Connie's Food Log - Meal and Snack Ideas

“What do I eat if I have to cut out sugar, bread, and grains?” I get this question a LOT. You are not alone. Transitioning from a sugar/carbohydrate-based diet into a less inflammatory, higher-nutrient food plan takes time. It just takes a little planning, but hopefully, this will give you some ideas. The possibilities are endless, especially when you factor in changing up the spices. Spices and a little fat are key to a satisfying meal.

If you don’t have any fat in the meal, you will be hungry in about 2 hours. Also, consider having some protein for breakfast, which will help you think better at work all morning long. I have had clients add protein for breakfast, and suddenly they start losing weight. Be careful with too much fasting at the beginning of a healing program. Protein breaks down into amino acids. You are going to need those amino acids to repair organs.

I am keeping a food log right now as I finally found someone I can be accountable to. I’m turning in my plan to her every morning and attempting to stick to it. So I am turning mine in, too, just like all of you. Here is last week’s food log. If you would like any of these recipes, let me know.

After typing this up, I saw I didn’t have any chicken or red produce. It is essential to eat the entire rainbow of colors. I’ll add some for the upcoming week. Having to eat beef daily makes it more challenging to maintain a variety of proteins. Beef reduces the inflammation in my body, and I am finding that it is necessary for my brain, my mitochondria, and my energy level. We are all slightly different, each with specific nutritional needs.

As you can see, my food choices last week were not completely gluten-free due to the meatballs & the pizza slice I bought on impulse from the hot bar at Whole Foods on Sunday. But my nutritional goal is to be wheat-free, sugar-free, and grain-free as much as possible going forward. I’ll get there! I almost accomplished it this week. Every day that I am wheat and sugar-free is a win.

Connie’s Food Log For Last Week:

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Supper
Tuesday (work Day)	Protein/Fat – ribeye steak, slow roasted in the oven for 40min @ 240F ​Veg – leftover roasted green beans (I’ll throw the steak in the oven while I’m getting ready in the morning. Slow roast it on a parchment sheet so there is no cleanup. I season with a generous amount of pepper, sometimes plenty of coriander, onion, garlic, and occasionally a teensy bit of cumin, depending on whether I want a little kick to it)	Protein – canned wild-caught sardines in water on almond crackers (Simple Mills) Veg – sliced cucumber (This simple meal takes seconds to pull out of the fridge/cupboard. I sometimes do this on days when I’m seeing clients, and I don’t have ANY time for meal prep.) ​	Protein/Veg – beef vegetable soup, made with Kettle & Fire beef bone broth, chunks of grass-fed stew meat, onions, celery, carrots, sweet potato, white potato, green beans, peas, parsley (salt and pepper before serving) (I freeze 3-4 cup containers so I can pull out single meals for myself, freeze larger quantities if you have a family) ​
Wednesday ​(day off)	Protein/Fat – grass-fed burger (85% lean) w/ sauteed onions (in butter), no bun	Breakfast was more like brunch timing, so I ate an early supper, no lunch.	Protein/Veg – (take out) prime rib, baked potato with butter, and Caesar salad
Thursday (day off, which means grocery shopping day!)	Protein/Veg – salad from the bar @ Whole Foods Spinach, romaine, spring greens, black beans, garbanzo beans, blueberries, cucumber slices, beet slices (the other veg looked dry or limp), parmesan, Caesar dressing ​	Protein – leftover prime rib Veg – young fresh asparagus sauteed in grass-fed butter, sprinkled with sea salt (I pull out the frozen green beans from the freezer. Spread them onto a parchment sheet on a tray or glass pan, spray them with avocado oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and roast at 400F for 10-15 mins until done. No cleanup.)	Protein/Veg – hash made with 100% grass-fed ground beef (85% lean), sauteed chopped yellow onion in grass-fed butter, & riced cauliflower  (It doesn’t look pretty, but it sure is tasty!) (Fun fact: grass-fed beef that is finished on grass has as many omega-3s as fish!) ​
Friday (work day)	Protein – cajun shrimp Veg – roasted orange & white (Japanese/red skin) sweet potato & fresh broccoli. (I like the tri-color frozen, but I couldn’t find) (I thaw a handful of shrimp in water, then spread it onto a parchment sheet, spray with avocado oil, and season with cajun spices (generous amount, no sugar) – melts in my mouth! It takes 10 mins to cook, with no cleanup.)	Protein/Veg – leftover hash Veg – orange bell pepper slices (I keep as much of the white ribs on the bell pepper, as these contain bioflavonoids which lower inflammation in the body) ​	Protein – salmon filet seasoned with Bragg’s liquid aminos, garlic, & ginger (melt in my mouth!) Veg – leftover asparagus (Salmon is frozen, individually wrapped, easy to pull out of the freezer, thaw, and bake) ​
Saturday (work day)	Protein – steak Veg – leftover sweet pot/broccoli (I spray the veggies with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt and a little pepper before roasting) ​	Protein – sardines & almond crackers Veg – cucumber slices Snack – peanut butter & granny smith apple slices (I know I’m not supposed to eat anything moldy, and peanuts are moldy. I’ll figure out an alternative.)	Protein – Wagyu grass-fed beef burger, sautéed onions (no bun) Veg – cucumber slices (I had to eat up all the fresh produce before it went bad) ​
Sunday ​(day off)	Pre-breakfast latte – made @ home w/ mold-free Purity Coffee, with part organic pastured half & half & part MYLK (no sugar) Protein/Fat – leftover steak Veg & Starch – leftover roasted sweet potato/broccoli (avocado oil, sea salt, pepper) (I do latte’s on my days off typically. Since I’m off sugar, this is my tasty treat that doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients. I do the dark roast, so it’s easier on my stomach and nicer for espresso IMO. Purity coffee is the highest grade I’ve found that is 3rd party tested for mold.) ​	Protein – I totally caved and bought a slice of hot pepperoni pizza from Whole Foods. I was doing so good all week too! Oh well, I’ll get back on the horse for supper.  (It is vital that I try to be 100% wheat-free, as I am healing my brain right now. Gluten/wheat is inflammatory to the gut, the brain, the thyroid, and most organs in the body. It makes you bloat, retain water, increases pain levels, and the chemicals in wheat make pimples pop out, you name it! It’s just not the best food to consume.) Snack – a couple of bites of mango and a handful of Boulder organic avocado oil potato chips (I’m also trying to reduce and eliminate the potato chips. The wheat made me then crave the chips. It’s usually a downward spiral. I just have to stay away from wheat!)	Protein – leftover burger & onions (no bun) Veg/Starch – green beans & potato latkes off the hot bar at Whole Foods.
Monday (work day, late hours, more time available in the morning) ​	Latte – I don’t usually do a latte on Monday, mostly just Thurs and Sun. Veg & Fat – spaghetti squash w/ a thin pat of butter & salt to make the squash taste better Fruit – spaghetti sauce (Primal Kitchen, no sugar) Protein – Leftover meatball cut up from the hot bar at Whole Foods Veg & Starch – leftover roasted broccoli & sweet potatoes  (The spaghetti tastes really lovely w/ parmesan shavings on top, which I did not have in the house.	Veg & protein – leftover salad from the bar @ Whole Foods (spinach, Spring greens, Beet slices, Black beans, Garbanzo beans, Parmesan, Caesar Dressing) ​	I didn’t eat a meal after work b/c I had killed off a critter, and my gut was cleaning up the released bacteria. So I went to bed early after taking 3 Biotoxin Binder. The Binder helped a ton! ​

