Meal Planning 101

My simple philosophy on the 3 most common problem areas in food choice:

Note that there are a million different meals, recipes, and variations on any of the following. If you want something different or fancier, then feel free to go for that. But my philosophy is always to work with the simplest option. You don’t need to add in a bunch of unnecessary variables unless you have to:

1) If you’re lactose intolerant or don’t handle dairy well, then don’t eat it! Some cheeses that have been aged longer like swiss, parmesan, and cheddars are lower in lactose. Greek yogurt has active bacteria that digest much of the lactose. And Whey protein isolate has most of the lactose filtered out. But don’t just decide to be lactose intolerant. By cutting lactose out of your diet you can actually build up an intolerance.

2) If you’re gluten sensitive (whatever that means) or have Celiac’s disease, then don’t eat gluten items like bread, pasta, or cereals. If you don’t have a problem with it, then go for it! I don’t eat much of these items in my diet, but it has nothing to do with gluten. Most of these foods are pretty low in vitamins and minerals, so I put my calories elsewhere.

3) There is no reason to avoid saturated fat or cholesterol. These are extremely important and beneficial parts of a healthy diet to support brain and nervous system function. The only thing to keep in mind is that fat has 9 calories/gram compared to protein and carb with 4 calories/gram. So if you’re looking to lose weight, lowering the fat you eat will help simply by lowering your total calorie levels. The opposite is true for gaining weight.

Why I do Intermittent Fasting and whether or not you should:

I practice intermittent fasting and have been doing so since 2017. All that means is that I eat 1 or 2 meals a day. I do this for one simple reason: It makes my life easier. Instead of having to spend time prepping and planning for 4+ meals a day like I used to, I just make 2 larger meals each day. I used to eat big meals at 5am, 10am, 2pm, 7pm, and then a snack. Amazingly, I made the switch over time and didn’t lose a ton of weight even by eating a lot less food. Though untested, my belief is that we actually just poop out a lot of the food we don’t really need. Meaning that I was eating much more than I needed to.

I don’t stick to a strict eating window. I just don’t snack or eat anything outside of my meals 98% of the time. Occasionally I’ll have a handful of almonds for salt, but that’s it. I just keep things simple.

Now, does this mean I think you should do IF? Probably not. Here is a quick pro/con list for you:

PROS:

It makes life much simpler by giving you a structure and boundaries.
It’s easier to be intentional about planning out healthy meals.
If can make achieving a calorie deficit much simpler because you generally don’t eat as much

CONS:

It’s harder to get enough calories if you don’t like big meals.
It may not fit into your daily routine if you don’t have time for a big meal midday.
It may require you to train fasted, which might decrease your performance if you aren’t used to it.

Bottom Line: If I were actively trying to gain weight, train for a competitive event, or just preferred eating smaller meals throughout the day, then I would not practice this.

How I think about food and meals each week:

As described above, I eat 2 meals a day. Occasionally I’ll just stick to 1 meal on a Saturday or Sunday if I’m eating out for a “cheat” meal. That means that I have 13-14 meals to plan for each week. Again, I always think about the simplest option to get the result I want, and this is the same framework I want you to use as well as you are getting started. This is my weekly process.

Saturday OR Sunday – I go to the food story to get exactly what I need for the week. Nothing more, nothing less. The goal is to dial in what you need for your meals to limit trips and save time.

I eat 6-7 Breakfast/Lunches each week – Eating eggs for breakfast and a sandwich at lunch is all marketing that companies use to get you to eat more of a certain food. Don’t believe me? Google why we drink orange juice at breakfast. I just happen to love eggs and breakfast, so I eat them for my first meal. You can do whatever foods make sense at any meal. For me, this means I get enough of the items I need to make 6 meals from.

Yes, I eat the same thing every day for breakfast – again, this makes it simple. You may think you want variety, but this also adds complexity. Stop letting emotions run your eating and start making simple choices to get in a routine. Think of eating like a job. Clock in, clock out. Get the work done.

My breakfast: About 1500 calories total.

