Thursday, June 4, 2015

Absolutely Delicious No/Low Carb Breakfast!

The Plate:
1c. egg whites
2oz. nitrite-free turkey breast
1/2c. organic zucchini
2oz. organic mushrooms
4 organic grape tomatoes
1c. organic baby spinach
1/2oz. organic avocado
1 organic whole egg, over-medium
Fresh ground pepper


The Nutrients:
Calories: 292
Fat: 8g
Carbs: 8g
Protein: 40g
Fiber: 3g
*Net Carbs: 5g


                   Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

Dinner on the Go.... Pack it up & Move!

Last night our son had his last football game of the season, and the team was getting together afterwards for pizza and medals.  Well, I knew my husband and I were not going to have pizza for dinner, so in a mad rush after school, I grilled up chicken breast, made homemade cauliflower alfredo, sauteed up veggies, while assisting our son in homework and folding the laundry... Multi-tasking was going on like crazy yesterday afternoon:).  I packed this meal into two Tupperware containers and off to the fields we went!  I have to say cauliflower has quickly become on of my favorite foods to cook with!  This was hands down the tastiest dinner I've made yet, since we set out on our clean eating program April 1 of this year.


The Container:
1c. organic baby spinach
2oz. organic mushrooms
1oz. organic red bell pepper
1/2oz. organic red onion
4 stalks organic broccolette
4.2oz. grilled organic chicken breast
1.5 slices of nitrite-free turkey bacon
1/2c. cauliflower alfredo (recipe below)
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes


The Nutrients:
Calories: 271
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 18g
Protein: 43g
Fiber: 7g



Cauliflower Alfredo:
12oz. cauliflower (about half of a medium cauliflower).  I cut most of the stalk off, and then cut the florets in half.
1c. water
1tsp. olive oil
salt & pepper
Granulated garlic (as much or little as you like)

In a medium sauce pan, add the oil and cauliflower, let cook for a minute, then add the 1c. water, salt, pepper and garlic.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat and let simmer for 8 minutes.  Pour entire contents into a bullet mixer or blender and blend... THAT'S IT!:)))  Easy and Delicious!!!



                          Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen


Chicken, hard boiled egg whites and avocado bowl!


A simple and quick throw together lunch...


The Bowl:
4oz. Grilled chicken breast- its in there, just underneath:)
4 Organic grape tomatoes
1oz. Avocado
3 Organic hard boiled egg whites
1tsp. Organic yellow mustard
Fresh ground pepper


The Nutrients:
Calories: 239
Fat: 11g
Carbs: 4g
Protein: 33g
Fiber: 2g



        Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

A little food prepping goes a long way!

Food prepping, what ever it may be that you prep, will always help when your short on time and need to throw together a quick snack or meal!
I always like to have a bowl of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge and a Tupperware (large or small) of chopped, mixed veggies.  The eggs are great to eat just as they are, throw them into salads, or use them to make egg salad.  I usually just eat the whites and give our dog a yolk here and there:).  The veggies are so nice to have prepped for omelets or as a side dish with dinner.  The Tupperware pictured below has chopped kale, cabbage, zucchini, and bell peppers.  I will usually chop up some mushrooms and onions too, and throw it all together in a skillet to saute with cooking spray, and then top with a protein source such as fish or chicken.  It only takes a couple minutes to prep a few items such as these and worth every second. 




                                        Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

Sun & Fun... and Staying on Track!


A day in Lake Tahoe with my brother and his beautiful & pregnant girlfriend (yay!) was filled with sun, fun, and good eats!
The cooking gene runs strong in my family... we are full blooded Sicilians, so I guess it comes with the territory!
My brother loves to get his cook on just as much as me, and he is amazing at it.
He grilled up sausages and burgers, and made homemade macaroni salad.
I stayed on track, and came prepared with a brown rice tortilla to wrap my burger in, and it was delicious!!!
I have learned over the years that it is possible and quite simple to engage in social activities with family and friends while maintaining a healthy eating diet!  You just have to think ahead:).
Sand Harbor-Lake Tahoe, NV
                                                               
     




                                                         Love2LiveFit

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

OMGoodness... Super Easy and Healthy Blueberry Waffles

These waffles were made pretty much like the pancakes I posted earlier.  I made these yesterday (Memorial Day) morning and my husband and I were loving every bite!!!
If your short on time, these are definitely quicker to make then the pancakes because one waffles is equal to the 5-6 pancakes.  


