Where's My Six Pack

What I eat:
Many people have a really hard time planning and preparing their meals. This was very confusing to me at first because I wasn't used to doing it. I was used to not eating breakfast, starving, going to lunch and pigging out, getting tired, going home starving, pigging out and getting tired again. I just ate what was ever available. I didn't think of it as carbs, proteins or fat, I just saw it as something to stop my hunger. I never thought about what it really was or how it effected my body.
Now I see it as fuel. Fuel for the day, fuel for my workouts, and fuel that burns fat when I'm not working out. Google thermogenic effect of food. I was kinda lost when I first started. I now look at food in a totally different way after stumbling through it. I did what I preach. I first changed, then tried again. I then changed something then tried some more. I still change my nutrition because there is always more to learn about food and your body. I'm posting this as a guide. The intent is that you will see how I combined foods and begin to combine your own or make new ones. It's main purpose is to open your eyes to combinations and groupings. These are not recipes and are very basic meals. Spice them up as you go along, but understand the basics.
Also check out my post in the nutrition section on preparing meals for work here: Nutrition: Preparing For Work
I'm going to break this down into some basic steps to get your started.

** Disclaimer: I am probably on a much higher calorie nutrition program than most of you so if the portions see to be too much you need to just use less. So if it says 1 Cup, you need to try 1/2 or 1/4 a cup. Oh, I'm not a nutritionist either. I'm just a guy that is on a journey, read a good bit on nutrition, experimented with myself and learned as I go. These foods represent my basic "GO TO MEALS" as it were. I use some recipes but this is the foundation of my nutrition. From here I spice it up.

• How do I break down my meals?
  
  
  
  
  

  • The guide suggests 3 main meals and 2 snacks.
    
    
    • Snacks: I suggest you use the snacks as protein bars/protein powders or fruit. A combination of the two is also good if you are on a higher calorie nutrition program.
    • Meals: The main meals should make up the bulk of you calories. These should consist of a lean protein(fish, chicken, turkey), carbohydrate(veggies), and a fat (almonds, peanut butter,etc)
      
      
      • I make my breakfast the largest meal of the day and dinner the smallest.
      • I also eat more carbohydrates in the morning and less throughout the day. I don't cut them out, I just reduce them by a few 100 calories. If you workout at night you may want to experiment with this. You will need the carbohydrates to fuel your nightly workouts.
      • I also eat more protein toward the end of the day. I do this replace the carb calories I lose in the evening. Protein makes the body work harder to break it down so in the evening it makes the body burn more calories to process it. Good stuff.

  
  
• What Can I eat?
  
  
  
  
  

  • Nutrition Guide: If it's in the nutrition guide you can eat it. There is so much food in the guide you should be able to pick a ton of food from that.
  • My Food List: There are some name brand stuff in the list as well as stuff you will see from the nutrition guide.
  • Good Carbohydrates: I added some good carbohydrates to choose from here. You need carbohydrates to drive your workouts. Try and eat a starchy carbohydrate with a fibrous carbohydrate when you eat. Check it out.

  
  
• How do I combine them for meals?
  
  
  • Breakfast:
    Do not think of cereal type things as the only thing I can eat for breakfast. Some people may argue with me but I eat any clean food for breakfast a lot of the time. If I only have chicken breasts, I'll eat that for breakfast. Your body will eat it and digest it and use it as fuel and nutrition. I see a lot of times where this is the smallest meal of the day. It really should be the largest. It is the one that is getting you ready for an entire day of activity. It's like filling up with 1/2 gallon and then trying to drive 1000 miles. Get the fuel! Get some good carbs in there. Your going to need them. Oh, drink a glass of water first thing.
    
