Is Dinner Your Biggest Meal of the Day?
Most Americans and others around the world have been conditioned to think that “Dinner” should be the biggest meal of the day, and must consist of a few key components, typically centered around meat.
I’m not a meat hater, although I eat much less now (ideally 2 times a week max) because of the toxins, hormones and methods used to process most meat today.
Consider shifting your main meal of the day to lunch, when your body still has plenty of energy to expend and you aren’t going to bed shortly after.
And, shift from using a large plate filled with many options to a main focus:
Lean Protein and Green/Cruciferous Veggie (or Salad)
Pay close attention to the portion size of your protein. Especially when dining out because we are definitely “over served” with portion sizes these days. Ask for a “To Go” box when your meal is served and place half in the box before you start eating.
A solid protein size is 3 ounces, or the size of your palm. YOUR PALM, ha ha, not your entire hand!
Here are two of my favorite dinners:
Grilled Rosemary Salmon with Roasted Broccoli
1 pound salmon
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped or 1 tsp dried
Capers (optional)
Preheat oven to 400F.
Cut fish into equal portions. Arrange on a baking sheet. Combine Olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary in a bowl. Brush on Salmon.
Place in oven and bake for 10-20 minutes, until your desired “doneness!”
Roasted Broccoli
12 ounces broccoli florets
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Meyer lemons, halved, optional
Red pepper flakes, optional
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the broccoli florets and lemon halves with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Roast 15 to 22 minutes or until browned around the edges. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired.
Moroccan Chicken with Baby Broccoli and Almonds
INGREDIENTS
2 boneless chicken breast, cut in bite size pieces (or a little bigger)
1 red onion, cut in half and julienned
1 big garlic clove, slashed and finely chopped (or jar equivalent)
zest from 1/2 lime
Make a spice mix of 1/2 tsp of the following spices:
paprika pepper cumin cinnamon cloves cardamom nutmeg
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch baby broccoli
1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
10-15 leaves of fresh mint
1 tbsp Almond Flour (to thicken) or regular flour
salt to taste
water
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the chicken in smaller pieces, cover with about 3/4 of the spice blend, the lime zest and one tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Leave to marinate for about 15-
20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350F (for toasting the almonds).
Place the sliced almonds in a baking tray (with no oil) and toast for about 7-8 minutes keeping an eye on them so they don't burn. Take out and put aside.
In a skillet, on medium (to low) heat add extra virgin olive oil to cover generously and sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic and the rest of the spice blend and cook for more few minutes, stirring well.
Add the chicken and stir well while cooking until the chicken doesn't look pink anymore (takes about 5 - 7 minutes).
Add some water, depending on how much sauce you want. Alternatively, you can use organic chicken stock. I used about 1/2 cup of water. Add salt to taste.
Arrange the baby broccoli on top of the chicken and cover the pan with a lid, turning the heat to low. The broccoli will steam. After few minutes stir the broccoli with the
rest of the sauce and cook for few more minutes. Mix a tbsp of flour with a little bit of cold water and add to the pan, mixing. Leave it for about 30 seconds and see how thick the sauce get. If you feel you want it thicker, you can add more flour.
Add the toasted almonds and the fresh mint leaves and serve.
There you have it! Simple. delicious Healthy Dinner Options!
Now, you also have Your 7 Hack Start!
Simple and doable, would you agree?
Nothing is super complicated.
Take one each day and then add on so you don’t get overwhelmed and quit. A confused mind says “no,” and our brain is most often resistant to change.
If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed..STOP, take a deep breath and ask “What can and will I do TODAY, right now, to move closer to my goal and honor myself?”
Go back to the second page of the handout https://www.peakperformancehabits.com/7hackslinks
What did you list as your goals? Reflect on those goals and your why…. Use this as an inspirational and motivational guide to help you make good choices.
Over the next few days, weeks, and months, we’ll build on what we have started here.
There is more work to do, and we’ll keep it just as simple….
Are you ready to live your best life?
