Do you ever struggle to keep produce fresh, meals adequately planned, while managing to find that exact amount that leaves you balanced for each meal without wasting at the end of the week??? Oh meal planning – its such an art!!!
It seems like we are always running out of fruits and veggies and when I do stock up I end up throwing something out by the time garbage day rolls around regardless of how much I plan – and if there’s one thing that bothers me most its wasting food! Its like practically throwing money down the drain. So in an effort to avoid multiple trips to the grocery store and maximize my time and money spent in a week I started doing this one little trick to make my produce last a little longer: soak EVERYTHING in vinegar-lemon water!!!
Did you know that soaking your produce in a mixture of lemon juice and vinegar will help keep your produce fresh longer and cleans them all at the same time??? I started doing this a few weeks ago and it really helps! I try to get to the farmers market on Saturday morning and I come home, fill my sink with 2 cups vinegar and squeeze two lemons into the water and toss in the rinds then add all my produce! The only thing I did separately this week were the blueberries…too much other stuff in there! So they were done in a separate batch. Just soak everything for about an hour, let everything air dry, then package up into containers and/or freeze! I was able to get this done while doing other things around the house and now everything is ready to be consumed later in the week!
A few other tips I’ve learned:
1) Certain fruits and veggies spoil faster than others…so that being said: Berries, Bananas, Kiwis, Avocados, Spinach/Lettuce and Grapes should be consumed first….Followed by Tomatoes, Mangoes, Peaches, Melons and Zucchini…then Cucumbers, Pineapples and Pomegrante, and save your Carrots, Oranges, Potatoes, Celery and Apples for last. So as you meal plan keep this in mind!!!
2) In addition to eating your ripest produce items first – buy some that are ready to eat and some that need to sit a while. For example, I bought two sets of peaches on Saturday – 4 of them were ready to eat and my husband and I ate them Sunday and Monday and 4 more are sitting out and should be ready by Wednesday so we can have them later in the week. Same thing goes for bananas, avocados and pears!
3) Don’t be afraid to FREEZE!!! I know berry season is almost over so I doubled up on my blueberries and strawberries for several weeks and whatever didn’t get consumed by around day 3 after I bought them got tossed into a freezer bag. I’ll use these in my Shakeology, I’ll add them to yogurt and I’ll add them to my oatmeal. I don’t like to eat frozen berries alone but mixed in with something else and they’re great!!! Same thing goes for Bananas. If I ever see bananas on sale I’ll snag a whole bunch then I let them ripen and then cut into quarters, lay flat in a ziplock bag, freeze and then they’re ready for my morning Shakeology smoothie!!! Just make sure you peel them first…I’ve told several people to freeze their ripen bananas and they toss the whole thing in the freezer and let me tell you that peel doesn’t come off too easy!!!
If you find these tips helpful and would like to get 1:1 coaching and support along with motivation and accountability as you begin and/or continue your health and fitness journey, please fill out my challenge and accountability group application below! I 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!
Did you know Chambersburg is known for its peaches?!? Well, I for one I had NO IDEA! However my amazing Coach, Deidra, just so happens live in Chambersburg and just so happens to be from the town I currently live in. Lucky for me she was visiting her family this weekend and brought home a bunch of peaches and shared with me!!! We got a little visit in and I got some fresh peaches – win win!!!
I’ve ate fresh peaches before, liked them, made them into baby food when my youngest was just starting out on fruits but to be honest I grew up on the canned stuff. The fuzz on an actual peach kind of scared me and I never quite knew how to cut around that pit?! Every time I tried I butchered the peach! Turns out…I just don’t think I ever had the right/ripe peach! This was easy peezy – slice all the way around and pull apart! DONE!
These peaches Deidra gave me are AHMAZING! They’re so juicy and have the perfect sweetness.
So now, what to do with my peach???
What to do with my peaches?
I typically start my day the same exact way everyday. Wake up, drink my E&E, do my workout, have my Shakeology and get started with my day…but I’ve decided to switch things up – insert – Peaches-n-cream crunchy oatmeal for breakfast! And no, not the artificial prepackaged stuff either!
