Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes

I've been trying to get as much nourishment out of my calories as possible. I know that Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes are two super foods, full of almost everything we'll need for our day. Last week I bought a pack of blackbean burgers from Costco, put guacamole & diced tomatoes on top and made sweet potato fries. Make them yourself,,,so easy & you don't get all that extra sodium. I dice the potato into circles, short way, then chop those into fries. I use 2 sweet potatoes. I put 1/4 cup coconut on bottom of cookie sheet, sprinkle original mrs dash on bottom of cookie sheet. Cook at 450 degrees for 40 min. Stir fries around at 20 min.

Brussels sprouts I cut in half, put in ziplock with tbls of coconut oil and original mrs dash shake it up. Cook at 400 degrees for 20 min. This helps my craving for fries. I can them with ground turkey with avocado and rice. I also eat it with ground turkey and spaghetti. It tastes great with grilled chicken. So yummy & sooooooo good for you!  Can sub olive oil for coconut oil on both recipes.

New week, new recipes!

I have had a terrible week, eating wise. We went out of town & ate bad, then we had a get together this weekend and are terrible. BUT, this weeks a new week & I'm going to get right back on track!!!  We all have bad weeks, it's ok. Don't beat yourself up!  Start again this week!

I have found two super good recipes. I hope you enjoy!

Cheesy BBQ chicken.

3 chicken breasts
1/2 oz shredded Gouda cheese
1/2 oz mozzarella cheese
2 tbls BBQ sauce (I'll admit, I used a bit more)
1/4 cup of red onion, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Lightly pound chicken between parchment paper until thin
Rub chicken in BBQ sauce
Place cheeses, red onion, and cilantro in middle of chicken, roll it up with chicken, place tooth picks in chicken to hold it in place. Cook for 20-25 min!

Cheese Mac & cheese,,,credit withpeanutbutterontop.blogspot.com

 2 1/4 cup whole grain medium shells, or pasta of choice

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

3/4  cup 0% plain Greek yogurt

2 cups Go Veggie Cheddar Shreds, or cheese of choice*

Salt & pepper, to taste

1 small head of cauliflower

1 cup baby spinach

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Chicken:

(1) 8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. onion powder

Salt &  pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Garnishment:

1/2 cup  Go Veggie Cheddar Shreds, or cheese of choice

Dash of dried basil

Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a Ziploc bag, combine the chicken, oil, lemon juice & seasonings. Close and toss to coat the chicken breast evenly. Place bag into the fridge to marinate for 30-60 minutes.

 Cook the pasta according to the package, until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, cut the cauliflower into small florets and steam until they have softened. Place a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once heated, spray with non-stick cooking spray, add the chicken breast and season it with a pinch of smoked paprika, salt, and garlic powder. Cover the chicken with a lid and allow the chicken breast to cook through, flipping every 3-4 minutes. When cooked, set aside and allow to cool before dicing.

 Once the pasta is cooked, save 1/4 cup of the pasta water & strain the rest. Place the pasta back into the pot with the baby spinach, stir, and cover to allow the spinach to wilt.  In a mixing bowl combine the pasta water, Greek yogurt, almond milk, cheese, and seasonings. Once mixed, add in the cooked cauliflower and transfer the yogurt cheese mixture to the pot of pasta and stir well.

Spray a medium baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop the pasta mixture into the dish, spread evenly, and garnish with cheese, seasonings, & diced chicken. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted. If you prefer- set the oven to broil on high for just 15-30 seconds to crisp the top. Be sure to watch to prevent burning!  Enjoy!

*Don't feel as though you need to use this cheese. This is just the cheese that I use. Swap for any cheddar cheese you prefer.

Let's talk water!!!

This is soooooo important I can't believe I haven't addressed it yet. You need to drink water!!!  If you are inactive drink 1/2 gallon or more. If you are active get in a gallon!  It's summer time now too, so make sure you're staying hydrated!  Add lemon drops it helps cleanse body & makes it taste better!  Water serves more functions than just hydration:

Cleansing
Digestion aide
Helps alleviate joint pain

And so many more I can't think of right now!

I have seen ppl get a gallon jug they have to finish each day, I use a 32 oz jug & I keep track of how many times I fill up & it goes with me everywhere!  Drink up!!!

We'll call this week 3

Mon, tues, wed,  lunch--the chicken maranaide from my last post. 4oz with 1/2 cup of rice & broccoli.

                            Dinner--grnd turkey medley.

Thur, Friday--lunch, grn beef bean salad.
                       Dinner--turkey bacon/avacado wraps

Recipes--just a note, if you are reading this blog from a mobile, click view web version at the bottom in order to see sidebar notes. I detail portion size & when to eat what in more detail.

