Tuscan Turkey and White Bean Skillet

Tuscan Turkey and White Bean Skillet 

Makes 6 servings 

Ingredients: 
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 pound turkey breast cutlets, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
2 teaspoons coconut oil, divided
1 can (about 15 ounces) no salt added navy beans or Great Northern beans, rinse and drained
1 can (about 14 ounces) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 

Preparation:
1. Combine 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, garlic salt and 1/4 teaspoon peppers in small bowl; mix well and sprinkle over turkey
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of turkey; cook 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through (165*F). Transfer to large platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and other half of turkey
3. Add beans, tomatoes, remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to same skillet. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. To serve; spoon bean mixture over and around turkey. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

21 Day Fix Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Love lasagna but looking for a cleaner, lighter version? This 21 day fix approved recipe is amazing!

Ingredients:

olive oil cooking spray [I use my EVOO]
1 lb of spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1/4 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 cups of homemade tomato sauce
1 cooked spaghetti squash (about 4 cups of squash)
2/3 cup of mozzarella cheese
1 T parmesan cheese
fresh basil
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Spray a pan with olive oil cooking spray, saute onion until soft. Add turkey sausage and brown until cooked through. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat.
2. Discard seeds from the squash and use a fork to remove your "spaghetti." To remove excess moisture from the squash, place it in a clean kitchen towel and give it a squeeze. Then season the squash with a little salt and pepper.
3. Stir an egg, parmesan cheese, and a sprinkle of pepper into the ricotta.
4. Preheat your oven to 375. Spray a casserole dish with a olive oil cooking spray and begin the layering process.
5. First, spoon about half of your sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish.
6. Next, add the cooked sausage. Layer spaghetti squash over the sausage then add the rest of the sauce and some fresh chopped basil.
7. Finally, top sauce with the ricotta cheese mixture and then add the shredded mozzarella.
8. Bake until cheese is melty and bubbly - about 15-20 mins. To brown the cheese, broil on low for 5-10 minutes at the end, but watch carefully. It sneaks up on you!
9. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes. If there is excess water at the bottom of your pan, you can carefully try to drain it out from the corner of the pan or serve with a slotted spoon.
10. Garnish with fresh basil before serving!

21 Day Fix Container Count: 1-1/2 RED, 1/2 BLUE, 1-1/4 GREEN

Hazelnut Coffee Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all-natural hazelnut butter
1 tsp. pure coffee extract
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
½ cup raw honey
1 cup Café Latte Shakeology

Note: If you can’t find hazelnut butter, you can make your own at home. If you can find hazelnuts with the skins removed, that will save you a step. We love this recipe from the Minimalist Baker; you can leave out the cinnamon in her recipe if it’s not your speed.

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; mix well with a spatula or clean hands.
Roll mixture into twenty four balls, each about 1-inch in size.
Flatten each slightly so that it is shaped like a traditional cookie.
Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 110
Total Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 1 mg
Sodium: 21 mg
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 6 g
Protein: 4 g

Containers: 1 Yellow; 1 tsp.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all-natural cashew (or almond) butter
1 tsp. pure peppermint extract
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
½ cup raw honey
1 cup Chocolate Shakeology

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; mix well with a spatula or clean hands.
Roll mixture into twenty four balls, each about 1-inch in size.
Flatten each slightly so that it is shaped like a traditional cookie.
Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 81
Total Fat: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 37 mg
Carbohydrates: 11 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sugars: 6 g
Protein: 3 g

Containers: 1 Yellow

Chocolate, Almond & Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all-natural almond butter
1 tsp. pure almond extract
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
½ cup raw honey
1 cup Chocolate Shakeology
2 Tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; mix well with a spatula or clean hands.
Roll mixture into twenty four balls, each about 1-inch in size.
Flatten each slightly so that it is shaped like a traditional cookie.
Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 118
Total Fat: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 41 mg
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 7 g
Protein: 5 g

Containers:1 Yellow; 1 tsp.

