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Spaghetti Squash, Turkey, and Asparagus

October 21, 2016 No Comments

I recently shared a blog post on how to use zucchini noodles to replace pasta for a low carb dish. Spaghetti squash is another great low carb option that you can use to replace pasta in some of your favorite dishes. Spaghetti squash is easy to fix and a lot healthier option than pasta.

To begin you will need to cut the spaghetti squash in half. I tend to find a lot of the bigger squash difficult to cut because of their size and thicker skin. To make the spaghetti squash a little easier to cut, I will usually put it into the microwave for 3 minutes just to soften the squash enough to cut. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Once your spaghetti squash has been cut in half, scoop out all the seeds and place both halves onto a baking sheet. Next lightly drizzle some olive oil over both halves of the squash. I also like to grind some fresh pepper over the squash as well. Next place the baking sheet into the oven and cook for 40 minutes (time may vary depending on size of your squash). To check to see if the squash is fully cooked, I typically use a fork to try to scrape the squash to see if it easily shreds into noodle like strands. If the squash does not easily shred, leave in the oven longer.

Spaghetti Squash, Turkey and Asparagus

While the spaghetti squash is cooking, we will prepare the rest of the components of our meal. Thoroughly wash the asparagus and chop the asparagus into pieces.

spaghetti squash, turkey, and asparagus Place chopped asparagus into pan with small amount of water to steam. Cover pan and steam asparagus until bright green and is the texture that you prefer. I prefer my asparagus more al dente so I am careful not to cook them too long.

spaghetti squash, turkey, and asparagus While your asparagus is steaming, you can begin to cook the turkey. Turkey is one of those meats that can be deceiving. Be mindful of the fat content when shopping for ground turkey. I typically buy the 98% fat free ground turkey and find that as long as it is seasoned well and not overcooked that it does not become overly dry. Completely cook the ground turkey meat and season with Italian seasoning. Dice an onion and add to cooked turkey. Continue cooking onions until tender.

spaghetti squash, turkey, and asparagus Once spaghetti squash has finished cooking remove from oven. Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti squash away from the skin and add to pan with the cooked turkey. Add asparagus to pan along with the spaghetti squash and turkey.

spaghetti squash, turkey, and asparagus The last ingredient we need to fix is the roasted pine nuts. Place a handful of pine nuts on a baking sheet and place in oven at 400 degrees F. The pine nuts roast very quickly so check on them every couple of minutes and remove when they are golden brown.

spaghetti squash, turkey, and asparagus

Sprinkle the roasted pine nuts over the spaghetti squash and you are ready to enjoy!

spaghetti squash, turkey, and asparagus

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Spaghetti Squash, Turkey, and Asparagus

Ingredients

1 Spaghetti Squash
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 bundle of asparagus
1 onion
1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
black pepper
1/4 cup of pine nuts
olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place on baking sheet and lightly drizzle olive oil over each half. Season both halves with black pepper,
Place baking sheet into preheated oven.
Cook squash for 40 mins (Time may vary based on oven and size of squash)
While squash is cooking, prepare the asparagus. Wash and chop asparagus.
Place chopped asparagus into pan with small amount of water to steam and cover pan.
Steam asparagus until desired texture is achieved.
Place the ground turkey in a pan with a small amount of olive oil. Cook turkey thoroughly.
Dice an onion and add to cooked turkey along with 1/2 tbsp. of Italian seasoning.
Cook onions and turkey until onions become tender.
Once turkey and onions are completely cooked add in the asparagus.
After spaghetti squash is finished cooking, use a fork to scrape the meat of the squash away from the skin. It should come apart in noodle-like strands.
Add spaghetti squash into pan with turkey and asparagus. Cook for another couple of minutes.
Place 1/4 cup of pine nuts onto baking sheet and into oven at 400 degrees F for a couple of minutes until pine nuts are golden brown. The pine nuts cook quickly so make sure to check on them frequently.
Sprinkle pine nuts over spaghetti squash mixture and enjoy!

