I get asked time and time again about how I prep my food for competition dieting. I will give you a glimpse of what I am currently doing. It changes depending on where I am at but at 5 weeks away from my competition this is what I am eating:) Prepping your food is a must when dieting because as far as I am concerned eating anything other than my specific food is NOT an option. If you see me at a restaurant I will have my container of food with me...no trying to get them to make my food. This way I know exactly what I am eating and don't run the risk of getting special ingredients added to my food:)
I cook my food every 4 days since I feel like that is about the safe zone for my food. It usually takes me about 1.5 hrs from start to finish. The first thing I do is turn my oven on and get my rice boiling. As I am doing this I am getting my tilapia defrosted by putting it in cold water for about 15 minutes. While it is defrosting I start cooking my ground sirloin.
By the time I am done cooking my sirloin my fish is ready to put in the oven. I don't season any of my food until I eat it.
I put my fish in the oven and bake it at 350 for about 45 minutes...I cook it!!! While it is baking I am measuring out my ground sirloin and putting it in its designated containers.
I measure out every oz of my food using this nifty gadget! Super easy and very inexpensive to buy. By the time I am done measuring out my sirloin, my rice is done and I measure out my rice and put it in the designated containers also. As I continue to wait for my fish, I will steam some green veggies and have them ready to add to my food as needed for the day. I do my veggies fresh everyday but if you don't have the time to do that, you can cook them ahead of time and add them to your designated containers. My fish is done and I measure out my oz's and add it to containers and I am done!
As a mom I still have to cook for my family so I always make a casserole with my extra food. I intentionally make extra so I can do this every time. I took the extra ground sirloin, rice and green beans and made this casserole for dinner tonight. I sauteed onion, celery, and carrots and added it to the casserole. I also used pacific organic cream of mushroom soup and put some cheese on top. I will throw it in the oven tonight and bake it to warm it back up and have meals for 2 days out of this.
This is my food for the next 4 days in its designated containers. The white container has green beans in it for the day. I tend to pick one green veggie and eat it for the entire day. Today it is green beans:)
When it is time to eat, I open my container and warm it up in a fry pan. Super yummy and easy. If you are on the go, throw it in the microwave or sometimes you just have to eat it cold!
Some of the seasonings I love. Starting from the left is cinnamon I add to my oatmeal. Organic hot sauce with garlic and onion powder with parsley is delicious on my chicken and fish. Montreal steak low sodium is awesome on your beef but as you get closer to your comp this may not be an option as the sodium content is high and it also contains sunflower oil...check with your coach on this one. Sea salt and pepper make everything taste good and last is a poultry seasoning that is salt free and delicious on your chicken.My current meals are
1. 1/2 cup oats, 6 egg whites and spinach
2. 4 oz ground sirloin and green veggie
3. 5oz tilapia and 1/2 cup rice
4. High Five Protein Shake and 1TBSP nut butter
5. 6oz of tilapia or chicken (I rotate them every 4 days to keep it exciting) and green veggie
6. 6 egg whites and spinach
Meals 1 and 6 I cook fresh every day. If I am home I make my shake into icecream and pretend I am eating cold stone...HA! If I am on the go I use a shaker cup and mix my powder with water and bring my tbsp of PB already measured out. I always measure out my PB since I am super anal and will make sure I have no more than a TBSP. I know it would be easy to pretend extra wouldn't hurt but it's all based on a formula that works so DON'T DO IT!!
When your mind is IN IT doing anything other than following your diet should be like smoking a ciggarette...NOT AN OPTION.
When it comes to show time I know without a doubt I never cheated on any of my meals. I know that I never added anything I wasn't suppose to that wasn't on my meal plan even if I think it's healthy. I'm in this to win it and if I get 10th I know that I did exactly what was required of me and I am ok with that:) Following your meal plan is critical if you want results. When your body is use to eating the same thing everyday at the same time, when a change is made your body responds and it's an amazing feeling! If this is a struggle for you let me know because I am crazy passionate about this!! I actually love my food and would love to help you if I can!!! As Victoria would say..."Eat clean train dirty!"
Other meal ideas with your extra food for your family...
a. Add your ground sirloin and veggies to a speghetti sauce and make speghetti. If you saw my post on the veggie snack container I tend you open it up and use these veggies to add to all my meals I make for my family.
b. Take extra chicken and make a chicken, rice, and brocolli casserole. Add mushrooms, onions and celery and any other veggies. Add a soup base such as cream of chicken, celery, or mushroom.
c. Take extra chicken and make a chicken curry. Take your chicken and rice and add veggies and stir fry them all together. Add curry paste of choice and can of cocount milk and chili paste and you have an awesome curry.
d. The easiest meal is always a meat, veggie, and rice and you can make a special sauce to add to it!
e. Take extra ground sirloin and make tacos!
ENJOY!
