Meal prepping has become a time saver for me. We have so many mornings where someone is racing out the door, or getting home late from dance classes, so I need meals that are easy to grab. Here are my favorite meals to make ahead of time:

Breakfast:

2 eggs with sausage  (I use Applegate sausage)

Paleo Pancakes with sausage

*The recipe is on my blog

Overnight Buckwheat

1/2 cup creamy buckwheat

1 cup coconut milk

1 tsp cacao powder

1 tsp PB2

Place in the fridge overnight. Heat for 45 seconds to 1 minute the next morning and enjoy!

 

Lunch:

Salad with blueberries, pumpkin seeds, Asiago cheese, protein (I usually use Mahi Mahi)

I make the salad the night before, and it’s ready to eat for lunch the next day.

I also make salad jars. I fill mason jars with everything I want in a salad (shredded carrots, pumpkin seeds, sliced strawberries, protein) and then add to lettuce the next day.

 

I typically make a shake for lunch. You can pre-make this by adding all dry ingredients (chocolate protein powder (I like the vegan one from 1Up Nutrition), PB2, shredded coconut) to your shaker cup. When you are ready to make your shake, add the dry ingredients with ice, water, 1/2 banana, and blend.

 

Smoothies bowls are great too!

Add all veggies and fruit in a freezer quart bag and freeze until ready to blend.

1 cup frozen spinach

1/2 frozen banana

1/2 up frozen kale

1/2 cup frozen peaches

Add water or coconut milk and blend.

 

Paleo Chicken nuggets are a great meal to make ahead of time too.

Cook them the day before and store in the fridge until ready to eat.

*the recipe is on my blog.

 

Taco jars

Fill a mason jar with ground meat, chopped bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, chopped olives, onions, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese. You can add any ingredients you like! You can put the contents of the jar in a tortilla the next day, or add it on top of a salad.

 

Dinner:

My favorite meal prep for dinner is the Crock-Pot! I make Ribs in the crock-pot, chicken, potato soup, tortilla soup, pork roast, etc…

I also make side dishes ahead of time. If I know I will be getting home late, I make roasted sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, salad, and cut up fruit ahead of time. I love being able to open the fridge and have options ready to go.

 

Snacks:

-fill a mason jar with 1 cup plain greek yogurt, 1/4 cup sliced fruit, and drizzle with honey

-cut celery and fill with almond butter

-fill a container with hard boiled eggs

-fill snack bags with almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts etc. for easy grab and go snacks

-make protein balls and store in fridge for easy snacking

-fill snack bags with carrots and celery slices

-keep left overs from dinner in containers to grab as a snack

 

These are some of my favorite meals to make ahead of time, but there are so many more you can do. I typically pick a time during the week and make as many things as I can to store for later. I want my kids to have healthy options at their finger tips, so they don’t skip meals or eat poorly. If they have options ready to go, they will gladly eat them. I also like to provide healthy meals, even when I don’t have time to cook, so I make them before hand to save myself time.

Do you struggle with how to get started in eating better? Have you asked yourself, “What should I cut out first?”, or “Do I have to empty out my entire kitchen in order to get started?”. Trying to create better eating habits can be hard, especially if you don’t know where to start. The best way to start is simple. Let’s cut out a few things at a time, so you don’t feel overwhelmed or frustrated.

You might not want to hear this, but the first thing you should cut out is sugar. Yep! Sugar. You might not realize it, but you probably consume more sugar then your body should have. Women should consume no more then 25 grams (6 tsp) of sugar per day, and men should consume no more then 36 grams (9 tsp) of sugar per day. What does that look like? Well let’s see how much sugar is in some of our favorite foods.

Here is sample breakfast foods:

• 1 packet Maple Brown Sugar oatmeal- 13 grams of sugar
• Coffee with 1 TBSP french Vanilla coffee creamer- 5 grams of sugar
• 3/4 cup Honey Nut Cheerios- 9 grams of sugar
• Small Blueberry Muffin- 38 grams

Do you know anyone that has only 1 TBSP of coffee creamer or only 3/4 cup of cereal? I don’t. So the sugar content could be much higher depending on the serving size you have.

