Meal Planning

The most important thing to remember when trying to stick to a healthy diet is meal planning! I have found that when I eat the wrong foods, its usually because I was hungry and just reached for the food that takes the least amount of time and effort to prepare... Usually carbs! I have a serious weakness for cereal, bread, oatmeal, fig newtons, granols bars, etc. Here are some make-ahead foods that will satisfy you hunger throughout the day and not leave you feeling guilty!

Vegetable soup

Quinoa

Hard-boiled eggs

Sweet potatoes

asparagus

Grilled chicken breasts

Brown rice

Sliced carrots & celery

Homemade frozen yogurt

Click HERE for an awesome list of savory make ahead snacks under 200 calories!

Beet Salad Recipe

Roasted beets

Feta cheese

Toasted walnuts

Oregano

Balsamic vinegar 

Warm Quinoa Arugula Salad

I came up with this salad as an alternative to a salad I got at LALA Grill here in beautiful Monterey, Ca 

Arugula 

Cucumber

Apples

Dried cherries 

Grilled onions

Cilantro

Red quinoa 

Vinaigrette (apple cider/balsamic/cherry vinegar or a combo of all 3 are good mixed with a little EVOO and a dash of salt and pepper)   

Dump the warm quinoa on last and then top with the dressing 

***Use organic produce please! I know it costs more, but we have to support the movement!!! 

The original salad has bacon, grilled chicken breast, and feta cheese, but I'm leaning toward no meat or dairy lately so I left those things out.

ENJOY!!!

 

Not all smoothies are created equal

There is a big fad now in the health world with smoothies. Everyday I see people posting their not-so-healthy fruit smoothies on Pinterest and Instagram and I have decided to post about how you can actually LOSE weight drinking them.

First of all... Don't ever use sugary fruit juice!!! It's best to use water as the liquid or all natural juice like Simply Orange or POM juice. Just don't go crazy with the juice because it does add a lot of calories and sugar. 

I personally like to use organic produce and the biggest thing that people don't realize is that 80% of the blender should be greens/veggies and the other 20% is fruit. Honestly, you only need a small amount of fruit to make it sweet and cover up the greens. 

If you keep those things in mind when making healthy smoothies, you will be much better off

Ps. NEVER use arugula in a smoothie unless you don't mind a peppery taste. I love it for salads but not for my smoothies!!!