Nutritious and Delicious

I used to equate "health" food with adjectives like bland, boring, and just plain bad tasting.

In fact, whenever I thought about eating healthy, visions of boiled seasonless chicken danced in my head, my stomach would turn at the thought of consuming something so gross, and I would make a much more exciting choice for my tastebuds like french fries or ice cream... or both together at the same time. (confession: I used to love to dip my french fries in a chocolate Wendy's frosty. I just have a weird love of strange food combinations)

But I have discovered this doesn't have to be. Getting a little creative in the kitchen and finding flavorful recipes with healthy ingredients helps to create dishes that are not only delicious but won't wreak havoc on your fitness goals.

My husband and I just returned from a vacation in Cancun where we ate all the carbs we wanted, drank all the sugary soda and spiked drinks we wanted and did not hit the gym once. In fact, the ONLY physical activity we had all week long were walks on the beach and swimming in the waves... ahh... it was so hard to come home....

Upon our return (and indulging in our last cheat day of big greasy burgers and cheesy pizza) we both made a vow to start eating healthy again. But the thought was less than appealing after a week of bad food binging.

So I found this recipe in Real Simple magazine and decided to try it out for dinner. It was so yummy! Proof that nutritious and delicious can come together into something amazing for your mouth :)

Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes


1/2  bunch broccoli cut into florets
1  lb red new potatoes (about 10), halved
3  Tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped roasted red peppers
2  ounces Feta, crumbled (1/2 cup)
8  thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1  Tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

heat oven to 400 F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Roast on the bottom rack, tossing once, until golden brown and tender, 18-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the red peppers and Feta. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Dividing evenly, roll up the red pepper mixture in the cutlets (about 1 heaping teaspoon each) and fasten each closed with a toothpick.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large overproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, seam-side up, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken, transfer the skillet to the top rack, and roast until cooked through, 14 to 16 minutes more. Remove the toothpicks. Serve the chicken with the vegetables, sprinkled with the parsley.

Spinach-Pesto Veggie Dip

I hate vegetables. I have always hated vegetables.

I just have to force myself to eat them. You will never hear me say "you know what I'm craving like mad right now. A whole bunch of broccoli!" yuck.

As a kid I dreaded anything green, leafy, or plant-like on my dinner plate and would sit for hours at the table finding creative ways to dispose of the horrible stuff to make it seem like I had eaten it. Or I would be forced to choke it down along with my sobs. I had cruel eggplant loving parents.

So my solution to make veggies more tolerable used to be saute them in butter, smother them in ranch and drench them in cheese. Or my favorite: frying them in fat. Mmm now that I can eat! But to achieve my fitness goals I just can't use those delicious taste tricks anymore.

So I have found an quick, easy, healthy dip to add some flavor to the green stuff. It's so yum!

Spinach-Pesto Veggie Dip


1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup pesto
1/2 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, spinach, pesto and 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper. Serve with cut up veggies.

And when I eat fruit I like to whip this up:

Sweet Raspberry Dip


1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen & thawed raspberries
1 tablespoon truvia (or other sweetener)

In a small bowl, mash the raspberries with the sugar, stir in the yogurt. Serve with cut up pears (or whichever fruit you like)

Losin' the Love Chub

I have a little pooch and some love chub.

You might refer to yours as your love handles, beer belly, jelly rolls, pot belly, muffin top, spare tire, jelly belly, etc.

There are actually a lot of cute nicknames that refer to excess abdominal fat when you think about it.

The truth is, no matter how thin I've been I have never had a flat stomach. It's the first place I gain excess fat and the last place I lose it. And it certainly doesn't help that I hate doing abdominal exercises. Just hearing the very word "crunches" makes me wince - it just sounds excruciating and torturous.

But to reach my goal of "fit by 30" I cannot get by without some kind of abdominal work out. So I wanted to share the exercises I'm doing now to turn my pooch into a six pack.

1. decline bench sit ups

perform these slow on a decline bench focusing on constant flexion of your abdominal muscles while crunching. I do three sets of 20 reps.

2. dumbbell side bends 

to work the obliques I grab two 15 lb dumbbells, stand with legs shoulder distance apart and slowly lower to one side at a time for 50 reps, 3 sets

3. leg raises

lying flat on my back (on the floor or a bench) I bring my legs up to a 90 degree angle, keeping them as straight as possible.  Then slowly lower to the floor stopping about 1 - 2 inches off the ground then back up to start the next rep. The key is keep your muscles in constant tension. I also like to do hanging leg raises using the pull up bar.

4. kneeling cable crunches

attach a 2 sided rope to a pulley lever,  kneel down and grab each side, positioning it behind your neck. Crunch down for 25 reps, 4 sets. I like to use a foam pad to cushion my knees for this move.

5. standing cable wood chop 

attach handles to a cable machine and move pulley to the highest position. Grab the handle with one hand and step away from the tower. With feet shoulder distance apart, reach upward to grab the handle with your other hand and pull down and across your body while rotating your torso. Return to neutral position to complete the rep.

6. bosu ball crunches 

lie down on the Bosu ball with feet positioned in a wide stance. Elevate your torso in a crunching motion and slowly descend back to the starting position. I usually alternate between doing 20 regular crunches then 15 side bends for 3 reps.


So this is my ab work out right now. It's killer but I'm learning to love the burn. I'm working out my abdominal muscles about 3 times per week using this routine. I try to switch up the exercises I do every time so my muscles don't get used to the same moves. As with any exercise regimen, changes to your routine will maximize your development and results!