Welcome to a week’s worth of recipe prep: chicken edition. I like this as an intro because it sounds like the opening of the nightly news. Imagine me saying it in a very official voice and possibly wearing a suit! Anyway, this e-book and video were created because so many of our readers were asking me about my meal prep. In the last six months of 2015 I started to revert back to stress eating and because of it I began to gain weight. At the time we were going through the adoption process and the holidays were upon us and my usual healthy diet with occasional indulgences turned into basically all indulgence. I began to pack on more weight than I was comfortable with and I knew I needed to get strict with myself or I’d keep making up excuses for why I was choosing bad choices. And let me tell you something, I am the queen of finding an excuse for why I should eat nine thousand calories in a single sitting. It’s a special occasion, I should definitely have two pieces of cake. Or it’s the weekend, everyone drinks extra wine on the weekend. Or, I love this restaurant and I never get to come here. Or, the most dangerous, I’ve had a hard day, I deserve this! So at the start of February I decided to change my eating habits and I decided –for the first time in my life—to be more strict than I ever had before. I didn’t base this new diet on anything else, though it’s certainly similar to Whole 30 or Adkins or Paleo. It’s really just common sense and what worked practically in my life. Any fresh fruit, any fresh veggie, any meat, any nut, eggs, coffee (black), tea (unsweetened) sparkling water, and water. No dairy, no alcohol, no rice, no pasta, no bread, no white potato. But, I did give myself one meal a week where I ate whatever and however much I wanted. And I also tried something radical… I committed to staying on this plan. This was radical for me because I have never, not once in my life stayed on a “diet” for than a week or so without binging. But I kept wondering, what would happen if I actually did it for two weeks? Could I go two weeks without breaking

hi there,

my promise to myself. And because this wasn’t so much a diet as just a shift to healthier eating, I found it was really easy to stay on. I brought snacks everywhere. I prepped my meals in advance. Because my kids like protein it was easy to make dinners everyone would eat. Protein and veggies for all of us and then pasta or rice to add to their plate. I snacked constantly so I wasn’t hungry and I saw immediate changes. I had more energy, I wasn’t coming home at the end of the day dead tired. My skin cleared up. My stomach got flat and since I started doing this months ago I’ve lost ten pounds. Now, it’s important to say, I am not a dietitian, I am not a doctor and you should always consult with a professional before taking advice from some chick you follow on the internet. But that being said, the reason this has worked for me is because it’s commons sense eating. I follow the same rules we’ve all heard a million times. Don’t eat it if it’s not in its original form. Enjoy your favorites in moderation. And preparation is half the battle. You want to know why this has been so easy to follow? It’s not because I’m super human or because I’m particularly good at diets: it’s because I’m prepared. A couple of weeks ago I showed how I meal prep on SnapChat and y’all freaked out. You wanted to know recipes, you wanted to know details you wanted to try it for yourself. So here we are: a week’s worth of meal ideas based on chicken. If you like this video be sure to check out the beef prep video. This is a great option for those of you who want to lose weight. It’s also a great option for those of you who are perfectly happy with your weight but just want to prep meals in advance for your lunches and dinner. I hope you find it as helpful as I have.

xo, rach

GROCERY

LISTProduce:2 medium summer squash2 medium zucchini2 large broccoli crowns1 small bunch celery3 small red onions3 red bell peppers2 green bell peppers2 yellow bell peppers2 pounds tomatillos6 Anaheim peppers1 jalapeño1 head of garlic1 lime1 avocado2 heads romaine lettuce1 pint cherry tomatoes1 bunch fresh parsley1 bunch fresh cilanttro1 bunch fresh oregano1 (16-ounce) bag mixed lettuce greens1 small cucumber1 bunch scallions6 medium carrots1 small savoy cabbage1 head iceberg lettuce1 bunch fresh rosemary1 lemon

Meat Counter:4 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders1 cooked rotisserie chicken2 packages bacon2 pounds ground chicken3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts2 pounds chicken wings2 pounds chicken legs

