Saturday, February 18, 2017

Crock Pot Vegetable Lasagana


I'm a huge fan of Italian food and especially a good lasagna. The problem is, I don't make it very often because it's time consuming and it's not a very easy recipe to make.  I found this one though and it is DELISH!  Easy to make and you can make it while you're at work so it's ready when you get home and the house smells amazing! You can use any veggies you'd like. Zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant....they're all great options. Kale is what is included in this recipe (1) because it's very healthy and (2) because it's something I always have in the fridge. So, enjoy and let me know what you think!
INGREDIENTS
  • (2) 24 ounce jars or cans of Italian tomato sauce (or make your own)
  • 9 thick lasagna noodles with wavy edges (mine were called bronze cut)
  • 24 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese OR cottage cheese
  • 3-4 cups chopped vegetables of choice (I used kale)
  • 2 cups shredded Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
  • Parmesan cheese for topping
  • fresh parsley for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

Spray the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce to the bottom so the noodles don't stick.

Super Easy Skinny Veggie Crockpot Lasagna - a handful of simple ingredients for a healthy family dinner. | http://pinchofyum.com
Break noodles so that they fit and mostly cover the bottom. They will probably be awkward looking - not a big deal. Cover with about one third of the ricotta, veggies, sauce, cheese, and end with noodles. Repeat layers two more times for a total of three complete layers. End with a layer of noodles on top, covered with a thin layer of sauce and a little bit more shredded cheese.

Super Easy Skinny Veggie Crockpot Lasagna - a handful of simple ingredients for a healthy family dinner. | http://pinchofyum.com
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Turn the crockpot off completely and let the lasagna sit for at least one hour. This allows all the moisture to get soaked into the lasagna, and if you don't do this it will probably be more like lasagna soup - still good, but not pretty. Depending on how long you let it sit, you can either scoop pieces out or just cut with a knife like normal lasagna.
  • NOTES
    You don't have to use all of the sauce in both jars - I probably used a total of 36 ounces (about one and a half jars), and it was really saucy.

Nutrition Crockpot Veggie Lasagna
21 Day Fix:  2 yellows (noodles) 1/2 purple (sugars in sauce) 1/2 red (cottage or ricotta cheese) 1 blue shredded cheese) 1 green (veggies)

Via Pinch of Yum!

Monday, February 13, 2017

10 Minute Meals: Salmon Patty with Spinach and Sweet Potato


                                         


Super simple, super clean AND super yummy dinner idea!  Grilled salmon patty over a bed of sauteed spinach and sweet potato!  Takes about 10 minutes to cook it all! Here's the recipe!

Ingredients
1 sweet potato
1 handful of fresh spinach
1 salmon burger

1.  Wash the sweet potato and poke it with a fork several times.

2.  Wrap it in a paper towel, without drying it off after washing it, and place it in the microwave. 

3. Most microwaves have a baked potato setting. If yours does, press it and press 1 for 1 potato unless you're making multiple at a time.  

4.  While the sweet potato cooks, take out a skillet and spray it with coconut or olive oil. 

5.  Grill it on a skillet for 5  minutes on each side.  Set aside.  

6.  Spray the pan with coconut or olive oil and cook the spinach for about 5 minutes, mixing it around as you cook it.  

7.  Serve all on a plate and ENJOY! This recipe is for one but you can easily make this for a family of 4 in just as much time.  

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Understanding the 21 Day Fix Program


One of the more difficult parts of starting any new diet or nutrition program is figuring out portion control. The color-coded 21 Day Fix containers were created to help solve this problem and make portion control easy and intuitive and get you away from the hassle of calorie counting. If it fits and it’s on the approved food list, you can eat it!

How the 21 Day Fix Containers Work
There are six colors corresponding to six different types of foods:
The green container is for vegetables. These can be cooked or raw, sliced or chopped. Some examples include lettuces, kale, squash, peppers, mushrooms, and onions. Go ahead and really squish the lettuce into there to create a voluminous salad!
The purple container is for fruits. Berries can easily fit into this container as can grapes and cherries, but you’ll want to cut larger fruits like watermelon, or fruits with pits, like peaches.
The red container is for protein. Fill it with chicken breast, yogurt, eggs, tofu, or shellfish. For some of the other protein, consult the food list in your guide.
The yellow container is for more caloric carbs, as well as starches. This is where you’ll fit in foods like rice, beans, sweet potatoes, and whole-grain pasta into your diet. For foods that don’t easily fit into your container such as waffles and tortillas, the portion amounts are in your 21 Day Fix guide.
The blue container is for healthy fats. Mashed avocado, nuts, cheese, and hummus are just a few of the things you can put in this container.
The orange container is for seeds and dressings. It is the smallest and is used for calorie-dense foods like seeds, olives, coconut, and 21 Day Fix-approved dressings.
There is also a teaspoon measurement included in the 21 Day Fix program, and this is for oils and butters, such as olive oil and peanut butter. A teaspoon is not provided with the containers, so you’ll need to use your own. (And who doesn’t have a teaspoon in their kitchen?)

How To Use Them
Now that you know what goes in the containers, it’s time to use them. Although you don’t have to count your calories each day, you should use page 4 of your guide to figure out approximately how many calories you need in a day. Once you do, take a look at the 21 chart on page 19 that will let you how many containers of each color you should eat each day for your calorie range. If you’re paying attention to macronutrient percentages, you’ll notice that the plan is roughly 40% carbohydrates, 30%protein, and 30% fat.
Although the guide contains recommendations for how much of one type of food can fit into a container, you can mix and match foods of the same category to fill a single container. For example, if you don’t want to use a whole green container for spinach, then you can fill one half full of spinach and the other half full of carrots, and it will still equal one green container.
As convenient and transportable as the containers are, you don’t have to eat out of them. You can measure out the portions in the containers and then empty the container out onto a plate or into a bowl.





Why the 21 Day Fix Container System Works
You don’t have to count calories. You only count containers. And it’s a lot easier to keep track of three green containers than x number of calories.
It’s definitely enough food. Often when people begin this program, they find that they’re full even before they’ve finished all their container portions for the day. That’s because healthy food has more volume than junk food. If you find you find this is the case for you, only eat what you can, but make sure to eat a little from all the containers instead of just filling up on your favorite kind and avoiding what you like the least.

It’s practical. Portion control is about moderation and being aware of what you’re eating. The containers help you do this. After you’ve completed your first 21 days, you’ll have a good idea of how many fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats you should be eating every day.

Would you like some one on one coaching and learn how to use this program with tons of additional tools? Meal plans, shopping lists, snack ideas, etc?  Let me help you and give you one on one coaching.  Here's a link to the program challenge pack.

=====>>>>>> 21 DAY FIX CHALLENGE PACK

Once you're all set, shoot me an email and I'll add you to my current 21 Day Fix boot camp.  I host one every single month so you're never without help! 
Need some ideas on how to use yours containers? The creator of the 21 Day Fix, Autumn Calabrese, created the FIXATE cookbook for you. And, you're also welcome to join my monthly 21 day fix boot camps for extra help, support, meal ideas, recipes, and more!

Via the Team Beachbody Blog