Who doesn’t enjoy a refreshing ice cold beverage on the patio in the sun?? That has to be one of the best parts of summer! So often, our favorite drinks are filled with sugar and empty calories… but I’ve got a great recipe for you (that can be made with or without alcohol) — the Frozen Margarita Superfoods Smoothie! Yum-O!
Ingredients
* 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage
* 1 cup ice 1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
* ½ cup frozen pineapple ¼ cup fresh lime juice
* 2 tsp finely chopped lime peel
* 1 dash sea salt
Instructions
Place coconut milk beverage, ice, Shakeology, pineapple, lime juice, and lime peel in blender; cover and blend until smooth!
Portion Fix Containers: ½ Purple, 1 Red, 1 tsp
2B Mindset Plate It: Makes a great protein + FFC as part of breakfast.
What is your go-to beverage in the summer? Mocktail or cocktail?
Everything about Alcohol, Caffeine & Water!
Join me where, with a paper and pen and let’s calculate the best amount of beverages for you. I’ll cover the three most talked about beverages: water, alcohol and caffeine! You might be pleasantly surprised and could be enjoying more than you already are!
BBQ Chicken Salad
Anyone else love a good salad for lunch?! 🥗 This one is pretty simple to throw together and you can substitute any of the veggies for whatever you have at home! BBQ Chicken Salad with Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
* 1 tbsp vinaigrette dressing
* 1 tbsp water
* 2 cups chopped lettuce
* ¾ cup chopped chicken breast (grilled or baked) ½ cup hearts of palm, chopped
* ½ cup sliced cucumber
* ½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
* ½ cup BBQ roasted chickpeas (see the note at the bottom for how to prep these)
Instructions
1) Combine dressing and water in a slow bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside.
2) Combine lettuce, chicken, hearts of palm, cucumber, and tomatoes in a large serving bowl; toss gently to blend.
3) Drizzle with dressing and toss gently to blend. Top with chickpeas and serve!
BBQ chickpeas:
Preheat oven to 425º F. Drain and rinse 1 (15-oz.) can of chickpeas. Combine chickpeas with 2 tbsp BBQ sauce. Spread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, or until brown and crunchy!
Makes 1 serving.
Portion Fix Containers: 2.5 green, 1 red, ½ yellow, 1 orange
2B Mindset Plate-It: A great lunch option!
What is your favorite salad recipe?
Snack time help
Do you ever fall into a rut with your eating? End up eating the same thing day after day after day after day… this doesn't actually bother me 😂, but for some, it's torture! There’s nothing wrong with eating the same snack if you're like me, but if you’re craving something different, here are some ideas for you to prep on the weekend for a busy week ahead.
✨ Apple nachos -->
Apples, almonds, cashews, cranberries, and shredded coconut - takes the classic "apple + PB" combo to the next level with tart cranberries contrasting sweet apple slices and the shredded coconut is a game changer! Just measure out your portions in a ziploc bag! I also do apple slices, pumpkin seeds, drizzle PB and use 1 TBSP dark chocolate chips b/c I'm allergic to coconut ;)
✨ Cucumber, jicama, pineapple, watermelon, mango, lime juice, and chili powder —>
Whoa. This is snack time, elevated. To make 5 days worth, combine:
2 C chopped cucumber,
1 C chopped jicama,
1 C chopped pineapple,
1 C chopped watermelon,
1 C chopped mango,
juice from 2 limes, and
chili powder to taste.
You can eat that alone, or serve it with 2 Tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut and ¾ cup cottage cheese.
✨ Edamame, cherry tomatoes, and parmesan cheese —>
This snack combination is seriously delicious! Just measure out and pack the ingredients in a plastic bag or container and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat!
I want to hear from you:
Do you get creative with your meal plan? My challenge to you is to find a recipe you wouldn’t normally make and add it to your meal plan for next week! Share the recipe below!
