Category: healthy cooking

April 26, 2013

Tone It Up Bikini Series Printable: Meal Planner

Just when I was about to plan my meals and grocery list for next week, I thought, duh, I should make TIU-themed a printable for that. So I did. It has a meal breakdown, based on the TIU Nutrition Plan, and a shopping list section. Print a new copy each week. After all, being prepared is one of the most crucial steps toward being successful in this fun health series.

Get your free printable here

Check out the other TIU Bikini Series printables I’ve designed too. Let me know how these are helping you get organized and assisting you in leading a healthier lifestyle for these next 8 weeks.

TIU Bikini Series Motivational Quotes
TIU Bikini Series Measurement Sheet

Ultimate Tone It Up Bikini Series Printable

If you have any other ideas for me or a printable you’re dying to have, let me know in the comments section and I’ll see what I can whip up. Also, if you wouldn’t mind taking a second to follow me on Bloglovin or via email, I would be ever-so-grateful. Sign up for either one on the sidebar to follow along with all my updates. I just might have more printables coming your way. I love hearing from you!

Don’t know what the Bikini Series is? Check out what it’s all about right here. Prepare to make the best decision of your life. These girls are amazing.

April 16, 2013

Easy Black Bean Soup for Weight Loss

Runner’s World printed some amazing “One-Pot Wonders” in their November 2012 issue. I actually rented the magazine from the library on a recent trip. I’m so happy they have a subscription, so I don’t have to add yet another to my mailbox.

This is my version of the runner-friendly soup. I eliminated most of the spicy stuff, because I’m not into spicy food. I also used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, but you could easily switch back if you’re vegetarian.

For some reason, this recipe just made me feel all warm inside. It sort of tastes like chili and fall and backwoods cabins and comfort–it’s still snowing in Wisconsin, after all. See how I form emotional connections to food? In this case, it’s all good because RW touts this recipe as ideal for weight loss and an efficient way to refuel after a run. It’s chock-full of filling fiber, oozing with vitamins and nutrients, and very low-cal. It just makes me feel good all over.

Black Bean and Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
3 servings sliced bagged carrots
3 cans black beans, rinsed
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 jar roasted red pepper
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
salt/pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat up the olive oil at the bottom of your soup pot and fry up the onions and carrots in it until soft. Add all remaining ingredients, turn down the heat, and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 7 servings.

Nutritional Content (approximate), per serving, according to the SparkPeople nutrition calculator:
258 calories
5g fat
42g carbs
13g protein
13g fiber
1g cholesterol

They say to fill your plate with more colors. This rainbow soup certainly qualifies.

This recipe requires very little preparation and you can certainly be doing other things while the soup is simmering. It makes your entire house smell amazing too. I am certainly going to be adding this to my regular rotation. The soup is only for me though as Hubster is allergic to tomatoes and doesn’t care for black beans. It doesn’t really suit my four-year-old either. More for me, I say!

This recipe really goes a long way. I was able to throw one serving into the freezer for those crazy unpredictable days and feed our babysitter another serving for dinner. The five remaining servings will be coming to work with me all week. Mmmmm.

My weekly food prep was pretty easy considering all I had to do was divide this dish into 7 containers. I’ll also grab one kiwi per day to accompany the stew. I prepared baggies with fresh mixed veggies and hummus for my afternoon snack. Then, I can’t live without a few morsels of chocolate for dessert. This week it’s Hershey’s Special Dark Nuggets with almonds. Breakfast will be oatmeal with my favorite mix-ins: peanut butter, honey, raisins and protein powder. I’m pretty much a vegetarian until dinner:)

I might have to try the RW chicken and quinoa soup soon too. What’s your favorite comfort soup?

April 10, 2013

Healthy Acorn Squash Bowl

Squash was a pretty rare treat in my family’s household growing up. In fact, I never once had spaghetti or butternut squash until I made them for my own grownup self. Since squash only comes out during certain times of the year and mom only felt like making them on rare occasions, they were pretty special when we did have them. Mom liked to roast the squash and then fill it with butter and brown sugar. Oh, so yummy!

In order to relive that lovely memory, I decided to prepare some acorn squash for myself. Only this time, I didn’t want to drench it in fat and empty calories. I added cranberries and nuts to the healthy acorn bowl to amp up the nutrition content. It tasted like fall, even though we’re on the verge of spring, but it was excellent!

