5 Recipes for Staying Lean

Written by Dr. Jordan Valdez, ND, RD

Having staple recipes is an important part of attaining and maintaining a lean physique. They should be healthy (supportive of your health and body composition goals), simple (realistic and easy to make in your daily life), and tasty (satisfying and enjoyable to your taste buds). Healthy, simple, and tasty are what make these recipes sustainable for you in the long-term. 

Introduction to Lean Eating - EmpowerMed San Diego

What comprises a recipe that is supportive of your health and body composition goals? In addition to eating whole and organic foods for general health, there are 3 key players for staying lean: protein, fat, and fiber. Here’s why: 

• All of these foods increase satiety (the feeling of fullness, helping to keep you from overeating) and decrease glycemic response (spikes in blood sugar and insulin, helping to keep you out of fat storage mode). 

• Protein upregulates metabolism because it requires more energy from the body than any other macronutrient to digest, absorb, and metabolize (aka eating protein burns more calories, helping to keep you in a calorie deficit). 

• Note: Protein should be in its whole form from lean or healthy fat options. Fat should not be hydrogenated, fried, highly saturated, or over-processed. 

In summary, healthy, simple, and tasty recipes that contain protein, fat, and/or fiber is the formula for success in keeping you looking your leanest. The good news is this formula can be applied to create recipes at home or at most places you eat out at. Here are 5 of our favorite fat-loss friendly meals that you can start to incorporate now:

1. Power Omelet 

1. Ingredients 

1. 3-4 pasture-raised eggs - protein, fat 

2. 1-2 cups leafy greens of choice - fiber

3. ½ cup halved tomatoes, mushrooms - fiber 

4. ½ sliced avocado - fat 

5. Pinch of sea salt, black pepper, fresh herb 

6. Avocado oil for cooking 

2. Instructions 

1. Saute leafy greens, mushrooms, and tomatoes separately until soft and vibrant in color. Whisk eggs in a bowl, add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, pour eggs into pan and cook until edges begin to set, fill one side with leafy greens, tomatoes, and mushrooms, fold the omelet in half, cook on both sides until eggs are set, top with sliced avocado and freshly chopped basil or herb of choice. Use avocado oil for cooking. 

2. Flat Belly Bowl

1. Ingredients 

1. 1-2 cups chopped sweet potatoes - fiber 

2. 1-2 cup halved brussel sprouts - fiber 

3. ½-1 chopped cup onions - fiber 

4. 4-6 oz chopped pasture-raised chicken - protein

5. 1 tbsp hemp seeds - protein, fat 

6. 1 tbsp MCT oil - fat 

7. Pinch of sea salt 

2. Instructions

1. Chop and bake sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, and onion together at 400° F for about 45 minutes until soft. Chop and cook chicken in pan on medium heat until no longer pink inside. Combine all cooked ingredients together in a bowl and top with MCT oil, hemp seeds, and sea salt. Use avocado oil for cooking. 

3. Slimming Salad

1. Ingredients 

1. 4-6 cups spinach and/or spring mix - fiber 

2. 4-6 oz wild-caught salmon - protein, fat 

3. ½ apple (sliced into thin pieces) - fiber 

4. ½ cup beet kraut - fiber 

5. 2 tbsp dressing - fat 

1. 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2. 1 tbsp dijon mustard

3. ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4. ½ tbsp honey or stevia/monk fruit to taste 

5. Pinch of sea salt, black pepper

2. Instructions

1. Cook salmon in a pan on medium heat until no longer pink inside. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and top with dressing. Use avocado oil for cooking. To make dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

4. Lean Lettuce Wraps 

1. Ingredients 

1. 4-6 lettuce leaves - fiber 

1. Stack 2-3 together to create a thicker wrap

2. 4-6 oz sliced pasture raised turkey - protein 

1.  Sub tofu or tuna salad for vegan/pescatarian options

3. 1-2 tbsp clean mayo - fat 

4. ½ sliced tomatoes - fiber 

5. ½ sliced avocado - fat 

6. ½ cup sprouts - fiber

2. Instructions 

1. Place ingredients in lettuce leaves in the following order: mayo, turkey slices, tomato, avocado, and sprouts. Fold in half to create a wrap. Tip: replace all bread with lettuce to make healthier versions of wraps, sandwiches, and burgers.

5. Protein Plate 

1. Ingredients 

1. 4-6 oz protein of choice (e.g. grass-fed beef) - protein

2. 2 cups steamed or sauteed broccolini - fiber 

3. ½ tbsp sesame seeds - protein, fat 

4. Pinch of sea salt

2. Instructions

1. Chop and cook beef in pan on medium heat until no longer pink inside. Steam or saute broccoli in pan on medium heat until soft. Use avocado oil for cooking. Place ingredients separately on a plate and top with sesame seeds and sea salt. 

Bon appetite!