April Meal Prep – Week 1
What’s up my fellow Steemians!
In an effort to prepare for this summer, I’m buttoning down on my diet and thought I’d share my plan with anyone searching for an easy to follow plan that will help them shed fat, gain the energy to hit the gym, and get in the protein necessary to build muscle.
The last three months or so, I’ve been in physical therapy and rehab for a torn labrum AND herniated disc. Life has been tough, to say the least. I’ve been documenting my progress and recovery, so hopefully I can find the time to get a nice blog put together that outlines the routines that I’ve been doing. But with that being said, I’ve been in the gym maybe 3 or 4 times in that time period.
This is a big adjustment for me, as I’ve been a consistent gym rat for years. Doing nothing has left me restless, depressed, and zapped of any energy. But I also know that you can’t rush rehab. If you do, you’ll end up re-injuring yourself and doing the same thing all over again.
In the meantime, while my injuries heal and my body gets back to normal, the one thing that I can control is what I put in it. I wanted to get the meal plan put together that I will be starting in April. I figured I could put it out there now for you guys, that way everyone has time on Saturday and Sunday to get to the grocery store and actually prepare their meals.
I haven’t decided what the best course of action is going to be as far as publishing the meals, so we’re just going to roll with the punches here.
First course of action: Macros.
Everyone reading this is going to be slightly different with their macro nutrients. This meal plan is going to be for a 180-90ish lb (80-85 kg) person looking to drop fat but maintain their energy in the gym. Using the following guideline, adjust your meal plans as necessary:
- Protein: 1.5g per pound of bodyweight
- Carbs: 1.5g per pound of bodyweight
- Fats: .5g per pound of bodyweight
What’s on the Menu?
Sunday
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes
Snack: Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Lunch: Spicy Ginger Beef with Broccoli and Basmati Rice
Post-workout: Protein Shake
Dinner: Honey Garlic Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Lentils
Monday
Breakfast: Mushroom and Cheese Scrambled Eggs with Oats and Toast
Snack: Classic Reuben Sandwich
Lunch: Thai Pork Tacos
Post-workout: Protein Shake
Dinner: One Pot Lemon Shrimp Orzo
Tuesday
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes
Snack: Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Lunch: Spicy Ginger Beef with Broccoli and Basmati Rice
Post-workout: Protein Shake
Dinner: Honey Garlic Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Lentils
Wednesday
Breakfast: Mushroom and Cheese Scrambled Eggs with Oats and Toast
Snack: Classic Reuben Sandwich
Lunch: Thai Pork Tacos
Post-workout: Protein Shake
Dinner: One Pot Lemon Shrimp Orzo
Thursday
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes
Snack: Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Lunch: Spicy Ginger Beef with Broccoli and Basmati Rice
Post-workout: Protein Shake
Dinner: Honey Garlic Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Lentils
Friday
Breakfast: Mushroom and Cheese Scrambled Eggs with Oats and Toast
Snack: Classic Reuben Sandwich
Lunch: Thai Pork Tacos
Post-workout: Protein Shake
Dinner: One Pot Lemon Shrimp Orzo
Saturday
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes
Snack: Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Lunch: Spicy Ginger Beef with Broccoli and Basmati Rice
Post-workout: Protein Shake
Dinner: Honey Garlic Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Lentils
Yes… we’re repeated meals here. Afterall, we are meal prepping 😉
Now that we have our menu put together, let’s tackle the shopping list!
Produce
[ ] Banana [5.25 Medium Banana(s)]
[ ] Ginger Root (Fresh) [0 lb 3.39 oz]
[ ] Yellow Onion [0 lb 14.20 oz]
[ ] Broccoli [1 lb 9.40 oz]
[ ] Garlic [18.07 grams]
[ ] Carrots (Peeled) [1 lb 2.06 oz]
[ ] Red Onion [0 lb 4.06 oz]
[ ] Shaved Brussels Sprouts (Raw) [0 lb 10.86 oz]
[ ] Apple [2 Medium Apple(s)]
[ ] Mushrooms [0 lb 5.95 oz]
[ ] Parsley (Fresh) [0 lb 1.45 oz]
[ ] Orange Bell Pepper [0.75 Medium Pepper(s)]
[ ] Cilantro (Fresh)
[ ] Thyme (Fresh) [0 lb 0.95 oz]
Grains
[ ] Oats (Uncooked) [1 lb 4.81 oz]
[ ] Basmati Rice (Uncooked) [1 lb 1.46 oz]
[ ] Bread (Whole Grain) [3 Slice(s)]
[ ] Tortilla (Whole Grain 8 Inch) [4.5 Tortilla(s)]
[ ] Orzo (Uncooked) [0 lb 8.99 oz]
Protein Foods
[ ] Egg (Uncooked) [13 Large Egg(s)]
[ ] Ribeye (Uncooked) [1 lb 4.66 oz]
[ ] Chicken Breast (Uncooked) [0 lb 14.66 oz]
[ ] Rotisserie Chicken (Without Skin) [0 lb 14.40 oz]
[ ] Pork Tenderloin (Uncooked) [0 lb 13.05 oz]
[ ] Shrimp (Uncooked And Peeled) [0 lb 12.80 oz]
[ ] Corned Beef (Thinly Sliced) [0 lb 8.37 oz]
Supplements
[ ] Your favorite Protein Powder [1 lb]
Dairy
[ ] Skim Milk [0 lb 10.10 oz]
[ ] Cheddar Cheese (Reduced Fat Shredded) [0 lb 2.67 oz]
[ ] Cream Cheese (Fat Free) [0 lb 2.85 oz]
[ ] Swiss Cheese (Fat Free Sliced) [0 lb 5.19 oz]
Spices, oils, ect.
[ ] Canola Or Vegetable Oil [0 lb 2.31 oz]
[ ] Honey [0 lb 3.33 oz]
[ ] Soy Sauce [0 lb 2.66 oz]
[ ] Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
[ ] Olive Oil [0 lb 4.75 oz]
[ ] Turmeric (Ground)
[ ] Caramel Extract
[ ] Paprika
[ ] Cumin
[ ] Ginger (Ground)
[ ] Lemon Juice [0 lb 0.71 oz]
[ ] Packaged Foods
[ ] Peanut Butter [0 lb 4.71 oz]
[ ] Lentils (Uncooked) [0 lb 6.77 oz]
[ ] Chicken Broth (Low Sodium) [3 lb 0.04 oz]
[ ] Pecan Pieces [0 lb 1.83 oz]
[ ] Dried Cranberries [0 lb 4.76 oz]
[ ] Red Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing [0 lb 3.66 oz]
[ ] Almond Milk (Unsweetened) [3 lb 7.45 oz]
[ ] Shredded Coconut [0 lb 1.94 oz]
[ ] Chocolate Chips [0 lb 1.94 oz]
[ ] Rye Bread [6.75 Slice(s)]
[ ] Thousand Island Dressing (Fat Free) [0 lb 4.37 oz]
[ ] Sauerkraut [0 lb 4.37 oz]
[ ] Granola (Low Sugar) [0 lb 6.61 oz]
The goal was to make the shopping list in a printable format... hopefully I succeeded in doing that for everyone!
In an effort to cut down on the length of the post, I’ve decided to break this down into 8 Parts: The Plan, and then a post for each day of the week. Yes… yes… I realize that there are plans on repeat, but to make it easier for everyone to track, I’ll make one for each day of the week that way everyone is on the same page!
Stay Tuned and Check back for each day of the week to follow!! They should all be up by the end of the night.
And if you found this helpful, let me know down in the comments. I always love hearing from you!
