Mango Madness

Mangoes are a yummy super fruit that are perfect for summer time!

They have a yummy, sweet taste that will satisfy any craving, but they are only 100 calories/cup! What a great snack to have mid-day or a healthy substitute for dessert! 

Not only are they low in calories, but they are full of Vitamin C (100 % of your daily value!) and have lots of Vitamin A. Both are very important in immune function and collage production :) Mangoes also provide lots of dietary fiber!

To enjoy I just cut mine right down the middle and then cute slices from there, and just eat it right off the skin! Its like a piece of tropical heaven!

(like so)

You can also prepare some slices to go for a healthy snack on the run!

Mangoes are also being used in many dishes (like salsas and salads) which is a great way to mix it up and add more fruits into your diet!

 
So, experiment, have fun, and get mad about mangoes! Enjoy!

Outstanding Orzo!

This is a great recipe that is super easy and can be enhanced any way you like! 

Only a few ingredients are necessary:

-Orzo

-Veggie broth or bullion (Chicken works too)

-Cooking oil 

-Any type of vegetables

This week I used brussle sprouts, green beans, and mini bell peppers. 

1) chop up desired veggies to be used.

2) start heating up a sauce pan with cooking oil, at the same time begin warming up vegetable broth (or chicken) in a separate pot.

3) add veggies (heartier ones first) to the warming skillet and let them begin to brown (in my case I added the sprouts first to give them more time to cook).

4) add the uncooked orzo to the pan with the veggies, by this time the broth should be warm enough to add into the pan with the orzo. 

5) once everything has been added make sure to keep mixing things around and cover the pan.

6) the orzo should only take about as long as pasta to be fully cooked so check it for done-ness.

7) ENJOY!

My Outstanding Orzo :)

  This is a nice versatile dish that can be used as a whole meal, a side dish, or a great thing to bring to a party or BBQ! I made a ton of extra for leftovers!

If you want to enhance it a bit you can add in some chicken or prawns or cheese on top when serving!

So, get creative with it and eat well!

Triumph Over Traveling

I have just returned back home from a week of traveling (to see my brother get married!!) so I want to share about staying on top of your game even when your schedule is turned upside down. 

We all know how hard it can be to stick with an exercise routine and eat healthy while away from home and always on the go. OK, yes, vacations are for relaxing AND indulging, but there is no reason why you should feel like an over inflated inner tube on your journey back home. 

Like I said, my trip was a week long and included a wedding (wine and cake, anyone?) so it is obvious that there would be plenty of room for error when it comes to eating and exercise. However, I must pat myself on the back here and say that I did a pretty good job staying on track. I was missing my gym and classes for circuit training and kickboxing, but while I was away I managed to fit in a few runs and lots of walking! 

This is a pic I took on one of my morning runs. I got to see a great view out of town and feel good for the rest of the day!

So, all I can say is: BRING YOUR SNEAKERS!! I don't care if you think you won't have time or will be to tired, or whatever! Bring them, and you will use them, that is half the battle! 

Also, if you have the pleasure of being at a wedding, please DANCE! This is a great way to have fun and burn tons of calories :)

Now when it comes to eating appropriately, its really hard, period. There is no special secret or crazy antibody that will allow you to eat whatever you want and not feel horrible afterward :( It is really hard to eat clean when you are away from home, I get that, but the point here is to make the healthier decision whenever possible. 

On this trip, we ended up eating out a lot, which is fine, but you just need to be aware of what you are putting into your mouth. For breakfast, I would try to choose something with eggs (egg sandwich, scrambled egg burrito) so that I was sure to stay full long after, and not snack on something I would regret later. For lunch, a salad. No matter where we were, a salad. That's what I got, who knows if you'd be able to get any veggies in later in the day so better fill up at lunch time! Dinners are more difficult because you may not have a choice in the matter so don't be too hard on yourself! 

This may seem like too many rules and too much responsibility during a time of fun and relaxation, but just remember how hard it will be to get back into your groove if you have fallen way off track!

Let me know if you have any good traveling tips!

