Choosing to Reset

I knew that really all we needed was three days of meals this week. We traveled home yesterday and ate along the way. Today I had a smoothie on the way out the door, picked up a wrap and two boiled eggs while at HEB, and we had a taco salad made with bagged salad, taco seasoned ground beef, beans, salsa, cheddar cheese and Catalina dressing with watermelon.

Last night I asked ChatGPT for three days of meals that are 500 calorie meals and include snacks to up my calories. I love that asking ChatGPT this task repeatedly has trained the AI to know what I want. I got a shopping list, meal prep advice, recipes and what to cook. Below is the whole thing I got:

I carried the grocery list with me.

Pantry & Dry Goods

• Brown rice (1–2 cups uncooked)
  
• Heart of palm pasta
  
• Olive oil
  
• Chia seeds
  
• Granola (low sugar)
  
• Old-fashioned oats (optional for snacking)
  
• Peanut butter or almond butter
  
• Hummus (or ingredients to make it)
  

🌯 Optional Items

• High-fiber/low-carb tortillas (for wraps)
  

🥩 Proteins

• Ground beef (1 lb, 85% lean)
  
• Chicken breasts (2–3)
  
• Eggs (1 dozen)
  
• Sausage (check lean options)
  
• Cottage cheese
  
• Greek yogurt (plain)
  
• Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
  
• Cheddar cheese (block or shredded)
  

🥦 Produce

• Bell peppers (3–4)
  
• Onion (2–3)
  
• Celery (1 bunch)
  
• Broccoli (1–2 heads or bagged florets)
  
• Mushrooms (8 oz)
  
• Tomatoes 1 large
  
• Sweet potatoes (2–3)
  
• Potatoes (2–3 medium)
  
• Purple hull peas (fresh or frozen)
  
• Bananas (3–4)
  
• Strawberries (1 lb)
  
• Blueberries (1 pint)
  
• Grapes (1 bunch)
  
• Apple (2–3) — for snacks
  

Baby carrots or veggie snack pack

✅ Meal Prep Tips Before You Begin:

• Batch cook:
  
  • Ground beef (1 lb seasoned with garlic, onion, salt, pepper)
    
  • Chicken breast (2–3 breasts, roasted or grilled)
    
  • Brown rice (2 cups cooked)
    
  • Sweet potatoes (roast 2–3, cubed)
    
  • Boil purple hull peas (or use pressure cooker)
    
  • Slice bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, celery
    
  • Wash grapes, blueberries, strawberries
    
  • Boil 6 eggs for snacks or recipes

🥗 Day 1

Breakfast: Cottage Cheese Bowl

• ¾ cup cottage cheese
  
• ½ cup strawberries
  
• ½ banana, sliced
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (or granola if preferred)
  
• Drizzle of honey
  
  ~500 calories
  

Lunch: Ground Beef & Rice Bowl

• ½ cup cooked brown rice
  
• ½ cup cooked ground beef
  
• ½ cup purple hull peas
  
• Sautéed onion, peppers, and mushrooms
  
• 1 tsp olive oil
  
  ~500 calories
  

Dinner: Baked Chicken & Roasted Veggies

• 4 oz baked chicken breast
  
• ½ cup roasted sweet potatoes
  
• ½ cup broccoli
  
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar
  
  ~500 calories
  

🥗 Day 2

Breakfast: Greek Yogurt Parfait

• ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
  
• ½ cup blueberries
  
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  
• ½ cup low-sugar granola or oats
  
  ~500 calories
  

Lunch: Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps or Tortilla

• 4 oz chopped chicken
  
• 1 tablespoon mayo or Greek yogurt
  
• 1 chopped celery stalk
  
• Grapes, halved (about ¼ cup)
  
• Serve in romaine leaves or high-fiber tortilla
  
  ~500 calories
  

Dinner: Heart of Palm Pasta & Veggie Sauté

• 1 cup heart of palm pasta
  
• ½ cup cooked ground beef or sausage
  
• Sautéed mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, and bell peppers
  
• Sprinkle mozzarella on top
  
  ~500 calories
  

🥗 Day 3

Breakfast: Veggie Scramble & Sweet Potato ( This is becoming a favorite)

• 2 eggs scrambled with bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms
  
• ½ roasted sweet potato (cubed and pan-seared)
  
• 1 oz shredded cheddar on eggs
  
  ~500 calories
  

Lunch: Broccoli & Rice Bowl

• ½ cup cooked brown rice
  
• 1 cup steamed broccoli
  
• 4 oz ground beef or chicken
  
• 1 tsp olive oil
  
• Sprinkle of cheddar or mozzarella
  
  ~500 calories
  

Dinner: Sheet Pan Sausage & Veggies

• 4 oz sliced sausage (look for leaner versions)
  
• Roasted bell pepper, onion, celery, and grape tomatoes
  

½ cup roasted potatoes

~500 calories

1/4 cup salsa

Snacks

• Hard-boiled egg + fruit
• Cottage cheese + berries
• Banana + peanut butter
• Yogurt with berries
• Mozzarella with grapes

Taco Salad -4 servings

I bag of mixed greens salad

1 pound of lean ground beef

1 package of taco seasoning

I can of black beans drained and rinsed.

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Catalina dressing to coat the salad

Mix everything together and put in fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. My husband had it over tortilla chips, I had a baked sweet potato.

I hope you enjoy!