Below are some helpful resources and meal ideas that don’t break the rules. Also, it is important to know when serving yourself “real food” you don’t need to eat as much as you would of the processed stuff! Get ready to fill up fast.
Click on the category you would like to view:
- “Real Food” Meal Plans
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Snacks and Appetizers
- Salads and Soups
- Dinner
- Basic Recipes (including tortillas and stock)
- Dessert
- Stocking a Real Food Kitchen
- Restaurant Options
- General Resources and Information
- Our Personal Changes in Health
“Real Food” Meal Plans
All plans include breakfast, lunch, and dinner suggestions for a family of four plus corresponding grocery lists with pricing:
- “Real Food” Meal Plans 1 & 2
- “Real Food” Meal Plan 3
- Summer “Real Food” Meal Plan 4
- Fall “Real Food” Meal Plan 5
Breakfast:
- Homemade granola cereal (pictured) with milk and berries
- Scrambled or fried eggs with whole-wheat toast1, butter, jelly2, and fresh fruit
- Whole-wheat banana (or berry) pancakes topped with 100% pure maple syrup
- Plain oatmeal (follow directions on package) topped with a dash of honey, cinnamon and raisins or other dried fruit
- Pecan maple breakfast cookies with a hard boiled egg and a banana
- Whole-wheat crepes with a side of fresh fruit and a maple mocha
- Store-bought plain Shredded Wheat cereal with milk and fruit
- Whole-wheat muffins (pictured above) with a side of plain yogurt mixed with berry sauce and topped with homemade granola cereal
- Egg omelet, bacon from the farmer’s market, whole-wheat popovers with butter and jelly2, and fresh fruit
- Whole-wheat banana bread or whole-wheat cinnamon raisin bread topped with cream cheese and a fruit smoothie or on the side
- PB&J Smoothie (pictured in smoothie pop holders) and whole-wheat biscuit
- Whole-wheat waffles with applesauce
- Fried Matzo Breakfast with a seasonal fruit kabob
- Whole-wheat french toast with a fruit smoothie
- Breakfast Casserole Bites with fresh fruit on the side
Lunch:
- Peanut butter and jelly2 on whole-wheat bread1, sliced fresh fruit, and crackers3
- Whole-wheat tortilla filled with hummus, cheese and optional veggie (spinach, cucumber, carrot, lettuce or tomato), side of fresh fruit and store-bought whole-wheat pretzels4
- Grilled cheese on whole-wheat bread1, applesauce, and popcorn
- Caprese salad with basil pesto or grilled caprese salad sandwich (pictured)
- Whole-wheat macaroni and cheese with frozen peas mixed in and a side of fresh fruit
- Fruit smoothie or PB&J Smoothie (pictured above)
- Whole-wheat tortilla filled with chopped cucumber, tomato, feta cheese and sprinkled with dried dill or leftover grilled veggies and goat cheese
- Whole-wheat cinnamon raisin bread and cream cheese sandwich, strawberries, and a hard boiled egg
- Crackers3 with hummus, grapes, cheese, and celery or carrots
- A big salad topped with nuts, cheese and olive oil/balsamic vinegar for dressing
- Grilled pimento cheese sandwich with whole-wheat pasta salad and fresh fruit on the side
- Diced avocado and brown rice with a little bit of low-sodium soy sauce
- Whole-wheat waffle sandwich with cream cheese, cinnamon and raisins in the middle (pictured) with a side of seasonal fruit
- Whole-wheat tortilla filled with easy slow cooker refried beans, melted Monterrey Jack cheese, and sour cream with a side of avocado
- Leftovers from any of the dinners below!
For portable school, picnic or work lunch ideas check out the posts in the “school lunches” category.
Snacks and Appetizers:
- Whole-wheat banana bread
- Dried fruit (make sure there is no added sugar) and nuts
- Fresh fruit (make them into kabobs for kids)
- Popcorn
- Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Homemade granola bars or store-bought “Lara Bars” with 5 or less ingredients
- Olives, crackers3, and cheese
- Whole-wheat muffins
- Celery topped with peanut butter or cream cheese and raisins (ants on a log)
- Hard boiled egg
- Whole-wheat cinnamon raisin bread
- Plain yogurt mixed with berry sauce
- Pecan maple breakfast cookies
- Crackers3 topped with hummus
- Powerballs
- Whole-wheat zucchini bread or muffins (pictured)
- Whole-wheat pumpkin bread or muffins
- Easy cheesy crackers
- Whole-wheat popovers
- Virgin pina colada smoothie
- Sliced raw veggies with a tzatziki dipping sauce
- Peanut butter banana smoothie
- Zucchini chips
Read more on snacks by clicking on the “snack for kids (and adults!)” category.
