Stuffed Peppers – FIXATE style

Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:

  • 4 medium bell peppers, cut in half with seeds removed (or 8 medium bell peppers, tops cut off with seeds removed)
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 to 1/2 pounds of meat (grass-fed beef, locally raised chicken, etc.)
  • 1 tsp ground chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
  • 1 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 TBSP fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup of shredded Monterey jack cheese

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Place bell peppers, skin side down, in a large baking dish; set aside.
  3. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  4. Add onion; cook for 4 to 5 minutes stirring frequently or until onion is translucent.
  5. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute
  6. Add meat of choice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper; cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently or until meat is no longer pink.
  7. Add tomato sauce, quinoa or brown rice, black beans, and lime juice. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through.
  8. Add a heaping 1/2 cup of meat mixture to each pepper half; cover light with foil.
  9. Bake for 35 minutes or until peppers are tender; remove foil.
  10. Top each pepper evenly with cheese and bake for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  11. Enjoy!

Serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro, salsa, or even red hot (if desired).

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

21 day fix portion for this recipe is 1 green container, 1 yellow, 1 red, and 1 blue. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

Asparagus Fries

The asparagus fries are easy to make and something fun for my daughter to help make with me.

  • Line baking sheet with non-stick pan lining paper or spray with olive oil. This makes for easy clean-up.
  • Dip asparagus in whole wheat flour, egg (*2 eggs beaten), and then panko bread crumbs/Parmesan cheese mixture (*add 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese along with salt and pepper to the 1 cup of panko bread crumbs).
  • Bake in oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes.

I enjoy dipping the asparagus fries in marinara sauce or honey mustard.

Asparagus Fries

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

Southwest Breakfast Scramble

I’m not one to sit down and eat breakfast in the morning. Shakeology is my go-to for breakfast on the go! You can often find me making breakfast for dinner in our household especially on the nights where it seems impossible to come up with something to cook. Today was different and I’m very happy I decided to try this recipe from the Country Heat nutrition guide that comes with the Country Heat at home fitness program. The fresh salsa and avocado made breakfast savory and refreshing!

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INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1-2 TBSP almond milk or milk
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • Salt, dash
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 3-4 small red potatoes, finely chopped
  • 1-2 TBSP water
  • 1/2 cup fresh tomato salsa
  • 2 TBSP cilantro, finely chopped (*optional)
  • 1/2 medium avocado, sliced

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

  1. Combine eggs and almond milk in a medium bowl; whisk to blend. Season with chili powder, cumin, and salt.
  2. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add onion and potato; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Add water; cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until onion is translucent and potato is soft.
  5. Add onion/potato mixture to the egg mixture; stir. Once stirred then add mixture to the skillet; cook slowly over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until eggs are done.
  6. Divide mixture evenly between 2 serving plates.
  7. Top with salsa, cilantro, and avocado.
  8. Enjoy!

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

21 day fix portion for this recipe is 1 green container, 1 yellow, 1 red, and 1 blue. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

Turkey & Sweet Potato Hash over Zoodles

Day 1 of the Country Heat meal plan included the Turkey & Sweet Potato Hash over Zoodles. I have to say that this recipe was enjoyed by my family. It made good use of items from our garden; yellow zucchini and green pepper. I used ground pork instead of turkey for the recipe. I attempt to use what I have in our freezer before buying more ingredients!

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INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  • 1-2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • Salt, dash
  • Pepper, dash
  • 2-3 medium zucchini (*made into zoodles)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

  1. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add onion, green pepper, and sweet potatoes; cook for 8-10 minutes stirring frequently or until onion is translucent and sweet potato is tender-crisp.
  3. Add turkey; cook for 5 to 6 minutes stirring frequently or until turkey is cooked through and sweet potato is soft.
  4. Add garlic and thyme. Season with salt (optional) and pepper. Cook for approximately 1 minute.
  5. Serve over zucchini zoodles. I cooked the zucchini zoodles (separately) in a medium skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil until tender-crisp; approximately 8-10 minutes.
  6. Enjoy!

