Thanksgiving Recovery

It’s officially the Holidays!

Your pants are tight, your belt needs another notch, and your shirts are starting to become tight!

We’ve all been there. The holidays, especially Thanksgiving, can take a real toll on your body. It’s the time of the year where cookies mysteriously end up in your mouth, ordering out seems to be easier, and all of the holiday shopping leaves you with no money left to food shop for yourself. This is where I come in!

This weeks meal prep is honestly an ass kicker! With all of the fiber packed into this week, you will surely shed a slice of turkey or two. During this time of the year, it is really hard to tell yourself no. But, what if you told yourself “YES” in moderation, and planned epic meals to eat throughout the week? I call that a win.

This weeks meal prep

I will be going in depth with recipes, shopping lists needed, and the final cost per person to help you continue eating right this holiday season. Remember, even after Bariatric Surgery, you CAN, say yes. But, saying yes everyday, or in bulk is where the trouble starts.

MACROS

I am starting this post off with Macros. It is very important to understand a healthy balance of all of your food groups, and will help lower your cravings for sweets and fried foods. Also, stop avoiding carbs. Yes, your weight loss will be a littler bit slower, but your pie you ate at thanksgiving, and the cookies you will eat all during the next few weeks are also carbs. If you starve yourself from them during the day, don’t get upset when you’re 10 cookies in, and your scale is moving up in numbers. Our bodies need carbs. Just know that good carbs are not as harmful as fake/processed carbs. Please remember that my macros are based off of a 1,200 caloric daily diet. As a Gastric Sleeve Patient, I want to ALWAYS maintain my weight, and not ever have to worry. Its a challenge, but you start to LOVE veggies. especially when you realize you can eat more and feel more full.

• Calories: 1,116
• Protein: 66 grams
• Carbs: 167- Yes I am over, but all of my carbs came from healthy foods this week.
• Fiber: 35 grams
• Sugar: 49 grams
• Fat: 26 grams
• Iron: 72 grams

Counting your macros is a tricky game to play. But if done the right way, you will feel awesome!

MEAL PREP TIME!!!

Now for the good stuff! Below I will break down for you the recipes, and meals at each time of the day. To really give your thanksgiving food a goodbye kick, you want to eat more than 3 times a day. Thats also a standard rule for Post Bariatric Surgery and weight loss in general. Eating frequently keeps the metabolism moving, and you are less likely to crash.

Breakfast and Morning Snack

Because my commute can take 30-40 minutes each morning, I always like to have something to eat in the car. Being a teacher, I have experienced all sorts of weird things that happen as soon as I step foot in the door. This week I will be eating my egg cups for my commute, and then I will eat my Chunky Monkey Oats as my morning snack.

Breakfast/Morning Snack

• Egg cups
• Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats

Recipe for Egg Cups

• Preheat oven to 475
• Crack 1 dozen eggs into a big bowl
• Add salt and pepper to the bowl
• Mix together like you are making scrambled eggs
• Spray your cupcake tin with spray butter. Yes it sounds unhealthy, but whats really unhealthy is the clean up battle if you don’t over spray! LOL!
• Pour your egg mix into each cupcake tin till about half way to the top. I typically only fill about 10 cupcake spots. I like my egg cups bigger.
• Then place in the oven for 15 minuets
• Use a toothpick like you would with a cupcake to check and see if they are done

Recipe for

Chunk Monkey

Overnight Oats

• 1/4 cup steel cut oats
• 1 table spoon of chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of water to soak over night
• In the morning, add 1 sliced banana

Lunch-

• 12 Sliced Cucumbers
• Homemade chicken salad to add on top of the cucumbers
• Homemade Zucchini Chips

There really is no recipe for the Cucumber. But I do want to stress that these are to replace crackers, pita chips, or pita rolls. We are already over our carb limits for today, and we do not want to go over any more! Just slice cucumbers to your desired thickness, and pack about 12 -15 slices into a ziplock bag or container.

Recipe for Homemade Chicken Salad

You will need a big mixing bowl to be able to mix 5 days worth of chicken salad together. If you are making this for one day, then just mix together in a regular cereal bowl.

