Good morning everyone!
Diving right in! I had a really really nice "shopping the rim" grocery haul experience with myself this weekend that got me thinking a lot about optimizing dietary results while considering the actualization & reality surrounding optimizing said diet during a clients brand-new experience and outlook on food like this one. When it comes to shopping, cooking, prepping and eating nutrient dense meals, SIMPLE is just BETTER sometimes (or most times). Especially, if you are, like most of us, running around with your ass on fire most days during the week (raise your hand if this is you), it probably is.
As a lifestyle & nutrition coach, it got my wheels turning about how we LOVE to over complicate things in our lives, including our diet. Feeding our bodies does not need to be this overbearing, over complicated, Michelin star awarded chefs experience every time you sit down to eat a meal. My goal as a coach, is to assist in getting my clients to where we (as coach and client) decided we would like to go without making you feel the need to change absolutely EVERYTHING yourself or what you are eating or how you are going about it. Dos and Don'ts, Yes's and No's can be utterly defeating and downright off-putting (not to be confused with expected, dedication to one’s self via hard work during this program), and that is not what we are here to do, leading me back to my original point, simple is just better.
If you want "fancy" take yourself out for a dinner on the town, ok?! During that other 80-90% of the remaining time, say it with me, KEEP IT SIMPLE. Below is a fantastic example of a meal I like to throw together that creates a beautiful, delicious, well balanced meal, that takes less the 20 mins total to prep. BOOM! It is possible, doable, attainable and OPTIMAL. Give it a go!!
Get to meal prepping! I love making the hard boiled eggs on my batch cooking day, normally Sunday, then having them ready to go for the entire week ahead. I’ll also make the black lentils, quinoa, and roasted veggies on the batch cooking day as well so all I have to do upon serving is assemble all the meal components.
Bowl Ingredients (all but not limited to, get creative!!)
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup cooked lentils
- 1 roasted or raw, large eggplant, sliced longways
- 1/2 roasted or raw small zucchini, sliced longways
- 1/2 roasted or raw red bell pepper, sliced longways
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- Pinch of ground turmeric
Optional Deliciousness: avocado, red pepper flakes, chopped pistachios
Because “of course” I cannot JUST provide ya’ll with a recipe and not explain WHY I eat what I eat to benefit my body here are a couple nutrient density facts about of some of the ingredients in this meal.
Healthy Fat: Yes, don’t fear the fat and also don’t fear egg yolks. Egg yolks contain a plethora of nutrients including vitamin B12, zinc, iron, selenium, vitamin D, and more! We need fat to absorb and best utilize those fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E, and K.
Protein: You’re not just getting a boost of protein from the eggs, you’ll also get it from the lentils and quinoa.
Fiber: Hello, fiber from the roasted vegetables like zucchini, red bell peppers, carrots, and beans and quinoa.
Optimizer Option: Add those fermented veggies friends! I can’t talk and recommend this enough if there’s one thing you can add to your diet today, it’s fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kimchi. It’s loaded with beloved probiotics and fiber. I add about 2-4 tablespoons of kimchi to this dish if I have it.
You can enjoy this one cold, room temperature, or slightly warm the beans, quinoa, and vegetables. It’s your choice, but I love the flexibility and choice to heat if I have time for it yet knowing it’ll taste delicious cold. This is going to be a winner for a lot of you!
LET’S SAY IT AGAIN TOGETHER, SIMPLICITY IS KING. Eat well, be well team. Have an absolutely amazing week!
Coach B
This is NOT your generic box. Coaches are well-trained and provide exceptional, cutting edge training and advice. They are knowledgable about integrative approaches to health (eating, sleep, hormones, psychological wellbeing). I was most impressed when I was in the process of attempting to get pregnant. Hands down the Best!
If you want to be a beast you have to train with beasts! Excellent facility, excellent team of coaches that all of them have a grand knowledge in almost everything fitness! Would recommend this box to anyone! Keep it up!
I moved away from San Juan a decade ago before Crossfit was introduced to the island and I was not sure what it was going to be like dropping in to a box here. Aggressive is excellent, well staffed, well equipped, well located in an easy to find space in the Santurce area. Dropped in at 10am on Saturday and was treated with excellent hospitality. Ernesto was a great coach. Welcoming to athletes of all levels and disciplines (crossfit, powerlifting, Olympic lifting, gymnastics). I will definitely drop in next time I visit my hometown.