I mix these items into a bowl for what looks like a salad? Call it whatever you want!
6 Pasture Raised Large Eggs (Pasture raised means the chickens get to eat a natural diet that includes insects and other stuff. Chickens are not vegetarian. So when you see “vegetarian fed” on the package, just know that is their fancy way of saying “cheapest option possible”. That said, you may not want to spend $5-7 on a 12 pack of eggs. Even at a lower quality, eggs are still incredibly nutritionally dense and a great source of protein, nutrients, cholesterol, and fat.
**I throw a bit of cheese on these with Himalayan pink sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes as well for flavor and calories.
1 handful of mushrooms. I like portabella mushrooms but they’re all good. I cook denser mushrooms with my eggs but if I get a blend of types, I’ll just add them in raw. I used to hate mushrooms, but I grew out of that.
2 Cups (1 fistful) of a leafy greens mix. I use “Organic Girl SuperGreens” but spinach or anything else is fine. Just note that the darker the green is, the more nutritious it is. Romaine lettuce is just water.
1 handful of Broccoli Sprouts – Super high in sulforaphane which is very healthy apparently.
~1/2 cup of Kimchee – Fermented foods are good for the gut bacteria. Has a strong taste though.
Then I make a bowl of oatmeal. I used to do a lot of Greek yogurt, but I find I feel better with oatmeal to get more carbs AND it costs less. Note that everything is the same if you use Greek yogurt minus the peanut butter.
1 cup of PLAIN oatmeal with about 4 ounces of whole, grass fed milk. If you use Greek yogurt, make sure it’s PLAIN and whole milk (or at least 5% milk fat) Otherwise it tastes horrible.
2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon of chia seeds, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds. All raw and unseasoned.
Small handful of blueberries and/or raspberries
Enough cinnamon to taste good but not overwhelm.
About 2/3^rd of a banana. My dogs get the other third.
About a tablespoon of local honey.

What I buy at the food store to prep for this:

3×12 packs of eggs. ($12-21 total)
1 bag of cheese ($2)
2 containers of Organic Girl Supergreens mix ($8 total)
1 container of broccoli sprouts ($3)
1 container of kimchee ($4)
2 containers of sliced mushrooms (I prefer baby bellas) ($6 total)
1 large container of oatmeal (usually lasts 2 weeks). ($3)
- I would need 3 large tubs of Greek yogurt (Each lasts me 2 meals) ($16-21 Total)
1 container of Natural peanut butter. ($2)
1 container each of chia, flax, and sunflower seeds. This lasts me 3-4 weeks usually. ($9 Total)
1 container of blueberries AND/OR raspberries ($3-5 Total)
6-7 bananas ($2 Total)
1 jar of local honey (usually lasts me at least 4 weeks) ($10)
I have salt, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon in large containers at home ($2-6 each)

In total this costs me about $55 each week in just breakfasts alone. $60 if I’m having Greek yogurt at 2 of those meals. Divide that by 6-7 meals that I spend about $8-10 each day on this meal alone.

“But isn’t that expensive? I could eat out for less than that…”

Sure you can. But I’m just telling you what I eat. Healthy, quality food isn’t cheap. I choose to spend money on taking care of my body. You don’t have to have all of this stuff. Here is the cheap version:

30 pack of eggs ($2)
Oatmeal container ($3)
Peanut Butter ($2)
Bananas ($2)
Cinnamon and Salt (Negligible)

This costs less than $10 for about the same calories and content. That means you can have 5 eggs, a cup of oatmeal with peanut butter and banana (About 800 calories) 6 days a week for about $1.67 a day. Now don’t tell me you can’t afford to eat.

What I eat for dinners – I eat out for a “cheat” meal one night a week. Saturday nights I go big, I enjoy it, and I eat whatever I want. For the other 6 meals of the week I follow 1 simple recipe: Meat + Veggie + Veggie + Starch. Why? Because this allows me to get adequate macronutrient levels, vitamins, and minerals while also being able to eat as much as I want to. Though not impossible, it is truly difficult to overeat calorie wise while following that plan.