Salads and Soups:
- Caprese salad with basil pesto
- Salad with a twist (including glazed nuts)
- Tomato, corn and black bean salad
- Cobb salad with blue cheese dressing
- Lime-cilantro quinoa salad
- White gazpacho (cold soup)
- Tomato bisque (good with grilled cheese on whole wheat bread1)
- Taco salad (pictured)
- Peanut squash soup
- Tortilla soup (good with cheese quesadillas)
- Butternut squash soup with buttered whole-wheat toast on the side
- Easy split pea soup topped with chopped bacon and a side of whole-wheat biscuits
- Homemade chicken noodle soup (pictured)
- Whole-wheat pasta salad
Dinner:
- Farmer’s market stir fry (with veggies and/or seafood or local meat)
- Quiche with a whole-wheat crust (if using meat make sure it is local) and a side of veggies
- Premade store-bought dinner option: sushi with brown rice (no deep fried ingredients or sugar/HFCS)
- Whole-wheat pizza (pictured) with a salad or veggies on the side
- Whole-wheat macaroni and cheese with a side of veggies
- Grilled or sauteed fish with vegetable pancakes, and potato skins
- Breakfast for dinner…pick from one of the egg choices above
- Homemade chicken nuggets with a side of sweet potatoes and apples
- Vegetable and/or local meat (such as chicken, sausage or beef) kabobs over brown rice
- Fajitas with homemade whole-wheat tortillas
- Homemade spaghetti sauce over store-bought whole-wheat pasta
- Collard greens, potatoes, and whole-wheat buttermilk cheese biscuits
- Veggie burgers and kale chips
- BLT with (or without) crabmeat and corn on the cob
- Homemade butternut squash ravioli with roasted asparagus
- Chicken enchiladas made with homemade whole-grain corn tortillas and steamed veggies on the side
- Jambalaya with brown rice
- The best whole chicken in a crock pot with zucchini chips (pictured) and wild rice
- Homemade sushi with brown rice
- Almond encrusted fish with an easy beurre blanc sauce and a side of asparagus and baked potatoes
- Whole-wheat spaghetti and meatballs with a side of roasted broccoli (sprinkled with whole-wheat bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning)
- Vegetable quesadillas on whole-wheat tortillas with a side of easy slow cooker refried beans
- Pork carnitas tacos with tomatillo salsa (pictured) and a side of watermelon
- Whole-wheat pizza pockets with sauteed seasonal vegetables on the side
- Whole-wheat fettucini alfredo topped with sauteed onions, mushrooms and bell peppers
- Simple spaghetti with a salad on the side
For a cookout, backyard BBQ, outdoor party, picnic, or camping trip check out this post: A “Real Food” Cookout.
Basic Recipes:
- Whole-wheat tortillas
- Whole-grain corn tortillas
- Chicken stock in the crock pot
- Chicken stock on the stove top
- Honey whole-wheat sandwich bread (for bread machine)
- Whole-wheat breadcrumbs
- Whole-wheat pasta (use the pasta portion of this ravioli recipe)
- Homemade berry sauce
- Easy cheesy whole-grain crackers
- Basic fruit smoothie
- Whole-wheat biscuits
Dessert:
- Homemade popsicles, ice pops, snow cones and push ups (pictured)
- Powerballs
- Maple pecan ice cream
- Chocolate torte with whipped cream and chocolate sauce
- Banana ice cream
- Homemade peach sorbet
- Whole-wheat crepes filled with fruit and topped with chocolate sauce
- Chocolate mousse (from Deliciously Organic)
Stocking a Real Food Kitchen
- 21 “Real food” essentials for freezer, pantry, & fridge
- Supermarket “real food” cheat sheet
- Where to buy real food
- Our pantry
- Our refrigerator
- Our freezer
Restaurant Options:
Eating out tip: Most restaurants do not offer 100% whole-wheat (a lot of “wheat breads” are made with both whole-wheat and white flours) so it is best to just avoid things like bread, breading/breadcrumbs, crusts, flour tortillas, etc. It is also recommended to ask questions when it comes to sauces because a surprising amount contain sugar. It can be difficult to avoid refined grains and sweeteners when eating out so we usually try to focus on finding restaurants that serve locally grown/raised products. For more tips including specific meals you could order at some chain restaurants check out this post.
- Fish or shellfish
- Potatoes, beans, or brown rice
- Vegetable side dishes or combination plates
- Egg dishes
- Sushi with brown rice
Read more on the specific restaurants where we like to eat in Charlotte.
General Resources and Information
- Understanding Grains (corn, wheat, multi-grain, etc.)
- What (should be) in your sandwich bread?