I love Egg Muffins
Whether you’re constantly running out the door with all the things going or juggling a million things at home… having things prepared to grab and go is essential! That’s why I love Egg Muffins - these portion-controlled, savory little cups are 1/2 muffin, 1/2 frittata, and completely delicious! Plus, you can modify them and make so many varieties; you’ll never get bored and sure to please the whole family!
So, let’s start with the basics —>
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
Sea salt + ground black pepper, to taste
12 large eggs
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with spray and set aside.
Place eggs in a large bowl with salt and pepper, to taste, and whisk to blend.
Evenly pour egg mixture into muffin tin.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cups comes out clean.
Now, once you’ve mastered this, you can get creative! Find some super fun combos here!
Chicken Noodle Soup
October hits and I am totally into fall vibes - anyone else?! For me, soup is one of the best meals for when the weather cools down and the leaves start to turn yellow, red and orange.
Whether you’re dealing with some back-to-school sickness (which we know is a whole other ball game this year!) or just craving some comfort food… chicken noodle soup hits the spot! And it always makes me feel like a kid and think of childhood memories - anyone else?
One of the best things about this recipe is that it doesn’t take all day. 15 minutes to prep and it’s ready in under an hour… I’m here for that! If you want to simplify things even more, use a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken breast. Make sure to pick a good quality chicken broth - or use homemade; it makes such a difference in the flavor. Here’s a recipe for homemade broth; it’s not as hard as it sounds. Let me know how you like it!
Ingredients
3 oz. dry whole wheat bow-tie, penne, or rotini pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium celery stalks, sliced
6 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth
1½ lbs cooked, shredded chicken breast (~ 4½ cups)
¾ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground white pepper
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and gently boil for 5 minutes.
Add chicken, salt, and pepper and gently boil for 10 minutes.
Evenly divide pasta between 6 serving bowls. Top evenly with soup and serve immediately.
Tip: If you are making soup for meal prep, store the pasta and broth separately. Combine when you are ready to eat.
Yields 6 servings
Ultimate Portion Fix Containers: ½ Green, 1 Red, 1 Yellow
2B Mindset Plate It: Add extra veggies or a side salad for a great lunch!
The best pancakes ever!
If you’re not Vegan, sometimes you don’t take to the dairy free, egg free, gluten free taste, but these pancakes will prove otherwise. For $19.95 a bag, I was hesitant to try them in fear we wouldn’t be a fan. But the conversation about these pancakes was hilarious and told that this purchase was one I’ll be making over and over again.
My 11 yr old came downstairs and said, "Mom, what’s for breakfast, something smells good! Wait, are we eating that? How can pancakes be egg free? That doesn't even sound right?” He threw out a lot of questions before I could even respond! ha! I explained that I'm lactose intolerant so I need dairy free and since these are vegan, they're egg free too. I convinced him to have an open mind and forget the “egg-free” part and see if he liked them. Not even three bites later, he said, "Shut up and take my money. These are the best pancakes ever. Can we hide the batter in the pantry mom? I’ll want more later." So there you have it, from the mouth of babes. ;)
My takeaways: Almond flavoring was prefect and sweet enough that they didn't need maple syrup (I won’t complain at omitting sugar!). I love the macros and the protein kept me full till lunch vs most pancakes which are just carbs and you're hungry two hours later. Even “protein pancakes” haven’t had enough. I've already purchased another bag for when this one runs out! Can’t risk the pantry being empty :)
Macros: serving size 3-5 pancakes (75g) 270 cal, 20g protein, 42g carbs, 11g sugar, 3g fiber, 2g fat
Portion FIx Containers: 1R, 2Y
2B Mindset Plate-It: Great breakfast!
How to do a proper wall sit???
This might seem obvious, but when I’m working with clients, I’m noticing that very few people know how to do a proper wall sit. One way to MAKE yourself have good form is to grab a book and a glass of water, and rest them on your legs. If you aren’t sitting against the wall at 90 degrees, and maintaining that form, your water will spill. Might seem drastic, but it works and I’ve noticed 99% improvement with my clients when they try this. Go ahead, try again :)
Back against the wall, knees at 90 degrees, shoes preferred so your feet don’t slip, and SIT!
