Ever since I started eating gluten-free this past November, I've had to be much more conscious about the food I eat. Not because I'm counting calories or hoping to lose weight, but because I feel better when I omit certain foods. Naturally, gluten and wheat are two foods/ingredients that I have found to have negative effects on my overall health and well being.
I have an intense love of cooking, so when I made the decision to cut gluten from my diet, I knew that some adjustments would be necessary. I accepted the challenge! But I soon realized that it wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected. It also required me to meal plan for the week ahead.
I know that meal-planning can be difficult, especially if you are new to eating gluten-free. I thought I'd share my 5 day meal plan! I have found that planning ahead keeps us on track and organized, both with our budget and staying healthy.
I know that meal-planning can be difficult, especially if you are new to eating gluten-free. I thought I'd share my 5 day meal plan! I have found that planning ahead keeps us on track and organized, both with our budget and staying healthy.
This week's gluten-free meal plan:
Monday:
- Breakfast: Strawberries with goat cheese and honey
- Lunch: Spinach salad with tomatoes, banana peppers, and red onion with balsamic vinaigrette
- Snacks: Honey banana smoothie // cocoa roasted almonds (I buy Emerald brand)
- Dinner: Jerk chicken with pineapple salsa and coconut rice
Tuesday:
- Breakfast: Gluten-free banana nut muffins (I use Pamela's baking mix)
- Lunch: Hummus and avocado tacos
- Snacks: Snyder's gluten-free pretzels with hummus // Honeycrisp apples and honey
- Dinner: G-free pasta with sausage, spinach, mushrooms, and asparagus in Cabernet-Garlic sauce
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and Parmesan cheese
- Lunch: Puerto Rican rice and beans
- Snacks: Snickerdoodle Chex mix (sugar, cinnamon, chocolate chex cereal, popped popcorn, butter)
- Dinner: Chicken with avocado-cilantro cream, fresh mango, and jasmine rice
Thursday:
- Breakfast: Chocolate Chex cereal with almond milk
- Lunch: Spinach and artichoke grilled cheese
- Snacks: Tostones (fried plantains)
- Dinner: Butter chicken with cabbage and peas
- Breakfast: Smoothie (frozen raspberries, strawberries, greek yogurt, coconut water)
- Lunch: Leftovers from previous dinner
- Snacks: Ore-Ida zesty fries // banana popsicles
- Dinner: Roasted veggie and black bean rice bowls
Happy planning!
