Tasty Tuesday Meal Prep with Cali Roll Salad

Hi readers! I know, it’s been a long time since my last post. I have been busy working hard on my fitness, was cast and performed in an opera and just finished my busiest season at my day job. BUT I have been prepping weekly and trying new recipes for your enjoyment.

So I’m back with a vengeance for this week’s meal prep and healthy recipe. Let’s check it out!

Starting with the back, we have two bags of Shakeology, my favorite organic, low-glycemic index meal replacement shake in Chocolate and Vanilla. This helps fill me up, curb my cravings and is my favorite breakfast on the go! Plus it has 72 superfoods and vitamins, so I know I’m eating well. 

Next we have my California Roll Salad (recipe below!) that I concocted out of various Pinterest ideas with the 21 Day Fix Asian salad dressing. VERY filling and high in protein, my little creation tastes like a cali roll without the rice so it’s easier on your waistline. Next we have my “Bowl of Lies” spaghetti squash with TVP, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes and spaghetti sauce. I usually make 2-3 spaghetti squash at once so I can freeze these in individual portions and pull out for quick meals.

Next we have half a grapefruit, a Tofurkey, lettuce and cheese sandwich on whole wheat Sandwich Thins. Following are two servings of the Moroccan Carrot Salad, a tasty, CLEAN recipe I picked up while doing the 3-Day Refresh cleanse. Next to that, in green and white, is gnocchi in a lemon-wine sauce with mushrooms, broccoli and asparagus. Finally, we end on some blueberries. 🙂

The following row is all my fruit for the 5 workdays. On my eating plan I am allowed 2 servings of fruit a day, it’s hard to keep it to just that because I love sweet food, but I’ve learned that I can easily spend a whole day eating fruit and that is not good for the waistline.

Onto the new recipe! YAY! I bought a ton of imitation crab at a club store and froze it in 2 cup portions. So I’ve been getting creative with my uses. Here is my newest creation.

California Roll Salad

Ingredients: (for one large salad, I made two at once)

• 1 cup imitation crab
• 1-2 cups lettuce – leafy varieties like bibb and arugula work great
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced or diced cucumbers
• 1/2 cup edamame
• 1/4 – 1/2 avocado
• 1 TBS sesame seeds
• Optional: sliced or shredded nori

Wash, slice and combine the above into a salad!

If you are using for meal prep, be sure to eat the salad within 3 days of making and slice the avocado right before eating.

21 Day Fix Approved Asian Salad Dressing:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup reduced-sodium Tamari soy sauce, gluten free
1 tsp raw honey or pure maple syrup
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
5 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

Directions:

1. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and ginger in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.
2. Slowly add oil while whisking; mix well.
3. Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, until ready for use.

 

**Interested in daily motivation, health tips and recipes? Connect with me at http://www.facebook.com/MotivationandMuscles

Message me to be added to a free, 5-day healthy eating challenge group where you will learn how to meal plan and prep like a pro! :)**

 

 

 

🍀 St. Pat’s Mint Shakeology 🍀

It’s St. Patrick’s Day AND my birthday, so I started my morning with my own version of a mint protein shake. With a protein from the Shakeology, almond milk and peanut butter, plus the 73 vitamins and superfoods in Shakeology, it’s a healthy treat that tastes like a dessert! It tastes similar to a Dairy Queen Mint Blizzard they have around this time of year, but much much better for you! I got a bit wacky and added two Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies for funsies (it IS my birthday after all!).

🍀 St. Patricks’ Day Mint Shakeology 🍀

• 1 serving Greenberry Shakeology
• 2/3 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp. of peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp. mint extract
• 3-5 ice cubes
• Optional: 2 Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies for garnish

Directions:

1. Blend all the ingredients except the Thin Mints in a blender
2. Crush the Thin Mint cookies for garnish
3. Instagram your badass green shake and tag @CoachMirandaM so I can see you try it!

((or find me on Twitter, @Miranda_TM or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MotivationandMuscles — I love to connect with readers and health and fitness enthusiasts!))