How did you do? Improve form? Time? Keep at this for 30 days and I bet you’ll see your time double!
Strawberry Watermelon Shakeology!
There’s something about watermelon that just says summer and simple. This is the perfect way to add smooth summer vibes to your day!
Ingredients
* ½ cup water
* ½ cup cubed watermelon
* 1 cup ice
* 1 scoop Strawberry Shakeology
* 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Instructions
Place water, watermelon, Shakeology, mint, and ice in a blender; cover and blend until smooth.
Portion Fix Containers: ½ Purple, 1 Red
2B Mindset Plate It: A great snackional or enjoy as part of breakfast!
10 Minute abs on Stability Ball
Don’t be intimidated by Stability Balls. They are a great modality to take your workout up a notch and you’ll increase balance and stability at the same time as working your core. Who doesn’t love multi-tasking in the gym!!??! If you can do over a 2 minute plank, it’s worth going out and buying one of these because you’re wasting time on the floor in ISO prone plank position, when you could be challenging yourself more in the same time, or even half! Trust me, you’ll feel it.
My personal challenge to you — try this today and keep at it for 30 days. Then try it again and see how much strength you’ve gained in your core. I’d take pictures too, if you’re planking every day, there’s going to be some visible changes :)
Delicious & Nutrition Fall Recipes
What is your go to recipe for autumn? I love that crockpot meals and stews make a comeback - they just seem so cozy! But I love anything with apples or pumpkins - how can you not?! They’re the epitome of Fall and remind me of pumpkin patches and apple picking! Do you have any favorite fall traditions? It seems like there are so many!
If you are looking for a new recipe to feel cozy or to use up all of those apples you pick, check out my Delicious & Nutrition Fall Recipe PDF.
From drinks to appetizer, meals to desserts - we have a fall recipe for everything! What do you want to try first?
Nanna's Gluten-Free Crepes
If you do luck out and find them, this is what they look like. they’re in the frozen section by pie crusts and frozen fruit. Good luck! Hope you’re faster than me!
I’m not joking when I say, WE BUY THE WHOLE STORE OUT! These are gluten free so it appeases all our house guests and my kids can crush an entire box (8 servings) for breakfast. They never go on sale and are rarely in stock, so when they’re there, you gotta act quick. If you can’t find them, it means I might have beat you to Wooly’s, sorry not sorry.
Here’s the fun thing about crepes - they’re so light and fluffy, you can taste everything in them so well without having to load it up with toppings. Meaning, 2 tsp of chocolate chips goes a long way and as they melt, it will be plenty, have a little trust :) We’ve made jelly crepes, almond butter + banana crepes, honey + peanut butter crepes and lemon + whipped cream crepes. All have been crowd pleasers and no one asked for refunds. ha!
Because they don’t have a lot of protein, I like to serve this with 2 eggs or 8 egg whites and then it’s the perfect brekky and keeps you satisfied till lunch. This would be a great pre / post workout meal!
Macros: 1.5g protein, 3.5g fat, 2g sugar, 16g carbs
Portion Fix Containers: 1Y
2B Mindset Plate It: great FFC for breakfast with a side of yogurt, 2 eggs, or 8 egg whites.
Salmon + Grilling = Best summer niiiiiiights!
✨Honey Mustard Salmon with Roasted Veggies✨
This is a salmon lovin’ recipe 😂 Anyone else obsessed with Salmon? I’m fine if it’s just me, leaves me with more food to eat and leftovers for tomorrow! ha!
Ingredients Parchment paper Olive oil Cooking spray
* 2 lbs mini bell peppers, assorted colors
* 1 lb medium asparagus spears, ends trimmed (approximately 30 spears)
* 1 tsp seasoning blend of your choice
* 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
* 2 (6 oz each) raw salmon fillets
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 2 tsp Dijon mustard
* 2 tsp raw honey
Instructions
1) Preheat the oven to 400° F. Place parchment paper on one large baking sheet and one small baking sheet. Lightly coat with spray. Set aside.
