Breakfast on the Go: Egg Muffins

Most mornings are a huge rush, get ready, pack up, dress the kids (re-dress the kids)... You know the drill.. however breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It sets us up for healthy eating success the rest of the day, it kicks our metabolism into gear and tells our body that we are in charge and we are going to fuel it properly! 

With all that is going on in our crazy lives, how are we supposed to eat a nutritious breakfast when we are just trying to get out of the door on time? How do we properly fuel our body with a nice 1 to 1 ratio of protein and complex carbs? 

Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Mash

Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Mash is a fun and easy twist on a classic. Swapping out the potato and adding in cauliflower will save about 50 calories per every 100 grams as well as about 12g of carbs!

Make your own Zucchini Chips

Zucchini Chips are an easy, delicious and nutritious snack. They are super easy to make too. One medium zucchini is only 33 calories, has 2.4 grams of protein, 2g of fiber and are rich in Vitamin A and C! If you are focusing on eating clean this is the perfect snack when you are craving something with a crunch.

Oven Baked Chicken Fingers with Double Dipping Sauce

Oven baked chicken fingers with buffalo dipping sauce and honey mustard dipping sauce is super easy, can be made in 30 minutes and is a crowd pleaser. You can pair the chicken fingers with oven baked french fries as shown above or make Sweet Potato Fries as a healthier option.

24 Day Challenge: Clean Eating Sample Menu, Part 2

 

Day 8 of the 24 Day Challenge and I am feeling awesome!! Sometimes you don't even realize how tired you are when tired is your norm. It is like sitting outside on a beautiful spring evening reading your favorite book. As the sun begins to set, your eyes adjust and you continue reading in the dim light. It isn't until someone else joins you outside and says "how are you able to still read when it is almost dark out," that you realize how low the sun has set in the sky. For so many of us we have adjusted to the dim light. We go through the day on our hamster wheel not realizing that the light is no longer on. Well, my light is back on, I am seeing clearly, I have energy and focus! Thank goodness for the Challenge!

 

Now that you are ready to turn your light back on...Start your day with some fresh green juice. My favorite combination is Kale, Cucumber, Parsley and Pear. On the side (or as a snack later in the day) have a lean and clean PB and Banana snack.

 

Mid-morning enjoy a twist on the childhood favorite "Ants on a Log" You can make this kids classic into a sophisticated adult treat by making it with almond butter and dried cranberries (sweetened with fruit juice)

 

For lunch try Tuna with a Twist! In a food processor, blend a can of tuna with an avocado and 1 tbs of spicy brown mustard.

In the afternoon enjoy some yummy Summer Rolls. In order to make this 24 Day Challenge friendly switch out the rice wrappers for some yummy romaine lettuce leaves!

For dinner try Quinoa Taco Bowls. You can keep this challenge friendly by skipping the cheese and the greek yogurt. Check out Part 1 of my Clean Eating Sample Menu for more great ideas to keep it lean and clean!

Fish and Chips: A Clean Eating Recipe Twist

I am on day 6 of the 24 Day Challenge and I feel amazing. My energy has been restored, my sugar cravings are gone and my waistline is getting slimmer! I wanted to share a simple, healthy and delicious twist on the classic fish and chips. Pecan crusted tilapia with sweet potato chips and a side of spinach is under 400 calories and packs in 24 grams of protein!  This recipe is super simple, the best of the best when it comes to clean eating.

Ingredients:
3 tilapia filets
2 large sweet potatos
1.5 cups raw pecans
Italian seasoning blend (without salt)
2 cups of steamed spinach

Preheat the oven to 350. The sweet potato will need to cook about 40 min and the fish for 20 min.

Start by slicing your sweet potato. Place it in a gallon size plastic zipper bag, add in Italian seasoning to taste and shake. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray (this makes clean up soooo much easier). Place the sweet potato slices in a single layer on the cookie sheet. (Save the plastic bag to use with the fish.)

While the sweet potato is starting to cook in the oven you can prep the fish. Put the pecans in a food processor and pulse until they are the consistency of bread crumbs. Place the pecans and tilapia in the plastic bag and shake to evenly coat the fish. The fish will then go in a baking pan (I like to use foil and cooking spray here as well). If the fish has any spots not covered in pecan you can take what is left in the bag and press it on to the bald spots.

After the sweet potato has been cooking for 20 minutes you can add the fish to the oven for the remaining 20 minutes. Serve with a side of steamed spinach and you have a delicious and nutritious clean eating meal!

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

 

Are you ready for a super easy recipe in your slow cooker? BBQ chicken in the crock pot only requires three ingredients and less than 5 minutes of your time!!