• 2/3 cup of greek yogurt added to the bowl 5 times
• 2 cans of Chicken
• Cook the chicken in a separate pan and add salt, pepper, garlic, and Lawrys seasoning to the pan. I cook my canned chicken because I do not like how pink it is.
• Add 2 oz of chicken to the bowl. Remember to do this 5 times
• Add 5 cut up Fuiji Apples. I used small ones
• Add 5 Tablespoons of dried cranberries- So freaking good!
• Mix together in the big bowl, and add more pepper or seasonings if needed
• Pour mix into 5 separate containers. Make sure the containers are all the same size.
• During the day, scoop chicken salad onto a cucumber, and you’re good to go!!!

Recipe for Zucchini Chips

• Preheat oven to 475
• Slice 3 zucchini
• In a mixing bowl add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, garlic, pepper, and veggie seasoning from Aldi
• Add the sliced Zucchini into the mixing bowl
• Oil the bottom of a baking sheet
• Place the sliced Zucchini on the baking sheet
• Cook for 20-25 min
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Afternoon Snack

• 3 0z of Old bay snap peas

Pretty basic with this recipe. Add old bay to 3 oz of snap peas and you’re done! See! Easy!

Dinner

Veggie quinoa bowl. To make this recipe vegan, use water or vegetable broth to cook your quinoa in!

• Add 1/8 cup of dry quinoa 5 times to a pot
• Add Chicken Stock to the pot, bring to a boil, then let simmer until chicken stock dissolves. How much Chicken Stock? Good question. Does anyone know Quinoa Math? I basically poured enough to cover the quinoa and then drained or added more stock if I needed.
• Pre heat oven to 475
• Dice 5 sweet potatoes and place them on a baking sheet
• Add 1 tablespoon of oil, salt, pepper, and cinnamon to the potatoes
• Cut up 2 heads of broccoli
• Add salt and pepper to the broccoli
• Put these on the same baking sheet as the sweet potatoes or add them to a different baking pan
• Place both sweet potatoes, and broccoli in the oven for 25 minutes
• In a sauce pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Add an entire Aldi bag of Spinach to the pan
• Cook on low until all of the Spinach is sautéed.
• Now its time to build your mason jars.
• According to Quinoa math, 1/8 cup dry quinoa, is 1/4 cup cooked quinoa.
• Add 1/4 cup cooked quinoa to the bottom of the mason jar
• Add 1/4 cup of Sweet Potatoes
• Add 1/4 cup of Broccoli
• Top off the mason jars with the Sautéed Spinach.

Talk about a detox!

This weeks meal prep left me with calories to eat 1 or 2 cookies. You never know who is going to be bringing treats to work this time of the year. Do not let the fear of avoiding sweets ruin your holiday. Enjoy them while they are here and make sure everything else you put into your mouth is healthy. You know you’ll be needing to save up some calories for your Aunt’s Homemade Lasagna and Garlic bread!!!

Shopping list and Price Break down

Of course I did my shopping at ALDI!!! It’s just the best place ever!!! Their prices are amazing and you never know what fun stuff you can buy! Also, shopping at Aldi makes it easier to shop for the Holidays. Your Wallet will thank you, and you will be able to save up for those last minute holiday gifts! Don’t let the fear of eating healthy make you think it’s going to be expensive!

Shopping List

 

• 3 Zuchinni – I bought 4 but you only need 3.
• 1 dozen eggs
• Chia seeds
• Flax Seeds
• Cinnamon
• Package of Fuji Apples
• 2 cans of Chicken
• 1 large container of Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
• Dried cranberries
• 2 bags of snapped peas
• 3 Cucumber
• Quinoa
• 1 bad of Sweet Potatoes
• 2 Heads of Broccoli
• 2 bags of Sautéed Spinach
• If you need Seasonings your price will go up. Keep in mind, when shopping at Aldi, your prices in every area will be different.

Price

• Total for the week: $40.00
• A day: $8.00
• Each meal: $2.66
• I broke this down by 3 times a day even though you will be eating about 6 times.

Everything you read here is for one person. All recipes and shopping lists you will need to double, if you are meal prepping for more than yourself.

Happy Holiday everyone! I hope you all keep finding ways to eat healthy during this very sugary part of the year!