WHAT TO EAT: LUNCH
***DISCLAIMER***
Again, I'M NOT A DIETITIAN, EXPERT OR CLAIM TO KNOW IT ALL. THIS IS NOT ABOUT WEIGHT AND SHAMING BODY IMAGE. So, save the emails. I'm just a 39 year old mother of 2, that works hard in the gym weekly, loves a cocktail + pizza on the weekends and *tries* to keep my eating clean Monday-Friday. This post is to share what I eat and what I've learned from BODY BY HEIDI. That's all.
Heidi just recently posted this, 'If you want to change your body, you have to make a lifestyle change in the kitchen'
This is the honest truth and I am living proof. I walk the walk and talk the talk and it's not always easy.'
Hey, if my butt can look like that, I'll listen to anything Heidi says. Ha! No, seriously. It's true and she's so right.
I have many great days. I wake up early: workout, eat clean all day, get good sleep, and then I have days where I don't make time for the gym, end up accidentally eating my kids mac-n-cheese for dinner + three cookies
and stay up late. Ugggggh! But, you can't beat yourself up. You gotta get back on that train the next day and ride it into the station! This is half the reason we decided to break up the WHAT TO EAT series into
BREAKFAST + LUNCH + DINNER meals. Sometimes it's best if you make small changes along the way. Helping to have success, and it not be too overwhelming. It's not easy, but once you makes these
lifestyle changes. Wether it's all together or one at a time...
you'll wonder why you didn't do it earlier.
I made the change after my second child was born. He was 6 months and I had enough. I was 30 years old. The baby weight wasn't coming off. *Maybe* because I was eating scraps off my toddlers highchair and not moving?
I dunno know? Actually, that was probably it. I was exhausted, home with two kids, feeling blah and
not really loving the whole mother of two thing. I was buying bigger clothes and unhappy.
Where was Landyn?
Where was that outgoing confident girl I used to be?
So, I decided to put myself first and get my life back. I found someone to watch my kids a couple hours, three days a week and walked into a fitness studio and said, HELP ME. In 8 weeks time, I learned how to eat + how to workout. It's still to this day, one of the BEST things I've ever done for myself. That was 9 years ago.
I left 19 pounds and 16 inches behind me and have never looked back.
I'm not going to lie. It was hard in the beginning, I was hungry, and nothing was happening. Talk about frustrating and wanting to give up. It wasn't until the 6th or 7th week mark of my lifestyle change, that the weight just started falling off. Just like they said it would. <insert BAD ASS MOM DANCE> I fell in love with feeling and looking healthier. I loved eating this way. My skin even looked better. I was so much stronger and had more energy.
Honest to goodness, it changed my entire mood and outlook about EVERYTHING.
I couldn't believe it. It changed my life. I realized that life is way too short, NOT to be the BEST version of yourself.
What ARE you waiting for?
All of Heidi's recipes BELOW are made for meal prep purposes + giving you larger portions to help simplify the clean eating process
AND set you up for weekly success
LUNCH
CLEAN BROWN RICE BOWL
GREEK QUINOA SALAD
GOLDEN RAISIN TUNA SALAD
ASIAN PEANUT TURKEY LETTUCE WRAPS
WHAT HEIDI SAY'S
Have you ever heard the phrase, 'lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper?' There does ring truth to this phrase. One of the benefits of making lunch you're largest meal is that your body is able to metabolize it at full capacity. Insulin {a hormone that plays a key role in the conversion of the sugar in our food into energy} levels in our bodies are highest during active hours of the day, and lowest during active rest or sleep. Meaning: eating a larger meal during high insulin levels is beneficial in weight management, because there is more insulin to convert the sugars into energy rather than them be converted to fat storage. Having a balanced lunch is also very important to curb midday crashes and food cravings. Your lunch should have a balanced amount of protein and vegetables. You should have at least 25 g of protein at each meal. Not eating enough protein leads to fatigue, weakness, muscle loss and slowing of your metabolism. -Heidi
RECIPES
CLEAN BROWN RICE BOWL
- 2 cups Lundberg Organic Short Grain Brown Rice
- 1 29 oz can of Eden Organic (no salt added) Black Beans
- 1/2 yellow onion, minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- water
- 2 Tbsp 365 Brand concentrated tomato paste {in tube}
- 1-2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Prepare rice as directed, set aside. Place EVOO in a sauce pan and onion sauté until soft. Add garlic, rinsed black beans, tomato paste and fill with water to the top of the beans. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, making sure to dissolve the tomato paste in to the liquid.
