Showing posts with label clean recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clean recipes. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Healthy Superbowl Chow Down


Superbowl Sunday...another day where everyone indulges in way to much food and drink! I love Superbowl Sunday regardless of my team (GO PACK) is in it or not. There is so much to enjoy family, friends, commercials, half-time show, and oh yea I guess a game :) 

I wanted to share some healthy alternatives to bring with you on Superbowl Sunday, you get the same great taste and flavors without overdoing it or getting off track! For some, you just started your health/fitness journey and this may be the first real test, bring something with you that you know you can have so you can enjoy eating like everyone else but ruining all your hard work!! 

1: Clean Buffalo Chicken Dip
                                            
    Ingredients:
(Large party batch)
- 2 cups plain greek yogurt
- 2 cans shredded chicken 
- 1 cup shredded cheese

- 1/2 cup hot sauce
*Mix the ingredients together in large bowl then place in baking dish. Place in the oven for 30 min at 375. Stir ingredients often while baking.

When enjoying this dish I use veggies for dipping or whole grain cracker/chips. This recipe is also great to make for a dinner and have buffalo chicken wraps. Use whole grain tortillas when serving wraps! Watch out this stuff is addicting!




2: Spicy Cauliflower Bites
   I love buffalo wings and this was a great alternative for that!! 


Directions for cauliflower:

-preheat oven to 350 F
-coat baking pan with non-stick spray
-place cauliflower florets on baking pan. Lightly spray with olive oil and sprinkle salt. 
-bake for 20 minutes or until tender-crisp. 

Directions for sauce:
-combine 1/2 cup hot sauce, 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 1 tbsp cornstarch (Gmo free). Mix in medium sauce pan until cornstarch is dissolved. 
-add to hot sauce mixture: 2 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp pure maple syrup, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp organic grass-fed butter, sprinkle salt. Whisk to blend. 
-heat mixture on stove stirring frequently for 10 minutes or until thickened. Set aside.

Spicy cauliflower bites: 
pour hot sauce mixture and cooked cauliflower in a bowl together. Covering the cauliflower. 
place back on baking sheet and cook for 5 minutes. 

3: Homemade Guacamole

Ingredients:
-3/4 large avocados (really depends on how many people you will serve)
-1/2 onion chopped
-1/2 tomato chopped
-1 tsp sea salt
-chips or veggies for serving

Directions:
-slice avocados, scoop out with spoon, then mash in large serving bowl with fork
-add onion, tomato, and sea salt
That is all!! For an amazing appetizer!!

4: Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:
-Nonstick cooking spray
-1 1/2 lbs. raw 93% lean ground turkey  breast
-1 tsp. sea salt
-1 tsp. dry mustard
-1 tsp. smoked paprika
-1 large egg, lightly beaten
-3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used minced garlic)
-12 fresh parsley springs, finely chopped
-2 Tbsp. tomato sauce, no sugar added

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
-Lightly coat large baking sheet with spray and set aside.
-Combine turkey, salt, mustard, paprika, egg, oats, garlic, parsley, and tomato sauce in a large bowl and mix well by hand.  
-Roll mixture into 30 1-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
-Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are no longer pink in the middle. 

5: Veggie Pizzas
Ingredients:
-8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
-1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
-1 package powdered Ranch dressing mix (greek yogurt)
-2 (8 oz) cans of  organic crescent rolls (Annie's or Immaculate)
-1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
-1 cup fresh red pepper, chopped
-4 green onions, chopped
-1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350°F.
-Place cream cheese, yogurt, and Ranch dressing mix in a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat on medium until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
-Remove crescent rolls from the cans and roll out in one big piece onto a large, greased cookie sheet. Pinch seams together, if needed. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
-Spread cream cheese mixture onto cooled crust. Top with cheese and veggies.
-Use a pizza cutter or large knife to cut into squares. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator in airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.


6: Artichoke Dip
Ingredients:
-4 ounce cream cheese
-1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
-10 ounce jar marinated artichokes quarters, drained and chopped
-1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375 F
-Use hand mixer, Blend together cream cheese, Greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, and garlic
-Add spinach and chopped artichoke hearts to the cheese mixture
-Transfer the mixture to a small baking dishing and top with the shredded mozzarella cheese
-Bake in the oven until the cheese is bubbling and to brown. 20-30 minutes


7: Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 tsp baking soda- gluten free
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg whites (1/4 cup)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
- Combine almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well.
- Combine coconut oil and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl. Beat for 4-5 minutes or until creamy.
- Add egg, egg whites, and extract; beat for an additional 2 minutes. 
- Add almond flour mixture and chocolate chips to egg mixture; mix until blended.
- Drop mixtures onto parchment paper (rounded tbsp), use a spatula to flatten cookies if traditional cookie appearance is desired. 
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown.




Friday, November 20, 2015

No Holiday Weight Gain- Survival Guide


November and December are survival mode for most aspects of our life. We are busy with our normal day-to-day activities but this time of the year we add on so much with holiday parties, shopping, family gatherings, and more. This is also the time of year where excuses come in to play big time and we don't make time for our health or we say we don't have the money to eat healthy. 

This is where I call BS..yes I said it!! If you really want to get healthy then the time of year doesn't matter. It is all about YOU. It is about your will and want to change. If you want to get healthy then you will start no matter what is happening in your life. You can be successful at this time of year and still enjoy all those Holiday festivities you don't want to miss out on.

