Category: Recipes

Turkey spinach meatloaf, clean eating, gluten and dairy free meatloaf, 21-day fix

Clean Turkey Meatloaf

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Turkey spinach meatloaf, clean eating, gluten and dairy free meatloaf, 21-day fix

So fresh and so clean clean ❤

I’ve been trying to add some new dinners to our weekly rotation. My husband never complains but one can only eat so much grilled chicken and turkey burgers!

When I sat down to do my meal plan for the week meatloaf quickly came to mind! Meatloaf has always been one of those meals my mom would make as I was growing up, when I was home for a weekend in college or still today visiting with my family. I’ve never been able to make it quite like her but I always try!!! I took bits and pieces from things I remember her doing and this time around tweaked it to make it clean, gluten and dairy free and still taste good – sound impossible?!?! Not at all!

Best part – I had this thrown together before my oven was even preheated to 350 degrees!!!

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • 2.5 pounds lean ground turkey
  • 4 Egg whites
  • 1.5-2 cups fresh salsa (I found mine at SAMs club, but most grocery stores have a fresh salsa – just check the ingredients! Mine was primarily  tomatoes, peppers, jalopenos, onion and garlic therefore I didn’t feel like I needed to add any additional ingredients/seasonings.)
  • 4 Cups fresh spinach, chopped

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

(note this can be cooked in the slow cooker or oven – see below) 

OVEN OPTION: 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. I started with all the meat and egg whites and kept adding the salsa and mixing until I got a consistency that looked like it would hold together. Then I folded in the chopped spinach. You can put in as much or as little as you like. I found its a great way to add in a few more veggies and it certainly looks prettier – and who doesn’t like their food to look as good as it tastes?!?! 🙂

Moving on…

I split the mixture into two loaves and put them on a double layer pan that allows any grease to drip down. I actually never use a meatloaf pan!! Plus, when I cook I almost always make enough for at least two meals. And with my grandparents visiting tomorrow I found this as the perfect opportunity to get dinner made ahead of time and be able to visit with them when they are here!

I put a small dent in the middle to make sure the center got cooked thoroughly, and baked for 30 minutes to brown the outside.

Turkey spinach meatloaf, clean eating, gluten and dairy free meatloaf, 21-day fix

Ready for the oven!

I removed the meatloaf from the oven, covered with foil, and cooked another 30 minutes, checking to make sure they were cooked through.

Turkey spinach meatloaf, clean eating, gluten and dairy free meatloaf, 21-day fix

One for dinner tonight – the other one for tomorrow!

I chose to serve mine with steamed kale tossed in lemon juice and a little sea salt. My hubs had his as a sandwich! Tomorrow I am planning a quinoa salad and asparagus with the leftovers.

For the 21-day fixers out there…I would just count this as one red, even though there is some greens and some purple with the salsa…your portion size will depend on how you slice it but using the container will ensure you don’t over or under do it! 

CROCKPOT OPTION:

For those days when you need to put dinner in, go to work or go run errands and have it all ready when you come home:

-Simply follow the mixing instructions above.

-Lightly spray the crockpot with olive oil and place the meat inside, leaving a 1/2 – 1″ space around the ends so the meatloaf isn’t touching the sides.

-Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours – and wahhhallaaa! Serve with your favorite veggie and some sweet potatoes for a complete meal!

Whether you’re new to clean eating or a seasoned pro – if you’re interested in more information fill out the form below to join one of my upcoming health and fitness accountability and support groups! Together we can end the trend of obesity!


 
Chocolate Cinnamon oatmeal cookie shakeology, dessert alternative, healthy breakfast

Chocolate Cinnamon Oatmeal Shakeology

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Chocolate Cinnamon oatmeal cookie shakeology, dessert alternative, healthy breakfast

I am such a sucker for oatmeal cookies – and these shakeo totally does the trick!!!

Meet: Chocolate Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie Shakeology

  • 4 oz almond milk

  • 6 oz water

  • One scoop chocolate Shakeology

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • 1/4 cup oatmeal

  • Ice to your liking – and BLEND!

NOTE: My hubs prefers the vanilla shakeology over the chocolate so I tweaked this to make it appeal to a vanilla fan:

Meet: Vanilla Almond Oatmeal Cookie Shakeology

  • 4 oz almond milk

  • 6 oz water

  • One scoop chocolate Vanilla shakeology

  • 1 TBS All natural Almond Butter

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • 1/4 cup oatmeal

  • Ice to your liking – and BLEND!

