Monday to Friday Food Game

Disclaimer: I don't eat this healthy every day, but this is just a sneak peek into my good days for those of you who might be looking for some meal ideas.

I know it can be hard for someone working full-time 5-7 days a week to fill their belly with healthy food ... but it can be done! For me, I think the key is to: 1) have a routine and 2) do a bit of prep in advance.

Although I do like to throw in some variety here and there, below are examples of what I would eat for work on a typical day:

1. Breakfast.

Prep time: 5 minutes.

Ingredients: Several spoons strawberry yogurt, 1 banana, 1 packet of Quaker Harvest's cranberry and almond granola.

I like to eat my breakfast (with my cup of coffee) while I go through my emails in the morning, so I pack everything and bring it to work with me.

2. Lunch.

Prep: 15 minutes the night before and 5 minutes in the morning.

Ingredients: Quinoa, cucumber, tomatoes, mixed beans, red onions, shredded cheese, lemon juice, garlic seasoning, salt, and pepper.

The key here is to do a bit of prep the night before. I usually cook the quinoa and cut all the veggies the night before, so that all I have to do in the morning is put everything together. To avoid having to do timely prep during the week, I usually cut up a bunch of veggies on Sunday and keep them in separate containers in my fridge.

3. Snack

Prep time: nil.

Aside from the granola bar and tangerines (which are self-explanatory), I usually have a handful of this "Power Mix" (I think you can get it from Costco) that consists of edamame, cranberries, pumpkin seed kernels, and almonds.

I usually snack on the Power Mix throughout the day, have the tangerines at some point between my breakfast and lunch, and save the granola bar for sometime in the afternoon after my lunch.

4. Post-Work/Pre-Dinner Snack.

Fruit smoothies!!!

Note: I will add in a scoop of protein powder if I'm feeling extra hungry.

Prep time: 5 minutes.
Ingredients: Baby kale, strawberries, tangerines + water and honey.

Prep time: 5 minutes.
Ingredients: Baby kale, 1/2 of a chopped apple, 1/2 of a chopped pear + water and honey.

Prep time: 5 minutes.

Ingredients: 1/2 a slice banana, strawberries, blueberries + milk.

5. Dinner.

Prep time: 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients: Kale, quinoa, garlic, tomatoes, white onions, mushrooms, and chicken breast, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Dinner tends to be the most unpredictable meal of the day for me. It's also my favourite meal of the day and I look forward to it the most ... so I try to mix is up as much as I can. This is just what I happened to have for dinner tonight. As with my lunch, I cooked the quinoa and chopped the veggies the night before. Most of the prep time had to do with cooking the chicken. I only throw in the kale at the very end, so that it's barely cooked. While the chicken is cooking, I mix the chopped up kale in a separate boil with some olive oil and salt.