Baked Tilapia

Ingredients

4 tilapia filets
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger root, freshly ground
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 tsp chili powder

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400ºF
Line your baking pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl combine extra virgin olive oil, ginger root, garlic and all the dry seasonings.
Dip each filet into the seasoning and place in the baking pan.
If there’s left over seasoning mix then pour it over the filets in the pan and place in the oven.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until fish is flaky.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

I make salads often at home but, for some reason, I rarely deviate from the typical ingredients I use! Well this salad inspired me and I'm determined to start making it at home for myself and my family regularly. The recipe is super easy too! Use as much or as little of the ingredients as you'd like. The recipe below is for one large serving.

  

Ingredients:

2 cups spring mix

1 cup of fresh spinach

5 to 7 hearts of palm

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

1 1/2 oz crumbled feta cheese

5-10 Calamato olives

2-3 slices of red onion

1/2 avocado

4 oz grilled chicken

Easy Grilled Chicken Recipe

This is one of my favorite recipes and is hardly a recipe at all. Just a few ingredients and a barbecue (or you can broil it too!) and it's done!

 

Ingredients:

4 Chicken breasts

   (Trimmed & sliced down the center. I like

    mine thin. Quantity depends on how many

    you want to make)

Light balsamic vinaigrette dressing

    (Any brand you prefer)

Mrs Dash no salt seasoning

    (Any flavor you like)

Two lemons

 

Directions For Chicken:

 

• Layer the chicken in a tupperware container. After each layer, pour some of the dressing in it, squeeze a little bit of the lemon juice and sprinkle with seasoning.  Flip over and do the same with the other side.  Do this until all of the chicken is well seasoned and is in the container. 
• Place in the refrigerator and marinate it at least a few hours or over night.
• If you have a grill,  grill it up on the barbecue but if not, just put it on a cookie sheet and broil or bake in the oven at 400 degrees. I prefer the BBQ but it tastes good both ways.
• And that's it! Comes out yummy and you don't need much at all ;-). I do the same thing with Tilapia, Swai and other fish as well. 

Directions For Salad:

Place the spring mix and spinach in a shallow bowl.  Add the other toppings on top and eat!  Because of the strong taste of the feta, hearts of palm and sun dried tomatoes, it doesn't even require dressing. If you do prefer to have dressing with it,  balsamic vinaigrette is perfect with it!

 

Protein Pancakes - Delicious & Low Carb

Ingredients:

 1 scoop of your favorite smoothie powder
   (I use Shakeology Protein or Cytosine 100% Whey)
 3 egg whites
   (from eggs or the egg whites in cartons)
 2 oz of your favorite low sugar yogurt
  (My faves are the Carbmaster brand
   from Ralphs or Food 4 Less but Greek 
   works well too)

 

Directions:

 

1. Put all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Make pancakes in a pan as usual and serve.

3. It's that easy! That's it ;)

 

You can add the other ingredients such as bananas, oats, peanut butter, nuts, etc if you'd like but I'm trying to eat low carb so I stick with the Ralphs Carbmaster yogurts, egg whites and low carb protein.

 

I make a large batch of these on the beginning of the week,  refrigerate them and snack on them throughout the week when I'm craving sweets, bread, and/or carbs in general.

 

You can choose any protein flavor you like but vanilla tends to work best. I've also tried chocolate,  cookies & cream and strawberry.  All are yummy but vanilla is my fave! Serve them to your whole family. My son loves them!  In the batch above I made 6 batches (6 scoops of protein, 1 1/2 yogurts & 18 egg whites). It's easier to do all at once for the week and it makes plenty to have on hand for the family.

Quick & Easy - Cottage Cheese & Yogurt Snacks

Cottage cheese or Yogurt topped with Raw Sliced Almonds Drizzled with Agave

½ cup of 1% cottage cheese  or Plain Greek or low sugar yogurt topped with 1/4 cup raw sliced almonds.  Then drizzle a tsp of agave on top.  