Want to give Shakeology a try? Try this flavor sampler pack to figure what which is your favorite!

sea salt chocolate shakeology, sweet treat, starbucks at home, starbucks alternative

Salted Caramel Shakeo

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Motivation, fitness motivation, support, clean eating, nutrition

FOCUS

Ok – so I’ve never been a coffee drinker but there’s something about that salted caramel mocha from Starbucks that comes to mind  EVERY TIME I see that little Starbucks icon! I guess the sweet and salty combo but from someone who “hates coffee” I could drink one of those bad boys daily!! However…I know that just wouldn’t be good for anyone involved – too much sugar and too much JUNK!!! So, well, I don’t 🙂

When I saw this sea salt caramel shakeology on Melanie’s blog it inspired me to make my own little blended concoction! I also think this would be fabulous with adding in a little coffee in place of the water but for now – I kept it simple:

sea salt chocolate shakeology, sweet treat, starbucks at home, starbucks alternative

Sea Salt Shakeo

  • 1 scoop chocolate shakeology

  • 1/2 tsp of caramel extract

  • A few shakes of pink himalyan salt

  • 4 oz almond milk

  • 6 oz water

  • LOTS of ice

Blend and Enjoy!

Get your next month’s worth of daily, dense nutrition delivered right to your doorstep by clicking HERE.

Not quite sure if you’re ready for a full month – but still want to give it a try? Try the 4-flavor sampler pack! 

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

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peanut butter banana oat chocolate chip cookie, banana cookie, healthy cookie, guilt free dessert

Peanut butter banana chocolate chip oat cookies – fast, easy, healthy and kid approved

Ok – so after looking at the very ripe bananas on the counter for days there was only one option when my daughter asked if we could make chocolate chip cookies – they were going to include bananas in some form or fashion!

I immediately went to Pinterest and started searching for “healthy banana oatmeal cookies” but it seemed like every one of them called for a thing or two that I was missing so I noted the common ingredients and we started tossing things in a bowl!

Here’s what was included:

  • 2 large very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup all natural peanut butter
  • 3 teaspoons of vanilla
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Chocolate chips to taste

Here’s what we did:

I started by combining the first 4 ingredients, mixing well with a hand mixer. I then piled the oats, flour and baking soda on top of the mixture, swirled around a bit, then stirred with a wooden spoon until all mixed. The chips were sprinkled in last. Using the medium sized Pampered chef cookie scoop, we scooped 20 cookies onto a baking sheet. The balls were flattened a bit and baked for 12 minutes @ 350. There was a little bit of the “dough” left so I used the small cookie scoop and finished it off, baking for 10 minutes.

peanut butter banana chocolate chip cookie, healthy cookie, guilt free dessert, banana oat cookie

Mommy’s little helper

Truth be told, I had a bag of cinnamon chips that I was dying to toss in but I was vetoed by my 3-year old!! I also think these would be good with some blueberries folded in rather than the chips – but hey, I was asked for chocolate chip cookies so chocolate chip cookies we made! It was quick and fun and my daughter loved being mommy’s big helper. Plus I loved that this dough was eggless so we both enjoyed licking the beaters 🙂

If you are interested in learning about clean eating and would like to get 1:1 coaching and support along with motivation and accountability towards reaching your health and fitness goals, please fill out my challenge and accountability application below! I will share tips and recipes and I will help you with the one thing I always found so difficult – MEAL PLANNING!  Remember – your health and fitness success is 80% nutrition. You can get all the results and support you need right in your own home – and you don’t have to do it alone! 

Leftovers for lunch, Quinoa stuffed peppers

Stuffed Peppers

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I cannot remember the last time I made stuffed peppers….probably because our grill has been in full force since about April…however I got a craving for them and since they fit perfectly into my PIYO meal plan I figured I’d toss it in as part of  WEEK 7.

I’ve always loved stuffed peppers but my old ones were pretty basic and quite boring – a pound of ground beef, 2 cups brown rice and a jar of spaghetti sauce. They were good but not mouth watering. So I decided to add a little spunk! I call these –

Black bean and corn quinoa stuffed peppers

Ingredients:

(okay – I always make ALOT so I can freeze and use later – so if you’d like you can half this recipe – or take my suggestion and freeze some for later!!!)