Acorn Squash Bowl

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp sliced almonds
1 Tbsp dried cranberries
Drizzle of honey

Directions

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Helpful hint: those serrated spoons used for eating grapefruit work perfectly for scraping out the pulp.
Wrap the squash halves in aluminum foil, leaving the cut edges open. Place the squash on a cookie sheet or roasting pan with the cut sides facing down. Pour a thin layer of water into the bottom of the pan. This will make the final product turn out moist and tender.
Roast the acorn squash at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes or until fork-tender.
Remove from oven and let cool to your desired temperature.
Sprinkle the remaining ingredients into one half of the squash and drizzle with honey. Use a spoon to scrape out the flesh and add-ins and enjoy.

For 1/2 of the squash with the indicated add-ins, the approximate nutrition content from SparkPeople is:
Calories: 208
Carbs: 51g
Fat: 3g
Protein: 3g

I mean, that’s a lot of food for 200 calories!!!

I love how some childhood memories revolve around the smells and textures of delicious food. I have a similar precious memory of eating grapefruit with my mom as a child. I will definitely be sharing this treasured tradition with my Peanut.

April 9, 2013

Weekly Food Prep

Well, since it has been made public, I can tell you that I’ve been following the Self Magazine Drop10 plan, with workouts courtesy of Tone it Up. I got a copy of the entire plan before it was published because I signed up to be a VIP tester. Along with the workouts with K&K, I’ve been following the plan pretty religiously, with a few meals out here and there. This week, my menu looks something like this:

Breakfast:

Cheesy Eggs on Toast: 338 calories.
I sauteed the edamame, carrot, soy sauce and oil mixture ahead of time on the stove at home and then I make the eggs separately at work in the microwave. I mix them both together for the final product.

Lunch:

Sausage and Pepper Roll: 320 calories.
I used the substitution guide and chose mushrooms instead of peppers. I also couldn’t find chicken sausage at my grocery store, so I used two breakfast turkey sausage links instead.
I packaged the mixture in baggies for each day, making them easy to grab and go in the morning.

Snack:

Lentil Salsa Dip n Chips. 189 calories
Lentils make this dish look like gray mush. This does not look all that appealing, but I assure you, it tastes great. I think I’ll be adding this snack to my regular rotation. It is rather filling.
I packaged the chips in baggies for quick pre-portioned snacks, as seen above in the first picture.

Dinners:

Spaghetti
Turkey meatballs
Stir-fry
Scalloped potatoes and ham

This last one isn’t on the plan, but I’ll make sure to have the recommended 450-calorie-sized portion from the recipe we’re making. We have ham leftovers that we really don’t want to go to waste.

200 Free Calories:

Often get spent on 2 girl scout cookies and a spoonful of peanut butter. Once in awhile, I’ll have a diet cherry 7up with a shot of Southern Comfort. #YOLO, right?

*Note: Calorie calculations are based upon information entered into the SparkPeople nutrition counter. I entered the brand names and types of food that I used specifically. Self.com has a little bit different calculations than I came up with.

I usually do all my prepping for the week on Sunday, after Hubster does the grocery shopping. This week’s menu took me 1 hour from start to finish, including cleanup. I don’t do a whole lot of dinner prep beforehand though. We usually make dinners and eat them fresh as we go, but I do sometimes make some of the grains ahead of time.

I love this Drop10 plan! I’ve noticed that the balance of protein, carbs and good fats is keeping me pretty satisfied all day. I do have to add in a banana or other snack around mid-morning on days where I’m extra active. Those are the only days where I feel a bit shaky if I don’t eat a little extra.

I feel like I haven’t been a slave to the numbers on this plan either. Self Magazine does most of the dirty work for me, so I don’t have to. The substitutions are amazing, because I can use whatever I have on-hand or left over from a different meal. I eat mostly the same thing every day for breakfast, lunch and snack. Dinners we switch up and I try to incorporate meals that my whole family will eat. Heck, Self even includes a steak dinner. And of course, Hubster totally went for that.

I could hardly take it when I saw that Karena and Katrina are in the development stages of getting their own reality series on Bravo. I couldn’t say anything before it was published, but now I’m geeking out about it. I hope Bravo does an amazing job of catching them behind the scenes and maybe even broadcasting some workout sessions with them. I don’t know too many of the details, but I think that would just be too cool.

Tomorrow I will share a squash recipe with you that I also prepared on Sunday. Stay tuned!

February 25, 2013

Weekly Food Rundown

I am one of those people that can eat the same thing every day for five days. It makes prepping on Sunday for the week a whole lot easier. I try to plan what I’m going to have for the following week by Friday. That way, I can put together the grocery list for Hubster by Saturday (he does the grocery shopping. Whew!) and prepare everything on Sunday.