WHAT YOU NEED:
(I’ve added the coordinating 21-day fix containers for quick reference)
1/2 Cup of rolled quick oats (or your favorite oats) – 1 YELLOW
1/2 a Peach, diced – 1/2 PURPLE
4 Halved Walnuts – 1/2 Blue
Optional:
1/4 – 1/2 Scoop Vanialla Protein Powder – This would count towards your reds…One serving of Whey Protein powder is considered to be 1.5 scoops – so depending on how much you put in would determine how to count it for your containers. I used about 1/4 and it was plenty!
tsp Honey
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Cook the oats according to package directions (I combined 1/2 cup oats with enough water to cover the oats completely and microwaved for 1 minute)
Add your protein powder and/or honey, walnut pieces and diced peach – mix and enjoy!
Perhaps the best part was – my toddler loved it! I left the walnuts out and didn’t use any sweetener but rather cooked his oats in almond milk and topped with the peaches…after the fact I thought cinnamon would have been a great add too – perhaps tomorrow!
I successfully completed 8 weeks of PIYO and absolutely loved the change to my workout routine!!!
Week 8 went a little something like this:
NOTE: I pushed my rest day to Sunday because that’s what worked best for ME – the joy of making my own workout schedule at home!
I didn’t introduce anything new on the menu this week – although I did repeat the stuffed peppers from last week and the buffalo chicken quesadillas – always a hit with the entire fam!!!!
Buffalo chicken and spinach quesadilla
And per usual, turkey burgers were on the menu! I added some grilled onions and let me tell you – the additional flavor was amazing!!! A little all natural salsa (courtesy of SAMs club) and you have one heck of a flavorful dinner! And better yet – make them in bulk and you just may get some lunches and/or an additional dinner – BONUS!
And the week wouldn’t be complete without my daily dose of dense nutrition!!! I truly CRAVE this stuff. Despite the fact that I’ve had my shakeology EVERY DAY since February 24th, I still cannot get over the fact that something SO GOOD for you tastes like a dessert! Craziness I say, craziness!!! And yes, I blend it nice and thick so I can eat it with a spoon – I’ll take a little ice cream for breakfast 🙂
Breakfast of champions!
Now to the burn….Although I truly love the DRENCH workout – I find that 48 minute length difficult to commit! But no worries – I nailed it not only once – but twice!
Of all things, I’d have to say my balance is my greatest improvement. My balance has never been bad but I find myself able to hold poses longer and balance better now that I have completed this program. And I am certainly getting stronger!!!
I had a great week and when I look back I am able to see how far I’ve come! Excited to get the final results together and see a complete – start to finish!!!
If you’re interested in PiYO you can create a FREE team beachbody account HERE and fill out the form below for a spot in my next accountability group! Its never too late to get started and you can never have too much support along the way!!!
Another week down and another week closer to COMPLETING PIYO! I’m so excited about finishing up this entire program. Truth be told, other than the 3-week long 21-day fix (which I LOVED, and did multiple times) – this will be the first workout program I’ve done start to finish! I’ve done all of T25 but I didn’t follow it to a “T” and I didn’t follow the meal plan – so this is a huge accomplishment for me! But I’m not there yet…
Week 7 continues to build on the prior weeks and certainly takes the intensity up a bit.
We’ll start with my meal plan:
I’ll admit, I could totally live on grilled chicken and turkey burgers but this week I felt like I needed to spice things up a bit – so in came quinoa stuffed peppers…and they were a delish! You can find the recipe HERE. I love recipes that I can double up and freeze as well as get at least 2 dinners and a few lunches out of the hard work and this fit my ideal meal perfectly!!!
We also had our 5 year anniversary this week so I may have doubled up on the cheat meals with a Cheesecake Factory trip and a Nakama trip but I did my best!!! I try to eat clean at least 80% of the time but I’ll be honest, once I met my goal weight I became a little more flexible. I still focus on healthy choices, I still focus on proper portions but when I’m out and about I allow myself to enjoy the little things!
The week started off with Sculpt, completed in a new workout tank I scored at Old Navy. There’s just something about some new gear that makes getting up on Monday morning at 5:00 a bit more enticing!
