This week I’ve got all the pretty colours planned for you! Keeping a variety of plant foods in your diet is so important. I usually aim for about 30 different plant foods each week. This might sound like a lot, but with the 5 meals in each meal plan this week you will easily reach that! My lovely friend Mel from the Nutrition Effect recommends 40, and if you can get 40 in 5 meals then 40 is super doable.
If you want to challenge yourself to eat 40 different plant foods this week then you could pick either meal plan and eat these for your lunches and dinners and squeeze the extra ten (less than that on Plan B) into your breakfasts and snacks. That might mean a smoothie with some banana, coconut and spinach in it at breakfast (3), snacking on mixed berries and almonds (4) on one day and then perhaps mixing up the fruit and including a kiwifruit, mango or stone fruit on other days (3). You’ve easily got to 40. Remember that herbs, legumes, spices, nuts and seeds are all plant foods too not just fruit and vegetables. So if you’re freaking out about carting a huge amount of groceries home, you won’t be as lots of the plant foods this week are pantry staples.
Eating a wide variety of plant foods is great for gut health so it’s something I’ve been trying to keep in mind each week post gut makeover and I find it’s the easiest way to keep my diet on track without feeling like I’m obsessing. It’s a nice balance.
One last thing before we get to these meal plans… umm how is it almost December? Where did this year go? I’m quietly freaking out over here.
Plan A
Day 1: Rice Noodle Bowls with Thai Peanut Sauce and Sesame Tofu Schnitzel Strips. All kinds of yum to start the week right, and get a meatless Monday in!
Day 2: Crispy Skinned Salmon With a Creamy Green Sauce – this recipe has two ways to serve the salmon, either as a pretty salad or a quinoa bowl. Which one is your jam?
Day 3: Cheesy Polenta with Fried Eggs, Blistered Tomatoes and Greens a little bit of a breakfast at dinner situation and soooo good!
Day 4: Cucumber, Corn and Avocado Salad with Miso Marinated Chicken – such a fresh and delicious salad.
Day 5: Spiced Mince With Green Beans and Hummus – serve this with flat bread if you’re feeling quite hungry.
Plan B
Day 1: Miso and Ginger Tofu Curry – still one of my favourite tofu dishes.
Day 2: Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cheddar, Black Beans and Green Salsa – You can make loads of these and have them for lunches.
Day 3: Kale, Broccoli and Lentil Salad with Mustard dressing – serve with a couple of soft boiled eggs for some extra protein.
Day 4: Rice Noodle Bowls with Thai Peanut Sauce and Sesame Tofu Schnitzel Strips. I know this is the second tofu dish this week but it’s really really different to the other one!
Day 5: Cheesy Polenta with Fried Eggs, Blistered Tomatoes and Greens – the perfect end of the week supper.
Bonus recipe this week… check out these treats for the warmer weather!
Have a lovely week
HH. x
