Illustration: Florie Duhau
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Tacos, tostadas, nachos and more are staples for her (rejoice, Mexican-food lovers!), plus she has a salmon secret that'll make your wallet and your waistline very happy.
Day 1 (Thursday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
1/4 cup dry steel-cut oats cooked with water, topped with a little cinnamon; 1/2 small very ripe banana, sliced with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter. "Breakfast is an autopilot meal most days, and oatmeal is my go-to. It's quick to make and full of fiber."
Snack - 10 a.m.
5 ounces plain Greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp. blueberry jam.
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Egg and avocado toast—1/2 small avocado, smashed and spread on a piece of toasted sourdough bread from the bakery, topped with 1 sliced boiled egg and sprinkled with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. "I work from home most days, and because I usually have avocados in the house, this is a quick, satisfying meal in my regular rotation. The avocado adds a little decadence to a basic egg sandwich."
Snack - 4 p.m.
1/2 cup roasted strawberries with 1 Tbsp. chopped almonds and 2 Tbsp. coconut whipped cream.
Dinner - 7:30 p.m.
4 ounces BBQ broiled salmon with 1 1/2 cup olive-oil-roasted broccoli. "I buy fresh salmon when it's in season or on sale, but most of the time I buy frozen. It's a convenient and affordable way to get healthy omega 3s."
After Dinner
A little less than 1/4 cup sesame-brittle ice cream.
Day 2 (Friday)
Highlights of the day: Breakfast and lunch were the same as yesterday ("I had to use up the other half of the avocado!"), but a dinner out with friends included a slice of New York–style thin-crust cheese pizza.
Day 3 (Saturday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
3/4 cup steel cut oats (cooked) with 1/2 cup fresh blackberries plus a drizzle of maple syrup.
Snack - 10 a.m.
Blueberry-kefir smoothie—1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 cup fresh spinach, 1/2 cup plain kefir, water.
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Egg and avocado tacos—2 soft corn tortillas, charred topped with 2 eggs scrambled with chopped onions, 1/2 small avocado and lots of salsa
Snack - 4 p.m.
1 ounce of chili-lime roasted peanuts.
Dinner - 8 p.m.
Pasta dinner out at a local Italian restaurant—1/2 of a Lemon-Thyme Salmon Bowtie Pasta entree (included salmon, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes) and 1 piece garlic herb bread. "I took the other half of the entree with me so I could have it for lunch the next day."
Day 4 (Sunday)
Highlights of the day: A filling toasted-oats breakfast, the other half of last night's pasta for lunch, plus 3 ounces of mustard grilled chicken, 1/2 cup roasted herb potatoes and 1 cup of warm sesame ginger broccoli and carrot slaw for dinner. "I quickly sautéed shredded broccoli stalks with a few shredded carrots, sesame seeds, garlic and toasted sesame oil."
Day 5 (Monday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
Steel cut oats, blackberries and maple syrup.
Snack - 10 a.m.
Coconut ginger matcha latte.
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Olive oil tuna salad over greens—4 ounces albacore tuna, drained, 1 Tbsp. olive oil vinaigrette, 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved, 1 Tbsp. chopped kalamata olives, 1 cup raw spinach; plus 4 rice-and-nut crackers.
Snack - 4 p.m.
Sesame cucumber salad—1 medium cucumber, spiralized, topped with sesame vinaigrette, 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds and some crushed red pepper flakes. "I was testing recipes today, and this salad was one of the ones I was working on."
Dinner - 7:30 p.m.
Black bean tostadas—1 cup seasoned black beans, 2 Tbsp. shredded pepper jack cheese, 1/2 cup fresh salsa and fresh cilantro over 2 baked tostadas, plus 1/2 cup sautéed radishes with olive oil and topped with parsley. "I often make vegetarian nachos or tostadas for a quick meal. Here, I used store-bought baked tostadas, and the black beans were leftovers."
Day 6 (Tuesday)
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
Steel-cut oats with cinnamon; a banana with peanut butter.
Snack - 10 a.m.
5 ounces plain Greek yogurt with 1 cup frozen raspberries plus 1/2 tsp. honey
Lunch - 1 p.m.
Two bean-and-cheese quesadillas—1/2 cup smashed pinto beans (with garlic and onion) and 2 Tbsp. pepper jack cheese on two 2 6-inch corn tortillas folded in half.
Snack - 4p.m.
20 frozen grapes.
Dinner - 7:30 p.m.
Two fish tacos—4 ounces pan-seared cod flaked onto 2 soft corn tortillas topped with lots of shredded raw cabbage, avocado slices and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice; plus 1/2 cup black beans cooked with green pepper, onion and spices.
Day 7 (Wednesday)
Highlights of the day: Same breakfast as yesterday, but lunch called for avocado toast with pumpkin seeds, afternoon snack included filling black-bean chips, and dinner was omega 3–rich steelhead trout baked with a Dijon mustard sauce.
