Choosing to Reset

I’ve used ChatGPT several times for meal planning and one of the coolest things I’ve learned is that it starts figuring out what I want and remembers my preferences along with what I don’t like.

I didn’t meal prep last week because I was too busy. The lesson I hope I learned is that busy weeks are most important to plan. I ended up trying to cobble together meals that meant my food was all out of whack.

This week is going to be busy too and I’m making sure that I have a plan for the meals I can control. I went back to using ChatGPT to organize my meals, create recipes, and provide me with nutritional information.

What I told ChatGPT this Time:

Please make a meal prep menu with as much make ahead as possible for Monday all three meals, Tuesday breakfast and lunch. Tuesday evening I am having friends over and would like healthy finger foods.  Wednesday all three meals, Thursday breakfast and lunch only.  Friday Breakfast and lunch only.  Please follow the healthy plate and make each meal about 500 calories with an afternoon pre made snack too.  I have ground turkey, pork chops for one meal and chicken breast but I’m going to the store so I can add additional protein as well.  Please use my past requests for my likes and dislikes.  I would like to make spaghetti one evening and would love ideas for what to do with leftover spaghetti.  I will need a shopping list and either the instructions for any recipes or a link to one online. 

MONDAY

Breakfast – Greek Yogurt Parfait

¾ cup plain Greek yogurt (2%) ½ cup mixed berries 1 tbsp chia seeds ¼ cup high-fiber granola

Lunch – Chicken & Roasted Veggie Power Bowl

4 oz cooked chicken breast ½ cup cooked brown rice 1 cup roasted Brussels sprouts & carrots (½ cup each) 1 tbsp tahini-lemon dressing

Dinner – Turkey & Veggie Spaghetti

¾ cup cooked high-fiber spaghetti 4 oz ground turkey (cooked with veggies) 1 cup sautéed veggies (zucchini, mushroom, spinach) ½ cup marinara sauce

Snack

½ cup low-fat cottage cheese

1/2 cup Pineapple cubed

Macros:

Breakfast – Greek Yogurt Parfait

Cals: 500 | Protein: 25g | Carbs: 40g | Fat: 22g

Lunch – Chicken & Roasted Veggie Power Bowl

Cals: 500 | Protein: 35g | Carbs: 35g | Fat: 20g

Dinner – Turkey & Veggie Spaghetti

Cals: 500 | Protein: 35g | Carbs: 40g | Fat: 18g

Snack – Cottage Cheese + fresh pineapple

Cals: 150 | Protein: 14g | Carbs: 5g | Fat: 8g

TUESDAY

Breakfast – Scrambled Eggs & Toast

2 eggs scrambled with spinach 1 slice whole wheat toast 2 tbsp salsa

Lunch – Tuna-Stuffed Sweet Potato

1 medium baked sweet potato 1 can tuna (3 oz drained) 1 tbsp Greek yogurt 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp chopped pickles or celery

Dinner – Finger Food Night

All items below are portioned so 2–3 of each item equals ~500 calories total:

4 mini turkey meatballs (1.5” each, baked)

5–6 veggie skewers (zucchini, mushrooms, red peppers, brushed with olive oil and grilled)

¼ cup hummus ½ whole wheat pita (cut into triangles)

5 cucumber slices topped with 1tbs yogurt dill dip. (Recipe Here)

Small fruit cup: ½ cup mixed berries or grapes.

Macros:

Breakfast – Scrambled Eggs + Toast + Salsa

Cals: 500 | Protein: 25g | Carbs: 25g | Fat: 28g

Lunch – Tuna-Stuffed Sweet Potato

Cals: 500 | Protein: 28g | Carbs: 35g | Fat: 20g

Dinner – Healthy Finger Foods (Assorted)

Cals: 500 | Protein: 30g | Carbs: 35g | Fat: 22g

Snack – Roasted Chickpeas

Cals: 150 | Protein: 6g | Carbs: 18g | Fat: 5g

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast – Cottage Cheese Bowl

¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese ½ cup sliced strawberries 1 tbsp chopped walnuts 1 tsp chia seeds drizzle with honey, agave, or other natural sweetener

Lunch – Spaghetti Frittata

1.5 cups leftover spaghetti (with turkey/veggies) 3 large eggs 1 tbsp Parmesan (Serves 2; have ½ the frittata with 1 cup salad greens & balsamic)