Here is a lunch sample:

• Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich- 18 grams of sugar
• 6 inch Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Subway sandwich- 16 grams of sugar
• Yoplait flavored yogurt- up to 26 grams of sugar

Here is a dinner sample:

• 1 1/2 cup pasta with tomato sauce- 16 grams of sugar
• Salad with 2 TBSP salad dressing- 6 grams of sugar (do you really only use 2 TBSp of salad dressing?)
• Grilled chicken with 2 TBSP BBQ sauce- 16 grams of sugar

Here is a dessert sample:

• 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream- 14 grams of sugar
• 3 small chocolate chip cookies- 33 grams of sugar
• 1 small brownie- 12.5 grams of sugar

 

What about drinks? This is where you really need to be careful. You don’t want to drink all your calories or sugar for the day.

1 Soda= 39 grams of sugar or 16 tsp

 

Do you see how easily you could be overdoing it on sugar just by what you drink?! If you cut out sugary drinks, you could easily drop weight pretty fast!

So now that you know this, let me give you a few ideas that you can substitute these drinks for.

• Sparkling flavored water (La Croix is a good one. They have tons of flavors)
• Hot Tea or coffee with 1 Stevia packet
• water infused with fruit

 

What about food choices? Are there other options out there with less sugar? Why yes there are!

Breakfast:

• Slow cooked oatmeal lightly drizzled with honey, topped with nuts or fruit
• 2 eggs, 1/4 avocado, 1 nitrate free sausage link
• Paleo pancakes (see previous blog post for recipe)

Lunch:

• Salad with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries, 1/2 hard boiled egg, 1/8 cup pumpkin seeds, lightly drizzled with lemon juice or olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• Protein shake with 1 cup ice, water, 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 scoop protein powder (Shakeology, Sun Warrior, or Nutiva)
• Tuna Sandwich: 1/2 can tuna, 1 tbsp plain greek yogurt, 2 slices Ezekiel Bread
• Baked sweet potato with avocado and cooked ground turkey meat

Dinner:

• Bunless Burger with lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion, banana peppers
• Roasted sweet potatoes drizzled with olive oil and seasoning
• Grilled chicken drizzled with olive oil and seasoned, salad (no salad dressing), side of veggies
• Steak (no steak sauce), veggies, salad (no dressing), roasted potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper

Dessert:

• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt drizzled lightly with honey, topped with 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1 apple, sliced and drizzled with cinnamon
• 1 frozen banana pureed in food processor with 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 tsp raw cacao powder
• Chocolate mug cake ( I have a blog post with this recipe)

 

There is a lot more you can do to improve your diet, but like I said, we are starting simple. Try swapping out a few of your high sugar items for a lower sugar version. It will be hard at first, ever hear of sugar addiction?, but it will be worth it! This is your health we are talking about after all. Our country is suffering from a lot of disease, chronic conditions, and the list goes on, and I truly feel that much of it could be solved by embracing a healthier diet. Obesity, diabetes, cancer, GI issues, and so on are on the rise. You don’t have to be one of those people affected by these conditions. Take control of your health. Start today! It is okay to start with small and simple changes. Just start!

Next we will tackle Carbs!!! Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love coming up from a good workout and making myself something to eat. I look forward to that meal everyday. I look forward to sitting down to my table with freshly brewed coffee and a warm meal.

