Favorite Summer-into-Fall Salad

This dish is summer perfection. Follow the recipe exactly or add/delete what you want to make it your perfect light and yummy dream-salad! 

 What you need: 

...for the salad

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 bag of mixed greens (I like to chop mine up)
• 1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 mini cucumbers, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup goat cheese or feta
• 1/4 cup roasted, salted pistachios
• other tasty additions: diced tomatoes, avocado, croutons, etc.

...for the dressing

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (or juice from one lemon)
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 6 tablespoons avocado oil (you can use olive oil as well)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

What you do: 

1. Salt and pepper the chicken (or marinated it in a couple tablespoons of dressing) and grill until done. Let rest for 10 minutes and chop into cubes. 
2. While the chicken is grilling, chop and/or prepare your salad ingredients.
3. Mix salad ingredients together, pour salad dressing on and top with the grilled chicken. 

Enjoy!

Acai Berry Protein Smoothie Bowl

 

I know I'm late to the game, but I'm OBSESSED with smoothie bowls right now. Anyone else?

If you haven't yet tried them, let me introduce you. Basically a smoothie bowl is a thick, eat-with-a-spoon smoothie topped with fruit or nuts or coconut or seeds or granola or really anything you'd like. Delicious!

You can, and I have, purchased these delicious bowls at certain juice/smoothie places, but you can also super easily make them at home for less $$ and perhaps even more yummy flavor. 

This is my go-to at home breakfast or lunch when I need something cool, refreshing and full of vitamins. There are a lot of frozen ingredients, so feel free to freeze your own...it's important to have them frozen because that is what give the smoothie a thicker eat-with-a-spoon consistency (along with the chia seeds). 

E. H. Fitness Acai Berry Protein Smoothie Bowl

What you need:

• packet of frozen acai (I get mine at Sprouts)
• 1 small frozen banana (or 1/2 large)
• 1/4 cup frozen avocado chunks (I get mine at Sprouts or Costco)
• 1 TBSP chia seeds
• 1/4-1/2 cup or so of unsweetened almond milk
• 1 scoop (1/2 serving) of protein powder (I really like the vegan Orgain Vanilla)
• handful of spinach or kale or other greens if you have them laying around

    My favorite toppings: sliced strawberries, blueberries and 2 TBSP gluten-free granola

What you do: 

1. Blend the junk out of all the ingredients (minus the toppings).
2. Pour into a bowl
3. I like to put my bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes or so while I get my toppings together/chopped
4. Top your bowl
5. Eat!

A tip when blending. Use a strong blender and scoop up the stuff that gets shot to the sides of the blender and re-blend when necessary. 

It's Blueberry Season: Blueberry Muffin Makeover

It's blueberry season and that means blueberry muffins!! Blueberries are a power house of fiber, antioxidants and deliciousness. And muffins are amazing...but a bit heavy, sugary and sky high in calories...until now!

I made these delicious, anything-but-dry, gluten/dairy-free muffins this weekend and they were a hit. With a cup of coffee; yummy perfection.

As with lots of things, you can do tons of subs if you don't have some of the ingredients. For example, you can sub out any of the "flours" for other flours, sub out the oil for applesauce, the coconut sugar for honey, etc.

E. H. Fitness Blueberry Muffin Make-Over

What you need: 

• Muffin liners (or spray for the muffin tin)
• 1 cup dry old fashion oats made into flour (just throw the oats into a blender for 30 seconds)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (pure)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 oz fresh blueberries

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line or spray muffin tin
3. Put oats and coconut sugar in blender and blend on high for 30 seconds (this is a two for one deal...you make oat flours and make the coconut sugar less grainy)
4. If you are concerned the blueberries will sink to the bottom of the muffins while baking, simple toss a bit of the oat/coconut sugar mix on them and toss.
5. Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl
6. Mix all wet ingredients together in a larger bowl
7. Lightly mix the dry ingredients into the dry ingredients
8. Gently fold in the blueberries
9. Put about 1/4 cup of the mixture into each muffin liner
10. Bake for about 22 minutes or until cooked though

Cool...and enjoy!

