Perfect Meal Plan

I don't want much out of my meal plan.  I just want it to be:

• Vegetarian
• No Sugar Added
• Balanced (50% carbs, 30% fat, 20% protein) 
• Nutritious (variety of vitamins and minerals)
• Quick and Easy to Make
• Low in Saturated Fat (<20g)
• Low in Cholesterol (<300mg)
• Low Calorie (<1600)
• Filling
• Delicious!

You know, perfect.  I can certainly think of a few recipes that I make which fit the bill, but a whole day's meal plan?  That's a tough one.  No added sugar means all sugar and sugar substitutes including agave, honey, splenda, etc.  Low in saturated fat and cholesterol would mean cutting out butter, cheese, and peanut butter for me, but keeping the healthier fats olive oil, coconut, and raw nuts.  I decided cottage cheese is so high in protein that it could get a pass. 

First let me say that finding a recipe that does not include meat, sugar, products with sugar (sneaks into balsamic vinegar for example), butter, or cheese is difficult.  The ones I did find were pretty high in salt and oil.

Second, finding foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol while simultaneously being high in vitamin D and B12 is difficult.  The most common vegetarian sources are egg yolks, cheese, and peanuts.  I eventually gave up on finding the perfect source and concluded that I will need supplements for those items in order to cut down on my cholesterol.

But I eventually did it!  I found a <nearly> perfect meal plan.  I played around with my meal plan using nutritiondata.com.  For fun, here are the statistics. 

4.75 stars for optimum health!  Woohoo!  I'm in optimal range for glycemic index and inflammation factor, and my protein quality is off the charts.  I've never been able to get a nutrient balance score higher than 78, so I'm going to count that as good as it will get for me.  As mentioned before, Vitamin D and B12 were low enough to warrant a supplements.  Niacin was lower than I would like (66% of daily value). The rest were 80% or above, which is right on track considering those percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie diet and I'm aiming for 1,600.

And now that I've bored you with my nerdy numbers, onto the actual recipes!

Breakfast:
Sunflower-Raisin Oatmeal
Follow recipe linked above, but replace cranberries for raisins and use 1 ounce of sunflower seeds.

Janelle's Baked Eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray 9"x13" baking pan with non-stick spray.  Combine 4 cups shredded mushrooms, 1 large carton of liquid egg whites (~20 egg whites), 1 tablespoon minced garlic (~3 cloves), and 1 tablespoon onion powder.  Pour in pan.  Bake for 30-45 minutes or until center is set.  Makes four servings.


Lunch:

Black Bean and Corn Salad 
Follow recipe linked above, but exclude oil.  Add 1 cup cottage cheese as "dressing" and use half the onion.  I'm not a huge raw onion fan.


Olive Oil and Herb Biscuits
Follow recipe linked above, but add 2 cups chopped raw spinach.  Replace white flour with wheat flour.

Dinner:
Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing
Follow recipe linked above, but replace cannellini beans with soybeans and tomatoes/olive oil with sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil.  Do not use Parmesan.

Roasted Veggies
Toss 1/2 cup chopped broccoli, 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, and 1/2 diced sweet potato with 1 tsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp paprika.  Roast at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until golden on the edge.

Dessert:
Strawberry Peach Popsicle
Follow recipe linked above, but replace coconut milk with 2% milk.

There you have it.  I'm going to make this for next week's meals.  I'll let you know if eating the "perfect" meal plan fulfills the delicious requirement, has me feeling like a million bucks, or has me craving that excluded sugar.