Meal Prep

Healthy Tips for the BIG GAME

/ Dr. Sherri / Leave a comment

Originally published February 6, 2016

The BIG GAME is Sunday and everyone is excited about the matchup between the Broncos and the Panthers! However, the real matchup is YOU vs FOOD during your Super Bowl festivities.

At the start of the year, you made a goal to lose weight, change your eating habits, exercise more, etc. Now, it’s time for the BIG GAME and you’ll be faced with lots of temptation regarding your food choices. For many, while in the beginning stages of changing your diet, out of sight, out of mind works really well; but what do you do when you’re staring all the foods you love face to face?

I’ve composed a few tips to help you survive the day.

  1. Don’t go to the party hungry. Eat a nutritious meal prior to going to the party. You’ll be less likely to overindulge on the fatty, sugary options.
  2. Drink plenty of water. Drinking water will help keep you full and prevent you from overeating.
  3. Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol is filled with lots of empty calories. If you must drink beer or other alcoholic beverages, consume a bottle of water between drinks. The water will make you feel full and in turn drink less.
  4. Eat in moderation. Don’t feel bad if you have a few of the high fat snacks you enjoy. If you do decide to indulge, just limit your proportions.
  5. Take a healthy dish to the party. Find a healthy version of your favorite food and let that be your contribution to the party. No one will know they’re eating the healthy version unless you tell them 😉

Below are a couple of recipes to try:

Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip

A quick and easy creamy ranch dip that is completely guilt-free and tastes just as indulgent as the original!

YIELD: about 1 cup  PREP TIME: 3 minutes  COOK TIME: 0 minutes  TOTAL TIME: 3 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Fresh, chopped chives garnish

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, stir together all of the ingredients: Greek yogurt, garlic, onion, dill, salt, Worcestershire, and cayenne. Garnish with fresh chives and serve.

Recipe Source:  wellplated.com

Debdoozie’s Blue Ribbon Chili

Prep  10 m  Cook  1 h  Ready In  1 h 10 m

Recipe By:Deb

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
  • 4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix
  • 1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans
  • 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and sauté for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.
  2. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.

Recipe Source:  allrecipes.com

**To make this chili healthier, use the leanest cut of beef, turkey (my preference), or chicken.  Use low/no sodium canned goods.  Use a fresh salsa vs jarred.  Aldi sells a delicious fresh salsa if there is one located in your area.

I hope you find these tips useful as you prepare for the BIG GAME.  If you try any of the tips or the recipes, please let me know what you think.

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Fiesta Salad

/ Dr. Sherri / Leave a comment

Originally published January 28, 2016

This is a quick recipe that you can whip up any day of the week.  It’s a great meal to enjoy on a cheat or high carb day!

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages chicken breast
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 tbsp taco seasoning
  • lettuce
  • salsa
  • cheese
  • sour cream (may substitute plain greek yogurt)
  • tortillas
  • any other toppings you enjoy on your salads

Directions:  Heat chicken in skillet on medium heat.  Add 1 tbsp taco seasoning to chicken.  Heat until warm.  Place black beans in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until warm (1 min-1 min, 30 sec).  After chicken and beans are heated to your desired temperature, layer your salad as desired.  I layered mine as follows:  tortillas, lettuce, chicken, beans, and salsa to top it off.

Calories:  340 Protein:  23g  Carbs:  43g  Fat:  10g

*Nutritional info will vary if adding cheese, sour cream, or other toppings

Plan, Plan, and Plan Some More

/ Dr. Sherri / Leave a comment

Originally published January 21, 2016

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Plan, plan, and plan some more.  Have I mentioned that you should plan?  When setting out to achieve your fitness goals, I have learned that it is key to plan, especially your meals.  Keeping up with a diet or meal plan can be tough, especially if you don’t plan ahead.  When you are crunched for time, it is so easy to stop by the nearest fast food restaurant to pick up a quick bite, ruining your diet for the day.  We’ve all stopped by the “Golden Arches” a time or two when cooking a meal just wasn’t in the plan.

So, how do you create a fitness meal prep, a weight loss meal prep, or a meal prep in general?  What should you cook?  How far in advance should you cook/prep your meals?  Many of these questions depend on you and your personal preferences.

One of the first things you will want to do is figure out your nutritional needs.  An app such as my fitness pal can give you a general idea of your daily nutritional needs.  If training for more specific goals, such as a competition, you should consult with a personal trainer to help you with your nutritional needs.

In a nutshell, meal prepping is preparing all/some of your meals ahead of time.  It’s like creating your very own fast food meal.  Once prepared, you just grab and go.  Of course, it does take a little time and effort, but it’s  definitely well worth it.  I personally only prepare lunch and dinner meals.  I tend to cook breakfast daily.

  • Pick a day of the week that you have extra time to prepare meals.  For myself, it’s typically on a Sunday.
  • You should know ahead of time what you will prepare.  Plan your grocery shopping accordingly.
  • Try to choose foods that can be cooked at the same temperature.  This will save you a little time.  For example, I may cook chicken breast, fish, roasted asparagus, and sweet potatoes in the oven at the same time.  They all cook at various times but utilize the same temperature setting.
    • I typically prepare two proteins, usually chicken and fish.  I’ll eat one for lunch and one for dinner.  I prep about 3 days worth of meals.  After 3 days I get tired of eating the same thing and my schedule permits the cooking of additional meals.
  • If you don’t have time during the week to do additional cooking, you’ll want to prepare your entire week of meals in one day.
  • Make sure you have plenty of containers for your meals.

Some of you may be thinking, “I have a family.  What are they supposed to eat?”  Great question!  My response is simple.  Encourage your family to transition into eating better and living a healthy lifestyle as well.  Initially, it may be a difficult task.  Be creative!  Make eating healthy tasty and enjoyable!

Initially, it may be a difficult task.  Be creative!  Make eating healthy tasty and enjoyable!  Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring.  Once your entire family is on board, you’ll find that having ready made meals is such a lifesaver!

If your days are anything like mine, you work, pick up the kid(s), ensure homework is completed, and then you’re hauling your children to their extracurricular activities.  A ready made meal would sure come in handy!  Give it a try and let me know what you think! Happy Prepping!

Miss Sherri