CHAPTER SIX
Week Four
WEEK FOUR MEAL PLAN
Day One
Breakfast
Poached Eggs with Spicy Tomato Sauce
Lunch
Bunless Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries over a bed of greens or spinach with Dijon mustard, homemade salsa, avocado or guacamole, and a fried egg
Dinner
Lamb Kebabs with Parsley-Mint Sauce
Dessert
Daily Tip: To make roasted garlic, slice off the stem and tops of a head of garlic. Put the garlic in a piece of aluminum foil and lightly coat it with olive oil. Twist the foil to close it and roast the garlic in the oven at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oven, allow it to cool slightly, and then squeeze the cloves to release the garlic. Use roasted garlic as a flavor booster when cooking. Store the remaining garlic, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Day Two
Breakfast
Lunch
Chile-Rubbed Chicken Fajitas with Avocado
Dinner
Classic Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes
Dessert
Daily Tip: Keep snacks out of sight until you truly feel hunger and need to eat. This may help reduce the urge to eat simply out of boredom.
Day Three
Breakfast
Frittata with Bacon, Collard Greens, and Scallions
Lunch
Salmon Burger with Carrot-Cabbage Slaw
Dinner
Spanish Chicken with Romesco Sauce
Dessert
Daily Tip: Since cayenne pepper has been shown to increase blood flow and circulation, use it in place of salt when cooking or add a dash to lemon water for a pick-me-up.
Day Four
Breakfast
Lunch
Waldorf Salad with Chicken, Apples, and Walnuts, using leftover chicken from dinner on Day 3
Dinner
Dessert
Daily Tip: Getting enough sleep is very important for muscle repair, immunity, and weight loss. Make sure you are getting seven to eight hours a night of restful sleep.
Day Five
Breakfast
Chorizo and Sweet Potato “Hash,” optionally topped with a fried egg
Lunch
Leftover pulled pork from dinner on Day 4 on a bed of spinach or greens with other vegetables, salsa, and guacamole
Dinner
Italian Sausage–Stuffed Peppers
Dessert
Daily Tip: Try adding a cup of decaffeinated herbal tea to your morning, afternoon, or after-dinner routine. Many types contain powerful antioxidants that can improve your health.
Day Six
Breakfast
Nutty Fruit Bar with 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs
Lunch
Curried Egg Salad on a bed of greens
Dinner
Argentine Skirt Steaks with Chimichurri
Dessert
Daily Tip: If you find yourself staring at the ceiling hours after climbing into bed, turn off the TV, computer, and tablets at least one hour before bedtime. Turning off the “blue” lights emitted by devices and screens will help boost melatonin production, which signals to your body that it’s time to wind down.
Day Seven
Breakfast
Paleo Nut “Granola” with 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs
Lunch
Beef “Tacos” with Salsa and Guacamole
Dinner
Stir-Fried Pork with Broccoli and Red Pepper, optionally with chicken instead of pork
Dessert
Daily Tip: Feeling stressed? Experiment with different techniques to reduce anxiety. Try meditation, take a restorative yoga class, go to bed at the same time every night, make to-do lists, and take your supplements.
