Fit-Foodie Finds #5

My husband works mostly evenings as do I so I’m always looking for easy, healthy meals to make for myself. At my last grocery shopping trip to Sprouts Farmer’s Market I found a bag of Asian Chopped Salad by Taylor Farms. This vitamin packed salad consists of savoy cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, celery, green onions, cilantro, wonton noodles (which I usually don’t use) and sliced toasted almonds. I toss out the dressing it comes with, add some shredded rotisserie chicken and drizzle with 2 tbsp of Annie’s Naturals Organic Asian Sesame Dressing and there you have a highly nutritious, low calorie and delicious, easy and cheap salad!

Protein Muesli Pancakes with Fruit

I call these protein pancakes my “cheater” pancakes because I use Hodgson Mill All Natural Stone Ground Whole Wheat Mix and go by the directions on the back of the box EXCEPT I made a few substitutions! P.S. You can easily sub the mix with normal whole wheat flour and baking powder if you’d like.

Ingredients & directions:

1. 1/2 cup of the Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Mix
2. 1/2 cup of Bob’s Red Mill Muesli Mix (optional. If you don’t want to use muesli just add another 1/2 cup of the whole wheat mix)
3. Sub coconut oil
4. Sub organic, cage-free eggs
5. Instead of milk I mixed two scoops of Vanilla Isopure protein powder with 3/4 cup of water
6. Add 1 tbsp chia seeds
7. Mix all of the ingredients together.
8. Cook the pancakes over medium heat for 2-3 minutes each side, until golden brown.
9. Top with Strawberry and banana slices and 1 tbsp organic sugar-free maple syrup.
10. Enjoy!

Pina Colada Protein Smoothie

I have been craving an icey, creamy pina colada thanks to my sister-in-law. In fact, I ordered a virgin version of this indulgence the other day after a long day of moving and unpacking. It was SO sinfully delicious, I just had to come up with a healthy version of this goodness!  This would be a perfect “snack”, meal replacement, or post-workout shake.

Recipe:

• 1 heaping cup of cubed pineapple
• 1 cup of coconut water or coconut milk (or half of each)
• 1 scoop of protein powder ( I used vanilla Isopure)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tbsp organic coconut oil (OPTIONAL)
• 2-3 ice cubes
• Blend & enjoy!

Kale Chips

These are a low calorie, nutritious snack. Once you have one bite, you can’t stop!

Ingredients:

1. 1 bunch of kale. I like to use dino kale.
2. 1 tbsp olive oil
3. A sprinkle of sea salt and pepper

Note- I have also added sesame seeds with braggs aminos before or used organic dry dressing packets, like ranch or french onion. Get creative!

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen scissors remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces or a little larger. Wash and thoroughly dry kale <—this is very important that the kale is dry. Place kale in a ziplock bag with olive oil and seasoning and shake up until each piece is covered.
3. Bake until the edges start to brown, about 10-15 minutes. Make sure not to burn!
4. Enjoy!

Tomato Basil, Quinoa, Veggie & Chick Pea Soup

Needed:

• 6 cups of organic veggie broth
• 3 cups or 2-15 ounce cans of organic crushed tomatoes drained
• 4 tbsp organic tomato paste
• 1 bowl of Full Circle organic, ready to eat quinoa (about 4 ounces)
• 1/2 – full (15 ounce) can of chick peas
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped or thinly sliced
• 1/2 onion, diced very small
• 1-2 carrots, diced
• 1-2 celery stocks, sliced or diced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tsp garlic powder
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• The above recipe is vegan…if you’d like it to be creamy add about 1 cup of cream.

Next:

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil.
2. Add the onion, carrots and celery, saute for about 3 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and be sure not to burn and saute an additional 4 minutes.
4. Add tomato paste and 1/2 of the fresh basil and mix well with veggies for about 30 seconds to a minute.
5. Add the veggie stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Add garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste, quinoa and chick peas. Simmer for 20-30 minutes
7. Add the remaining fresh basil to the pot and cook for an additional minute or so.
8. NOTE- This soup can also be pureed if you prefer and smoother tomato soup.)

Lemon Pepper Tilapia, Sweet Potatoes & Roasted Veggies…Oh My!

Tilapia is a delicious “non-fishy” tasting, low-calorie fish that my husband and I eat weekly. One of my favorite ways of preparing tilapia is by broiling it. This method is super easy and quick!

Broiled Lemon Pepper Tilapia

Serves 2

Needed:

• 2 Tilapia Filets
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1/2 Lemon (optional)
• 1 tbsp of Olive Oil or Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (I’ve even used Smart Balance Omega Butter instead or all natural un-salted butter instead of oil…be sure to melt coconut oil or butter if using)
• 1 tbsp (half tbsp per filet) Frontier Natural Salt-free Lemon Pepper Seasoning (or salt-free lemon pepper seasoning of your choice)
• 1 tsp of Crushed Garlic
• A sprinkle of chopped parsley (optional)

Next:

1. Pre-heat oven to broil on high.
2. Mix oil of your choice with the juice of one lemon, crushed garlic & parsley (if you’re using it…I don’t all of the time).
3. Pour oil mixture over tilapia filets and then season both sides of filets with lemon pepper seasoning.  Let sit for a few minutes. If you’re not short on time, let sit in fridge for about 20 minutes.
4. Put tin foil over baking pan and spray lightly with cooking spray.
5. Place tilapia side by side without touching on baking pan and top with thinly sliced lemon slices (optional).
6. Place in oven and broil for about 5-8 minutes depending on thickness if filet.
7. Enjoy!