Ground turkey medley

Brown 1 lb of grnd turkey season with mrs dash original blend
Add a can of corn & a can of grn beans.

I try to never use canned food, and when I do I either use cans that have used sea salt OR the low sodium option. Try to keep sodium intake under 1000 mg a day!!!

Ground beef bean salad.

Soak 1/2 cup of black beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans in water overnight.
Brown extra lean ground beef (Costco!!!)
Add ground beef & beans to crockpot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours
When it's done cooking add 1 can of corn.

Top with lettuce, chopped raw spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, 1 oz of motz cheese.  I always add a tiny bit of low fat Catalina dressing.

My kids LOVE this one so I always make extra and freeze to take out on those nights when there's nothing to eat & I don't want to cook.

My kids add Fritos, but resist the urge to add to yours!  It's good on its own!!!

Turkey bacon avacado wrap credit--@deliciouslyfitnhealthy on Instagram. She has a blog too which you should visit for clean desserts & yummy dinners. Deliciouslyfitnhealthy.blogspot.com

I used my half n half tortillas I love right now. Fried up some turkey bacon. Made some avacado (avacado smushed?!?  Haha!, cilantro, red onion, lemon juice pepper. Fried tortilla until crisp & throw it all on the tortilla I made 2 because the tortillas are small. Yummy.

Few new recipes,,,experiments gone well.

I've tried a few new recipes this week. I picked up a pretty low sodium, low calorie maranaide from Costco and covered 5 pieces of chicken with it in crockpot & served with rice. You can do this with any maranaide. AJ's has some good looking low calorie maranaides.

I also maranaided chicken in a coconut balsamic oil overnight. I simmered the balsamic & tbls of honey in pan then cooked the chicken in it for 25 min or until brown. I served this with sautéed spinach & brn rice.

Last was simple & yummy. I used the 1/2 corn 1/2 wheat tortillas I'm currently addicted to. I put them on the burner added 1 large tbls of refried beans & 1 oz of cheese. I added the salsa crockpot chicken i make (the recipe is on wk 2 I believe) I cooked the tortilla until it was harder like a tostado. I took it off and added red onion, tomatoes, avacado & salsa. So yummy & very filling.

Once you know the basic meal plan, you can start experimenting & creating your old fave recipes in a healthier way!  Let me know of any of your experiments gone right!!!

What I eat!

I wanted to give a lay out of what I ate Monday & Tuesday so you could get a feel for what I do normally.

Monday I went to the gym & worked shoulders & did 30 min cardio. So it was a low carb day.

Meal 1--4:30am--1 banana, tbls of peanut butter, 6:00am got hm from gym had protien shake you can combine this together if you want.

Meal 2--8:00am--i mixed it up because the hubs was complaining about same old thing for breakfast.
2 egg whites 4oz steak 1 piece of Ezekiel toast (find at sprouts--gluten free bread).

Meal 3--11:00am--apples & tsp of pb & protien shake.

Meal 4--2:00pm--healthy chicken parm with rice pasta & broccoli.

Meal 5--5:00pm--4oz grnd turkey, 1/4 cup brn rice, broccoli, 1/4 of an avacado, pepper & sea salt.

Meal 6--8:00pm--protien shake.

You can mix this order up & if you wake up later, you'd just have you last meal later.

Tuesday I had an amazing leg day at the gym. I was hungry ALL day after that. So it was a high carb day.

Meal 1--4:00am--banana with pb, protien shake when I got hm at 6:00

Meal2--8:00am--4 egg whites 2 slices of Ezekiel toast

Meal 3--11:00am--1/2 cup oatmeal, chocolate chip cookie dough peanut butter. Sprouts & AJ's have great pb flavors that help me with my sweet tooth.

Meal 4--2:00pm--healthy chicken parm 1/2 cup rice pasta broccoli.

Meal 5--5:00pm--grnd turkey with 1/2 cup brn rice with 1/4 cup avacado & broccoli.

Meal 6--8:00pm--protien shake.


Note--I've been eating Ezekiel  toast this week. Oatmeal is best, but you can eat the toast. On a low carb day I'll only do 1/3 cup of oats.

Week 2

Menu--all my faves this week!
Monday & Tuesday lunch-- 4 oz healthy chicken parm with 1/2 cup rice pasta with squash
                                 Dinner--4 oz grnd turkey with 1/4 cup rice with broccoli

Wednesday lunch--sweet & spicy almond chicken with broccoli
                   Dinner--taco salad

Thursday & Friday lunch--turkey burger with sweet potato fries
                                Dinner--taco salad/grnd turkey with 1/4 cup rice & broccoli

Recipes
Healthy chicken parm
5 egg whites
5 chicken breast
1 1/2 cup almond slivers
1/4 cup Italian seasoning


Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Combone almond slivers & Italian seasoning in a bowl. Dip chicken in egg whites & then coat in almond mixture. Place on a baking sheet. Cook for 30-35 min. Serve over brn rice pasta & 2 tbls marinara sauce.