The Plate:
3/4c. oats
1/4tsp. cinnamon
1/2c. egg whites
1/4c. water
1/4c. frozen blueberries, thawed
1/2c. strawberries
1/4c. blackberries
1 packet of truvia

In a bullet mixer or blender, blend the oats, egg whites, water, and blueberries.  Pour batter into a pre-heated waffle iron and let cook until the iron signals they are done:)... That's it!
Cover with the berries and sprinkle with truvia.


The Nutrients:
Calories: 329
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 56g
Fiber: 10g
Protein: 19g



                    Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

Turkey Burger Patty w/ Beets and Greens!


The Plate:

1 Turkey Burger (Trader Joes)
2oz.  organic mushrooms
1/4c.  organic onions
1c.  organic cabbage
6oz. organic green beans
1/2oz. organic avocado
2tbsp. salsa
1/2c. organic beets


I cooked the burger in a skillet for about 10 minutes.  In a separate pan, saute the onions, mushrooms and cabbage.  Before adding the green beans to the saute pan, blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, and then rinse with cold water.  The beets are easiest to prepare by boiling them until fork tender:).


The Nutrients:
Calories: 308
Fat: 12g
Carbs: 32g
Fiber: 12g
Protein: 29g

Well Balanced... Clean and Healthy Eating!

                             Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

Simple and Delicious Salad for lunch!


The Plate:
3oz. romaine lettuce
1c. spinach
1oz. avocado
1 Persian cucumber
1oz. pepperoncini
4oz. grilled chicken thighs
1.5 hard-boiled egg whites
1/2 slice turkey bacon
10 grape tomatoes
2tbsp. balsamic vinegar


The Nutrients:
Calories: 301
Fat: 11g
Carbs: 16g
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 33g



                    Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

The Most Amazingly Healthy and Easy Pancakes!!!


On a high carb day its fun to change the way we incorporate the carbs into our meals.  This morning's breakfast was blended in the bullet blender and made into clean and healthy berry pancakes w/ a side of turkey bacon!
The Plate:
1/2c. oats
1/2c. egg whites
1/4c. water
1/2c. blueberries (1/4c. blended with the eggs and oats)
1/2c. strawberries
1/2-1 packet of truvia
2 slices of nitrite/nitrate-free turkey bacon


In a bullet blender, blend the egg whites, oats, 1/4c. water, and 1/4c. blueberries.
Spray a skillet with cooking spray and pour batter into small round pancakes.  The batter should make 5-6 pancakes, depending on how big you make them.  Let them cook for a couple minutes on each side.
I layered each cake with a couple slices of strawberries and sprinkle of truvia, then topped them with the blueberries, strawberries and rest of the truvia.

The Nutrients:
Calories: 340
Fat: 6g
Carbs: 45
Fiber: 8g
Protein: 26g


                                       
                    Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Love Eggs?



We love deviled eggs at our house!!!
However, I have created a way to eat them with out the fat and calories.  Hard boil your eggs, peel and remove the yolk.  I know... the yolk is what makes them so tasty, but when you want to eat clean and stay on track, these lil' guys will satisfy you 100%!  Fill the empty space where the yolk would be with mustard and sprinkle with smoked paprika and pepper!  

I'm going to make more today, but this time I'm going to add a few diced up pickles into the mustartd... YUM!








                                     Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

Heavenly Sliders!

These little sliders were just as delicious as beautiful!
One organic ground beef patty sliced in half and placed between two slices of yams, and smothered with sauteed mushrooms, onions, peppers, avocado, and turkey bacon!!!