Pancakes are one of my favorite meals, but I avoid gluten, so I needed a good paleo pancake recipe. I have tried several recipes, some better then others, but I like something simple. I don’t want to fuss with a lot of ingredients in the morning, so I created my own pancake recipe. Having fresh blueberries in this recipe is divine. There is nothing like a warm blueberry bursting in your mouth as you take a bite.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup almond flour Almond Meal / Flour, Natural Unblanched by Anthony’s, 5 Pounds (5lb), Batch Tested Gluten Free

3 tbsp coconut flour Organic Coconut Flour (4 lb) by Anthony’s, Certified Gluten-Free, Non-GMO

2 eggs

1/2 mashed banana

1 tbsp almond butter

1/4 cup almond or coconut milk

Cinnamon to taste

Handful of blueberries

Directions:

1. Place 1/2 banana in a mixing bowl and mush it up. Add almond butter.
2. Add all other ingredients, except blueberries,  and mix well.
3. Once everything is mixed, add the blueberries.
4. The mixture should be a little lumpy and moist.
5. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto a well greased griddle or cook over the stove top in a pan lightly coated with coconut oil.
6. Cook on medium heat about 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned.

This recipe made 12 pancakes. You can keep any left overs in the fridge for a few days. I love these as a mid afternoon snack too!

Chicken nuggets are almost every child’s favorite meal. I loved getting them as a kid. I will admit it was mostly from Mc Donald’s or out of a store bought bag back then. I am not sure there was even chicken in them, but I loved them. Did anyone else love chicken nuggets as a kid?

If we are being honest, I still love them, but I won’t eat them from a fast food restaurant or out of a store bought bag. I have changed my standards when it comes to food quite a bit since my childhood days. I view food completely differently now and look for the healthiest option, with the least amount of ingredients as I can. But, I also don’t want to give up every food I love, so I find ways to make my own version.

Here is a recipe for homemade chicken nuggets. There are only 3 ingredients, and I think they taste just as good as the ones I remember as a kid. And the bonus is that I know what all of the ingredients are, and I can pronounce them.

Ingredients:

2 uncooked thawed chicken breasts (preferably organic)

2 cooked sweet potatoes, skin removed (organic if possible)

1/2 cup almond flour

seasoning to taste (I used Flavor God Everything seasoning)

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking pan with parchment paper or tin foil.

Place raw chicken breasts in a food processor or blender and puree.

Next add the cooked sweet potato to the food processor and puree.

Combine the pureed chicken and sweet potatoes in a medium size mixing bowl. Stir well, until they are combined.

Form the mixture into nuggets any size you like. I did a mixture of small nuggets and larger ones.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the almond flour and seasoning of your choice.

Roll each nugget in the almond flour mixture until well coated.

Place each coated nugget on a lined baking pan. I lined my baking pan with tin foil.

Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Do not over cook or they become dry.

You can serve these right away. They made about 24 nuggets. If you have left overs, you can freeze them for another time too. We ate all of ours, so there were no left overs. Oh well!

 

 

 

Hi Friends!

I have a fun desert to share with you. Who doesn’t love having something sweet on hand? I do! Sometimes I just want something chocolate but also healthy. Here is a great recipe that accomplishes that! I don’t know the nutritional value. Sorry! It made 14 mini cups.

You can great creative with this recipe too and add other things. Perhaps cinnamon sprinkled on top? Let me know if you come up with a great add on.

Ingredients:

1 Dark Chocolate bar 72% or higher cacao

1 TBSP canned coconut milk

Peanut butter or almond butter

1 cup greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)

Flavor God Chocolate Donut seasoning. (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Over low heat, melt chocolate bar and canned coconut milk. Stir occasionally.
2. Once chocolate is melted, add a thin layer to a small muffin tin. I recommend lining your muffin tin with muffin cups.
3. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes, or until chocolate hardens.
4. Remove pan from freezer. Add a thin layer of peanut butter or almond butter on top of chocolate. I did some PB and some almond butter.
5. Add a thin layer of yogurt on top of peanut butter. I used a coconut flavored yogurt.
6. Sprinkle chocolate donut seasoning on top.(optional)
7. Place in the freezer for one hour.
8. Enjoy as a tasty dessert!

 

 

It is almost Thanksgiving! Can you believe how fast time is flying by?

Since Thanksgiving is a time that includes lots of EATING, I thought I would share a healthy alternative to a favorite Thanksgiving Day side dish. I love sweet potatoes (many of you know this), but I don’t like them loaded with sugar and marshmallows. It bothers my stomach, and I would rather have my sugar intake be in a dessert then a side dish. Anyone agree?