2) Spread bell peppers and asparagus spears evenly on the large baking sheet. Season with seasoning blend and drizzle asparagus with lemon juice.
3) Lightly coat veggies with spray. Bake veggies for 10 minutes. While veggies are baking, top the small baking sheet with salmon and sprinkle with garlic powder.
4) Spread mustard evenly over salmon and drizzle with honey. Place salmon in the oven.
5) Bake veggies for an additional 10 to 20 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
6) Bake salmon for 15 to 20 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve salmon with veggies.
Portion Fix Containers: 2 Green, 1½ Red
2B Mindset Plate It: A great dinner option
What is your favorite veggie to roast for a tasty summer evening dinner?
Get excited about water all over again!
✨Blackberry Mojito Water✨
While you're out celebrating Labor Day, make sure to drink 1/2 of your body weight in oz of water (if you weigh 180 lbs, you should drink 90 oz / 3 liters). If that's challenging, try infused water, here are some ideas to get you on the right track. Adding fruits, veggies, and herbs to water is a natural way to add flavor, remove boredom and not use any containers in the process; they’re all FREEBIES! Just the name if this has me drooling :)
Ingredients
* 1 cup ice
* ½ cup fresh blackberries
* 3 slices of lime 4 fresh mint leaves
* 1¼ cups cold water
Instructions
1) Place ice in a tall glass and set aside.
2) Combine blackberries, lime, and mint in a large cocktail shaker. Mash well with the back of a wooden spoon or muddler.
3) Add water; cover and shake. Strain into ice-filled glass.
Portion Fix Containers: ½ Purple 2B Mindset: Enjoy!
How do you make water more exciting to drink?
Salted Caramel ShakeO!
I cannot resist the decadent taste combo of savory sea salt + sweet, rich caramel… with all the nutritional benefits of Shakeo! If you weren’t one of the lucky ones to get the Vegan Salted Caramel, I’ve got you covered!! We will just have to create it on our own :)
A teaspoon of caramel extract and a dash of sea salt make this simple smoothie taste like a gourmet salted caramel milkshake 😍 You’re very welcome! There are more Salted Caramel recipes here!
Ingredients
* 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
* 1 cup ice 1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
* 1 tsp pure caramel extract
* 1 dash sea salt or Himalayan salt
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in the blend and cover. Blend until smooth.
Portion Fix Containers: 1 Red, 1 tsp.
2B Mindset Plate It: A great snackional or enjoy as part of breakfast.
10 Minute Abs workout on Sliders
We are adding some new modalities to our abs today with sliders. I’ll show you how to use sliders on carpet, wood or tile so no excuses, we are doing this! If you don’t have sliders, order them on Amazon.com, Beachbody.com or grab 2 plastic plates and lets do this. I’ve shared modifications so every ability can do this.
7 ingredients to Yumminess!
This is one of the easiest, tastiest muffins and it’s so dense, you will be full! I love this as a side to breakfast with Ultimate Portion Fix or 2B Mindset!! it’s also a great snack during the day!
Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, the riper, the sweeter
2 extra-large eggs (large will do, but I like the extra protein)
2 c old-fashioned oats
1 c plain greek yogurt (look at protein and sugar on the side, you want high protein, low sugar)
½ c maple syrup or honey (if you use vanilla yogurt, or extra ripe bananas then cut this to ⅓ c)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ c chai seeds (you do not need to soak these, just dump them in)
** top with nuts, seeds, oats, chocolate chips, or nothing, they’re pretty as is. I chose chocolate chips as my topping, but once I made these, the batter was plenty sweet so I never added them. If you know me, you’re probably questioning my mental health or thinking someone took over my blog. It’s true, I passed on chocolate. Don’t expect me to do it again :)
** I wish I added Vanilla Whey Shakeology, I will in the next batch. It’ll help sweeten it if you’re cutting the sugar (which I always encourage)
Directions:
1) In no particular order, dump everything in the blender! Don’t you love that, easy as can be! Get your kids involved, this is that simple.
