Tag: Portion Control Containers

No Bake Protein Squares

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A high-quality nutritious snack that is simple to make and an option that helps me from eating a package of Hershey bars! Let’s face it – life is busy and we can all quickly get side tracked by the impulse purchase while waiting in line at the grocery checkout. I made these no bake protein squares while my husband prepared our Labor Day family dinner. For the kids, I added colorful sprinkles to the protein squares after melting the chocolate on top. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED

  • 1 cup of Oat Flour (*I make my own oat flour by processing oats in a food processor until smooth)
  • 1 cup of Protein Powder (*I use 1 packet of Café Latte and 1 packet of Vanilla)
  • 1/2 cup of Almond Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 cup of Peanut Butter (*You can substitute Peanut Butter for Almond Butter)
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • 1/4 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate chips or Dark Chocolate Chips (*Melt according to package directions)
  • Optional – Top with toasted coconut or sprinkles

WHAT TO DO

  1. Line 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Place 1 cup of Rolled Oats in a food processor and pulse until smooth to make oat flour.No Bake Protein Squares 4
  3. Add the protein powder, almond four, and salt in food processor; pulse to mix.
  4. Add almond butter and vanilla extract; pulse for 1 minute or until crumbly.
  5. Add almond milk; pulse for 1 minute or until mixture forms a soft dough.No Bake Protein Squares 3
  6. Press dough into prepared pan from step #1. Smooth top with a spatula.No Bake Protein Squares 2
  7. Freeze, covered, for 15 minutes.
  8. Cut into sixteen squares approximately 2 x 2 inches each.
  9. Drizzle melted chocolate evenly on top of protein bars.protein bars, protein squares, peanut butter no bake
  10. Freeze for 10 minutes or until chocolate sets.
  11. Store in freezer for up to 1 week in airtight container.
  12. Enjoy!

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form! For portion control containers the container equivalent per serving is 1/2 yellow, 1/2 red, and 2 spoons.

No Bake Protein Squares 5

Ham & Veggie Egg Muffins

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I’m on a mission to make good use of all the produce in my refrigerator. Also, I was looking for a twist on my Veggie Egg Muffins. Typically, after a holiday gathering, there is excess food. These egg muffins are simple to make and are a great alternative to cereal in the morning when breakfast is often grab and go. You will either see me eating these egg muffins or with my multi-vitamin in hand – Shakeology.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

  • 10 to 12 eggs
  • 1 cup of cooked ham, cubed (*I used the left over smoked ham from Easter)
  • 1 (10 oz) bag of baby spinach, chopped (*Chop half the bag and use the rest for a salad or another dinner (Wedding Soup – FIXATE) depending on how much spinach you want; only need a couple handfuls, chopped, for the 12 muffins)
  • 5 small to medium mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup of mild banana peppers, finely chopped
  • Ground pepper and salt (optional) to taste

Tip: You can add cheese to this recipe. If you use cheese, try to keep cheese to about a 1/4 cup per day for balanced eating.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Lightly coat a twelve-cup muffin tray with spray (*sometimes the ham & veggie egg muffins can stick in the tray)
  3. Place eggs in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Season with pepper and salt, if desired.Ham and Veggie Egg Muffins-2
  4. Add ham, spinach, mushrooms, onions, banana peppers; mix wellham and veggie egg muffins, breakfast, eggs, muffinsHam and Veggie Egg Muffins-3
  5. About a 1/4 cup or more in each muffin cupham and veggie egg muffins, eggs, ham, egg muffins, breakfast
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into center of cups comes out clean. I will place muffin cups on a cooling rack before storing in the refrigerator.Ham and Veggie Egg Muffins-5Ham and Veggie Egg Muffins-7

    Ham and Veggie Egg Muffins-6

    All pictures associated with this blog post are copyrighted by http://www.LLHealthyFit.com

  7. Enjoy!

For the 21 Day Fix, 2 veggie egg muffins would be 1 green container and 1 red container.

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!

