New year, the same you! Only bolder, more determined, fiercer, healthier and hopeful! Such great positive thinking! Self-love is important and using daily affirmations are an important part of wellness. This can have a very positive impact on our mindset. That being said, this is the time of year for making new year resolutions. This type of goal setting is beneficial as it provides motivation and a sense of empowerment. Accomplishing or working towards goals can boost our self-esteem and give us a sense of achievement. So what to we want to do in 2020? Improve our fitness? Sleep better? Become more productive? Improve our mental clarity? Be more confident? Become more environmentally-friendly? The list can go on and on. But there is one common denominator that will support all of these resolutions. And that is establishing a clean and healthy diet.

A good practice to move towards a cleaner diet is meal planning and prep. By selecting a weekend day to grocery shop and preparing a variety of meal choices ahead of time, you can improve your chances of staying on track with healthy eating throughout the week. Cooking and eating at home often yields better results. When you plan ahead, you’ll make a big impact on your health with more mindful eating.

In this post I am providing you with a list of recipes that are nourishing, clean, gluten free and versatile. They are perfect for meal planning and can by used in different forms throughout the week. These recipes lend well to bigger batches. I double the amount so they last for multiple meals. If you don’t think you’ll use that much, make it anyway and freeze half of it. The freezer is a good friend to meal-preppers!

I serve my high protein chicken salad for dinner on an avocado boat, which is nourishing and will keep you full and satiated. The leftover chicken salad can last 3-4 days in the refrigerator and is a great option for a grab and go lunch during the week. Of course you can always have it over greens. My healthy baked meatballs are so versatile! Serve them over veggie noodles or gluten-free pasta, put them on a roll, crumble them in a salad or eat them plain. Have them at the ready all week long! My Mediterranean vegetable lentil soup is a great vegan option. Full of veggies and protein, have it for dinner on meatless Monday and again for lunch during the week. The perfect protein and fiber-filled snack to have around is my spicy roasted chickpeas, a good alternative to chips! Make sure you have a batch of my grain-free sweet potato pecan muffins made for the week too. They are perfect for a grab and go breakfast and they’re a nice healthy treat in the lunchbox as well. And don’t forget my no bake chocolate cashew brownies. This is a good healthy dessert option or just a great afternoon snack to satisfy that sweet craving while providing a boost of nutritious energy. As a bonus, I threw in the recipe for my latest favorite smoothie. The carrot cake ginger smoothie is full of vitamins and antioxidants - really delicious!

Meal planning and prep will save you time and money, help you control the quality of your meals, have less waste, help you to be more organized and most importantly, it will help you make better food choices with less stress. And this is true for busy families and as will as single Gen Y and Gen Xers! My niece Kelly is a hot shot millennial living in NYC, and meal prepping is essential for her and her friends. They work long hours and live in little spaces. Meal prepping on Sunday is a creative outlet and a fun departure from their crazy schedule. Those of us with families can do the same thing. Get the kids involved and make it fun! Eat at home more often. It just gets easier with practice.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to reduce packaging in my life. Many of us fall into the habit of using environmentally unfriendly products just because they are so convenient. I am guilty as charged! I am going to be posting a packaging reduction tip each month. For now, I am putting myself on a plastic diet. One big offender in this area is clear plastic food wrap. I found great reusable fabric bowl covers that can help. Check out this week’s tip!

Cheers to a year of healthy, clean and mindful eating! May you realize overall better health, physically, spiritually and mentally!

xox,
Susan

High Protein Chicken Salad

This mayo-free and gluten-free chicken salad will curb hunger and satisfy can craving!

Healthy Baked Meatballs

Tender on the inside and crispier on the outside, this is classic comfort food with a nutritious twist!

Mediterranean Lentil Veggie Soup

Packed with veggies and healthy spices, this flavorful lentil soup will yield meals all week long.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

These crispy and savory morsels are a great option to keep on hand for healthy snacking.

Sweet Potato Pecan Muffins

These muffins are grain-free, refined sugar-free, paleo-friendly, gluten-free and 100% delicious!

No Bake Chocolate Cashew Brownies

These chocolate delights can be a dessert or a snack. And you won't believe how healthy they are.

Carrot Cake Ginger Smoothie

Start your day with this naturally sweet and healthy orange delight!