Almond & Apricot Thumbprint Cookies

Yummy, no bake recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-natural almond butter
• 1 tsp. pure almond extract
• 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• ½ cup raw honey
• 1 cup Vanilla Shakeology
• 24 dried apricot halves

Note: After you flatten the cookies on a baking sheet, made an indent in the middle of each of the cookies. Place the one dried apricot in the center of each cookie before cooling in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 120
Total Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 1 mg
Sodium: 46 mg
Carbohydrates: 14 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 9 g
Protein: 5 g

Containers

1 Yellow1 tsp.

No Bake Nutty Shakeology Cookies

How to Make No-Bake Shakeology Cookies

Shakeology Nutty No-Bake Cookies

 

 

Author: Beachbody

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 24 servings, 1 cookie

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-natural almond butter
• 1 tsp. pure almond extract
• 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• ½ cup raw honey
• 1 cup Chocolate Shakeology

Instructions

1. Combine almond butter, extract, oats, honey, and Shakeology in a medium bowl; mix well with a spatula or clean hands.
2. Roll mixture into twenty four balls, each about 1-inch in size.
3. Flatten each slightly so that it is shaped like a traditional cookie.
4. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 116
Total Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 17 mg
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 7 g
Protein: 5 g

Containers

½ Yellow
2 tsp.

Restaurant Panic? These Tips Will Help You Stay on Plan

Healthy Restaurant Eating

Tips:

These are the tips and tricks that have helped me along the way so that I could survive and enjoy going out to a restaurant:

1. Don’t go Starving: If it can at all be avoided, do not go when you are famished. When you are extremely hungry, your stomach is growling and you feel like you are going to get sick, all bets are off and you are going to eat whatever the heck you want and have regret about it later.

2. The Bread, Chips and Biscuits are NOT your friends: Before you eat, filling up on bread is not going to help. One breadstick at the Olive Garden is 140 calories and you never eat just one. Those biscuits at Red Lobster are 160 and tons of fat. Skip them and ask the waiter not to bring them or take them away.

3. Obey the DDP: One of the greatest things I learned from is DDP. Dip Don’t Pour. Take the tines of your fork and dip them into the dressing, then your salad. You will get just enough flavor and will use less. Typically restaurants will give you a double serving of dressing. You don’t need it. Always, always ask to have dressing on the side. Never let them put it on for you. This has done WONDERS for me.  You will be shocked at how much less dressing you use.

4. Always ask the waitress: Don’t be afraid to ask how something is prepared. If they tell you it’s tossed in oil and salted ask them to grill it and don’t put any salt on it. They will do it. If you see veggies on the menu, even if it says steamed ask if they are salted. Put all your sauces on the side. If they can’t do it, I highly suggest ordering something else. Remember too much salt makes you retain water and swell and restaurants usually COAT things in sugar.

Hope these tips make eating out a little easier for you.  Cheers!

Holiday Cranberry Fizz

Looking for a yummy, festive holiday recipe, check out this cranberry fizz recipe:

Prep time:   10 mins
Total time:   10 mins

Author: Beachbody
Serves: 12 servings, approx. 6 fl. oz. each

Ingredients:
Ice
4 cups strong brewed black tea, chilled
1 cup Honey Cranberry Rosemary Simple Syrup, chilled
1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
1 Tbsp. + 1½ tsp. non-alcoholic orange bitters
4 cups soda water
½ cup fresh cranberries
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, cut into small pieces (for garnish)

Instructions:
Place ice in a large punch bowl.
Add tea, simple syrup, molasses, bitters, and soda water; mix well.
Add cranberries; mix gently to blend.
Serve punch in punch glasses (or small Mason jars); garnish with rosemary.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 51
Total Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 19 mg
Carbohydrates: 13 g
Fiber: 0 g
Sugars: 11 g
Protein: 0 g

P90X/X2 Portions
½ Single Serving Snack

P90X3 Portions
½ Carb

Body Beast Portions
½ Fruit
½ Carb Liquid

Containers
½ Yellow

Delicious, Skinny Sweet Potato Recipe

Looking for a yummy, skinny sweet potato recipe??  This 21 day fix one is delicious and will get you past a sugar craving!

