I used to do posts about clean eating meals we’ve had lately on a regular basis. Then I worried that they were too boring, or not professional-looking enough, so I stopped. But honestly I think it can be helpful to some peple to see what people eat on a daily basis. So today I’m sharing a roundup of some of the healthier meals we’ve had recently! These aren’t perfectly put together and they certainly aren’t the prettiest pictures, but I hope some of these ideas will inspire you or help with your meal planning.

Breakfasts:

Lots of smoothies, smoothie bowls, muffins, and eggs with veggies. I cut out coffee (and other acidic foods) completely for a bit to see if it would help relieve Granger’s spitting up issues. I brought it back, in a small amount but I am still sticking mostly with matcha.

Here’s how I make a matcha latte. You’ll need high quality organic, Japanese based matcha powder. I am certainly not an expert by any means, but I have learned that sourcing it from Japan usually means less heavy metal exposure than Chinese-sourced matcha. I have tried a couple of kinds so far, and I liked Mighty Leaf brand that I found from Whole Foods. I am sure there are other great ones out there, but like I said, not an expert.

• Bring about 4-6 oz filtered water to a simmer.
• Place 2 tsp matcha powder and a pinch of stevia in a mug; Vital Proteins collagen optional
• Pour a couple ounces of the water over it, and whisk well with a matcha whisk. It’s a thing, and as much as I do not like buying extra gadgets for the kitchen, you need one of these guys!
• While whisking, froth some milk. I prefer original flavored Nut Pods, and this is the frother I have. I love it!
• If you want your matcha to be less concentrated, pour in a couple more ounces of the simmering water.
• Then stir in the frothed milk. Or you can whisk the matcha and water, remove the whisk, and pour in the milk while the tea is still moving in the cup, and it will naturally mix itself.

I’m wearing pajamas from a friend as a postpartum gift and a robe from my sis-in-law. Let me tell you, cozy gifts like these are excellent to give your girlfriends who have just had a baby!

Some smoothie combos I have enjoyed recently:

• frozen organic berries + a whole orange + spinach + spirulina + banana + fresh ginger + ice and water as needed + collagen (you can use vanilla or plain)
• frozen mango + frozen pineapple + banana + fresh lemon or orange juice + spirulina + spinach + water + fresh ginger + collagen

Other great additions and toppings:

• chia seeds
• hemp seeds
• raw: pecans; sunflower seeds; pumpkin seeds
• unsweetened coconut
• nut butter
• granola
• fresh fruit

Collagen powders – I get questions about the brands I use very frequently. I encourage you to do your own research on this, but here are the brands I have used lately:

• Primal Kitchen (I order on Thrive)
• Truvani
• Vital Proteins collagen peptides

gluten free dairy free pumpkin muffins

Egg breakfasts:

• omelets with sautéed kale and mushrooms from The Produce Box plus onion and goat cheese
• an egg and spinach and avocado wrap in a Siete tortilla
• bowl of leftover roasted veggies with avocado and fried eggs
• quick breakfast of boiled egg, avocado, apple and peanut butter (healthy doesn’t have to be hard ;))

The above 3 pictures are of an easy breakfast idea when you don’t want to cook. We chopped up some fresh fruit, topped it with nuts, seeds, coconut, chia seeds, GF cereal/granola, etc. Add DF yogurt if desired, or nut milk.

Lunches:

I did not take pictures of many of my lunches, but there are a few here. Typically I have some kind of clean-out-the-fridge salad or veggie bowl. I love to take leftover roasted veggies, any chicken or steak etc that’s leftover, and sauté it all in a pan. Sometimes I will add greens like spinach or kale, or serve it over arugula. If I don’t have any other protein to add, I will top the bowl with hemp seeds. Sauerkraut is an occasional topping as well. It’s such a good source of beneficial bacteria for your gut, but I have not eaten it as much while breastfeeding. Sometimes cabbage can cause gas in babies, but that is not the case for everyone.

