7-Day Sample Meal Plan with Recipes
Breakfast | Lunch | Snack | Dinner | Dessert |
Creamy millet (The Cancer Fighting Kitchen cookbook) with blueberries & almonds | Green salad with assorted veggies, 3-4 oz tuna or salmon, homemade dressing | Fruit & nut bar (Kind, Lara, Clif Kit Organic, etc.) | Black bean soup with whole grain cornbread | Brownie bites |
Yogurt parfait (plain Greek yogurt, berries & other seasonal fruit, 1 T ground flax or chia seeds, pinch of cinnamon) | Baked sweet potato with butter & cinnamon, kale salad | Curry hummus, and veggies (colorful assortment) | Moroccan chicken with golden roasted cauliflower | Fruit crisp (One Bite at a Time cookbook) |
Asparagus, mushroom and potato hash | Green salad with assorted veggies, 1 cup beans (garbanzo, kidney or black), homemade dressing | Fresh seasonal fruit with handful of raw nuts | Ratatouille with added cannellini beans, arugula salad | Chocolate avocado pudding |
Spiced breakfast quinoa | Lentil soup with delicata squash | Celery sticks or apple slices with nut butter | Edamame and salmon stir-fry with miso butter and rice noodles with sautéed bok choy | Poached pears with saffron broth |
Seasonal smoothie meal replacement | Summer pasta | Oatmeal with slivered almonds, cinnamon, raisins | Grass-fed burger (beef, lamb, bison or turkey) with Moroccan sweet potato salad, roasted brussel sprouts | Summer berry coconut milk popsicles |
Whole wheat blueberry pancakes with blueberry drizzle | Green salad with assorted veggies, 3-4 oz grilled chicken, homemade dressing | Seasonal smoothie | Grilled fish tacos with cabbage slaw | Apple confit topped with walnuts |
Triple greens frittata | Roasted vegetable soup or other seasonal veggie soup | Yogurt with berries, walnuts | Stir-fried baby bok choy with shiitake mushrooms (The Cancer Fighting Kitchen Cookbook) & sesame crusted tofu | Banana ice cream |
Cooking Tips:
- Limit the frequency of cooking foods at high heat, as this will produce harmful chemical components known to cause cancer.
- Mild heating methods, such as baking, steaming or sautéing, enhance the bioavailability of many protective components while decreasing the formation of harmful components.
- The combination of certain foods can enhance their protective effects. In general, cancer-fighting foods work better together. Here are a few examples:
- Turmeric and black pepper
- Fish and broccoli
- Tomatoes and olive oil
- Green tea and lemon
- Blueberries and walnuts
- Raspberries and dark chocolate
- Utilize cookbooks for recipe ideas from cultural cuisines that naturally integrate cancer fighting foods:
- Asian – soy, mushrooms, cabbage
- Middle Eastern – legumes
- Mediterranean and Japanese – fish and seafood
- Italian and Spanish – tomato-based dishes
- Indian and Moroccan — turmeric, curries and other spices
Cooking Resources:
- Eating Well Magazine & Website
- Cooking Light Magazine & Website
- Food For Health Seasonal Recipe Blog from Kaiser Permanente
- Eat The Seasons (North America)
- Sustainable Table’s Seasonal Food Guide Website
- Cooking with Foods that Fight Cancer
- Cookbooks by Rebecca Katz
Recipes:
Choose one food item from each of the following categories; ideally choose fruits and veggies in season:
- (Red) – raspberries, strawberries, beets, cherries, pomegranates, red apple
- (Orange) – orange, mango, nectarine, peach, carrot, cantaloupe
- (Yellow) – lemon, banana, pineapple
- (Green) – spinach, kale, chard, parsley, cilantro, green apple, celery
- (Blue/Purple) – blueberries, blackberries, plums, figs, dates
- (Spice) – ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne
- (Liquid) – water, coconut water, coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk (all unsweetened)
Directions: (serves 2)
- Combine 2 cups veggies with 2 cups fruit and 2 cups liquid
- Add in ½ – 1 tsp of your spice of choice.
- If using the smoothie as a meal replacement, add both a protein and fat choice:
Protein: 2 T nut butter, 1 scoop protein powder, or 4 oz tofu
Fat: ½ avocado, 2 T ground flax, chia or hemp seeds, or 2 T coconut oil - Blend and enjoy!
For more smoothie ideas, check out Simple Green Smoothies website
- ¾-1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup flax oil (optional)
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar (or other vinegar of your choice)
- 1 T Dijon mustard (or other mustard of your choice)
- 1-2 cloves crushed garlic
- ½ tsp sea salt
Combine ingredients in a glass jar, shake thoroughly, and enjoy!
Healthy Homemade Dressing (version 2):
- ¾-1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup flax oil (optional)
- ½ cup fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1-2 cloves crushed garlic
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Combine ingredients in a glass jar, shake thoroughly, and enjoy!
- 1 bag whole wheat or gluten-free pasta noodles
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- ½ bunch spinach
- ¼ bunch basil leaves;
- 2-4 cloves diced garlic
- ½ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup crumbled feta (optional)
- extra virgin olive oil (amount variable)
Directions: (serves 4-6)
- Cook pasta according to instructions on bag; an al dente pasta will have a lower glycemic value
- While pasta is cooking combine the tomatoes, spinach, basil, garlic, pine nuts & feta in a bowl.
- Add pasta and toss with olive oil until desired moistness achieved.
- 1 bunch dinosaur kale
- 1 meyer lemon (large), juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- (optional) ¼ cup crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes or tangerine slices
Directions: (serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main dish)
- Remove stems from kale and cut or rip into large pieces
- Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper at the bottom of a bowl
- Add kale and massage for 3 minutes
- Top with pine nuts and any additional optional ingredients
- Serve and enjoy!
- 1 container traditional hummus (unless you want to make your own)
- 1 tsp ground curry
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Mix spices thoroughly into hummus and enjoy!
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Directions:
- Blend together in a food processor or high powered blender for 20 seconds or so.
- Roll into balls and enjoy! (store extras in the refrigerator)
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds; mixture of black and white seeds
- 1 14 oz package extra-firm water packed tofu, drained
- 1 T cornstarch
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp canola oil (or other cooking oil)
Directions:
- Combine sesame seeds, cornstarch and salt in a shallow dish.
- Cut the block of tofu lengthwise into 8 thin “steaks” and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Press both sides into the seed mixture.
- Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown; about 3 minutes per side.
1 large ripe banana
Directions: (serves 2)
- Cut the banana into coins and freeze in an air-tight container until solid.
- Blend the frozen banana in a food processor or high-powered blender until smooth and creamy.
- Add in any optional ingredients at this point, such as a spoonful of nut butter or cacao powder or a teaspoon of cinnamon, ginger or cardamom.
- Enjoy soft and creamy at this point, or return to the freezer for a firmer texture.