  • 2 pounds lean ground turkey

  • 1 can black beans, rinsed well

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa (prepared according to directions…I actually made one cup of quinoa and after I added the 2 cups I still had about 2 cups left. We used it for a side later in the week but plan accordingly – you don’t want to waste!!!)

  • 1.5 cups frozen corn

  • 1 can petite diced tomatoes (make sure there are no added ingredients here…you should see tomatoes and ascorbic acid!)

  • 1 large can tomato sauce (same as above – no added ingredients)

  • 1/2 onion

  • 5-6 peppers, color of your choice

  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, optional

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 TBS Wildtree Hearty Spaghetti sauce blend

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Cook quinoa according to directions

Remove and discard the tops, seeds and membranes of the peppers and place in baking dish. You can do these whole or in halves…I chose whole peppers

In a skillet over medium heat cook the turkey with diced onion until evenly browned

Drain turkey after cooking is complete and add remaining ingredients

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, stuffed peppers with a twist

 stuffed peppers 2

Spoon mixture into peppers and top with cheese if desired

Stuffed peppers, quinoa stuffed peppers

Ready to bake!

 Bake for about one hour until peppers are tender

Baked Stuffed Quinoa Peppers

I added a little extra mix around the bottom of the peppers – my hubby appreciated that with a nice slice of bread

Freeze any remaining stuffing or save for leftovers later in the week!

These will also reheat well – we ended up with two dinners and I had one lunch out of this batch!

Leftovers for lunch, Quinoa stuffed peppers

Leftovers for lunch

Note: My next batch was added into some slightly spicy banana peppers – and they were AMAZING! If you like a little kick try these for sure!

 

Whether you’re new to clean eating or a seasoned pro – if you’re interested in more information fill out the form below to join one of my upcoming health and fitness accountability and support groups! Together we can end the trend of obesity!

 

Rice Krispy treats with a twist, Almond butter rice krispy treats

Almond Butter Rice Krispy treats

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Rice Krispy treats with a twist, Almond butter rice krispy treats

Rice Krispy treats with a twist

It had been a long day…a rough night that lead to an early morning and to be honest, when my 3-year old asked me if we could make rice krispy treats I could not put up a argument! So when Colt went down for a nap to the kitchen we went…

I decided to switch them up a bit and tossed out the margarine and subbed some almond butter. Granted I wasn’t ignoring the fact that I was about to dump a pile of sugary marshmallows into a bowl, but for some reason the substitution of the almond butter made me feel a wee bit better 🙂

I had a little taste tester that got a bit out of control so my ratios were a little off

Almond Butter rice krispy treats - Aub eating

Marshmallow anyone? Almond butter rice krispy treats

 

I stuck with the “original” rice krispy treats recipe and just left the margarine out and put in about 2 TBS of all natural almond butter. Since I was short some of the sweets I put about 5 cups (rather than 6 of the cereal) into the melted mixture, poured and pressed into a 9×13 greased pan and BAM – Tasty Rice Krispy treats with a tad bit of protein!

Little tip: If you run your (clean) hand under cold water you can press the mixture into the pan without getting so sticky! Just continue rinsing your hand and pressing into the pan!

Almond butter rice krispy treats

 

 

 

Buffalo chicken quesadillas, spinach quesadilla, clean eating, weekday meal

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

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Buffalo chicken quesadillas, spinach quesadilla, clean eating, weekday meal

Quick, easy, delicious dinner the whole family can enjoy!

 

I love quesadillas and I absolutely LOVE eating out at Mexican restauarants but truth be told – I cannot control myself with the chips and salsa!!! This dish brings a little mexican back to home without all those added calories! You can easily adapt the ingredients to fit your family’s preferences but these were a big hit for us!

BUFFALO CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

Ingredients:

(serves 2)

2 cups spinach

6 oz shredded chicken**

2 whole wheat or 4 corn tortillas

1/2 of an avocado, mashed

Buffalo chicken quesadillas, spinach quesadilla, clean eating, weekday meal
Buffalo chicken quesadilla prep

 Directions:

Heat skillet over medium/high heat – spray lightly with olive oil

Next, sautee the spinach, flipping continuously

Buffalo chicken quesadillas 6 spinach

Then, remove spinach, and in the same pan, cook chicken with 1 TBS of red hot

Buffalo chicken quesadillas 7 chicken

Remove from pan.

