Choosing to Reset

I’m sorry in advance for how long this is, but I get asked a lot about what I eat. This week we are talking about balance and as we are nearing the end of my second year on this health journey, I’ve learned that 6 dinner meals a week works best for me. We are probably going to be eating away from home at least once a week. Also, we cleaned out and organized our freezer and I’m going to be eating lamb given to us by a friend, salmon, because it needs to be eaten and chicken. Ground beef or turkey would work instead of lamb.

I’ve got a pretty good routine down for breakfasts and lunches now. My husband makes breakfast, (I know that I’m spoiled) and we pretty much eat the same breakfast every week.

Sunday is a vegetable omelet. He throws in mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, spinach, and left over steamed vegetables we have in the fridge. Two large eggs, 1/4 cup liquid egg whites, two tablespoons Greek yogurt mixed together to make the omelette part and add cheese.

Monday is Smoothie Almond milk, berries like blackberries, blueberry, strawberries, cherries, 1/2 banana, spinach, protein powder, Greek yogurt…

Tuesday is scrambled egg tacos with onion, salsa, jalapeño turkey sausage in a high fiber, low calorie tortilla and some fruit.

Wednesday is cottage cheese bowls, cottage cheese, chia seeds, sliced 1/2 banana, strawberry and a drizzle of honey and cinnamon. Sometimes I add nuts or granola.

Thursday is a smoothie.

Friday is scrambled eggs with spinach, bacon, 1/2 roasted sweet potato cubes.

Saturday is my husband’s favorite: high protein waffles with blueberries mixed in. We use a high protein mix along with added egg whites. Some kind of meat.

Lunch is chicken or tuna on a salad, taco meat with sautéed vegetables on a tortilla, leftovers, vegetable chili on brown rice. Lettuce wrap hamburgers, or something along that line. We take care of our own lunches.

I’ve also figured out over time that prepping three meats, brown rice, and air fried vegetables, sweet potato, and some bean like black beans, purple hull peas, pinto beans cooked in the Instapot.

Here is the information got this week from ChatGPT. We cleaned out and organized the freezer and realized we have a lot of lamb, squash, chicken, salmon green beans, and purple hull peas.

🍽️ Protein Prep

1 lb ground lamb (2 meals) 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (2 meals) 1 lb salmon fillets (2 meals)

🍴 Night 1: Ground Lamb Bowl

Protein: Spiced ground lamb (4 oz/person) Carb: Roasted sweet potato (1 cup) Veg: Steamed green beans Fiber Boost: Add 1 Tbsp ground flax to lamb before cooking Fresh Additions: Chopped parsley + cucumber tomato salad with lemon

✅ ~610 cal | 32g protein | 9g fiber

🍴 Night 2: Chicken and Purple Hull Peas

Protein: Grilled chicken breast (4 oz/person) Carb: Purple hull peas (¾ cup) Veg: Frozen yellow squash sautéed with onions Fresh Additions: Watermelon slices or peach halves

✅ ~590 cal | 34g protein | 10g fiber

🍴 Night 3: Salmon with Corn & Zucchini

Protein: Baked salmon (4 oz/person) Carb: Corn on the cob (1 medium) Veg: Sautéed frozen squash + zucchini Fresh Additions: Arugula and avocado side salad

✅ ~600 cal | 30g protein | 8g fiber

🍴 Night 4: Lamb Lettuce Wraps

Protein: Ground lamb (4 oz/person) cooked with garlic, onion, chili powder Carb: Brown rice or quinoa (½ cup cooked) Veg: Lettuce leaves, grated carrots, chopped bell pepper Fresh Additions: Mango slices or grapes

✅ ~605 cal | 30g protein | 9g fiber

🍴 Night 5: Chicken Stir-Fry

Protein: Chicken (4 oz/person) stir-fried Carb: Brown rice (¾ cup) Veg: Frozen green beans + red bell pepper + onion Fresh Additions: Pineapple or orange segments

✅ ~600 cal | 33g protein | 8g fiber

🍴 Night 6: Salmon with Squash & Peas

Protein: Salmon (4 oz/person) Carb: Purple hull peas (½ cup) + roasted carrots (½ cup) Veg: Frozen squash Fresh Additions: Side salad with romaine, cucumber, and vinaigrette

✅ ~595 cal | 31g protein | 10g fiber

🍳 How to Cook Ground Lamb (Mediterranean-Inspired Skillet)

🧂 Ingredients:

1 lb ground lamb 1 tsp olive oil (optional if lamb is lean) 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp smoked paprika or chili powder Salt and pepper to taste Optional: 1–2 Tbsp chopped parsley or mint Optional: 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed (for fiber boost)

🔥 Instructions:

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil if needed. Add onions and sauté for 3–4 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic, then add the ground lamb. Cook until browned and crumbled, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed. Add spices and salt/pepper. Stir well to coat. Optional: Add ground flax for a fiber boost and stir in fresh herbs before serving. Store in a sealed container for up to 4 days.

✅ Pairing suggestions: Lettuce wraps, over sweet potatoes, or with brown rice and squash.

🐟 How to Cook Salmon (Simple Oven-Baked Method)

🧂 Ingredients:

1 lb salmon fillets (skin-on or skinless) 1 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil Salt and pepper Optional: lemon slices, garlic powder, dill or Italian seasoning

🔥 Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Place salmon fillets skin-side down. Drizzle with oil, then season with salt, pepper, and herbs/spices. Add lemon slices on top if using. Bake for 12–15 minutes, depending on thickness, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Optional: Broil for the last 1–2 minutes for crispy edges. Let cool slightly, then portion into containers.

✅ Batch Tip: You can bake all your salmon at once and refrigerate up to 3 days.

✅ Pairing suggestions: Corn on the cob, roasted squash, purple hull peas, or leafy greens.

shopping list for the 6 batch-cooked dinners, tailored for 2 people using your on-hand frozen vegetables (squash, green beans, purple hull peas) and proteins (ground lamb, chicken, salmon).

Shopping List

🛒 Pantry & Dry Goods

Olive oil or avocado oil Brown rice (about 1½ cups uncooked) Ground flaxseed (optional for fiber boost) Garlic powder Smoked paprika Ground cumin Ground cinnamon Chili powder Salt & black pepper Vinegar (for salad dressing – apple cider or balsamic) Dijon mustard or prepared vinaigrette (optional)

🧄 Produce

Vegetables

1 red onion 2–3 yellow/sweet onions 1 bag baby carrots or 3–4 large carrots 1–2 bell peppers (red or yellow) 1–2 cucumbers 1 pint cherry tomatoes or 2 slicing tomatoes 1–2 zucchini (to mix with your frozen squash) Lettuce or greens (romaine, arugula, or spring mix – enough for 3 salads) 1 avocado Fresh herbs (parsley, mint, or cilantro) 2–3 lemons or limes

Fruit

1 small watermelon or 2 peaches 1 bunch grapes or 2 apples 2 oranges or 1 mango Optional: pineapple chunks (fresh or no-sugar-added canned)

🥩 Proteins (buy if not on hand)

1 lb ground lamb 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast 1 lb salmon fillets

🌽 Fresh & Frozen (check your freezer first)

You already have:

Frozen green beans Frozen yellow squash Frozen purple hull peas Frozen mixed squash Corn on the cob

Just double-check quantity. You’ll need:

2 corn cobs 1½ cups purple hull peas 2–3 cups squash total 2 cups green beans

Optional Add-ons:

Low-fat feta or goat cheese (for salad topping) Whole grain pita or wraps (if you’d like to serve lamb in wraps)

I hope this helps!

Karen