This recipe makes 3-4 servings. For the 21 Day Fix, each serving is equivalent to 1 green container, 1 yellow container, 1 red container, and 1 spoon. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

 

Zucchini Lasagna

This time of year we have a lot of zucchini (green and yellow) that is produced from our garden. I first attempted this recipe where a thin layer of ricotta mixture is placed on a slice of zucchini and then rolled up. That didn’t exactly go as planned; the zucchini slices must be very thin for the recipe to work. I decided to make zucchini lasagna instead of zucchini roll-ups! I have to say that this way is less time consuming, a refreshing switch from traditional lasagna, and the zucchini tasted delicious.

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INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

  • 2 (15 oz.) containers ricotta cheese
  • 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1-2 TBSP Oregano
  • 1-2 TBSP Parsley
  • Sea Salt, dash
  • Pepper, dash
  • 1 jar of marinara
  • 2-3 medium zucchini, sliced approximately 1/8″ thick or smaller
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a small bowl combine ricotta, parmesan, egg, garlic, sea salt, and pepper.
  3. Spread a thin layer of marinara into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
  4. Place one layer of zucchini in the baking dish and then layer on top of the zucchini the ricotta mixture followed by the marinara. Repeat this step until zucchini and ricotta mixture is used completely up. You might have left over marinara.
  5. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
  6. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil; bake until bubbly. Approximately 30-35 minutes.
  7. Remove foil and bake until golden brown. Approximately 10-15 minutes.
  8. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
  9. Enjoy!

This recipe I will often pair with another vegetable such as green beans. Also, another option is to cook ground meat and simply layer as you add the zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and marinara to the baking dish.

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

21 day fix portion for this recipe is 2 green containers, 1/2 red container, 1/2 purple, and 1/2 blue. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

Country Heat – Week 1

Country Heat - Facebook Cover

Country Heat is for customers with a beginner or intermediate fitness level who are looking to lose weight and get in shape with a fun, dance cardio workout program paired with an easy portion-control nutrition plan. Each Country Heat workout is 30 minutes or less with no complicated moves. I just wrapped up the 21 Day Fix Extreme program and Country Heat caught my interest as it is a break from lifting weights. I’m blown away how something so fun can leave me dripping in sweat! A bonus is that the workouts are to the hottest country music around! My official launch challenge group starts tomorrow August 1st. Spaces are limited and there is still time to join! The cool thing is that when the Country Heat & Shakeology Challenge Pack is purchased, customers have a free 30 day trial to the club membership so that they can start streaming their Country Heat workouts on Beachbody On Demand. *Please just make sure that I am your coach before you make your purchase.

1.  EMAIL me at Melissa@LLHealthyFit.com with your order confirmation # and let me know that you would like to be in the Country Heat Test group.

2.  Make sure we are connected on Facebook by messaging me on

3.  Lets get this party started!  I’m so excited!

Workout:

The workout calendar is 6 days a week. There are 2 new workout routines each week to learn; the same workout routine for 2 days in a row and then alternate on days 5 and 6.

My workout schedule for week 1* looks something like this:

Country Heat - Week 1 Schedule

*I will be following the Country Heat Deluxe workout calendar versus the basic.

Nutrition:

In the nutrition guide there is a formula that you can use to figure out your calorie range and your nutrition category. There are 4 different plans to choose from based on your weight and goals. Your food is broken down by 7 groups:

  • Veggies
  • Fruits
  • Proteins
  • Carbohydrates
  • Healthy Fats
  • Seeds & Dressings
  • Oils & Nut Butters
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The secret to success is in the nutrition!

 

I love that for each group there is a list of foods along with serving sizes for each food. So your goal is to choose from each list and put together your meals each week! If you are new to meal planning, please do not stress. I am here to help you! I always say to keep it simple, repeat meals that you enjoy, and do not over complicate things. Once you get the hang of the meal planning and preparation then you can start to change up the recipes.

Meal Plan:

Calorie range 1,200 to 1,499 – Plan A per the Country Heat calculation in the nutrition guide that comes with the program. Shakeology comes in 7 different flavors. I alternate usually between two different flavors for my meal plan. Be sure to search my site for recipes to include in your meal plan.

Country Heat - Week 1 Meal Plan

If you would like to join my Back to School – Back to You accountability group there is still time. We kick things off on August 22. If you have been thinking about making a change or if you are like me and let the summer fun in the sun get the best of you…do not just give up. The time is now to jump back on the horse and JOIN ME! You always find time for the things you want the most…why not make your health and wellness a priority?!

