case may be… YOU have to be the one to decide that YOU want to lose weight, that YOU are going to eat better and that YOU are going to keep yourself motivated.
It’s now been close to seven years and I have, for the most part, kept off all of the weight that I lost. I fluctuate between 120 and 130 lbs but today I am 134 so I am in mega “get motivated mode” once again. I have found that once you have lost the weight, it is MUCH easier to keep off and being overly obsessive about what you eat is not AS crucial. I still try and eat really clean during the week and then splurge a little on the weekends. If we got out to eat one weeknight, I will drink a shake that day for lunch. It isn’t super easy but it’s possible. It’s all about getting into a routine. A routine that is easy and doable for you!
Routine… we stay super duper busy. And that is honestly what has caused me to gain beyond my weight range. I give myself that range to allow room for vacations and Holidays and everything in between. The reason that I personally obsess over a number is that I know how hard it was to get to that point. To get to 120lbs. And I know that for me it is easier to lose 5-10 than to get back up and lose 50+ lbs again. Like I said, this is all MY story, MY experience and MY decisions. So back to my routine… I do not like to cook. I do not like to grocery shop and I do not have time to mega meal plan. I figured out six years ago that I do well with finding something healthy that I love, buying a ton of it, and then eating it for breakfast and lunch (two different meals) every single day. Until I get tired of it. It makes everything easier for me that way. I do the same with snacks and almost the same with dinners except I do maybe 3-4 dinners for every 2-3 weeks.
Here’s a look at my last grocery shopping trip as well as this first 2-3 weeks worth of meal and snack ideas! Check back again in in a couple of weeks for Round 2!
BREAKFAST
I am obsessed with avocados! I eat at least one entire avocado every single day and this is my favorite breakfast! It is super quick and easy and I usually pop it onto a paper plate and take it with me as I rush out the door.
Avocado Toast
7 Sprouted Grains Bread
1/2 Avocado
A Splash of Lemon or Lime Juice
A Dash of Salt & Pepper
Simply toast a piece of bread, scoop out half of an avocado and spread it onto the bread and finish it off with a splash of lemon juice and a dash of salt and pepper!
LUNCH
I know I overuse the word “obsessed” but I am OBSESSED with these salads. So much so that I typically have to pop by two grocery stores over the course of the week to find enough bags of it!
Superfood Salad
One Bag Kale Chopped Salad (I omit the croutons)
One Avocado
10 Cherry Tomatoes
Meat of Your Choice (I use a leftover from the night before)
Mix it all together and then top it off with the meat of your choice! I save half of the salad before adding the meat for a dinner side that evening.
SNACK IDEAS
Small Handful of Pistachios
Slice of Fresh Mozzarella
Banana w/ 1-2 Tbsp Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
Mini Peppers w/ Hummus
Carrot Chips w/ Hummus
Small Piece of Fruit
CHEAT OPTION
I always buy myself one, under 100 calorie, cheat option for random nights when the kiddos want to go to Brusters or I am feeling blah or I feel like ravaging the pantry on a hunt for anything containing sugar.
DINNER
This is one of my faves! My kiddos absolutely love it too… minus the lettuce wrap part for Winnie 😉
Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
3-4 Chicken Breasts
15-20 Grape Tomatoes
1/2-1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
One Small Onion
One Package Lettuce
A Small Handful of Seeds (not pictured)- I love adding Pepitas!
Cook the chicken until tender. I love cooking it in the crockpot on low for 2-3 hours because it shreds so easily! Once it has cooled, shred or dice the chicken. Slice a small onion and a package of grape tomatoes. Add 1/2-1 cup plain greek yogurt and mix well. Add sliced onions, tomatoes, seeds and any other healthy ingredients you love!
Taco Bowl
One Package Ground Turkey or Chicken
One Small Onion
Salsa
One Avocado
Simply brown the ground turkey or chicken and top it off with a diced onion, sliced avocado and a spoon full of salsa!
Thank you so much again for all of the love for my Weight Loss Post! I will be answering more of your questions about my tummy tuck as well as sharing new meal ideas in the coming weeks!
DEAL OF THE DAY!
Jack Rogers Sandals ONLY $29!!!
XOXO, Brittany Hayes
Darcy Potter says
You need a “Pin” option for Pinterest 😉 I want to save this to my “Eat Clean” board asap! Also would love your shopping list in a printable form so I can take it with me next time I go shopping 🙂 Thanks for doing this post! All these meal and snack ideas sound and look so yummy! Time to get it in gear 🙂
Brittany Hayes says
Yes, GREAT IDEA thank you so much! I am going to work on that now!!! I appreciate you more than you know! XOXO
Stephanie says
New reader here. I agree with the comment above. A printable shopping list would be great! I was always a thin person like yourself until I turned 40. I’m 48 now and have gained about 20 extra pounds that I’m struggling to lose. Thanks for the great meal ideas.