**Interested in daily motivation, health tips and recipes? Connect with me at http://www.facebook.com/MotivationandMuscle. Message me to be added to a free, 5-day healthy eating challenge group where you will learn how to meal plan and prep like a pro! :)**

 

Meal Prep 3.7.16 with Lemon Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry

Happy March readers! This is one of my favorite months, mainly because my birthday and anniversary fall into this month, which means a lot of fun outings. Unfortunately it means a lot of higher calorie meals ahead. So for me, keeping up my meal prep and nutrition will be key so I can indulge on those special nights without too much guilt. I’m a strong believer in an 80/20 life: 80% clean foods and 20% everything else. 80% healthy, 20% treats and wine. 🙂

So this week you will see some familiar meals (egg cups and the sandwich) because of left overs and frozen foods I’ve prepped. But a new addition is the Lemon Asparagus Stir Fry that I will share below. I found it via Pinterest on a blog called Home Cooking Memories and it’s tasty  and easy to make! But before we jump into that, let’s see what I am eating this week.

We start with some basic fruit – I’m cleaning out my crispers so no new berries or fresh cut fruit until I eat all that I currently have. I have a ton of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples left and Cuties floating around so I need to eat those up.

Then you will see a rotation of raw almonds and lime chipotle pecans portioned out. A portion of almonds is 1/4 cup and pecans is 2 tablespoons.

Following is my Shakeology. Chocolate and Greenberry are my top two flavors and I use Shakeology as a post-workout meal. I stress MEAL because I use it as a meal replacement. It contains a huge dose of protein, gives me a natural boost of energy, helps my hair, skin and nails and just makes me feel healthier. I’ve lost over 15 pounds using this as a meal replacement with a workout and cleaner eating regimine.

Lastly, you will see baggies of mixed veggies – fresh cut broccoli, organic baby carrots and snap peas are my favorites.

The second part of my meal prep continues with more fruit. I’m allotted 2 servings a day on my 21 Day Fix plan and they are the highlights of my day. 🙂

Next may look like weird burnt disks, but it’s actually brussels sprouts. I’ve NEVER made them before but I saw them on a manager’s special at the store and figured I would give it a whirl. I roasted them with balsamic and olive oil and they turned out amazing, but the balsamic turns them a bit dark.

Following that is some homemade guacamole. My guacamole is all done to taste or I would share! It’s an avocado with garlic, chipotle hot sauce, pepper, salt, lemon juice and some salsa for an extra kick. I will dip the veggies in this throughout the week for a dose of healthy fat and flavor.

Next to the guac is the left overs of some hummus and homemade salad dressing – 2 TBS each for veggie dipping as well.

The final row is the Lemon Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry. Then a sandwich with veggie protein slices, lettuce and Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese. Next to that is more stir fry and sandwiches between the stir fries are homemade egg cups with mushroom, spinach, red pepper and a little bit of light cheddar cheese.

So that’s what I’m eating this week! Lots of veggies and fruits, high protein lunches and some fun new foods.

So let’s chat about this delicious Lemon Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry. It takes just 15 minutes to make and it’s 4 delicious servings. Perfect for a family or an avid meal prepper like me!

One of my favorite things about this stir fry is that it has equal amounts of shrimp and asparagus — 1 pound of each. That makes it easy to convert in your head so you know that you are getting 4 oz of veggies and 4 oz of protein with each serving.

I made a few substitutions based on what was in my cupboard and to make it pescatarian which I have noted in the ingredients listing below.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and each stalk cut into 2-3″ pieces
• ½ teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger (to make it easier use Gourmet Garden Ginger Paste)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Lemon Sauce

• ⅔ cup chicken stock – I used vegetable stock to make it pescatarian
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch – I don’t have cornstarch so I used potato flakes as a thickener
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (if you don’t have lemons or patience, just add an extra splash of lemon juice.)

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together all of the lemon sauce ingredients and set aside.

• In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan in a single layer and cook for about 3 minutes, turning them over to cook both sides. Season shrimp with ¼ teaspoon salt. Shrimp should be beginning to pink on both sides and be opaque, but just slightly undercooked. Remove from frying pan and place shrimp on a plate.

