Sneaking Greens In

I think most mothers worry about their kids' nutrition. Kids getting in enough vegetables and/or protein seems like a universal concern. If you are like me, you are also concerned about your husband's intake of vegetables as well ;) so today I am sharing how I sneak greens into dishes without screaming, "HEY CHECK OUT THESE VEGETABLES!" Yep, you would never even know they are there. And in some cases, I am pretty sure the family likes them better WITH the addition of the vegetables!

Dumbbell snatch - super, duper full-body exercise but love for #bouldershoulders especially! I did 3 sets of 10 snatches per side. Inspired by #crossfit #17point1

28 days in February = 28 different workouts
✔16 strength training days
✔12 runs
 #nodaysoff
Rewards? Are those new lines I see?! (it's better further down but that was just too scandalous lol) Alas, I have vacation coming up next week so I will be breaking my no days off streak. I am fine with that, I cannot keep that kind of schedule indefinitely. Rest is good too!

Chopped turkey patty and quinoa veggie bowl drizzled with Sriracha (really leftovers thrown in a bowl with fresh veggies I had on hand for volume, but the other name sounded better 😂)

So people like you and me WILL EAT the above plate, we actually ENJOY it ;)

My family is not quite the same however. They pick and choose what they like. My kids like Brussels sprouts, everyone likes asparagus, my husband likes onions... you get the picture and I am sure you can relate. Sometimes, I just feel like they can do better!

I sneak greens into my own oatmeal or quinoa at breakfast. I use my sweet friend Anne's Emerald Spoon Garden Greens blend. Buy HERE.  Between a teaspoon to a tablespoon depending on what else is going into my bowl. If you need to cover the slight green tinge to feed your kids or husband, dark cocoa powder and/or chocolate protein powder works marvelous! I like to top that combo with berries and PB myself! I you do not want to invest in a greens powder, you can blend a handful of spinach and/or kale with the amount of water needed to cook your oats or qunioa. You can also do this for protein shakes, I swear you cannot taste it!

The other places I like to sneak greens into are meat and soups. Yep. Ground beef just soaks it up, you cannot tell at ALL. I almost always use greens powder in my taco meat or meatballs. I am almost certain my family prefers it too, I notice when I add it, they eat more. So I want to share my favorite taco meat recipe with you, and how I bulk it up for me, but easily make something for the whole family to enjoy!

Sneaking Greens In Tacos!

Serves 5

Ingredients:
1.25 lbs lean ground beef
4 tbsp Emerald Spoon Mexi Medley Greens  Buy HERE
Tortillas of choice (my family likes regular flour tortillas, I prefer small corn tortillas or Flat Out wraps)
Cabbage, shredded
Salsa
Other toppings as desired: cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc.

Directions: 
Brown the ground beef with the Emerald Spoon Mexi Medley Greens powder. Drain fat and keep warm in another bowl. Warm up tortillas and get out salsa.  From there, the kids and husband are ready to eat ;)

Using the same skillet over high heat, saute your cabbage until it is wilted and slightly crunchy (about 3 minutes). I use about 3 cups for myself. Then top with about 4 oz of cooked ground beef, topped with 2 tbsp salsa. This time, I served alongside 3 corn tortillas.

Tortilla options- fam likes the ready to cook flour tortillas, I prefer the nutrition of the corn tortillas or Flat Out wraps

Nutritional info 

(3 cups cabbage, 4 oz lean ground beef with greens powder, 2 tbsp salsa, 3 corn tortillas)

453 cals
28 g protein
44 g carbs
20 g fat

Easy Fresh Balsamic Salad

This little salad has been a staple lately. And I stepped out of my comfort zone and did a quick, little recipe video for you so you can see just how easy it is.

I have been making lots of chopped salads with homemade vinaigrette dressings lately. They are super filling when you are watching your calories and they pack a lot of nutritional punch. The best part is that they last for a few days so you can prep a big bowl and eat off of it!

I just use whatever veggies I have on hand, this happens to be a chopped cucumber, handful of grape tomatoes, half a red bell pepper, half of a yellow bell pepper, handful of chopped carrots (gave them a whirl in the Ninja), a little onion, and some thinly sliced Brussels sprouts. I have used a combination of all the following with good results:

• cabbage
• Brussels sprouts
• spinach
• kale
• tomatoes- regular or cherry
• cucumbers
• carrots- big ones chopped up or baby carrots
• bell peppers
• celery
• onion

For the dressing, I do a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon on balsamic vinegar (whatever vinegar you want), teaspoon of yellow mustard, teaspoon of honey (can sub stevia too, or both), a half teaspoon of tarragon, and salt/pepper. Taste and adjust then shake the dressing in a jar then toss the chopped salad with it.

