How to Eat Healthily + My Free 31-Day Healthy Meal Calendar

Eating Well

Apr 13

Written By Ashlee

My friend, I have a present for you. And I think you’re going to love it.

This gift is the product of hours of scouring the internet, flipping through several cookbooks, reading over hundreds of ingredients, brushing up, and fact-checking nutritional info, but it is finally done and I can’t wait to get it into your hands!

Are you ready for it?? I’ve made you a FREE 31-day calendar of healthy meals, snacks, and sides. This is NOT your average meal calendar, by any means. This calendar includes breakfast, lunch, dinner (with two sides), and 2 snacks for each. and. every. day. And with the exception of some of the dinner sides, there are NO REPEATS. None.

Additionally, the calendar is linked to recipes! I take out all the guesswork for you!

Now if you’re jumping out of your seat and just want to snag the meal calendar now, head over here! But I would encourage you to scroll to hear the rest of what I’ve gotta say because it’s going to help you 1) navigate the meal calendar and use it most effectively, and 2) help you understand the principles behind it. The goal here is to teach you “how to fish” when it comes to choosing “healthy” foods.

How to use the meal calendar

As I mentioned, I gave you 31 days of different ideas and recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner (with two sides), and 2 snacks/per day. That adds up to 31 different breakfasts, 31 different lunches, 31 different dinners, 62 sides, and 62 different snacks.

Now, in real life, I typically eat the same breakfast every day, eat leftovers for lunch if I have them (or something really simple if not), and then plan 4-5 different dinners for the week (see my whole meal planning process here). Because I enjoy variety, I typically do plan a different dinner for each night.

What I want to emphasize, is that by giving you this calendar of 31 days of incredible variety, I am NOT suggesting you need to eat and prepare something different for each meal of the day for a month. In fact, that isn’t very efficient - although if that’s what you want to do, by all means, go for it! Instead, I am giving you tons of recipes and ideas of healthy foods to try and enjoy so that you’ll never again be at a loss for what you could eat that would benefit your body nutritionally.

Honestly, I think the hardest part of healthy eating is knowing what to actually eat so I did my best to help remove that barrier for you.

So to reiterate, do not feel any push to follow this meal calendar exactly, rather, use it as a robust catalog of ideas to help you meal plan, grocery shop, and prepare meals.

How I created the meal calendar

When it came to creating this meal calendar, I had some strict criteria in order to make this as beneficial to you as possible!

Here is how I created the calendar, and what you can expect to get out of it:

The food and the particular recipe I chose had to look GOOD to me. Like, it had to be something I would actually feed my family. Meaning you will NOT find cauliflower waffles included because I have no desire to eat that. I have not yet tried all the recipes, so I went through each of the ingredients, mode of preparation, etc. for each and every recipe to ensure it looked appealing and like something my family would enjoy.
Each meal and snack includes a fruit or vegetable in order to give you 5 fruits or veggies each day. Feel free to switch out any fruits or veggies you want. Eat the rainbow.
I followed general principles of nutrition as guided by the Precision Nutrition philosophy, (which is where I received my nutrition coaching education), Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health, and other reputable .
Recipes and snacks are well-balanced. Meals typically include a source of lean protein, a healthy fat, a complex carbohydrate, and lots of fruits and veggies. Snacks typically include at least 2-3 of those elements.
You will find lots of variety in types of food, meats, modes of preparation, and types of food (Mexican, Indian, Italian, etc.)
I included recipes with very little (if any) added processed sugars or canola oil. However, I am not a barbarian. You will find some recipes using honey, dates, 100% maple syrup, etc.
Each meal or snack has high-quality ingredients. You will find lots of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, lean sources of protein, complex carbs, and tons of fruits and veggies.
Whole foods are the emphasis, but this does not follow a particular diet. In general, unless prescribed by a doctor, or avoiding food due to an allergy/food sensitivity, I am not a fan of restrictive diets and the meal calendar reflects that.

7 things to keep in mind when choosing foods and recipes

So now that you’ve got your handy dandy meal calendar, let’s talk about some general principles for healthy eating so that you can continue to broaden your horizons when it comes to choosing healthy and tasty foods!

The word “healthy” can be so confusing. There are thousands of different diets and plenty of contradictions in the fitness world. I’m here to help cut through the noise and help you figure out what kinds of foods will bless your body with nutrients but also be tasty and edible in real life.