Shape up for the Summer! Newest Challenge Starts Monday!

Anyone else feel like they have eaten and drank their way through the last 2 months HARD? 

Does that mean that you might be ready for a wellness challenge that is simple, supported and without any supplements? Perhaps a wellness challenge that is aimed at giving you more energy with whole foods, exercise and other healthy tips and tricks? 

My hand is up HIGH! I'm ready to feel better, get some good food into my body and ditch the stuff that doesn't make me feel my best (at least for a little bit). 

Want to join me? 

If you are ready to take steps to improve metabolism, fit better into your clothes, have more energy and approach food as it is meant to be-for energetic life, then join me in a 21 day wellness challenge. 

The challenge begins Monday, June 1 and ends June 21 and is just $29 flat*. 

The program includes:

• 21 days of clean eating. Get excited! It's super simple and totally tasty. Plus, I'll be doing it right along with you. 
• Food lists 
• Sample meal plans as well as suggestions for when you eat out 
• Facebook LIVE workouts (no more than 30 minutes)
• 21 days of accountability and encouragement and access to a ACE Certified personal trainer and wellness coach.
• 21 days of a small community of people doing the exact same thing you are, who have the same questions and struggles and we will work through it all together!
• Most importantly, NO supplements-just real food for real people living real lives.

There's noting to lose, except maybe some inches and a few pounds. There's a lot to gain: body confidence, strength, good digestion, energy and a different way to eat. 

If you're interested, simply e-mail me here and let me know to put you on the list. I will add you to our closed Facebook group where the food lists will be so you can be prepared for day one: Monday, June 1. Also, please feel free to e-mail me with any questions about the challenge-I would love to answer them (erin@ehfitness.com)

*Simply Venmo me @erin-heide and I'll add you to the group so we can get started!

Honey Chicken Thighs

I'm a chicken breast eater...which is great...but I realized a little while ago that there are several parts to a chicken that are much more flavorful than the breast like the thighs. So yesterday I picked up some skinless, boneless chicken thighs and got this incredibly tasty and easy recipe from a friend and it was delicious...and, of course, I modified it to be a bit cleaner and dare I say, better? 

I paired the chicken with mixed stir-fry veggies and cauliflower rice. It was sooo good, filling and easy. Oh! And my whole family liked it!



E. H. Fitness Honey Chicken Thighs

What you need: 

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 TBSP Coconut Oil (or oil of your choice)
• 3 TBSP Coconut Aminos
• 4 TBSP Honey
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• Dash of black pepper

What you do;

1. Pre-heat oven to 425
2. Line an 8x8 pan with foil OR use a silicone baking dish. The honey-soy sauce is super sticky and takes forever to scrub off....so therefore, line the pan!!
3. Mix all the ingredients (except chicken) together
4. Place chicken thighs in a single row in your baking pan
5. Pour sauce over the chicken
6. Flip the chicken to get the sauce on the other side
7. Bake for 40 minutes 
8. Serve with rice or cauliflower rice and mixed veggies!

Enjoy!

Hearty Chicken Chili Stew

This soup/stew/chili is a stand alone meal all by itself. And, honestly, I can barely call it a "chili" since it doesn't have beans in it, but the one and only Ina Garten calls it that in her version...so I concede to her vast food knowledge. I've doctored this recipe up to be simpler and a bit more flavorful....enjoy!

