I love having a Breakfast, Lunch and Snack Rotation to follow! I believe that it makes life easier in lots of ways! To demonstrate just how easy it is, I have created a series of posts showing my Rotation in action… here’s the plan for Friday!
Yay… We Made It To Friday!
I love Friday because I know the weekend is coming and I will have a break from making breakfast, lunch and snacks for everybody!! I’m happy to do it, but everyone needs a break from their “routine” once in a while!
Even though I stick to my rotation 5 days a week, the other 2 days I like having some freedom to eat whatever I’m in the mood for (dependent on what’s still available in the fridge, etc.)! Sometimes we’re out and about, so we eat out. Other times we’re busy doing chores around the house, so we may just grab a protein bar or smoothie. These meals aren’t really at a set time… we just go with the flow on the weekend! It’s a nice change of pace from the busy school/work week.
Once that short break is over, and after I may have even splurged a little, I get back on track with my rotation on Monday. I buy what I need at the grocery store and start it all over again! It’s so easy… I don’t even have to think about it because I have a plan! This rotation really makes life easier!
I hope you have found inspiration, during this series of 6 posts, to follow a system that can work for you! Maybe even try this specific plan out for a week. If you like it… stick with it! To make it even easier, you can find the shopping list for all of the meals in this rotation, under “Master Grocery List” at the top of the blog!
Now, let’s take a look at Friday’s rotation…
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs + Toast Crackers + Kiwi
Friday’s breakfast is basically a repeat of Monday’s breakfast. I love eggs and they are a perfect source of protein to start the day off with! I like to eat eggs 3 days a week… Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and I’ll usually have eggs one day over the weekend too.
Even if your morning is busy, you can still make eggs. They cook up quick! I don’t do anything fancy… just scramble them up in a pan with a little coconut or avocado oil and then top with a little black pepper. With my eggs I always like to include some whole grains and fruit.
Kiwi is a favorite and I always have some in the fridge because I buy a bunch at Costco. However, any fruit will do! Today I combined a couple of sliced strawberries with kiwi… yum! Occasionally, I will slice up some fruit ahead of time and store it in a container in the fridge so it is ready to go in the a.m.
To add some whole grains and filling fiber, I usually enjoy my eggs with a slice of toast. But, toast doesn’t have to be just bread! How about toast crackers, or crispbreads as they’re often called! I love crackers, almost more than bread… I said almost! I love the crunch from biting into a cracker, the variety, and the options for toppings. Not all crackers are ideal for a spot on the breakfast menu though! Be sure to read the label and look for clean ingredients and at least 2-3 grams of fiber per serving. Here are a few of my favorites…
I like to stick with large crackers which I can add a topping to. For todays breakfast I used whole grain Melba toasts (a serving is 3) topped with whipped cream cheese. For variety (and depending on the type of cracker), I also top crackers with jam, peanut butter, almond butter, spreadable goat cheese, or a thin slice of Swiss or Cheddar cheese. It’s a nice change of pace from carb-heavy bread plus it gives me a chance to enjoy crackers!
Lunch: Salad Greens with Fresh or Dried Fruit, Celery, Goat Cheese, Sunflower Seeds and Deli Meat + Salad Dressing + Crackers + Dark Chocolate
Most likely I have leftover greens, from earlier meals, to create this quick salad. Today it’s a mixture of spinach and romaine, but whatever is in the fridge is what I use! I like to use it all up so I can buy fresh greens at the start of the next week!
Next, I’ll chop up a celery stick. I seem to always have celery in the fridge. I use it several times throughout the week… in Tuna Waldorf Salad, Celery and Peanut Butter and sometimes with a dinner meal. It’s a low calorie, crunchy vegetable that I find easy to digest (compared to other raw veggies that can cause bloating).
Any fruit, fresh or dried, works great. It’s blueberries today, but I’ve also used other berries, orange slices, dried cranberries, dried cherries, and raisins, to name a few. I find that fruit pairs really well with goat cheese. A sprinkling of sunflower seeds adds some protein, Vitamin E and Selenium.
For a simple salad, I have a simple dressing… 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar (or any division that suits your taste)! I combined some extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Instead of making a lot and storing it in the fridge, I just make it as I need it. I like to use EasyLunchbox Mini Dippers (affiliate link) for to-go dressing. They are dishwasher safe which makes for easy clean-up.
On the side I added some crackers. I’ve already established how I love crackers! They are a great substitute for bread or rolls. It’s a mental trick because I feel like I’m getting more since a serving of most crackers can be up to 10 or 12. If you find yourself at Trader Joe’s, pick up a bag of their Cornbread Crisps. They are awesome! Probably not the healthiest, but hey… I’m eating salad, so it balances out!
Lunchtime is a great time to enjoy a quality serving of dark chocolate. If you buy a chocolate bar, just make sure you don’t eat the whole thing at once! Portion it out to make it last the week! A little goes a long way, especially when you splurge on the “good stuff”, which can be a little pricey. I love these Hail Merry Chocolate Almond Tarts. I’ve recently discovered them and they are super indulgent and satisfying… one is enough! They must be kept refrigerated, otherwise the coconut oil will start to melt. Look for them in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
Add a couple slices of low-sodium deli turkey (or ham) for some more protein and pack it up for lunch to-go! (I can’t live without these EasyLunchboxes – affiliate link)! They make packing lunches for adults and kids… easy!
Snack: Yogurt
Yogurt is an easy snack to have on hand. You can buy an individual serving or a larger container to disperse. But navigating the yogurt aisle at the grocery store can be very overwhelming! I plan to do a whole post just on yogurt in the near future! For now though, I’ll share my best tip… buy plain yogurt!! Most of the time I buy plain yogurt and add my own flavor with fresh fruit, jam or other mix-ins. I do like to have some flavored yogurts on hand as well… you just have to watch the sugar content! Some individual servings can have over 20 grams of sugar and that’s just too much.
My simple trick is to buy a container of plain yogurt and add a heaping teaspoon of quality preserves. This organic fruit spread from Santa Cruz has only 10 grams of sugar in one tablespoon. So a teaspoon is only about 4 grams of sugar! Mixed with the yogurt, it provides plenty of sweetness! Experiment with different flavors of jam!
I also like to sprinkle on some Hemp Seeds (affiliate link) for added protein and omega 3’s! Yum!
Need a snack to-go? Transfer the yogurt and toppings to a small container and you’ll have a yummy snack to look forward to later on! Makes a great on-the-go breakfast too!
So there you have it… Friday’s breakfast, lunch and snack rotation! Modify or change any meal to suit your needs and tastes! Need another snack? A protein or snack bar would be great. Check out my list of 15 Healthy Snacks for more ideas!
You can always reference and print the complete Breakfast, Lunch and Snack Rotation at the top of the blog under “Meal Rotations”.
Check out other posts in this series:
- Breakfast, Lunch and Snack Rotation (an introduction)
- Breakfast, Lunch and Snack Rotation for Monday
- Breakfast, Lunch and Snack Rotation for Tuesday
- Breakfast, Lunch and Snack Rotation for Wednesday
- Breakfast, Lunch and Snack Rotation for Thursday
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