Ingredients:
4 medium sweet potatoes, diced & boiled or steamed in the microwave
3/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Cube potatoes and boil them until tender or cook until tender in the microwave (remove skins in microwave.)
2. While still warm, place potatoes into medium sized mixing bowl.  Add yogurt and smash with a potato masher, or your desired method.
3. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper.
4. Drizzle potatoes with agave and then sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with agave.
5. Garnish with more yogurt if desired.
6. Serve & Enjoy!

Sunday Newsletter - Meal Prepping 101

Wondering where to even begin with meal prepping for the week?  You can check out this week's newsletter here!

Gym Bag Monday - That's It Bars

It's Gym Bag Monday! Today I'm featuring my favorite snack bar. "That's it" bars. They contain nothing but fruit- that's it. Super yummy and much easier to transport than fruit. I find the best deals on them at Amazon. Give them a try!

Kicking Off Memorial Day With a Yummy Shrimp Boil

I don't know about you but one of my favorite ways to kick off a long weekend is with a seafood boil. Unfortunately our last burner bit the dust so we started out our Saturday shopping for a new one! It has been about 10 years since our last burner purchase so the thing we immediately noticed while putting this one together was all of the extra parts that our old one did not have. It seems there are several more legs, supports and protectors to keep it from turning over. It took twice as long to put together and we joked about just how many lawsuits had lead to all of this!! Finally together though, we cooked our feast!

Red Potatoes, onion, corn on the cob, crab legs, shrimp and scallops!  (Put in the pan in that order for even cooking.) Super yummy for sure! 

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone! 

In need of a clean eating reboot?

Check out this week's newsletter!

Saturday Secrets - Boiled Eggs

Happy Saturday!  My secret this week is boiled eggs.  Such a simple food item but it keeps me on track and away from the snack cabinet!  I boil some every week and they are amazing snacks, especially as a grab and go snack.  If you are looking for an easy addition to your snack list, give this  a try!  Cheers!

Mindset - What A Difference it Makes!

I have a lot of people ask me about this "clean eating thing."  People who have tried everything, every "diet" and exercise program around.  The missing link, at least for me, was a change in mindset.  Clean eating/living is not a "diet" or some new fad.  It has been around for a very long time.  It is a lifestyle and part of being successful is having that mindset.  It is not temporary.  It is not a quick fix. It is a way of living.

Does it happen overnight?  Not even close.  It takes a lot of trial and error.  A lot of reading.  A lot of learning.  But when you have the mindset that you are in it for the long haul, those little glitches and little errors don't derail you. You learn from them. When you are "dieting"for example, its temporary. You tell yourself that you just have X amount of time to get through it and you do your best to follow the plan to perfection, or you just throw in the towel.  This is not like that.  It is an effort, day in and day out.  One "clean" meal won't change your life, and one "treat" meal won't either.  A rule of thumb I like to use is to be on plan 100%, 80% of the time.  That leaves you the 20% to indulge in your favorite meal, drink, whatever.

Leading a clean lifestyle isn't just about eating either.  It is about exercise and getting your body moving and taking care of yourself emotionally.  Setting aside time for you to get a manicure, a massage, read a good book, whatever soothes your soul.  It's a long term plan.  Is it always easy?  No it isn't.  Do I sincerely believe it is absolutely worth it?  Without question.

I can tell you that since I have been injured I have been a little more off plan than usual.  The meds make me sick at my stomach a lot of the time and things I have always loved to eat do not sound good to me now.  Unfortunately, as always, tacos sound amazing! :)  It is a process.  If I eat a taco, I enjoy it and I go on because I know that cutting out that taco did not get me to where I am and eating one won't ruin me either.

Mindset.  It is absolutely the key to success!  Cheers to an amazing weekend.

