21 Day Fix Week 1 Meal Plan

A major part of the 21 Day Fix is clean eating.  Included with the program is an eating plan book that breaks down what is and isn't allowed during the 21 days.  It tells you how many of each container you can have and also what foods go in which container.  I really like how the eating plan breaks down acceptable foods and then lists the  best foods at the top and the less healthy but still good for you foods at the bottom.  Each color container has numerous options, so even someone picky like me can still find enough options and have variety.

In order to succeed in clean eating, I really think you need to create a meal plan for the week.  Sure, creating a meal plan takes time; it probably took me a good hour to create my fist week's plan.  But, by creating a meal plan for the week you know you'll get in the appropriate containers each day.  After spending time up front, the rest of the week should go much smoother.   Below is my week one meal plan.

I created my meal plan in a spreadsheet so that I could modify it in the future if needed or wanted.  It would be just as simple, and maybe less time consuming if you just wrote it on paper and used colored markers or highlighters to indicate the container color.

I plan on really trying to stick to my meal plan, but I completely realize that things come up and plans change. My husband is a farmer and if the weather is nice he wants to be outside.  I might end up with dinner later than I was planning or I could need to eat on the go.  At least I will know that I need to fit in certain containers for the meal and can adjust accordingly.  A lot of people like to use tally sheets or some sort of mobile tally app to keep a running total of which containers they have used for the day.  I can totally see how that can make things easier to keep of if you are on the go and away from home for much of the day.  Below is a sample tally sheet which is presented in the 21 Day Fix eating plan book.

I don't expect to be perfect in the meal plan, nor do I claim to be a nutritionist or fitness expert with all the answers.  I'm still learning just like most of you.  But, I do think that creating a meal plan is setting me up for success!  As the weeks go by, understanding correct portion sizes and how different foods are classified will become so much easier I'm sure.  Being healthy isn't always easy but it's worth the effort.

I encourage you to really examine your diet.  Are you eating clean or is your diet filled with convenience foods that are high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories?  Don't get me wrong, I love my sweets and totally expect to have cravings for food that I am not allowed to have.  I love pop but it's not allowed and has so much sugar, so I'm going to give it up.  Do you need support or motivation to make a change?  Leave me a comment or email me, I would love to help you make a positive change too!