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/spaghetti-squash-turkey-asparagus/

Spaghetti squash, turkey, and asparagus

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Food

Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry

October 19, 2016 No Comments

Are you one of those people that loves pasta but hate all the carbs that come along with it? Zucchini noodles are a great alternative to substitute in to your pasta dishes to make them low-carb. I try to eat my carbs more in the morning for breakfast and lunch and stay away from them at dinner time. Finding a way to create healthier versions of some of my favorite pasta dishes was a must. Today I will be sharing my recipe for a zucchini noodle stir fry.

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Creating noodles from vegetables such as zucchinis, squash, carrots, or beets is not as complicated as it may seem. All you need to create your veggie noodles is a spiralizer. There are a number of different variations of the spiralizer at several different price points but you can get one that works great for a reasonable price. I use a simple and affordable spiralizer similar to this one. It is very user friendly and creates both thick and thin noodles. You simply place the vegetable you are using into the spiralizer and twist and out comes perfect noodles. There is also another variation of the spiralizer that uses a hand crank like this one. This spiralizer makes it easier to spiralize tougher root vegetables that would be more difficult to spiralize in the cheaper previous mentioned spiralizer.

Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry

I typically make a stir fry with riced cauliflower but decided to switch it up and use zucchini noodles. I start by spiralizing 4 medium sized zucchinis. I also sliced up two red bell peppers and I used already shredded carrots. You can use whatever vegetables you would like in your stir fry. I chose my vegetables based on what I like in my stir fry and because I loved the variation of the bright colors of the vegetables. Who else likes for their food to be pretty as well as tasty?

Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry

I set the vegetables aside while I marinate my protein. I chose to use chicken for my stir fry but you can use whichever meat you prefer. I marinated my chicken in a sesame ginger marinade. When picking out a marinade you want to be sure to look at the nutritional label because lots of marinades can be loaded with sodium or even sugar.

Next I throw the peppers and carrots into a lightly oiled pan and cook them down. You don’t want to add the zucchini noodles too early because they don’t take as long to cook. You don’t want the noodles getting to soggy before the peppers and carrots have been fully cooked. Once the peppers and carrots have been cooked to your liking, add the zucchini noodles and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Next, we want to add in the soy sauce and sesame oil that give the vegetables more flavor. I use a low sodium soy sauce because soy sauce is loaded with sodium.

Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry

Cook the vegetables in the soy sauce and sesame oil for a couple for minutes. Meanwhile, cook the sesame ginger marinated chicken thoroughly. Once cooked, slice the chicken and add to the vegetables. As a finishing touch, I sprinkle some dried ginger flakes and toasted sesame seeds over the chicken and vegetables. Your zucchini noodle stir fry is now ready to enjoy!

Zucchini Noodle Stiry Fry

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Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry

Ingredients

4 medium sized zucchini
2 red bell peppers
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
2 chicken breast
2 tbsp. sesame ginger marinade
2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp dried ginger
toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Marinate chicken in sesame ginger marinade.
Use spiralizer to spiralize 4 medium zucchini
Cut up the two red bell peppers and add bell peppers and 1/2 cup of shredded carrots to lightly oiled pan.
Cook peppers and carrots until desired texture is achieved. Add in zucchini noodles and cook another 5 minutes.
Add 2 tbsp. of low sodium soy sauce and 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil to vegetables and cook another couple of minutes.
Meanwhile cook marinated chicken thoroughly.
Slice chicken and add to cooked zucchini noodles.
Add 1 tsp of dried ginger to pan.
Finally sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over noodles and chicken.
Your zucchini noodle stir fry is now ready to enjoy!

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/zucchini-noodle-stir-fry/

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Food

Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower

October 14, 2016 No Comments

Yes, you read that right, another cauliflower recipe. I hope you aren’t getting tired of cauliflower yet because there is still more to come. It is such a versatile vegetable and I enjoy experimenting with it to find new ways to prepare it. You may have read my previous posts on cauliflower pizza, or maybe cauliflower cornbread biscuits, or (yes there’s more) cauliflower lasagna. Those recipes are all a little more involved and time consuming than the recipe I will be sharing today. If you found those other recipes too daunting, this may be the best one to try first as its much easier to complete. Today I will be sharing a recipe for turmeric roasted cauliflower.