• In same frying pan, heat another 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and cook until asparagus is tender-crisp, bright green, and just barely beginning to brown. Season asparagus with ¼ teaspoon salt (or more if needed). Add ginger and garlic and stir to combine with asparagus. Cook for another 30-45 seconds or so.

• Pour in lemon sauce mixture into frying pan with asparagus. Add shrimp back into pan and combine sauce with asparagus and shrimp. Simmer for about a minute or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and serve. Enjoy!

Optional: add to the top of brown rice or quinoa for a heartier meal

If you are a meal prepper, divide into 4 portions for lunches. I made two cups of brown rice to go with it, 1/2 a cup in each container and it was a filling, light lunch.

**Let’s connect!

http://www.facebook.com/MotivationandMuscles

IG: @coachmirandam

Twitter: @Miranda_tm

Message me on FB or here to be added to a free, 5-day healthy eating challenge group where you will learn how to meal plan and prep like a pro! :)**

 

 

Meal Prep 2.29 with 6 Months of Prep Flipgram

Happy leap day! I’m finishing up CIZE, the new hip hop cardio dance workout by Shaun T. It’s actually super fun and makes cardio feel less exhausting. The routines are set to modern music and they break them down into easy moves that they repeat multiple times before adding on. Curious? Check out info here.

Here is the last meal prep I did in February 2016. I’m running around a lot this week, so simple and quick meals are best for me. Let’s take a peek at what I will be eating.

The back row starts with sliced cucumbers that I will add to the veggie bags daily so they don’t dry out. Following is a 3 oz. serving of tuna mixed with lemon juice and pepper and whole wheat organic crackers. The next container is spaghetti squash, TVP, mushrooms, easy Italian freezer tomatoes and no sugar added spaghetti sauce. Next to that are egg, mushrooms and cheese egg cups. The row ends with lemon pepper tuna and whole wheat crackers.

Row two begins with veggies and hummus and dressings. Following are whole wheat sandwich thins with two sliced Baby Bel cheeses on them and a serving of Field Roast Lentil Sage Deli Slices – a tasty, quick vegetarian protein source.  Next to the sandwiches are three containers of sliced mango and blueberries. Right under those are small, honey crisp apples.

The final row is of bagged veggies and hummus servings. I love the Tribe Everything Hummus, it’s all the toppings on an Everything bagel in a hummus! Next to it is my Shakeology, a dense, superfood meal replacement shake that contains 78 superfoods, your daily vitamins and a huge dose of clean protein. Shakeology has helped me lose weight, improved my energy, let me ditch my chalky vitamins and given me a clean meal on the go. And the final items are my clementine oranges.

In other news, it has been 6 months since I started meal planning! In honor of it, I made a quick little Flipgram of some of my favorite meal preps. Check it out here: https://flipagram.com/f/lAwUIwMe9I

**Interested in daily motivation, health tips and recipes? Connect with me at http://www.facebook.com/MotivationandMuscle. Message me to be added to a free, 5-day healthy eating challenge group where you will learn how to meal plan and prep like a pro! :)**

 

 

 

Meal Prep Monday – 2.22.16 with Edamame Salad

Hi friends, so sorry for the long delay! Between changes at work, family needs and coaching, I just got too busy but I vow to do better from now on!

So if you accept my apology, let’s move onto the topic at hand: Meal Prep Monday.

 

So taking it from the back row, we start out with a Granny Smith apple, two bags of cleaned strawberries, Shakeology packets for every weekday, a Granny Smith apple and a Honeycrisp apple.

With the 21 Day Fix, I am allotted two servings (approximately 1 cup) of fruit and 4 servings of protein. As a pescatarian it can be tough to get all my protein in, but thankfully Shakeology takes care of my daily vitamins, packs a punch of superfoods, has the nutritional content of 7 salads and is a serving of protein. It’s totally changed my health from the inside out!

Row two starts with kiwi, moves to mango and blue berries, and then to a broccoli “slaw.” I hate mayo, but I tried broccoli salad mixed with Trader Joe’s Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette. It’s a fantastic dressing that you only need a tablespoon or two of per cup, it’s spicy and delicious. Next to the slaw, is hummus, a cucumber and anjou pears.

