The Summer Recharge One-Day Meal Plan

Summer is a hustle. Keeping up healthy habits and nourishing ourselves with energizing foods often takes a back seat to hot weather treats, heavier BBQ/patio foods, and all the higher sugar beverages. Let's be honest, Summer days are fast-flying by here in Canada. We're with you on the enjoying, but also big on feeling good.

Energize and show your system some love with this mega-nutrient dosing and hydrating one-day plan.  Try following it at least one-day per week to help keep your system in check. 

For daily wins, start each morning with a Blended For You smoothie or bowl for quick prep complete nutrition that covers a ton of your essential nutrient, fibre and protein needs. 

Hydrate All Day

Breakfast

THE BIG GREEN SMOOTHIE BOWL

Quick Base Prep: grab a Blended Green Smoothie
Suggested: Greens D-tox or if you prefer a fruitier blend, try The Remedy or Green Beginnings

Let pack soften partially (so you can just break the smoothie pack in half) & add to blender with 1/2 of a banana. Fill the empty pouch about 1/2 way with your preferred no-sugar added plant-based liquid (eg. unsweetened cashew, oat or coconut milk), add to blender, blend. Smoothie texture should be thick.

Toppings: walnuts, raspberries, seeds, coconut


Lunch

AVOCADO BOATS TWO WAYS
Ingredients
2 Ripe avocados (halved with pits removed)

CHICKPEA TOPPING
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (rinsed, drained and patted dry)
3 Tbsp tandoori masala spice blend*
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp avocado oil
1 batch tahini sauce (or green chutney)
lemon juice
fresh parsley (chopped)
6 baby tomatoes (diced)
1/4 medium red onion (diced)

Instructions
FOR CHICKPEAS: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. While it heats, add drained/dried chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with sea salt and masala spice blend.

Once skillet is hot, add oil and chickpeas to pan and sauté, stirring frequently, until slightly crispy and browned - about 8-10 minutes. If browning too quickly, turn down heat.

Once the chickpeas are browned and fragrant, remove from heat and set aside too cool. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt or masala spice as desired.

To serve, halve avocados and remove pits. You can either scoop out the avocado or leave it in the skin (removing it from the skin is a little more messy, but it does make it easier to eat).

Top avocados with a generous squeeze of lemon juice, chickpeas, parsley, tomatoes, onion and desired sauce. Serve immediately - best when fresh.

Top avocados with a generous squeeze of lime juice, black beans, cilantro, onion, and desired sauce. Serve immediately as is or with tortilla chips - best when fresh.

Afternoon Snack*

Blended Acai Organic Bowl or Chia Energy Bowl

Topping ideas: berries, coconut chips, sugar-free granola

* you can also have this as a later morning snack instead of afternoon if you're a later-lunch-eater.

Dinner

The Power Bowl

Ingredients
(makes 2 servings)

The Roasted Veggies:

3 small (680 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (4 cups)

4 cups (500 g) brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved*

1 medium (800 g) cauliflower, chopped into small florets (4 heaping cups)

1 medium (230 g) red onion, peeled and chopped

2 large (500 g) red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

The Quinoa:

2 cups (400 g) uncooked quinoa

The Toppings:

Chopped lettuce/greens (Romaine, Iceberg, kale, etc)

Salad dressing - simple olive oil, lemon, garlic

Ripe avocado: 1/2 diced

Nuts and seeds: 2 tbsp

Hummus: 2 tbsp

Instructions

Position two oven racks near the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two extra-large (15- x 21-inches) rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. It’s important to use extra-large baking sheets so there’s enough room for all those healthy veggies.

Divide the chopped, “to-be-roasted” veggies onto the baking sheets. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil over top each sheet and toss the veggies until they’re fully coated in the oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Roast the veggies for 30 to 40 minutes (I find 35 minutes is perfect in my oven for lightly charred veggies) until fork tender and golden. There’s no need to rotate/move the pans or flip the veggies halfway through baking unless you’re particular about even cooking.

While the veggies are roasting, add the quinoa to a large pot along with 3 1/2 cups (875 mL) water. Stir. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low-medium, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove the lid and fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.

Remove the roasted veggies from the oven.

To make the power bowls: add a couple generous handfuls of chopped lettuce/greens to the bottom of a large shallow bowl. Drizzle with a bit of dressing and toss the lettuce/greens until coated. Top with spoonful's of your prepped quinoa and roasted. Add diced avocado, more salad dressing, nuts and seeds, top with hummus.

Energizing Foods

We've packed a ton of our blends with essential ingredients and boosters to support mental & physical energy:

B12: this essential nutrient can be easy to miss (especially on a plant-based diet), but it's a mood-booster and major player in many of your body's core functions. Find it in our The Remedy blend.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids: these important fats are essential because the body needs them for healthy brain function - and they fuel brain metabolism. A good source of Omega 3 is chia seeds, which can be found in our Sweet Sleep Mango Kale, Vita-C Immunity, The Green Mo and Blue Coconut Keto blends. 

Lion's Mane & Cordyceps: if you know us over here at Blended, you know we're big on adaptogens. These two shrooms are natural mind elevators and sources of energy. Find them both in our Shroom Energy.

Maca: we're crazy about Maca because it's a natural mood elevator, hormone-balancer and source of energy. Find it in: Maca Energy and Shroom Energy.

Matcha: studies have shown it can improve attention, reaction time, and memory. It's also packed with antioxidants to support healthy cell function. Start your morning with our Matcha Morning for the daily body & mind support combo.

Folate: this is the B-vitamin needed to convert carbs into energy, make red and white blood cells, and produce RNA and DNA. Find it in our Greens Daily Dose, Daily Greens Keto and The Remedy blends.