I was lucky to have a workout buddy with me on Tuesday and well a few times this week – we’ll blame it on the moon or something…and while I’m not sure how many push ups he got in on those handles he certainly gave it is all!! I love setting a good example for my kids!! He may not be a good sleeper but his down dog rocks and he can squat with the best of them 🙂 You can’t win them all right?!?!
Working out with one of my biggest fans
BUNS continues to be a favorite of mine. I like the 30ish minute length and I can FEEL the after effects for days…which is always a nice reminder just how hard you’ve worked!!!!
PIYO – BUNS
With a late night Buccos baseball game on Thursday that was preceded by a trip to the Cheesecake Factory and an upcoming Hibachi dinner planned for Saturday I couldn’t justify the “rest day” Friday so I dusted off my 21-day fix DVDs and added in a little cardio fix. This was always the workout I found most difficult and although I feel like PIYO is helping me with the strength aspects I was still whooped at the end of it!!! The weekend wrapped up week 7 with Drench Saturday followed by Strength Intervals on Sunday and I know I’ve mentioned it before but every time I start Strength Intervals and see “22” minutes on the clock I think its going to fly by and be a breeze but man is that difficult! A good difficult but difficult nonetheless!!
PIYO Drench
I’m really happy with the results I’ve seen thus far and cannot wait to take my ending pictures and measurements soon. My weight hasn’t changed but I see more toning and definition in my arms and I feel stronger.
Here’s to week 8!
Reach for the stars
If you are interested in this program 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!
Another week down and another week stronger. I love what this program is doing for my mind and body!
One of my favorite aspects of this program and all of Beachbody’s program’s is that its all about finding what works for you! Last week we had plans to be out of town and I wanted to attend the local yoga studio for some practice outside of my home – so I altered the calendar that came with the program, switched some things around to meet my needs, and made some changes to my meal plan so that I could enjoy my weekend away without going completely off the wagon!
PIYO Calendar Week 6 vs. My Week 6
Thursday’s Sculpt was pushed to Friday….Friday’s rest day was pushed to Saturday…and I swapped Drench for a major sweat session at Yoga Flow for Thursday’s workout. Success in my book!
So finally at week 6 I’m getting a handle of the PiYO meal plan and no longer looking at foods in terms of the 21-day fix container colors! Its been a tough adjustment – but I think I’m there 🙂 The good thing is the two were very similar in terms of types of foods it was just learning how to plan and portion in accordance with the book! In the end its all about clean eating and eating the “right” portions for your body!
PIYO Week 6 Meal Plan
So fresh and so clean clean
I really enjoyed this simple staple to my week – grilled chicken and grilled zucchini. Both heated up well and bonus – they were kid approved! Well one of my kids approved, the other, we’ll just leave out for now!
Now for the workouts!!!
The week was off with a bang with Drench on Monday. That PiYO flip still gets me but I’m getting there – and getting better with keeping my balance so I don’t go toppling over!!!
Trying my best to hold my moves just like Chalene
Tuesday I rocked out to Hardcore on the floor. And it wasn’t until I had watched myself on video that I realized I had been doing that move to the right ——–> all wrong!!! I think I’m okay now – I just need to keep practicing!!!
Wednesday was a 30 minute BUNS workout and I’m pretty sure I was still feeling that as the weekend rolled in. A good feeling don’t get me wrong, but man, incredible!
I’m at the point where my workouts are what I look forward to each day. When I can start my day with a workout, followed by my Shakeology to keep me full, satisfied and full of the dense nutrition my body needs and I get in some “me” time while I’m at it – I’m all set for success!!!
Shaping those buns
Those triangle push-ups were not pretty, I modified and could barely push that last one up…but I did them-the best that I could and I know my body will feel it tomorrow!!! If it doesn’t challenge you-it doesn’t change you!
If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you!
Following in Mommy’s footsteps
Friday night I enjoyed dinner with one of my bestest friends and her family. We had a delicous clean dinner and just relaxed. But the best part of the night had to be when our kids all rocked the down dog on the deck. Proud mom moment for us both!
The week wrapped up with what I thought was the perfect plan – workout while one kiddo slept and one rested…and well you can see how that worked out for me! I can’t complain though. I know how my kids replicate what they see me do. And yes, Colt may have been in my way more times than not but he’s learning, I’m learning to be more flexible (in more ways than one) and we’re all getting our workout in on our own time – so what if it wasn’t the best of the best – it was done and I enjoyed the company!!!