The bottom row begins with spaghetti squash, TVP, mushrooms and spaghetti sauce. I prep this once a month, freeze in bulk and pull it out at least once a week. Next to it is a Tofurkey sandwich with lettuce and mustard. Leftovers I froze from my 21 Day Fix Approved Broccoli Mac and Cheese are next. The sandwich next to it is smoked salmon with lettuce, a spreadable Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese. The last Tupperware is filled with a Chipotle Kissed Sweet Potato Chili, which I will share a recipe of next week.

Each week I like to share a recipe from the former week, if it’s good enough. Well I was blown away by how tasty and filling this Edamame Salad with Asian Dressing from the “Fixate” Cookbook is!

Serves 4. Each serving contains…

• 1.5 green
• 2 yellow,
• 1.5 purple
• 1/2 orange

Ingredients:

4 cups shelled edamame
2 cups sliced Napa cabbage
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups thinly sliced bell pepper
1 medium avocado, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup black sesame seeds
4 Tbsp Asian Vinagrette (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Evenly divide edamame, cabbage, carrots, and bell pepper between four serving plates.
2. Top evenly with avocado, cilantro, and sesame seeds.
3. Drizzle each salad with 1 Tbsp Asian Vinaigrette.

 

Asian Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup reduced-sodium Tamari soy sauce, gluten free
1 tsp raw honey or pure maple syrup
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
5 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

Directions:

1. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and ginger in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.
2. Slowly add oil while whisking; mix well.
3. Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, until ready for use.

**Interested in daily motivation, health tips and recipes? Connect with me at http://www.facebook.com/MotivationandMuscle. Message me to be added to a free, 5-day healthy eating challenge group where you will learn how to meal plan and prep like a pro! :)**

Meal Prep Monday with Honey Pecan Salmon Recipe- 1.18.16

Happy MLK Jr. Day readers! Today I got to run a ton of errands, workout, etc. but it put me slightly behind on my blogging so this will be a little later than usual.

This week I tried some new things, particularly a recipe from the “Fixate” cookbook. The “Fixate” book is all 21 Day Fix approved recipes and most are pretty delicious! I’m also bringing back an old favorite- honey pecan salmon. Yuuummm!

I also started the 21 Day Fix workout program and meal plan this week–I’m excited to try the program I’ve seen people lose up to 17 pounds on in just three weeks! It’s an awesome circuit training system with 30 minute workouts, simple nutrition and color-coded portion control containers. Learn more here: http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BCP21D160?referringRepId=850546

So let’s get on with it…here is what I’m eating this week.

The first row starts off with some Shakeology and moves into the Fixate Edamame Salad with Asian Dressing (also from the “Fixate” book).  The salad has edamame, napa cabbage, carrots, red pepper, cilantro, avocado and black sesame seeds in it. Topped off with the dressing, it’s a pretty fantastic meal and 21 Day Fix approved!

Moving on, the second row features an organic broccoli cheese soup, a small portion of honey pecan salmon, falafel I got at Trader Joes (we will see how they taste!) and raspberries. This row also begins and ends with Shakeology as I drink it daily to get all my vitamins and nutrients in.

The third row begins with a halved grapefruit, roasted root veggies (parsnips, carrots, sweet potato and red potato in olive oil with garlic and pepper), a Sandwich Thin and Laughing Cow cheese wedge to go with the smoked salmon, fruit and Shakeology.

And the last row is Shakeology, fruit, veggies with hummus, celery with Laughing Cow Cheese and more materials for the salmon sandwich.

Here are two side views of the Shakeology I plan to drink. I have chocolate (my fav), Greenberry (second fav!), vanilla, vegan chocolate and strawberry. I like to have the packets for the variety. It gives me a natural boost of energy, helps my hair, skin and nails and just makes me feel healthier. Plus it helps me lose weight when I replace a meal with it.

 

Now onto the recipe this week. Honey Pecan Salmon was something my husband and I made for a special meal in a few years back. It is simple, tasty and not too bad for you–really the least healthy thing is bread crumbs!