All you need to make this delicious side dish is a head of cauliflower, 2 tbsp. of olive oil, 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese, 1tsp of garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp of turmeric. Start off by breaking down the cauliflower and removing the majority of the stems the best you can. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

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Next in a mixing bowl combine the garlic powder, turmeric, and parmesan cheese. Lightly toss the cauliflower in olive oil and then mix into bowl with the garlic powder, turmeric, and parmesan cheese.

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Place coated cauliflower on a lined baking sheet. Put baking sheet into preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes.

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Remove and enjoy!

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Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/3cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F
Break down cauliflower and remove as much of the stems as possible
Combine parmesan cheese, turmeric, and garlic powder in a mixing bowl.
Lightly toss cauliflower in the olive oil and then cover in turmeric, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese mixture.
Place coated cauliflower on a lined baking sheet and put into oven
Cook cauliflower for 30 minutes until nice and crispy brown.
Remove from oven and enjoy!

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/turmeric-roasted-cauliflower/

tumericcauliflower9

What are some of your favorite ways to prepare cauliflower? I would love to add a few new cauliflower recipes to our dinner rotation. If you give the turmeric roasted cauliflower a try I would love to hear your review.

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Food

Roasted Acorn Squash

October 10, 2016 No Comments

We eat a lot of squash in our house; zucchini squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and acorn squash. Acorn squash is hands down my favorite squash. If you have never tried it, you are definitely missing out. I cooked and ate my first acorn squash last fall after seeing tons of recipes featuring the vegetable. I have since added it into our regular dinner rotation with no complaints from my husband.

I’ll be sharing my recipe for an almond flour and herb crusted acorn squash today. You begin by cutting the acorn squash in half and scooping out the seeds. Next slice the acorn squash into 1/2 inch thick slices. Now we will prepare our almond flour and herb mixture. I prefer to use Bobs Red Mill Almond Flour/Meal. Add 1/2 cup of almond flour to a mixing bowl with 1 tbsp. of thyme, 1 tbsp. of parsley, and 1 tsp of garlic powder. Stir until mixture is completely mixed. Lastly make an egg wash in a separate bowl.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Begin dipping the slices of corn squash into the egg wash thoroughly and then rolling the slices into the almond flour and herb mixture. Place almond crusted slice onto a foil lined baking sheet. Repeat steps for the rest of the acorn squash slices. Place baking sheet into preheated oven and bake for 30minutes.

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Roasted Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 Acorn Squash
1/2 cup of Almond Flour/Meal
1 tbsp. thyme
1 tbsp. parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg

Instructions

Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out seeds.
Cut acorn squash into 1/2inch slices.
Mix 1/2 cup almond flour/meal, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp. thyme, and 1 tbsp. of parsley into a mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, add one egg and water to create the egg wash.
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F.
Dip acorn squash slice into the egg wash and then roll slice in the almond flour mixture.
Place crusted acorn squash on lined baking sheet.
Repeat steps until all acorn squash slices have been coated in acorn squash mixture.
Place baking sheet into preheated oven.
Bake for 30 minutes

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/roasted-acorn-squash/

Let me know what some of your favorite acorn squash recipes are.

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Quinoa Protein Breakfast Cereal

September 26, 2016 No Comments

Any one else consider themselves a cereal addict? I don’t only like cereal for breakfast, but could eat it for each meal. Cereal makes a great late night snack and its quick and easy. I typically prefer to eat my cereal dry without milk because I can’t stand for my cereal to get soggy. The one big downside to cereal is the amount of sugar and carbs that the majority of cereals contain. You would be surprised to know how much sugar is in a single serving of your favorite cereal. It makes you think twice before grabbing that bowl of cereal, especially the really good tasting cereals such as Lucky Charms, Cocoa Pebbles, or Fruit Loops.

