Tips for Level 1 Meal Planning
1-Protein Portion Size - Everyone begins with standard portion sizes that are adjusted based upon how you are feel and respond to foods consumed. The average size for protein is no less than 4-8 ounces. Your coach may need to adjust portions based upon certain lifestyle factors.
2- Add Variety - Your body uses different enzymes to digest different foods so rotating all foods on a daily basis ensures optimum results. It also helps you from getting bored with limited food choices. Enjoy a variety of wild-caught fish, from their natural environment, instead of farm-raised which are usually kept in pens that are often submerged in ponds, lakes, and saltwater. Choose grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free meats to ensure you are not adding more toxins into your body. If you are vegan or vegetarian your coach will provide several options for proteins to customize your plan. Experiment with spices to change up the flavor of your foods. There are brands such as Simply Organic that have premixed spices good for flavoring proteins and vegetables. There are so many options available; just make sure you read the labels on anything pre packaged to ensure it’s just the spice with nothing added like salt, sugar, or other flavor additives.
3- Go Raw- The naturally occurring enzymes in raw fruits and vegetables aid in the digestive process and help breakdown cooked foods. This means that 70% of your fruits and veggies should be eaten raw. Each day consume at least one large mixed salad plus veggies from the food list. Add a small side salad when eating cooked veggies. Eat whole fruits instead of juiced to get additional fiber.
4- Keep it Simple - You can eliminate prep time by getting triple washed, pre cut greens; just open the bag and you are ready to go. Use cherry tomatoes or diced veggies so you do not have to do extra cutting.
5- Stock Up - Frozen organic fruits and vegetables are great to have on hand as a backup plan or if your favorites are out of season.
6- Bragg Products - Apple Cider Vinegar which is great for digestion is the only approved vinegar on the program, and it’s used as the base for all the salad dressings in our recipes. Bragg Liquid Amino is a great option if you enjoy soy sauce. It’s great to use over veggies, proteins, or just a pinch with fresh lemon for a clean salad dressing. Bragg Healthy Vinaigrette and Ginger Sesame Salad Dressing are Level 1 approved (1-2 tsp).
7- Cook with Broth - Using our recipes you will learn how to cook with broth instead of oils. Choose broth with no sodium or low sodium (70-80 mg) and no added sugar. Pacific is a brand that you can find in most stores.
8- Liquid Stevia - If you have a sweet tooth, liquid Stevia is the approved sweetener on the program. It’s comes directly from the plant and is used in many recipes from our cookbook. Sweet Leaf is a brand we recommend; you can find it on amazon.com or Whole Foods. Both have a large selection of flavors.
9- Yehuda Gluten Free Matzo or melba toast are used for bread crumbs in our recipes like meatballs, meatloaf, and bruschetta.
10 - Feed Your Family - If you are cooking for a family, try recipes like that you can make in bulk to feed everyone plus have some to freeze as leftovers. Great examples are the meatballs, sloppy joes, meatloaf, beef chili, and vegetable crockpot stew.