How to not get stuck spending your life cooking – I make three meals a week. For each of those meals I take half and eat that night and save the other half for the next night. This means that I make Meal A on Sunday and reheat leftovers on Monday. Meal B is cooked on Tuesday with leftovers Wednesday. Meal C is cooked Thursday with leftovers Friday. So, all I have to plan for is 3 meals for my food store trip. Sure, you can do it differently and make 2 meals with 2 days of leftovers each or whatever you want. I just find it easiest to buy containers that divide up evenly into halves that match the portion I will eat.

Meats I like:

Steak (Filets, ribeyes, strip steaks, and sirloin filets) Best cooked on a grill. I use my George Foreman.
Beef Cubes – Best when marinated overnight and cooked in a pan, longer at a lower temperature.
Ground Turkey – Best cooked in a pan with salt and butter.
Chicken Breast – Best cooked on a grill though you can bake it too if you marinate it.
Ground Beef – Best cooked on a pan, low temperature for longer periods so that the grease cooks out. I choose a grass fed version, generally “leaner” about 85/15.
Fish (Salmon, Mahi Mahi, and Snapper are my favorite) – Best cooked in over to bake with salt and olive oil though you can easily grill these too if you’re fancy.
Canned Tuna – Super cheap and high in protein. I like to mix it with avocado and salt.

Vegetables I like:

Main Meal Veggies: For all of these, the prep is the same: Chop it up, cover in olive oil and salt, then bake it at ~385 for 12-15 minutes. Flip halfway.
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Brussels Sprouts
- Green Beans
- Asparagus
- Carrots
- Squash
- Zucchini
“Salad” Veggies: Though you can prep these to eat in a main meal, I generally think of these as smaller quantity veggies that you mix into a salad. The main difference is you eat these raw usually.
- Leafy Greens – Spinach/Kale/Arugala…
- Avocado
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Beets
- Sprouts – Broccoli, Alfalfa, Clover…
- Bell Peppers
- Kimchee
- Mushrooms – Portabello, Porcini, Button, Oyster, Shitake…
Others – These can be mixed in to meals or eaten stand alone, though I generally don’t snack.
- Nuts – Almonds, Cashews, Brasil, Pecans, Walnuts…
  - Always choose nuts that aren’t cooked in oils!! Dry Roasted with Salt is ideal.
  - Peanuts are not a nut! They are a legume. Unless you are allergic, no problem to eat them but I’d choose almond butter when you can.
- Seeds – Flax, Chia, Sunflower, Pumpkin…
  - Choose raw seeds that are not cooked in oils!
- Pickles – These are my go-to when I need sodium.
- Fruits – Banana, Apple, Blueberries, Raspberries…
  - Fruits do have nutritional value and have fiber which is beneficial, but that does not make them inherently healthy. The fruit we have today has been harvested for generations to be bigger, sweeter, and brighter. Think of fruit as a “Natural Desert” to be enjoyed in moderation. Having a handful of watermelon and pineapple is NOT a healthy snack. It’s just a slightly better version of a candy bar.

Starches/Grains/Legumes I like:

Potatoes – Best cooked: Boil in water for 20 minutes, drain, then smash by pressing down. Melt butter in a pot and poor over the potatoes. Add salt, then bake at ~415 for 10-12 minutes.
Sweet Potatoes – Best cooked: I buy the pre-chopped version, then put cinnamon, salt, and olive oil on them. Bake them for about 20 minutes at ~400. Same thing applies to whole potatoes, but they are harder to cut when raw so you can heat them up in microwave first.
Butternut Squash – Best cooked: I buy the pre-chopped version, then put salt and olive oil on them. Bake them for about 20-30 minutes at ~400 depending on how dry you want them.
Grains – Basmati Rice, Wild Rice, Quinoa…
Beans – Black, Kidney, Lentils, Peas, Chickpeas…
Oatmeal – Always get plain oatmeal, microwave with whole milk.

