Meal Prep Essentials

We are one week into the TIU Summer Series (it is not too late to join, if you are interested check out the details here) which was formerly called the TIU Bikini Series. I have done a good job with regard to working out but need to make some improvements, going into week two, with regard to my nutrition. My goals for this week are NO fried foods and a LOT more water. I tend to stick to the nutrition plan for meals one through four but struggle with meal five (dinner).

I wanted to list some TIU essentials for a success meal prep:

1. Maple Syrup (This goes into a lot of the muffin and donut recipes. The muffins, donuts, pancakes and waffles from the Tone It Up nutrition plan are truly the reasons why I have been successful on this meal plan.)
2. Coconut Oil (for baking and cooking)
3. Almond Flour
4. Apple Cider Vinegar (For the shots in the morning to kickstart your metabolism!) 
5. Nuts (Almond, cashew, and macadamia nut are three of my favorites.)
6. Lemons and Limes
7. Tone It Up protein and bars (They are currently having a sale for 20% off!)
8. Quinoa and/or Cauliflower Rice
9. Greek or Coconut Yogurt
10. Oats
11. Veggies (I have found that asparagus should not be made ahead as they just don't taste as good but broccoli, sweet potato, and brussels sprouts keep well. It is also nice to have frozen peas and carrots as they are quick and easy to make and add to various meals.)
12. Chia Seeds
13. Almond and Coconut Milk
14. Leafy Greens (I like kale for the texture and arugula for the peppery taste.)
15. Protein (I am pescatarian so it is tuna, sprouted tofu, or tempeh for me.)
16. Seasoning and Herbs (Cinnamon, Himalayan salt, garlic, turmeric, and rosemary to name a few.)
17. Olive Oil (Gotta massage that kale!)
18. Seeds (I add sunflower seeds to all of my salads for crunch!)
19. Beans (Garbanzo, kidney, and black beans are staples in my pantry.)
20. Rose (All day!)

ESPRESSO MUFFINS

(Inspired by the Tone It Up Snickerdoodle Muffin Recipe, pictured above)

3/4 cup Almond Meal

3/4 cup Tone It Up Cafe Latte Protein Powder

2 tsp. Espresso Powder

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 Egg

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup Date Paste soaked in water

3/4 cup Almond Milk

1 Banana (mashed)

Mix all ingredients together, scoop into muffin cups (I also use muffin cups so I don't have to worry about the batter sticking to the muffin baking tray) and bake for 22 minutes at 350 degrees. 

~meg