This winter seems like it is never going to end in Chicago. I know it’s technically spring, but Chicago definitely missed the memo. TG, we fly off to warm and sunny Florida on Thursday!! Pre-baby, I would have been on an intense workout regime a couple weeks before any trip to the beach. But with a last minute trip to Atlanta for a funeral and BB getting her first ear infection :(, working out has been pretty low on the priority list. So eating clean has been our saving grace for feeling good.
Before I was pregnant with BB, people always said “it will change your body forever.” First, I never really understood why someone would feel the need to share that little tidbit. Do they want to scare everyone off from having kids?! Second, that has not really been my experience. Sure, there are those months after baby when things definitely do not feel back to normal. But for the most part I feel 100% myself again, with ONE exception.
Before I had BB, I never real had a problem with feeling bloated. If I did get bloated, it was rare and never really bad enough to make me feel uncomfortable in my clothes. But since BB, I notice that my stomach can get bloated WAY easier. Maybe because it stretches out easier now haha, I don’t know. Certain foods make me feel bloated, flying makes me feel bloated, getting my period makes me feel bloated, being constipated makes me feel bloated…I guess I am sharing all the glamorous details today ;). Being on the beach in a swimsuit is definitely not the time for tummy bloat, so this week is all about getting that flat tummy for the beach.
So this week’s meal plan is based entirely off of eating foods that are good for your stomach and avoiding foods that cause bloating. I started by making a list of good foods and bad foods then made my meal plan with all good foods! So here is a list of foods that are good for your stomach, foods that are bad and cause bloating and our meal plan for the week!
GOOD
yogurt
any other yogurt haters out there?! I feel for you…yogurt is SO good for us, but it tastes like cheese to me (I also hate cheese, gasp, go ahead and judge me) but during times like this I choke it down anyway I can. Adding it to my smoothie is a good way to disguise the taste. I also can choke down Greek yogurt when it is mixed into a tzatziki sauce!
cucumbers
fish
berries
veggies
almonds
avocado
spinach
apples
garlic
dark chocolate
grapefruit
oatmeal
sweet potato
pineapple
beets
melon
ginger
WATER!
BAD
anything high in sodium: soy sauce, bacon, deli meat, french fries, pizza, popcorn
anything processed: think things that come prepackaged in a box or bag at the grocery store
coffee: I am sorry and sad to say, coffee is a major culprit for belly bloat, so I am limiting myself to one small cup a day
la croix: insert sad face…carbonation causes bloating
NO BLOAT MEAL PLAN
Flat tummy water: I am starting every morning with water + fresh grated ginger + lemon + cucumber
BREAKFAST OPTIONS
Smoothie: yogurt, frozen berries, flax seed (reallllly good for your tummy) and spinach – usually I put kale in my smoothies because I am not crazy about the texture of spinach, but raw kale can be hard on your stomach and cause bloat, so I am subbing for spinach this week
Oatmeal (no sugar) + berries
LUNCH OPTIONS
Cucumber salad: cucumber + cherry tomatoes + red onion
Roasted veggie salad (cauliflower, carrots, turnips + avocado and vinaigrette)
DINNER OPTIONS
Chopped salad: avocado, cucumber (typically I like bacon for a little crunch in my chopped salad, but subbing for cucumber which is waaaay better for you), hard boiled egg (can add chicken but I am skipping it this week)
Salmon + root veggies + chimichurri sauce (cilantro, parsley, olive oil, lemon, red pepper flakes, salt)
Ground turkey meatballs + tzatziki full recipe -> HERE
SNACKS
Orange + nuts
Melon + pineapple
GROCERY LIST
orange
cantaloupe
pineapple
spinach
avocado
lettuce (mixing escarole and frisee this week)
cilantro
parsley
lemon
garlic
cucumber
carrots
turnips
cauliflower
berries
onion
tomato
eggs
ground turkey
salmon
greek yogurt
ALREADY HAVE
oatmeal
frozen berries
flax seed