Here’s what’s in my lunch bag this week–all healthy and as “clean” as possible. I am participating in a health bet (more on that to come), so I have been making very health-conscious decisions about my weekly fare. Even more so than normal! Here’s what’s in my lunch bag for the week and the approximate calorie counts for how I prepared them:

Breakfast:

The Breakfast Cookie with coconut flakes and raisins from the Fitnessista
368 calories

Snack #1:

Cottage cheese with pineapple bits (1/2c and 1/4c respectively)
119 calories

Lunch:

Lentil meatloaf from SparkRecipes (with a few tweaks) + 1 banana
259 calories

Snack #2:

Chickpea broccoli salad with raisins from Eating Well
180 calories

It took me all of about 1 hour to prepare a week’s worth of food on Sunday night. That is a very short amount of time compared to the time it would take to prepare all these meals–or different meals–separately throughout the week. While working in the kitchen, I am always preparing multiple things at once. For example, while the lentils are simmering, I’m mixing up breakfast cookie batter ingredients. I also have a tendency to choose very easy recipes so I’m in and out of the kitchen as fast as possible. I’m a low-maintenance cooker–I like my food healthy, fast, easy and tasty. You know, no pressure.

The breakfast cookie is awesome because it tastes like an indulgence. And, because you prepare it the night before, you have zero to prep the next morning. This is good for me, because I’m always running perpetually late on weekday mornings. The breakfast cookie is actually my recipe for being on time. No joke!

I’m on a chickpea kick, so I googled “easy chickpea recipes” and came up with this whole chickpea slideshow on Eating Well. I chose a simple super nutrient-dense salad that tastes amazing. I would probably add chickpeas to anything. Well…except breakfast.

I also have a goal to incorporate more lentils into my diet since they’re amazing. I never had any growing up and only recently discovered their magic. I’ve been researching lentil recipes for awhile now in an attempt to add more lentils to my recipe library.

Dinner will depend upon my family. I have some healthy butternut squash mac ‘n cheese up my sleeve as well as mini whole wheat English muffin pizzas (DIY to come). By the way, no I am not a vegetarian, but I do try to eat as little red meat as possible and am willing trade meat for healthier vegetarian options sometimes.

Perhaps one day, I can build up a nice array of these meal plans to help you, my readers, create your own healthy weekly menus. Would you be interested?

How do you prepare for the week?

January 31, 2013

What’s Going on Here?

Things have been pretty peachy around here. A lot of fun, everyday things, caught on my camera phone, have been turning into remarkable memories. You know, things along of the line of your job getting an upgrade to manager and spending your evenings skiing instead of loitering in the living room.

Best things about this past week:

1. Got promoted to manager at my job. My title is now Web Copy Manager, and I am in charge of two highly talented interns. Thus, Hubster and I had reason to get dressed up and celebrate. Sangrias are one of my favorite ways to imbibe, on those rare occasions that I actually do.

2. Some days, you just feel like finding a hole-in-the-wall diner and eating there. There’s something so luring about outings with no expectations of you or your destination. You get that down-home feel and backwoods prices. And it’s been at least a decade since I’ve seen one of these rad dinosaur crayon holders:

And diners are the only place where it’s acceptable for your kids to stack all the jelly packets, right? Oh, is that just us?

3. This idea fascinates me. The library in a nearby city creates these little reading spots where you can grab a free book. Isn’t this the most charming little nook ever? Totally made my day.

4. My brother-in-law and nephew created this awesome snow fort at my mom’s house last time we got dumped on. It has three entryways/exits. This brings back so many memories from childhood. Most of us up here in Wisconsin dread the snow. But you have a choice: move away, dread it, or embrace it. This is a perfect example of working with what you’ve been given.

5. Another way to avoid the TV trap: go to Kwik Trip, buy two loaves of 50 cent bread, head to the park, and feed the non-migrating ducks. Oh, and you know, check out the beautiful sunset while you’re there.

6. Either we can complain about getting dumped on with loads and loads of snow, or we can go out and play in it. Plus, after awhile, you start to feel warm and don’t get all bummed by that I-can’t-stand-this-cold attitude. It’s also a great way for the whole family to embrace fitness in a non-fitness-y way. The best part? Finding the most adorable little set of skis and poles for a four-year-old. I can hardly stand it!

7. I’ve been on a mission for months now to keep on trying new foods, and after a funny comment made by a friend about how I eat all these weird “tofu” things, I thought, what the heck? It was only $2 at the grocery store. It wasn’t quite as gross as others had led me to believe. It had an egg white-like texture and egg whites are a staple for me. I tried the tofu in a teriyaki stir fry and it was just fine. Such a great alternative source of protein!