E.H.Fitness Chicken Chili-Stew

What you need:

• 1.5 lbs shredded chicken (see directions for so many simple and quick options)
• 2 TBSP avocado oil (or your oil of choice)
• 2 large white onions diced
• 1 heaping TBSP minced garlic
• 3 bell peppers diced (red, yellow or orange work best)
• 2 cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp basil
• 2 tsp Kosher salt (or whatever you have in your pantry)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• freshly ground pepper to taste

What you do: 

1. Figure out how you're going to do your chicken...buy it pre-shredded (Sprouts and Costco), grab a rotisserie chicken and shred that, or do what I did and throw a chicken breast and 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs into a crock pot on low for 4 hours and shred them)
2. Heat the oil on medium and add the onions...saute until they start to become translucent
3. Add the garlic and peppers to the onions and saute a couple more minutes
4. Add all the spices to the veggie mix and stir it up
5. Throw the onion, garlic, pepper mix into a big pot or crock pot with the chicken
6. Add the canned tomatoes into the pot
7. Cook it...until hot and steamy or all day on low or whatever floats your boat
8. EAT IT! I ate it plain...and it was amazing, but I could also see how corn chips, cheese, sour cream, etc would make it tasty as well!

Enjoy!

Mango....yes please!

Mango wasn't a fruit on my radar until recently. In fact, I didn't really like it. It was a bit "fuzzy" in it's texture for me. But then, all of a sudden, my sister offered me a disgusting looking piece of dried orange-ish-brown fruit...and because I was super-duper hungry, I took it. My. Mind. Was. Blown. No joke, My head snapped up  "What is THIS!" I asked (overly excitedly). "Oh," said my sister. "It's just unsweetened, unsulfured, dried mango." I was SOLD. Fresh mango, dried mango, freeze dried mango, frozen mango, any kind...I'm in.

With no added sugar, mango has become my go-to sweet treat. Check out its impressive nutrition profile.

Mango is awesome because:

• Contains over a dozen kinds of antioxidants...yep...those guys that fight against free radical damage that can lead to cancer, diabetes and other illnesses.
• Boosts immunity with lots of vitamins A, C, E and B
• Helps with digestive health with lots of fiber and digestive enzymes
• It's super duper yummy

I did have to do a bit of research on how to tell when/if a mango is ripe, so let me break it down for you in case you don't know either: just like a avocado and peaches, it should have a little softness to it. And it might smell fruity at the stem...that's it!This video is super helpful when cutting up fresh mango. 

Roasted Potatoes with Onions and Peppers

On Christmas morning my mom made roasted potatoes with peppers and onions as part of brunch...and even just thinking about them right now, my mouth is watering. Ever since then, I've been making a big batch each week for, well, whenever I want them. I use them as sides for salmon or hamburgers or under eggs in the morning. I can't tell you how yummy and satisfying they are AND simple to make.

What you need: 

• Several pounds of white potatoes (my favs are smaller red and gold OR even better, the tiny bite sized kind so you don't have to cut them up)
• 1-2 large sweet potatoes 
• 1-2 large yellow onions
• 4 bell peppers (I like using orange and yellow peppers for this)
• Avocado oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

• Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees
• Cut up white potatoes in to medium chunks (or don't if they are the little guys)
• Peel and cut up sweet potatoes into chunks similar to the other potatoes
• Cut onions and peppers into chunks (remember they will shrink a bit so you can make them pretty large-time saver!)
• Toss all potatoes and veggies in enough oil to coat them all slightly
• Add salt and pepper
• Spread it all out on a baking sheet
• Cook those suckers for 20 minutes, then stir, repeat until they are baked to your preference

I like the onions and peppers to be slightly burnt, so I cook mine for a while and then just turn the oven off and let them cool in there. 

Enjoy!