Southern Spiced French Toast w/ Bananas & Walnuts

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Yesterday my husband and I noticed that the weather seems to be changing and the trees are beginning to lose their leaves! Summer days sure need to last longer here in Pennsylvania. This morning there was a chill in the air and I decided it felt like the perfect morning to try a new recipe with the pumpkin pie spice I purchased last week.

Southern Spiced French Toast with Bananas and Walnuts Picture

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

  • 4 eggs (I use eggs from my parent’s farm.)
  • 1/4 cup milk or unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp or more of vanilla extract
  • 4 slices of whole wheat bread or 2 whole English muffins, split apart
  • 1 large banana
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (You can substitute for another nut of choice such as pecans.)
  • Maple syrup or syrup of choice

WHAT TO DO:

  1. In a shallow bowl, combine eggs, milk, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. You will want to stir with a fork or whisk.
  2. Add oil to a medium pan and heat over medium heat.
  3. Soak each slice of bread or English muffin half in the egg mixture; approximately 30 seconds each side. It may take slightly longer when using an English muffin. I substituted 2 English muffins (4 pieces when pulled apart) for sliced bread as I did not have any bread in the pantry!
  4. Place each slice of bread or English muffin half in the pan and cook each side for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown.
  5. Top each with sliced bananas and walnuts. Use syrup sparingly!
  6. There was approximately 3/4 cup of egg mixture left over which I decided to cook the eggs and serve as part of my breakfast.

Here is an example of the Southern Spiced French Toast with Bananas & Walnuts. I used the color coded portion containers, which helps me to keep my nutrition on track! The picture indicates the 21 Day Fix container count. A serving size is 1 slice of bread (1 yellow) so this recipe can feed 3-4 people depending on if the serving size is being followed.

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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!

 

Country Heat – Week 3

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Week 2 is a wrap and week 3 of Country Heat started this morning! So stay tuned for all the updates and videos on my Facebook (fb.com/LLHealthyFit.com) and Instagram (MelissaBrown66). I would like to take time right now to reflect on week 2 as well as share my workout and nutrition plan for week 3 with you. Remember this is a process of changing old habits and replacing them with new ones. It is not always going to feel seamless!

Workout:

Week 2 was the first time that Dance Conditioning was on my workout schedule. This is a nice mix of dance cardio and traditional moves such as abs, lunges, and bridges. Every routine has me sweating and looking forward to the next! These workouts are my ‘ME’ time and life sure seemed more stressful than usual last week. The added stress did not allow my immune system to stay on point. The result was a cold and very tight neck muscles. I would catch myself often clenching my jaw and it took a few days until I could relax. Here are things I do to combat a cold and to feel like myself again:

Ways to Overcome Cold

I’m looking forward to week 3 and being able to breathe easier during my workouts without this cold! My workout schedule for week 3* looks something like this:

Country Heat - Week 3 Schedule

*I follow the Country Heat Deluxe workout calendar versus the basic.

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. I love the meal plan because it uses the color coded portion control container system developed by Autumn Calabrese. 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.

Here are some tips this week if you are finding it difficult with nutrition/meal preparation:

  1. Carve Time Out To Develop Meal Plan: Pick a day of the week (weekend or week day) to determine the food items that are going to be part of your meal plan broken out into breakfast, AM snack, lunch, PM snack, and dinner. You can find me developing my meal plan on either a Sunday or Monday. The day can fluctuate based on your schedule, but it is important to set time aside each week.
  2. Meal Preparation: There are certain tasks that you can do in advance to make preparing food less time consuming on you. So you developed a meal plan, used the meal plan to make a grocery list, and shopped…now what! There are certain tasks based on your meal plan that can be done in advance for the week ahead.
    • Portion out snacks into containers or zip lock bags. This way they are available for a quick grab and go or can easily be placed in a cooler bag for wherever the day takes you.
    • Broil chicken or brown ground meat; store in an air tight container.
    • Chop vegetables; store in an air tight container together or separate by vegetable type.
  3. Set Goals: Ask yourself what you would like to accomplish this week? These goals should be specific to what you are going through and make the time frame achievable. Be sure that these goals are visible to you! WRITE THEM DOWN! Here are some example goals that I use for my nutrition:
    • I will drink 1/2 by body weight in ounces of water this week.
    • I will measure my food in the portion control color coded containers this week…let’s face it…we can become relaxed and get off course. Back to the basics helps me refocus.
    • I will take 15 minutes every single day to clear my mind this week. I like to break this 15 minutes up into 3 mini mind breaks! I’m not looking at my phone or checking email.