    
    • Combinations:
    • 1 Cup Kashi, 1 Cup non-fat milk, 1/4 cup (blue berries, strawberries, raspberries, black berries), 1 Serving Whey Protein Powder
    • 3 egg whites, 2 eggs, wheat toast, 1 Cup carrots
    • 1/2 Cup Kashi Golean, 1/2 Cup Kashi Blueberry, 1 Cup non-fat milk, 1/4 cup (fruit), 1 Serving Protein Powder
    • 1 Serving Shakeology, 1 Banana, 1/2 Cups Oat, 1 tbs raw peanut butter
    • 4oz Top Sirloin, 4 egg whites, 1 wheat toast
    • 1 Kashi Golean instant cereal, 1 Cup melon(water melon, cantaloupe,etc), 1 cup non-fat milk
    • 2 Cups non-fat milk, 1 Serving Shakeology or 1 Serving Whey Protein Powder, 1 Cup Veggie(Carrots, Broccoli,etc), 1 tbs raw Peanut Butter
    • 1/2 Cup Oats, 1/4 Blue Berries, 2 Cups non-fat milk
  
  
  
  • Morning Snacks:
    
    
    • Protein Bar, Orange
    • Banana, 1/2 Cup oats
    • 1 Cup Carrots, 1 tbs raw peanut butter
    • 1 Serving Almonds, Protein Bar
    • 1/2 cup oats, blueberries, 1 Cup non-fat milk
    • Shakeology, Banana
    • 1 Serving Whey Protein, Orange
  
  
  
  • Lunch:
    
    
    • 6oz Chicken Breast, 1 Cup Celery, 6oz Sweet Potatoes, 1 tbs raw peanut butter
    • 4oz Lean Ground Beef(93/7), 1 Cup Carrots, 1 Cup Field Peas
    • 6oz Turkey Burger, 1 Cup Broccoli, 1/4 Cup Oats, 1/4 blue Berries, 1 tbs raw peanut butter
    • 6oz Chicken Breast, 1 Cup Cauliflower, 32g Whole Wheat Crackers, 1 Serving Almonds
    • 6oz Turkey Breast, 1 Cup Asparagus, 1/2 Cup Brown Rice, 1 Serving Almonds
    • 4oz Turkey Burger on wheat bun, 1 tbs Horseradish Mayo or Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, 1 Cup Asparagus, 1 Serving Cashews
  
  
  
  • Evening Snacks:
    
    
    • Shake: 1 Serving Whey Protein, Orange, 1/4 Cup Oats, 1 Cup non-fat milk, 1 tbs Peanut Butter
    • Shake: 1 Serving Shakeology, 1/2 Cup Strawberries, 1/4 Cup Oats, 1 Cup non-fat milk. 1 serving almonds on the side
    • Shake: 1 Serving Shakeology, 1/2 Serving Whey Protein Powder, 1/2 Cup Oats, 1 tbs peanut butter, water
    • OR Morning Snake Combo
  
  
  
  • Dinner:
    
    
    • 6oz Fish, 1 Cup Green Beans, 1 tbs peanut butter
    • 4oz Lean Ground Beef(93/7), 1 Cup Asparagus, 1 Serving Cashews
    • 6oz Chicken Breast, 1 Cup Spinach, 1/2 Cup Lima beans, 1 serving almonds
    • 6oz Ground Turkey, 1 Cup Black eyed Peas, 1 Cup Cauliflower
    • 4oz Chicken Breast on wheat bun, Horseradish Mayo Spread, Onion, Lettuce, Tomato, 1 Cup Carrots

Recipe Lists from Thread Members:

• From Tracey(AKA Talligirl22)
  
  
  • Power Pita Pizza - from Power 90 Nutrition Guide
    
    Ingredients:
    Pita Pocket – whole wheat
    Marinara Sauce – low sugar
    2 oz. Grilled Chicken breast – sliced or chopped
    Shredded mozzarella – (I use the 2%)
    Veggies, veggies, veggies – onions, peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, banana peppers, really anything you want
    
    Directions:
    1. Preheat oven to 350
    2. Split whole wheat pita in half, spray inside lightly with olive oil Pam
    3. Toast the open faced pita very lightly – about 3 minutes.
    4. Remove pita and top with the Marina Sauce (about 2T. per pita side)
    5. Top with 1 oz. of chicken for each pita side.
    6. Top with shredded mozzarella.
    7. Bake in oven for 10 minutes.
    8. Enjoy
    
    I have also made variations:
    BBQ Chicken Pita Pizza
    - Replace the Marinara with your choice of BBQ sauce (a little goes a long way in flavor). And after placing the chicken and before adding the cheese, drizzle an additional teaspoon or so of bbq sauce per pita.
    
    Turkey Pepperoni Pita Pizza
    - Just replace the grilled chicken with Turkey Pepperoni
    
    I have also tried this with flat bread, sandwich thins and tortillas. I think the pitas work the best