For salads, I like to keep the following stocked in my fridge: arugula or chopped and washed kale; shredded carrots; chopped broccoli/radish/cucumber; apple; avocado; vinaigrette. My go-to vinaigrette recipe is 1/4 cup acid (could be fresh lemon or orange juice, raw apple cider vinegar, or another vinegar you like) + 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1.5 Tbsp whole grain or dijon mustard + 1.5 Tbsp honey + garlic clove minced + salt and pepper to taste. You can add more mustard and/or honey to make it as tangy or sweet as you prefer. It will keep well in a small jar in the refrigerator. I also always add some kind of nuts or seeds. Lately I have loved raw pumpkin seeds for a natural source of zinc.

arugula topped with leftover roasted broccoli, quinoa, spaghetti squash, kale pesto, and goat cheese

Davis’ lunch up top, mine below; snack plate lunches to keep it easy

some New Years Day leftovers in a veggie bowl: kale, baked sweet potato, black-eyed peas, broccoli, sauerkraut, goat cheese

the boys’ lunches one day this week

Snacks:

I will admit, I have had far too many snacks lately and I am currently trying to rein it in. Breastfeeding makes me really hungry, so I allow myself to eat more than usual, but I’ve gone a little overboard. 😉 For healthy-ish snacks, I have been loving:

• Late July grain-free chips with guacamole
• Purely Elizabeth granola with some almond milk
• apples and peanut butter – loved this since being pregnant, and I don’t see that craving going away any time soon
• berries washed and in those in the fridge for an easy snack
• boiled eggs with pink sea salt and black pepper
• grain free pretzels that I found on Thrive Market
• dandelion root tea with some creamer (Nut Pods is my fave)

 

Dinner:

Dinners have been all over the map. I have cooked most meals at home, and we always have family suppers. I do my best to make them veggie-based and then add in a healthy protein and some kind of starch, like potatoes. We have also been blessed with some meals from my mom, my aunt, and gift cards to restaurants and Uber Eats from some friends.

a local grass-fed NY strip from The Produce Box plus roasted broccoli and potatoes/sweet potatoes from my box. I made some chimichurri to go on the steak, and it was delicious!

I made a veggie burrito bowl with vegan nacho “cheese” sauce. Recipe in the book Plant Over Processed (loving this cookbook)

One night I wanted something super easy, so I used some GF DF Hawaiian rolls that I got in my Produce Box order from JP’s Pastry. They’re NC-based, but some Whole Foods carry their products. I boiled chicken, shredded it, and mixed it with Primal Kitchen buffalo sauce and Tessemae’s ranch dressing. Served with roasted broccoli.

I made kale pesto that was so easy and yummy. I used basil instead of parsley. It was vegan, so no cheese necessary for those of us who do not eat dairy. We served ours over Jovial brand cassava pasta and sautéed shrimp. My brother lives with us, and he’s been helping with dinner a lot more often. He handled this dinner! 🙂

Leftover roasted veggies and kale with fried eggs

Simple grilled chicken, but it was local, so it tasted much better! Plus a kale salad with the dressing I mentioned above in the lunch section with apple, golden raisins, pumpkin seeds and pecans. And cauliflower mash with goat cheese

My aunt brought us dinner one night, and we stretched it into two meals! Pork tenderloin and sides. 🙂

creamy cilantro jalapeno sauce for tacos or anything Mexican-ish – delish!

Combine: 1/2 jalapeno, chopped and seeds removed (use more jalapeno if you want it to be spicy) + 1/2 cup dairy free unsweetened yogurt (I used Kite Hill) + 1/2 cup avocado oil + 1 cup cilantro + 1 large garlic clove, minced + 1 tsp salt + 1 Tbsp honey + fresh lime juice (1-2 limes). Blend well in a food processor or blender.

I roasted some veggies from my Produce Box delivery: broccoli, butternut squash, and bell peppers, plus some chicken. I seasoned most of the veggies and the chicken with The Primal Palate taco seasoning. Chop up the chicken, and add that and some roasted veggies + chopped spinach + goat cheese to a burrito size Siete tortilla and cook like a quesadilla. Top with the creamy cilantro jalapeno sauce. DELISH!

 

I hope these ideas are helpful in your meal planning!