Cottage cheese or Yogurt topped with Chopped Walnuts and Dried Cranberries

½ cup of 1% cottage cheese  or Plain Greek or low sugar yogurt topped with 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup of no sugar added dried cranberries. 

Cottage cheese or Yogurt topped with Fresh Berries and Cereal

½ cup of 1% cottage cheese  or Plain Greek or low sugar yogurt topped with 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries and raspberries. Sprinkle some of your favorite low sugar, whole grain cereal on top. 

Cottage cheese or Yogurt Parfait

½ cup of 1% cottage cheese  or Plain Greek or low sugar yogurt topped with 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries and 1/4 cup of strawberries.  Add 1/2 cup granola then layer once again with cottage cheese and berries.  Sprinkle more granola on top. 

Cottage cheese with tomatoes and cucumbers

½ cup of 1% cottage cheese with 1/2 cup of chopped sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes split in half

Cottage cheese or Yogurt topped with pineapple & Almonds

½ cup of 1% cottage cheese  or Plain Greek or low sugar yogurt topped with 1/2 cup of chopped fresh pineapple (or you can substitute for any of your favorite fruits!) and 1 tablespoon of slivered almonds on top

Egg & Veggie Protein Squares

These are one of my favorite snacks to have on hand. I make them once or twice a week and keep them in the refrigerator so I have something healthy to eat when hunger strikes.  They're high in protein, low in fat, low in carbs, clean and gluten free if you happen to be eating that way too!  The recipe is below but the best part about these is that you can add anything you'd like to them!

Ingredients:

1 carton of egg whites (or 12 egg whites)
1 cup of spinach
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups steamed Normandy Vegetable blend (comes frozen from Costco & consists of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots & squash)
1/4 cup feta cheese (If desired. Sometimes I don't use it...)

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 425
2.  Spray the baking dish with olive oil to prevent from sticking
3.  Pour one carton of egg white (or 12 large egg whites) into the baking dish
4.  Add the spinach, veggies blend, cilantro and anything else you'd like in there! Sometimes I sprinkle feta cheese on top.  I also add pico de gallo if I have some on hand. You can literally add anything  you want. Some options are chives, onion, tomato, etc.
5.  Sprinkle. Mrs Dash salt free seasoning on top for flavor and place in the oven.
6.  Cook for 40-60 minutes. This depends on how you like your eggs. I like them very well done and the bottoms and sides crispy so I cook them for about an hour. If you like them softer, 40 minutes should be just fine.
7.  Let cool and cut into squares.
8.  If you plan to store them in the fridge, place them in a tupperware and they'll be ready to eat.
9. I make a large batch at once so I don't have to make them more than twice a week.  My husband, 5 year old daughter and even my 7 month old baby loves these!

If you cut them into squares about 1 inch by 1 inch, each, it makes them bite size and easy to eat.  This size they are also only about 25-30 calories each depending on whether you use cheese or not!

Greek Yogurt Pops

Preparation

Step 1

Whisk Chobani, chocolate syrup and milk together in a medium bowl. Divide mixture among freezer pop molds, stopping about 1 inch from the top. If you don’t have freezer pop molds, use small paper cups.

Step 2

After filling, place a sheet of plastic wrap over top, cut a slit in center and add a popsicle stick. Freeze until firm, about 6 hours.

Step 3

Dip molds briefly in hot water before unmolding.

 

Ingredients

• 1 c Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt
• ¼ c chocolate syrup
• ⅔ c low-fat milk

---

Nutrition Information

Calories 120, Calories from Fat 5, Total Fat 1g, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 70mg, Total Carbohydrate 20g, Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 17g, Protein 8g.*

*Estimate Only

 

 

Via Chobani.com

Tzatziki Chicken Salad

Preparation

Step 1

Toss cucumbers with ¼ tsp salt and place in a colander to drain for 10 minutes. Squeeze any excess water out by pressing on the cucumbers. Discard liquid.
 

Step 2

Combine cucumber and rest of ingredients, except for lettuce and tomato, and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Portion 3 oz chicken into each pita bread pocket half with a piece of lettuce and a slice of tomato.

