Monday, November 23, 2015

Meal Prep Monday Week 2

Every weekend, Social Media Specialist (and fitness fanatic) Amanda Meixner reps her meals and shares her photos online and on social media.  I love following other coaches, fitness competitors and friends for simple meal planning ideas to mix it up! Photos like these help remind us that meal prep doesn’t have to be hard.  I'll be posting hers and the photos of other coaches and fitness pros each Monday here on my website, on Instagram and on Facebook.  For more fitness tips, nutrition advice, help with portion control and meal ideas, join  my 21 Day Fix Boot Camp. I host the Boot Camp each month and it's FREE when you have the 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack! Message me at info@Fitfluentialmom.com for more info! And now, here are Amanda’s meals for the week:
Amanda Meixner's weekly meal prep
Meal 1 (not shown): Oatmeal with scoop of protein powder or Shakeology.
Meal 2: One egg, three egg whites, and half a cup sweet potato.
Meal 3 (Mon/Wed/Fri): Grilled chicken and cucumber, bell pepper salad.
Meal 3 (Tues/Thur): Ground turkey with taco seasoning, sautéed asparagus, mushrooms, carrots, and onions.
Meal 4: Grilled trout, sautéed kale, and blueberries and raspberries.
Meal 5 (not shown): Usually chicken sausage, salmon, turkey burgers, or chicken with veggies.

Via the Team Beachbody Blog

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Dos and Don’ts for Filling Your Thanksgiving Dinner Plate

I know you’re probably going to eat more on Thanksgiving than you would on most Thursdays. And, I understand. It’s one of my favorite holidays too! I want to eat all my favorites (stuffing, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie…), but I also don’t want to wake up the next morning and feel like I’ve undone my progress. Of course, if you’ve been exercising and eating right, one day won’t undo all the work you’ve done. But, as we head into winter, it’s easy to fall off the horse and really struggle to get back on. So, with that in mind, here are some photos to help you plate your Thanksgiving meal.

The Typical Plate
This is what the typical Thanksgiving dinner looks like. But, after watching reading this and learning some tips, hopefully you'll be able to see where you're going wrong. First off, where are the greens? And, secondly, this plate is filled with so many carbs and sugar, it’s no wonder most people need a nap after dinner. It's not the tryptophan or whatever people like to blame it on, it's the excess carbs and sugars in the meal!
Approximate Nutritional Information for the typical plate:
Registered Dietician, Ani Aratounians weighed in on this typical Thanksgiving plate and said, “It’s high in carbs and there’s lot of sugar and fat. Especially saturated fat. There’s butter everywhere and hardly any fiber. After eating this plate, you’ll feel stuffed and bloated.” And this doesn’t even take into consideration the pie. Or the wine. Or seconds…or thirds. Not to mention these are all of  the calories you should have in ONE DAY not one meal! 

The Revised Thanksgiving Plate
One easy way to totally redo your Thanksgiving plate (and still have all your favorites) is to start with the green veggies. Put the green beans and the salad on your plate first. Then, add the turkey (aim for the the skinless pieces if you can find them), and then add on your other favorites.
Approximate Nutritional Information for the revised plate:
The calories aren’t low, but they’re much more reasonable than the first plate. Aratounians’s thoughts on this plate were much more positive. “This is much higher in vitamin and mineral content, and antioxidants. Overall, this is much more balanced for your blood sugar with the protein and fiber balancing out sugar content. And, I can’t help but notice that it’s a much prettier plate!” She recommends, if you are going to go for seconds (and really, who isn’t), go for the greens and protein (again, ideally, without skin).
I hope that this comparison will help you come Thanksgiving! Let me know, will you consider trying the “revised plate” approach?

Via the Team Beachbody blog

Monday, November 9, 2015

Meal Prep Mondays are HERE!

Meal prep doesn't have to mean a tedious all day kitchen marathon.  It can be done in an hour or two and it can save you a lot of time during the week! Not to mention a lot of mindless eating! So, I'm starting Meal Prep Mondays! The Team Beachbody Blog features them and I'll be sharing them with you guys here on my blog!  Each week I'll feature a new coach's meal prep tips, shopping list, recipes, photos and more!  Save them, pin them on Pinterest or print them and save them so you can refer to them when it's your turn to prep! 

This week is Amanda Meixner's meal prep tips, recipes and colorful photos of delish healthy meals.   He daily calorie bracket is about 1500 - 1800 calories per day so, if you're lower than that because you're still losing, adjust your containers (21 Day Fix) and cut out a snack or two.
  