The Plate:
1/3c. yams, sliced
3oz. organic ground beef patty
1.5oz. avocado
1oz. organic mushrooms
1/8c. organic onions
1oz. organic bell pepper
1/4c. organic pea shoots (Trader Joes)
3/4 slice of nitrite/nitrate-free turkey bacon

The Nutrients:
Calories: 367
Fat: 21g
Carbs: 26g
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 23g



Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

The most delicious way to cook Filet!

Once in a while, my husband and I enjoy having a steak dinner.  I have to share with the world the most delicious way to cook your fillet!  It is so easy and doesn't require a BBQ.  However, you do need a skillet that is oven-friendly.  
How to cook the best fillet you'll ever make:
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.  Heat a skillet on high heat, and add about a tbsp. of olive or avocado oil.  Season the steak with your preferred steak seasoning (I use Montreal seasoning), and sear each side for about 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat.  Once you have seared each side, place the skillet right into the oven and cook for 4-8 minutes (depending on the thickness and how you like your steak).  We like our steak medium/medium-rare, so we cook it about 4-5 minutes.  Remove and let it be happy in the pan for a couple minutes before plating.
In a separate skillet, I sauteed onions, mushrooms, cabbage, kale, and orange bell peppers.  I only spray the pan with cooking spray and it does a great job!  Mash up 1oz. of avocado per steak and if you have raw horseradish on hand, I highly recommend spreading some on top of the steak, as pictured:).


The Plate:
1/8tbsp. avocado oil
1oz. Organic orange bell pepper
1/2c. Organic Tuscan kale
1/4c. Organic onions
2oz. Organic mushrooms
1c. Organic cabbage
1/2 tbsp. horseradish
1oz. smashed avocado
3oz. Fillet Tenderloin
Montreal season, garlic, salt and pepper


The Nutrients:
Calories: 302
Fat: 13g
Carbs: 22g
Fiber: 8g
Protein: 28g



Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Hands Down The Best Omelet!!!

This morning's breakfast was absolutely a delicious way to start the morning off!  I made this for my husband at 6:00a.m., and couldn't wait until I made mine after my cardio sesh!  I think I'm going to have to grill up a few hamburger patties on the weekends so that I can make this burger omelet once a week!

As always, I sauteed the onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers in a pan sprayed with cooking spray.  I typically heat the pan under medium heat so not to burn the mixture.  After they are softened and caramelized I use a separate, smaller pan for the egg white omelet.  I sprayed the pan and put in 1/2oz. red bell peppers, and a half slice of diced turkey bacon, then poured the 3/4c. of egg whites on top.  As soon as the egg whites start to cook, I add the patty cut into halves to the pan with the veggies, and right before I remove it all, I throw in the spinach to just soften it a bit.  The veggies are sprinkled with garlic to add a little flavor, and the patty was seasoned with montreal seasoning when we grilled them on Sunday.

Once I flip the omelet, I add the two patty halves, and smother it with the mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers, then top it with the spinach and fold the omelet in half.

This breakfast was super tasty and took about 10 minutes total to make!

The Plate:
3/4c. Organic Egg whites
3oz. Organic ground beef patty
1/2 Slice Turkey bacon
1/8c. Organic Onions
1oz. Organic Red bell peppers
2oz. Organic Mushrooms
1c. Organic spinach


The Nutrients:
Calories: 310
Fat: 14g
Carbs: 6g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 36g
*Net Carbs: 4g


                                         Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

The Cleanest and Quickest Blueberry Sorbet w/ Orange Zest!


To accompany my tuna sandwich I whipped up a bowl of blueberry sorbet.  
One cup of organic frozen blueberries and water mixed in a bullet mixer topped with organic orange zest and presto!  A delicious and refreshing 72 calorie treat!


