7 day blood sugar friendly meal plan + Nest Favorites
7 day blood sugar friendly meal plan + Nest Favorites
a whole food meal plan prioritizing protein, plants, and healthy fat for optimal health and blood sugar balance
Happy Weekend, and Welcome to August! It is hard to believe that summer is winding down already and back-to-school is right around the corner. My bonus for you today is this free blood sugar-balancing meal plan!
This meal plan provides a great balance of protein, healthy fat, and fiber for optimal health and blood sugar balance. This meal plan follows my “Build a Healthy Plate” method and provides for 1800 calories a day. If you need fewer calories, skip the afternoon snack. If you require more calories, add a snack of a handful of nuts or yogurt with nuts and berries. This meal plan is low glycemic, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Dairy-free options are included as well. I have included many opportunities to cook once and eat more than once, saving you time in the kitchen. You can absolutely switch the meals up as well- any of these meals or snacks can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
I will attach a printable version of this meal plan that includes a photo, recipe instructions, nutrition details, and a shopping list!
If you like this kind of content, please consider upgrading to a paid account to receive a brand new CGM-tested, metabolically healthy recipe every weekend, along with lots of bonus recipes too!🧡
Day 1
breakfast: Savory Crêpes with Creamy Mushrooms and Kale + side of sauerkraut or your favorite ferment
lunch: Turkey and Cheese Stuffed Bell Peppers, a side of sauerkraut, or your favorite ferment
snack: Garlic and Parmesan Roasted Edamame
dinner: Spinach and Artichoke Turkey Burgers with Roasted Tomato Mayo
Day 2
breakfast: Savory Crêpes with Creamy Mushrooms and Kale
lunch: Spinach and Artichoke Turkey Burgers with Roasted Tomato Mayo + side of sauerkraut or your favorite ferment
snack: Garlic and Parmesan Roasted Edamame
dinner: Cheesy Cabbage Rolls
Day 3
breakfast: Savory Crêpes with Creamy Mushrooms and Kale
lunch: Cheesy Cabbage Rolls + a side of sauerkraut or your favorite ferment
snack: Garlic and Parmesan Roasted Edamame
dinner: Rainbow Chicken Salad with Tahini Dressing
Day 4
breakfast: Smoked Salmon Avocado Yogurt Bowls
lunch: Rainbow Chicken Salad with Tahini Dressing + side of sauerkraut or your favorite ferment
snack: Turkey, Avocado and Cheese Plate
dinner: Chicken, Kale, and Cauliflower Bowls
Day 5
breakfast: Smoked Salmon Avocado Yogurt Bowls
lunch: Chicken, Kale, and Cauliflower Bowls + side of sauerkraut or your favorite ferment
snack: Turkey, Avocado and Cheese Plate
dinner: Beef Burrito Bowl
Day 6
breakfast: Smoked Salmon Avocado Yogurt Bowls
lunch: Beef Burrito Bowl + side of sauerkraut or your favorite ferments
snack: Turkey, Avocado and Cheese Plate
dinner: One Pan Bacon and Cod Skillet
Day 7
breakfast: Smoked Salmon Avocado Yogurt Bowls
lunch: One Pan Bacon and Cod Skillet + side of sauerkraut or your favorite ferment
snack: Turkey, Avocado and Cheese Plate
dinner: Taco Lettuce Wraps
If you would prefer a custom meal plan created just for you, make an appointment here so we can get to know each other, and I can learn your health goals and preferences.
Audio Book
I listened to Dark Calories by Dr. Cate Shanahan* this week, and it was certainly eye-opening. I have personally avoided seed oils for over a dozen years, but there is so much back-and-forth about seed oils on social media that people are properly confused. This book is science-backed, relies on lipid scientists and nutrition experts, and ultimately shares a hopeful message. If you haven’t read it, Dr. Cate Shanahan’s Deep Nutrition is also excellent. All of my recipes support Dr. Cate’s nutritional principles.
“Cornell-trained biochemist and family physician Dr. Cate Shanahan introduces us to well-respected scientists who warn that vegetable oils are a public health disaster, wreaking havoc on our bodies’ cells by depleting antioxidants and promoting free radical toxicity.”
