What is Shakeology?

Shakeology is my healthiest meal of the day. It is fast, easy and nutrient rich. It is full of good things like probiotics to help my body function at its optimum. I choose to drink it for breakfast most mornings, but I have been known to grab it for a quick lunch sometimes instead. This is my "go to" food and I swear by it.

When I drink Shakeology, I notice that I have more energy and I feel better. It helps me to maintain my weight loss because it helps curb my craving for sweets. My husband is a picky eater and I have him drinking it every morning. He even makes the shakes on his own. He doesn't like to go without it. In fact, he asks for it!

One of the things I love about Shakeology is the variety of recipes that are available for you to use with it. It is easy to change things up so that you don't get sick of it. I have been drinking it daily for more than six months and I miss it when I don't have it. I keep lots of frozen fruit on hand and PB2 in the cupboard to mix in my shakes. I mix it with almond milk, coconut milk, juice or water, depending on the recipe I am using.

Plain and simple, Shakeology is healthy and convenient!

Spicy Beef Stir Fry

This was so fast to make and so good! Even my girls loved it! It was easy enough to satisfy my picky husband too...I just bought an extra flank steak and grilled it for him. ;)
Beware...I love veggies so I always add extra veggies. The recipe didn't call for carrots, but I wanted them in there so I just cut carrots into a little thicker "matchsticks" and threw them in. I like my plate to be as colorful as possible!

1 TBS olive oil
1 cup broccoli florets
1 yellow onion, quartered (I cut mine into chunks)
1 cup snow peas
1 cup white mushrooms
2 TBS minced garlic
4 TBS filtered water
1 pound flank steak, sliced
2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust this according to how spicy you want it)
1 tsp all-natural sea salt

Warm a large skillet with 1 TBS olive oil over medium heat. Saute broccoli, onion, show peas, mushrooms and garlic (I threw in carrots) with 2 TBS water. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking and tossing for 3 minutes. Add sliced steak and red pepper flakes to the skillet, adding remaining water as needed. Cook steak and vegetables until steak is cooked through. Sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt, remove from heat....and enjoy!
*I serve mine with brown rice.

Zoodles with Pasta Sauce

This isn't really an "official" recipe. It is just a clean eating option that I have found that works for me when my family wants pasta for dinner. I usually serve mine with turkey meatballs (although sometimes I just have some chicken on the side) and most of the time I sauté fresh mushrooms to throw in too...and actually, I have won a few of my girls over!
The amounts are rough estimates....make as much of everything as you want. It's fast, easy and delicious!

Zoodles;
2-3 zuchinni, shredded with julienne peeler
1 clove garlic
1 TBS olive oil

Use a julienne peeler to shred the zucchini. You can also use a yellow squash...I just prefer zucchini! Thinly slice the garlic and sauté in olive oil until tender. Add the zucchini. It will cook quickly...only 2-3 minutes.

Sauce:
5-6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 TBS olive oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano

Mix all together and simmer until cooked through. Adjust as you wish and make this your own!

Turkey Meatballs:
1 pound ground turkey
Italian seasoning (I usually just mix some basil and oregano together)
1 egg white (sometimes I skip the egg white!)
a little finely chopped onion (I sometimes skip this too!)

Mix together and make rounded balls out of the meatballs. I cook them on a stone in the microwave for 7-10 minutes, depending on the size of the meatballs.

Thai Coconut Chicken

I love trying new things, but my family isn't always on board. I am always looking for recipes that are easy for me to toss together for myself while my family eats the food that they like...and this fit the bill. This dish is full of flavor and missing the fat and MSG. I am not always fond of curry, but I loved this!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp all-natural sea salt
1 TBS minced garlic
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 TBS curry powder
1 cup diced tomatoes (I used 1 large Roma tomato)
2 cups coconut milk
1 TBS agave nectar
2 TBS chopped scallions

Cut chicken into small pieces and season with salt. In a large skillet over medium heat sauté the garlic and onion with a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken and curry powder to skillet and sauté for 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes, coconut milk, and agave nectar to the skillet and continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from stove and garnish with scallions.

*I paired it with roasted vegetables. I chunk my veggies, toss them with a little olive oil or coconut oil, sprinkle with 1 tsp all-natural sea salt, and roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Great Guacamole (and Tortilla Chips!)

This is a GREAT recipe of a clean eating guacamole. My daughters love this and ask me to make it for their friends. I call that a win!

3 avocados, mashed to desired consistency (I use a food processor)
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 TBS chopped cilantro
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon all-natural sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and blend thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
*This does not keep for long so use it up quickly! (I even use it on sandwiches!)

Tortilla Chips

8 whole wheat tortillas
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS each salt, pepper and/or seasoning of choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with foil and olive oil. Cut each tortilla into 8 pizza shaped slices. Arrange tortillas evenly on the baking sheet. Lightly drizzle the chips with olive oil and sprinkle with desired season or just salt and pepper. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crispy.

Clean Eating Chili

There is nothing better on a chilly day than a bowl full of chili....and this is a recipe my family loves! It is easy to throw together and tastes great!

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 small onion, chopped
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 TBS chili powder
2 large cans diced tomatoes* (I sometimes use fresh roma tomatoes, chopped)
1 large can crushed tomatoes

Put the turkey in the bottom of a crockpot (raw) and break up into smaller chunks. Add your chopped vegetables and beans. Add chili powder. Pour tomatoes over top. Cook on low for six hours.

Make this to suit your own tastes. For example, I like peppers so I chop a little extra pepper to throw in.
This makes quite a bit so I often freeze some of it so that I have quick meals later.

Clean Eating in Action

In order to keep your metabolism burning, you should be eating six small meals a day. For me, this means my normal three meals plus a morning and afternoon snack. A typical day of meals for me looks something like this:

Breakfast - Shakeology….I always use one of the recipes in order to get the added benefit of fiber or protein. I find the recipes more filling.  

Before I did Shakeology, I would usually do a slice of whole wheat or Ezekial bread toast with an egg white on top OR a whole wheat wrap with 1 TBS natural peanut butter and ½ a banana sliced on it. Oatmeal has always been another option for me.

Snack – Midmorning I usually have a piece of fruit (apple, banana, 20 grapes, etc.) or a natural granola bar.

Lunch – Tuna on top of a salad OR a hardboiled egg with either carrot sticks and hummus or fruit OR  a whole wheat wrap with turkey and avocado. 

Snack – In the afternoon, I typically will have an apple with 2 TBS natural peanut butter or almond butter OR ¼ c almonds and dried cranberries mixed.

Dinner – This is usually a lean meat for me (chicken, pork or fish) along with one or two sides of veggies. I try to make my plate as colorful as possible. Since my family can be picky at times, I often make my meal beside theirs. For example, if they want chicken with a sauce or gravy, I make my chicken without and eat it with them. They don’t like sweet potatoes but I do and I know they pack a bigger nutritional punch than regular potatoes so even though I fix my family their potatoes, I eat sweet potatoes. One of my family's favorites is when I grill chicken and serve it over romaine lettuce with a homemade caesar dressing for a quick caesar salad. 

As a general rule, I try to never eat after 7:00.

SIMPLE. Keep your food simple. When you are eating clean, you don’t need to add a ton of ingredients to your dishes. Lean proteins and simple, whole foods….that is what it is all about!