The sandwich is the same as I made the day before, 4oz. of fresh tuna, organic mustard, 1/2c. spinach, 3 slices of roma tomato, 1oz. dill pickle, and two slices of sprouted grain bread.




The Nutrients for the plate:
Calories: 426
Fat:12g
Carbs: 51g
Fiber: 13g
Protein: 37g


Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen




Tuesday, May 12, 2015

The Best, Healthy Fried Rice Ever!

Hands down, I made the best fried rice ever last night!  The best part... it is clean and healthy!
No butter or oil, and I used brown rice and turkey bacon.  I paired the Delicious rice with orange chicken and steamed broccolette.


I used a nice blend of vegetables cooked in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray and a couple teaspoons of water.  I seasoned it with granulated garlic and Bragg liquid amino acids (in place of soy sauce) to season the vegetable mixture of: celery, carrots, peas, red bell peppers and onions.  The rice was a 15 minute quick cook brown basmati rice from Trader Joes.


Nitrate/nitrite-free turkey bacon adds a super smokey flavor to the rice.  You can find it at Trader Joes.


Cut up 3 chicken breasts and marinate in the juice of half an orange, a teaspoon of orange zest, and 1/2 packet of truvia.
The big bowl of food was first layered with half a cup of organic spinach, then topped with 1c. of the rice, 5 broccolettes, and 4oz. of chicken sprinkled with zest and crushed red pepper.

I made enough rice for the 3 of us last night and there are 2c. left for my husband and I today.  The nutritional breakdown is for one bowl of food as pictured above.

The Nutrients:
Calories: 403
Fat: 4g
Carbs: 53g
Fiber: 8g
Protein: 40g

To make the rice, first cook your brown rice and set aside.  In a skillet sprayed with cooking spray, add 1/4c. onions, 1/4c. celery, 1/4c. carrots, 2oz. bell pepper (or 1/2c).  Let cook for 5-10 minutes, then add 3/4c. peas and 3 slices of cooked, diced turkey bacon.  Cook for a couple minutes, and season with a couple tablespoons of Bragg Amino Acids, and garlic.  Then add 2.5c. cooked brown rice and 1c. egg whites.  Cook for 5-10 minutes.

To make the chicken, I used organic frozen chicken breasts and let them thaw half way.  They are easier to cut into pieces if not completely defrosted.  Cut them into cubes size pieces and marinate in the juice of half an orange, 1tsp. zest, and 1/2 packet of truvia.  Spray a skillet with cooking spray and pour the entire mixture into the pan.  Turning occasionally, the chicken takes about 5-8 minutes to cook.  I cut a piece in half to make sure it is white in the middle:).

So simple and unbelievably delicious!!!  Why would you could fried rice any other way and add unnecessary calories to your diet that you don't need?


Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

Monday, May 11, 2015

Sandwich Heaven... Fresh tuna and veggies!


My wonderful mother-in-law cans jams and tuna for us once in a while, and oh how we love her treats.  There is nothing like this tuna!  It would be quite difficult to ever go back to the store bought tuna products.  I really need to learn how to can!  Today's lunch was a simple sandwich made from Dee's amazing canned albacore!



The Lunch:
2 slices of sprouted grain bread
3oz. albacore tuna
1oz. kosher dill pickle
1/4  organic roma tomato
1/2c. organic baby spinach
1tsp. organic yellow mustard


The Nutrients:
Calories: 309
Fat: 10g
Carbs: 31g
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 30g
*net carbs: 24g





                                                  Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen


Breakfast is Served!

These days our Monday morning's breakfast has been oatmeal and fruit!
It's quick, clean, and delicious.  A nice carb-rich breakfast gives the body great energy to start out the work week.  


The Bowl:
1c. cooked oatmeal (measure just under one cup when its un-cooked, to get 1c. cooked)
1c. organic mixed frozen fruit
Sprinkle of cinnamon

The Nutrients:
Calorie: 325
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 72g
Fiber: 18g
Protein: 12g



                               Love2LiveFit... in the FitFoodKitchen

                           

Nothing better then a whole egg atop an omelet!!!