"Creamy" Hamburger Soup...it's sooooo delicious

So I don't have a photo of this soup....well...I do....but it doesn't look super appetizing...UPDATE:I just made this for the 10th time and took an okay photo... This thick and satisfying soup is loaded with veggies and protein and is just plain good...just ask my kids :)

What you need:

• 1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, chopped
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 8 medium sized red potatoes, diced
• 1 bag (or about 4 cups) riced cauliflower
• Salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

• Brown the meat for about 5 minutes
• Add the onion, ghee, garlic, carrots and celery and saute with the meat until the onions begin to soften
• Throw it all in the crockpot and stir in the chicken broth and red potatoes
• Right before you are ready to serve, cook the cauliflower rice in the microwave for 3 minutes
• Pour the cooked cauliflower and about 1 cup of the broth from the soup into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy (add more broth if necessary)
• Stir the cauliflower into the soup
• Serve!

Enjoy! 

Another on-the-go bar that is squeaky clean!

Oh my...have you tried these? Epic is that company that came out with all those “meat bars” made of chickens, cows and buffalos...kinda like a fancy and cleaner jerky. But now, they have jumped on the super-simple-bar-with-added-protein band wagon. Super similar to the beloved RX bars, these have egg white protein and I have to say, is the tastiest bar to date. I love me some lemon bars with the gooey lemon part on top of the flaky and buttery crust, and these are a pretty good sub. I get mine at Sprouts and eat them for breakfast if I’m gone all morning or for a post instense workout snack. Yummy!!

Clean as a whistle Curry Chicken

Recently, I've developed a love of curry dishes. They are so warm and satisfying and are super easy to make nice and clean (even Whole30 compliant). This particular chicken curry dish was what my son asked me to make on his day to choose our dinner...score! I serve this over rice...or in my case...cauliflower rice...it is DELICIOUS!

Clean Curry Chicken
(serves 4ish)

What you need:

• 1 TBSP avocado oil
• 1.5 lbs cubed chicken breast
• 1 yellow or white onion
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 can of full fat coconut milk
• 3 TBSP curry powder
• 1 tsp coconut aminos
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bag (or 4 cups cauliflower rice)

What you do:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet
2. Brown chicken for about 5 minutes or so
3. Add onion and garlic to chicken and continue sauteeing
4. Stir in curry powder and mix well
5. Pour the coconut milk into the skillet and bring mixture to a boil
6. Simmer mixture for 20 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through
7. Add coconut aminos and salt and pepper to taste
8. Serve over riced cauliflower

Enjoy!

Eat your veggies!

You know that eating healthy includes eating fresh veggies. But sometimes just because you know you should do something, doesn’t make it easy to do.  I personally think everyone should be eating a stupid amount of veggies, but you definitely want to get at least 5 half cup servings of veggies a day

Why eat your veggies? For many many many reasons, but here are a few compelling reasons for loading up your plate and snack drawer with things that grow in the ground.

• Vegetables contain essential vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to operate. Plus they are a great source of fiber! Studies show that those who eat a diet rich in fresh produce have a lower incidence of disease such as cancer, cardiovascular issues and stroke.
• Eating fresh veggies can help you control your weight. Vegetables are naturally low in calories and most are virtually fat free. So eat them first thing at a meal to eat less calories overall.
• Eating veggies will make you feel good. When you eat whole foods (unprocessed food), your body responds well, your skin glows and your systems work like they should.

5 servings of vegetables might seem like a hard pill to swallow or get into your schedule. But it’s actually very easy if you make sure to have a serving at every meal and snack. Here are a few simple ways to get your daily quota without blinking an eye.