So to start you will need:

• 1/2 pound salmon
• 1 TBS Dijon or honey mustard
• 1.5 TBS butter, melted
• 1.5 TBS honey
• 4 TBS bread crumbs
• 4 TBS crushed pecans
• 2 TBS parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

In a small bowl, mix mustard, butter and honey

In another bowl, mix bread crumbs, parsley and pecans

Season each salmon fillet with salt and pepper

Brush the mustard-honey mixture on one side of salmon. Then cover with bread crumbs. Place face-down on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Add the mustard-honey mixture on the other side of the salmon and top with remaining bread crumbs.

Bake for 10-12 minutes per inch of thickest part of fillet or until it flakes.

Pair with some healthy sides, maybe some wine and enjoy!

**Interested in daily motivation, health tips and recipes? Connect with me at http://www.facebook.com/MotivationandMuscle. Message me to be added to a free, 5-day healthy eating challenge group where you will learn how to meal plan and prep like a pro! :)**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meal Prep Monday – 1.11.16

Welcome to the first official meal prep for 2016!

I have been prepping since the start of the year, however I got ill and was only eating soup and shakes as my throat couldn’t handle much else for days…not very exciting meal prep to share. So let’s see what I am eating now that I’m back!

The back row some of my standbys: apples, spaghetti squash, soup and Shakeology. I prep the spaghetti squash by splitting it in two, scooping out the seeds, lightly brushing it with olive oil, sprinkling salt and pepper on it and roasting it at 425 degrees in the oven. Then I add no-sugar added tomato sauce, veggies and TVP (textured vegetable protein).

I’ve been drinking Shakeology for almost 6 months now and have noticed big changes! My hair and nails grow faster, I get more energy from it–less runs to the breakroom for caffeine– and I am losing weight by replacing a meal with it. It’s my favorite post-workout treat and it has 73 superfoods, vitamins and nutrients so it’s my healthiest meal of the day!

The next row of prepped foods begins with a ripe grapefruit, followed by a Peppered Tofurkey sandwich with toppings, veggie and cheese egg cups and clementines. The Tofurkey sandwiches are made of whole wheat Sandwich Thins and each thin is one yellow container on the 21 Day Fix plan so I don’t use all my starches in one sitting. I add a slice of cheese, lettuce and mustard to top them.

The egg cups are a Pinterest project. There are a ton of varieties out there, here is a healthy one I like from Super Healthy Kids. I’ve seen some recipes that add a little bit of frozen hashbrowns or a few tater tots at the bottom of each cup, which sounds divine. Mine were made with kale, mushroom and cheese.

The last row begins with the bananas. It contains two 50/50 salads of field greens and spinach, each with 3 oz. of grilled salmon with Trader Joes “Everyday Seasoning” on top. To the side is some Olive Garden salad dressing, because that stuff is addictive as heck! Next in the row are bags of bagged veggies with chipotle hummus to go with them. You will notice I have more veggies than hummus, that’s because the celery is cut and prepared with one wedge of low-fat Garlic Herb Laughing Cow cheese spread in it’s center.

Not a bad spread for this week! I prepped 8 meals total, plus my fruit and veggies. The rest of the meals will be Shakeology for breakfast/post-workout and freshly prepared items.

Interested in daily motivation, health tips and recipes? Connect with me at http://www.facebook.com/MotivationandMuscle. I can even add you to a free, 5-day healthy eating challenge group where you will learn how to meal plan and prep like a pro! 🙂

21 day fix style meal prep with salmon, Tofurkey, spaghetti squash and more

Meal Prep Monday with Black Bean Soup Recipe – 12.21.15

It’s Meal Prep Monday! The holidays are a challenging time, so I am trying to stick even closer to my meal preparation so I don’t fall off the fitness wagon. I made my mom’s spicy, low fat black bean soup this week–see the recipe below my meal prep info. FYI – no blog next week, the holidays and travel will mean meal prep won’t happen until mid-week probably.

Let’s eat!

Here we have my meals for breakfast (three flavors of Shakeology), lunch and daily snacks. Not a bad looking spread, huh?