Dinner out on the left, my morning run on the right! About 6 weeks to go to my next photoshoot and happy with my progress and where I am. But this little cut down has been unlike any other. Lifting 4 days a week and running 3 days per week (less lifting and more running than usual). Been eating out 3-4 times per week (way more than normal). I have been fasting about 16-18 hours every day (way more than normal). But it's working! My point is that it is okay to change up things. The perfect idea in your head may not actually work very good for you. As long as you are in a caloric deficit, you will lose fat. As long as you are lifting progressively more than twice a week, you are building muscle. You do you. It may require some experimenting, but it is worth it to find something that works. And what USED to work, might need tweaked sometimes which is my current situation ;)

Sea turtle on my run this morning! It was a first to see one, and we saw 3! Olive Marie, my standard poodle and running buddy, was so confused about what it was, but she left it alone after a good sniff 💜

I was able to do toes to bar hanging ab work this week for the first time EVER! Just keep plugging away and being consistent. It may take years, like for me, or months or days BUT you will get there! You CAN do it if you keep trying. Be persistent! It's the day in and day out grind that slowly takes you places. Slow or fast, progress is progress!
X- Liss

Sweet Potato Toast

Guys, have you tried this hack yet? You literally just toast slices of sweet potato in the toaster like toast. It is SO super simple, but genius. Why had we never tried this before?!

It has been SO super hot here on the coast. I hate using the oven like I would usually do without thinking. My kids are into playing Pokemon Go, they beg me to take them on walks almost every day. We have to schedule them either early in the day or in the evening.

Snapped this pic on our walk the other night, it is so beautiful here. I keep pinching myself! It cannot be real.

I also finally got a records board going in our gym room. I was nice enough to leave the other half blank for the husband ;)

So here is the recipe. Well, it's not really a recipe so much as a few tips ha!

Sweet Potato Toast

Serves 1

Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato

Directions
Slice the sweet potato into slices with a sharp knife.. I tried for less than 1/2" thick. A small sweet potato was just halved; while a large required 4 slices. Put into toaster. Turn the sweet potato around each toaster cycle. Toast until done. My toaster required 5 toasting cycles.

Notes: I tried microwaving the slices for 90 seconds before toasting and it cut my toasting cycles down to two! This is my favorite method.

Nutritional information

1 medium sweet potato

103 cals
0g fat
24g carbs
2g protein



Can you think of all the possibilities?! Here are just a few off the top of my head:

• All by itself (this happens to be my current favorite LOL)
• Sweet potato hamburger buns
• Topped with avocado and over easy egg
• Topped with PB and bananas (or strawberries!)
• Topped with tuna or chicken salad
• ...anywhere you would normally use toast!

Have you tried this yet? What did you think?

X- Liss

6 Sneaky Ways to get in More Greens

In honor of upcoming St. Patrick's day, we shall celebrate green here haha! But first a quick update.

The move to Port Aransas is underway! Our house went on the market last week. The husband and his camper are already there on spring break duty. I am trying to keep sane between missing my other half and keeping the house ready for showings at any minute. I feel like focusing on my nutrition and workouts is helping me along with putting everything into God's hand, my buoy in the rough seas. No worrying allowed!

My husband sent this picture to me on Wednesday he took while lounging at the beach while I was at work... spousal abuse?

So I have been getting really serious about getting in 2-3 servings of greens a day this year. And I think part of that success has to do with figuring out creative ways to get them in... which I will share momentarily. The greens really help my skin, I am prone to break outs and eczema. Even though I supplement with vitamins, the greens just offer something my body needs. I have seen major improvements in skin tone, texture, and clarity. I wish I had before and after pics without make-up, as my face is the biggest change.

So here are my 6 sneaky ways to get in more greens:

1.) Blending greens into a protein shake

This is nothing new, but it is so easy and you cannot taste them. I also like that they stay raw. My Banana Spinach Protein Shake recipe is still one of my favorites RECIPE HERE  My Nutribullet makes quick work of the greens and blends them so finely, you can hardly see them!

2.) Blending greens into the water you use to cook your oats.

I am not sure why it took me so long to think of this one. It looks nasty but tastes amazing, kinda like the protein shake ^ you cannot even tell the greens are there! I am loving my Chocolate PB&J Protein Oats recipe for this - RECIPE HERE

3.) Blending greens into your protein pancake batter

Another way I am not sure why I did not think of sooner! I just tried it this week using my Protein Pankcake with PB and Nutella recipe, just blended the pancake ingredients with a handful of greens instead of mashing. RECIPE HERE

4.) Trading out iceberg and romaine lettuce for kale/spinach/chard mix in your salads

This one is kind of a no-brainer but I have to admit I was resistant to the idea. For me, the key is that I do not need as much of the greens mix as I do the other lettuce types. Sometimes, I mix them. Sometimes, I just do straight greens. Some of the recipes that I have been swapping out lettuces out on are taco salad RECIPE HERE and tuna salad RECIPE HERE.