• Breakfast: 
• Throw some peppers, zucchini and broccoli in your morning omelet
• Make a tasty smoothie with a bunch of baby spinach and kale, your favorite fruit and unsweetened almond milk (you won’t even be able to taste the greens…I promise)
• Lunch: 
• Top your sandwich with actual veggies (forget the sad piece of lettuce and tiny sliced tomatoes…they don’t count). Add cucumbers, peppers, spinach, mushrooms, etc.
• Hit the salad bar and load up with all colors of pre-cut vegetables including dark leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots, turnips, peas, cabbage, you get the picture…lots of veggies. 
• Dinner:
• Load your spaghetti sauce (or any sauce for that matter) with tons of veggies. My favorites are broccoli, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms.
• Make stir fry with lean meat and lots of veggies such as cabbage, carrots, broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms and celery.
• Steam your favorite veggie and have it on the side…have lots on the side…so much so that it looks like it’s the main course
• Eat a side salad before dinner to eat less
• Make an old school vegetable soup with lots of chunky veggies and for some “oomph” add some potatoes.
• Snacks:
• When you go to the salad bar for a salad, get lots of pre-cut veggies for to much on when you get hungry
• Make sure to have cut up carrots, broccoli, peppers, celery, jicama, etc for crunching and dipping in low fat protein packed dips like hummus.
• Steam a bag of veggies (frozen veggies are just like fresh…as long as they aren’t in sauce)
• Get a pre-cut veggie tray and eat off of it (often)

 So what counts as half a cup? Besides the obvious measuring techniques, keep these easy to remember tips close at hand:

·         5 broccoli florets

·         6 baby carrots

·         1 large handful of raw greens (spinach, lettuce, cabbage)

·         1 large stalk of celery

·         ½ large ear of corn

·         6 bell pepper strips

Make in a blender perfect autumn soup

Always the lazy cook, I've come up with the easiest and cleanest and tastiest Butternut Squash Soup that is perfect for the fall, winter or even cold in the summer. Plus, butternut squash is super high in vitamin A (you’ll get over 100% of your daily recommended intake). Vitamin A is required for the development of eyes, skin, and immune system. So it’s important. AND it has the super spice turmeric which is believed to aid in digestion, prevent Alzheimer’s disease, heal wounds, ward off cancer, control diabetes, relieve arthritis and a bunch of other awesome things. Makes you kind of want to just eat a whole canister of it, right? Don’t, that would be gross. But DO eat this soup!

 To make this the easiest thing ever, I recommend cooking your butternut squash in a crockpot. I often will just do this move and then keep the perfectly done squash in my fridge if I'm not read y to make the soup-yay! Check out this recipe in all of it's glory.

Butternut Squash Soup:

What you need: 

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1/2 TBSP minced ginger
• 1 heaping TSP tumeric
• 1 TSP curry powder
• 3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken bone broth or stock)
• 1 cup light unsweetened coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

1. Cook the butternut squash (whole) in a crockpot for 3-4 hours on low, let cool a bit and then scoop out the insides (toss the seeds). You can totally do this part a couple days in advance and keep the perfectly cooked squash in the fridge.
2. Saute the onions in a bit of the chicken broth until they are soft (about 10 minutes), add all the spices and rest of the broth. Set aside and let cool a bit.
3. Dump everything into a blender...you might have to do this in batches. If the broth and onion deal is still hot, make sure to only fill the blender halfway as you could end up covered in the delicious soup
4. Blend until smooth, add the coconut milk, blend again and you are done!

enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Zucchini Bread-clean and soooo yummy

Today, my husband and kids suggested going to an amazing vegan bakery for a little snack...my favorite because they also bake the most delicious gluten free treats too! Much to my disappointment, they had sold all of the gluten free offerings that day...so sad. So when I got home, I decided to make my own treat with some bananas that were totally overripe and a huge zucchini from my in-laws garden. This is soooo easy, soooo yummy and full of fruit and veggies!

What you need:
2 cups oats, pulsed in blender until "flour"

• 2 very ripe bananas smashed
• 2.5 cups of shredded zucchini (I spiralize and run a knife through mine)
• 100 calories worth of plain, vegan protein powder. I like the pea protein from Trader Joe's
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 TBSP oil of choice (loving my avocado oil)
• 1 1/2 TBSP apple cider vinager
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• Dash of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips 

What you do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease a 8x8 pan
3. Combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and then fold in the chocolate
4. Pour into the pan and bake on middle rack for 40-45 minutes 

EAT it!

