Summer Sizzle Kick Off

So, for those of you who don't know, my most favorite gym is Barry's Bootcamp Nashville. They opened their doors in June 2012 and truly have the BEST workout in the world. They are transforming people's bodies and lives daily! Check them out here for more information: http://www.barrysbootcamp.com/nashville-tn.html . 

The reason I bring them up is because on April 1st they started a "Summer Sizzle" program. It is 60 days of transformation with the support of a team and two trainers to motivate and push you along the way. Since so many of my friends are participating in it, I decided to make some "Summer Sizzle" friendly recipes and meal ideas. 

Meal #1: Basil Feta Turkey Burgers 

(I apologize for not having photos of this meal but it was so good before I remembered to take some it was gone!)

What you need to make them:

1 lb ground white turkey 

1/4 cup feta cheese

1/4 fresh basil leaves (chopped up)

1 egg

1 tsp fresh garlic or minced garlic

Pepper to taste

Combine and mix all ingredients in a bowl. Once mixed together form burger patties. You should be able to get about 4-6 patties. Throw them on the grill and cook! 

*I served this with a baked sweet potato and "Tavern" kale salad.  A Tasty Tip: try adding 1 tbs of almond butter to your sweet potato as your topping! YUM :) 

Meal #2: Greek Inspired Chicken Kebabs 

What you need: (Makes 10-14 Kebabs)

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 

3 lemons

1 tbsp minced garlic

3 tbsp oregano

1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 yellow or orange pepper

1/2 red onion

1 zucchini

10-15 skewers

Chop chicken into 1-1.5" pieces and put in a bowl to marinate. Juice the lemons and add the juice to the chicken. Add garlic, oregano, and ground cumin to chicken. Mix and let marinate at least 2 hours. 

Chop the peppers, zucchini, and onion into pieces to fit onto the skewers. 

Assemble the skewers to your preference and then grill! 

*I served this with a cold greek yogurt cucumber dill salad. It is super easy to make! Chop up a cucumber add 2 cups plain non fat greek yogurt, some some minced garlic, and dill to taste! Mix and serve :) 

Meal #3: "Marilyn Monroe" Smoothie from Turnip Truck

I recently tried the Marilyn Monroe smoothie from the Turnip Truck in the Gulch. I fell in love with it! It immediately made me feel like I was sitting on the beach in the Caribbean sipping on a delicious cocktail. Only I was in Nashville having a smoothie. I decided I had to figure out how to make my own version at home- so here it is!

What you need:

1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt

8 oz unsweetened coconut milk

1/3 cup frozen strawberries

1/3 cup frozen pineapple

*I added 1/2 scoop of Nectar Sweet Caribbean protein powder to get some more protein into the smoothie! Its a great addition to the flavors in the smoothie, but if you don't have this flavor a vanilla protein powder would be just fine! 

Add all ingredients to your blender and blend! 

Hope you enjoy all of these! 

If you have any questions or want a recipe for anything you can't find on here please feel free to email me at: freshfoodienash@gmail.com

Strawberry SkinnyRita

Complete with a sugar rim ;)

It's not a secret to my friends how much I love a Strawberry margarita from Ted's Montana Grill. I decided I would try to make my own at home as well as make it a little healthier... Here is it!

To make the Skinny Strawberry Margarita:

4 oranges
3 lemons
6 limes

Juice all of them :)

Then take 8 oz of H20 and add 1/2 cup truvia or any type of zero calorie sweetener. Mix well until dissolved.

Combine the sugar water mix to the juiced mix. Stir

Add 10 oz of club soda to the mix.

Add 4-5 oz Jose Cuervo Gold (it isn't the best tequila, but it really mixes the best for this!!!).

Add 3 oz cointreau liquor.

Mix all together well.

Cut up some strawberries and puree them or mash them up in a separate bowl. Then add 1/4 cup 0 calorie sweetener.

I buy a 10 lb bag of crushed ice from Sonic for my margaritas because I seriously think it makes the biggest difference! Yumm!!!

Add desired amount to a shake with ice and shake. Pour into glass and add a scoop of strawberries.

Garnish with a lime wedge and a sugar rim.. Cheers!

Enjoy :)

Cinnamon Pecan Protein Pancakes w/ Maple PB Syrup

This is such a filling and delicious breakfast, I make protein pancakes of different flavors for my breakfast at least 3 times a week. They are packed with protein, low in carbs, and full of fiber! 

Hope you enjoy them as much as I do :) 

PB2 is an amazing product, you can do so
much with it & its low in calories! Chia
seeds are a great way to get added fiber
and are an excellent source of omega fatty
acids! 

This is by far the best tasting protein I have ever tried!
Delicious. It also mixes extremely well :) You can use
any type of whey protein I just like this one!
**If you use a vanilla instead just add some cinnamon
to keep the flavor the same.  **

                             You can purchase this protein online at http://www.cellucor.com/

Batter all ready to cook.. 

Cooking.. wish this pic was scratch and sniff! 

I decided to add bananas to top mine off!
Yumm!!!

http://www.cellucor.com/

So good.. 

