We want to help you be successful in the Real Food Challenge. Here are some general meal ideas to help you stay on track. First, here is a review of the guidelines up to week two of the Real Food Challenge:

• Buy whole foods (Foods that are not processed. Shop on the outer edge of the grocery store where you can find fresh veggies, fruits and meats)
• Limit your intake of meats to a few times a week and choose locally raised and organic.
• Eat 2-3 veggies and/or fruits per meal 
• Cut out fast food and foods labeled low fat, fat free or lite 
• Only drink "real beverages" (water, fruit/veggie juices you juice yourself, coffee, tea, kombucha, and rice or almond milk etc.)
• Try to be grain free or gluten free ( If you do eat grains, eat quinoa, brown rice, flours like coconut or almond flour.)

Meal ideas

Breakfast

• Smoothies: the combinations are endless- kale, spinach, berries or any fruit (banana, pineapple, dates, figs, peaches, avocado...) nut butters or peanut butter, chia seeds, natural protein like hemp powder
• Eggs (frittatas, omelets, fried eggs (in healthy fats like coconut oil) and tomatoes
• Chia seed pudding made with almond milk and fruit
• Homemade hash (a mixture of veggies such as brussel sprouts, sweet potato, onions, carrots...you can add organic chicken sausage and or eggs) 

Snacks

• Nuts 
• Fruit
• Tail mix you put together yourself made with dried fruits and nuts (read labels avoid added sugar in dried fruits)
• Homemade bars made with dry fruits and nuts
• Homemade veggie chips-examples: zucchini or kale(made in a food dehydrator for raw food or baked in the oven)
• guacamole and veggies sticks
• hummus and veggie sticks 

Lunch

• Salads- again the possibilities are endless with the veggie combinations and even the type of food combinations (meditereanian salad with tomatoes, cucumber, parsley garbanzo lemon juice etc, southwest inspired with hot fresh peppers, black beans cilantro tomato etc) be creative!
• Sandwiches and tacos without bread (Use lettuce leaves instead of tortillas and big portabella mushrooms or cucumber slices instead of bread)
• Burrito Bowls-black beans, avocado, fresh veggies, fresh salsa, lime juice and a little quinoa or brown rice (limit serving to 1/2 cup a day) 

Dinner

• Make any pasta dish substituting the pasta with zucchini, spaghetti squash or eggplant where applicable (example eggplant in lasagna)
• Keep dinner simple grill fish or chicken, and veggies
• Make the veggies the foundation to your dish (zucchini boats, baked sweet potatoes stuffed with more veggies)
• Make fajitas with extra veggies
• Stir fry (use different veggies and protein combinations every time)