Getting my sweat on with one of my biggest fans
If nothing else – I’m learning A LOT. Not only about being active and working out or eating healthy but all about life in general. There’s a compound effect in life. I’m making changes in so many aspects in my life and really focusing on when life give me lemons you better bet I’m making some lemonade!
BE POSITIVE
If you are interested in PiYO 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!
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!
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!
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.
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
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
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
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)
This smelled amazing while cooking and tasted even better! Excited for the leftovers!!!
***UPDATE***
These leftovers were great cold added to some salmon and grilled veggies and as a topping on a salad.
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!!
So what does a meal plan look like for the 21-day fix???
Let me show you!
Here’s an example of one of mine – now your meal plan will vary based on your daily caloric needs, but this one happens to be for the 1200 – 1400 calorie range.
You’ll see I like to split up my yellows and purples throughout the day so I can enjoy them more frequently without going “over” my daily allotment!
Good luck on the fix!!
Not quite there yet? Fill out the application below and join one of my upcoming challenge groups!
PiYO Week 2 has wrapped up and I am SHOCKED that I am still feeling sore. I guess its a good thing – and it means I’m working new muscles and continue to push myself but I honestly didn’t expect this – but I sure do love that feeling!!!
I am following the schedule in the book although I’ll admit I’ve considered adding some cardio in here and there just because its so different from what I had been used to. But…I am going to trust the program, the creators, and all those who put forth a lot time to make this amazing program available to us – all from the comfort of our own homes!
I started the week with the 3-Day refresh but was able to continue my daily PiYO workout!
Here’s what my meal plan looked like:
Week 2 of PiYO started off with the 3-day refresh and ended with the 4th of July weekend!
I do tend to eat similar items through the week to help save on grocery costs and reduce wastes!!!
A few months ago I really decided to commit to my health and fitness and with that went my “I’ll wake up when the kids wake up and workout later” attitude….to a “5:00am daily alarm” attitude. Its been an adjustment, but one I am thankful day in and day out that I made.
Its no secret my kids are far from “amazing sleepers” but when you’re as cute as they are, I guess it doesn’t really matter 😉
Colt decided he needed a few stretches and joined me for the last half of my workout. I was happy to have the company!
PIYO Week 2 Day 1
I had a few modifications but we got it DONE – and that’s what matters!
Tuesday was relaxing and I was able to complete it start to finish with no interruptions – victory for me!!!
I can really feel my flexibility improving along with my strength with every. single. tricep. pushup. Thanks again Chalene!
Ok – I know – this says week 3 day 3…but its really week 2 day 3…chalk that one up to the less technologically inclined 🙂 Man those side planks are killer!!!
PiYO Week 2 Day 3
Usually once a week, I trade in my home workouts for a hot yoga sweat session at a local studio, Yoga Flow. I love the flexibility of being able to workout at home when I want around MY schedule but there’s still something about doing yoga in 102 degrees and sweating your heart out! I love my Thursday morning yoga class and look forward to it weekly!!! I also love having someone else help me with my form and push me to try new things! I can already see several improvements in my strength since I started PiYO!!!
Friday – Rest Day – Thanks again Chalene!
Saturday was a tough one for me. We had gorgeous weather and were enjoying lots of family time outside. Thankfully the kids needed a rest which forced me inside and in turn allowed me to squeeze in the workout I postponed from the morning. Kind of made putting that swim suit on later a bit more enjoyable!
I workout for several reasons, one being the way I feel when its DONE – those post-workout endorphins are hard to beat. And this sweat session was no different! Thankful for pushing play!!
Week 2 wrapped up with a great CORE workout. This time I didn’t put it off. Although it was Sunday and my daughter’s 3rd birthday I still got up at 5:00am, pushed play, baked her cake and was showered before the rest of the house was up!
Two weeks are in the books – looking forward to the next two and hitting that halfway mark!!!
If you would like more information about joining my next support and accountability group, fill out the application below! Whether you’re new to fitness or just getting started, this program can fit ANYONE and who couldn’t use a little more motivation and support?!
Maegan Blinka 