Sweet & spicy chicken credit withpeanutbutterontop.blogspot.com (my kids would eat this every night)

4-5 chicken breast
Cajun seasoning
Slivered almonds
Honey

I don't measure ingredients, but with the exception of the slivered almonds, I use all other ingredients sparingly. Honey is high in sugar & carbs, the seasoning is high in sodium. So use Just enough to taste.

Place chicken on baking sheet sprinkle Cajun seasoning on top. Pour on honey sparingly. Sprinkle almond slivers on top.

Bake at 375 for  30-35 min.

Taco salad. Cook 1 lb grnd turkey on stove top with 1/4 cup taco seasoning. Serve over spinach salad with tomatoes & grn onions. Salsa on top optional.

Turkey burgers--
 1 lb grnd turkey
1/2 onion
4-5 cloves garlic

Mix together and form into patties. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min.

Sweet potato fries

Pre heat 450 degrees

2 sweet large potatoes feed two adults for two days worth

I slice the sweet potatoes short way into circles, then slice into fries. I put about 1-2tbls of coconut oil melted on a baking sheet, go light or fries will be mushy. Sprinkle mrs dash onto baking sheet. Put the fries onto baking sheet. Bake fries for 25 minutes then scrape them around & turn over in baking sheet & cook about 25 min more or desired crispness. I like them crispy, so I usually broil for 5 minutes after baking.

This are some of my fave meals, enjoy!  See sidebar for how to plug into menu & serving amounts. If you are reading on a cell, click see web version at the bottom to view sidebar.

Week 1, good luck!

So every Sunday I write out a menu, my grocery bill has been lower & my pantry & fridge are cleaner because I buy only what I need. I buy mostly the same stuff every week, so it's simplified my life in that way alone. Grocery shopping for a family of six used to take the whole day visiting several stores, now I hit 3-4 stores & am in and out in 30 min or less.

I prepared all food on Monday & refrigerated so I could have it ready to pull out of fridge at just the right time. See basic meal plan in side bar to see where to plug in food!

Here was my menu last Sunday.

Monday & Tuesday--meal 4, chicken tacos. I buy mission corn & whole wheat blend tortillas. Note that corn tortillas are best, try staying away from whole wheat as much as possible.
                                 --Meal 5, turkey meatballs with brn rice pasta & 2tbls maranara sauce & veggie

Wednesdays-- meal 4, chicken sausage with brn rice & veggie
                    --meal 5,2 2 oz  turkey meatballs wih 1/4 cup brown rice pasta ( buy in gluten free section at Walmart or pasta aisle at sprouts. I over cook what the package says & stir frequently while cooking).  2tbls maranara sauce & veggie

Thursday & Friday--meal 4chicken stir fry, 1/2 cup brn rice & sautéed bell peppers
                               --Meal 5 chicken sausage wih 1/4 brn rice

Over weekend I'll with make chicken in crockpot or bake really quick or just make more of what I've eaten that week.

Recipe. Chicken tacos I cook 6 chicken breasts (I cook for myself & my husband & make a bit extra for my kids. You can scale recipe for what you'd need. Single person might need 2-3), 1/4 cup of salsa of choice & 1/4 cup taco seasoning in crockpot on low for 7-8 hrs. Shred chicken. I refrigerate chicken then make individual tacos on day of. Add spinach, tomatoes, and any fresh veggies. Keep sodium intake low, so I don't do a lot of canned.

Turkey meatballs--1 lb of grnd turkey
                               1/2 onion
                                4-5 cloves of garlic
                                 2 tbls Italian seasoning

Mix ingredients in bowl, form meatballs onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 35 min.
Freeze leftovers for another week!  Yay!

Chicken sausage I just buy already cooked at Costco & fry. Try finding one with lower sodium.

Chicken stir fry--I find liquid amino acids at sprouts. It is a soy sauce substitute & is low in sodium. Very yummy. Satisfies my salt craving. I sautée chicken in this sauce (if you'll eat this two days, 8 oz) cut in chunks in that for 15 min, then add 3 chopped bell peppers (again cooking for 1 person you might need to scale amount).  Sautée bell peppers with chicken for last 5 minutes. Can add salt free peanuts.

I'm not good with recipes, when I cook I throw stuff in. Feel free to ask questions in comments.