Tasty Tuesday

Today's Tasty Tuesday focus is going to be on the most important meal of the day:  Breakfast!

Our first recipe is for protein pancakes...now I know there may seem to be some funky ingredients in this recipe, but trust me...they are delicious!  The texture is more dense and muffin like but they are great and very filling and you won't get the usual 'pancake coma' after eating them!

Banana Vanilla Protein Pancakes

Makes six large pancakes
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 very ripe banana, mashed
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Heat pan or griddle to a low-medium heat and spray with cooking spray
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend with an immersion blender (I used my Ninja blender but a food processor would work good too)
3. Pour batter onto griddle and cook for approximately two minutes per side
4. Top with syrup, fresh fruit, nuts or chocolate chips and enjoy

Plan Ahead!!
The best way to ensure that you will eat healthy is to plan ahead!  These next three recipes you can make ahead of time and freeze if you wish.  Then just grab them and go!  I spend 1 hour on Sunday to make ahead my meals and that way I'm set up for success for the whole week!

Baked Oatmeal To Go!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups applesauce, unsweetened
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup honey
• 5 cups, Old Fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups milk
• Optional toppings: raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and Stevia together in a bowl.
3. Add in oats, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients.
4. Finally pour in milk and combine.
5. Spray a 12 and 6 capacity muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners.
   Pour mixture evenly into muffin tin cups.
6. If using toppings add them onto the tops of muffins now. If using fresh or frozen fruit, drop it right into the batter.
7. Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool and enjoy or freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

Egg Muffin Frittatas

Ingredients

·    8 large eggs (or you can use 6 eggs and 3-4 egg whites to lighten it up; or you can use egg beaters)

·    1/2 cup milk

·    1/2 teaspoon salt

·    Assorted mix-ins (such as, diced spinach, tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms)

·    Grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions

Heat your oven to 350º F and coat a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Portion out your veggies into each muffin tin (put as much or as little as you want)

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt in a medium bowl, then evenly distribute the egg mixture among the muffin cups.

Optional: you can add a little shredded cheese to the tops of the muffins

Bake the frittatas until they are puffy and the edges are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. (If necessary, run a butter knife around the edge of each one to loosen them before removing them from the pan.) Makes 12 mini frittatas.

You can store them in a Ziploc baggie in the fridge or freezer.  Microwave 2-3 muffins for 20-30 seconds and they taste just like fresh!

Lighter Banana Muffins (these are my son's favorite...we call them banana cupcakes...whatever works, right?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 4 oz applesauce (unsweetened)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare your muffin tins by lightly spraying it with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine eggs and bananas.  Then mix in applesauce, cinnamon and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture. Fold in walnuts if desired. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. Recipe yields 18 - 24 muffins depending on how full you fill the tin

Motivation Monday

It's Motivation Monday Time!  Today let's reflect on your own inner motivation.  What gets you going?  What keeps you going?  Many times we rely too heavily on someone or something else to motivate us when what we need to do is find the motivation within ourselves, find that voice in your head that tells you 'you CAN do it'.  We can't alway rely on someone else.  Now don't get me wrong, it's great having someone else to push you or to keep you accountable but what happens when that person isn't there to tell you to step away from that donut or can't make it to the workout that day...does that mean you don't go or that you throw your healthy eating to the curb?  You know what the answer is...It's in these instances that you have to have some self reliance and self motivation.  Find your inner voice and it will take you so far on your journey to a healthy lifestyle!

Fit Friday

Favorite Exercise of the Week:

Bridge Lifts

Perform 3 sets of 25

Topic Thursday

This week's Topic:  Eating Less

We all have goals we want to reach...many of them range from wanting to lose weight, feel better, get more fit, finish a 5K, be healthier, etc.  No matter what your health goal is, most of the time to reach that goal you have to focus on your nutrition. 

Facts are Facts:  A Healthy Body is Made in the Kitchen...
You can exercise at your maximum 6 days a week for an hour (which is great!) but if you go home and eat mindlessly and unhealthy, you've basically undone all of your hard work.  Sad but True!

The only surefire way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume - eat less and exercise more.  On paper that sounds so easy, but the truth is, we all know the "eat less" part of that is easier said than done!  Try some of the tips below to help you cut calories without feeling deprived.