Yummy & Nutritious Side Dishes:

The Sweet Potato: Baked or Microwaved

My husband and I are obsessed with sweet potatoes. We like to make them into fries, bake them, roast them or if we are short on time…microwave them. I mostly serve them baked though, unless the oven is already being used then the easiest way to go is simply piercing your sweet potato with a fork several times (of course after washing) and then wrapping your potato in a paper towel and placing it in the microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add 3 minutes for each additional potato. They always turn out just right when doing it this way. Serve with a little bit of all natural un-salted butter or Smart Balance Omega Butter. My husband prefers his sweet potatoes with a dash of cinnamon, I on the other hand like them with some freshly ground black pepper.

Baked Sweet Potato:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce each potato several times with a fork. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes depending on size. Enjoy!

Roasted Broccoli & Italian Zucchini:

Needed: Serves 2

• 1 large broccoli crown, cut into florets
• 1 large italian zucchini or squash, sliced thick
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3/4  tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• All natural parmesan cheese, grated

Next:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper together.
3. Place veggies on foil lined baking sheet and pour lemon oil mixture on top and toss veggies with hands until well coated.
4. Spread veggies out evenly and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Take out of oven when there’s about 5-10 minutes left and lightly sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and then place back in the oven to finish roasting.

Grilled Artichokes

My favorite way to make fresh, whole artichokes is to throw them on the grill. Grilling them is a lot easier, tastier and less time consuming then other methods of preparing. They make for a delicious and nutritious, low-cal side dish to most meals!

Needed: Serves 2-4

• 2 Whole Artichokes
• 4 tbsp of Olive Oil (or coconut oil)
• 1 tbsp Chopped garlic
• A pinch of Sea Salt
• A pinch of Black Pepper
• Optional- Sometimes I like to add additional herbs like a sprinkle of chopped rosemary, oregano and thyme.
• Dipping Sauce- I like to use an organic roasted red pepper dressing for dipping. try to stray away from the typical mayo and butter. Find something light and healthy.

Directions:

1. First clean and trim the sharp ends of the artichokes. You can either trim each leaf one at a time with scissors or get a sharp knife and place the artichoke on its side and chop the end off. Also, chop and inch or two from the stem.
2. Next, place the artichokes in a big pot of water. Add the juice of one lemon to water to prevent browning of the artichoke.
3. Cover pot and bring the lemon water to a boil for 12-15 minutes.
4. While the artichokes are boiling, mix olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper & other herbs together in a small bowl.
5. Take the artichokes out of the water and allow to cool for a few minutes.
6. Cut the artichokes in half length wise and scoop the choke out of each half with a spoon. The choke is the purplish, spiky part of the artichoke.
7. Brush each half with the olive oil herb mix. Make sure to get in between the leaves. Sprinkle with a little more sea salt before adding to grill.
8. Grill each side of artichoke until lightly charred, about 5 minutes each side.
9. Garnish with lemon slices and dipping sauce and enjoy!

Per serving: About 120 calories per whole artichoke (without dipping sauce); 4 g fat (or more depending on oil used) ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 5 g protein; 9 g fiber; 298 mg sodium; 604 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (35% daily value), Folate (27% dv), Magnesium (24% dv), Potassium (17% dv)

Check out those grill marks! The grill adds an amazing dimension of smokey flavor!

Who Said Pizza Couldn’t be Healthy?

Pizza, oh how I love you…let me count the ways. Sometimes I think I love pizza  a little too much for my own good (or should I say health?) so I had to find a healthier version of this delicious pie. First I tried making my own whole wheat crust and then topped my pizza with clean proteins and veggies but that is a time-consuming process and sometimes I just don’t have time to waste…ya know? Then I bought pre-made wheat dough which was still a little too high in calories and carbs. Next I tried Amy’s Organic frozen pizzas which aren’t all that bad…just a little high in sodium and price if you ask me plus nothing tastes as good as fresh pizza. Finally, whole wheat flat-out wraps came out and these things are as versatile as ever! First of all, they are bigger than your average tortilla without the calories! At only 100 calories a piece, they make for a perfect pizza pie crust. Of course, that is if you like “thin crust”.

I topped my whole wheat flat-out with organic tomato sauce mixed with my own blend of spices and herbs. Sprinkled a little less than 1/4 cup of low-fat shredded mozzarella, chopped fresh baby spinach & basil, black olives, and diced vine ripened tomato (that I had sprinkled with garlic powder and italian seasoning) and vol la! There you have it, a low-calorie (around 330-350 to be almost exact), low-carb, delicious AND nutritious pizza for one!

A Very Veggie Low-Cal Pizza

 

Needed:

• 1 Whole Wheat Flat-Out Wrap 
• 2-4 tbsps of Organic Sodium-Free Tomato Sauce. Add your own blend of italian seasonings or add basil, garlic and oregano. OR you can simply find a healthy pizza sauce of your choice, just be sure to check the label for sugar, sodium and calorie content.
• Reduced-Fat Mozzarella Cheese or almond cheese for you vegetarians out there. (Check label and use amount per serving for the least amount of calories)
• Your favorite veggies, sliced and diced. Like I said before, I used my favorite toppings such as fresh baby spinach, a little bit of fresh basil, black olives and diced tomatoes.
• Your favorite lean protein such as chicken, turkey pepperoni or lean low sodium ham (try canadian bacon for a healthier choice).

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 while cutting up veggies.
2. Place Flat-Out Wrap on a cookie sheet and place in pre-heated oven for 7 minutes.
3. Take the Flat-Out Wrap out of the oven and top it with all of the ingredients. Place back in oven for an additional 15 minutes (or until the cheese is melted).
4. Enjoy!