I cooked up delicious egg white, veggie omelet's on Mother's Day morning and topped them off with a whole egg, over-medium, and 2 slices of sprouted grain toast.  When the yolk oozes out over the omelet it is heavenly!





The Plate:
1/2c. organic egg whites
1c. organic baby spinach
1oz. organic red bell pepper
1oz. organic mushrooms
1/4c. organic zucchini
1 large organic egg
2 slices sprouted grain bread
Fresh ground black pepper


The Nutrients:
Calories: 248
Fat: 7g
Carbs:22g
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 24g
*net carbs: 15g


       
                                   Love2LiveFit... In the FitFoodKitchen


       


Wild Dover Sole and Veggie Soup

This is one of my favorite meals to make on a cold, rainy day... Soup!  Not to mention, a wonderful meal for a no/low carb day as well.  As much as I want summer to be here, and I am kind of happy we have more rain forecasted this week so I can make another batch of this delicious soup!  
My husband and I were amazed how much this soup smelled and tasted like clam chowder, but without all the heavy cream and calories that go along with clam chowder.  

The Bowl:
Low-Sodium, free-range, Organic Chicken broth
Organic yellow onions
Organic green cabbage
Organic red bell pepper
Organic mushrooms
Organic celery
Organic Tuscan Kale
Organic baby spinach
Organic broccolette
Wild Dover Sole

I Made a large pot of soup, but when I broke down the nutrients per bowl it came to:

Calories: 199
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 21g
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 30

*Each bowl had about:
 4oz. of Sole
1/8c. chopped onion
 1/2c. kale
1oz. bell pepper
5 stalks of broccolette
1c. cabbage
3c. chicken broth
2oz. mushrooms
1 celery stalk


                                                                               Love2LiveFit

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Loaded Organic Egg White Omelet!

I woke this morning determined to make to highest calorie omelet I possibly could on a no/low carb day, and the result was quite tasty.  This loaded omelet still didn't reach 300 calories, yet stuffed me for hours, so mission accomplished:)


The Plate:
5 Organic Egg Whites
1/2 Slice Peppered Applewood Smoked Turkey Bacon
1.6oz. Organic Ground Turkey
1/4c. Organic Yellow Onions
2oz. Organic Mushrooms
1.6oz. Organic Red Bell Pepper
1/2c. Organic Zucchini
1c. Organic Green Cabbage
1/4c. Organic Tuscan Kale
1c. Organic Spinach
Fresh ground black pepper
Splash of Hot Sauce

The Nutrients:
Calories:268
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 20g
Fiber: 8g
Protein: 35g
*Net Carbs: 12g


                                                                                 Love2LiveFit

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Mixed Green Salad... Clean, healthy, and delicious!

Today's Lunch...
A bowl of mixed greens topped with goodies.  The weather was more of a soup day today, but salad was on the menu, and so salad it was.  And I didn't have the time to prepare soup today, so hopefully tomorrow I will because it's suppose to be a rainy day:)

The Bowl:
2c. Organic spinach
3oz. Organic romaine
1 Small organic Persian cucumber
1oz. Organic radishes
1oz. Organic red bell peppers
1 hard-boiled egg white
2oz. Nitrite-free, slow roasted turkey breast lunch meat
1/2 Slice Nitrite-free, apple wood smoked uncured turkey bacon
3 Greek pepperoncinis
1.5tbsp. Balsamic vinegar


Calories: 206
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 21g
Fiber: 9g
Protein: 24g
*Net Carbs: 12g


Having a large assortment of vegetables on hand make it quick and simple to throw a number of different meals together.  So load up in that produce department and have fun creating your dishes!:)

                                                                          Love2LiveFit

No/Low Carb Breakfast Wednesday... So healthy, filling, and delicious!