Spread the mashed avocado on half the quesadilla, top with cooked spinach and chicken.

BUFFALO CHICKEN QUESADILLA, SPINACH QUESADILLA, 21 DAY FIX, HEALTHY QUESADILLA, WEEKNIGHT MEAL, WEEKDAY LUNCH, EASY LUNCH, QUICK HEALTHY LUNCH

cook 3-4 minutes on each side

BUFFALO CHICKEN QUESADILLA, SPINACH QUESADILLA, 21 DAY FIX, HEALTHY QUESADILLA, WEEKNIGHT MEAL, WEEKDAY LUNCH, EASY LUNCH, QUICK HEALTHY LUNCH

And there you have it! One quick easy healthy filling lunch quesadilla!

BUFFALO CHICKEN QUESADILLA, SPINACH QUESADILLA, 21 DAY FIX, HEALTHY QUESADILLA, WEEKNIGHT MEAL, WEEKDAY LUNCH, EASY LUNCH, QUICK HEALTHY LUNCH

21-DAY FIX CONTAINERS: 1 RED (CHICKEN) 1 BLUE (AVOCADO) 1 YELLOW (TORTILLAS) 1 GREEN (SPINACH)

**I like to use a rotisserie chicken or I’ll cook a bunch in the crockpot with some lemon juice, sea salt and water for 8 hours on low and then shred and freeze in individual portions. Makes for a quick additIon to any meal!!

 

Whether you’re new to clean eating or a seasoned pro – if you’re interested in more information fill out the form below to join one of my upcoming health and fitness accountability and support groups! Together we can end the trend of obesity!

clean eating, quinoa salad, southwestern quinoa, mexican black bean quinoa, 21-day fix, healthy eating, healthy side, picnic dish, party dish, entertaining food, 21-day fix, piyo

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

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Looking for something clean, healthy and full of flavor to take to your next picnic or family gathering?!? Look no further! This dish is your winner! Its loaded with black beans and quinoa to get you protein, mango for some sweetness and a little cilantro and some spices to jazz things up. And besides – it looks very pretty!

My family reunion is today and I wanted to make sure I took something that not only my own family would enjoy but everyone there and I wanted it to be a clean dish. A challenger of mine had shared her version of this recipe in one of my health and fitness accountability groups over Memorial Day weekend and  I had been waiting for a good reason to make try it for myself! Quinoa is a common side dish in my house but quite honestly, this one had a lot of chopping involved so I wanted to save it for a special occassion!

I’ll admit it wasn’t one of those “quick and easy throw together in 10 minutes” dishes but it was worth every minute in the kitchen. And thanks to my amazing hubby it really didn’t take too long with us tag teaming it!

So here goes:

Ingredients:

  • 15-ounce can black beans (rinsed very well and drained)
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa (according to package directions)
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
  • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped fresh mango (approximately 1 mango)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
  • juice from 1 medium lemon
  • 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin

Directions:

Start by cooking the quinoa first (This could also be cooked in advance and refrigerated). While the quinoa was cooking, rinse the  black beans, cook the frozen corn, chop the red and jalopeno peppers, chop the mango and cilantro and dice the onion. (I like to save the onion for last because I struggle so bad with my eyes!!)

Add all items – the beans, quinoa, corn, bell pepper, mango, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño in a large mixing bowl.

Next, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and turmeric in a small bowl and drizzle it over the mixture and stir well.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

(NOTE: This is best when mixed the night before so the flavors have the time to marinate!)

I’ll admit – despite wrapping this up around 11:00pm I had to taste it – it just smelled so good – and it tasted as good as I expected! Hoping the family enjoys it as well!

clean eating, quinoa salad, southwestern quinoa, mexican black bean quinoa, 21-day fix, healthy eating, healthy side, picnic dish, party dish, entertaining food, 21-day fix, piyo

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

 

And to top it all off – this flavor packed side dish is both PiYO and 21-day fix approved. (I would count this as 1 yellow and 1 tsp – olive oil – even though there’s a bit of purple, green, red!!!)  

If you are interested in  these or any other workout program and would like to get 1:1 coaching and support along with motivation and accountability, please fill out my challenge and accountability application below! I will share tips and recipes and I will help you with the one thing I always found so difficult – MEAL PLANNING!  Remember – your health and fitness success is 80% nutrition. You can get all the results and support you need right in your own home – and you don’t have to do it alone! 