For the back two rows, moving left to right we have my mom’s black bean soup recipe that I’ve shared below. Next to that are two tofurkey, cheese, lettuce and mustard sandwiches on whole wheat sandwich thins (just one yellow container if you do 21 Day Fix!). Following them are 3 small containers of hummus, homemade and store bought chipotle flavor. In the top row, the red container is spaghetti squash with no sugar added sauce, mushrooms and TVP. Below the spaghetti squash are roasted mushrooms and asparagus with balsamic and coconut oil. Cut veggies in sandwich bags follow, with a big bowl of cut fruit that I scoop a cup from daily. Clementines and a small green apple finish the top two rows.

 

The bottom rows are pretty easy to identify, but I’ll still go through them. Blackbean soup, a salad with dressing. Next to those are hummus, cucumbers, broccoli, more clementines and a cup of fruit. The final row is ALL Shakeology, my healthiest meal of the day with 88 superfoods, protein and vitamins.

I was asked by a reader how I store all this once I’m done prepping. Great question! I used to bag them separately, but that got confusing. So what I do now is put them all in a small organizing tub so my husband knows that’s my prepped food and not to touch. I take out my meal and snack the night before and put it in an insulated lunch bag for the following day. That way, I can choose based on cravings, what needs to be eaten first, etc.

And here is the spicy, low fat black bean soup recipe I promised you! It is only four easy steps. It makes quite a bit of soup, so I always freeze some in individual containers for easy meals.

Spicy, Low Fat Black Bean Soup

Makes approximately 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 6 tsp. chopped garlic
• 2-3 Tbs. olive oil
• 14 oz or 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 4 tsp. cumin, add more to taste

Optional

• Sour cream for garnish
• Tortilla chips for garnish
• Cilantro, red pepper and chili powder to add a kick, if desired, add to taste

1. Cook onion and garlic in the oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Cook until tender and aromatic. Remove from heat.

 

2.  In a food processor, pulse onions, garlic and three cans of black beans (drained and rinsed) until they form a paste consistency. If it gets too thick and your food processor won’t blend it, add a little bit of the vegetable stock to make it blend easier. Add to a stock pot.

3.  Add the three remaining cans of black beans, vegetable broth and spices to the stock pot. Cook until heated through.

4.  If desired, add sour cream and/or tortilla strips to the top.

Enjoy!

Interested in daily motivation, health tips and recipes? Connect with me at http://www.facebook.com/MotivationandMuscle. I can even add you to a free, 5-day healthy eating challenge group! 🙂

 

Meal Prep Monday & Healthy Mac and Cheese! 11.23.15

Welcome to the second edition of Meal Prep Monday!

This week my meal prep is much smaller than usual due to it being a holiday week and my travels. I will still eat healthy while I’m out and about, but I didn’t think my mom would appreciate me adding multiple Tupperware containers of food to her fridge space on a holiday.

So to make it up to you, I’ve included my new favorite 21 Day Fix Approved Mac and Cheese. It is shockingly good and there is quite a bit of cheese in it, the big difference is that the base is pureed cauliflower and cheese, instead of cheese and milk or cream and flour.

First, let’s look at what I am eating this week to stay on track with my nutrition.

Meal Prep for the week of 11/23

From the back row moving forward, I have my Chocolate Shakeology, which I have for every breakfast. Then I have four servings of my 21 Day Fix Mac and Cheese which adds up to a yellow, blue and green container.

The next loose row is an apple, tuna with lemon and pepper recipe per my last post, whole wheat crackers, Laughing Cow Cheese, 100 calorie almond and walnut packs and garlic hummus in 3 containers.

Row three is plain Greek yogurt with blackberries, apples, Sandwich Thins (only one yellow container!) and carrots.

The last loose row is another packet of almonds and walnuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, Tofurkey and carrots.

So that is three days of meals and snacks for this holiday week!

Now onto this glorious mac and cheese I promised you… this is my adaption of a recipe from “The Foodie and the Fix.”