Yes... a bowl full of veggies and protein started off our day today... and in my husband's words, "No carb breakfast's are so filling".  It's crazy to think about how full you get from such a big bowl of food, yet such a small amount of calories.... That's protein and veggies for you! 

The Bowl: 
3oz. Organic ground turkey
2 Organic egg whites
1/2 slice of nitrite-free turkey bacon
1/3c. Zucchini
2oz. Sliced organic mushrooms
1.2oz Organic red bell peppers
1/2c. Organic Tuscan kale
1/2c. Organic green cabbage
1c. Organic spinach
2tbsp. Salsa


Calories: 267
Fat: 8g
Carbs: 14g (from the greens)
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 33g
*Net carbs: 10g



Love2LiveFit

High Carb Dinner Delight!


How do my husband and I eat this way and still please the kids?  That is a question I am asked a lot.  The answer... is simple.  While my husband and I are eating veggies, ground turkey and a brown rice tortillas, the kids are eating quesadillas with flour tortillas, ground turkey and cheese.  I usually use the main dinner ingredients to feed us all, and then just tweak it a bit to please the kids as well.  

The Plate:
3oz. organic romaine, chopped
1/2c. organic green cabbage
1c. organic spinach
1oz. organic red bell peppers
1/8c. organic yellow onions
4oz. organic ground turkey
1 brown rice tortilla
2tbsp. salsa

Calories: 353
Fat: 11g
Carbs: 35g
Fiber: 6g
Protein: 27g

This was a lot of food... And filled us up perfectly!


                                                                        Love2LiveFit

The Healthiest and most delicious pancakes... High Carb Breakfast!


I have made pancakes similar to these babies before, but I do believe I have perfected the version to the cleanest and healthiest yet!:)  Yesterday was a high carb day for us, and I thought it would be nice to change up our breakfast of oatmeal and fruit, and put it into a pancake.  They turned out delicious and my husband was pleasantly surprised.

My Plate of Cakes.

Hub Bub's Plate of Cakes... More blueberries in his batter:)
The Secret:

-3/4c. oats
-2tbsp. water (may be necessary depending on how thick you like your cakes)
-2egg whites
-1c. organic frozen mixed berries

That is it!!!!  Oh and you need a bullet blender or just a regular blender would do:).

In the bullet, blend the oats, water, egg whites, and about a 1/4c. of the berries.  Save the rest to put between the cakes and on top.

Spray a skillet with cooking spray and pour the batter in, letting them cook a couple minutes.  Flipping occasionally. As I plated ours, I placed berries in between the cakes and then topped them with the remaining berries and juice from the berries.
*Make sure to warm up the frozen berries before using them.  It makes the pancakes much better with warm fruit and sauce poured on top:)

Calories: 344
Fat: 6g
Carbs: 65g
Fiber: 14g
Protein: 18g


                                                                           Love2LiveFit

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Open-Faced Chicken and Vegetable Tortilla

 This is our go-to Friday and Saturday night dinner for our moderate nutrients' weekends.

Yes, there is no cheese because on this program we do not have dairy of any kind... and me as a cheese LOVER, has actually been doing just fine without it.  However, I still LOVE CHEESE!

These brown rice tortillas can be quite tricky to deal with when trying to make a burrito or just eat open as we did in this picture.  I found out the secret to preparing them so they are not rubbery and actually taste good to eat:).
Rinse both sides of the tortilla with cold water and then place it in a pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Let it cook for a minute or two on both sides and then remove.  For this dish, I then place it onto a cookie sheet and broil it with all the toppings for 3 minutes.

The Plate:
Brown rice tortilla
4oz. chicken breast
1/2c. zucchini
1/8c. onions
1oz. red bell pepper
1.5oz. sliced mushrooms
1/2c. spinach
1 green onion, sliced
1 half of an avocado
2tbsp. salsa


Brown rice tortilla (prepared as mentioned above).
Saute whatever veggies you would like...  I used onions, mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, spinach, green onions, and salsa.
Then spread half of an avocado on the tortilla, top it with your veggies and grilled chicken and broil for 3 minutes.