5.) Steaming greens along with your protein when you reheat your steak/chicken 

If you make more lean protein than you need for the week, just add a handful of greens on top of your lean protein. In the image above, there are steak cubes underneath the greens. When you reheat it, it steams the greens and it goes along great with meat! RECIPE HERE

6.) Add greens to your omelet

I love my omelets, but it never really occurred to me to add greens to it! So I have been enjoying my Hashbrown Omelet with the addition of a handful of greens. So easy, and yummy. RECIPE HERE

Hope you got some new ideas! Let me know if you have anymore to add!
X- Liss

Bacon Broccoli Salad

 

My Grandmommie is a fantastic cook. So is my mother. It is in our blood! So it is only natural I blog about cooking food, right?

Here is my Grandmommie featured in a cooking article in a local magazine this month, along with a handful of her recipes. So proud of her!

When I was pregnant with my youngest, she brought over this fabulous broccoli salad. Sounds boring, but this dish is FANTASTIC. I ate it all the time. It was ridiculous, I was making a dish of it every few days for a while.


It is slightly sweet, but tangy and savory. It is creamy but it has crunch.  It just crosses the T in every flavor and texture category. This is one of those dishes that I can take to any get together and people want the recipe.

So summer just ended and we were having a back to school block pool party.

Kidlets and back to school swimming block party

 

First day back to school

 

 

I decided that I would take this salad and some strawberry angelfood cake trifle. Guess which recipe they wanted? Yup. Haha! So here it is.

Bacon Broccoli Salad

Adapted from my Grandmommie Finney

Serves 8

*3 heads broccoli crowns, cut into florest (or you can do 1 lbs broccoli florets in pkg)

*1/2 cup craisins (or raisins)

*2 slices bacon, crispy and chopped (or 1/3 cup bacon bits)

*1/2 red onion, finely diced

*1/4 cup slivered almonds (or sunflower kernals)

Toss that with coleslaw dressing (8 oz) but I use the healthified and lower cal recipe below. Keeps overnight if you want to make ahead.

 

 

Coleslaw dressing

*1/2 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt

*1/2 cup mayo (you can do all mayo as well)

*2 tbsp vinegar (I prefer apple cider but any will do)

*2 tbsp sweetener of choice (I used splenda this time but sugar or stevia is fine)

 

 

 

 

 

Nutritional Stats

1 serving prepared, 1/8th of recipe

• Cals 160

• Carbs 8

• Fat 13   

• Protein 5             

• Sodium 142        

• Sugars 4
• 4 weight watchers plus points

 

4

Vegetarian High Protein Meal Ideas

One of my best friends is vegetarian/vegan so this topic interests me as it comes up with clients on occasion. It is challenging to get your protein macros within your calorie limit when you are vegan or vegetarian.

Planning for success

My first tip is to plan your meals ahead of time and have calorie and protein chunks planned out for each meal- e.g. 300 cals and 30 g protein

Know your sources

An easy way to sort out best protein sources is by percentage =  ((protein in g) / (total cals)) * 100 per serving. E.g. a 4 oz chicken breast is 25 g protein per 142 cals or 17.6% which is pretty high compared to most foods thus it is a diet staple for the fit crowd.

Here are some high protein vegetarian food ideas in order from highest to lowest percentage protein:
 

-Egg 78 cals and 6.3g protein which is 12.4% protein (egg whites are even higher at 1 cup 126 cals and 26.5g protein 21.0%)

-Rice and pea protein powders 1 scoop is 120 cals and 24g protein or 20.0%

-Plain Greek yogurt 1 cup is  120 cals and 20 g protein or 16.7%

-Tofu 100g (3.5 oz) is 55 cal and 7.4 g protein or 13.45%

-Beans ( highest % is soy) 173 cal and 16.5g protein at 9.5%

Followed up by kidney, white, lima, fava, black, mung

-Ricotta cheese (no rennet so it is vegetarian) 0.5 cup is 171 cals and 14 g protein  or 8.2%

-Nuts and seeds (hightest % is pumpkin) 0.25 cups or 28 g 151 cals and 8.4 g protein 5.2%

Followed up by peanuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, flax, mixed nuts

Other ideas- cottage cheese, quinoa, soy milk, nut butter, tempeh, vegetarian protein bars (aim for 200 cals and 20g protein per bar (Vega and Rise are good store bought ones... or make your own), Quorn, hempseed, buckwheat flour, chia seeds, Ezekiel bread, spirulina

