“7-Day No-Added-Sugar Meal Plan That’s Actually Doable” : Day Five
Cooking

“7-Day No-Added-Sugar Meal Plan That’s Actually Doable” : Day Five

This is a continuation of my My Experience with a “7-Day No-Added-Sugar Meal Plan That’s Actually Doable.” Today’s post shall focus on Day Five.

I actually completed this experiment from 27 December 2019 through 4 January 2020. When I first did this experiment, COVID-19 was just some abstract concept somewhere in China. Now? Oh it has become a daily part of our lives.

I struggled with whether or not I should continue to finish this series of blog posts. In the end, I decided to take a brief break. But I do plan on finishing out this series. The meals were delicious, and the lessons learned where insightful. May this series serve as a bit of a distraction from the world outside.

(Want to catch up? Here’s the introduction, shopping and meal prep, and Day One, Day Two, Day Three, and Day Four.)

The menu for Day Five involved the following items, which I shall explain in further detail below:

  1. Breakfast Bowl With Quinoa, Avocado, and Tomato
  2. Power Salad With Roasted Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes
  3. Whole Wheat Pasta With Lemon Kale Chicken

Breakfast: Breakfast Bowl With Quinoa, Avocado, and Tomato

No Added Sugar Breakfast Bowl With Quinoa, Avocado, and Tomato
Breakfast Bowl With Quinoa, Avocado, and Tomato

Please do not judge my soft boiled egg too harshly. As you can see, I struggled greatly with peeling it. However, that did not affect the taste of it at all. The meal was delicious.

Yields one portion very quickly.

  • 1 cup cooked white quinoa (previously prepared)
  • 1/2 pico de gallo (previously prepared)
  • 1/4 of an avocado, thinly sliced
  • 1 soft boiled egg (previously prepare)
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  1. Combined quinoa with pico de gallo in a bowl.
  2. Top with sliced avocado and soft boiled egg.
  3. Finish with salt and pepper, to taste.
  4. Enjoy.

Note: Drain any excess liquid from the salsa before using.

When I lived in Korea, I began to notice a peculiar (to me) trend about typical Korean meals. There was no such thing as “breakfast food.” Breakfast consisted of the same food as lunch and dinner. The only difference was the level of spice. Dinner often was the most spicy, with breakfast being the least spicy.

Why do I feel the need to share that anecdote? Well, I wanted to justify my use of normal tomatoes instead of the recommended pico de gallo. I woke up and thought, “Nope. I do not want a spicy breakfast.”

This was such a simple and tasty breakfast. I added it into my regular routine.

Lunch: Power Salad With Roasted Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes

No added sugar Power Salad With Roasted Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes
Power Salad With Roasted Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes

I will admit that I was not exactly thrilled to see the chickpeas on the salad. But I still used them!

Yields one portion in under 10 minutes. Requires throwing things together.

  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 3/4 cup roasted sweet potatoes (previously prepared)
  • 3/4 cup roasted chickpeas (previously prepared)
  • 1/2 cup veggies (previously prepared, but I ran out)
  • 1/2 cup quinoa (previously prepared)
  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 TBSP balsamic reduction (previously prepared)
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  1. Throw everything into a bowl.
  2. Enjoy.

There was something about how these chickpeas cooked up that just made them soggy. Thankfully, I actually did not even have 3/4 cup left. I used whatever I had leftover and they are now all GONE. I threw in some chopped red onions and some shredded carrots because they were in my fridge and they looked good.

This was a nice blend of flavors, and I absolutely love sweet potatoes on everything.

Dinner: Whole Wheat Pasta With Lemon Kale Chicken

No added sugar Whole Wheat Pasta With Lemon Kale Chicken
Whole Wheat Pasta With Lemon Kale Chicken

I actually used to cook chicken frequently in college, especially once I moved off campus and was feeding myself. Gradually, I just stopped. I have slowly been modifying my lifestyle to include more meatless meals.

Given the fact that I do not particularly enjoy cooking the chicken, I went ahead and cooked both chicken breasts tonight so that I would not have to cook another chicken breast again for the next day. It took the exact same amount of time, but will make dinner significantly easier for day six.

Yields “one portion” in 30 minutes, but I definitely ended up with two portions in over 30 minutes. Requires a pot for pasta and skillet for chicken.

  • 4 oz whole wheat spaghetti
  • 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced
  • 5 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups chopped curly kale, ribs removed
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 TBSP lemon juice
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  1. Boil salted water and cook the pasta for one minute less than the time indicated on the package. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the 2 TBSP olive oil in a cast iron skillet.
  3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown it on each side in the skillet.
  4. Remove from skillet and reserve.
  5. Heat remaining 3 TBSP of olive oil in the skillet and add in garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about two minutes.
  6. Add kale, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and reserved pasta water. Cook until kale is tender, about three minutes.
  7. Add in cooked chicken and pasta, stirring to coat.
  8. Enjoy immediately.

When I took the first bite, I realized that I still very much hate kale. I know, I know, it is supposedly some “super food” that is “amazing for you,” but I would much rather use spinach. If I make this dish again, I will sub spinach for the kale.

That being said, after a few bites, the dish grew on me. The lemon flavor masked the disgusting thing that is kale. But again, if I were to make this again, I would use spinach.

Concluding Thoughts for Day Five

Day five is finished! Today I made a Breakfast Bowl With Quinoa, Avocado, and Tomato, a Power Salad With Roasted Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes, and Whole Wheat Pasta With Lemon Kale Chicken.

It is somewhat surreal for me to believe that seven day journey is winding down. This becomes more apparent as I run out of items such as my pan roasted veggies or the chickpeas. I can tell a difference in how I am feeling (more energy) and I notice that I am craving healthier foods as well. While at the start of this week that piece of cake would have looked so much better than a salad. At this point, I find the colorful salad extremely appetizing.

I’ll give my standard disclaimer that this is not a diet. I want to create for myself a healthy, sustainable life-style. I want to remain Clearly Alive.

This is part of a continuing series. Here are the other Parts: Introduction, Shopping / Meal Prep, Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four

Amber Nicole is Clearly Alive