• Measure out your portions.  Use measuring cups, small baggies, and read labels to count out appropriate serving sizes (i.e. 6 triscuit crackers are 1 serving of good carb).
• Pay attention to your BLT's.  BLT = Bites, Licks and Tastes.  A small bite of your spouses sandwich here, a taste of your kiddos cupcake there and a lick of this or that while you're cooking can all add up to a lot of extra calories.
• Just say NO to super-sizing!  The hundreds of extra calories are not worth the "value".
• Drink water!  
• In Okinawa, Japan before eating they take a moment to say "hara hachi bu" - it is their reminder to eat only until they are 80 percent full.  There is no need to stuff ourselves at every meal, everyday.  Uncomfortable stuffing should be saved just for Thanksgiving :)  If we just eat until we are 80 percent full at each meal we could save ourselves a lot of un-needed calories.  
• No seconds.  After serving food, put it away before you start eating.  Then when you finish your first serving you won't be tempted to have a second helping - odds are you'll already be 80 percent full after the first serving anyway :).
• Use smaller dishes for food - get rid of large plates, bowls, and glasses.  Using smaller dishes is a guaranteed way to eat less.
• Eat purposefully while sitting down.  Avoid mindless munching in the car, in front of the television or even in front of the refrigerator.  Make an effort to always sit at a table and take your time when eating to actually enjoy the food.  Don't forget to enjoy the company around you while eating, be an active contributor to the conversation. 
• Close the kitchen.  Pick a time in the evening when you will "close the kitchen."  Once the kitchen is closed no more snacks for the rest of the evening.  Make a sign if you need to :)  This practice will help you avoid un-needed nighttime calories

What's Happening Wednesday

This week's 'What's Happening Wednesday' focus:

The Viking 5K!

Who:  Everyone can participate!

What:  5K Run or Walk and Viking Kid Trot

When:  Saturday, October 6th  (Start Time:  9:00 a.m.)

Why:  To get in some great exercise with fellow GV Faculty, Staff, Students and other participants and to help support this event on Campus!

GV Wellness will be offering an 8-Week Training Program for anyone interested in running or walking this 5K.  Training begins on August 13th.  The Training Program will include a guide to follow, weekly informational emails and motivation and optional group runs!

Be on the lookout for the Training Program email (coming soon!) but in the meantime, sign yourself, your family and your friends up for this fun event!!

To learn more about this race, click here



Tasty Tuesday

Balsamic Chicken and Asparagus

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)
1 bunch asparagus
1 pint grape tomatoes
4 oz mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup plus 2 Tb balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 t olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
1. Combine 1/2 balsamic, 1/4 olive oil, garlic powder and pepper into a ziploc bag. Add in raw chicken breasts and marinate from 30 minutes to overnight. After marinating, grill chicken.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the end of asparagus (bend asparagus until it breaks, this is where you should be cutting off the ends). Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil. Line asparagus on the cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Place on top rack of oven for 8-10 minutes until tender (until you can easily pierce with a fork).
3. In a frying pan, place sliced grape tomatoes in 1 teaspoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Cook for a few minutes until tomatoes start to get soft (where you can squish them with a fork).
4. Place chicken and asparagus on a serving dish, top with tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle with extra balsamic mixture from tomatoes.

All of this yumminess for 355 calories a serving!!
*source: Maggie's Bites

Here's a light dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Ingredients:1 lb large strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (use 1/3 less fat..NOT fat free)
3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (4 tbsp for a sweeter filling)
1 tsp vanilla extract
graham cracker crumbs (optional)

Directions:
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if necessary (some may already be hollow inside). Prep all strawberries and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture. Once strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving

Enjoy!!



Motivation Monday

Here we are...at the beginning of another great week!  How about you take a couple of minutes for yourself and set an attainable goal for this week?  It's not so much about the goal you are setting, it's the fact that you're setting a goal...now reach it!  Feel the success of reaching your goal and do the same thing again next week and before you know it, it's become a part of your routine.  Work for what you want!!

Fit Friday

Favorite Exercise of the Week:

Kneeling Roundhouse Kick...great for glutes and inner thighs!
Perform 2 sets of 25 per leg and feel the burn!

Topic Thursday

Today's Topic:  'Clean' Eating

We are hearing more and more about eating 'Clean'.  But what does that mean?
Basically eating Clean means that you only eat what nature provides.  Processed foods, chemically altered items or man-'enhanced' items aren't on the menu for this way of eating.

Here is a breakdown of this method:

