Simple real food meal plan?

I can't seem to wrap my brain around meal planning; it's always been anxiety provoking for me but now with so many restrictions it is a nightmare. I need a simple "do this" resource and not a book or website with wacky recipes. Any suggestions?

my meals have been very simple - basic.

this is one:

I will put boneless/skinless chicken thighs into the oven...with a few herbs on top.
Then I will make a big salad. This contains Romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, carrots, avocado, broccoli, a little bit of parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves... Then I make an olive oil/red wine vinegar/honey dressing and drizzle over top.
I try to buy as much organic as I can.


I think a lot of people would find that boring to eat...but my husband and I like it.

For breakfast, I eat organic large flake oats..with a handful of cashews...and a splash of milk (just to wet it)

Lunch is sometimes leftover dinner...or I will make an omelet.

Ugh... this is a source of stress for me, too.

It wasn't always - I used to LOVE cooking and was a great cook and baker. I almost opened a bakery.

Now, every step in the process of feeding my face is stressful. First, all the food restrictions, which doesn't exclude tastey foods but requires most everything to be made at home. But for me, I also have a huge challenge just to get food into my fridge. I don't have a car right now so I have to plan store runs around my car rentals for MD appts---or the days I can make it on my bike to the store.

And I never have an appetite so there's nothing driving me into the kitchen except to do my tinctures and take meds. I also try really hard to stick to a paleo diet and avoid processed foods--so that means everything has to be prepared. And it doesn't have to be complicated recipes but I still really struggle with doing it.

Then...the planning. I never have an appetite and often have nausea so planning meals in advance is hard to do. I just don't want to think about it and can't think of anything that sounds good. I wish I had PeteZa in my kitchen!

When I do get to the store I have to remember to grab my list before going (I usually forget). I have to remember why I put things on the list because for some reason, my mind just can't process the fact that I put the item on the list for a reason, and then I often don't have the energy to get through the shopping list before I'm wiped out/or literally can't stand long enough to get what I need.

Then, I get it home. And it sits in the fridge because I don't have the energy to make anything. Girlie---that salad sounds perfect but everything would wilt before I could finish all that chopping. I am embarrassed (and angered!!) to say that I've thrown out food because I didn't have the strength to turn it into a meal before it went bad.

OR - I simply cannot keep up with cleaning up. I have gone without eating so many times because I didn't have the energy to clean a pan. Literally. That is one thing that is getting a little better--and it's not just a physical effort thing, it's also a psychological thing where seeing unwashed dishes was incredibly stressful so I would avoid the whole situation. That was one improvement I've noticed with my recent bart treatment--I am able to keep up with dishes. HUGE progress.

I had help a couple months ago making stuff and freezing it and it was the most glorious thing I'd ever experienced LOL. I regret that I didn't figure out a way to get help before. But I have a small freezer and now that food is all gone and I'm a mess again... Ugghhh... food.

I do have a couple of easy "go-to" meals I do on a good day:

I buy organic frozen veggies and plop a bunch into a sauce pan, heat them up and sprinkle spices, garlic, seasoning from the "meal seasoning packets" on top (I use all sorts of "meal" seasoning packets--indian/mexican/thai dishes). This is always good, not necessary a meal but it's easy. On my good days I'll use bone broth and prepare quinoa or brown rice to add to the veggies.

Or I open a carton of organic soup - Imagine Foods has an amazing organic broccoli soup (with leeks or potatoes and lots of great spices) and Pacific(?) has a great butternut squash soup, there is a good leek soup brand--can't remember now. But most of these are low-salt and seasoned and are great on their own but then I add those pre-prepared organic chicken strips that you can buy frozen in the store (expensive, unfortunately) to the soup as it's heating on the stove so that's my meal--probably too often but better than not eating.

Another thing I like is to buy pureed organic fruit (strawberry, acai, mango) and combine it with chia seeds - let it soak for the seeds to plump up and it's a good substitute for yogurt or cereal.

And for those days when I literally can't get out of bed, I have a stash of "Think Thin" protein bars in my night-stand. They are non-GMO and high in protein and some have no sugar (xylitol, which is good for y/f control). They are good to have in your purse or travel bag - they taste pretty good for an energy bar. But they are peanut-based so not good for those w/ mold issues.

And, when things are really bad I have some medicated food powder on hand and several cartons of almond milk to make food shakes. I hate the taste so I add unsweetened cocoa to it.

Who knew that eating 3xday could be so overwhelming...
-p

Post Edited (Pirouette) : 5/14/2016 3:37:32 PM (GMT-6)

Because of where I live in the boonies I have to think about dinner at breakfast. Freezers are a must here. And on my total brain fog days I would decide on dinner and take out fish and then by the time dinner got here I would forget how I had planned on preparing it.