Eat lots of plants
Eating a combination of at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day has been shown to have incredible health benefits. According to Harvard Health, “1/2 cup of chopped raw vegetables or fruit makes one serving. Leafy greens take up more space, so 1 cup chopped counts as a serving. 1/2 cup of dried fruit equals one serving.”₁ Especially when it comes to vegetables, the more, the merrier. Fruits and vegetables are packed with little pals called phytonutrients. Phytonutrients can protect against a myriad of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and respiratory diseases to name just a few.₁
You can eat your produce fresh, frozen, canned, in a smoothie, steamed, cooked, boiled, grilled, or pretty much however you like! A caveat here, I would generally recommend avoiding fruits with added sugar or stored in any kind of fructose syrup (like some canned fruit, apple sauce with added sugar, dried fruit with added sugar), fruit juice, or fries (obvi) unless you deliberately want to eat those things as a treat.
In general, veggies take priority over fruit but you know what? We just want you to get eating plants. So do what you gotta do.
Choose whole grains over refined ones whenever you can
The concept of whole grains can be so confusing because the world has been hating on carbs for quite some time now. While refined grains can definitely create issues, there is so much data backing up the benefits of whole grains. Whole grains include (but are not limited to) quinoa, barley, cracked wheat (aka bulgur), farro, millet, brown rice, wild rice, popcorn, (yep you heard that right), old-fashioned oats, steel-cut oats, and wheat berries.
It gets confusing when we land on bread and pasta. There are 100% whole wheat options that are generally nutritionally superior to bread and pasta made with white flour (although white flour is enriched with vitamins and minerals in many first-world countries which is good).
However, true whole grains (like the ones I mentioned above) are generally superior to foods made up of whole wheat flour. In general, if you’re getting ALL your whole grains from whole wheat bread, you may not be really helping your body in the way you probably mean to. Just be sure to get other, less refined sources of whole grains in your diet too.
Now this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy white bread, pasta, or white rice, you’ll even find some sides that include them in my meal calendar because they pair so nicely and are a tasty addition to a wholesome meal. Just strive to be moderate.
Additionally, we also often see cereals, crackers, and even doughnuts boasting that they are made from 100% whole wheat. Friend, even if this is true, the doughnut is still a doughnut, albeit sprinkled with some wheat flour.
And I love doughnuts, and if you need one, go for it! The bottom line is that I don’t want you to get sucked into a marketing ploy thinking that a doughnut is blessing your body with high-quality nutrients, because it’s not. Though it could be blessing your mouth and soul with deliciousness, and sometimes you need that too, I get it!
Lean protein
Ideally, you will want to include at least 1 serving of lean protein with every meal. Protein is magic. It helps repair broken-down cells, builds muscle, helps you feel satiated after a meal, can manage body fat, helps to optimize body composition, and more.₄
So how much do you need? At a minimum the recommendation is “…0.36g of protein per pound of body mass in untrained, generally healthy adults…nevertheless consuming higher levels of protein (upwards of 1g per pound of body weight) may help you feel satisfied after eating as well as maintain a healthy body composition and good immune function”₄
Lean sources of protein include fish, shellfish, eggs/eggwhites, cultured cottage cheese, plain Greek yogurt, tempeh, edamame, split beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, poultry, and see below section titled “choosing your meat” for red meat options.
Protein powder can be good in moderation (I typically have some each morning in my breakfast smoothie) but generally, I would not recommend relying on protein bars. They are generally quite processed and in some cases have lots of added sugar.
Choosing your meat
Typically, the “healthiest” types of meat are fish and poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, pretty much any bird), but red meat does actually have health benefits! That being said, it is most beneficial for your heart when eaten moderately, about 18 oz a week (that’s about the equivalent of 4 servings the size of the palm of your hand, or less).₂
Also, not all red meats are created equal. The best kinds for your body are minimally processed and lean. Lean beef, bison, wild game, even pork if you can believe it. But just because we say pork, that doesn’t mean I’m talking about bacon or hot dogs! Rather pork loin is a good option. Additionally, the leanest cuts of beef are the eye of round roast and steak, sirloin tip side steak, top round roast and steak, bottom round roast and steak, and top sirloin steak.₃ Also, choose wild or grass-fed/pasture-raised sources of meat whenever possible.
That doesn’t mean you can’t ever eat your favorite cuts of red meat, just be intentional about it.
The grill
I think grilling is the MOST delicious way to eat food - you name it, meats, bread, fruits, veggies, yum! With that being said, you need to keep some things in mind. Keep the charred pieces of meat to a minimum (don’t overcook and cut off the blackened bits) to prevent carcinogens from getting into your food. Also, avoid cooking temperatures that are higher than 450 degrees Fahrenheit.₅
When choosing meat, try to keep it lean whenever possible. Also, adding herbs and spices can decrease the ability of carcinogens to form. For more healthy grilling info, check out this massively helpful infographic.
Also, I can not say this enough, do yourself a massive favor and get a meat thermometer! They are not expensive, and they will make your cooking SO MUCH better. I used to avoid chicken breast completely because I could not stop drying it out and yal, now my chicken breast is delicious, all thanks to my meat thermometer. This is the one I have and it’s worked great!

6. Fats

Keep in mind, eating fat doesn’t make you fat. Excess calories are what can cause weight gain, not the macronutrient fat itself. Aim to get at least one serving of healthy fat with each meal.

Like protein, fat can also help you get and maintain healthy body composition and satiate you so you stay full longer. It also helps with important body functions like cell signaling, brain, and immune function, to name a few.

Most often, you want to choose fats that are monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Fats in this category include, but are not limited to, hemp seeds, nuts and natural nut butter, pumpkin seeds, pepitas, sunflower seeds, sunflower butter, flax seeds, chia seeds, avocado, avocado oil, egg yolks, cheeses aged older than 6 months, olives, fresh coconut. Obviously, there are lots of other delicious fats like milk, dark chocolate, cheeses aged less than 6 months, and dietary fat from meat, that also have health benefits, but you will want to be more moderate with those.₆

7. Moderation

Food is so much more than fuel. It is culture, art, history, and a critical piece of what it means to be human. So while it is so important to bless our bodies with wholesome nutrients, it is also meant to be enjoyed.

For this reason, I love the 80/20 rule. Aim to eat whole foods at least 80% of the time. And as long as you don’t have a doctor or health condition telling you otherwise, eat what you enjoy the other 20% of the time. Guilt-free.