Dairy/Animal Products:

Cheese – I love cheese and I use that to add fat macros, flavor, and calories to my meals. Since I only eat 2 meals a day and am fairly active, I need to add in more calorie dense foods to not lose weight. This is also a strategy I recommend for anyone looking to gain weight.
Whole Milk – I make my oatmeal with this and will have a glass with the occasional desert or pancake. Yes, you should drink whole milk if you’re having milk. When they take the fat out it just turns into sugar water. I also choose grass fed milk whenever possible.
Butter – This is my cooking go to. Go with grass fed, salted butter!
Greek Yogurt – Live bacteria cultures make this a great choice. Choose plain, whole milk versions.
Eggs – Always choose pasture raised eggs. You can’t beat the nutrition.

Cooking Spices, Oils, and Sauces –

I have a pretty plain cooking process. 9 times out of 10 I just use Butter (grass fed, salted), Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, and olive oil to cook with.
I’ll add in black pepper, cinnamon, or red hot pepper flakes on occasion to spice things up.
If I need a little more crunch I’ll use panko as a “breading”.
In general, I stay away from vegetable oil, canola oil, or most every cheapened oil. Avocado oil and olive oil are generally the best. Butter works well for high temperature cooking because of a higher smoking temperature.
Sauces and marinates are absolutely fine if you want throw more flavor on the meal, but watch out for a bunch of added sugars. They taste good for a reason! Grilled Chicken is great, but it can taste bland. Dumping barbeque sauce with 6g of sugar in each tablespoon can easily turn a “healthy” meal into a desert.
Try to get creative with different flavors and spices to actually cook good food that tastes good. Cooking is an art form.

What I DON’T Eat:

Anything with hydrogenated oils
Anything with high fructose corn syrup
Anything with trans saturated fats
Highly processed junk food
Pastas, breads, cereals, crackers – These aren’t inherently unhealthy, they just don’t have much nutritional value so I don’t go out of my way to make them part of my diet. I do love bread and will absolutely have some on my “cheat” meals. It is definitely not a normal thing though.
Foods high in added sugars
Smoothies, shakes, or any drinkable calories (Protein shakes are fine if you’re looking to gain weight, but just protein and milk, not a sugar filled smoothie with “added protein”)
Fried foods, heavily processed meats, and foods cooked in cheap vegetable oils.

A Note on Vegetables – If you don’t feel confident in your abilities or just have a microwave, frozen veggies are absolutely fine. Since they are picked and frozen at the peak of their freshness, they maintain an incredibly high amount of nutrition. So there is no excuse not to get your veggies in. If you can’t cook the fresh veggies right away, they tend to lose their nutritional value quickly, so don’t feel bad for choosing frozen veggies.

Meal Planning 101

My simple philosophy on the 3 most common problem areas in food choice:

Why I do Intermittent Fasting and whether or not you should:

Now, does this mean I think you should do IF? Probably not. Here is a quick pro/con list for you:

PROS:

It makes life much simpler by giving you a structure and boundaries.
It’s easier to be intentional about planning out healthy meals.
If can make achieving a calorie deficit much simpler because you generally don’t eat as much

CONS:

It’s harder to get enough calories if you don’t like big meals.
It may not fit into your daily routine if you don’t have time for a big meal midday.
It may require you to train fasted, which might decrease your performance if you aren’t used to it.

Bottom Line: If I were actively trying to gain weight, train for a competitive event, or just preferred eating smaller meals throughout the day, then I would not practice this.

How I think about food and meals each week:

My breakfast: About 1500 calories total.