How to be successful during the Holiday season:

1) Strong-emotional connection to your WHY. What sucks in your life that you want to change.  Some examples related to health are your always tired, hate how your clothes fit, can't play with your kids like you want to, etc. What will getting healthy allow you to do in the future that you can't do now. You have to have strong WHY to start this journey because when the days get tough, if your not connected to why you want to get healthy then it is easy to throw in the towel. 

2) Sacrifice- If you are unhappy with how things are going in your life then you have to change. You have to choose to change things in your life and sacrifice to get you to where you want to go. It is going to take day in and day out work. Things that are worth having don't come easy. Giving up instant gratification for that slice of pizza, soda, candy bar, or drinks requires sacrifice, think about goals and where you want to be. Worth you waking up every day and feeling confident, energized, feeling that you are living a life accomplished, strong. Giving up instant gratification to change your life, not only effects you but changes the lives of the others around you. You can choose to miserable/unhappy for the rest of your life or sacrifice a few things to get to where you want to be, the choice is yours!


3) Support- Having others in your family, friend group, or online that are going through it with help you so much. Having other like minded individuals around you and supporting you helps you stay focused and committed. When have somewhere to check in to and share your successes and struggles it makes it easier to do day after day!

4) Plan- Have your meal plan complete for the week, if you have parties planned that week make sure to include that in your meal plan. Bring an appetizer or dish to the event that you can have so you can enjoy something while mingling. If dessert is your weakness, make a healthy dessert. Having a plan will allow you to be successful.

5) Moderation- This is KEY to not gaining weight over the Holidays. This is a lifestyle, I always allow myself one cheat meal or food for the week, every week! Then you don't feel deprived or the urge to just binge eat any and everything! So over the Holidays I am picking Thanksgiving day and Christmas Eve as my cheat meal days. I will indulge in all my favorites and not feel guilty about it, why? Because no other day will I over do it. I will get right back on track the next day. Pick the most important day, meal or party that you want to enjoy and ENJOY it!! The other days, stick your plan!!

I am on a mission this Holiday season to not gain any weight and I want to help others do the same!! I want to help others make a plan, stay accountable, and motivated throughout this busy season!

Ask yourself this. Do you want to end 2015 better than it started?! Do you want to ROCK that Christmas or New Years outfit you have your eye on?! Do you have 2015 resolution that never happened and you say will start in 2016?! If you answered yes to any of these questions then I am your girl! 
You can start NOW and be that much closer to your goals! 

Let's make a plan together and end this year better than we started! I am going to run a 30 day Holiday Survival group starting on November 30th and running until the end of the year! 

The private online group will consist of:
* meal planning
* grocery shopping tips
* meal/recipe ideas for those Holiday parties
* how to stay on track when traveling
* support
* accountability
* daily motivation

If you are ready to make a change and not be average. Then this is your sign. Fill out the application below or email me to get started!!

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Turkey Meatballs






One of our favorite dinner recipes that the whole family loves! These are easy to make and great to have as leftovers throughout the week. This recipe is 21 day fix approved and clean! For the 21 day fix or fix extreme you can eat 5 meatballs for 1 protein (red) serving and 1/2 (carb) yellow serving.

Turkey Meatball Recipe:



Ingredients:
* Nonstick cooking spray
* 1 1/2 lbs. raw 93% lean ground turkey  breast
* 1 tsp. sea salt
* 1 tsp. dry mustard
* 1 tsp. smoked paprika
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used minced garlic)
* 12 fresh parsley springs, finely chopped
* 2 Tbsp. tomato sauce, no sugar added


Directions:
*Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
*Lightly coat large baking sheet with spray and set aside.
*Combine turkey, salt, mustard, paprika, egg, oats, garlic, parsley, and tomato sauce in a large bowl and mix well by hand.  
*Roll mixture into 30 1-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
*Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are no longer pink in the middle. 





If wanting spaghetti and meatballs make sure to use whole grain noodles. These can also be easily stored in the freezer for future use! Enjoy!


Friday, May 22, 2015

Clean Buffalo Chicken Dip

One of my favorite things is a family/friend get together...and with that comes ALL the food! As the summer approaches and outdoor gatherings happen often, we both know that you can't avoid all of these gatherings. Living a healthier lifestyle does not mean you have to deprive yourself of things you love or really enjoy. You can have these things in moderation. Choose what is most important to you and the rest of the time stick to your meal plan. My rule I try to follow is to have 1 cheat meal not a whole day. This way you are not feeling guilty for the entire day rather you enjoyed the one thing you wanted most!

When attending a gathering I always try to bring an appetizer that is clean as well as a dish. This way I know there are 2 things at that party that I can have without getting off track. Today I am going to share a party favorite and my "go to" appetizer! Before I found the clean recipe the buffalo chicken dip recipe called for sour cream and ranch dressing, two items that are not clean. I wanted to try and find a healthy version to make since this is one of favorite party snacks! Here is the recipe, enjoy!


Clean Buffalo Chicken

Ingredients:
(Large party batch)
- 2 cups plain greek yogurt
- 2 cans shredded chicken 
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
*Mix the ingredients together in large bowl then place in baking dish. Place in the oven for 30 min at 375. Stir ingredients often while baking.

(Individual fix serving)
- 6 tbsp plain greek yogurt (1/2 red container)
- 6 tbsp shredded chicken (1/2 red container)
- 3 tbsp shredded cheese (1/2 blue container)
- hot sauce
*Mix the ingredients together in bowl then place in baking dish. Place in the oven for 15 min at 375.

When enjoying this dish I use veggies for dipping or whole grain cracker/chips. This recipe is also great to make for a dinner and have buffalo chicken wraps. Use whole grain tortillas when serving wraps! Watch out this stuff is addicting!