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups Chobani Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 lb chicken breast, cooked, chilled
• 2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, ½” dice
• ¾ cup red onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
• ¼ cup Fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
• ¼ cup light mayonnaise
• 1½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper, ground
• 12 small leaves red leaf lettuce
• 12 tomato slices
• 6 Pita pockets, cut in half

---

Nutrition Information

Calories 450
Calories from Fat 70
Total Fat 8g
Saturated Fat 1.5g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 100mg
Sodium 1080mg
Total Carbohydrate 44g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugars 8g
Protein 47g.*

*Estimate Only

 

 

via Chobani.com

Vegetable and Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium red pepper, finely diced
2 Roma tomatoes or 1/2 C. grape tomatoes, finely diced
6 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 – 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped
1 cup cooked red quinoa
3 – 4 large fresh basil leaves, torn
1 tablespoon Parmesan, grated (optional)
1/2 cup mozzarella, grated

Directions

In a 12″ skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil, onion and red pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté just until the onion softens a bit.
While you wait for the onions to soften, scoop just a bit of each zucchini out with a round scoop (or use a round measuring spoon). Chop the scooped bits up into a small dice put the zucchini aside.
Add the tomato, zucchini bits, thyme leaves and some salt and pepper to the pan. Continue to sauté for another couple of minutes. Add the spinach and stir until the spinach wilts down.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the cooked quinoa and sprinkle with some fresh basil leaves. Add the Parmesan if using. Stir to combine and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment for easy clean up. Arrange the zucchini on the sheet. Using a small spoon (I use a regular teaspoon) divide the mixture between all of the zucchini. Cover the baking sheet with foil. You can refrigerate at this point up to a couple of days if you’d like to serve it later. Otherwise, place the sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, covered.
After 30 minutes, uncover and top each zucchini with some mozzarella. Place the sheet back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. If you’d like a browner top, raise the rack in the oven to the highest spot.

Remove from the oven and serve.

Serves 6.


via - Taste Love & Nourish

Herb and Sausage - Stuffed Peppers

 

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

Ingredients:

 

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup uncooked couscous  

2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil  

2(4-ounce) links spicy turkey Italian sausage 

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided   

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled garlic-and-herb goat cheese, divided

4 small red bell peppers (about 1 1/2 pounds)    

 

Preparation:

 

1. Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. While couscous stands, remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from heat. Stir in couscous, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir in 6 tablespoons cheese.
3. Cut tops off bell peppers; reserve tops. Discard seeds and membranes. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt evenly inside peppers. Divide sausage mixture evenly among peppers. Replace tops of peppers. Place stuffed peppers in a 5-quart round electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or until peppers are tender.
4. Top peppers evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese and, if desired, sprinkle evenly with basil.

 

 

 

 

Recipe via My Fitness Pal & Oxmoor House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almond Joy Shakeology Shake

 

Ingredients:

1 scoop or packet chocolate Shakeology
3/4 cup coconut water
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in the blender with ice to taste.

Snickerdoodle Shakeology Shake



Ingredients:

1 scoop or packet of vanilla Shakeology
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter or PB2
1 tablespoon all natural or local honey
1 cup almond milk

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in the blender with ice to taste.

Reese's Shakeology Shake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 scoop/packet chocolate Shakeology

1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter or PB2

1 teaspoon local honey

1 cup Almond milk

 

Directions:

 

Mix everything in the blender with ice to taste.



No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Shakeology Balls

 

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp natural peanut butter
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1/4 cup steel cut oats
1/4 cup dark chocolate (melted)

Directions:

Mix peanut butter, Shakeology, and oatmeal.  Form into small balls and place on wax paper or platter.  Place in freezer for approximately 30 minutes.  Take out of the freezer and drizzle melted chocolate on top.  Keep leftovers in an airtight container in refrigerator. 