I mix these items into a bowl for what looks like a salad? Call it whatever you want!
6 Pasture Raised Large Eggs (Pasture raised means the chickens get to eat a natural diet that includes insects and other stuff. Chickens are not vegetarian. So when you see “vegetarian fed” on the package, just know that is their fancy way of saying “cheapest option possible”. That said, you may not want to spend $5-7 on a 12 pack of eggs. Even at a lower quality, eggs are still incredibly nutritionally dense and a great source of protein, nutrients, cholesterol, and fat.
**I throw a bit of cheese on these with Himalayan pink sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes as well for flavor and calories.
1 handful of mushrooms. I like portabella mushrooms but they’re all good. I cook denser mushrooms with my eggs but if I get a blend of types, I’ll just add them in raw. I used to hate mushrooms, but I grew out of that.
2 Cups (1 fistful) of a leafy greens mix. I use “Organic Girl SuperGreens” but spinach or anything else is fine. Just note that the darker the green is, the more nutritious it is. Romaine lettuce is just water.
1 handful of Broccoli Sprouts – Super high in sulforaphane which is very healthy apparently.
~1/2 cup of Kimchee – Fermented foods are good for the gut bacteria. Has a strong taste though.
Then I make a bowl of oatmeal. I used to do a lot of Greek yogurt, but I find I feel better with oatmeal to get more carbs AND it costs less. Note that everything is the same if you use Greek yogurt minus the peanut butter.
1 cup of PLAIN oatmeal with about 4 ounces of whole, grass fed milk. If you use Greek yogurt, make sure it’s PLAIN and whole milk (or at least 5% milk fat) Otherwise it tastes horrible.
2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon of chia seeds, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds. All raw and unseasoned.
Small handful of blueberries and/or raspberries
Enough cinnamon to taste good but not overwhelm.
About 2/3^rd of a banana. My dogs get the other third.
About a tablespoon of local honey.

What I buy at the food store to prep for this:

3×12 packs of eggs. ($12-21 total)
1 bag of cheese ($2)
2 containers of Organic Girl Supergreens mix ($8 total)
1 container of broccoli sprouts ($3)
1 container of kimchee ($4)
2 containers of sliced mushrooms (I prefer baby bellas) ($6 total)
1 large container of oatmeal (usually lasts 2 weeks). ($3)
- I would need 3 large tubs of Greek yogurt (Each lasts me 2 meals) ($16-21 Total)
1 container of Natural peanut butter. ($2)
1 container each of chia, flax, and sunflower seeds. This lasts me 3-4 weeks usually. ($9 Total)
1 container of blueberries AND/OR raspberries ($3-5 Total)
6-7 bananas ($2 Total)
1 jar of local honey (usually lasts me at least 4 weeks) ($10)
I have salt, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon in large containers at home ($2-6 each)

“But isn’t that expensive? I could eat out for less than that…”

30 pack of eggs ($2)
Oatmeal container ($3)
Peanut Butter ($2)
Bananas ($2)
Cinnamon and Salt (Negligible)

Meats I like:

Steak (Filets, ribeyes, strip steaks, and sirloin filets) Best cooked on a grill. I use my George Foreman.
Beef Cubes – Best when marinated overnight and cooked in a pan, longer at a lower temperature.
Ground Turkey – Best cooked in a pan with salt and butter.
Chicken Breast – Best cooked on a grill though you can bake it too if you marinate it.
Ground Beef – Best cooked on a pan, low temperature for longer periods so that the grease cooks out. I choose a grass fed version, generally “leaner” about 85/15.
Fish (Salmon, Mahi Mahi, and Snapper are my favorite) – Best cooked in over to bake with salt and olive oil though you can easily grill these too if you’re fancy.
Canned Tuna – Super cheap and high in protein. I like to mix it with avocado and salt.

Vegetables I like:

Main Meal Veggies: For all of these, the prep is the same: Chop it up, cover in olive oil and salt, then bake it at ~385 for 12-15 minutes. Flip halfway.
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Brussels Sprouts
- Green Beans
- Asparagus
- Carrots
- Squash
- Zucchini
“Salad” Veggies: Though you can prep these to eat in a main meal, I generally think of these as smaller quantity veggies that you mix into a salad. The main difference is you eat these raw usually.
- Leafy Greens – Spinach/Kale/Arugala…
- Avocado
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Beets
- Sprouts – Broccoli, Alfalfa, Clover…
- Bell Peppers
- Kimchee
- Mushrooms – Portabello, Porcini, Button, Oyster, Shitake…
Others – These can be mixed in to meals or eaten stand alone, though I generally don’t snack.
- Nuts – Almonds, Cashews, Brasil, Pecans, Walnuts…
  - Always choose nuts that aren’t cooked in oils!! Dry Roasted with Salt is ideal.
  - Peanuts are not a nut! They are a legume. Unless you are allergic, no problem to eat them but I’d choose almond butter when you can.
- Seeds – Flax, Chia, Sunflower, Pumpkin…
  - Choose raw seeds that are not cooked in oils!
- Pickles – These are my go-to when I need sodium.
- Fruits – Banana, Apple, Blueberries, Raspberries…
  - Fruits do have nutritional value and have fiber which is beneficial, but that does not make them inherently healthy. The fruit we have today has been harvested for generations to be bigger, sweeter, and brighter. Think of fruit as a “Natural Desert” to be enjoyed in moderation. Having a handful of watermelon and pineapple is NOT a healthy snack. It’s just a slightly better version of a candy bar.