Toasted almond and cranberry quinoa

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I’ve been on a bit of a quinoa kick however after making a double recipe of my quinoa salad a few weeks ago – which lasted over a week – I knew it was time to switch things up! I was inspired by the recipe on the back of my quinoa bag from SAMs club and made a few tweeks to make it my own – and it turned out delicious!!!

I love when I can do an entire dish in one pot! And this is no exception.

I started by toasting 1/2 cup slivered almonds over medium heat until golden. 

almond quinoa, cranberry quinoa, piyo meal plan, 21-day fix meal plan, side dish, clean eating, quinoa
Step 1: Toast the almonds until golden brown

Next I added 1 cup of quinoa and roasted about 5 minutes. While this was roasting I boiled 1 1/2 cups of water in the microwave 

almond quinoa, cranberry quinoa, piyo meal plan, 21-day fix meal plan, side dish, clean eating, quinoa

Step 2: Toast almonds and quinoa

 

Toasted almonds and quinoa

Once the quinoa and almonds are toasted add the boiling water along with 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, a dash of sea salt and 1 tsp of cinnamon

almond quinoa, cranberry quinoa, piyo meal plan, 21-day fix meal plan, side dish, clean eating, quinoa

Step 3: Add boiling water and remaining ingredients

 

Toasted almond and cranberry quinoa

Bring all contents to a boil and simmer covered until all water is absorbed, about 10-12 minutes

almond quinoa, cranberry quinoa, piyo meal plan, 21-day fix meal plan, side dish, clean eating, quinoa

Step 4: Cook until all liquid is absorbed

Serve alongside your favorite meals – my pick – grilled chicken tenders and grilled summer vegetables (squash, zucchini and onions)

Toasted almond and cranberry quinoa 7

This smelled amazing while cooking and tasted even better! Excited for the leftovers!!!

almond quinoa, cranberry quinoa, piyo meal plan, 21-day fix meal plan, side dish, clean eating, quinoa

***UPDATE***

These leftovers were great cold  added to some salmon and grilled veggies and as a topping on a salad.

21 day fix, piyo, quinoa salad, healthy salad, quick lunch, healthy lunch, nomnomnom,

21-day fix approved! Talk about a loaded salad…spinach, grilled chicken, grape tomatoes, snap peas, peppers, avocado and blueberries to avoid a dressing with some leftover toasted almond and cranberry quinoa salad for a little twist! Best part was everything was all prepped in my fridge so it took about 3 minutes to pull together!! 2 Greens, 1 red, 1/3 purple, 1/3 yellow, 1 blue

Ingredients: (4-6 servings)

1 cup quinoa

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 1/2 cups boiling water

Dash of sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Over medium heat, stir and toast the slivered almonds until golden. Add the quinoa and toast a few more minutes until quinoa begins to darken. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, covered, then reduce heat to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve!

NOTE: We enjoyed the leftovers the next day and left them cold – I may have actually liked that better!!! 

If you’re interested in learning more about clean eating, join one of my upcoming accountability and support groups!!

clean eating, 3-day refresh, PiYO, shakeology, eat your greens, fit mom, healthy mom, dedicated, commited, meal plan

Kale with pine nuts

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clean eating, 3-day refresh, PiYO, shakeology, eat your greens, fit mom, healthy mom, dedicated, commited, meal plan

Kale with pine nuts

 

I first tried this recipe when I did the 3-day Refresh and loved it so much I had to make it again! 

Kale with Pine Nuts (from 3-day refresh meal plan guide)

(makes 1 serving)

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups chopped green kale

1 tsp. pine nuts

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 dash himalayan salt (optional)

1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add kale; cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until kale is tender and bright green. Remove from heat. Drain. Place in medium bowl. 

2. Toss kale with pine nuts, lemon juice and salt. 

 

This was served as a side with our dinner: Grilled chicken with peppers and onions, quinoa salad, steamed broccoli.

For all you 21-day fixers out there, you could sub out the pine nuts for sesame seeds and this would be: 1 red (chicken) 2 greens (kale, broccoli, peppers and onions), 1 yellow and 1 blue (quinoa with jack cheese) and 1 orange (sunflower seeds)

 

Kale with pine nuts dinner

Whether you’re new to clean eating or a seasoned pro – if you’re interested in more information fill out the form below to join one of my upcoming health and fitness accountability and support groups! Together we can end the trend of obesity!