The Perfect Work Snacks

While many of us are sitting at our desks for 8 or more hours a day, we find ourselves getting hungry, bored, or in need of food. I happen to be a big snacker (which I hate), and am always trying to find healthy snacks to keep at my desk or to bring to work with me each morning. I will only resort to the vending machine if I feel like treating myself to a bag of peanut m&m’s (which I rarely do).

Here is a list of some healthy and simple snacks for all you snackers out there to bring to work. It will certainly satisfy your hunger.

• Sliced apple with organic peanut butter (or almond butter)
• Carrots and celery
• Wasa bread with peanut butter
• Bobo’s oat bars (you can find these at CVS)
• Turkey and ham roll ups
• Mixed fruit
• Nuts 

Having a healthy snack every day will definitely satisfy your hunger, and keep you full for a longer period of time throughout the day.

It's Finally Soup Weather !!

Bundle up, because it is about to start getting real chilly! The fall is upon us, and winter is not too far away. Now is the perfect time to get those soup cookbooks out. Start making those hearty and healthy soups that you can share with everyone!

There are so many different soups you can make that will make you feel warm, full, and satisfied (in a good way of course). One recipe I found, that really seems to stick out to me, is this chicken and white bean soup. I found this recipe on eatingwell.com. It only contains about 15 grams of carbs, 248 calories, and 6 grams of fat (per serving). This may still sound like a lot, but compared to the creamy soups we all love, this is definitely the way to go. Another recipe I am definitely going to try, is this southwestern chicken and vegetable soup. A bit higher in carbs, but lower in calories. Again, if it is a one day/night thing, it won’t hurt to indulge in these great recipes.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/248881/chicken-white-bean-soup/

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/250624/southwestern-vegetable-chicken-soup/

Hop on the soup wagon this fall/winter!

Transformation Tuesday

I haven't done one of these in a while, so I figured I would do one today! My weight loss journey has definitely come a looooong way since college, and I am very happy with my results. I could obviously use a bit more improvement (as I am sure we all could), but nothing we can't set our minds to!


 The picture on the left was 8 years ago today! Picture on the right is the present =)

I truly do believe that if you have a goal, and are really determined to achieve it, then you can. Again, it's not about constantly working out, it's about what you are putting into your body.

6 Simple Exercises for a Great Butt

Looking to get that nice, plump toosh you’ve always wanted? Wellll now is the best time to start working on that!

Since this is my current situation, I have decided to share with you, some of the exercises I have started to utilize in order to make my toosh look super nice and plump just in time for summer!

You would think that working out your glutes is easy, but it really does take time, and various exercises! In order to get your butt looking nice and toned, you should try out the following exercises….

• Squats, using 10-20lb weights (depending on how much you can handle)

• Forward and backward lunges (also using weights to see quicker results)

• Barbell squats

• Jumping squats

• Lunge jumps

• Hip extensions

There are obviously a ton more exercises you can do, but these are by far the easiest to start off with.

What should you be eating for breakfast?

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, which is how we get our energy so early in the morning! Skipping breakfast will only make you feel less energized and less productive, I promise you that. Eating a hearty breakfast will satisfy you and your stomach, and will allow you to be full until lunch time.

The best/healthiest breakfasts that I like to eat in the morning are;

• Oatmeal with fresh fruits… It is best to try and make your own oatmeal with rolled oats, so that way you are measuring everything out and adding what you like. There will be no extra sugars added, compared to the packets of oatmeal you might buy.  

• Egg white omelet with veggies or turkey (or both). You can also add turkey bacon, a somewhat healthier alternative for bacon, but just don’t make a habit out of it since it does contain a lot of sodium and is high in saturated fat.

• Scrambled eggs/egg whites.

• Hard boiled eggs

• A whole wheat wrap with egg whites, turkey bacon/turkey, avocado

• Avocado toast with egg whites and some hot sauce on whole wheat toast/whole wheat pita pocket.

Lose the cereal bowl and try these healthier meals! 

Coconut Chicken with Pineapple and Mango Salsa

I was looking through one of my recipe books last weekend, and wanted to find a nice and healthy recipe to make for myself and my boyfriend for dinner. I came across a recipe for this coconut chicken with pineapple and mango salsa, and immediately knew that this is what I had to make!

What you will need is a baking sheet/pan, 1 egg (lightly beaten), chicken breasts, coconut flakes, vegetable oil, salt, cayenne pepper, pineapple, mango slices, and lime juice.

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line your baking sheet with foil, and lightly grease it (then set aside). 
• In a small bowl, whisk together your egg, 1 tbsp. of veggie oil, ¼ tsp of salt, and 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper.
• Spread out your coconut flakes on a plate or in a shallow bowl 
• Dip each chicken breast in your egg mixture, and then coat with coconut flakes. Place each piece on your baking sheet. 
• Bake chicken for 10-12 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.

While your chicken is baking, you can start on your pineapple and mango salsa. I purchased already cut pineapple, because they are not sitting in the pineapple juice, absorbing the sugar, but you can buy canned pineapple and just drain out the juice…. Either or works!

• Chop up your mango slices into small pieces (you can use your judgement on how many slices to cut up. I used about 6 slices). 
• Combine your pineapple, mango, 1 tbsp. of lime juice, salt (1/4 tsp), in a small bowl. You can also add some freshly chopped cilantro as well for some more flavor!! 

I also made some rice pilaf and lemon garlic asparagus for my side dishes. A nice couscous would go well with this dish also!

Enjoy!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

I have been wanting to make homemade peanut butter cups for quite some time now, and this weekend I finally did. They are super easy to make, and not to mention, HEALTHY.

Mine were made with only 3 ingredients! I bought semi-sweet, organic chocolate chunks, coconut oil, and organic peanut butter. You can also use almond butter, or anything along those lines. Using a peanut butter such as Skippy or JIF would be defeating the whole purpose of the healthy aspect of these cups. For the chips, I would also recommend either dark chocolate or even vegan chips, depending on your preference.  

What you want to do first is take a cupcake tin and line it with your cupcake liners. Next, you will need a small pot filled with a little bit of water. Bring to a boil, and put a bowl on top of it to melt the chocolate. Make sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl, or else it may burn the chocolate.

Once the water has come to a boil, add a cup and a half of your chocolate chips (or chunks). Once the chocolate starts to melt, add 2 tsps. of your coconut oil, and make sure everything is melted together. You may have to use more than a cup and a half of your chips depending on the size of your cupcake tins (I had to use the entire bag in order to fill 12 tins). Once your chocolate and coconut oil are melted, take a tbsp. and just coat the bottom of your cupcake tins. Put in the freezer for 2 minutes so that the chocolate can start to set a bit.

Once your chocolates have set, take a tsp. of your organic peanut butter, and add to the center of each cup, then add the remainder of your melted chocolate over the peanut butter. You can also add some melted coconut oil to your peanut butter and mix it up before adding it to your cups for some more flavor.

Once you have added the remainder of your melted chocolate to your tins, place in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes (or until ready to serve).

This is a great snack for Sunday Football, or if you are having a small get together with friends.

Here is the outcome of mine....

Enjoy!!