Eating Healthy Without Breaking the Bank

One of the many excuses I hear when talking to people about their choice of foods is "It is too expensive to eat healthy". Granted some things are more expensive - especially when it comes to organic foods and grass fed beef. However, if you know where to cut back and where to spend a little more you can have all of your healthy foods and not feel like you are breaking the bank. Here are a few quick tips I have picked up along the way..

1. Be prepared: Coming to the store with a set list of the things you need - and sticking to that list - can make or break you. If you spend a few minutes planning out your meals ahead of time you can save yourself from picking up a bunch of unnecessary items. 

2. Do not shop hungry: I have fallen victim to this many times. You get in the store and all of the sudden the growling in your stomach has taken over the elevator music being piped through the store. Suddenly everything around you looks good and you start craving things you haven't craved in months! You find yourself grabbing this and that and before you know it you are leaving the store and loading bags of extra groceries in your car that you later look at with regret. If you are going to be hungry by the time to get to the store throw a quick healthy snack in your car or purse to curb that hunger while you are shopping.

3. Eat less meat: I never realized how much of our grocery bill was taken up by meat purchases. We were eating red meat a few times a week (which that in itself is not healthy). We have cut way back on red meat and try to get more chicken and fish in our diets. Even going vegetarian a night a week can make a difference. You can opt into the "meatless Monday" craze that so many people do. Also, if you eat less meat when you do purchase it you can opt for the higher quality meats. 

4. Grains and Beans: Grains and beans are a great meat substitute that help you feel full and pack a powerful nutritional punch. 

5. Buy in bulk: You can get grains, pasta, beans and nuts in bulk. I love the bulk section at Whole Foods because it allows you to save money (you are not paying for packaging) and you can get the amount of a product you need without having a bunch left over. You can also use the bulk section to try new things when you don't want to get a whole package and worry about wasting it if you don't like it. 

6. When going organic - stick to the "Dirty Dozen": Don't feel like you have to buy organic in everything you purchase. The "Dirty Dozen" is the list of fruits and vegetables with the highest amount of pesticides. 

- Peaches
- Apples
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Pears
- Grapes
- Imported Spinach
- Lettuce
- Potatoes

I also use a vegetable/fruit wash to pre-wash both my organic and non-organic vegetables and fruit.

7. Buy locally: the Farmer's Market or local produce stand can be a great place to get quality fruits and vegetables for a lower price than your big box grocery stores. 

These are just some of the tips that I have collected over the years that help me to eat better and stay within my budget. I would love to hear some of your tips and tricks and add them to the list. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what your tips are! 

Country Style Beef and Green Pepper Soup

Fall is definitely here. The temperatures are falling, the leaves are changing and the stores are full of holiday meal displays. When it starts to get cold outside I crave soups and warm comfort foods. I would love to start utilizing my crock pot more. I know there are tons of recipes out there - I just always forget about it when I am doing my meal planning. While on my quest for new soup recipes I ran across this recipe from Clean Eating Magazine. I love this magazine and all the recipes and tips it has inside. I have this recipe on my list to try. Every time I run across it I think it looks amazing! 

Country- Style Beef and Green Pepper Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 12 oz extra-lean ground beef
• 2 medium green bell peppers, diced
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 lb fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 4 oz fresh green beans, trimmed and broken into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed and patted dry
• 2 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a Dutch oven on medium-high, tilting Dutch oven to coat bottom lightly. Add beef and cook for 3 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Drain beef on paper towels; set aside.
2. Heat 1 tsp oil in Dutch oven on medium-high. Add bell peppers and onion and cook for 6 minutes or until edges begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Add beef back to Dutch oven along with tomatoes, beans, corn, cabbage, broth and oregano. Bring mixture to a boil over same heat, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until beans are tender-crisp.
3. Remove Dutch oven from heat, stir in remaining ingredients, including remaining oil, and let stand for 10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. 

Nutrients per 1 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 182, Total Fat: 5.5 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 17 g, Fiber: 3.5 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 16 g, Sodium: 413 mg, Cholesterol: 30 mg 

 

You can find this and other recipes courtesy of Clean Eating Magazine HERE

Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight

I get a lot of messages from people wanting to know why they aren't losing weight when they are working out and eating right. I can say a good percentage of those messages come from people who "think" they are eating right when really their nutrition is way out of control. One of the first things I tell people to do is to keep a food journal for a few days - write down EVERY SINGLE thing you put in your mouth - send it back to me and we will discuss it and see where things can be changed up. Some people don't even do that much.. they just give up and I never hear from them again. For those people who are SERIOUS about making some changes - it works. We get so caught up with work, taking care of the kids, running errands and doing a million other things we don't realize sometimes that we are snacking here and there, stealing food off our kids plates or eating while we are cooking. When I did the Ultimate Reset I found out I was one of those people who liked to eat while they cooked. As I cut up vegetables and fruits I would be constantly snacking. On the Reset I wasn't allowed to eat while I was prepping my food. It was a hard habit for me to break but I was so glad that it was brought to my attention because there is no telling how many extra calories I was taking in with that one small habit.

Don't forget...

All of that brings me to this. I found a great article that breaks down 25 reasons why you may not being losing weight. I am going to bullet point them here. If you want to see the entire article click here. 