For the longest time I just stayed away from cereals altogether and stuck to just oatmeal for breakfast. Oatmeal is a great way to get some complex carbs in to start the day. I still crave dry cereal as a snack sometimes so I started looking for some healthier options. I stumbled upon IEatProtein’s Quinoa Cereal. The cereal is available in three different flavors: chocolate, cinnamon, and peanut butter. I opted to try the chocolate flavor first. The ordering process was simple and I received my order quickly. The cereal is a bit pricey compared to cereal you’d purchase at the supermarket. I wasn’t really sure what to expect taste wise because healthy doesn’t always translate to tasty. I was actually pleasantly surprised with the flavor of the cereal. This cereal is gluten-free, sugar free, low fat, and loaded with protein. My husband and I quickly finished off our box and I plan to try the other flavors in the near future. The IEatProtein compay also sells several other products such as powdered peanut butter and protein packed coffee.

Food

Cauliflower Cornbread Biscuits

September 16, 2016 No Comments

Cauliflower has become one of my favorite vegetables to cook with. It is an excellent way to replace a lot of the carb type foods that I like. It is a lot healthier and actually tastes good. If you’ve been following the blog a while you may remember my post on cauliflower pizza and cauliflower lasagna. We eat a lot of cauliflower around here. I am constantly looking for new ways to incorporate cauliflower into my recipes. Today I will be sharing my recipe for low carb cauliflower cornbread biscuits. These are incredibly tasty and my husband and I actually prefer them over traditional cornbread.

Start by breaking down a head of cauliflower. I find that chopping it in small pieces works best when putting it into the food processor. Large pieces tend to jam the food processor and it ends up taking more time. I use a 7-cup capacity food processor but sometimes a medium or large cauliflower is to big so I have to process two separate batches. I use a food processor similar to this and have been really impressed with it. Process the cauliflower until it is a rice-like texture.

Next pour cauli-rice into a large mixing bowl. Add in 1 egg, 1/2 cup of almond flour, 1/4 cup of shredded cheese ( I typically use sharp cheddar for it’s strong flavor), and 2 tsp of garlic salt. I also add in 1 packet of the Birds Eye Singles microwaveable corn pouches after heating in the microwave for 1 1/4 minute. You can also add some chopped jalapeno pepper for some additional heat. Stir until mixture is thoroughly combined.

Next line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The cauliflower has a tendency to stick to the pan so you don’t want to leave off the parchment paper even if you are using a nonstick pan/nonstick spray. Grab a small handful of the cauliflower mixture and use yours hands to give it a round shape and place on the parchment paper. Continue until you have no cauliflower mixture left.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place baking sheet into oven for 35 minutes. My husband and I prefer the biscuits to be browned so I will sometimes turn on broil for a few minutes to let the biscuits get nice and golden. Remove baking sheet from oven and your cauliflower cornbread biscuits are ready to enjoy.

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Low Carb Cauliflower Cornbread Biscuits

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1/2 cup almond flour
1 egg
1/4 cup of shredded cheese ( I prefer sharp cheddar)
2 tsp garlic salt
1 packet of Birds Eye Singles frozen corn

Instructions

Break down cauliflower and place into food processor. Process cauliflower until cauliflower has a rice-like texture.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Pour cauli-rice into a large mixing bowl.
Add almond flour, egg, shredded cheese, and garlic salt to cauli-rice. Heat frozen corn packet in microwave for 1 1/4 minute and then add to cauliflower mixture.
Stir cauliflower mixture until it is completely mixed.
Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Grab a small handful of the cauliflower mixture and roll into a round shape and place on baking sheet. Continue this process until there is no cauliflower mixture left.
Place baking sheet in oven for 35 minutes.
Can broil for 3-5 minutes to further brown the muffins if desired.
Remove muffins from oven and enjoy!

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/cauliflower-cornbread-biscuits/

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Food

Roasted Chickpeas

September 13, 2016 No Comments

It can be difficult to find a savory snack that is healthy and also hits the spot. I’ll be discussing a healthier snack that you can reach for next time you are craving a bag of potato chips. Roasted chickpeas are a much healthier option to snack on and they are easy to fix. Chickpeas are a part of the legume family and are high in protein. You can also season the chickpeas with a variety of different seasonings and spices to get whatever flavor you may be craving.