- How far does your produce travel?
- Buying organic or not
- Sweeteners 101
- “You are what you eat eats too”
- Milk – good or bad?
- High-fructose corn syrup 101
- The deal with corn
- Are you being fooled by the imitation?
- Becoming a “flexitarian” (meat consumption)
- (Not) Cleaning your plate
- Real Food and Children
For more resources check out our list of “real food” mini-pledges.
Posts Detailing our Personal Changes in Health
- Shocking Blood Test Results
- Budget Day 100: Victory!
- Day 56: A Brave Friend and Health Benefits Update
- Day 47: Health Benefits
- A change in diet could be your cure for constipation
1I found “approved” sandwich bread at a bakery chain called Great Harvest. Their honey whole-wheat loaf only has 5 ingredients. You could also make your own with our honey whole-wheat bread recipe.
2For jelly use a whole “fruit spread” variety with no sugar. I found a good brand at Earthfare called Crofter’s.
3Triscuit crackers have less than 5 ingredients.
4There are some 100% whole-wheat pretzels called “Splits” by Unique brand (found at Earthfare and other places).
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Hi Lisa,
A friend introduced me to your website and my daughter and I are excited about starting our 100 Days of real food challenge. I have a few questions and hopefully you can assist me. My daughter is 16 and has been a vegetarian/ boderline Vegan for about 4 years now. She only drinks Almond milk and will not drink regular milk. With that being said she will eat eggs only if it cooked in something ie: cake or cookies or even a frittata. Looking at the many ingredients in almond milk is there and alternative to regular milk that she can drink? She will eat plain yogurt if I make it in a smoothie. Just trying to make sure she gets enough protein. And she will only eat organic untreated mozzarella cheese
Is the almond milk sweetened? I find that the best milk alternatives (with the fewest ingredients) are unsweetened. People tell me they make their own almond milk as well (possible in a vitamix…google it). Also coconut milk is a good option to check out as well. Good luck!!
I drink almond milk and you can get vanilla almond milk- and it was still on the Candida cleanse I was following.
Helpful info. Fortunate me I discovered your site by accident, and I am stunned why this accident didn’t happened in advance! I bookmarked it.
[...] was not easy, but I knew it was the right thing to do if I no longer wanted to compromise the health of my family. My [...]
Fantastic goods from you, man. Recipes & Resources 100 Days of Real Food I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you are just extremely fantastic. I actually like what you’ve acquired here, certainly like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it wise. I can not wait to read much more from you. This is really a wonderful Recipes & Resources 100 Days of Real Food informations.
Lisa,
You’ve been a great help for my family (and my sisters) to start eating healthier. Thank you for all of the recipes and information! We are just starting out and looking for easy, make ahead recipes my kids will eat as their taste buds adjust back to real food.
Can anyone suggest a substitution for the dry milk in the below recipe from Livestrong.com? I don’t think liquid whole milk would work, and I don’t bake enough to know if that ingredient could just be dropped from the recipe.
To prepare the bars, mash two bananas and combine with one cup of dry oatmeal, 2/3 cup of dry milk, 1/4 cup of chunky peanut butter, 4 tsp. of honey, 1 tsp. each of baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon and 2 tsp. of vanilla. Spread on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. This recipe serves four children
Thanks
-Lisa
Wow- thank you so so much for putting all of this into one page! It will be added as one of my favorites. Many thanks for the help & encouragement you give me for taking care of the family God’s blessed me with!
Heya i am for the primary time here. I found this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out much. I’m hoping to provide one thing back and help others like you helped me.
[...] 100 Days of Real Food: Some great ideas, and menu plans. Of course, I will never be able to stick to a menu plan, but I have such lofty ambitions…. [...]
Hi – love your blog. I have to say, we’ve been eating this way for about 6 months now (before I stumbled upon your page) I am happy to see others are doing this. Now I have some new meal ideas. Keep up the good work. You’ll never go back to non-clean eating again!
[...] You will find healthy “real food” recipes, strategies for cooking them, and meal plans for incorporating [...]
[...] site offers four meal plans along with grocery lists and recipes. A couple are seasonal plans and all have kid-friendly [...]
I love it!! This looks awesome and I will definitely be trying a lot of these ideas. As of right now, My boyfriend and I are on a 10 day juice fast. We are only drinking smoothies like naked juice that have no artificial ingredients or preservatives, and eating only dinner, and only produce at that. We made some home made guacamole and ate it on bell peppers as “chips”.. we are both feeling so much better/healthier and can’t wait to switch over to only foods that are healthy for us after our fast is over!! So, I’m lovin’ your blog!
yes, a few times a week
Where is the link to buy it?