Spring is in full force, and summer is right around the corner. I don’t know about you, but I am READY for swimming, beach time and, most important, SUMMER VACATION!
Ah, sweet summer vacation.
With a change in the seasons, comes spring cleaning. A time to open windows, organize closets, and give the house a good “winter’s over” scrub. Nothing makes me happier than a clean house to come home to, and I secretly LOVE spring cleaning.
That same concept can apply to nutrition! After a winter of holiday cookies, Valentine’s day candies, St. Patty’s day beers, and Cadbury Egg’s, spring cleaning your pantry and your body may be just the thing you’re looking for to refresh and renew.
First things first… have you see my kitchen staples shopping list? If not, click and bookmark it now. Many of the items on the meal plan use items that you should already have on hand in your kitchen (like spices, olive oil, butter, etc.). If you feel like you need to first purge your fridge and pantry, check out this post I wrote a few months ago. It’s a great place to start!
Once your pantry and fridge are in line, you’ll be ready to dive in!
Spring CLEANing Meal Prep Menu
Shopping list
- 2 yellow onions
- 1 red onion
- 1 bag full size carrots
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 bell pepper
- 3 FL avocados (cheaper- more bang for your buck)
- 1 bag fresh spinach
- 1 bag fresh kale
- 4 medium sized sweet potatoes
- 1 bag of romaine lettuce
- 2 quarts of strawberries
- 2 bags frozen cauliflower
- 1 bag of granny smith apples
- 1 bag of navel oranges
- 3-4 bananas
- 1 package of celery
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes
- 2lbs ground beef
- 1-1.5lbs boneless, skinless chicken (stock up if on sale)
- 1-1.5lb pork butt (or pork shoulder
- 4 cans of black beans
- 2 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes
- 1 14.5oz can of plain tomato sauce
- 1 jar of kalamata olives
- 1 8oz bag of raw almonds
- 1 jar of salted almond butter (no added oil/sugar)
- 1 bottle of grade B maple syrup
- coconut flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 bottle of raw, unfiltered honey
- 1 bar of 85% or ^ dark chocolate
- 4 cans of tuna in spring water
- 1 dozen eggs
- 1 package Applegate Farms ham slices
- 1 package bacon (try Trader Joe’s uncured!)
- 2 blocks of cheddar cheese (stay away from pre-shredded)
- 8oz full fat cream cheese
- 1lb butter (Kerrygold is best)
- hummus
- full fat sour cream
- 1 container plain, full fat Greek yogurt
- feta or goat cheese
- milk (unsweetened)
- heavy whipping cream
**I know the list looks LONG for week’s worth of meals, but just remember, many of these items you will use way longer than 1 week (like olives, whipping cream, and almond butter!)
Meal plan
Monday:
Breakfast- Quiche with orange slices and coffee (cream & cinnamon)
Snack- Apple slices and cheese
Lunch- Black bean chili with avocado slices, shredded cheese and sour cream
Snack- Carrot sticks with hummus
Dinner- Grilled chicken breasts (grill extra!) with baked sweet potatoes (with butter + cinnamon), spinach salad (with feta/goat cheese, olives and a simple citrus vinaigrette). *leave some of the spinach salad undressed for tomorrow’s dinner
Dessert- 2 squares of dark chocolate
Beverages- coffee, unsweetened tea, water with lemon or lime
Tuesday:
Breakfast- Quiche topped with avocado slices, salsa and sour cream with coffee (cream & cinnamon)
Snack- Almonds and a piece of dark chocolate
Lunch- Leftover grilled chicken chopped inside lettuce leaves with leftover citrus vinaigrette, feta and red onion with orange slices
Snack- 1/2 sweet potato with butter + cinnamon) and grape tomatoes on the side
Dinner- Chili Sheppard’s Pie (leftover chili topped with mashed cauliflower + cheese, then baked until bubbly with leftover spinach salad
Dessert- Apple slices with almond butter and cinnamon
Beverages- coffee, unsweetened tea, water with lemon or lime
Wednesday:
Breakfast- Paleo pancakes with butter, maple syrup and uncured or no sugar added bacon with coffee (cream & cinnamon)
Snack- Celery sticks with salsa
Lunch- Tuna salad with homemade mayo, celery and onion inside lettuce leaves, cucumber & tomato salad + orange slices
Snack- Apple slices and cheese
Dinner- Cuban slow cooker pork with black beans and steamed cauliflower
Dessert- 2 squares of dark chocolate
Beverages- coffee, unsweetened tea, water with lemon or lime
Thursday:
Breakfast- Paleo pancakes with butter, maple syrup and uncured or no sugar added bacon with coffee (cream & cinnamon)
Snack- Celery sticks with salsa or leftover cucumber & tomato salad
Lunch- Tuna salad with homemade mayo, celery and onion inside lettuce leaves + orange slices
Snack- Apple slices and cheese
Dinner- Cuban slow cooker pork with black beans and steamed cauliflower
Dessert- 2 squares of dark chocolate
Beverages- coffee, unsweetened tea, water with lemon or lime
Friday:
Breakfast- Egg scramble with leftover veggies/ham/bacon from the week (tomatoes, spinach, kale, etc). with coffee (cream & cinnamon)
Snack- Apple slices and cheese
Lunch- Ham and hummus wraps with red onion inside lettuce leaves + grape tomatoes and orange slices
Snack- Almond butter and carrots (or apple slices)
Dinner- Bunless grilled burgers with sweet potato baked fries and avocado ranch dressing
Dessert- Heavy whipped cream whipped with cocoa powder, topped with with dark chocolate, chopped almonds (use a hand or stand mixer to whip the cream into a thick consistency)
Beverages- coffee, unsweetened tea, water with lemon or lime
Tips
- Make ahead most of these dishes the when you have some downtime over the weekend (quiche, batches of paleo pancakes, homemade mayo, avocado ranch dressing, citrus vinaigrette).
- Wash, chop and baggie all of the fresh produce so that it’s ready to grab and go. *except for the apples, as they will brown
- Pre-bake bacon on cookie sheets. It re-heats well and will last all week.
- Use small storage containers to pre-pack hummus, and almond butter.
Disclosure: I am not a registered dietitian or medical professional. As always, consult your doctor before starting any meal or exercise plan.
