Sunday Meal Prep | Week of June 30
You're invited: a party menu, healthy BBQ swaps, and my favorite whipped cream.
There’s a holiday in the middle of the week and I’m sure many of you are traveling and will be off your regular schedule (if you missed my travel tips, they’re here)—so instead of meal prep, I’m sharing a summer menu and hope it will encourage you to invite some friends over for a feel-food (read: healthy, delicious, and fun!) meal. If you’re hanging this week and want some meal prep inspiration, look through the archives. We have about 6 months of meal prep weekly menus in there now (gasp!!).
I’ve been doing nutrition coaching for the better part of a decade now, and I know how common it is for someone on a nutrition journey to get anxious about the food at social events. You know, the fun stuff. But we also need the fun stuff. Life can be heavy and we should siphon as much joy as we can out of it. I love to have friends over, cook, set the table, put on fresh summer fit. What could be more fun? I literally look forward to these types of days all year long. Your daily habits are far more impactful than one afternoon of indulgence, but you also can have a feel-good approach to these gatherings (sans an upset stomach and hangover the next day). I truly, genuinely, with every inch of my heart and soul believe know that food can be exciting for your tastebuds while fitting your nutrition needs.
When friends come over, I don’t want them to feel like they’re going to the “nutritionist’s” house. I surely try overcompensate for the lack of sugar and seed oils with an abundant, colorful, and flavorful spread. If you don’t think you can eat (and enjoy) 30 plants in a week, come over to my house and I will feed you more plants than you can name. And you’ll like it!
last summer, obviously!
If you read Friday’s email you know that I care about the presentation of it all. It makes me feel good (*sparks joy*). But aesthetics have nothing to do with nutrition. Or do they? As a mom of two who works from home and constantly puts myself out there (hello everyone I know and don’t know who is reading this personal anecdote), setting the table and getting dressed gives me more confidence and excitement than any cocktail or adaptogenic blend can muster. But, hey, maybe that’s just me.
Okay blah blah enough about me. We’ll be back next Sunday with regularly scheduled programing, a new book club announcement, and more.
Happy 4th, y’all!
xx Mia
WHAT I’M LOVING RIGHT NOW
Just a few things I’ve been into lately:
The perfect summer hair:
Crown Affair Air Dry Mousse
This air dry mousse is beyond excellent. I have super curly hair and everyone always tells me to wear it natural, but I just never like it. It’s always frizzy and weird and ends up being more work than just drying it straight. Anyways, this air dry mousse is the only thing that has worked for me. I’m obsessed. I’m also hooked on their dry shampoo — it’s like nothing I’ve ever used.
WHIPPED CREAM (!):
It’s grass-fed
I’m stepping into my dairy era, eating Icelandic yogurt for breakfast, adding cheese to my lunch salads, and squirting whipped cream in my mouth (true story!). I am mildly obsessed with this whipped cream. It’s grass-fed from France and only has 1 gram of sugar per serving. Bring this to a friends house with a box of fresh strawberries for a fun summer dessert. I’ve seen it at Whole Foods, but check your local grocery store.
One last thing:
Alright before we dive into it, the winner of this month’s giveaway will be notified tomorrow. If you’re new here or haven’t been paying attention, here’s the gist: one person will be getting a Ziip Halo Nanocurrent device (WOW!) plus a 1:1 nutrition session with moi. All you have to do to enter is be a paid subscriber. Your support means everything to me, as it gives me the opportunity to do what I love and create more recipes and nutrition information for you all. These giveaways are a fun way for me to spread the love and meet some of you IRL. Thank you for being here, truly — if you want to upgrade your subscription to throw your name in the mix and support this work, here’s the link.
A PARTY MENU
This week I’m highlighting a few of my favorite dishes to feed a crowd, including a family-style salad, my favorite pasta salad, and a summery dessert. You can find these in the attached PDF. I’ve also included some healthier entertaining and BBQ swaps below, including my cheese plate picks. We’ll be back with next week with hard boiled eggs, slow cooker chicken, and all that jazz.