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

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

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

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

Moderate Nutrient's Day

After 2 high carb days, and 2 no/low carb days, comes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!!!

The weekend brings upon a menu full of moderate carbs, moderate protein, and moderate healthy fats.

Breakfast:

 1/4c. oats

     1/4c. chopped raw almonds and cashews

1c. mixed strawberries and blueberries

sprinkle of cinnamon.

Snack:

Organic carrots and 1/4c. raw cashews

(Don't have nut butter?  No worries, eating cashews and carrots together tastes just as good).

Lunch:

1c. blueberries and water, blended in a bullet mixer, and

a jar of homemade vegetable, egg drop soup.

Snack: 

Organic red and golden beets and turkey jerky.

Dinner: 

(not pictured, will post on seperate entry)

Open-face veggie and turkey quesadilla w/avocado.

*The pear and apple were a just in case I packed for a 12 hour work day.

Love2LiveFit

No/Low Carb Dinner

After 2 days of high carb meals and snacks, its time to switch it up and go no Carb (with the exception of the small amounts found in greens).

This was a dinner bowl of all organic goodness...

Wild Cod fillet, green cabbage, mushrooms, red bell peppers, asparagus, spinach, red onions, and splash of garlic and heat.

I will typically start every meal sauteing up veggies, and as many as I have on hand I throw into the pan.  Endless veggies are a must when your meals are stripped of starchy carbs!  For the saute, I only use a spritz of cooking oil spray, and always brown the onions first to get them nice and carmelized.  Doing so, adds a great flavor to any dish!  Sometimes a splash of water is neccesary when adding a bunch of vegetables to the pan.  A little water helps to steam the veggies just right!

The prep to all my no/low carb meals.





Love2LiveFit

High Carb Dinner

This day was one full of high carb meals and snacks.  Dinner was a delicious bowl of organic Basmati brown rice, organic cabbage, organic red bell pepper, organic spinach, organic red onions, and organic ground turkey!

I have wanted to turn our meals to organic for a long time now.  At first it was overwhelming, due to what I initially found to be higher prices for organic.  Yet, after months of testing out different markets in hopes to simplify my shopping quests for organic, and affordable foods, I found I was able to narrow it down to three different markets to shop in.

1. Costco:  1-2x/month.  Costco offers a nice selection of organic foods at the best prices in town.  And the organic foods are easy to find because Costco uses green food signs for all their organic items:))).

2. Trader Joes: 1x/week.  TJ's has a great selection of organic greens, fruits, and vegetables.  Not to mention organic salsa, nitrite/nitrate-free lunch meat and turkey bacon, and even organic treats for the kids and pets.  The prices at TJ's are so affordable for organic, if you haven't checked out this market, I recommend it.  One of a few other little bonuses they have is if you use reusable grocery bags, you get to write your name and number down on a piece of receipt paper, and it goes into a weekly drawing for $50. in free groceries!!!

3. Smith's Grocery: 1x/week.  I shop at this local grocery market because it does have certain organic items I can't find other places, such as green cabbage, and ground turkey.




                                                      Love2LiveFit

    Organic BlueBerries, Strawberries, and Almond Milk.

      A delicious mid-morning or mid-afternoon drink loaded with antioxidants and clean carbs!!!

      In a bullet blender, blend:
      1/2c. Frozen Organic Blueberries
      1/2c. Frozen Organic Strawberries
      1/2c. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk

   

                     Love2LiveFit.... Love The Color of Food!

So In LOVE with The Color of FOOD!!!

Organic.  Clean.  Health.  Fit. 

 Lovethyself!

One of my favorite side dishes... 

Organic Yams, Organic broccolette, Red onion, and Lentils!

Par-boil the yams so they are fork tender, but not too soft. Remove the skin and slice into pieces.  Meanwhile blanch the broccolette, and saute the red onions with a light drizzle of evoo.  Once onions are carmelized, add the lentils, yams, and broccolette.  Sprinkle with a dash of granulated garlic and pepper.  

An absolutely delicious side dish the entire family will love!!!

                                                             Love2LiveFit