Grocery Aisles:1 small bag dried cranberries1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts3 cups chicken stock1 bottle Zesty Italian dressing1 bottle BBQ sauce1 small jar hoisin sauce1 small jar soy sauce1 small jar buffalo sauce1 (14-ounce) can garbanzo beans1 (12 pack) eggs1 bottle red wine vinegar

RACHEL’S TIPS TO STAY ON TRACKI’ve debated whether or not to include these tips for you guys. Debated it because, well, most of them seem a little silly to me. These are not the kinds of things I’ve ever read about in someone else’s guide and so I hesitate to include them. But at the end of the day, these are truly the things (however silly) that have helped me reach and maintain my goal weight. Little tricks that have kept me on track and kept me from binge eating cookie dough ice cream— which is the way a lot of my diets ended before now. Hopefully you’ll find these ideas helpful, maybe you’ll find them hilarious… either way, feel free to use what works and ignore the rest. xo, Rach

Start the day with a glass of water - We all know we need to be drinking eight glasses a day, right? Well, starting your day by downing one full glass does several awesome things. One, it kick starts your metabolism. Two, you feel accomplished… look at me being all healthy before 8AM! And three, now you only have seven more to go!

Don’t look at food when you’re not full - I don’t mean turn your head your head away from food, I mean don’t start scrolling through Pinterest when unless you’ve eaten recently. Don’t read a food magazine if you’re kind of hungry. Whenever I start looking at pics of food when I haven’t eaten recently I decide that I’m starving. I also decide that I’m starving for things covered in melted cheese. So, I don’t go on Pinterest, or watch Food Network, or read Bon Appetit at eight o’clock at night or I’m going to head to the kitchen for a snack I don’t need. Be smart about food and don’t engage with it unless you’re strong enough to withstand the temptation.

Beware of Trigger Friends - My childhood best friend and I were chubby together. And we loved every single deep fried second of it. We would eat our way through sampler platters and bowls of dip. We devoted whole weekends to how much chili cheese fries we could fit down our gullets. The highlight of our high school career was when the local convenience store started selling snack cakes at four for a dollar. Now that we’re grown up, and much smarter about eating and exercising, we have to be careful not to fall back into old habits the second we see one another. We’re trigger friends. As in, we trigger bad behavior in the other. When you’re teaching yourself to eat healthier you need to be careful of friends who might trigger the opposite. Look for new activities you can do with each other that don’t revolve around food or alcohol. And just like with the pictures of food, don’t hang out with them when you’re hungry. Sounds silly but I can’t tell you how many times I thought my will power was strong and I somehow ended up at Taco Tuesday with my friends eating two days worth of calories in a single sitting!

Ignore the Naysayers - Sometimes, when we start to eat healthy or lose weight it can feel like our friends or our family try to sabotage us. Sometimes they do it lightly, with teasing. Other times they can be downright rude or mocking. Aint nobody got time for that noise! Don’t you for one second listen to anyone who’s not being supportive of your journey to a healthier you. I don’t mean that you need to punch your cousin in the face because she’s giving you a hard time. I just mean that you can straight up ignore anything someone says that’s unsupportive— this pretty much applies to all areas of life.

Always Be Prepared - I mean, that’s the key of this whole dang idea right? You prep the food in advance so you have something to reach for when you’re hungry. But it’s more than just meals you need to be prepared for— its snacks too. I have snacks everywhere. In my car, in my purse, all around the kitchen, in Dave’s car, etc. I never want to be caught without a healthy snack because when I get really hungry is when I make mistakes and eat everything in sight! Find healthy, high protein snacks you like and keep them within grabbing distance.

Eat Before the Party - Celebrations of any kind are my weakness. Parties are one of my favorite things and so I will use them as an excuse to eat anything and everything. Oh, but it’s a birthday I need to pieces of cake. Oh but it’s an anniversary I should have extra dip! I can seriously excuse away anything! My trick now? I eat before I go to the party! Since I do a high protein diet I can always find food to eat there— or better yet, I plan for the party as my cheat meal and enjoy myself. But if I eat something healthy before I go I’m not starving when I arrive and I don’t raid the buffet like a marauding army!