Fave Healthy Dressing

Lately my friend Rose and I have been obsessing over this super easy, super yummy, and healthy salad dressing! 

You can make it on your own and all you need is 4 simple items:

-Olive Oil

-Lemon Juice

-Salt

-Pepper

The ratios really depend on your personal preference as far as how much citrus or salt or pepper flavor you like. For the olive oil, the point is not to drowned your whole salad, so a light drizzle along with the lemon juice should work just fine. 

This is a very tasty way to jazz up your salads of any kind without packing on too many extra calories or taking away from the flavor of a ice fresh salad.

If you have more time or want to mix it up a bit, try adding some parsley, basil, cilantro, or rosemary to have some more flavor. 

This can also be used as a marinade which works great with fish!

 Now you may be able to find similar stuff out there in the grocery stores, but please read the labels! It will be very hard for you to find something this fresh and pure because many companies have to add extra sugars and additives for flavor and to extend shelf life. So my suggestion is to make it on your own with all natural ingredients so there is no confusion!

Happy dressing! Enjoy!

Better than Burger

Burgers are a huge part of our American culture (McDonald's even has a song for one!). However, red meat is high in saturated fats, which makes them not the healthiest choice around. 

Don't fear, a great thing to try as a healthier alternative is turkey burgers! A cool thing about them is you can find them pre-pattied or make your own delicious combo with ground turkey! 

For convenience I bought pre-made patties for dinner last night. They were from Trader Joes and turned out to be super tasty! They are very easy to prepare as well. You can either throw them on the BBQ or cook them stove top with a little cooking oil (what I did last night). They don't take long to cook which is perfect for when you are in a hurry. 

When they were just about done (you want these to be cooked all the way through) I added cheese on top so it would start melting :) While the patties were cooking up I sliced up some tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, pickles, and jalepenos! I like to load 'em up! This is also a great way to add in veggies for the day. I added some ketchup and mustard on a whole grain bun, piled it all together and it was time to eat!

 Whats not to love!?

For a vegetarian/vegan option you can always use a meatless patty and omit the cheese or use a cheese substitute! 

Burger down!

Easy Snack Idea

Remember rice cakes?!

I had a blast from the past when I picked up a package of these the other day :)

And they turned out to be super yummy!

These are a great healthy on the go snack! They give you that nice satisfying crunchy taste of a handful of chips, but one cake is only 60 calories (and they are pretty big)!

There are many different types out there so just been weary. There are some flavors like "caramel apple" and what not, but any type like that will most likely have added sugar. So, as always be conscious of what you are buying - brown rice will be your best bet! 

You can even top them with peanut butter or hummus as a great lunch time side! 

Give 'em a try and enjoy!

Yummy Healthy Breaky!

Tired of the usual cereal and milk?! 

Try this super easy scramble next time you want to mix it up!

I just got back from a run so I have worked up a nice appetite, what better to satisfy then some protein packed eggs and veggies! 

Since its Sunday, I am down to the last bit of groceries of the week, so this is a perfect time to use up all the veggies I skipped over so far.

This week: baby bell peppers, heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil (from our own plant) and avocado! A great line up! 

- Chop up the baby bells (whatever size/shape you like) and throw them in a pre-heated pan. I always start cooking the crunchier veggies first because  they take a little longer. 

- Scramble up some eggs in a bowl. I usually use 2 or 2 1/2 eggs per person. (Vegan option: try pre-scrambled egg beaters!) Pour the scrambled eggs into the pan with the baby bells. 

-While this is heating up chop up tomatoes and get basil ready.

- Throw in tomatoes and basil and get cookin'! Keep turning and moving the scramble around in the pan for even cooking. You can make the scramble as well done as you like!

-When you feel the eggs are cooked to your preference, dish out your portions and top each plate with some sliced avocado.

And there you have it! This probably took me less than 10 minutes! 

Scrambles are a great way to get at least a serving of veggies right at breakfast and keep you full for a while! 

You can come up with your own combination and see what you like best!

Scramble on and enjoy!