Snack Attack Craving: Almond Joy Candy Bar; Solution: Almond Joy Smoothie

It's Friday afternoon and I'm sitting at my computer working when I get a craving for an Almond Joy candy bar. I have my beautiful mom to thank for introducing me to this delicious blend of coconut, almonds, and chocolate. Since I am trying to eat less processed foods I decided to see if I could kill this craving with another alternative, I turned to my Vitamix (https://secure.vitamix.com/default.aspx) for a smoothie and it turned out awesome! I was able to satisfy my sweets craving without killing the waist line. Success in my book :) Hope you enjoy it as much as I decide to try it!


Ingredients:

6 oz Almond Breeze Almond Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla
1 tbs. shredded coconut, Unsweetened
1 scoop Isopure Dutch Chocolate (low carb) protein powder
1 tbs slivered almonds
1 packet of Truvia
1 cup ice cubes

Add all ingredients to the blender and mix!

{Tip: I blend the almond milk and ice together first and then add the rest of the items and blend again for a better consistency}

Nutrition facts I got from Livestrong.com
by adding in all the ingredients,
this is for 2 servings
(1 serving is approx. 150 calories)

Pros of Whey Protein & Berry-Banana Smoothie Recipe

A great way to start your day is with a protein shake/smoothie with whey protein. Lots of people have a misconception about whey protein being only used by bodybuilders who are interested in gaining a lot of muscular weight. Whey has many health benefits, even to those of us who are not bodybuilders! Whey protein is a pure form of protein which is an essential dietary component.

 Here are a few reasons to add that scoop or two of Whey protein to your smoothie!

1. Amino acids: whey protein provides your body with essential amino acids

2. Weight loss: Whey protein is low in calories, fat and sugar, which helps to prevent weight gain while promoting a lean body composition. Whey protein helps to reduce glucose absorption time into the bloodstream to prevent hunger, according to the Whey Protein Institute. Slower glucose absorption can help fight the urge to snack between meals.

3. Reduced Stress: Whey protein slows the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. 

4. Muscle Growth: Your muscles need to repair after a workout in order to build muscle and whey protein helps with that process. 

Berry-Banana Smoothie

Recipe:

1/2 cup of non-fat vanilla almond milk unsweetened (you can sub. for NF milk, water, coconut water or soy milk as well)
2 scoops of Zero Carb Isopure Creamy Vanilla Powder (or any desired Whey protein, but this is my personal fav)
1/2 cup of ice cubes
1 banana (frozen if you want a more creamy shake)
1/4 blueberries (full of antioxidants!)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine milk (or desired liquid) protein powder and ice cubes in blender on high for 30 seconds. Then add additional ingredients and blend again for 30 seconds. 

Enjoy!

Purchase Isopure Whey Protein

How to tackle the grocery store (Part 1)

I love the grocery store. However I do get a lot of questions about how I approach grocery shopping so I am starting a series on it! Part 1 is about making out your grocery list. This is a huge part of being a successful and smart grocery shopper.

One device that I always take to the grocery store with me is my phone. With all the great apps its a great way to tackle the grocery store. One of my favorite is Fooducate. Download it!!! Its like taking your own personal dietician to the grocery store with you.

A little more about Fooducate:

Are you confused by ingredient lists, nutrition labels, health claims and marketing hype?
Fooducate is here to help. We are a team of parents, dietitians, and techies. We realize that at the supermarket you have very little time to analyze food labels and extract the information that is important to you. We'd like to help you make better choices for you and your family.

Get the Fooducate mobile application and use it to:

• Automatically scan a product barcode
• See product highlights (both good & bad)
• Compare products
• Select better alternatives
• Dig deeper and learn more about food and nutrition

Features:

• Created by dietitians and concerned parents
• Uses your mobile's camera to effortlessly scan UPC barcode
• Over 200,000 unique products and growing daily
• Simplified information helps you make better choices
• Works on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android OS version 2.2 and up

My basic grocery list in my phone (which I keep in my notes on the iPhone) looks like this: I also always keep on hand a variety of nuts (almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts) and protein bars (Quest bars are my favorite- I will do a post on these a little later!). 

In addition to my basic list I also try to make a general meal plan for the week. I write it all down so that I know what items I may need to pick up in addition to my weekly staples. The weekly menu planner I use is from http://organizedhome.com/printable/household-notebook/weekly-menu-planner-shopping-list

Sample :)

Get that list ready and I will get Part 2 finished :) 

An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

"An Apple a day keeps the doctor away!"

We've all heard the saying before, but it can get old eating a plain apple day in and day out. Here is one of my favorite ways to enjoy an apple in a more unique way.

I'm not a huge chip fan, but I am of Apple Chips! 

These are super easy to make and have a decent shelf life (can stay fresh up to two weeks if sealed in tupperware or ziplock bag). These are also great snacks to bring along for road trips, traveling, or an on the go snack in the car. 

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 200*F. 

2. Wash apples.

3. You may peel or remove the apple cores (this isn't necessary unless you really want to since the cooking process will make everything edible).

4. Cut the apples into slices. 

5. Sprinkle the apple chips with a cinnamon sugar mix. 

6. Place the apples on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Do not over lap them.

7. Place apples in oven and cook for 90-120 minutes. 

Yum! Snack On..