Start off by draining and rinsing a can of chickpeas. Then pour out onto a paper towel and dry off with another paper towel. Next lightly coat the chickpeas in olive oil and sprinkle with whichever spices you choose. For this recipe I chose cinnamon and paprika to add a little sweet and a little spice.

Place chickpeas on baking sheet and make sure there is plenty of room so that the chickpeas are not overcrowded. Put baking sheet into cold oven and turn on to 400 degrees F. Roast the chickpeas for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!

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Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients

1 can of Chickpeas
Olive Oil
Spices of choice ( I used cinnamon and paprika)

Instructions

Drain and rinse chickpeas.
Pour chickpeas onto a paper towel and dry off with another paper towel. Spread chickpeas on baking sheet.
Lightly coat chickpeas in olive oil.
Sprinkle spices (in this case, cinnamon and paprika) over chickpeas. Shake baking sheet to completely coat chickpeas.
Place baking sheet in cool oven. Turn oven on to 400 degrees F. Cook chickpeas for 30 minutes.
Remove chickpeas from oven and allow to cool. Enjoy!

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/roasted-chickpeas/

Food

Low Carb Zucchini Brownies

September 7, 2016 No Comments

The thought of brownies made out of zucchinis probably sounds pretty disgusting. I thought so to until I gave them a try. I have a huge sweet tooth and brownies and cookies are some of my favorite treats. I thoroughly enjoy baking but its a little more difficult to find treats to bake that are also somewhat healthy. While researching healthy desserts I came across several recipes for zucchini brownies. I thought the concept of using zucchinis in brownies very interesting and figured I would give it a try. Most recipes I found still used flour and sugar but I wanted to find a way to make them a little more healthy. I found a way to make zucchini brownies low carb but still delicious. The recipe is quick and easy so you don’t have to be a master in the kitchen.

We start by shredding a medium sized zucchini. You want to get about 2 cups of shredded zucchini. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Next we will mix together all of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix 2 cups of almond flour, 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 cup of truvia, 1 tsp of salt.

Now we add in the wet ingredients. Add in the shredded zucchini, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, and 2 tsp of vanilla. Heat up 3 tbsp. of vitafiber syrup and stir into mixture. (The Vitafiber syrup helps to add sweetness to the brownies as well as help the brownies hold together better)Mix thoroughly. Batter may appear dry but will begin to soak up some of the moisture from the zucchini. Pour batter into a greased 9″x7″ Pyrex dish. Place dish into the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool. The brownies don’t look too pretty but they actually have a very cake-like texture. I was able to find a sugar-free chocolate icing at my local grocery store. It was the Pillsbury creamy chocolate sugar free icing. It tastes absolutely delicious and you would never guess it was sugar free. Once the brownies have cooled I layer on the sugar free icing.

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Low Carb Zucchini Brownies

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini (2 cupsof shredded zucchini)
2 cups almond flour
3/4 cup of Truvia ( or other artificial sweetener)
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp. vitafiber syrup
15oz of Sugar Free Chocolate Icing

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Shred medium sized zucchini (about two cups of shredded zucchini)
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix Truvia, almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
Add in shredded zucchini, vanilla, and vegetable oil.
Place 3 tbsp. of vitafiber syrup in a microwaveable container and heat 15-20 seconds (until syrup begins bubbling).
Pour syrup into mixture and stir thoroughly.
Next pour batter into a greased 9"x7" pyrex dish and place in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Layer sugar free icing on top and enjoy!

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/low-carb-zucchini-brownies/

What are some of your favorite healthy dessert recipes?

Food

4 Ingredient Protein Bar

September 5, 2016 No Comments

There are so many different protein bars out today but not all are equal in terms of ingredients. If you are grabbing a protein bar as a quick snack or meal replacement it is very important to look at the ingredients. A lot of protein bars tend to be loaded with sugar. One quick look at the nutrition label and you would be surprised by how many are filled with sugar. There are a few options that are low in sugar and actually taste good. Quest Bars and B Up Bars are a couple that are low in sugar but still have good taste. If you are anything like my husband and I you can go through a lot of protein bars and that can add up. I’ll be sharing a recipe with you today so that you can create your own low- sugar protein bars at home.

