Grilling is a SUPER easy way of preparing delicious, lean meats like chicken breasts, fish, turkey burgers, etc. I know that summer is coming to a close, but hopefully you still have a month or so of grilling season left (and if not, a grill pan on the stove top works well too!). Leftover grilled chicken is terrific to eat the next day for lunch over a salad, and leftover veggies can make great omelettes. Another good thing to keep in mind is make sure you’re planning some meals to use up your leftovers – that will also help keep your costs down. Also, look up what produce is in season and try to plan your meals using seasonal produce – it will taste better, and be less expensive. Since you’re dealing with lots of fresh fruits and veggies, it’s important that you plan your meals to use up your produce before it goes bad. But if you DO plan, it can actually bring your bill down (depending on how well you were or weren’t planning/budgeting your grocery trips before). This method of eating has the potential to skyrocket your grocery bill if you don’t plan. ![]() UPDATE: I developed a self-calculating google spreadsheet that has made my meal planning SO much easier! You can get it for FREE right here. As you get more comfortable with it, you can probably “wing it” for your breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, but I’d still recommend planning out your dinners for the week in advance. That was all very foreign to me! So find a free printable meal planner (there are a few linked below) or come up with your own method of writing it down, sit down with a pen and paper (and maybe a good Pinterest board or two), and write out your meal plan for the week. ![]() Essentially, you have to cut out all pre-processed foods from your diets – that means nothing out of a box, almost nothing out of a can, and certainly nothing out of a frozen dinner. The meal plan allows you to eat a wide variety of foods, but it is also very specific in what you’re allowed to eat and how much of it you can have in a day. Don’t think you can stock your freezer with some Lean Cuisines, buy some hummus and whole wheat bread, and be able to jump right in. ![]() So I figured somebody – somewhere – might find it helpful to read some advice about meal planning from a regular meat-and-potatoes-kind-of-girl like me! I found quite a bit, but to be honest, I was surprised by the lack of varied information out there! And, again, most of the blogs I came across were written either by Beachbody coaches who were trying to sell me something, or from bloggers who specialize in whole foods or clean eating, so cooking/eating like this is old hat to them. So as I was planning for my first “fix,” I scoured Pinterest for 21 Day Fix meal planning ideas, sample meal plans, recipes, and other helpful tips. The hardest part of the 21 Day Fix program (for me, anyway) is the meal planning – especially if it’s something completely different than what you’re used to doing. I thought it was important for folks out there to be able to read an unbiased review of the program from a NON Beachbody coach perspective! While I really appreciated the entire program (and it helped to kickstart my weight loss), the ideas and habits I gained from following the meal plan have really transformed not only the way I eat, but the way I cook for my family. Last week, I shared with you some thoughts, reflections, and results from my 21 Day Fix Journey.
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