Starches/Grains/Legumes I like:

Potatoes – Best cooked: Boil in water for 20 minutes, drain, then smash by pressing down. Melt butter in a pot and poor over the potatoes. Add salt, then bake at ~415 for 10-12 minutes.
Sweet Potatoes – Best cooked: I buy the pre-chopped version, then put cinnamon, salt, and olive oil on them. Bake them for about 20 minutes at ~400. Same thing applies to whole potatoes, but they are harder to cut when raw so you can heat them up in microwave first.
Butternut Squash – Best cooked: I buy the pre-chopped version, then put salt and olive oil on them. Bake them for about 20-30 minutes at ~400 depending on how dry you want them.
Grains – Basmati Rice, Wild Rice, Quinoa…
Beans – Black, Kidney, Lentils, Peas, Chickpeas…
Oatmeal – Always get plain oatmeal, microwave with whole milk.

Dairy/Animal Products:

Cheese – I love cheese and I use that to add fat macros, flavor, and calories to my meals. Since I only eat 2 meals a day and am fairly active, I need to add in more calorie dense foods to not lose weight. This is also a strategy I recommend for anyone looking to gain weight.
Whole Milk – I make my oatmeal with this and will have a glass with the occasional desert or pancake. Yes, you should drink whole milk if you’re having milk. When they take the fat out it just turns into sugar water. I also choose grass fed milk whenever possible.
Butter – This is my cooking go to. Go with grass fed, salted butter!
Greek Yogurt – Live bacteria cultures make this a great choice. Choose plain, whole milk versions.
Eggs – Always choose pasture raised eggs. You can’t beat the nutrition.

Cooking Spices, Oils, and Sauces –

I have a pretty plain cooking process. 9 times out of 10 I just use Butter (grass fed, salted), Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, and olive oil to cook with.
I’ll add in black pepper, cinnamon, or red hot pepper flakes on occasion to spice things up.
If I need a little more crunch I’ll use panko as a “breading”.
In general, I stay away from vegetable oil, canola oil, or most every cheapened oil. Avocado oil and olive oil are generally the best. Butter works well for high temperature cooking because of a higher smoking temperature.
Sauces and marinates are absolutely fine if you want throw more flavor on the meal, but watch out for a bunch of added sugars. They taste good for a reason! Grilled Chicken is great, but it can taste bland. Dumping barbeque sauce with 6g of sugar in each tablespoon can easily turn a “healthy” meal into a desert.
Try to get creative with different flavors and spices to actually cook good food that tastes good. Cooking is an art form.

What I DON’T Eat:

Anything with hydrogenated oils
Anything with high fructose corn syrup
Anything with trans saturated fats
Highly processed junk food
Pastas, breads, cereals, crackers – These aren’t inherently unhealthy, they just don’t have much nutritional value so I don’t go out of my way to make them part of my diet. I do love bread and will absolutely have some on my “cheat” meals. It is definitely not a normal thing though.
Foods high in added sugars
Smoothies, shakes, or any drinkable calories (Protein shakes are fine if you’re looking to gain weight, but just protein and milk, not a sugar filled smoothie with “added protein”)
Fried foods, heavily processed meats, and foods cooked in cheap vegetable oils.

Meal Planning 101

Meal Planning 101

About Graham

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