What really is a nourishing meal? And what does nutrient density mean? Nutrient density is the amount of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, healthy fats, and phytonutrients you receive in each bite of food. Think of refined white bread, sugar, or other processed foods. They pack plenty of calories, but do they actually provide the nutrients your body needs to fuel, repair, and restore itself? A truly nourishing meal gives you both the macronutrients to power your day and the micronutrients to repair, protect, and support your cells. Instead of asking, “Is this food healthy?” try reframing the question to, “Does this meal deeply nourish my body’s needs?”

When you are running low, feeling inflamed, and dealing with a health condition—or simply wanting to change your diet to eat more nutrient-dense foods—you may not have the time or energy to cook anything elaborate. In fact, when you’re under the constant pressure of inflammation, autoimmunity, or even chronic stress, it can be very difficult to consistently prepare nourishing meals for yourself. But ironically, this is when your body needs them the most. Meals during this time need to be simple and nutrient-rich. Returning to balanced, nourishing food—day after day—slowly helps bring your body back into alignment. Lamb is particularly rich in iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamins B12, B2, and B3—fueling methylation pathways, mitochondria, and hundreds of biochemical reactions involved in detoxification, energy, and nervous system health.

Embarking on an elimination diet can be a transformative journey toward better health, helping you identify food sensitivities, reduce inflammation, and improve digestion, energy levels, and overall well-being. But for many, the biggest challenge isn’t deciding to start—it’s knowing how to stick with it. Success with an elimination diet isn’t just about what you remove; it’s also about having a solid plan in place so that nourishing meals are always within reach. Without structure, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, unprepared, or tempted to fall back into old habits. But with the right meal planning strategies, you can set yourself up for a smooth and sustainable experience, allowing you to focus on the healing process. In this guide, I’ll walk through the essential steps to help you navigate meal planning for any type of elimination diet.

Meal planning is one of the most powerful steps you can take toward reclaiming your health and well-being. Without a plan in place, it becomes easy to fall back into known habits and routines. Each new meal you prepare begins to create a foundation for lasting health, shaping your future self. Whether you plan every meal in advance or leave space for spontaneity, having some sort of plan in place reduces stress, minimizes reliance on processed and inflammatory foods, and allows you to stay aligned with your health goals. This simple yet transformative practice allows you to shift gradually, stacking small, sustainable changes that ultimately lead to profound shifts in how you feel and function. Meal planning can sometimes feel overwhelming, but with a little strategy, you can create delicious, well-balanced meals starting with ingredients you already have.

This Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner is a perfect fit for the Clean Eating Diet or Mediterranean Diet, offering a simple, nutrient-dense meal with minimal effort. With just a few fresh ingredients, quick prep, and one pan, you can have a flavorful, balanced dinner ready in no time! Whether you're juggling work, kids, or a packed schedule, meals like this make healthy eating doable! Plus, it's incredibly versatile—swap in different vegetables to suit your family's preferences or dietary needs, making it a meal that can be enjoyed again and again. Try this Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner on your next busy night—it might just become a go-to favorite!

Transitioning to a new way of eating—whether to manage food sensitivities, support gut health, or reduce inflammation—requires careful consideration of ingredients and meal structure. Planning ahead ensures you have the right foods on hand, making it easier to stick to your dietary guidelines without feeling overwhelmed or tempted by off-diet options. It also allows you to experiment with new recipes, find enjoyable alternatives to familiar dishes, and create a sense of stability during a period of change. By mapping out meals in advance, you can set yourself up for success, making healing and nourishment both achievable and sustainable. For those undergoing dietary changes or using food as a tool for healing, meal planning becomes even more essential.

If you could make one dietary change to set yourself onto a new trajectory of health, it would be to consume a nutrient dense breakfast consisting of high-quality protein, fiber, and healthy fats. A nutrient-dense, high-protein and fiber-rich breakfast will help you curb cravings for foods you are working to stay away from, boost your metabolism, balance your blood sugar, help regulate your circadian rhythms, keep your mind sharp during the day, and increase satiety. Setting achievable goals that you can build upon sets you up for the most success as it gives your body and brain time to rewire. Dietary change quite literally creates new biochemistry in your body that takes time to get used to. Creating this nutritional memory starts with removing processed foods from your diet. Too many changes at once can overwhelm the brain and nervous system, making the new diet or lifestyle modifications unrealistic to maintain.

Chicken soup with dumplings is a classic meal that has its origins in Germany. Growing up, my mother would make large pots of chicken soup with dumplings all winter long, using the lengthy process of slow-cooking a whole chicken to make a nourishing broth, and then removing the meat for the soup and adding spoonfuls of the dumpling dough to the simmering broth. I still remember standing at the stove, watching the dough puff up as it cooked in the broth! My German maternal grandmother also made incredible dumplings with a variety of different beef and chicken stews for my mother and her siblings growing up. Dumplings are typically made from flour, butter, milk, and baking powder, and are added to the simmering broth or soup at the end of cooking. My recipe below uses several different gluten-free flours, eggs, and water for a simple dairy-free and gluten-free dumpling.

Looking for an easy, nutrient-dense meal you can make at the end of a long day? This simple sheet pan meal uses garden vegetables and wild salmon, and it can be prepped and cooked in under 30 minutes! Salmon is a rich source of a carotenoid called astaxanthin. This potent compound is also found in crab, shrimp, lobster, krill, and salmon eggs (roe), however, wild salmon contains the highest concentration of this potent anti-inflammatory compound.

Full body health begins with the little things we do every day. Did you know that incorporating fresh herbs and spices into your meals adds thousands of flavonoid compounds that benefit your health and the health of your microbiome? Flavonoids from plant foods have been found to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, are protective against neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, and help prevent a wide range of cancers. Fresh basil, cilantro, mint, parsley, rosemary, thyme garlic, turmeric, and ginger are herbs and spices that can easily be incorporated into your daily meals. Not only do these herbs brighten the flavors of the final dish, but they add an abundance of phytonutrients that reduce inflammation and prevent disease!