Saturday Secrets - Coconut Sugar Syrup

Happy Saturday! Today my secret is coconut sugar syrup. It's super easy to make and I love it in place of maple syrup. I try to always use the sweetener with the lowest glycemic index and coconut sugar is lower than maple syrup or honey.

My first preference is always stevia but it does have a bit of an aftertaste so my second choice is coconut sugar. It tastes amazing and does not have that little "bite" at the end.  One note however, it does change the color of food somewhat. I use it in cole slaw for instance and it gives it a brown tint. 

Here is a super simple recipe to make syrup:

½ cup of coconut sugar

½ cup of water

½ cup of butter

1.Put the sugar & water into a saucepan and melt over medium heat, stirring & watching constantly so it does not burn.
2.Once the sugar has melted, add the butter and mix until melted.
3.Bring to a boil & allow to boil for just a minute or two until it starts to thicken.  You do not need to boil it too long because it will get even thicker as it cools.  The longer you let it simmer, the more intense the flavor.
4.Pour into a glass jar or bottle & let cool.

Routine Will Save You Every Time

I am big on routine and being as organized as possible. To the point most would probably think I'm totally boring. But let's face it. Life doesn't always cooperate with us or our plans or our schedules. Things come up. Family gets sick. Dogs get hurt. Things break. You get my point here.

That happens to everyone including me. I fall short on my work outs. My house gets dirtier than usual. The laundry stacks up. But one thing I cling to, sometimes with dear life, is my clean eating plan. 

How do I do that you ask? Meal prep. Every Sunday like clock work. At the minimum all of my protein is cooked for the week and at the maximum, food weighed, measured, packaged, veggies cut and cleaned and snack drawer prepared. Why is this the one thing I cling to when I will let everything else go? Because it makes the biggest difference: in the way I feel, in how much energy I have, in how well I sleep. 

Clean eating is the biggest part of living a healthy lifestyle. Even if I don't work out all week, I can maintain as long as my diet is spot on. Yes it takes a little time but is so beyond worth it. When life gets crazy, I don't go crazy. I just adjust and keep right on going. If I was grabbing McDonalds every day I feel certain that would not be the case.  I don't believe I would have the energy to take care of all the things and those I love which is most important to me.

When things get crazy, cling to one thing that gives you the biggest return on investment. Not sure what that is? Start with your diet. I promise you won't regret it!  Cheers! 

Summer Road Trips & Clean Eating

It is that time of year again to start thinking about summer road trips & summer vacations.  I think traveling in the car is a challenging time for everyone to stay on their plan and eat clean.   I have found that taking the time to pack snacks/foods that travel well is the key to maintaining your clean eating lifestyle.

There are 2 ways to look at a vacation.  Some people take it as a vacation from everything (no clean eating or exercise) and some people, like myself, may have some off-plan meals but try to stay somewhat on my routine the remainder of the time.

If you will be traveling somewhere to stay in a hotel, you may have plenty of healthy options upon arrival, but I highly recommend you take the time to do your research and make sure.  Most hotel rooms are now equipped with a refrigerator and coffee pot.  Some even have microwaves.  If your room has all 3 you have hit the trifecta for sure!  This will improve your chances of staying on plan tremendously.

These are some foods I normally take with me (I carry a 6 pack bag) that seems to travel well (car or in a plane):

Fruits (grapes, apples, oranges, blueberries)
Nuts (almonds & walnuts)
Protein powder (I portion mine out in snack size zip locks)
Sliced veggies (carrots, peppers, celery)
Snack size individual guacamole, peanut butter & hummus
Baked chicken breast (I shred mine)
Boiled eggs
Ezekiel tortillas
Protein bars
Brown rice crackers
lunch mean (applegate farms)

Carrying these items always makes a huge difference for me.  When I get the munchies, I have clean options, which is important. This keeps me from running in a convenience store and grabbing something.  As I said, I use a 6 pack bag which has ice packs and keeps everything chilled for the entire day.  There are several brands of meal management bags out there and I highly recommend these over carrying  small cooler.

Happy traveling my friends!