1. Eat  Lots Of Plants – Eat food that is straight from nature. (Some people say “as close to the way nature made it as possible”.  Eat mostly foods that are off a tree, bush, plant or vine, and you’ve pretty much got it covered. The idea is to stay away from anything that humans (food corporations) have altered in any way.
2. Include Meats - Eat meats that are whole and straight from the butcher. Don’t buy pre-packaged meat products because you never know what’s in them. When possible, buy whole meats. You’d be surprised what’s in ground turkey meat (think skin, fat, etc)! You can also select a few turkey breasts and ask that the butcher grind them for you. Many butchers are more than willing to accommodate.
3. Enjoy Grains - Eat grains that are still complete and haven’t been broken down into “glue”. Stick to brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat and other whole grains.
4. Read Labels I don’t know how many breads I’ve picked up at the store that say they are whole grain. But when I take a look at the ingredient list, white flour is the second ingredient after whole wheat flour!
5. Eat Fewer Ingredients. Try not to purchase foods that have more than 3-6 ingredients in the ingredient list. And be sure you recognize each and every ingredient. If you find a “mystery ingredient” such as “spices”, contact the company! Ask them what they consider to be spices. If it’s anything other than honest-to-goodness herbs and spices, avoid it! And remember, if you can’t pronounce it, it probably shouldn’t go into your body.
6. Eat 5-6 small meals per day. This may seem like a lot at first. But remember, you are eating smaller portions. If you really have a hard time with this, prepare your regular three meals and a snack for the day, and divide lunch and dinner in half. You’ve instantly got 6 small meals!

This is a basic list of what this style of eating includes.  If you want more info, just contact Mindy!

Wellness Wednesday

Water

Looking for a "magic potion" to aid in weight loss and overall improved health?  Look no further than water!  Water is quite possibly the single most important tool to help you lose weight, keep it off, and reach your optimal health.

·         Water suppreses your appetite.  Often times thirst is mistaken for hunger - when you're hungry drink a glass of water first, then see if you're still hungry.

·         Water helps your body metabolize fat.  Here's why: the kidneys can't function properly without enough water.  When the kidneys aren't working to capacity some of their load is dumped onto the liver.  One of the liver's primary functions is to make stored fat into usable energy for the body.  If the liver is helping out the kidneys it can't work at full throttle, so it metabolizes less fat. 

·         Water helps rid your body of retained fluid.  Sounds strange, but when you're dehydrated, even mildly, your body retains fluid as a mode of survival.  If you are drinking enough water then your body doesn't feel the need to retain fluid.  Give your body plenty of water so the stored fluid in your body can be released.

·         Your muscles need water to work at their peak.  Muscles that work at their peak burn more calories!

·         Water helps rid the body of wastes - it keeps you regular.  All that fat you're burning in workouts has to leave your body somehow, being properly hydrated helps you eliminate it. 

·         Drinking enough water gives you energy!  Most mid-day fatigue is often just mild dehydration.  

How much should you drink?  As a guide, divide your body weight by 2 and aim for that many ounces of water per day.  (i.e. if you weigh 150 pounds, 150 divided by 2 = 75, aim for 75 ounces of water per day).  

Having trouble getting your water intake in?  Find a water bottle you like and take it with you everywhere, drink with a straw, add some lemon or lime slices or even a squirt of lemon juice!

Tasty Tuesday

For a refreshing summer snack or the perfect side salad to accompany your favorite grilled lean meat, try this tasty salad!

Fresh Guacamole Salad



Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados, in thick slices
• 1 red onion, sliced in half moons
• A generous handful of cilantro
• Cherry tomatoes, sliecd in half
• Salt and pepper to season

Dressing

• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and set aside. Assemble the ingredients for the salad on a serving platter, start with the slices of avocado then top with the red onion slices and then the cherry tomatoes.  Sprinkle cilantro all over the top of the salad.
Drizzle over the dressing and then season with sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Serve straight away. Makes 4 Servings.


Rich Chocolate Banana Protein Shake
You can use this yummy shake as a great start to your day or for lunch on a hot day!  It will give you filling protein and a delicious chocolate fix!

• 1 Scoop chocolate protein powder (whey protein powder)
• 1 Medium, ripe banana
• 1 Cup unsweetened almond milk (can also use unsweeted choc almond milk)
• 1 TB unsweetened baking cocoa
• 3-5 Ice Cubes

Blend and Enjoy!

Motivation Monday

I believe there are always two ways you can look at a 'Monday'.  You can approach the day thinking you dread the fact that it's Monday (already...) or you can embrace it as a new week, a fresh start and a way to set yourself up for a successful week.  I prefer the latter. 

Start the week off right--set some realistic goals, be active, try to eat a little better every day, take some time for yourself and live your best life possible!

Here is one of my favorite mottos:

A Little Friday Funny...

For all those Pinterest Pinners out there:

Green Monster Smoothie

Don’t let the name of this smoothie deter you…It is AWESOME and a great way to start your day (with 4 servings of greens in it!! Whoot Whoot!).…trust me, you DO NOT taste the spinach!

Ingredients (serves 1):
1 frozen banana (slice the bananas up before you freeze them!)
1 TBSP Peanut Butter
1/2 cup 0% Vanilla or Plain Greek Yogurt
1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
4 cups baby spinach (sometimes will use more or less)

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
Nutritional Stats: 350 calories, 10g fiber, 21g protein