Country Heat - Week 3 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.

 

Beachbody Health Bet Challenge

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Beachbody Challenge Image

I’m so excited for my upcoming Back to School – Back to You group that kicks off August 22nd. The first week will be all about preparation (meal planning and getting your fitness program) and workouts will officially start on August 29th. I like to have that first week of the group a time to help everyone prepare and answer any questions related to the start of their journey!

What makes this group even more exciting is that every person who participates in my Back to School – Back to You group using the My Challenge Tracker App (the app is free to download on apple and android) has an opportunity to qualify and automatically win an equal share of $1 million dollars up to $3 million dollars* total prize pool. The pool starts at $1 million; however, can grow up to $3 million as Beachbody adds $5 per challenge pack sold until August 31st to the initial $1 million pool prize.

So How Do You Qualify?

Qualifiers must meet all requirements for each of the 4 qualification weeks.

    • Week 1 – September 5 – September 11
    • Week 2 – September 12 – September 18
    • Week 3 – September 19 – September 25
    • Week 4 – September 26 – October 2

Qualification 1

You must be a participant in my Back to School – Back to You group on the My Challenge Tracker App by 11:59 PM PT on September 5, 2016. Participants must have a valid First and Last Name, email address, and shipping address associated with their Team Beachbody account by October 2, 2016 in order to be paid out.

Qualification 2

Since you are committed to getting fit…qualification 2 and 3 should be easy! There are 7 Shakeology flavors to choose from and if you have never tried Shakeology before I am here to help you figure out the flavor you like best! I have a lot of recipes to share with you. Here’s the deal…you must log a minimum of 5 Shakeology’s (each accompanied by a Shakeology photo) during each qualification week. All Shakeology’s must be logged by 11:59 PM PT on the last day of each contest week mentioned above.

Cafe Latte

Qualification 3

Let’s give a SHOUT OUT for those sweaty selfies! Each participant must log a minimum of 3 Beachbody workouts during each qualification week. All workouts must be logged by 11:59 PM PT on the last day of each contest week mentioned above.

Together we are all stronger!

So who is ready to join in on the FUN!

  • You can win money for checking in daily and logging workouts and Shakeology for the Health Bet Challenge!
  • I can help you stay accountable to the results you want!
  • Challenge Tracker App is helpful for not only tracking your workouts and Shakeology, but your measurements and transformation photos as well as it takes you off of Facebook (we all know can be distracting!)

If you are interested in learning more about this upcoming group, please contact me at Melissa@LLHealthyFit.com or fill at the application on my Get Support page. SPACE IS LIMITED so be sure to reserve your spot today!

Veggie Egg Muffins

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I am all about a fast, easy, and healthy breakfast for my family! Also, I like recipes that my daughter can help make alongside me. I feel this recipe is a great way to sneak in veggies too. I have prepped this ahead of time and eaten the veggie egg muffins the next day as a quick grab and go. It is a bonus having parents who live close by and have farm fresh eggs available! I try my best not to support factory farms.

Veggie Egg Muffins

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

  • 10 to 12 eggs
  • 1 (10 oz) bag of baby spinach, chopped (*you can chop half the bag and use the rest for a salad or another dinner depending on how much spinach you want)
  • 1 medium pepper, finely chopped (*I usually use red, orange, or yellow; your preference)
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped (*you could use a regular onion)
  • Ground pepper and salt (optional) to taste

Tip: You can even add mushrooms and cheese to this recipe. If you use cheese, try to keep cheese to about a 1/4 cup per day for balanced eating.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Lightly coat a twelve-cup muffin tray with spray (*sometimes the veggie egg muffins can stick in the tray)
  3. Place eggs in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Season with pepper and salt, if desired.
  4. Add spinach, peppers, onions; mix well
  5. About a 1/4 cup or more in each muffin cup
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into center of cups comes out clean.
  7. Enjoy!