I like to tear pieces of the tortilla and eat it piece by piece with some of the toppings.  My husband folds his in half and makes a large taco out of it:).
It is delicious, and healthy food whichever way you eat it... Enjoy!



                                                                              Love2LiveFit

Friday, May 1, 2015

The No Carb Ground Beef Patty... Delicious!


Just as I made the turkey meatballs a few days ago, I thought why not a ground beef patty!
We enjoy red meat, yet we know how hard it is for the body to digest, and our body's do run better when we don't use it as a source of protein.  However, we do have a steak or in this case hamburger patty from time to time.

So to be creative with my dishes for the family, I made a ground beef patty the way I made the turkey meatballs.  And to make it more tasty I topped it with raw horseradish and thinly sliced onions that I sauteed in a skillet using Pam spray.  



The Plate:
2 Organic Romaine leaves
1c. Steamed Broccoli
4oz. Burger Patty
1/4c. Onions
1oz. Kosher dill pickle
1tsp. Raw horseradish





                                                                               Love2LiveFit

No Carb Dinner... Lots of Love for Mahi Mahi

We do enjoy having fish for dinner on a no carb night because we get a little more meat per ounce when eating fish.  A 6oz. serving of baked Mahi Mahi, compared to a 4oz. serving of chicken or beef gives us a bit more to eat with out adding more calories to our plate.


The plate:
Vegetable blend of:
Onions, mushrooms, cabbage, kale, and red bell peppers...  And a side of roasted asparagus.

Mahi Mahi is baked at 375' for about 10-12 minutes and topped with fresh lemon slices and 2tbsp. of organic salsa.




                                                                              Love2LiveFit

Thursday, April 30, 2015

The Secret No-Carb Meatball... simple and delicious!

After two high-carb days, my husband and I move to two no-carb days.  I was in my kitchen Tuesday afternoon trying to prepare some different foods for our two no-carb days on Wednesday and Thursday, and I really wanted meatballs for one of our snacks, but how do you make meatballs without carbs such as breadcrumbs, or oats?  Well, I gave it a try and presto, it turned out perfect and quite tasty!

The Secret No-Carb Meatball:
*I didn't want to waste an entire pound of organic ground turkey in case they didn't turn out, so I just used half of the package.

1/2 package of organic ground turkey.
1/8c. onions, diced
1/8c. mushrooms, diced
1tbsp. egg whites
Garlic season, salt and pepper

Spray a very small pan with cooking spray and caramelize the onions and mushrooms.
Add the mixture to the ground turkey and pour the egg whites in and blend well.
Season with garlic, s&p (or whatever seasonings you like).

Warm a medium size skillet, and cook 2-3 minutes per side, making sure to do this a couple of times.  Test one out by slicing it in half to make sure its cooked through:)
This makes about 8 meatballs.

Simple and delicious Carb-free snack!


                                         Love2LiveFit


High-Carb Day Snacks... Delicious!


It can be a challenge to come up with different fruit snacks to eat on our high-carb days, we usually just stick to apples and oranges.  This week these two bowls of fruit were a hit!  And yes tomatoes are considered a fruit (crazy as it is), so we must steer clear of them on no carb days:(.
Organic blueberries and fresh mint.

Organic tomatoes, fresh basil, & balsamic vinegar w/fresh ground pepper.


I measured one cup of each fruit for the serving.  And one tbsp. balsamic vinegar for the tomato bowl.  You may add as much basil and mint as you'd like:).



                                                                        Love2LiveFit

Grilled Chicken Breast Dinner!

High carb day dinner... was delicious and simple to prepare!

The plate:
1c. cooked brown rice penne pasta
4oz. grilled organic chicken breast, seasoned with salt-free mesquite
Vegetable blend of organic onions, cabbage, zucchini, red bell peppers, mushrooms, and spinach.