Sweet potato casserole is often full of brown sugar, heavy cream, and marshmallows, but it can be just as delicious without those ingredients. It is still high in carbs, but it’s Thanksgiving, what isn’t high in carbs? Try this recipe out, if you want to provide a healthier side dish to enjoy this Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

4-5 large sweet potatoes

1 cup vanilla almond milk

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning (I used Flavor God)

For the Topping:

1 1/3 cup gluten free rolled oats

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

5 tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tbsp maple syrup (not the fake kind)

Directions:

1. Boil sweet potatoes until soft (mine took about 20 minutes)
2. Place in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients
3. mix with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until well mixed.
4. Transfer to a 9×13 baking dish. Use a rubber spatula to smooth out.
5. In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients. Mix until most and evenly mixed.
6. Sprinkle on top of Sweet potatoes.
7. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until the topping is toasted and the sweet potatoes are warmed through. Serve warm.

*I adapted this recipe from “Well Plated”.

It should be creamy with texture.

The topping ingredients should be well mixed.

 

Can you believe that it is already November?! That means that the holidays are right around the corner, literally! Thanksgiving is the first one up, and as we all know, it is a holiday that is all about eating. Did you know that the average calorie consumption is around 4,500 and 229g of fat for Thanksgiving. Yikes!

What can you do to avoid gaining weight during this season? There are actually a few things that will make it easier to keep your weight in check, while still enjoying your favorite holiday foods.

1. Eat a good breakfast before the festivities begin. Try to eat a meal high in protein and fiber that will keep you full for a while, so you don’t eat everything in sight when you walk in the door. My favorite is 2 eggs, slice of avocado, and sweet potato hash browns.
2. Watch out for the appetizers. This is where we can consume a lot of calories, before we have even eaten dinner. Avoid chips and dip, cheese sauces, crackers, etc… Instead reach for veggies, such as, carrots and broccoli with a little hummus or greek yogurt.
3. Pick a smaller plate. When we have a large plate, we feel the need to fill every inch of it. Another trick is to fill half the plate with salad, but with out for salad dressing. It can be loaded in fat and calories. Instead use balsamic vinegar or a fresh squeezed lemon.
4. Sample your favorites rather then loading up on them. If you love mashed potatoes, then have some, but only have a small amount. The same with any of your other favorite dishes. Take a small serving size of the dishes you love, but don’t glop it on.
5. Get a better bird. Find a recipe that is flavorful without adding gravy, cranberry sauce, or stuffing. If you don’t enjoy turkey without covering it in sauces, then consider choosing a different protein, such as ham or chicken.
6. Start a new tradition. If you are hosting, offer healthy side dishes or desserts, or ask guests to bring a healthy dish. Try recipes that don’t require heavy sauces or sugar, such as, sweet potatoes without brown sugar and marshmallows.
7. Watch your alcohol consumption. Too many drinks can lead to a lot of calories. It can also cause you to mindlessly eat.
8. Forgive yourself! If you overeat, don’t fret. Instead of stressing about the food you ate, go take a walk, or play an active game (football, twister, interactive Xbox). Be creative.
9. Remember why you are there. Have conversations with loved ones, play games, be in the moment. You don’t need to eat all day to have fun.

*Most of these came from Beach Body’s website or my own ideas.

Hi Friends!

I have a fun little recipe to share with you today! I love Chia Seed Pudding! It is easy to make and can have many fun flavor variations. I enjoy having it for dessert, a snack or breakfast.

You will only need a few ingredients and can change it up with whatever flavor you like. My favorite is Maple Nut. I have also made chocolate peanut butter, banana and cinnamon, and tropical delight (banana, and shredded coconut). The options are endless.