 

 

I scaled the following meal plan example down (by 2/3rds) from the following website- http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/how-to-build-muscle-mass-on-a-plant-based-diet

This site was featured in Brad Pilon's article here- http://bradpilon.com/weight-loss/more-protein-more-muscle/

Vegan Sample Meal Plan

(You can combine meals as preferred)

Meal 1:
0.5 cups oatmeal
Protein shake with 0.33 serving of Plant Fusion, 0.33 cup soymilk, 0.33 banana

Meal 2:
1/6 block of extra firm tofu, scrambled with spinach and peppers
1/3 grapefruit
1 almond butter sandwich: 1 slices of whole grain bread, 1 tbsp almond butter

Meal 3:
Black bean chili with 0.33 can black beans, 1/6 pack seitan, and veggies
1/3 baked sweet potato
1/12 avocado

Meal 4 (post workout):
1/3 apple
Protein shake with 0.5 scoops SunWarrior protein, 0.33 cup soymilk, 0.33 banana

Meal 5:
1 large spinach salad
1/6 cup lentils, cooked with veggies and spices over 1/6 cup brown rice
1/6 pound steamed broccoli

Meal 6:
1 tbsp almond butter spread on celery sticks

Approximate totals for the day:
1128 calories, 69g protein, 171g carbs, 25g fat

X- Liss

Roasted Veggie Marinara and Meatballs in the Crockpot

What do you do when you have a garden and fridge full of vegetables that need using ASAP?! You throw them into every recipe you can think of! (Sneaky, sneaky... I know.) So this recipe was born out of necessity. And it far exceeded my expectations! It is delicous. The veggie hating husband (I do not know what the heck is wrong with him!) had no idea and scarfed it up as did the littles. The roasted vegetables lend the marinara a complex flavor that I loved. But you could certainly save a little time on the prep and skip that step too!

And then there is the meatballs. I, for one, hate standing over a hot pan and getting splattered with grease just to have my meatballs disintegrate! Grrr. So I thought I would just plop the meaty balls of goodness into the marinara in a crockpot and see what happens. They were perfection! I wanted to shout it from the rooftops.  But I contained my joy, so I shall share it here with you.

Roasted Veggie Marinara and Meatballs in the Crockpot

 

The stuff-

• 1 large can of tomato sauce
• 1 cup of sliced or baby bell peppers
• 1/2 cup sliced or baby carrots
• 1/2 cup broccoli and cauliflower florets
• 1/2 cup sliced or cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp onion powder- separated
• 2 tbsp basil, shredded (fresh or dried)- separated
• 1 lbs lean ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced- separated
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley (fresh or dried)
• 1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 box whole wheat thin spaghetti

and/or

• 1 large zucchini

What you do-

Turn your oven on broil. Lay vegetables in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray, and salt. Toss to coat. Place on top rack under broiler for 10 minutes. Turn vegetables, and put them back under the broiler for 5 minutes until charred.

Allow the veggies to cool a bit then place into blender.

Add the tomato sauce and blend in batches until smooth

Place the marinara sauce in a crockpot on low. Top with 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 clove garlic,1 tbsp basil, and salt/pepper to taste. Allow it to cook for a few hours to meld the flavors.

Start on the meatball mixture once the sauce has gotten hot.

In a bowl, combine the beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 clove of garlic, water, parsley, and egg. Approx 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper- adjust to your taste.

 I mix it with my hands until it comes together.

Grab little handfuls and form into meatballs. I like mine about ping pong ball size. But whatever floats your boat. Nestle them right into the warm marinara. Cook on low for about 3 hours for ping pong ball size meatballs. Top with 1 tbsp basil ribbons

Substitutions-

Now, I do not like to "waste" all of my calories on pasta. Just how I roll. Feel free to wrap your roasted veggie marinara on some whole wheat thin spaghetti. That is how my fam likes theirs. You could leave out the meatball and this would be an amazing vegetarian dish.

I make myself a plate of zucchini noodles. Love them! Makes the dish gluten-free too if you are watching your gluten intake.

Here is how I make mine. First I slice a big zucchini in half. And grab my vegetable peeler.

Starting on the corner edge, I create ribbons of zucchini. I drop them straight into my skillet that has already been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Word to the wise- the zucchini will shrink up while sauteeing, so make about 1 and a half times the amount you need. Cook over high heat about 8-10 minutes until it is tender.

Top with your roasted veggie marinara and meatballs. Enjoy!

Nutritional Stats:

Per 4 oz meatballs and 1 cup of veggie marinara and 1 cup of zucchini noodles

• Calories-411kcal
• Carbs- 21g
• Fat- 26g
• Protein-23g