Makes approximately 25 pieces

61 calories each
5 grams of carbs each
3 grams of protein each (approximate)



Cauliflower Tots

Calories: 148 • Fat: 5 g • Protein: 10 g • Carb: 16 g • Fiber: 3 g • Sugar: 2 g (natural)
Sodium: 397 mg (without salt) • Cholesterol: 47 mg

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked cauliflower florets, finely chopped *see note
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
• 3 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (or quinoa)
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray

Directions:

*to cook the cauliflower florets, steam a little over 2 cups raw cauliflower florets in a little water covered for for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender but not mushy, then drain well and dry on paper towel, then using a knife finely chop and set 2 cups aside. 

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spray a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place on a cookie sheet cook until golden brown (about 20 minutes)

Original recipe from Skinnytaste.com

My Journey with Shakeology

My Journey with Shakeology

When I started my weight loss and fitness journey I had tried a couple of protein and meal replacement shakes. I didn't really feel any drastic changes or notice any physical changes. I continued to drink them hoping it would all come together. I was hoping for more energy and less cravings, it never happened after a few months of continued consumption. I purchased Shakeology about 30 days into Insanity, I really needed a boost to get me through the day and the intense workouts. I felt sluggish and in need of something very healthy. I saw the advertisement for Shakeology on the Insanity workouts and was really interested. I bought the vanilla 30 day supply bag and have been drinking one daily ever since (August 2013). I feel amazing and I have a lot more energy. I don't take any other supplements and at this point don't feel I need to. I make a shake for lunch or I just mix it with almond milk and go, as long as I get it into my body every day.

I know that Shakeology gives me more energy, has helped with sugar cravings, and just overall helps me feel better every day. I had a c-section and my digestive system never worked the same, three weeks after starting Shakeology, my digestion was back to normal, no more bloating and irritability.  I also make Shakeology cookies and my family loves them, they are a great snack and help if we are craving desert, this way we get it in a healthy way.
I was a little hesitant when I saw the price for the 30 day supply but after I started drinking a shake a day for lunch I actually started saving money. I don't buy as much lunch type food any longer and I don't buy snack food items, so I know I save money monthly.

At the end of the day I know by drinking Shakeology I am 100% sure I am giving my body all the nutrients it needs daily. I don't worry that I am missing anything. I know I feel better, have more energy, and my body now knows when I have missed a shake. I take my shakes on the road and they have saved me many times from indulging in fast food or crappy snacks. I am very thankful I bought that first bag and made the change in my life and my body thanks me every day!!!

Tex-Mex Baked Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients

• 1 (3-ounce) cooked Chicken Breast, cut into chunks
• 1 medium Spaghetti Squash (about 4 cups cooked)
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup fresh Salsa
• 3 tablespoons fresh Coriander, chopped
• 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Sea Salt & Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Chili Flakes, optional

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425°F and line your baking sheet with parchment.
Cut the squash in half, rub with inside with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt & pepper. Place face down on the baking sheet & bake for about 25-30 minutes. The edges on the inside should be a bit browned and shreds should form easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, toss the chili flakes with the cheeses and stir the fresh coriander into the salsa.
When the squash is ready, take it out and let it stand for 5 minutes. Turn the oven to the broiler setting. Fully shred the squash, leaving the shell intact. You will be stuffing it!
Transfer the spaghetti squash to a mixing bowl. Stir in the salsa, followed by the beans and chicken. Split the mixture in half and stuff each squash shell. Top with the shredded cheese.
Place them back on the same baking sheet & broil until bubbly and browned. About 3-4 minutes.


Nutrition Information
Serves: 2| Serving Size: 1/2 spaghetti squash
Per serving: Calories: 472; Total Fat: 19g; Saturated Fat: 8g; Monounsaturated Fat: 8g; Cholesterol: 35mg; Sodium: 657mg; Total Carbohydrate: 44g; Dietary Fiber: 10g; Sugars: 10g; Protein: 28g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 707mg; Vitamin A: 15%; Vitamin C: 21%; Calcium: 35%; Iron: 16%


Recipe & Picture Courtesy of: myfitnesspal.com