Their many effects include:
Uncontrollable hunger, so we need drugs to maintain our weight
Inflammatory fat buildup under our skin, in our internal organs and arteries
Blood sugar swings that promote bad moods and antisocial behavior
Disrupted brain energy, concentration problems, and mental illnesses
Intracellular oxidative stress that promotes cancer
Gut inflammation, bloating, heartburn, and diarrhea
“Americans were enticed into buying these oils based on their cholesterol-lowering property, but the idea that cholesterol-lowering is beneficial was pushed on us without solid evidence to support it. In Dark Calories, Dr. Cate reveals the financial entanglements between industry and underhanded academics who created and sustain our 1950s-era, arbitrary dietary rules.”
”Dr. Cate Shanahan proposes a clear, no-nonsense plan that aligns with our genetic needs and nature’s laws. Thankfully, recovering our health is simplified by the fact that nutrients that treat one condition also tend to treat all the rest. As an added bonus, we also revive our sense of taste so that our cravings shift to wholesome, nourishing foods instead.”
*I highly recommend Dark Calories if you are concerned about cholesterol, confused about seed oils, or you happen to be a nutrition nerd like me.
Beauty + Personal Care
If you aren’t familiar with it, the Switch Natural App is terrific for scanning ingredient labels before you purchase a new skin, body, or beauty product. I bought this app for all 3 of my daughters so they can be more careful about the products they choose too. I like this app because it scans actual ingredient labels, not just bar codes like the EWG app. When you scan an ingredient label, the app will call out potentially toxic or problematic ingredients, tell you why they are a problem, and link to studies to support the finding. In this way, the app teaches you which ingredients to embrace and which ones to avoid. The app is $20 but is well worth it for the peace of mind. Download the Switch Natural app here.
Cookware
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that my oven has been on the fritz (it is over 23 years old!). While we figure out what to replace it with, I have been cooking everything in my Breville Joule Smart Oven. Thank goodness for this workhorse of an appliance! It is a toaster oven and air fryer in one and doesn’t heat the kitchen up on these hot summer days like a big oven would. I would highly recommend this wonderful oven/air fryer combo if you are in the market for a new appliance.
Supplements
The most common question I get on Instagram is “what protein powder do you recommend?”. I always give the same answer! I love Ora Organics So Lean, So Clean for making an occasional quick meal replacement and for baking! This protein powder is in my famous Flourless Triple Chocolate Banana Bread. If you don’t already have a Fullscript account, make one here to access 20% savings on all practitioner grade supplements.
I also use and love Clean Goat Whey by Mt. Capra. I use goat whey in a shake after strength training (1 scoop chocolate So Lean So Clean, 1 scoop goat whey). I do have a coupon code if you’d like to try this super clean, one ingredient, high leucine protein powder. Leucine is helpful for supporting lean muscle mass. Use code nestwellness.
Foods that I think are pretty special
I was first introduced to the Beyond Good brand at Expo West natural products show this past March. The founders are former Peace Corps volunteers creating vanilla and chocolate products in Uganda and Madagascar that are organic and benefit the farmers and cutting out the middlemen.
“By sourcing the best quality vanilla and cocoa in the world, directly from the farmers who grow it. By pioneering a business model that has the power to change the food industry, forever. And by inviting you to enjoy something that doesn’t just taste better, it feels better. This is chocolate, and vanilla, made right.”
My two favorites products are their 92% dark chocolate, and their incredible ground vanilla. I have used the ground vanilla in both my Peach Frozen Yogurt and my Tart Cherry Frozen Yogurt and it is truly a special ingredient! Not an ad, just a fan!
Thank you🧡
I have been sharing blood sugar-friendly, whole-food recipes (gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and mostly dairy-free) without ads on my blog and Instagram for four years now, and I have met so many amazing people along the way. I am excited to share this enhanced user experience (with recipe videos!) on this platform, and I am so grateful you have joined me!
P.S.
If you know anyone with pre-diabetes, diabetes, PCOS, metabolic syndrome, or anyone eating for blood sugar balance, low carb, keto, grain-free, gluten-free, or just eating for better health, will you forward my Substack to them? It would mean the world to me as I try to share the message of eating for good metabolic health.
🧡Beth