Nutrition for one giant piece...1/9 of the pan

235 calories

8 grams fat

36 carbs

4 grams fiber

6 grams protein

Keepin' girls night healthy...and tasty...without a veggie tray

Oh girls night in...it's something I look forward to...like a lot. For me, it means 3 things: 1. Great adult catch up time in yoga pants. 2. When it's at someone else's house-they have to clean and I'm not home for the endless bedtime routines and negotiations with my adorable kiddos (it's nice to have a tiny break every once in a while). 3. Yummy wine and food.

I am queen of always bringing a veggie tray to every get together, but girls night is a bit different: it's special. So what's a girl to do when trying to stay on track with healthy living? Enter berries and super dark chocolate. You get some amazing fiber, vitamins and minerals with the berries and the dark chocolate is not something like puppy chow or M&Ms that you can eat by the handful...or let's be honest, bowlful. It's something that you nibble, because it's good...but not that good. Plus, it offers a low sugar (5-6 grams per serving), some feel good antioxidants and a perfect pairing for your favorite glass of wine. 

Cheers!

Peanut Butter Protein Muffins

There's nothing like a yummy muffin-I mean, they are basically an excuse to eat cake in the morning with a cup of coffee. And generally speaking, that's exactly what they are: cake.  Most muffins out there have tons more sugar and calories than a donut...what?! But, don't despair, this muffin* is fantastic. It's fluffy, cake like, super easy AND low carb, higher protein and gluten free-and you can't tell. Hooray! I've been using these for snacks and meals when I'm on the go. 

What you need:

(makes 15 muffins)

• 1 cup rolled or quick oats
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or you could use pumpkin)
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (just salt and nuts)
• 1/2 cup unflavored protein powder (I used the vegan Arbonne protein boost...could could totally use other powders, but if they are sweetened, cut down the sweetener you add to the recipe)
• 1-1/2 tsp liquid stevia (or if you want to use another sweetener like honey, use 1/2 cup...it will have more carbs and calories)
• 1 txp baking soda
• 1 txp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt

What you do:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degress
2. Put everything in a blender and blend-did I just blow your mind? SO EASY!
3. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into a regular size muffin tin (greased or lined with parchment paper muffin liners-makes it soooo easy and not messy)
4. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the tops start to brown a bit like in the picture
5. EAT!

My kids love these muffins...especially with a swipe of peanut butter or jelly or both.

Each muffin contains 100 calories, 5 grams of fat, 6 carbs (only 1 sugar), 2 grams fiber and 6 grams protein. 

Enjoy!

* original recipe which I adapted (and I think made a bit tastier) for my own nutrition needs

The perfect way to do asparagus for breakfast (or lunch...or dinner)

I love asparagus but for some reason, I only really make it if we are having steak or if it would go well with whatever meat we are grilling. BUT recently, I've been alternating one low carb day with a higher carb day and needed to expand my veggies...I was getting soooooo bored with zucchini and spinach and broccoli and everything else I was eating. Enter asparagus for breakfast. Now it's my fav! PLUS, it's loaded with nutrients like fiber, vitamins A, C, E, K and folate. AND ti's a natural diuretic. So my new low carb day meal is 2 eggs and 2 egg whites, 1/4 avocado and 1-2 cups asparagus...make like this:

What you need:

• Asparagus (I like the kind that is at least as thick as my ring finger)
• Favorite seasoning (this is mine)
• Water

What you do:

1. Bring a small pan of water to a boil
2. Wash and break off the reedy ends of the asparagus (they will break off at a natural place)
3. Cut them into 2 inch pieces
4. Toss them in the boiling water to blanch for about 1-2 minutes.
5. Pour a couple table spoons of the water into a heated pan on the stove
6. Drain the asparagus and pop into the pan to sautee for about 2-3 minutes 
7. Add seasoning
8. Eat!

Enjoy!