To cook the veggies, I just lightly spray a large skillet with Pam cooking spray, and always cook the onions and mushrooms first, then add the zucchini, peppers and cabbage.  The spinach is added at the last 1-2 minutes of cooking so that it doesn't over cook.

The brown rice pasta takes about 7-9 minutes to boil.  I make a big batch of it to have on hand for my 2 high carb days/week.

When I grill frozen chicken breast, I pre-heat the bbq to 425' and grill them for about 30-40 minutes.




                                                                         Love2LiveFit

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Sunday Night Dinner.... Moderate Nutrient's Weekends.




Costco sells a nice tenderloin steak w/no antibiotics or hormones.  My favorite way to prepare this steak isn't on the grill, but on the stove top and in the oven.  I use an oven-friendly pan, heat it on the stove top on high heat, drizzle 1tbsp. avocado oil in the pan and sear each side of the steak for 3-4min..  Then I take the pan and place it right in the pre-heated oven (400') and let it cook for anywhere from 5-10min., depending on the thickness of the meat.  We prefer our steak to be cooked medium-rare, so its always a safe bet to remove it sooner then later.

The steak is then paired with a vegetable blend of onions, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, and red bell peppers, and 1c. of yams, and 1 half of a mashed avocado mixed with raw horseradish to dip the steak in to... delicious!




Clean, healthy, simple foods packed with all the nutrients our body needs!

Love2LiveFit


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

The Hub Bub's Lunch!

Bless my husband's heart and dedication!  He decided to join my on a one month program of clean eating and cycling our nutrient intake, so that 2 days/week we eat high carbs, 2 days/week we eat no/low carbs, and the last 3 days/week we eat moderate nutrients and healthy fats!  This was his lunch on the past Saturday that I prepared for him.  





The Plate:
3 organic romaine leafs
2 oz. of nitrate/nitrite free turkey breast meat.
1 half of an avocado 
1 organic Fuji apple, sliced.


He is doing well and down 4lbs. his first week!!!!


Love2LiveFit

Organic Mixed Green Salad... Low Carb Lunch

       

          I definately eat with my eyes first... hence my facination with photographing my food!
          Sometimes I'm amazed at how delicious such a healthy lunch turns out to be.



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The bowl:
Organic Romaine, spinach, pea shoots (from Trader Joes), cucumbers, and radishes.
2oz. of nitrate/nitrite-free sliced turkey breast meat (found at Costco)
1 slice of applewood smoked turkey bacon (nitrate/nitrite-free, found at Trader Joes).
1tbsp. balsamic vinegar



                                                                Love2LiveFit

                                                                       

Organic Ground Turkey & Veggie Bowl

Our low carb dinner last week consisted of lean meat and veggies.  We love to fill a bowl full, opposed to always plating our food.  There is something about eating out of a bowl full of food that makes the mind think the stomach is getting much more:).




The Bowl:
4oz. organic ground turkey

Organic produce:
Red and green cabbage
Red bell peppers
Yellow onions
Spinach
Mushrooms

I spray a skillet with cooking oil spray and drizzle just a little water in it to help cook the veggies.  It turns out great and limits the need for butter or oil.




                                                         Love2LiveFit

Friday, April 24, 2015

His and Hers Quesadilla






It is possible to stay on track and still please everyone in the family!
My quesadilla was served open-faced on a brown rice tortilla w/ sauteed red bell pepper, zucchini, onions, broccoli, and turkey.  Before placing all the toppings on the tortilla, I smothered it with half of an avocado, then the toppings and a splash of salsa.  I recommend warming the plain tortilla in a skillet prior to topping it, and then once covered with all the goodies place it in the oven to broil for 3-5min..  
As I sat side-by-side w/my husband eating our two different versions, I was amazed out how delicious my creation turned out!  I didn't miss the flour tortilla, cheese or sour cream that I used for his.  He was quite delighted with his as well.  However, now he is on the clean wagon with me and tonight he will enjoy my version with me... as he is on day 5 of the program!:)






Love2LiveFit