The Southern Magnolia is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

We can recreate a Quest-like bar with only 4 ingredients. One of the most important ingredients that allows these bars to be low sugar but still sweet is Vitafiber. Vitafiber is a low calorie sweetener that is sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten free.

In addition to the vitafiber, you will also need Chocolate Milkshake Quest Protein, Almond Milk, and Birthday Cake Buff Bake Protein Spread.

Begin by pouring 2 tablespoons of Vitafiber syrup into a microwaveable safe container (Can also heat up on stove top). Place in microwave for about 15-20 seconds until syrup begins bubbling. Once syrup is heated you will need to move quickly to add in the dry ingredients. Add in 1 scoop of quest protein powder and half a tablespoon of the birthday cake buff bake spread. Pour in a splash of the almond milk and stir. Mixture will begin to harden the more you stir. Add Mixture into a plastic sandwich bag or wax paper. Continue to knead mixture into bar shape and to further harden the bar. You can also put bar into fridge for 5-10 minutes if it is not as firm as you would like.

The Quest protein as well as the buff bake protein spread come in several different flavors. You can combine a number of different flavors to create a multitude of different types of protein bars. Experiement and let me know some of you favorites.

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4 Ingredient Protein Bar

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of Vitafiber Syrup
1 scoop of Chocolate Milkshake Protein Powder
1/2 tablespoon of Birthday Cake Buff Bake Protein Spread
1/4 tablespoon Almond Milk

Instructions

Pour 2 tablespoons of vitafiber syrup into microwaveable safe container.
Microwave Viatfiber syrup for 15-20 seconds, until syrup begins bubbling.
Remove from microwave and promptly add remaining ingredients.
Add 1 scoop of Chocolate Milkshake Protein Powder, 1/2 tbsp. of birthday cake buff bake protein spread, and 1/4 tbsp. of almond milk
Stir ingredients until mixture begins to thicken. Mixture will thicken as you continue to stir.
Put mixture into wax paper or plastic sandwich bag and continue to knead mixture and mold into bar shape. Kneading mixture will help bar to continue to harden.
Place bar in refrigerator for a few minutes if bar needs to harden further.

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/4-ingredient-protein-bar/

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Food

Meal Prepping

August 31, 2016 No Comments

Something I’ve started doing recently is meal prepping. For those of you that don’t do it, I’m going to explain all the benefits I’ve noticed since meal prepping. I’ll also give you a little idea of what meal prepping looks like for me.

For one, meal prepping helps me to make healthier food choices throughout the week. If I already have a healthy prepared lunch in the fridge I am less likely to grab fast food or snack foods instead of a meal. It is a huge timesaver as well. It may take some time on Sunday when I prep all the food but throughout the week when I am busiest it makes it so easy to grab my already prepared lunch. It also is more cost effective than eating out for lunch. My grocery bill is larger when I buy all the extra food but when you compare it to the cost of eating out, it is still cheaper.

I tend to eat lunch either right before my workout or right after. Since I’m eating so close to my workout I want to make sure I am properly fueling my body to either workout or recover from my workout. I can definitely tell a difference in how I feel during my workouts based off of what I’m feeding my body.

A typical meal prep for me consists of a lean protein, a carb, and fiber. Lately I have been grilling chicken tenders, and cooking quinoa and broccoli to go with it. I marinate my chicken tenders in olive oil and low sodium Dale’s seasoning for a couple of hours. I simply coat my broccoli in olive oil and place in oven to roast at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes. When preparing the quinoa, you need to make sure to rinse it thoroughly before cooking as it has a coating called saponin, which has a bitter taste and can cause some abdominal discomfort. I make sure to wash my quinoa in a fine mesh strainer for several minutes to try to remove as much of the saponin as possible. I simply cook it on the stove top and flavor it with some black pepper and olive oil once it has finished cooking.

It may take some time to prepare my meals but I’m so thankful that I have something quick to grab when its lunch time. I don’t have to waste time cooking something when I’m already hungry or grab something unhealthy. Clean up is also easier throughout the week since I’m not having to cook my lunch each day. What types of foods do you fix in your meal preps?