When in Doubt, Look at Fitness Models - OK, that might be the weirdest piece of advice I’ve ever offered but it’s true! When I’m feeling discouraged or like I want to go eat half a cake, I look up videos of female fitness models doing really hard workouts. They’re so strong and they’re working so hard and it’s super inspiring to me. Then I head over to Instagram and do the same thing there. I feel so inspired and fired up that I forget the cake. It’s also a great motivator if you’re trying to push yourself to go workout. If you can’t see it, you can’t be it. So look for people who’s fitness or healthy living inspire you and follow their examples.

keeptoremember

hydrated!

FLAVOR YOUR

WATERBy adding a few simple ingredients to your water, you can easily transform it from plain and boring, to fun and exciting. It also ensures that you drink more water throughout the day. Check out this list below on all my favorite ways to spruce up my water!

Apple and Cinnamon SicksStrawberry and BasilBlueberry and LemonLemon and CucumberWatermelon and LimeHoney and LemonOrange and MintRaspberry and PineappleBlueberry and RosemaryWatermelon and Jalapeño Blueberries, Peaches, Lemon and MintLime Slices and Basil

Orange and Vanilla BeanBlackberry and SagePeaches with a Hint of CayenneStrawberry CucumberTomato and basilPineapple, Mint and GingerOrange and FennelRaspberry and OrangeCantaloupeWatermelon and MintGrapefruit

rach prep CHICKEN 9

RACH PREPSMEAL GUIDE

Foods To AvoidSugar: Soft drinks, fruit juices, cakes, candy, ice cream, etc. Grains: Wheat, spelt, rye, barley, rice. Vegetable Oils: Soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil and a few others. Trans Fats: Usually found in processed foods with the word “hydrogenated” on the ingredi-ents list. “Diet” and “Low-Fat” Foods: These are usually very high in sugar.Dairy: Any dairy based products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, ranch etc.

40 Low Carb SnacksOften times diets, give you a big list of foods you CAN’T eat without much help of things you can eat. So here is a list of all the foods that are safe to snack on!

1. Hard Boiled Eggs2. Peanut Butter and Celery3. Nuts 4. Carrot Sticks and hummus6. Pork Rinds7. Sunflower Seeds8. Bacon Slices9. Beef or Turkey Jerky10. Meatballs11. Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Cups12. Tuna and Lettuce Wraps13. Asparagus and Prosciutto Bundles14. Fresh Berries15. Lunch Meats

rach prep CHICKEN 10

16. Dark Chocolate17. Tuna on Tomato Slices18. Pepperoni Sticks19. Avocado Slices20. Edamame 21. Tuna on Cucumber Slices22. Veggies and Guacamole23. Little Smokies24. Zucchini Chips25. Green bean Crisps26. Cucumber Sandwiches27. Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites28. Bacon-Wrapped Artichoke Hearts

29. Roasted Cauliflower30. Deviled Eggs31. Egg Salad Wrapped in Lettuce32. Prosciutto Wrapped Melon33. Air Popped Popcorn34. Tuna Salad stuffed in Avocado35. Olives36. Baked Kale Chips37. Scrambled Eggs38. Almond Butter39. Spaghetti Squash in Marinara40. Jell-O with Fruit

FLAVOR YOUR FOODSPICES & SEASONINGSDiet food doesn’t have to be boring or dull. Try jazzing up your daily recipes with any of the seasonings and spices listed below. Switch them out from day to day or week to week, so that your food feels new and exciting every time! I like these in particular because none of them add any more sodium to your dishes.

Freshly Cracked Black PepperGarlic Powder Granulated GarlicOnion PowderGranulated OnionPaprikaCayenne PepperChili PowderCuminDried OreganoDried BasilDried ParsleyDried RosemaryDried ThymeGround Cinnamon Curry PowderCrushed Red Chili FlakesSalt-Free Poultry SeasoningSalt-Free Steak SeasoningSalt-Free Lemon Pepper

rach preps CHICKEN 12

HEALTHY

SNACKS1 Tablespoon Almond Butter1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter

HummusAlmondsPeanuts

Hard-Boiled EggsDeviled EggsFresh FruitDried Fruit

Unsweetened CoconutCarrots Sticks

Cucumber SlicesSliced Bell Pepper

½ Baked Sweet Potato