So, what have you been up to lately? Any particularly troublesome areas in your life that you’ve learned to embrace or have turned into something you love? Or any ways in which the ordinary has turned into something much better?

January 3, 2013

Tone It Up Plan and Love Your Body Update

I finally did it! After all the time I’ve known about Tone It Up and wondered about the Nutrition Plan, I finally bought it. It took the Cyber Monday deal they were offering (and some nicely-timed bonus money) to finally push me over the edge. I got a TIU hat, water bottle, journal, Beach Babe workout DVD, packet of PerfectFit and a TIU decal for ordering that day. You know me, I’m always searching for a good deal! But really, I’m so glad I finally did it. I didn’t quite know what I would be getting, but it’s well worth it.

First, with the wealth of health information and recipes out on the web, I didn’t think I really needed to spend a significant amount of cash on this plan. However, once I got the plan, it was much more helpful and organized than I could have probably mustered on my own. You are given plenty of recipes and meal options for all six “meals” of the day. Plus, the girls have certain food groups timed throughout the day for optimal metabolism-boosting and sports performance. Every new season brings along new updates to the plan–all included for free! It’s super exciting whenever a new update comes out.

The emphasis of the plan is on Lean, Green and Clean foods. In other words, “real” foods or the closest to nature-made foods as possible. So far, I’ve noticed that when I eat on this plan for a week and then indulge in “unreal” foods for one meal (i.e. taco or burger + cookie), I get a stomachache. I guess that could be a good incentive to keep eating as healthy as possible. This is how we should be eating all the time anyhow, so I don’t consider it a “diet” per se.

You can tell that Karena and Katrina put a ton of work and manpower in putting the plan together. Plus, once you’re part of the team, you’re really part of the team. There are so many special “members-only” perks and challenges that once you sign up, you finally feel like part of the TIU “in crowd.” I didn’t quite realize what I was missing until I went all-in.

This week kicks off the Love Your Body series and I’ve been doing everything they tell me to and then some. Here’s a breakdown of what we were supposed to do to prepare.

List 5 Things I Love About My Body

*I should’ve added: “Strong pain tolerance.” I am so thankful for that. This was a tough exercise to do. It was hard to come up with five things and it felt vain, but really, it’s good to be thankful for what our bodies can do. I guess I’m also thankful for strong lungs, powerful abs (my baby doctor almost didn’t make it in time), and a kick-a$$ immune system.

Fitness Goals for 2013

Whoa whoa, what’s that you see? Become a personal trainer? Yep, it’s on my list of things to do before I turn a certain age (ahem) in June. NASM it is! I’ll keep you posted. I guess since I’ve finally written it now, it must happen right? Good incentive.

Workouts so Far

Monday: Rest day

Tuesday: 40 minute Tabata Inferno on the Supreme90Day system + 20 minute barefoot treadmill run (we’ll talk more about this later).

Wednesday:

AM: 35 minute shoulders and arms on Supreme90Day
Lunch: 30 min brisk walk w/ friend
PM: 45 Cupid’s Cardio interval run on treadmill w/ friend.

Thursday:

AM: 40 minute Cardio on Supreme90Day + 1 mile walk to work (in 20-degree weather)
Lunch: 30 min brisk walk with mom and sis
PM: 1 mile walk home + TBD

I already have plans to go with another friend to the gym tomorrow (Friday) at lunch for strength training along with cardio in the morning.
Pre-planning + Recruiting Friends = Success.

How are you doing so far this year? What are you Fit Goals for 2013?

December 26, 2012

Super-Power Roasted Chickpea Salad

Take a whole bunch of amazingly vital nutrients and put them into a single dish and you might get something close to this Chickpea Salad. It’s chock-full of clean ingredients that boast healthy levels of vitamins and nutrients to help keep your body in tip-top shape.

According to a fun book* I got per request for Christmas, this is just a handful of the beautiful things that the ingredients could do for your body:

Garbanzo beans: Since chickpeas are a legume, they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Their high fiber content makes them aces at slowing sugar absorption, reducing cholesterol levels, keeping you feeling full, and lowering colon cancer risk.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes cooked in oil are rich in lycopene, which means they provide some protection against certain cancers. Eating tomatoes with fat makes them more easily absorbed by the body. Tomatoes are also a good source of lutein, which is beneficial for the eyes in a number of ways. Not to mention all the vitamins that the red veggie offers.

Onions: Onions are a potent cancer-fighting food. Onions “contain a whole pharmacy of compounds with health benefits.” They are also antiinflammatory, antibiotic and antiviral in nature.

Button mushrooms: They are a nutrient powerhouse. Get the book. Read page 51 and start adding these mushrooms to your daily meals.