Brittany Hayes says
Yes, that is a GREAT idea and I am going to work on that right now actually! I wish you the best of luck! You can do it! XOXO
Amanda says
Thank you so much for this. I love having meal ideas as I hate to plan and meal shop/prep. I also was very inspired by your weight loss journey post and look forward to your tummy tuck post.
Brittany Hayes says
Yay thank you! I am so so glad!! XOXO
Sharon says
Thanks for the meal ideas. You look awesome! The two pictures above look like two different people. Your eyes are so blue in the after picture.
Brittany Hayes says
Thank you so much! Haha yes, definitely me 😉 The first photo is an iPhone picture of a 4x 6 printed pic where I had red eye so it is just really bad quality. I have always had bright blue eyes. Thanks again!
Bridgette says
Your blog posts continue to touch me as I still hide behind my designs at a horrible 210 pounds. I adore your reads and I am going to Kroger today to pick up some of the healthy things for our family. My biggest problem is making the same thing day in and day out for my family when I am trying to eat healthy.. However, if it takes the weight off then I guess it is worth it.
Can you tell me if you did any exercising when you started? I don’t even feel comfortable in public much with this weight on me. I have to get it off.
Bridgette says
Just made the taco bowl for hubby and I and it was amazing. I have chicken in the crock pot! I’m so excited to finally be doing something about this weight! I am lost somewhere under all of this weight….I am ready to find me again.
Ok, couple questions. Pepitas, what are those and where at Kroger do I find? I also couldn’t find your bread so I got a grain bread that’s sugar free.
Brittany Hayes says
Hey dear! Oh my goodness I cannot tell you how much your comments mean to me! I am SO glad you are getting motivated! YOU CAN DO IT GIRL!!! Okay so…pepitas are actually pumpkin seeds and I found them in the Kroger packaged nut section. In ours it is close to the produce. Also, I get that bread in the freezer section at Kroger. I see it most everywhere though but it’s always in the freezer section. As far as the water, I will cover that in my next post. It is a high Ph water which I SWEAR by drinking! Not just for weight loss but for overall health as well! The pomegranate Lifeway product is Kiefer Milk. It is a GREAT source of probiotics which are wonderful for digestion. And finally, yes I did walk a good bit at first to lose weight. I covered that in my original weight loss post. I hope that helps! Thanks SOOO much! XOXO
Julie@jamnjilly says
This is great! I was able to find the kale salad at our local target store but where can I find those salted caramel Popsicles? And do you use the dressing that comes in the kale salad? I feel like I’m on a roll and hope it continues!
April Singletom says
I was wondering the same thing! 🙂
Brittany Hayes says
Thanks so much! I found the Salted Caramel Popsicles at Kroger 🙂 Also, I do use the dressing but when I originally lost all of my weight I was psycho about eating on the Dr. Oz plan so I made the dressing recipe he has in his book. I will see if I can find it online and will add it to my next post! XOXO
Julie@jamnjilly says
Thanks so much for getting back to me! I would love to see the recipe for the dressing:)
Katherine B says
Love this blog! So many inspirations here! Thanks for being real with your readers and sharing it all. You are a true inspiration!
Brittany Hayes says
Awe thank you! Real is my goal for sure. I appreciate you so much!
Mandy Hoaglund says
I am new to your blog (and love it, btw) and I happened to read your healthy eating blog post right before I went grocery shopping. I bought the kale salad and oh, my, yum! So, so delicious! I seriously ate it for 3 meals in a row! Thanks for the recommendations! I am currently healthy eating and on my own weight loss journey and these recipe tips are perfect to incorporate in my diet.
Brittany Hayes says
Yay that is so wonderful! Thanks so much for reading my blog and following along! Excited to start posting lots more meal ideas! XOXO
Melissa Light says
Brittany, I was re-inspired to lose weight after reading your post. In 2014, I lost 30 pounds of baby weight in 9 months. I was doing grocery shopping and lengthy meal preps every Sunday and working out hard 5-6 times a week. Eventually, when my baby started walking it became so hard to keep up my routine. I also got sick of the same foods I was eating… and eventually I gained it all back. I felt so discouraged that all my hard work went down the drain. I like the idea of not planning so obsessively, but keeping healthy food around so if I’m in a pinch for time I’m not grabbing junk. Thanks for helping me see that balance is possible! I’m ready to start again!
Tanzina says
Wow!! How inspiring! I wish I cud try these food habits. Since I’m nursing I’m very much confused what shud I do. Moreover I had three c sections. So confused about the exercises too.
Lacy says
Love this!! I’m starting my journey again and want this to be the last time. Your input and info was so key and spot on. What book were you referring to? Thanks
Kylie says
Thank you so ,I have for sharing this inspiring journey! Would love to know what shakes you’ve found you like the best?
Jamila Abdelmuti says
Hi Brittany- I was wondering if I could use trader joes cooked boneless skinless chicken breast for your recipes due to only cooking for one and coming home late from work ? Thanks Jamila 🙂
Sarah says
Hi! What kind of shakes do you drink/ make for lunch when you go out for dinner? I’m loving your blog and all the healthy tips!