If you do not currently work with a Coach, please make sure to make me your FREE coach here.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

I wanted to put an end to buying cauliflower and then doing nothing with it. Here is a recipe where you will not be able to stop popping the cauliflower bites in your mouth when they come out of the oven!

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:

  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
  • 1-2 tsp of olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp of sea salt
  • Dash of pepper
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/3 to 2/3 cup of Red Hot

WHAT TO DO:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with non-stick pan lining paper. This makes for easy clean-up.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or ziplock freezer bag; shake until cauliflower is well coated.
  3. Place cauliflower on baking sheet. Bake in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes until done. *An option can be to bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-35 minutes. I prefer a slower baking time so that I can multi-task while the food bakes in the oven.
  4. Enjoy!

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

21 day fix portion for the buffalo cauliflower bites is 2 green containers. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

Greek Yogurt – Honey and Cinnamon

So the truth is…I’m not one to have yogurt as a snack! My mind is slowly changing though!!

One way to save money is to buy plain Greek yogurt and create the following snack:

1 cup of Plain Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoon of Honey (*support buying local honey)
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon

Mix together and ENJOY!

I will mix it up and add some cinnamon chips too…YUMMY!!

Plain Greek Yogurt with Honey and Cinnamon

 

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop. The serving would be equivalent to 1 red container.

 

Chili Chicken, Spinach & Brown Rice Casserole

I’m a working mom with two little ones at home. I know eating healthy can seem like a challenge, but I’m here to give you assurance that there are meals that can be prepared with little preparation. I enjoy this recipe since it serves as both dinner and then lunch the following day. Also, I can sneak in my workout while the meal bakes in the oven!
Chili Chicken, Spinach and Rice Casserole
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:

– 1 cup brown rice, cooked
– 3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded (*Feel free to use another meat of choice or no meat at all.)
– 14 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
– 3 cups or more of spinach, chopped
– 1/2 cup cilantro + more for garnish, chopped
– 1/2 cup green onions + more for garnish, chopped (*I used a white onion since I did not have green onions.)
– 1 cup salsa
– 1 cup tomato sauce
– 2 TSP chili powder
– 2 TSP cumin
– 1 TBSP garlic powder
– 3 cups of cheese (*I used the Mexican blend; however, use any cheese of your choice.)

WHAT TO DO:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Cook brown rice as per package instructions and add to a large mixing bowl along with spinach and mix to combine. You need the brown rice to be hot so it cooks down and reduces the size of the spinach. Saves you the extra step of sautéing.

3. Add remaining ingredients, reserving 1.5 cup cheese for topping, and mix well to combine. Transfer mixture to a baking dish and press on it gently to flatten.

4. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes uncovered.

5. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with additional cilantro and onions.

6. Enjoy!

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

Cucumber-Lime Avocado Salad

My husband and I started a tradition when my daughter was born to plant a garden. Each May, together as a family, we plant a small garden that is full of pesticide-free vegetables. My daughter loves cherry tomatoes so our garden is typically overflowing with them. We also have a lot of cucumbers. I decided to try a different twist on a salad and combine cucumbers and avocado. Let’s just say that my daughter went back for seconds and then thirds. I will definitely be making this recipe again!

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INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:

  • Cucumber, diced
  • Avocado, diced
  • Lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • Sea Salt and pepper, to taste

WHAT TO DO:

Toss together the cucumber and avocado in a small bowl. Freshly squeeze the lime  (approximately 1 slice) over the mixture and gently toss. Then add the sea salt and pepper. I used one seedless cucumber and one avocado, which makes enough for 2-3 servings. Enjoy!

This recipe can be adjusted to add cherry tomatoes, onion, or fresh cilantro!

Each serving would equate to 1 green (cucumbers) and 1 blue (avocado). It really depends on how much cucumber and avocado you have included in the recipe. 1 cup of cucumbers is equivalent to 1 green container and 1/3 cup of avocado is equivalent to 1 blue container. Remember with the color coded containers, there is no calorie counting. It truly makes getting healthy simple and easy for anyone to follow for the long-term.

The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop; separately or with a program.

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!