I love having friends that are also working at living healthy, active lives while encouraging each other along the way.
One of my friends recently sent out a challenge to several us that I though would be fun to pass on to you.
Her mother was a nutritionist and had used this in her practice.
The challenge is to eat over 35 different plant based items in a week.
At first it sounded like an overwhelming task, but after I started, I realized how I was actually able to accomplish this with what I was already eating and enjoying.
What are your first thoughts? Want to take the challenge too?
Here is how my week turned out.
Maybe it will help you see how much progress you already make on a daily and weekly basis or it may give you ideas for how to add in more.
Coffee
The coffee bean is part of each day for me.
Coffee is such a treat for me, and I even drink it decaf and black, but I love the taste, the smell, the warmth.
In the afternoon and in summer I also enjoy iced coffee.
Oats
In a bowl of oats, with overnight oats, or baked oatmeal you can add in blueberries, chia seed, almonds.. that adds up to four in just one meal. Oats only count once for the week, but you can still enjoy them more days just with different additions. You can change it up depending on what you like. I also love to add cherries, walnuts, flaxseeds.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is known for its numerous health benefits, including aiding digestion, supporting weight loss, and helping to regulate blood sugar levels.
My favorite way to add in ACV is with Goli gummies.
Some quick, easy snacks
- A mix with nuts (cashews, pecans…), seeds (sunflower, pumpkin…), dried coconut, dates
- Veggies to crunch on like carrots, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, peppers with dips like hummus or spinach/ artichoke
- Apple slices with peanut butter
- Just a handful of almonds
Meals mixing protein and plants
I love making protein bowls adding rice (wild, brown, white) quinoa, or cauliflower rice as a base.
Another favorite option is yogurt with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries.
Bread
We enjoy sourdough bread with whole grain flours.
I keep healthy options accessible like grapes on the counter and a pretty bowl of apples, oranges and bananas.
Melons
My kids love cantaloupe, watermelon and a mix of melons.
Hydration
Each morning I enjoy lemon in water with a pinch of sea salt to help my body rehydrate after a night of sleep.
Smoothies
There are so many recipes for making delicious smoothies adding in a lot of different plants like almond butter, spinach, strawberries, chia seeds and flax.
A family favorite is sweet potatoes and potatoes and we enjoy them so many different ways, most often just roasted.
We love growing potatoes and many other vegetables in our summer garden.
Salads
Recipe options for salads give so much variety for using different lettuces, veggies, seeds and more. Today I had a salad that was lettuce, sweet potatoes, and beets.
There are so many other plants that are added into my daily/weekly diet:
- Avocado
- Olive Oil
- Herbs
Once you start thinking of the options to add into your diet, you’ll probably be surprised how many you already eat in a week.
This can also be a way to encourage yourself to try new recipes, expand your meal plans, sample something outside your usual snacks.
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