1. You overeat healthy foods
2. You don't eat breakfast
3. You don't practice portion control
4. You eat while standing up
5. You don't sleep enough
6. You over-indulge in low fat foods
7. You don't eat enough vegetables
8. You think walking your dog is enough
9. You don't cut your food
10. You still drink soda
11. Your partner isn't on the same healthy road
12. You are addicted to condiments and toppings
13. You don't drink water
14. You don't leave time for fun
15. You are on a diet.. well, sort of..
16. You are always dining out
17. You don't keep a food journal
18. You exercise with an empty stomach
19. You only do cardio
20. You eat without thinking
21. You wear clothes that are too big
22. You don't eat enough
23. You leave out entire food groups
24. You never indulge
25. You eat the wrong post-workout snacks

Now I can tell you I am guilty of more than one of these from time to time.. nobody is perfect! Check out the article here  for more information on each of the 25 reasons and what you can do to change it. Thanks to fitsugar.com for such a great informative article!      

 


 


 


 

Healthy Brownies - not just a myth!

With the holidays come the parties, the goodies and all of the delicious spreads of food. Research shows that during the holiday season the average person gains 8 lbs! Here is a healthy alternative that you can take to parties and not be "that person" who brings healthy food to the party. These brownies not only taste amazing but they are good for you! They pack protein, superfoods and a whole list of healthy vitamins and minerals. These brownies will also allow you to get that sweet tooth fix without gaining the dreaded "Holiday 8"...

Ingredients:
• 1 scoop Chocolate

Shakeology
• 1 scoop Beachbody Whey Protein Powder
• ½ cup natural peanut butter
• ½ banana
• ½ cup rolled oats

Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Freeze for at least 90 minutes in an 8" x 8" pan.
4. Remove from freezer, cut into 4 squares.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 249
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 13mg
Sodium: 76g
Carbohydrate: 25g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar Total: 6g
Protein: 16g

 

This is just one of the MANY dessert recipes that Shakeology can be made into. It isn't just for breakfast! 

 

* To try Shakeology click HERE. 30 day money back guarantee. Possible side effects: lower cholesterol, more energy, healthy digestion, reduced cravings and weight loss.

Clean Eating Pumpkin Cupcakes

It is hard to believe it is already November 1st. The holidays are always my favorite time of year. I love getting to spend time with family and enjoy the changing weather. It is also the time of year when we can get off track thanks to all the feasts we associate with each holiday. Thankfully there are "clean eating" alternatives to most recipes that still have great flavor and don't sabotage all of our hard work from the rest of the year. Here is a recipe to try out for a yummy dessert alternative - Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Pumpkin Frosting! 

Each cupcake will only set you back 179 calories!  Thank you to The Gracious Pantry for this recipes and many other amazing clean eating recipes!

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
 
1 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, just pure pumpkin)
1/2 c. almond milk
2 egg whites
1/2 c. safflower oil (or any light-flavored oil)
1/2 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

For the frosting:


1/2 c. canned pumpkin

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract
 
Directions:
 
For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake tins with cupcake papers or grease the tin itself. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your pumpkin, almond milk, egg whites, safflower oil, honey and vanilla extract. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Whisk the flour mixture into the liquid mixture and blend well. If your batter is too thick, add a little extra almond milk (about 1/4 c. at a time until you reach a thick, yet runny consistency). Pour into tins, and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.


For the frosting:

Place all ingredients in a small mixing bowl, and whisk until well blended. Remove cupcakes from oven, allow to cool and spread frosting over the tops.

Makes about 16 cupcakes.
 

Healthy Personal Pan Pizzas!

Sometimes I just want pizza. Sitting around watching tv on rest days I see commercials for Pizza Hut, Papa Johns and others over and over. Especially with football season upon us - you can't watch tv for more than a few minutes without running across a commercial for pizza. It is nice to know there are alternatives out there for those of us who want to eat pizza but not sacrifice a whole days worth of calories for it. Here is a great recipe for a healthy alternative to a personal pizza courtesy of Clean Eating Magazine.

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup natural salt-free tomato sauce
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 2 or 3 medium cloves garlic, passed through a garlic press or very finely minced
• 2 whole-wheat, sprouted-wheat or gluten-free pitas
• 1 cup loosely packed spinach or other winter greens, finely chopped
• 2 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced into rounds
• 2 tbsp minced fresh basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce, red pepper flakes and garlic; stir to mix well.
3. Place both pitas on a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush or spoon, evenly divide sauce mixture between pitas, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges. Sprinkle with spinach, then arrange mozzarella rounds over top of greens, dividing both evenly.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until greens are wilted and mozzarella is melted. Remove from oven, sprinkle with basil, dividing evenly, and serve immediately. If you’re enjoying 1 pizza, loosely wrap remaining pizza in aluminum foil or store in a sealable container for up to 2 days in refrigerator. Reheat in a warm oven or serve at room temperature.

Nutrients per pizza: Calories: 183, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 3 g, Carbs: 24 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 11 g, Sodium: 351 mg, Cholesterol: 18 mg 

 

The nice thing about this recipe is that it is so quick and easy. You can add whatever toppings you like to make a variety of pizzas to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.  Enjoy!