Week Four Recipes
Breakfast
- Poached Eggs with Spicy Tomato Sauce
- “Nutella” Smoothie
- Frittata with Bacon, Collard Greens, and Scallions
- Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie
- Chorizo and Sweet Potato “Hash”
- Nutty Fruit Bar
- Paleo Nut “Granola”
Lunch
- Bunless Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries
- Chile-Rubbed Chicken Fajitas with Avocado
- Salmon Burger with Carrot-Cabbage Slaw
- Waldorf Salad with Chicken, Apples, and Walnuts
- Curried Egg Salad
- Beef “Tacos” with Salsa and Guacamole
Dinner
- Lamb Kebabs with Parsley-Mint Sauce
- Classic Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes
- Spanish Chicken with Romesco Sauce
- Cuban Pulled Pork
- Italian Sausage–Stuffed Peppers
- Argentinean Skirt Steaks with Chimichurri
- Stir-Fried Pork with Broccoli and Red Pepper
Dessert
- Chocolate-Cherry Bark
- Almond Butter Bites
- Pumpkin Custard
- Coconut Date “Blondies”
- Almond Butter Cups
- Blueberry Macadamia Squares
- Horchata Ice Pops
WEEK FOUR SHOPPING LIST
To prepare your meals for this week, purchase the following items in the quantities indicated:
Pantry Items
- Any missing pantry items and spices from Week One
- Chocolate, unsweetened, dark
- Pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- Red peppers, roasted
Produce
- Apple, red (1)
- Avocados (2)
- Baby spinach or other mixed greens (2 bags)
- Basil, fresh (1 bunch)
- Bell peppers, green (2)
- Bell peppers, red (7)
- Broccoli florets (1 bunch)
- Cabbage, red (1 head or 2 cups shredded)
- Carrots (2 bags)
- Chives, fresh (1 bunch)
- Cilantro, fresh (2 bunches)
- Collard greens (4 to 6 ounces)
- Garlic (4 heads)
- Jalapeño peppers (4 to 5)
- Lemons (5)
- Lettuce, Bibb, Boston, or romaine (3 heads)
- Limes (5)
- Mint, fresh (1 bunch)
- Onions, green (1 bunch)
- Onions, red (4)
- Onions, yellow (7)
- Parsley, fresh, flat-leaf (1 bunch)
- Sweet potatoes (6)
- Tomatoes (10 to 11)
- Thyme, fresh (1 bunch) (optional)
Protein
- Bacon, applewood-smoked, nitrate-free (8 ounces)
- Beef stew meat (1¼ pounds)
- Chicken breasts, bone-in (4)
- Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (1 pound)
- Chicken, rotisserie, cooked, if needed
- Chorizo (1 pound)
- Eggs (23)
- Eggs, hard-boiled (4)
- Ground beef chuck or bison (2 pounds)
- Italian sausage (1 pound)
- Leg of lamb, boneless (1 pound)
- Pork shoulder, boneless (2½ pounds)
- Pork tenderloin (1 pound)
- Salmon, wild-caught, canned (14.5 ounces)
- Steak, skirt (1½ to 2 pounds)
Dairy Alternatives
- Almond milk, unsweetened
- Coconut milk, unsweetened
Refrigerated/Frozen Foods
- Blueberries, frozen (1 pound)
- Strawberries, frozen (2½ cups)
PLAN-AHEAD PREPARATIONS
When you’re hungry, it’s good to know that there’s some prepared food waiting for you at home. Here are some suggestions for make-ahead foods that will also save you time making meals:
- Hard-boiled eggs: If you’re following a Paleo lifestyle, you can never have too many hard-boiled eggs on hand. Keep peeled, hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator for a quick snack or an easy lunch like egg salad.
- Smoked Salmon Sushi Roll-Ups: Make these in the morning or night before for a quick lunch.
- Guacamole: When making guacamole ahead of time, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to keep it from turning brown. Cover it well and store it in the refrigerator.
- Nut butter: Make your own nut butter if unsalted, unprocessed versions are hard to find. This will come in handy for the Almond Butter Bites dessert.
- Desserts: The Chocolate-Cherry Bark, Almond Butter Bites, Coconut Date “Blondies,” and other desserts may be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator or freezer so you’ll have something on hand when you need a sweet treat.
- Paleo Nut “Granola,” Nutty Fruit Bars, and Chia Seed Pudding: Make these recipes ahead to have on hand not only for breakfast but also for quick snacks.
- Romesco Sauce and Chimichurri: These quick and easy sauces can be made ahead to pair with the Spanish Chicken recipe on Day 3 and Argentine Skirt Steaks on Day 6.
