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Here is where the magic happen on the inside of my DCW wellness membership!
My goal is for you to feel like my client in the TakeTEN 10-day wellness retreat, but all from the comfort of your home at your own pace.
Explore each tab at the top of your membership home page to find the tools & resources.
Please feel free reach out to me in the forum to "ask me a question" or email me directly at hello@drcherylwellness.com. Join me for the next live session to ask your question "live" and if you miss the live events, I will email members the recorded session for you to view at your convenience.
Welcome to wellness, Dr. Cheryl
The SMall plate helps you create Hunger Crushing Light Meals that heal
when you don't want a larger meal or larger portions.
Make healthy meals be your new lifestyle... beyond another new diet!
The Small Plate is a perfect breakfast, light meal, or snack.
The Small Plate meal plan tool skips the whole grains and starchy vegetables and adjusts slightly the Full Plate to still bring you a food combo that crushes hunger, balances blood sugar, and sustains energy and of course heals the body.
Enjoy a small plate for a light meal to replace one or two meals each day to meet your style of eating, skip the whole grains, and your energy needs.
I hope you enjoy this meal planning blueprint to build healthy meals your way!
Dr. Cheryl
Choose 2 cups (or 1 cup blended)
category
examples
Fruits
Watermelon, dates, melon, grapes, dark cherries, tropical fruits, pineapple, dried fruits, orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, apple, pear, peach, plum, mango, figs, red cherries, banana
Berries
Blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, persimmon, kiwi, grapes, currants
Vegetables
Beets, carrots, tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini, tomato, eggplant, peppers, green beans, artichoke, onions, chives, garlic
Greens
Spinach, swiss chard, dark leafy lettuce, herbs (cilantro, basil, thyme, parsley)
Cruciferous
vegetables
Arugula, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, radish, turnip, rutabaga, bok choy, mustard greens
Choose 2+ servings of protein at each meal.
Choose 1 plant protein serving at every meal = 1/2 cup beans OR 1/4 cup nuts
PLUS
Choose 1 or more protein serving YOUR CHOICE =
1 serving plant protein OR,
1 serving milk, dairy products OR,
1 serving eggs OR,
1 serving fish OR,
1 serving chicken or poultry
See section to the right under nuts example.
Protein category
examples & Portion Sizes per serving
Beans
1/2 cup beans, lentils, split peas, soybeans, edamame, tofu, 1 cup plant milk or yogurt (example: soy milk)
Nuts
1/4 cup nuts, 1/8 cup nut butter, 1 cup plant nut milk or yogurt (example: almond milk)
Choose a second protein serving from your choice of protein foods for that meal based on your preferences, lifestyle and wellness goals. The 80:20 or 90:10 concept lets you create meals that are whole plant-forward with every meal built on one plant protein and you choose or second + protein based on your choices.
Second protein serving options to choose from: (Note: Some of you will need 3 protein servings per meal to stay full and meet their protein needs and you can choose 2 extra protein servings from below.
Choose:
1+ servings plant protein for a Whole Plant Protein Meal
1+ servings low-fat dairy products like 8 ounces of milk, yogurt or cottage cheese for a Lacto-Vegetarian Meal
1+ servings eggs for an Ovo-Vegetarian Meal
1+ servings fish (4 ounces per serving) for a Pesco Vegetarian
Meal
1+ servings of chicken or poultry (3 - 4 ounces per serving) for an Omnivore Plant Forward Meal.
NOTE: I recommend limiting red meat and ultra-processed meats like bacon, sausage, pastrami, & deli meats and charred meats because they have been identified as carcinogenic foods by the World Health Organization. These protein foods can be added to meals and counted as your Favorite Comfort Food on the plate because they are limited on the Wellness Score.
Choose per meal
1/4 cup or 1/8 cup
category
examples
Healthy
plant fats
1/4 cup avocado, olives, coconut
Seeds
1/8 cup pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds
Nuts
1/4 cup nuts, 1/8 cup nut butter, 1 cup plant nut milk or yogurt
Essential omega-3
Plant fats
1/8 cup flax seeds, 1/8 cup chia seeds, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup edamame/soy/tofu
Favorite foods are your comfort foods that may be ultra-processed refined foods & beverages that made it on the limited list on Dr. Cheryl Wellness "The Wellness Score" such as:
Sugary foods and beverages, desserts, pies, cakes, pastry
Refined grains like white rice or sour dough bread from refined flour
Saturated fats like butter, cream, ice cream, coffee creamers, sour cream, cream-based salad dressings
Transfats or hydrogenated plant fats like margarine & in many processed foods (check the label)
Red meats (beef, lamb pork)
Ultra-processed meats - like bacon, hot dogs, pastrami and deli meats and charbroiled & grilled meats)
Alcoholic beverages add calories to your meal. Alcohol is metabolized more like a drug and has the calories closer to eating fat, and some alcoholic beverages contain higher amounts of refined sugars.
Foods you choose for flavor and enjoyment and not for their health benefits.
category
examples of Comfort Favorite Foods and foods on the limited list on THe Wellness Score.
Favorite
food
Favorite foods are your comfort foods that are on the limited list on Dr. Cheryl Wellness "The Wellness Score" such as:
Sugary foods and beverages like sugar sweetened beverages and desserts, cookies, cakes, pies and pastries.
Refined processed carbs / grains like white rice or sour dough bread made with refined grains that do not count in the whole carb grain section 2 on the plate.
Saturated animal fats like butter, cream, ice cream, and sour cream, cream based salad dressings, animal based gravy, transfats from plant fats like hydrogenated margarine or foods with hydrogenated fats we want to limit how often we consume these foods.
Also, red meats (beef, lamb pork) and ultra-processed meats - (bacon, hot dogs, pepperoni, pastrami, deli meats and charbroiled and grilled meats) because these are foods hit the limited list on The Wellness Score because they are considered a carcinogenic food by the World Health Organization. If you choose to include them in your meal, they count as a favorite food or comfort food on the plate and make up your 20% on the plate.
Alcohol is on the Comfort food and beverage list because it adds calories and alcohol (ethanol) to your meal. Depending on your choice of alcoholic beverage, it may contain higher sugar content than others. And alcohol (ethanol) is metabolized like a drug in the body and it contains 7 calories per gram which is close to the energy of eating fat. I recommend if you don't drink don't start and if you choose to drink limit your weekly intake to 5 servings and a maximum of <1 serving daily. Alcohol is limited on the Wellness Score and contains calories and alcohol and that lands it on the comfort food portion of the plate.
The foundation of the whole food plant forward flexible 80:20 plate is made up of steps 1, 2, 3, & 4. Step 3 protein - you choose your second + protein. On The Small Plate, Step 4 is where you choose your favorite comfort foods. This is how you make the 20% of the plate based on your preferences, tastes, lifestyle and wellness goals.
Remember this is a lifestyle and not a diet. I want you to enjoy your meals and remove the guilt and not feel restricted. This is how we do just that with our plate. The goal is to create a meals with 80%+ whole unprocessed plant foods with the power to turn on your body's natural health defense and add more healthy years to your life. The Small Plate meal planning tool is designed with for smaller meals or portions or those that want to limit grain intake and contains my Food Rx food combo to help you shut down hunger, balance blood sugar, get your protein and fiber goals and improve your health.
The goal is to stay full and get the energy needs met and eating more fruits and vegetables, high fiber, with two plus servings or 20 to 30 grams of protein on each plate and healthy plant fats is the goal for a full plate meal.