21 Day Fix Mac and Cheese with Broccoli

Yield: approximately 8 servings

Serving Size: 1 cups per serving

Container Equivalents: 1 YELLOW, 1 BLUE, 1 GREEN

Calories per serving: 334

Fat per serving: 13 grams

Ingredients

• 6 cups cooked whole wheat elbow macaroni (about 3 cups dry)
• 4 cups broccoli florets, cooked and chopped smaller if they’re in large pieces
• 1 1/3 cup shredded cheese of your choice
• 1 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Minced onion to taste (or onion powder in a pinch)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups roughly chopped fresh cauliflower
• 1 cup unsalted vegetable broth

Directions

1. Heat a pot of water on the stove to boiling. Lightly salt, then cook your pasta.
2. While your pasta is cooking, steam your cauliflower and broccoli separately.
3. Once that’s done, put it in a blender or processor with the vegetable broth and blend until it’s very smooth.
4. Once you’ve drained your pasta, put it back in the pot it just cooked in on a low heat setting, add the cauliflower puree, the cheeses, the broccoli and stir until everything is heated through and the cheeses have melted. As you stir, add the salt, pepper and onion to taste.

Portion out and enjoy!

Are you interested in learning more about meal preparation, getting daily fitness tips and even learning what I do as a Beachbody Coach? Like my Facebook page and check it out!

 

Meal Prep Monday – 11.16.15

I’ve neglected my blog since my PiYo results were posted – many apologies! I decided shorter blogs may be in order so I can stay on schedule and keep up fresh content.

One of the most popular parts of my past blogs have been recipes and meal prep suggestions. So I am gong to do my best to post weekly meal preparation photos to give guidance and inspiration to my fit friends.

I am still following a clean eating plan as closely as possible. I try to do 80% clean 20% everything else. Having a garden certainly helps. I also follow the portions suggested by Beachbody’s 21 Day Fix meal plan. With that in mind, let’s see what I am eating for breakfasts, lunches and snacks at the office this week!

November 16, 2015 Meal Prep.

In the back row, left is a veggie stir fry with pan seared seitan. I used this awesome 21 Day Fix approved teriyaki sauce I found by stalking top coach Melanie Mitro’s blog. To avoid using up my yellows, this is just veggies and seitan protein.

Next is a vegetarian mushroom barley with lentils (added protein!). I made this a few weeks ago, but the recipe didn’t turn out quite right so I am not sharing it until I’ve perfected it. This is all veggies so lots of green containers here!

Continuing to the right is baked spaghetti squash with mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and TVP. TVP is textured vegetable protein that you can buy dried and when you heat it with water it plumps up and has the texture of ground beef. It is like the Morning Start Crumbles you get at the store, but cheaper and require no freezing. I use jarred spaghetti sauce, but stick to organic ones without added sugar. Standard spaghetti sauce has a ton of sugar, so watch out!

The next row is grapes, kiwi, granny smith apples, various hummus flavors and pears from my mom’s tree.

Row three starts on the left with broccoli from my garden, carrots with greek yogurt dill dip (love that stuff!) and some Babybel and Laughing Cow cheeses. Next to the cheeses are albacore tuna chunks mixed with pepper, lemon juice and Ms. Dash Salt-Free “Lemon Pepper” seasoning blend. And, of course, my healthiest meal of the day, strawberry, chocolate and vanilla Shakeology for every breakfast.

The final row has two quick Fix-approved snacks- Kind bars (the non-chocolate varieties just count as nuts/seeds!) and Nature Valley granola bars (1 bar per serving). Besides those are some portioned out cashews and unsalted sunflower seeds. Those circles in the middle are kale, mushroom and cheese egg cups. You can find a similar version using spinach instead of kale here. I love these because they are vegetarian, gluten free, about 50 calories each and freeze beautifully so you can make a ton in advance and let them thaw overnight before work.  Next to the egg muffins, you will see whole wheat crackers to go with the tuna, which is in the red container. And it ends, as always, with Shakeology.

Please note, this is for what I eat for breakfasts, lunches and some snacks. Dinners are not included because I try to prepare them fresh at home daily.

Are you interested in learning more about meal preparation, getting daily fitness tips and even learning what I do as a Beachbody Coach? Like my Facebook page and check it out!