21 Day Fix Container Distribution

Yesterday I talked about the basics of the container system. Today I want to talk about what you fill the containers with and how to distribute them through your day.

The biggest things you want to do on any meal plan is eat multiple times a day. You should eat every 2-3 a day. Last week I wrote a blog post about carbs. We all need sugars to keep us going. Are blood sugar needs to be regulated through the day so we don't fall asleep and we have energy to do the things we want and need to do during the day. So a typical days schedule to eat may look like breakfast at 6, snack at 9, lunch at 12, snack at 3, and dinner at 6.

A few things to keep in mind. You never want to eat later than three hours prior to bedtime. When you sleep your metabolism slows down and you won't digest what is in your stomach quickly. It will likely turn to fat instead of muscle. Also you want to eat within thirty minutes of waking up. This will allow you to kick start your metabolism and get it on for the day.

One of the first things you want to try and do is spread your proteins out as much as you can during the day. Proteins usually keep you fuller longer. They have many of the necessary building blocks for you to form muscle. Referring to the chart from yesterday if you are in the lowest calorie bracket you'd have four proteins. I usually have one at breakfast. one a lunch, one for my afternoon snack after my workout and my fourth at dinner.

The next category is the green vegetable category. For the lowest calorie group you have three of these. I usually have mine at snack, lunch and dinner. If you want to you could half the containers and have half at breakfast, half at snack, half at lunch,  half at snack, and one at dinner.

One of the main things is to make sure you don't have a majority of your containers at one meal. Here is a great picture of container breakdown.

As you can see most meals have either two or three containers. Each meal has containers from different categories.

Next let's talk about what to fill the containers with.
Green (Vegetables):
Kale
Collard Greens
Spinach
Brussels Sprouts
Broccoli
Asparagus
Beets
Tomatoes
Squash
Winter Squash
String Beans
Peppers
Carrots
Cauliflower
Artichokes
Eggplant
Okra
Jicma
Snow Peas
Cabbage
Cucumbers
Celery
Lettuce (not iceberg)
Mushrooms
Radishes
Onions
Sprouts

Purple (Fruits):
Raspberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Orange
Tangerine
Apple
Apricots
Grapefruit
Cherries
Grapes
Kiwifruit
Mango
Peach
Nectarine
Pear
Pinapple
Banana
Papaya
Figs
Honeydew melon
Salsa
Tomato Sauce

Rec (Proteins):
Sardines
Chicken breasts
Turkey Breasts
Ground chicken or turkey
Fish
Game
Eggs
Greek Yogurt
Shellfish
Clams
Red meat
Ground red meet lean
Shakeology
Tempeh
Tofu
Pork Tenderloin
Tuna
Cottage Cheese
Protein powder

Yellow (Carbs):
Sweet Potato
Yams
Quinoa
Beans
Lentils
Edamame
Peas
Refried Beans
Brown Rice
Wild Rice
Potato
Corn
Amaranth
Millet
Buckwheat
Barley
Bulgar
Oatmeal
Pasta whole grain
Couscous
Bread whole grain
Tortilla corn or whole wheat

Blue (Healthy Fats):
Avocado
Raw nuts
Hummus
Coconut milk
Feta cheese
Goat cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Cheddar cheese
Provolone cheese
Jack cheese
Parmesan cheese

Orange (Seeds and Dressings):
Raw nuts
Raw seeds
Flaxseed
Dressings

Teaspoons (Oils and Nut Butters):
Extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin coconut oil
Flaxseed oil
Walnut oil
Pumpkin seed oil
Nut butters
Seed butters

As part of both plans you get a list of free foods. This includes this like water, lemon and lime juice and vinegars.

For the original 21 Day Fix you can substitute one of your yellow containers three times a week for a treat. These treats include things like milk, wine and fresh fruit juices. In the 21 day Fix Extreme meal plan there are no treat substitutions. There is also a list of trainer recommended foods for weight loss and a list of trainer recommended foods to stay away from to aid with weight loss.

 Here is a great graphic for the 21 Day Fix

This same list can be used for the 21 Day Fix Extreme if you just refer to the guide for the items that you want to stay away from for maximum weight loss.

I love this system as if it fits you can eat it. You pick a food from the list fit it into the container and away you go. It is so simple.

I hope this helped you understand more about what to fill the containers with and more about how the containers work. Tomorrow we will discuss the workouts included with the Original 21 Day Fix.