How To Make A Quick & Easy Power Foods Meal Plan

Want a quick & easy power foods meal plan? Here are ideas and tips you can implement to stay healthy, lose weight, and even do the Daniel Fast by using this power plate meals plan for a week.

Your whole body will be shouting, “Super satisfied!” when you feed it these super-fueled foods.

I’m not just giving you meal ideas to help plan a few healthy dishes; this is a plan that will fill a whole week.

Whether you’re starting a health journey, want some new ideas, or are tackling the Daniel Fast, these meals will help you achieve your health goals.

That’s because they’re all about quick and easy power meals to help you plan for a week!

Power Foods Meal Plan Grocery List

To get ready, use the following grocery list:

Shopping Tips

Buy quality protein first.

Add healthy carbohydrates like wild or brown rice, lentils or beans.

Buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season. Frozen is also a good option and can help save money.

How much food do you need to buy?

Quantities will vary depending on choices, but you can estimate four pounds of each of the following for each adult, for 1 week: protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates.

These quantities are estimates and based on if you were to buy everything necessary to prepare for one week.

Adjustments can be made depending on what you already have on hand, what foods you love to eat, and how much you’re preparing in advance.

Additional staples to keep on hand:

-  Lemons

- Limes 

- Vinegars - flavored

- Fresh herbs

- Garlic

- Butter

- Balsamic vinegar

- Organic stock: chicken or vegetable

Power Prep Meals

While there’s a lot of variety included here, this is not an exhaustive list of foods to use. Substitute or add in any other vegetables you like.

Don't get overwhelmed, like “I'm not doing all that.” I just want you to pick the vegetables most enjoyed.

Vegetables are so nutritious for the body, serving as great sources of fiber AND fostering a healthy microbiome.

Get organic whenever possible, especially when purchasing the “dirty” vegetables. 

When you shop on the Designed Healthy Living website, and the items are shipped from our office, we always include the produce shopping guide which can be folded up, put in a wallet or purse, and taken with you to the store. 

What you’ll need:

- Grains

- Protein

- Vegetables

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- Seasoning of choice

- 3 pots/pans

- Cooking spoons

- Knife & cutting board

- Scale

- Large glass bowl

- Single-serving containers with lids

- 1 cup measuring cup

Power Foods Meal Plan To Lose Weight

Every healthy eating and weight loss plan includes 2 major components:

1 - Protein

2 - Fiber 

In order to get the perfect balance, we want an even amount of protein (meat or legumes/beans), vegetables, and grains.

The recipe/plan given here is based off 2 lbs of each food category, however the amounts can be multiplied by whatever factor you want or need. There’s truly no limit.

Step 1 - Prep & Cooking

The perfect place to start is by getting all the ingredients out and ready.

Cook Once and Enjoy All Week

The Grain

Once everything is out, begin by rinsing your grain and putting it in a pot to boil.

2 pounds of uncooked rice or quinoa equals about 3 1/2 cups. Both of these grains tend to take twice as much water as grain to cook, but make sure to check the packaging.

2 pounds of dry lentils equals about 4 ½ cups. Lentils take 3 cups of water for every cup of the small seeds.

If you have a scale, you can also weigh the uncooked grains instead of measuring them.

Each of these grains take about 15-20 minutes to cook. 

Variety in the grains adds a better balance of  nutrition, so feel free to mix and match these uber-healthy grains for your dishes.

The Meat

Once that’s in the pot, get 2 pounds of your protein of choice going. If that’s meat, heat up a bit of oil in the pan (except for beef, which comes with its own fat), then add the meat. Cook, stirring frequently, until done.

The meat should be cooked through and either shredded or crumbled.

If you’re using legumes or beans as the protein base, there may be the need to start these the night ahead with a good soaking, then cook them at the same time as your grain.

The Vegetables

Once the proteins and grains are cooked and removed from the stove to cool, it’s time to prep the veggies. Wash them well, then chop, shred, or dice them as appropriate.

You know what vegetables are: wonderful sources of fiber, the key ingredient to healthy living, weight loss, and weight management.

We want 2 pounds of vegetables (total) prepped. Now, this is going to be a lot more volume than 2 pounds of meat!

(Remember, 2 pounds of each will make several meals, but about 4 is needed for all week.)

What does 2 pounds of vegetables look like? Hopefully, you have a scale for the kitchen. I place a large bowl on my scale, then reset it to zero so it’s not counting in my bowl’s weight.

Don’t worry about weighing the vegetables before chopping, shredding, or dicing. Anything left over after you’ve put the meals together will make great additions to other meals, especially the Power 5 Salad.

Think: veggies for an omelet for breakfast, salad ingredients ready to go, or stir-fry veggies that’ll be ready to go whenever.

Your whole menu will benefit from the time spent prepping.

Begin adding a variety of vegetables to the measuring bowl. Start with your favorites and keep adding until you reach 2 pounds. (Remember, you can also choose a total of 3 or 4 pounds, depending on how much you want prepared ahead of time. Just keep the ratios of protein, grains, and vegetables even.)

Once the vegetables are measured, saute them in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. 

Stir the vegetables as they cook and add seasoning to taste. Two of my favorite’s are Morton’s Nature Seasoning and granulated garlic. Other ideas are salt and pepper, seasoned salt, or any herbs that will brighten and enhance the flavors of this dish.

Which Vegetables Should be Cooked?

These vegetables are best sauteed:

- Carrots

- Mushrooms

- Green beans

- Asparagus

- Onions

- Fennel

- Beets

- Cauliflower

- Broccoli

These vegetables are best raw:

- Lettuce

- Cucumbers

Power Foods Meal Plan - Putting Them All Together

Once the veggies are crisp tender, but not over-cooked, everything is ready to put together.

My taste buds are salivating just at the thought of the combination of all these power foods ready to make our power meals!

In a large bowl, add the meat first, then the veggies, and grains.

I love to add some fresh, chopped parsley, as it adds a wonderful flavor and brightness. Plus a little liver cleanse is an added bonus.

Mix everything thoroughly.

And that's it. 

So you would just let it cool. Put it in the refrigerator and then just dish it out for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and you have a perfect power foods meal! It's ready to go - the ideal “fast food.” 

Another idea is to make several smaller bowls with different items combined and store them in smaller, meal-sized containers.

And it'll last you several days. If making one serving (2 lbs of each), there should be a good 2-4 meals ready to enjoy throughout the week. And you're good. 

Remember - 2 cups is one meal serving. A complete protein and high fiber with loaded antioxidants! A balanced blessing your body will love. A meal fit for a King (or queen).

The best part of these power plate meals are that they’re chock-full of all the amazing nutrients God has provided for us to experience optimal health. 

The second best thing is there are endless possibilities to mix things up by using different grains, proteins, and vegetables. Even though the main idea is the same, the meals don’t have to be.

Check out my video on how to prepare this super healthy - and quick - power foods meal!  

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Power Foods Meal Plan Recipes:

Here are some delicious recipes and blends:

- Chicken, rice, and vegetables - stir fry for a flavored blend

- Beef, quinoa, vegetables

- Chicken, sweet potatoes and vegetables

I’d love to hear what you put in your power foods meal plan. 

What are your favorite power foods? 

How did you mix things up? 

Is there a favorite spice or herb you added?

Let me know in the comments what you think and how this power plate meals plan is a blessing.