In each bowl:
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup prepared black beans
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 1/2 cups Organic Girl chopped romaine
- 2-3 TBSP organic salsa
- 1 TBSP organic cilantro chopped
- 1/2 fresh organic lime, squeezed
- 1 serving (about 10) tortilla chips to crush on top or I like to scoop the rice bowl with my chips.
*makes 4-5 servings
Golden Raisin Tuna Salad
- 3 cans Line Caught Wild Albacore Tuna, rinsed + drained
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 3-4 TBSP dill, chopped
- 1/4 c Earth Balance olive oil mayo
- 1/4 c Organic golden raisins
- salt + pepper to taste
- 1/2 organic lemon, juiced
- extra virgin oilve oil for drizzle
- 1/2 honey crisp apple
Mix together and serve on top of fresh Organic Girl spinach. Squeeze lemon + drizzle with EVOO over top as the dressing. Scatter 1/2 of a diced honey crisp apple on top.
*makes 4-5 servings
Greek Quinoa Salad
- 2 cups organic GF quinoa
- 4 cups organic low sodium chicken stock
- 1 organic rotisserie chicken, white meat diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 4-5 green onions, chopped
- handful of pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 1 handful or flat leafed parsley, chopped
- 1 handful of basil, chopped
- 1 large handful of organic cherry tomatoes, halved
- Organic Girl arugula
First prepare quinoa as directed and cool. Deconstruct and dice rotisserie chicken. Add chicken and quinoa to a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients except the arugula to the bowl. {Only add arugula when serving otherwise it wilts when food is stored for next meal}. Top quinoa mixture with prepared Greek dressing (recipe below) to your liking and toss. Serve on top of a bed or arugula.
*makes 4-6 servings
Greek dressinG
- 1/4 c EVOO
- 1/4 c fresh lemon
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp chili flakes
ASIAN Peanut Turkey Lettuce Wraps
- 2 lbs Organic ground turkey
- 8 oz baby Bella mushrooms, finely minced
- 2 celery stalks, finely sliced on a diagonal
- 6-8 green onions, finely sliced on a diagonal
- 3 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 TBSP EVOO
- 1/2 c GF Tamari/liquid aminos
- 3-4 TBSP Sriracha sauce
- Organic Girl butter lettuce leaves or romaine hearts work well also
- 1/2 cup peanuts chopped
- 4 TBSP cilantro chopped
Heat oil on med-high in sauté pan. Add ground turkey and cook through. Add mushrooms, celery, green onions, ginger and garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add GF Tamari, sriracha and nuts and stir to coat. Scoop into lettuce boats and top with cilantro. Nom nom.
*makes 4-6 servings
HEIDI AND I ARE HAPPY TO BRING YOU THE
WHAT TO EAT SERIES
A weekly 4 part series over the next month. It post every Wednesday night at 8pm CST.
| BREAKFAST May 18th | LUNCH May 25th | DINNER June 1st | SNACKS + DESSERTS June 8th |
~It will include 4 meal ideas + recipes + Heidi's wisdom~
MISSED the BREAKFAST series post? No problem, it's right here
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN A CUSTOM EATING PLAN + FITNESS ROUTINE etc. Contact Heidi directly via message on her Facebook page Body By Heidi here