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The weekend is here and one really important thing I make sure I do each weekend is.....

MEAL PLAN and GROCERY SHOP!

If I don't have the right foods in the house, or if I don't have a plan of what I'll be making for my meals or family dinners when following a nutrition plan, then to be honest, I usually fall off track. I open myself up to the opportunity to grab something more "convenient", fast and quick, and that's when I start to make bad decisions.
This is a BIG thing I have learned through this process is plan, plan, plan.

Planning out my meals is "key"

If you have been following me for awhile, you know how in LOVE I am with the 21 day fix meal plan. This had opened my eyes to portion control and how to balance out meals and make sure I get enough servings of each food group a day. I would exercise so much but I would get no where because I wasn't eating properly. It taught me how to balance out protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

No counting calories. No starvation. Just eating clean foods and getting back to the basics.
Clearing out all that processed stuff that is so readily available everywhere, and getting back to real food so you start to feel great. It is easy, simple and anyone can follow this nutrition plan!

There are 6 different coloured food containers:

If you stick to the items under these coloured container's lists found in the nutrition plan, you can't go wrong.

Fill them up, check them off, easy peasy !

I started eating this way last summer, and it's just been sort of how I've adapted my eating since, no matter what exercise program I'm following because it's just so simple. I'm full each day, not starving, I'm fueling my body properly with the right foods, and along with the 21 day fix 30 min workouts I have lost now 35 pounds.

I get questions all the time on what is usually on my grocery list. What am I eating?
I'm a big fan of shopping at Costco (remember if you are grocery shopping in there, put your blinders on to everything else that tempting to buy or else your grocery budget will skyrocket)
You can usually get everything on these lists below in bulk. The fresh items there are GREAT!!

If we're using these foods several times a week for meals, then getting it in bulk size goes a long way for your family. Here's a break down of what we typically get to last us a couple weeks.... depending on how hungry our boys are!

RED CONTAINER - proteins

Chicken, salmon, ground turkey and my Shakeology daily are usually my daily choices.

Chicken breasts

Salmon

Turkey breast slices

Ground Turkey

Egg whites

Eggs

Shakeology - also counts as a RED so this is an easy one if you struggle to get those red servings in during the day.

PURPLE CONTAINER -- Fruits

I usually fill my purple container with strawberries and then I use 1/2 banana in my Shakeology each day.

Apples

Bananas

Strawberries

Blueberries

Cantaloupe

Pineapple

GREEN CONTAINER - Vegetables

Spinach salad and cucumbers and green beans are a couple of my go to's everyday for green containers.

Green Beans

Cherry tomatoes

Broccoli

Spinach

Squash - when in season

Cucumbers

Kale Salad

Zucchini

Mushrooms

YELLOW CONTAINER - Carbohydrates

THIS was the container I used to go WAY over. Although bread is listed in the nutrition guide for yellow containers, I tend to stay away from bread as I found it was an instant bloater for many. So now I fill my yellows with either steel cut oats or sweet potatoes. Toast with PB used to be my go to snack, as soon as I cut that out I noticed a huge difference in my middle

Brown Rice

Quinoa

Steel Cut Oats

Sweet Potatoes

Red Skin potatoes

Black Beans

Pinto Beans

Couscous

Ezekiel Bread

Whole grain tortillas

BLUE CONTAINER -- healthy fats

I typically choose Hummus and almonds every day!

Unsweetened Coconut

Raw Unsalted Almonds

Hummus

Goat Cheese

Feta Cheese

Avocado

So there it is -- the items we keep in our house when following this plan.
Good foods right? Anyone can do this!

It's really just as simple as picking and choosing the foods listed under each coloured container from the nutrition plan and then making sure you eat proper amounts of those containers a day.  If you struggle with food like I did, it really helps to see how many veggies you should be having a day, how many fruits, how many carbs, how much protein is ideal - for not only weight loss, but just for feeling better, and healthier. Eating this way has given me so much more energy too because I wasn't dragged down by too many carbohydrates.

If you struggle with portion sizes it would really help as well.  Fill the container, that's it. If the lid fits back on top, then you're good.

The whole plan really just changed the way I thought about eating and what foods I should be fueling my body with each day. Also, I was able to incorporate new foods into my diet that maybe I normally wouldn't have eaten. Couscous???? What's that??

If you would like to join me in the next 21 Day Fix support group, please message me below or contact me. I would love to be able to help you get started on this wonderful program.

You will learn how to fuel your body for weight loss and more energy.

I will help you one on one, and teach you how to meal plan and give you support to stick to it.

You will also get set up in an a private accountability group where you'll have lots of wonderful support from others working through this program too.