Sunday, December 27, 2015

Beef Burrito Bowl



This recipe is the fourth in a series on "A Month of Meal Plans and Groceries in 30 Minutes." - link HERE

We shop for a month at a time, for more explanation on how we do this see the above blog post link. It saves a ton of time, money, and calories from buying off plan items. I will also be sharing with you a week of my eating and how I plan these recipes into my diet.



My kids and husband love this simple recipe, everyone can personalize their own bowl!  It is easy to make and makes plenty for a crowd. It also freezes and reheats well, so you could make a batch for your whole work week of lunches or dinners.


Burrito Bowl

Serves 5

Ingredients
2.25 lean ground beef (I used 90% lean)
2.5 cup cooked rice (I use white Minute Rice)
2.5 cup cooked pinto beans (you can also sub black beans)
15 tbsp salsa
10 tbsp plain, fat-free Greek yougurt
taco seasoning - you can buy it or HERE is my recipe from scratch
*optional toppings: shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, diced onion, diced bell peppers

Directions:
Brown beef with taco seasoning. Cook rice and beans. I do my rice in the microwave as directed and my beans in the crockpot all day. HERE is the recipe for how I do beans in the crockpot, just stop at the refry part. I freeze extra beans for future use.


On a place or bowl, layer 1/2 cup cooked rice. Then top with 1/2 cup cooked beans. Top with 6 oz beef taco meat, 3 tbsp salsa, and 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt. Finish with toppings as desired but be sure to count those in!
browning the beef

microwaving the rice as directed
beans in the crockpot!


Nutritional stats per serving

499 calories
52 g protein
46 g carbs
9 g fat




Sunday, December 20, 2015

Red Chili with Chicken and Beans



This recipe is the third in a series on "A Month of Meal Plans and Groceries in 30 Minutes." - link HERE

We shop for a month at a time, for more explanation on how we do this see the above blog post link. It saves a ton of time, money, and calories from buying off plan items. I will also be sharing with you a week of my eating and how I plan these recipes into my diet.

This chili is a nice change of pace from my normal beef chili recipe. It is easy to make and makes plenty for a crowd. It also freezes and reheats well, so you could make a batch for your whole work week of lunches or dinners.

Red Chili with Chicken and Beans

6 Hearty Servings 

Ingredients:
1 large bell pepper, diced
2 large onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
30 oz pinto beans, cooked or canned
2 cans diced tomatoes
2/3 cup Chili-O Seasoning Mix
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
Optional toppings - green onions, plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, or sour cream

Directions:
In a large pan or pot over medium-high heat, saute the onions, bell pepper, and garlic until onions are translucent. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and chili seasoning. Once the mixture is boiling, add in the chicken. Allow the chili to come to a boil and then turn the heat down to low-medium. Allow chili to simmer for 15-20 minutes for the flavors to come together. Top as desired, but be sure to count those calories that are added. I like to top mine with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, enjoy!








Nutritional Info

Per serving

428 calories
5.3 g fat
51.8 g carbs
41.1 g protein

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Chocolate PB&J Protein Oats




We shop for a month at a time, for more explanation on how we do this see the above blog post link. It saves a ton of time, money, and calories from buying off plan items. I will also be sharing with you a week of my eating and how I plan these recipes into my diet.

This recipe is one of my weekday favorites. I can prep the oats while I get my coffee ready and it travels well in a container until I am ready to eat it! I have a *slight* addiction to peanut butter too, so this hits that craving in a macro friendly way ;) and it will keep me full until lunch! The carbs and protein are also pretty perfect for post workout too!


Chocolate PB&J Protein Oats

Serves 1

Ingredients
0.5 cup dry oats
1 cup water
0.5 cup strawberries (I used the bagged strawberries that are frozen and sliced)
1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder (I used Optimum Nutrition Extreme Milk Chocolate)
1 tbsp peanut butter


Directions:
Prepare oats in water with strawberries in the microwave, I use quick cooking oats and do 1 minute and 15 seconds in the microwave. You can also leave the oats, water, and strawberries in the fridge overnight then just warm them the next morning for about 30 seconds. 

Stir in the whey powder. Top with a dollop of peanut butter and enjoy!





I have also discovered that you can blend a cup of baby spinach into your water before cooking! Cannot even taste it, but such a great nutritional boost. Just add 7 cals to nutritional stats below; )



Nutrition Facts
Servings 1.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 313
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10 g 16 %
Saturated Fat 2 g 10 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 30 mg 10 %
Sodium 202 mg 8 %
Potassium 182 mg 5 %
Total Carbohydrate 25 g 8 %
Dietary Fiber 5 g 18 %
Sugars 8 g
Protein 31 g 62 %
Vitamin A 0 %
Vitamin C 74 %
Calcium 10 %
Iron 10 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S.


Sunday, December 6, 2015

Hashbrown Omelet



This recipe is the first in a series on "A Month of Meal Plans and Groceries in 30 Minutes." - link HERE

We shop for a month at a time, for more explanation on how we do this see the above blog post link. It saves a ton of time, money, and calories from buying off plan items. I will also be sharing with you a week of my eating and how I plan these recipes into my diet.

This recipe is one of my favorites. Both my kids and my husband like it too. It is easy to make for a crowd and just as easy to make for one. It also reheats well, so you could make a batch for your whole work week of breakfast.


Hashbrowns Omelet

Serves 1

Ingredients
0.75 cup shredded potatoes (can use dehydrated potatoes)
2 oz deli ham, cut into ribbons (could sub turkey too)
1/4 cup cheese (I used cheddar)
0.75 cup liquid egg whites or egg beaters

Directions:
If using dehydrated potatoes (which is what I use), soak potatoes in an equal amount of hot water as potatoes for 15 minutes. Spray a small skillet with nonstick spray and lay out your hashbrowns in an even layer. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are golden, about 7 minutes. Flip potatoes and cook for about 5 more minutes. Then add ham, cheese, and egg whites on top of  hashbrowns. Cover and cook about 2 minutes until egg whites are set. Flip out onto plate and enjoy. I like to top mine with a little ketchup too! Just be sure to count it in your macros.


Scaling this recipe up for oven- you can also scale this recipe up and cook it like a casserole, just multiply the ingredients by the amount of servings that you need. I found a 6" round pan is perfect for 1 serving, an  8x8" pan works great for 2 servings, and a 13x9" works well for 4 servings.

Directions: Preheat oven to 450*F. Spray pan with nonstick spray. Cook hashbrowns in a single layer for 10-15 minutes until golden. Top with ham, cheese, and egg whites. Cook another 5-10 minutes until egg is set.



















Nutrition Facts per Serving
Servings 1.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 379
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11 g 17 %
Saturated Fat 5 g 27 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 29 mg 10 %
Sodium 979 mg 41 %
Potassium 546 mg 16 %
Total Carbohydrate 23 g 8 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g 12 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 41 g 83 %
Vitamin A 6 %
Vitamin C 23 %
Calcium 19 %
Iron 3 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.