Ready for an Always Hungry? (AH) Program Secret…?
About 90% of my clients HAVE NEVER followed the two week meal plan – and that’s OKAY. Even as a chef, I would find it difficult to “etch out” the time to make the two week meal plan in the book. Although that plan is absolutely DELICIOUS, for most of us, it is simply too challenging to fit into the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The original goal of the menu plan was to show readers how to incorporate all of the recipes in the book into meals, not necessarily to insist that they stick to a set menu or way of doing things.
So – how can you adapt the AH 2-week reset to make your life easier and build a sustainable plan that you can keep up long-term? Let’s take a look….
Steps to Creating a Practical Plan for your “AH Program” Reset
Step 1: Decide how much time you can reasonably spend cooking each day. 10 minutes? 15 minutes? 30 minutes? 60 minutes?
Step 2: Decide how much time you can reasonably spend preparing your meals on the weekend. 30 minutes? One hour? Two hours?
Step 3: Strategize some AH-friendly store bought snacks to have on hand when absolutely needed.
Step 4: Make a list of meals that correspond to your cooking and meal prep time limits (TIP: Add 5-10 minutes to recipe times to account for chopping vegetables and gathering ingredients).
Step 5: Use our Restaurant Grab-and-Go Guide for suggestions on eating out when cooking just isn’t an option.
Phase 1 Easy/Quick Prep Guides…
Here are some suggestions for AH-friendly recipes from our books and blogs that are quick to make or easy to make ahead and quick to reheat.
AH/AD/Blog (Make in Minutes)
- Chicken, Grape, and Walnut Salad (pg. 252 Always Hungry?) **I use primal kitchen mayo in place of the Basic Mayo to save time prepping sauce. I also swap grapes for chopped apple slices.
- Phase 1 Power Shake (pg. 220 Always Hungry?)
- Black Bean Tofu Hash (pg. 222 Always Hungry?) – GREAT to make in larger batches for the week ahead
- Chicken Stir Fry (pg. 230 Always Hungry?) – use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken (breasts, legs and thighs – shredded or sliced) and frozen (and thawed) stir fry vegetable mix
- Salmon Salad (pg. 254 Always Hungry?) – I swap mayo in the Tartar Sauce with primal kitchen mayo
- Cobb Salad (pg. 255 Always Hungry?) – be sure to have boiled eggs, deli meat, and turkey bacon on-hand. If you do not have turkey bacon, you can add some cottage cheese (about ¼ cup per serving) for protein.
- Berry Vanilla Coconut Shake (pg. 83 Always Delicious)
- On the Go Breakfast Parfait (pg. 106 Always Delicious) – use fresh fruit in place of fruit sauce if in a rush
- Mustard Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner >>
- Tahini Egg Salad >>
AH/AD/Blog (Make Ahead)
- Waffles (pg. 223 Always Hungry?) – Make ahead and freeze!
- Herb-Roasted Chicken Thighs (pg. 241 Always Hungry?) – great to serve w vegetables of choice and a dessert of berries or chopped fruit
- Chia Seed Pudding (pg. 108 Always Delicious)
- Easy Dijon Chicken or Salmon (pg. 127 Always Delicious) – pair w vegetables and dip (ie: hummus) or roasted veg. For dessert serve an apple (if serving chicken) for dessert OR apple + 1 tbsp nut butter (if serving salmon)
- Quicker cooking: Cook chicken at 425F for 20 minutes, or until internal temp of 165F has been reached
- Beef, Bison, or Turkey Meatballs (pg. 149 Always Delicious) – great to prep ahead and freeze for a quick protein to use in soups, salads, or as a main protein for dinner
- Spinach Feta Egg “Muffins” >>
- Smoked Salmon Cheddar Egg “Muffins” >>
- Coconut-Infused Turkey Stuffed Peppers >>
Meal Builders
5 Sample Recipes Using the Meal Builder
- Yogurt Parfait: 1 cup 5% Greek yogurt (considered a low fat protein source) + 2 tbsp nut butter + 1 cup fruit
- Chicken Salad: 4-6 ounces (measured raw – about 3-5 ounces cooked) chicken thigh + 1.5 tbsp mayo (primal kitchen mayo if store bought is preferred) + non-starchy veg of choice (I like shredded carrots, chopped salad greens) + ⅓ cup roasted chickpeas OR 1 apple (chopped)
- Tuna Salad: 3-5 ounces canned tuna (canned in oil, drained) + 1.5 tbsp mayo (primal kitchen mayo if store bought is preferred – if using canned tuna in water, add 2 tbsp mayo) + non-starchy veg of choice (I like shredded carrots, chopped salad greens) + ⅓ cup roasted chickpeas OR 1 apple (chopped)
- Scrambled Egg Breakfast: 2 eggs + 2 egg whites + 2 tsp oil (for cooking) + ¼ avocado + ½ c black beans OR side of 1 cup fruit for dessert + non-starchy veg (frozen and thawed or raw and chopped)
- Open Faced Meatball “Sandwich”: 3-5 ounces cooked meatballs + ⅓ c no-sugar marinara sauce + 1 oz cheese + Chickpea Waffle + side salad topped with 1 tbsp dressing of choice