Many surprise dinners. lol

Piroutte I would love to come to your kitchen!

I have a Think Thin bar with my vitamins and supplements and coffee every morning. I love them.

I rarely eat a package of anything. Maybe soda crackers, rice crackers. I dislike frozen vegetables - too squishy for me.

I love beans. Hubby made us a dip the other afternoon and it was awesome. Organic refried black beans, parm cheese, green onions, cilantro, jalapenos - heat in the microwave and eat with rice crackers. yummm He just retired and now I want him to cook once in awhile. So far he says he can only make a burrito, canned soup or bean dip. LOL

Well... I think your post was hijacked! ;)

For food during the week, you have to prep! I am not sure what your restrictions are though....

Get yourself a nice amount of meats. Grill them, or bbq, season some for the crock pot (beef or lamb), put some fish to broil, make up some healthy turkey meatballs. Freeze all these things. Then slowly use them throughout the week.

For veggies, chop up your veggies and put them into separate containers in the fridge. You will prob have to do this twice a week. And get a big tub of beautiful greens.

For the cooked veggies, I started cooking asparagus, sweet potato, green beans, brussels and freezing them.

You can also make a big pot of brown rice. Separate into baggies and freeze that too.

If you can, start making broths. I really need to do this.

so, breakfast:green smoothie, walnuts. lunch: large salad w/fish. dinner:meat with veggies, rice or sweet potato.

I used to think breakfast had to be breakfasty foods, but they really don't. I'm super happy with a little lamb, brussels, and squash. Just start experimenting. you'll find something you like!

Good luck!

Yeah, avocados are wonderful and they keep in the fridge for at least a week so you can get them on sale. Just make sure to have a few lemons so you can squeeze lemon juice and sprinkle sea salt on them.

If I had to cook when feeling my worst I wouldn't and if memory serves I don't think that I did. A pot of soup is always pretty easy and good fer ya, too.

One thing that is so good to have on hand are sardines. Boneless, skinless and headless. The ones from Costco are good and also the Prince (?) variety, wild caught in olive oil from Amazon. Good for you and that oil seemed to really provide nourishment on days when all I could do was open the can and get some saltine crackers out. Sliced apples were my friend, too. The worse I feel the simpler the food is but absolutely agree that it must be real food, NOT that processed crap. Even organic processed is still processed.

Get some fermented pickles and sauerkraut, Bubbies is a good brand, and have a little bit with each meal. So good for your gut and a source of pre and pro-biotics.

Somewhere in this lyme trip I discovered buttered popcorn with truffle salt! The. best. thing. ever.

I am so lucky that I can shop at a Kroger store that discounts produce (and meats,etc., ) but produce gets pricey for limited incomes. I picked up a decent sized container of cubed yellow squash, zuchinni, butternut squash, purple onion and baby carrots for 49 cents! I also got a marked down contain of button mushrooms I sliced. Everything got tossed in some olive oil and sprinkled with italian seasoning and red chili flakes and roasted on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Meanwhile I browned 4 ounces of pork chorizo (any ground meat or NO meat is fine), two cans of tomatoes, garlic, a tsp of sugar to cut the tomato acidity and whatever seasoning sounds good. Heated it, stuck my inversion blender into it to smooth it out some. I'd browned some ground patties, put half the roasted veggies into the tomato sauce left in cubes, and poured a cup on each plate, topped with hamburger steak, some of the unsauced veggies, and grated cheese. In my case it was Manchego.

The meat can be left out, as can the cheese. The next night I tossed some cooked bowtie pasta into the leftover veggies and sauce and had it that way.

I love soup. I'm making concoctions all the time. Excellent to eat on for several days.

My Mom ate a lot of cottage cheese and fruit, and crackers. In my mind it sounds good but I will buy it, eat it once and don't want any more.

Granny Smith apples and sliced cheese (sharp cheddar my favorite) or a buillion cube 'tea' are my go to's when I'm too sick to stand at the stove or don't want much. Apples or grapes. I'm a fruit fan and just never get it often enough. I won't pay no $4 a pound for grapes.

I too, keep it simple and mainly eat whole foods without additives. Like Girlie said, chicken thighs with herbs is a quick go-to meal. You can make salads ahead for several days and have that every day. If you don't want to make your own dressing, olive oil works great as a drizzle for me. Also, I cook up a big batch of wild rice and have it throughout the week with meals. I also find a nice high quality smoked salmon (without any fillers or crap) can be very versatile for both lunches and dinners. Fruit and nuts (if you can do either of these) and great quick and easy snacks. Yogurt can be a great augmentation to meals.

Soups are great to make and freeze for later use. I use bone broth (either I make it or lately buy it from a good local source) so it is also very nutritious.

Hope this helps!