Today is Day #1 of my Kathy Freston Jump Start Cleanse and I have found in the past that the best way to stick to the program is to be prepared. My cupboard and fridge are all stocked up with fresh fruits and veggies, gluten-free grains, nuts, seeds, organic tofu, almond milk, cold-pressed organic oils and beans.

Trust me I know how busy life can get and I am the first one to dig my hand into a big bag of chips to ward off a mid-afternoon hunger attack or to hit up the Harvey’s drive-thru for a veggie burger in between soccer and dance for a quick dinner (not to mention my coveted evening glass of red wine).

In order to survive 21 days without gluten, animal products, caffeine, sugar and alcohol, I have to make darn sure that my kitchen is full of healthy and satisfying foods. I am already a nerdy meal planner so I am all prepared with my list of meals.

Here is what is on the menu at my house this week:

Breakfasts – Green Smoothies, Fresh Juice, Coffee-Less Lattes, Cooked Gluten-Free Rolled Oats with fruit, nuts and cinnamon

Lunches – Quinoa Salad, Raw Wraps with veggies, hummus and spinach, Cold Spring Rolls, Green Spring Soup (recipe is coming!)

Dinners – Stir Fry with Tofu, Kelp Noodles with Raw Tomato Dressing (recipe is coming!), Marinated Grilled Vegetables over Brown Rice (recipe is coming!), Veggie Chili, GF Oat Flour Pancakes with Fruit Puree (recipe is coming!)

Snacks – raw nuts, raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, medjool dates, homemade nut milk  (recipe is coming!), plain rice cakes with hummus or homemade almond butter (recipe is coming!), Mary’s Crackers with homemade guacamole, raw fruits and veggies, herbal tea, homemade energy drink (recipe is coming!) + water, water and more water!

I’ll keep posting my progress and my recipes as the days go on. As you can see, I’ve only listed 4-5 meals in each category because I am counting on leftovers to fill in the gaps. And sadly since no one in my house is doing the cleanse with me this time around (yes I’m talking about you Mark) although I will be preparing these meals, I will be adding non-cleanse items for my hubby and the kids. I’ll try to remember to let you know how I modified in my posts.

Today I am feeling a bit nervous to embark on this journey but excited that my body will have a chance to reboot after a long, cold winter. The first few days are always the toughest as I overcome withdrawal symptoms. Send me some positive vibes today – I’m going to need them! (and perhaps send some along to my poor family too – I’m not the easiest to live at the start of this cleanse).