Dinner – Grilled Pork Chops Meal

4 oz grilled pork chop ½ cup mashed sweet potato 1 cup garlic green beans (steamed or roasted)

Snack

5 mini bell peppers 2 tbsp hummus

Macros

Breakfast – Cottage Cheese Bowl

Cals: 500 | Protein: 30g | Carbs: 28g | Fat: 25g

Lunch – Spaghetti Frittata + Salad

Cals: 500 | Protein: 28g | Carbs: 35g | Fat: 20g

Dinner – Pork Chop + Sweet Potato + Green Beans

Cals: 500 | Protein: 35g | Carbs: 30g | Fat: 22g

Snack – Mini Bell Peppers + Hummus

Cals: 150 | Protein: 4g | Carbs: 10g | Fat: 10g

THURSDAY

Breakfast – Overnight Oats

½ cup rolled oats ⅓ cup Greek yogurt ½ cup almond milk ½ cup mixed berries 1 tbsp almond butter Cinnamon to taste

Lunch– Chicken Salad

4 oz grilled chicken 2 cups salad greens ¼ cup roasted chickpeas ½ cup cucumbers 5 cherry tomatoes 2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

Snack

1 boiled egg 1 small mandarin orange

Macros

Breakfast – Overnight Oats

Cals: 500 | Protein: 20g | Carbs: 45g | Fat: 20g

Lunch – Chicken Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

Cals: 500 | Protein: 35g | Carbs: 30g | Fat: 22g

Snack – Boiled Egg + Mandarin

Cals: 150 | Protein: 7g | Carbs: 10g | Fat: 8g

FRIDAY

Breakfast – Avocado Toast & Eggs

2 boiled eggs 1 slice whole wheat toast ¼ avocado mashed 1 small orange

Lunch – Turkey Lettuce Wraps

4 oz ground turkey (leftover or fresh) 2 large romaine leaves ¼ avocado 1 tsp spicy mustard Side: ½ cup cucumber sticks

Snack

1 small apple 1 tbsp peanut butter

Macros

Breakfast – Avocado Toast & Eggs

Cals: 500 | Protein: 20g | Carbs: 32g | Fat: 30g

Lunch – Turkey Lettuce Wraps + Cucumber

Cals: 500 | Protein: 35g | Carbs: 20g | Fat: 30g

Snack – Apple + Peanut Butter

Cals: 150 | Protein: 3g | Carbs: 20g | Fat: 7g

SHOPPING LIST (with estimated quantities)

Produce

Berries (2 cups)

Bananas/oranges/mandarins (4–5 total)

Sweet potatoes (4)

Brussels sprouts (2 cups)

Carrots (2 large)

Bell peppers (3–4)

Zucchini (2–3)

Mushrooms (1.5 cups)

Spinach (fresh or frozen – 2 cups) Cucumbers (2) Grape/cherry tomatoes (1 pint)

Celery (2 stalks)

Red onion (1)

Garlic (1 bulb)

Mini bell peppers (1 bag)

Lemons (2)

Mixed salad greens (1 bag) Avocados (3) Apples (2) Strawberries (1 cup)

Protein

Chicken breast (1.5–2 lbs)

Ground turkey (1.5 lbs)

Pork chops (2 medium)

Canned tuna (2 cans)

Eggs (1 dozen)

Greek yogurt, plain (32 oz) Cottage cheese, low-fat (16 oz) Hummus (1 cup or 8 oz tub) Canned chickpeas (2 cans)

Grains & Pantry

High-fiber spaghetti noodles (8 oz)

Brown rice (1.5 cups cooked or 2 microwave packs)

Whole wheat toast/bread (1 loaf or 6 slices) Rolled oats (1 cup) High-fiber granola (1 cup)

Chia seeds (¼ cup) Almond or peanut butter (1 small jar)

Tahini (1 small jar)

Olive oil,

balsamic vinegar

Spicy or Dijon mustard

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Salsa (1 jar)

Marinara sauce (1 jar, no sugar added)

I’ll be honest and say that the frittata seems sketchy but I’ll share the results.

I would love to hear your meal prep tricks and tips.

Blessings,

Karen