meal prepping

How to Plan a Week’s Worth of Dinners in Just Five Minutes!

January 22, 2017

If you work full-time just like me, you know that the work week is crazy. There is no time to make a pit-stop at the grocery store and grab food to cook. And by some chance, say you do make that stop… is what you’re getting healthy?

With all of the New Year’s resolutions still going strong, we want something ready and waiting, but also healthy. Just a little bit of planning can give you that!

So I’m going to show you how I plan a week’s worth of dinners in just five minutes.

Here is my upcoming work week menu.

I always start with the meat (or vegetarian protein source). This is usually the part of the meal you don’t want to have three nights in a row. So I lay out Monday through Friday and rotate my meat through the week. I shoot for about 6-8 oz for a portion size for us.

Next are vegetable choices. I believe that at least half of your plate should consist of non-starchy vegetables so I recommend having at least 2 choices per meal. This is what keeps your meal low calorie and high fiber. So you still feel full for barely any calories.

Last is your starch group. This should always be the smallest portion on the plate unless you are doing high intensity exercise and need the fuel. But for most, it’s listed at the bottom as a reminder that it is not the priority. Keep your starches whole grain/100% whole wheat to make the best of that starchy situation.

Now look at that! You’ve got your dinners planned and have made a grocery list!

This can be done for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Menu planning not only helps you stay on track with your diet, but it also provides convenience while budgeting!

I hope this helps your work week become a little less stressful and a little more healthy. If you have any questions, please comment below! And feel free to share this post by using the icons below!

Planning Low Carb Egg Muffins For Breakfast!

September 2, 2015

Egg muffins are so versatile when it comes to flavors within your egg mixture! This is where you can get a great variety of vegetables, herbs and spices. I’ll let you know what I used so you can have a healthy serving of vegetables with breakfast. It’s basically an omelet on the go! Here is what you’ll need:

INGREDIENTS:

1 dozen organic eggs
1 pack turkey bacon
3 peppers (1 green, orange, yellow)
1 cup spinach
1 small pack pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First crack your dozen eggs and dispose of your shells. Place in a mixing bowl to be used a little later.

Next, chop your turkey bacon and cook it in a skillet on medium heat for 10 minutes or until done.

While bacon is cooking, chop all peppers and spinach and add to your mixing bowl.

Add your cheese, turmeric and garlic powder to your mixing bowl.

Once bacon is finished, add it to mixing bowl.

Mix all ingredients in your bowl thoroughly and begin ladling your egg mixture into your muffin pan.

Once all 12 sections of your 4 oz muffin pan is filled, place in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

To check if muffins are completely cooked, stab center muffin with a tooth pick.

Once muffins are done, place all 12 muffins on the cooling rack and repeat process until entire mixture is cooked.

Once cooled, refrigerate for your week.

Reheating instructions:

Microwave muffin for 30 seconds.

This is a great low carb grab-and-go breakfast you can have meal prepped for your week. If you want to add more carbs you can use a toasted sandwich thin to make a sandwich!

If you know someone who could benefit from this recipe, please share using the social media icons below!

Enjoy!

Superfood Sweet Loaf!

August 26, 2015

My superfood sweet loaf is a delicious concoction I came up with when we are really active during our soccer seasons. We look for a little extra carbohydrates during these times and this sweet loaf is a great way to get them! It is very dense, packed with nutrients, high in fiber and 100% whole wheat!

If you’re looking for something new to fuel you before races, boost you during your sports season, or just interested in something yummy to have with a hot cup of tea, this is it!

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup walnuts, chopped
¼ cup almonds, chopped
4 carrots, grated
1 small apple, grated
¼ cup hemp seeds
¼ cup flax seeds
1 1/3 cup 100% whole wheat flour
¾ cup cane sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup raisins
2 large eggs
½ cup safflower oil
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp coconut oil

DIRECTIONS:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Chop walnuts and almonds (I used a food processor)
-finely grate carrots and apple and set aside (I saved the fiber from juicing). This Breville 800JEXL Juicer is amazing! It is extremely sturdy and is worth every penny.

-In a large bowl whisk flour, sugar, hemp seeds, flax seeds, raisins, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.
-In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, safflower oil, and vanilla extract

-Fold the wet ingredients along with carrot/apple mixture into the flour mixture. (I actually had to kneed it with my hands)

-Oil pan with 1 Tbsp of coconut oil so the loaf does not stick. (OR you can make individual muffins)

-Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
-Leave on a wire rack to cool.

This is our go to snack or breakfast for spring and summer soccer seasons. If you’re looking for something different, give the superfood sweet loaf a try!

Please share by using the social media icons below!

Enjoy!!

Top 5 Snacks You Might Catch This Dietitian Eating!

August 24, 2015

Everyone always asks, “what are the best snacks to have on hand?” So I thought it would be helpful to put my top 5 snacks together and explain why they are my go-to snacks!

