How to

Plan Meals

That Make

You Feel

Good

Denise Ramirez

Dear Reader,

This guidebook will help you transform your diet through meal planning. I’ve changed my diet time and time again for various health reasons. Meal planning is the tool that I've use to overcome these health issues.

Congrats on taking the first step. I don't know what led you here, but I'm happy to support you. I want you to know that it is possible to make dietary changes that lead to tangible outcomes. I've overcome migraines, eczema, and allergies through diet changes.

I hope that the information provided here will help you achieve the outcomes you desire.

Sincerely,

The food we eat impacts our body in many different ways: mentally,

emotionally, and physically. Everything we eat delivers information to

our body. Eating fresh healthy foods provides our body the nutrients it

needs for growth and proper function.

When we eat unhealthy foods our body does not get the nutrients it

needs and our health suffers as a result. This manifests in many

different ways:

• a compromised immune system

• a sluggish digestive system, and

• we may experience disease

• weight gain

But, at any point we have the ability to change how and what we eat

too improve our health.

H e a l t hy

Fo o d

What does it mean to eat healthy food?

It means, to eat a diet that:

• consists primarily of whole foods: fresh vegetables/fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and

plenty of water;

• has minimally processed foods; and

• is made up primarily of home cooked meals.

A meal plan is a tool you can use to help create new healthy eating

behaviors.

Meal planning allows you to:

• think through what foods can support your health goals;

• think through what resources you have available and will need to

meet your goals; and

• have a plan of action to reach your goals.

What exactly is a meal plan?

• It is a guide of what to eat for a given period of time.

• It is also a resource to help you develop your grocery list.

The benefit of developing your own meal plan is that you decide

what works best for you based on your goals and resources.

Before proceeding, think about your health goal(s). What would you like to achieve?

M e al

P l a nning

1 0 1

Every day you are a t cho i c e, you can make cho i c es that l ead you c l os e r t o your goa ls, or you can make cho i c es that pu l l you fur ther

away f rom them.

The cho i c e i s yours .D e n i s e R a m i r e z

Now that you have identified your goal(s), get clear on why you want this. What drives you? Being clear on the reason behind your goals will help propel you forward towards what you desire.

Before you start developing a meal plan it would be helpful to understand what should be on your plate.

• Every meal should incorporate a variety of fresh foods.

• Some general guidelines:

• ½ should consist of vegetables;

• ¼ lean proteins; and

• ¼ whole grains and/or fats.

• There can be some variations of this, depending on your lifestyle (ex. gluten free, paleo, vegan, etc.). The key is to incorporate as many fresh foods and as little processed foods as possible.

Think about your current habits. What do you typically eat on a daily basis?

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Snacks:

Beverages:

Vegetab

les

LeanProtein

WholeGrains/Fats

Having a clear goal, understanding your current habits, and knowing what a healthy plate entails are the foundation to changing your habits. The next part is developing the building blocks that will allow you to move forward.

Step 1: Feel good food

• Create a list of all your favorite foods. Determine which of your favorite foods look like the healthy plate on the prior page. For those that do not, what can you tweak to create more alignment with the healthy plate?

Step 2: New foods

• Create a list of all the healthy foods that you are willing to try. This can be meals or individual items. If you need ideas see Appendix 1 (Meal Ideas) and Appendix 2 (Green Vegetables).

Step 3: Food preparation

• Take your list of “modified feel good foods” and “new foods” and determine where your meals could come from. Are you able to prepare them or can you buy pre-made meals? Do you typically dine out for your meals? If preparing at home, how much time will you need?

Step 4: Prioritize your list

• Highlight the meals that are the easiest for you. Easiest can vary by person. It might be those that take 20 minutes or less to prepare or it might be one pot meals that you can make ahead of time.

This list will serve as a resource document. You can use this list to develop your meal plan based on what you’d like to eat, your needs, schedule, time constraints, and available resources.

D e v e l o p i n g

B u i l d i n g

B l o ck s

Resources:

Meal ideas & a meal

plan outline is included

in Appendix 1.

Ideas on vegetables

and how to prepare

them is included in

Appendix 2.

Recipes:

www.dr7wellness.com

Now that you have the building blocks for your meal plan, it’s time to

put in them into action and create your own meal plan.

Review what you listed before as your current habits and determine

what you can substitute with the healthier options.

Could you replace some of your current meals with one of your

modified feel good foods? Or is there something new you’d like to try?

I would encourage you to start with the meal that is easiest to

change. Making too many changes at once could be overwhelming,

master the first change and then move on to a new one.

Visualize new habits. What could you eat on a daily basis to support your goal(s)?

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Snacks:

Beverages:

Vegetab

les

Eating healthier foods and planning meals may be new habits for you. It takes time to develop new habits.

Be patient with yourself. Below are strategies to help you succeed:

• Be clear on your goal(s). Remember it daily.

• Be honest with yourself. Ask yourself:

• How often are you willing to cook vs eat prepared foods?

• What does your schedule look like? Are you willing to make time for cooking?

• Identify your resources. You don’t have to do this alone.

• Are there family/friends that can support you?

• Are there online groups that you can get information from?

• Recipes sources: books/blogs/website/social media (see recipes at: www.dr7wellness.com/apps/recipes)

• Identify your distractions or challenges. Have a strategy in place to address those.

C reat ing

N ew

H ab i ts

Online grocers:

www.freshdirect.com

www.Instacart.com

Ready to make meals:

www.blueapron.com

www.freshly.com

www.hellofresh.com

Ready to eat meals:

www.kettlebellkitchen.com

www.territoryfoods.com

Resources:

Appendix 1: Meal Plan & Meal Ideas

Appendix 2: Green Leafy Vegetables

Author:

Denise RamirezHolistic Health CoachDR7 Wellnesswww.dr7wellness.com