Spinach: A great source of vitamin K and calcium, which together help build strong bones. No wonder why Popeye popped those cans like a pill! It is also a great source of flavanoids, which are antiinflammatory and anticancer agents. It’s great for women because of its folic acid and iron content. There are too many benefits to list!

Olive Oil: The phenols in olive oil are powerful antioxidants. The oil may have a significant effect on lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of certain cancers.

Garlic: The medicinal qualities of garlic are astounding: “Garlic is lipid-lowering, antithrombotic, anti-blood coagulation, antihypertensive, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral and antiparasitic. In other words, it helps lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, helps prevent plaque, helps protect against cancer and even helps prevent the common cold. Garlic is nutritional gold.

This week, I needed to make a light lunch that I could easily grab and munch on in between holiday events and preparations. I’m off of work for the holidays, which means plenty of non-nutritious foods are always within easy reach. Putting this salad within easy reach instead gives me a healthy alternative. For me, Christmas lunch is a free-for-all. Not so the rest of the week.

Superpower Roasted Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 c fresh spinach
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

Drizzle olive oil in a saucepan. Heat the onions, garlic and spinach over medium heat until onions start to look translucent and the spinach wilts. Add the rest of the ingredients and roast for another 5 minutes or so. Enjoy the salad, warmed or chilled, for at least another four days.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or doctor, just an average person trying to eat better. I’m simply presenting information as I have researched it. Consult a professional before making any dietary changes.

August 29, 2012

Zucchini Pizza

How our countertop has looked all month

Last year, we had way too much zucchini. This year, we only had one plant, and we still have more zucchini than we quite know what to do with. So, we’re experimenting.

Besides slicing them up and putting them in eggs and making 11 batches zucchini brownies, we wanted to try some different ways of preparing the vitamin-loaded vegetable while we can, before they rot. Enter, mini pizzas:

Mini Zucchini Pizzas

Ingredients:
Large zucchini, cut into discs
Pizza sauce (or tomato sauce)
Shredded cheese of choice
Toppings of choice <–we chose spinach and mushrooms
Oregano and garlic to season, if desired

Spread a small spoonful of pizza sauce over each zucchini slice. Then, sprinkle a pinch of cheese on each. Finally, add your toppings. Cook in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cheese melts. You can’t quite eat them like a slice of pizza as they’re still moist. Use a fork.

Next time I might try cooking them on a baking rack so they’re a little less floppy. So healthy! Enjoy!

August 16, 2012

Garden Veg Risotto Boats

I really hope this health food kick that I’ve been on lately really lasts. I always strive to eat healthy, but sometimes I don’t have the wherewithal to make it happen. Something about fresh backyard garden ingredients, farmer’s market picks, a certain Clean Eating book, and the lightness of summer has been perpetuating good things in my life and body.

I’ve been trying more new-to-me foods and making good on my pre-summer goals. In addition to all those goodies I tried a few weeks ago, we can now add eggplant, quinoa, bok choy, Swiss chard, and romaine hearts to the list. I have tried those things before, but I have never made a concerted effort to actually source them from the grocery store/farmer’s market and cook them myself. However, I’m sure glad I did. Some things just make sense–like eating foods packed with nutrients.

Last week, I made an abbreviated version of a risotto and stuck in some veggies I had on-hand in my kitchen. Here’s what I did:

Garden Veg Risotto Boats

Ingredients:
2 c minute brown rice
2 c fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 can black beans
1 handful chopped zucchini
1-2 chopped garlic cloves
1 handful of quartered cherry tomatoes
soy sauce for seasoning
12 whole romaine leaves

Process:
Prepare the brown rice substituting chicken broth instead of the water indicated on the box. Towards the end of the cooking process, stir in your garden vegetables and rinsed black beans. Cook until the veggies heat through and the zucchini gets soft. Add a tablespoon of chicken broth here and there if it gets too dry.

Pretty scientific, huh? I’ve never been a good recipe follower and I encourage you to be the same way. Experiment with whatever veggies/legumes you have on-hand. Just use the abbreviated risotto base as a starting point. Basically, risotto is prepared by gradually stirring broth in as your brown rice is cooking, but I don’t have the patience for that.

I prepared two cups of rice, which was enough to feed me lunch for four days. Each day, I filled three whole romaine leaves with the risotto for lunch and squirted soy sauce over the top. They really do look like little boats, which makes them much more fun. I haven’t been this excited about lunch in a long time. All ingredients are either from my backyard or Aldi’s. Yep, I’m having a love affair with Aldi’s lately. Don’t tell anyone;)