Roasted Root Vegetables

So...it's definitely fall now and that means that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I know for most, it is an all out eat fest and that's great. Even so, I'm really thankful for my health and want to feed my body some really good, yummy, nutritious food even if I indulge in some gravy and pie. Plus, if you are dealing with food allergies and sensitivities, Thanksgiving feasts can be a bit daunting. Therefore, I have worked hard to make the yummiest root vegetable hash possible. Root veggies are amazing. They fight cancer with a healthy dose of antioxidants, fill you up with fiber and can even help you absorb more iron for strong bones and cartilage.

What you need:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 4 large golden beets
• 2 cup whole Brussels sprouts (I know it's not a root veggies...but they are soooo tasty in this dish)
• 1 small butternut squash
• 1 medium red onion
• 6 whole carrots
• 6 whole parsnips
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• optional: 1 tbsp my favorite spice to put on veggies

                               
                                       What to do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
2. Peel all veggies and cut into 1 inch cubes (I know this seems like a lot of chopping and such but it took me less than 20 minutes and I passed the time watching my guilty pleasure tv series)
3. Saute all veggies except butternut squash (they get too mushy) in broth for about 5 minutes to get them just a little soft...but not too soft or they will be mushy
4. Salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil
5. Spread on two separate baking sheets to provide enough room for veggies to roast
6. Bake until tender or about 20 minutes

Nutrition Facts per one cup serving: 100 calories, 20 carbs, 2.5 grams protein, 2 grams fat, 5 grams fiber

Taco Tuesday

                                        

We LOVE Taco Tuesday at my house. Everyone can just make their own tacos, or burrito bowls or whatever.

• cooked cauliflower rice (super easy with Trader Joe's frozen kind) or regular rice (super easy with steam-in-bag rice
• shredded taco chicken (so easy, throw chicken breasts in the crockpot with a jar of salsa...all day on low, 4 hours on high)
• black beans (I'm in love with Trader Joe's Cuban style black beans)
• shredded lettuce or cabbage
• diced onion (you can grab some at the salad bar in your grocery store if you don't want to chop)
• salsa
• and add some avocado for extra yumminess!

Yummy!

Clean and Easy Protein Balls

My son is obsessed with these delicious protein balls at our local clean eating tea place (and frankly, I am obsessed with them as well). So today when I asked Carter what he wanted for a snack, he said "protein balls, please." Since the baby was down for her afternoon nap, Carter and I looked through our pantry and decided that we could totally make our own clean protein balls out of stuff we had laying around. So we did...in 10 minutes flat...and they are rock-star protein balls! PLUS, you can make them with all sorts of stuff. You could add flax, chia seeds, chocolate, fruit, etc


What you need:

• Parchment paper lined cookie sheet
• 1 cup nut butter (we used raw salted creamy natural peanut butter but almond butter or sunflower butter would be great too)
• 1/2 cup sweetener (we used raw organic honey but agave or maple syrup or brown rice syrup will do)
• 54 grams of protein powder (we used 2 1/2 scoops IsaPro vanilla...just make sure it's unsweetened and just protein powder)
• 1 cup oatmeal (we used gluten free quick oats)
• 22 chocolate chips

What you do: 

1. On medium-low heat, combine peanut butter and honey and stir until smooth (be careful, it can burn!)
2. Remove pan from burner and let cool for a minute stirring continuously.
3. Mix in protein powder and oatmeal in (you get a bit of an arm workout since it gets pretty thick)
4. Make into tablespoon sized balls (or use a cookie dough scoop if you're lazy...er resourceful... like me).
5. Top with a chocolate chip (totally optional :) ) 
6. Refrigerate for around an hour and eat 'em!

Nutrition stats:
(per ball...recipe makes 22)
115 calories, 6 grams fat, 11 grams carbs, 6 grams sugar, 1.5 grams fiber, 5.5 grams protein

EDIT: I made another batch using half the sweetener and added 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk and they were perfection, plus you shave off 15 calories and 3 grams sugar :)