ALMONDS- Almonds are a heart healthy snack that is easily transported, doesn’t need refrigeration, and doesn’t go stale for quite some time. You can always find these in my purse for a “just in case”. I also incorporate them into things like my own homemade TRAIL MIX! The heart healthy fats and 7.5 g protein per 1/4 cup tend to keep you satisfied until your next meal.
HARD-BOILED EGG- These are another portable snack I can keep in the fridge at work for those ravenous moments between meals. A large hard-boiled egg is low in fat (1.5 g sat fat) and contains plenty of protein (6.3 g). It is hand held which makes it easy to grab and go. If you are monitoring your cholesterol intake, just remove the yolk and have the whites alone.
APPLE AND PEANUT BUTTER- Granny Smith Apples with peanut butter are a great snack! A medium apple (with the skin on) provides you with plenty of fiber (4.7 g) and about 97 calories. It is a carbohydrate based food so pairing it with a fat/protein source such as peanut butter helps slow the digestion which prevents blood sugar spikes. Peanut butter is still high calorie, so you need to monitor intake. A serving is considered 2 Tbsp which will provide 189 calories, 7.7 g protein and 16 g fat (2.5 g sat fat).
COTTAGE CHEESE- I always keep reduced fat 2% cottage cheese on hand because it is fast and easy. For 1/2 cup, cottage cheese contains 12 g protein, 2.6 g fat and 125 mg calcium for 92 calories. So its pretty lean and very satisfying as a snack. If having fruit, this is a great protein to add to it to help prevent blood sugar spikes and slow digestion of the fruit.
PROTEIN SHAKE- Protein shakes are a great post workout snack to help with muscle recovery. They are super quick and easy to make. All you do is add 1 scoop of whey protein powder and 8 oz of your milk of choice (cow, almond, soy, etc.). Shake it well in a blender bottle and done!

These are just a few of my favorite snacks I keep on hand for those times when my hunger can’t wait until meal time. The snacks above will help keep you satisfied much longer than crackers, popcorn, cookies or cereal. And they definitely won’t break your diet!

If you know of anyone that could benefit from these snacks, please share using the social media icons below!

Enjoy!

Making Your Own Healthy Trail Mix at Home!

August 14, 2015

This is a great trail mix to keep on you at all times! It is loaded in vitamins and minerals, contains plenty of protein, and wonderful heart healthy fats!

My dad has been doing an amazing job losing weight by living a healthier lifestyle. So one thing we wanted to do for him was include something healthy in his birthday gift since we are so proud of all the success he has had. And this was the perfect healthy snack! He is always on the go and extremely busy at work, so I knew prepackaging his trail mix would be a great idea.

These containers are BPA-free 1 cup containers which help to monitor portion size as well as make your snack portable.

So to get started making your trail mix, here is what you’ll need!

INGREDIENTS:

Almonds, unsalted
Walnuts, unsalted (halved)
Edamame
Cherries, dried
Banana chips
Apple chips (home made)
Peanuts, unsalted

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients thoroughly! And done!

So now lets talk about the health benefits of each food.

ALMONDS: Almonds are a great source of vitamin E and assist in lowering cholesterol. They also may be helpful in lowering your risk for colon cancer! Heart healthy fats can also be found in almonds which help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. They are also used as a common protein source containing about 7.5 g protein, 207 calories, 18 g fat (1.4 g being saturated fat), 97 mg of magnesium, 96 mg calcium, 9.2 mg vitamin E for the serving size of 1/4 cup.

WALNUTS: Walnuts are loaded in antioxidants that help fight against free radicals that damage our cells. As listed above with the almonds, walnuts also fall into the category of lowering cholesterol and promoting heart health. Walnuts in a 1/4 cup serving will provide: 193 calories, 7.5 g protein, 18.5 g fat (1.1 g being saturated fat), 19 mg calcium and 163 mg potassium.

EDAMAME: Edamame is a young soy bean that has not hardened yet. Since most soy is genetically modified in the US, I suggest making sure your soy is organic or Non-GMO Project verified. Edamame provides lots of great nutrients like vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B-6, pantothenic acid, choline, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese. And for 1/2 cup you get about 65 calories and 6 g protein. It also adds a nice crunch to your trail mix!

CHERRIES: Dried cherries can add that sweet taste to your trail mix. They are a good source of vitamin C and A as well as copper! For 1/2 cup serving, you can expect about 133 calories and 0.5 g protein.

BANANAS: Bananas can be a double edged sword. They contain a lot of great nutrients, but are also very starchy. In one small banana you can expect about 90 calories, 1 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 362 mg potassium and 8.8 mg vitamin C. This is why I use just a few banana chips within my trail mix.

APPLES: Granny smith apples are an excellent way to get fiber in the diet (keeping the skin on)! These apples whole have been shown to help improve gut bacteria. And not to mention, “a high intake of white fruits and vegetables was found to be associated with a 52% lower risk of developing stroke, compared to a low intake,” says a study from the Journal of the American Heart Association. This would include apples and pears! Another reason to add more apples to the diet!

PEANUTS: Peanuts are another nut that provide good heart healthy fats that can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. They do have more saturated fat (2.3 g per 1/4 cup) than the nuts listed above, but are still considered an excellent food to provide protein (9.4 g per 1/4 cup), 34 mg calcium, 1.2 mg zinc, 4.4 mg niacin and 3 mg vitamin E. For the 207 calories per 1/4 cup, one does stay satisfied having these for a snack.

Now you know why I choose what I choose for my trail mixes. If you know of anyone that struggles with healthy snacks, please share by using the social media icons below! Thanks!