 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chia seeds

1 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon chopped pecans

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a glass mason jar.
2. Stir or give it a food shake (with the lid on of course)
3. Place in fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
4. Stir and enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 206

Fat: 14g

Carbs: 20.3g

Protein: 4.6g

Sugar: 8g

 

• Recipe adapted from Food Matters

When people start new workout programs, they often hope to see a huge weight loss right away. Why wouldn’t they? They started working out to lose weight most likely. They take their measurements, right down their starting weight, maybe take a “before” picture, and start their new program. This all sounds good so far, right?

A week or two passes and they are hoping that when they step on the scale, they will see at least 5 pounds gone. Sometimes it happens that way, but most of the time it doesn’t. Why? If they have cut their calories back and started burning calories through exercise, why wouldn’t they see a dramatic weight loss right away? Well, it’s tricky! There are a lot of things that go into what the scale says.

1. What time of the day did they weigh themselves?
2. What did they eat or drink before they stepped on the scale?
3. When was their last bowl movement?
4. Are they well hydrated?
5. What type of foods have they been eating?
6. What type of workout have they been doing (like adding weight training)?

These are a few examples of things that can affect the scale. The scale can be a wonderful tool to help you monitor progress, but it can also be a hindrance if you put too much “weight” into what it says. It can be defeating and your enemy. I think pictures or the mirror are a better option.

If you have started a new workout program, congrats!!! You are moving in the right direction, but don’t expect overnight results. Losing weight is a process that can take time. And, it’s not just about losing weight but also re-shaping your body and improving your health.

If you have started a program that incorporates weight training, you may be losing fat and adding muscle, without the scale moving much. It might seem like you haven’t lost much weight, but you have made changes to the shape of your body. We don’t want to just lose weight; we want to lose FAT! Adding muscle is a great way to do that. It can literally change the shape of your body. Why? Muscle takes up less space then fat. It doesn’t weigh more then fat; 5 pound of fat weighs the same as 5 pounds of muscle. You can see from the picture below how much smaller 5 pounds of muscle is. If you have lost 5 pounds, look how much fat that is!

Here are a few tips for getting leaner:

1. Drink plenty of water
2. Eat lean protein
3. Get plenty of sleep
4. Eat plenty of leafy greens
5. Eat more healthy fats like fish, nuts, coconut oil and avocados
6. Lift weights or do resistance training
7. Don’t forget cardio
8. Get rid of tempting “junk” food
9. Know your “why”. Make a goal and stick to it.

Never give up, even if the scale is not moving as fast as you want. We are looking for progress not perfection, and progress takes time. If you are eating right and exercising, your body will change.

I went through a time when I started lifting heavier weights and was disappointed that the scale was moving up! I wanted it to go down. I felt defeated and discouraged. I considered eliminating weight training from my workout program all together. Bad idea! After I got out of my funk, I realized that I was allowing the scale to dictate the way I felt. My clothes fit better, so why was I allowing the scale to affect me? Human nature, I guess. We like the idea of a small number on the scale. Ultimately, I want to be strong and healthy; not skinny and weak, so I stopped using the scale for a while and focused on how I looked and felt. My mindset totally shifted, and I came to realize that what I weigh was not as important as how I felt. I was adding muscle, and I was going to embrace that. So don’t be discouraged friends; keep at it and your body will change for the better.

Who doesn’t love pancakes? Especially when they are warm right off the griddle! For those of us who try to eat Paleo or avoid gluten, we need a good option for making them, right? Well, I found a recipe that I love from Juli Bauer’s cookbook, but of course I modified it a bit. I tend to do that a lot.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of sea salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup vanilla almond milk ( I use Califa Farms)

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 scoop vanilla protein powder or 1 scoop vital protein collagen (flavorless one)

1/4 cup chopped pecans

 

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients well.
2. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto hot greased griddle or pan.
3. I cook mine at 300 on a griddle.
4. Flip pancakes once bubbles appear.
5. Top with maple syrup and enjoy!

You can also make these pancakes into egg sandwiches! So delicious! I put 2 scrambled eggs in between 2 pancakes with 1 sausage and presto!, you have a lovely pancake sandwich. I use Billinski’s sausage, because it has no nitrates or antibiotics.

Happy eating friends!