Do you see how I combine frozen meals I’ve already made up with roasting a quick veggie or freezing leftovers and pulling them out the night before to thaw in the fridge? If I have to bake something, I use parchment, so I have little to no cleanup. And I bake it while I’m getting ready or taking the dog for a walk. I’m multitasking. When I use a pan for sautéing, I make a large portion, so I either have leftovers for tomorrow’s meals or freeze individual portions. That way, I have a lunch or supper to pull out in a pinch when needed. If your family members like to overeat when it’s sitting on the table or counter after they’ve already had one helping of everything, consider portioning yourself out a meal for tomorrow before you serve them. This is how a very busy woman is also eating nutrient-dense meals. I am extremely busy with clients, chart prep, research, and classes that I am always taking to learn, learn, learn. I am always doing something. Do I have kids? No. But I have a two-year-old puppy who constantly demands my attention, and I have a pretty intense disease that I am attempting to heal, so I don’t always have a ton of energy. But I make it work! And when you don’t feel well, as many of you are also struggling with, having something easy to make, or heat up is going to be critical for you, as these are healing foods. Food is medicine. Food is going to heal your body!
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Additional Options for Salads:
Grape Tomatoes, Cucumber, Raw Green Beans, Peas, Sesame Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Edamame, Carrots, Celery, Red/Yellow/Orange Bell Peppers, Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Mango, Radish, Massaged Kale, Romaine, Butter Lettuce, Green or Red Leaf Lettuce, Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Blue Cheese, Mozzarella, Cheddar

Other meal & snack ideas:

• Nitrate-free lunch meat wrapped around celery stuffed with cream cheese (if you tolerate dairy)
• Epic brand has jerky bars that are tasty. I like the Wagyu beef strip, but the Bison bar is nice if you tolerate dried cranberries.
• Pecans or walnuts with ½ cup frozen berries (thaws quickly). Add a slice of raw cheddar.
• On top of a burger, I’ve enjoyed sugar-free bacon, avocado, sautéed mushrooms, raw cheddar, pickles, and Primal Kitchen mayonnaise (they have a variety of flavors). Load it up with toppings! Omit the bun and eat it with a fork. It is SOOOOO good!
• Chicken thighs, I bake them in the oven at 400F for 20-25 mins on a parchment sheet, so no cleanup. Simple salt & pepper or I really like my Mexican spice blend. Homemade. Found the recipe for it online. If you’re interested, let me know.
• Taco salad with ground beef or chicken thighs
• Celery & almond butter
• Organic brats & sauerkraut (there are some excellent organic chicken brats in the meat section of most grocery stores).
• Organic stadium hot dogs (as we move into summer), no bun, with no-sugar ketchup from either the guy down at the farmer’s market or Primal Kitchen has one.
• Check out Primal Kitchen’s dressings, condiments, & frozen meals. It’s too bad they no longer have their chicken curry frozen meal – it was delicious, grain-free, and had hardly any carbs

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​Other nutritional tips:

• Try ghee instead of butter if you do not tolerate dairy.
• Venison is exceptionally lean, as is chicken breast. If you do a leaner cut of meat, make sure you add enough fat to satisfy you (grass-fed butter, coconut oil, etc.).
• Do not cook with olive oil if you can help it. It denatures and is destroyed by heat, creating a bad oil. Instead, drizzle it on salads or your veggies/chicken after you are finished cooking.
• A fermented food is a wonderful condiment for digestion: raw kimchi, raw sauerkraut, raw dill pickles, etc. (pick them up from the refrigerated section, so they are a live food). Unfortunately, the ones on the shelf are not healthy for you. Full of chemicals and are a dead food.

​Find out what your body is asking for, book a Nutritional Wellness visit today!