So around 3 weeks ago I decided to start meal planning and eating a bit better. We never really eat "bad" as in fast food or tons of fried things, but were bad about getting processed items. I really wanted to try and start eating clean. I mentioned before I have some leftover "baby weight" (can I still call it that 7 months later? ha) I want to lose, so I figured this would be a good start. So far I have lost about 4 1/2 lbs in 3 weeks just from diet. Now it's time to add in some exercise, boo! haha
When searching for recipes, I try to find ones that are mostly natural foods and most importantly, simple! Now some of these do have packaged items, but overall most of them are pretty healthy. I am just going to share a few I have tried so far that were a hit.
First off we have been making these about a year or so, and I love them! Simple and delicious. Mini pizzas!
Ingredients:
Any type of pita or tortilla, though I like FlatOut brand products.
Lite Laughing Cow Cheese
Shredded Cheese (not a must)
Olive Oil
Spinach
Tomato
Garlic
Neither Lance or I are big fans of pizza sauce, so we always make the "white pizzas", but you can easily add marinara to this if you like.
Bake the Pita for around 5 minutes, take out and add all above toppings (the olive oil is our sauce), and put back in the oven around 8 minutes. Simple and delicious! Also very low on calories!
Next, I made a Shrimp Pasta with Zucchini Noodles and roasted radishes. This whole meal was under 175 calories.. INSANE!
I got a Vegetable Spiralizer for Christmas (yea, I asked for this haha) I spiraled (is that a word?) some zucchini, and then sauteed them in a bit of olive oil. I added a few chopped yellow peppers I had left over from another recipe as well. Then, I cooked the shrimp in a skillet with a few different spices and added it to the noodles once heated. Now, I was a bit nervous about the radishes, because I normally don't like them. I saw them on a cooking show where they promised they didn't taste like a raw radish this way, and they were right! I really, really liked them! All you do is chop up your radishes, cover with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. Once you take them out of the oven, sprinkle with lemon juice and you're done! They have more of a potato taste this way.
(I didn't notice the picture I took was blurry until after I ate all my food.. oops)
Third, I tried this simple chicken marinade idea and the flavor was very good. Overnight you will marinate boneless, skinless chicken breasts with the following:
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Cook at 350 for 30 or so minutes, depending on thickness and size. I served these with a side of fresh broccoli chopped and baked with a bit of olive oil and salt/pepper. The chicken is also something you can prepare and then freeze in the marinade until you are ready to thaw and eat. Great freezer meal idea!
Fourth, I tried an Orange Chicken crockpot recipe. This one I didn't have all the correct ingredients so I'll put exactly how I made it, since I liked the taste!
Orange Marmalade (I just dumped in the whole jar since I knew I wouldn't use the rest for anything)
1/2 cup of BBQ
1/4 cup Honey ((it called for 3/4 cup of Honey BBQ sauce, but I improvised since I only had reg))
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast chopped into large pieces
Cook on Low 3-4 hours.
I'm sure if you dumped the sauce all over these once you took the chicken out it would add a lot more calories, but I just picked out the chicken and only had the sauce that had soaked into them. I really liked this recipe, even though Lance didn't like the orange flavor (he doesn't like anything fruit flavored ha).
Mainly we try to use recipes with a baked meat, mainly chicken or fish, and then a side of fresh vegetables. We also like to get the Turkey Tenderloins that are pre-seasoned and bake those- which is 2 nights worth of meals! I can tell a difference in not feeling so bloated since eating more clean. It has also been a HUGE help with the meal planning. I plan out my weekly menu on Saturday, and then make my lists of needed ingredients for my Sunday shopping trip. It helps save money, not waste food, and makes the nights so much faster and more organized.
I also try to drink as much lemon water as I can, eat fresh for breakfast (avocado toast with lemon juice, yogurt, fresh fruit, special k with skim milk) and lunch (salads, fruits, veggies, leftover meats from dinner), and not snack. I recently bought some Ezekiel bread (made with sprouts and not flour) that is supposed to be much better for you and doesn't have any crazy preservatives. You have to keep it in the freezer though unless you can eat it all within just a few days. I also found Silk Almond Milk now makes a coffee creamer, which I am so excited for because I know how HORRIBLE and chemical filled those yummy coffee creamers are. I see so many people focus on low calorie foods, but they don't realize how many chemicals and fake things they are eating just to get low calorie. I will eat more calories/fat if I know that it's actually an overall healthy option.
I am definitely not a pro at this, nor do I eat good all the time. I just thought I would share a few tips and tricks I am trying to focus on more this year. Sometimes you just want a yummy, chemically processed cookie.. and that's ok. (I'm human.. it's not the end of the world). I am still trying out new recipes weekly, so I will post more as I find ones worth sharing. I am making some hummus crusted chicken tonight that I am pretty excited about!
Hopefully this can help if you are looking for some healthier, quick options. :) I am always open for ideas you have tried, so share away if you have any recommendations!!