The order doesn’t matter, i did bananas, eggs, oats, yogurt, seeds
How beautiful if this? I hate waiting for chai seeds to soak. Glad that’s not involved!
2) Blend 2 minutes or until it looks very well mixed. If you have some on the edges that didn’t get mixed in, you can stir it and blend again, or grab a spoon and eat it. I opted for the second options. YUM!
3) Pour in 12 lined muffin cups, or straight into silicone muffin holders. Anyone ever used these? Thoughts? I’m nervous to try, I don’t have a lot of faith in the sides not to go limp and spill batter.
I could have easily eaten this whole thing and never cooked them. No one would know expect you and I!
But, I poured 12 muffins and opted to pass on chocolate chips since it was plenty sweet. This is why it’s important to taste your batter :)
If your blender looks like this, you know it was DAMN DELICIOUS!!!
My kitchen smells good and before I had a chance to portion out breakfast for tomorrow and freeze the rest, my kids ate 4. Gone in 5 minutes flat. Glad this was simple since I’ll likely be making more in 2 days!
4) Cook at 175 celsius for 20 minutes. Stay near by so you can keep an eye on them and enjoy all the smells!
**Bananas can be replaced with sweet potatoes or pumpkin. Both would be delicious year-around, but especially in the fall.
How to make Spring Rolls
I love spring rolls and I make them every week, if not twice! They are a super fast lunch and then I can use the leftover protein, typically sashimi, for dinner as a poki bowl, hand rolls, or make sushi with it. I love simple recipes that taste delicious and this fits the bill, plus it’s super healthy! Watch and learn and use whatever vegetables you have on hand + your favorite protein. These rice papers can be purchased at any asian market or some large grocery stores carry them too.
What did you put in yours?
How to easily cut the sugar
🍬 Let’s talk sugar 🍬
You might think you’re avoiding it, but sugar can be sneaky! Low-fat and “diet” foods often contain extra sugar to help improve their taste and to add texture in place of fat. It’s in everything! I’m talking breads, cereals, sauces, salad dressings, yogurts, soups, crackers… the list goes on.
Start checking your ingredients list for anything ending in “ose” - glucose, sucrose, fructose, lactose, maltose… These are all forms of sugar, as are syrups like corn and rice syrup. The closer to the front of the list, the more sugar the product contains. So, as we plan for the week and map out what our meal plans will look like, here are some small changes you can make that will have a BIG impact:
🍬 Skip sweetened yogurt and go with plain instead
🍬 Leave the sugar out of your morning coffee/tea - try a dash of cinnamon or unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead
🍬 Avoid anything that says “diet” on the label
🍬 Choose fruit when you’re feeling a craving for something sweet - I love apple slices with peanut butter and pumpkin seeds!
How do you make sure you’re skipping extra sugar? Do you need to incorporate any of these tips? Have any tips to share with us?
Iced Coffee anyone?
✨Iced Coffee✨
On hot summer mornings, sometimes you just want a refreshing iced coffee, amiright? That is hard to find without it being sugar laden Starbucks treat, but try this one on for size. I’ve shared other latte recipes for cooler mornings + hot summer afternoons here!
Ingredients
* ½ - 1 cup of ice
* ½ cup coffee, cold
* ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
1) In a tall glass, add ice, coffee, milk, and vanilla extract.
2) Stir with a long spoon, adjust to taste, and enjoy immediately!
** Note: —> Never throw away “old” coffee that you forgot to drink! Refrigerate for up to 2 days and when you’re ready, combine the ingredients and make a healthy iced coffee!
Portion Fix Containers: 1 tsp
2B Mindset: Enjoy in moderation. Be sure to track.
What is your favorite coffeehouse beverage? Have you tried recreating it at home for a healthier spin?