Ingredients:
2 cans pinto beans
24 oz BBQ Sauce
4 Chicken Breasts

Start by placing your chicken in the crock pot (I put mine in still frozen). Rinse and drain the pinto beans and put them in the crock pot. Finally cover everything with the BBQ sauce! That is it!

Set your slow cooker to low and walk away. I let mine cook for 8 hours. This recipe creates delicious baked beans and chicken that falls apart with the touch of your fork!

Fiesta Chicken in the Crock Pot

With time at a premium I find myself relying on my trusty crock pot. Throw in a few ingredients and when you get home from work, dinner is served. I love this super easy crock pot meal, it has a ton of flavor is high in protein and fiber and low in fat!

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1 cup salsa (choose a low sodium version)
1/4 cup cilantro
1 lime (juice)
1 can chopped tomatos
1 can black beans
1 can of corn (optional, leave out if on 24 Day Challenge)
1 tbs each of cumin, paprika, garlic powder

Layer all of the ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.

Serve over brown rice, in a lettuce wrap or a brown rice tortilla. You can also top it with sliced avacado, some shredded cheese and greek yogurt (as a sour cream substitute). (If you are on the 24 Day Challenge, skip the cheese and greek yogurt)

Enjoy!

Black Bean Brownies

 

Yes, you read that correctly.... Black Bean Brownies!!

When sweet cravings get the best of you it is always nice to have something to fall back on that won't knock you off the wagon. This recipe packs in over 60 grams of protein and melts in your mouth like the ultimate cheat meal, without the guilt!  

 

Fudgy black bean brownie goodness. That really is the only way to describe this decadent, gluten free dessert.

Summer Rolls

Looking for a light snack, a refreshing appetizer or a fun side dish? Try this quick and easy DIY Summer Roll recipe.

Ingredients:

Mango

Avacado

Jicama

Cilantro

Mint

Lime

Shrimp

Rice Paper

Dual Dinner Part 2: Chili

Chili:
Mommy's Meat Sauce
2 tbs Cumin
2 tbs paprika
2 tbs chili powder
2 cans kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can corn (optional)

Dual Dinner Part 1: Mommy's Meat Sauce

My goal is to have a  nutritious dinner on the table every night. With 2 children under 3 years old, a full time desk job, a Dog Treat Company, Personal Training Clients and sharing my favorite nutrition supplements my time is at a premium. In order to make sure I meet my goal I plan our dinners a month in advance. I also try to create recipes that can be used for more than one meal. I like to call them "Dual Dinners". This dual dinner starts off as a meat sauce and then the next night the left overs are transformed into chili (which I will give you the details on in a future post)!

Mommy's Meat Sauce:
1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
32 oz tomato sauce
1 can chopped/diced tomato
2 bay leaves
2 tbs italian seasoning
1/2 cup chicken stock
1.25 lbs bison
1 tbs olive oil

Baked Brie with Apricot Filling

Tis the season for holiday parties and get-togethers. No one wants to show up empty handed but who has the time to make a gourmet dish for every event they attend? Well now you do! Here is a quick and easy appetizer (or dessert) that will have your friends and family calling on you to attend every party.

What you will need:
1 package frozen puff pastry sheets
1 8oz Brie round
Apricot filling
Sliced almonds
Rolling pin

 

Avoid the 3pm Snack Slump

How often do you hit your mid morning stride and there is a big brick wall between breakfast and lunch, or the dreaded 3pm slump where your energy levels start to drop. Grabbing a bag of chips seems so easy but you have been doing great with your healthy eating plan so you reach for a handful of almonds or grab the apple off your desk and wipe off the dust it has been building up because you have been avoiding eating the same boring snacks every day!

Don't get bored! Switch it up and have some fun with your snacks. Here is a fun healthy snack I whipped up and a few variations to help switch it up throughout the week.

Quinoa Taco Bowls with Fresh Guac

 

For Cinco de Mayo this year I wanted to make a clean version of tacos for dinner that are also 24 Day Challenge friendly. I created the Quinoa Taco Bowl! It was a big hit and next year when I am not pregnant I will be pairing it with Margarita Jello Shots!

Fake-Out Alfredo

If you grew up around yummy southern cooking, like whole milk, or use butter in everything, then this may not be the recipe for you. If you are like me and grew up drinking skim milk and eating 99% fat free ground turkey you may want to try this one out. 

Fake-Out Alfredo has 3 ingredients: 1/2 cup Cottage Cheese, 1 tsp Lemon Juice and Garlic Powder to taste.

Blend all three ingredients together (add in a tbs of milk if you are having trouble getting it to blend)

Then serve over pasta. For this recipe I used brown rice pasta. For another recipe with Fake-Out Alfredo check out no bake lasagna roll ups.