this week's healthy food prep: 8/24

we're focusing on the big 3 this week: high fiber, balanced hormones, and chocolate?

this week’s meals focus on two important areas: high fiber and balanced hormones. there’s also a lot of chocolate, which in my opinion is a third important area 🤣 but let’s focus on the first two for now.

these might not be directly related, but both play a huge role in our overall health and wellbeing. i always want to use my food preps to communicate the power of food to heal us. i’ve experienced first hand how essential it is to have a balanced, health-forward diet, one that is full and expansive. think nutrient-dense but not without room for all of the foods we love, which we need to include in order to thrive.

before we dive into it, let’s touch on this week’s recipes:

the menu:

• raw vegan brownie bars (healthy hormone)

• fiber-packed weeknight salad

• mexican-inspired double bean salad

• taco meatballs

• jumbo protein peanut butter cups

a quick chat:

on balanced hormones:

when i was in college, i was working tirelessly to restore my lost period. i had lost it for four YEARS as a result of a near-fatal eating disorder. i wrote extensively about how i lost and got back my period in this post— feel free to read that if you’re in a similar situation 💞

one change i made that i truly believed helped me heal was focusing on hormone balancing foods, specifically healthy fats.

at the time, i would make these incredible raw vegan brownie bars, i saw an old photo of those pop up on my phone recently and i haven’t stopped thinking about them since. honestly, a drool-worthy photo if i do say so myself hahaha. pasting that below!

these bars use a combination of nuts and seeds— think almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, etc., ingredients that are packed with healthy fats, fiber, and minerals like magnesium and zinc. all of these are essential for hormone regulation. flaxseeds contain omega 3s, which are important for overall hormone production and function.

i use so many nuts, seeds, nut butters, and oils in my diet to this day, all because of the journey i went on nearly 6 years ago to heal my cycle. when i began eating this way, i felt satiated for longer, my hair/skin/nails were the healthiest i’ve ever seen them, and i simply found meals and snacks to be much more enjoyable. my body personally thrives off of a higher fat diet, so i make sure to honor it in this way on a daily basis.

on fiber:

there’s so much buzz around protein, and not enough about fiber. i’ve personally found high fiber meals to aid in my digestive health, promoting regularity if you know what i mean (💩). fiber also aids in regulating blood sugar, helping us stay fuller for longer. i always make sure to focus on fiber just as much as protein in my recipes.

foods like beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds are all great sources of fiber. you’ll find a fiber-packed weeknight salad in this prep, which is essentially just one variation of the salad i always, always have in my fridge during the week. i typically pair something like this with a protein and carb source for a quick and nutritious dinner! the version you’ll find below combines colorful veggies, lentils, leafy greens, and few other fun mix-ins to pack a fiber-filled punch.

our other recipes this week (mexican-inspired bean salad, taco meatballs, and protein peanut butter cups) all reflect both balanced hormones and fiber.

as always, i intentionally curated the grocery list so that you’ll end up using one ingredient in more than one place. all about efficiency and creativity here!

speaking of which, let’s get to that…

the grocery list:

note that a handful of these items are pantry staples, so you may already have them on hand and won’t need to purchase :) or if you do need to buy them, i have plenty of other recipes that call for these ingredients, so you’ll have plenty of use for your purchase!

produce:

• 1 large bag of kale

• 2 red bell peppers

• 1 orange bell pepper

• 3 small cucumbers,

• 1 bunch of fresh parsley

• 1 lime

• fire roasted corn

• 1 small container cherry tomatoes

• 1 small red onion

• 1 bag of red cabbage, shredded

meat/tofu:

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 block extra firm tofu

eggs/dairy:

• 1 block of feta cheese in brine

• 1/2 dozen eggs

• 1 single serve (5.3oz) plain greek yogurt

misc:

• 1 package of pitted dates

• raw almonds

• raw pecans

• raw pumpkin seeds

• ground flaxseed

• cacao powder

• chocolate and vanilla protein powders of choice

• coconut oil

• 1 large bag dark chocolate chips/chunks

• creamy salted peanut butter

• pitted kalamata olives

• 1 can or microwavable package of cooked lentils

• balsamic vinegar

• 1 packed of taco seasoning

• 1 can (15oz) cooked black beans

• 1 can (15oz) cooked kidney beans

• 1 can (15oz) cooked pinto beans

• olive oil

• sea salt

• powdered peanut butter

and now for the fun part— recipes below :)