For the 21 Day Fix, 2 veggie egg muffins would be 1 green container and 1 red container

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!

Crockpot Chicken Chili

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chicken recipe, crockpot recipe, chicken chili

Meal planning can feel so difficult when my clients first get started; gosh I remember when I started and I dreaded this task. There are many benefits to meal planning/meal preparation especially that it makes the week go smoothly when we know what we are going to eat as a family. So why not make a crockpot meal!

You only need to buy 3 items from the grocery store to make this meal.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

  • 1-2 pounds of chicken breast
  • 1 – 15 ounce can of white beans (or beans of choice)
  • A packet of McCormick Seasoning (Chili – White Chicken)

Additional ingredients would be if you want to garnish with cheese of choice, green onion, salsa, red hot, or even a little bit of sour cream or Greek yogurt!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

Instructions are on the back of the seasoning packet! During meal preparation Sunday, I will boil extra chicken and shred. Then I can easily add the shredded cooked chicken to the crockpot for this recipe and make my buffalo chicken dip for the buffalo chicken bowls. That is two meals taken care of for the week!

Serve warm with cheese on top!

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 red container, 1 yellow, and 1 blue. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

Country Heat – Week 2

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Well I officially finished my first week of Country Heat! So here is an honest review of my first week as well as my plan for week 2. Tomorrow starts week 2 so stay tuned for all the updates and videos on my Facebook (fb.com/LLHealthyFit.com) and Instagram (MelissaBrown66).

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. For week 1, the first workout was Country Swing. I am still shocked at how much I sweat during the workout and was sore in my core and legs. Giddy Up was the second workout and there were some moves such as Wonky Feet that caused me to try and try again! Again, the focus was on my abs and lower body during this workout. The Country Music in the background of the workout makes the time go fast and before I know it…I’m dripping sweat!!

My workout schedule for week 2* looks something like this:

Country Heat - Week 2 Schedule

*I follow the Country Heat Deluxe workout calendar versus the basic.

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. I love the meal plan because it uses the color coded portion control container system developed by Autumn Calabrese. 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.

Below is my meal plan for the upcoming week if you would like to check out what I will be eating. Meal planning can seem complicated so my best piece of advice is to KEEP IT SIMPLE and DO NOT OVER THINK. Try your best to not worry about complex recipes as I have found recipes with a few ingredients allow the meal planning process and grocery shopping to go smoother. I’m a big advocate to use what you already have in your pantry or refrigerator before buying more groceries.

Nutrition is extremely important to your success and people often give up on meal planning before even trying. Please take time to read through the nutrition guide that comes with your fitness program rather than jumping into the exercises without ever reading the nutrition guide. If you are finding it difficult or really are not sure how to start, then please ask. There are meal plans on my site that you can look at for guidance and then start substituting food items I have for food items you enjoy (i.e., a vegetable for another vegetable your family will eat). I started meal planning where my dinner options were a piece of chicken breast (1 red), brown rice or quinoa (1 yellow), and green beans (1 green). The more complex you make this process the harder it is to learn how to eat healthy and in the proper portions. Your goal is to eat 5-6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism up. Your food is your fuel.

I have been asked if I stick to my meal plan 100%. Most often I do stick to my meal plan; however, there are times where I will swap my AM snack and breakfast. This is completely okay! The whole point to this journey is progress not perfection. Let’s make this meal plan happen!!

There are tracking sheets on the Team Beachbody website so that you can check off the boxes when you eat the color coded containers throughout the day. This way you will visually be able to see that you are eating balanced meals throughout the day.

Country Heat - Week 2 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.

Country Heat Image.jpeg

Stuffed Peppers – FIXATE style

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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.