Here’s what Amanda is eating this week, along with the 21 Day Fix container measurements for each meal:
Meal Prep Monday Week 23
Meal 1 (Breakfast): Shakeology with mixed berries and 2 tsp. almond butter (1 red, 1 purple, 2 tsp.)
Meal 2 (Snack): Oatmeal with half a large banana and cinnamon (not shown) (2 yellow, 1 purple)
Meal 3 (Lunch M/W/F): Chicken salad jar with arugula, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, and balsamic dressing, and an apple (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 orange, 1 purple)
Meal 3 (Lunch T/Th): Egg salad jar with corn, tomatoes, red onion, mixed greens, and mustard vinaigrette, and an apple (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 orange, 1 purple)
Meal 4 (Post-workout): Baked trout with bell peppers sautéed in 1 tsp. olive oil (1 red, 1 green, 1 tsp.)
Meal 5 (Dinner M/W/F): Zucchini noodles sautéed in 1 tsp. olive oil with ground turkey, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and 1/4 avocado (not shown) (1 red, 2 greens, 1 blue, 1 tsp.)
Meal 5 (Dinner T/Th): Tempeh with a side of mixed veggies with 1 tsp. olive oil and a 1/4 avocado (not shown) (1 red, 2 greens, 1 blue, 1 tsp.)
We love her pretty Mason jar salads. She packed her lunches in Mason jars to keep them fresh all week. Get tips and recipe for making your own Mason jar salads here.
This jar has balsamic dressing at the bottom, then Amanda added chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, chicken, and arugula.
Mason jar salad

This jar has mustard vinaigrette at the bottom, then tomatoes, corn, red onion, hard-boiled egg, and mixed greens.
Mason jar salad
Amanda’s Grocery List:
5 red bell peppers
3 yellow bell peppers
3 orange bell peppers
1¼ lb. trout
¾ lb. chicken
¾ lb. ground turkey
1 packet tempeh
4-6 large zucchini
1 bag broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix
6 eggs
1 bag corn
1 red onion
1 bag diced white onion
1 cucumber
1 carton cherry tomatoes
1 tomato
1 bag arugula
1 bag mixed greens
1 can chickpeas
5 apples
3 large bananas
1 large carton strawberries
1 large carton blueberries
5 packets Shakeology
2 avocados
almond butter
oatmeal
cinnamon
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Dijon mustard

Via the Team Beachbody Blog

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

This mild kid-friendly crockpot chili, courtesy of our friends at SkinnyTaste, is made with lean ground turkey, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes and spices. Top with with crunch baked tortilla chips and watch your little ones gobble it up. This chili can also be made in large batches for freezing and reheating.

Ingredients
  • 1.3 pounds 99% Lean Ground Turkey
  • 1 teaspoon Oil
  • 1 medium Onion, minced
  • 1 medium red Bell Pepper, diced fine
  • 1 Garlic clove, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen Corn kernels
  • 10 oz can Mild Diced Tomatoes
  • 8 oz small can plain Tomato Sauce
  • 1/4 cup low sodium Chicken Broth
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher Salt
Optional Garnishes
  • Diced Avocado
  • 2% Greek Yogurt
  • Shredded Cheese
  • Baked Tortilla Chips
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the turkey, season with salt and cook, breaking up with a spoon until turkey browns and is no longer pink; place into the slow cooker.
Add the oil to the skillet and sauté the onion, garlic and bell pepper over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes. Spoon over turkey into the slow cooker and stir in corn and tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, paprika and salt, mix until well blended. Pour chicken broth into the crock pot and add the bay leaf. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours or LOW 6 hours. Serve with desired toppings.

Nutrition Information
Serves: 5 |  Serving Size: 1 cup
Per serving: Calories: 222; Total Fat: 3g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 74mg; Sodium: 719mg; Total Carbohydrates: 20g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugars: 7g; Protein: 32g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 446mg; Vitamin A: 12%; Vitamin C: 59%; Calcium: 6%; Iron: 17%
21 Day Fix1 red, 1 green, 1/2 yellow per serving.  Adding toppings such as cheese (blue), avocado (blue), Greek yogurt (red) or tortilla strips (yellow) would add to the calorie and container count.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Roasted Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

  • 1 large (2 small) head of cauliflower
  • 2 Tb. olive oil
  • Salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the cauliflower in half and remove the core and leaves. Roughly chop the cauliflower and place in the food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower is small and fine like rice.
  2. Dump the cauliflower rice out onto a large rimmed baking sheet (If your baking sheet is average sized or small, use two.) Drizzle the olive oil over the top. Then mix with your hands and spread the cauliflower rice out into a thin layer. Sprinkle with salt.
  3. Roast in the oven for 5 minutes. Then stir and smooth out again. Roast, another 5 minutes. Serve warm.
  4. Feel free to add your favorite spices and change it up. Curry, cumin, chili powder, Italian, parsley or my faves, any of the Mrs. Dash or Flavor God seasonings!