Recipes for fun and healthy food

Superfood Protein Peanut Butter Bites

Superfood Protein Peanut Butter BitesThese are THE BOMB! Have you tried them yet??

It’s time to make a couple of batches.Use as pre-workout, a snack, or to satisfy your PB craving and/or chocolate craving in a SUPERfood, healthy way. And kids love them too!

RECIPE:
Mix all ingredients in large bowl:
1. 1 cup “Just Great Stuff” powdered PB (or PB2. Both avail at Amazon.com. Just Great Stuff is similar to PB2 but seems to have cleaner ingredients AND is Organic)
2. 1/2 cup all-natural Peanut Butter
3. 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
4. 6 packets all-natural Stevia
5. 1 scoop superfood Vanilla Shakeology or Chocolate #Shakeology
6. 1 cup dry oatmeal

Mix well. Form into golf-ball sized bites. FREEZE for 1-2 hrs & keep frozen. When you want one, let it stand for 30 seconds to thaw a little Makes ~15’ish..depending on size. They’re ~80 calories each & ~8g protein.

Waffles & Strawberries

lunchYou like??

The reason I don’t feel the need to splurge on donuts, cookies & cakes often is because I eat stuff like this on occasion & it satisfies that sweet tooth & dessert-lover in me! This is NOT a splurge in my book, but everyone is at a different stage & has different goals. This is about 350 calories & lots of nutritional value. Try it!

This was after an INTENSE cardio workout (I’ll post later) so I needed some natural sugars in me anyway!

This was 2 “Vans” Whole grain, all-natural, gluten free waffles. Then I used 5 organic strawberries sliced up & stevia & mashed together to make the “syrup-like” topping. I topped that with TruWhip topping I found at WholeFoods (we don’t live near one but drive an hour once every couple weeks to stock up!). I added a little organic powdered sugar on top to hopefully make it Pinterest worthy 😉

Are you on track tonight?

eat cleanerIn order to see CHANGE in your physique & your fitness performance, you don’t have to try to eat SO clean.. just eat CLEANER than you normally do.

Keep transitioning yourself onto better choices (read & compare labels more). Think IMPROVEMENT, not perfection. Consistency will be SO much easier if you’re not so restrictive & therefore results will come & will not only last, they’ll KEEP coming!

Btw.. This is a turkey burger, free of junk (from Whole Foods.. Applegate Farms makes good ones too), Ezekiel English muffin (frozen section of grocery store), feta cheese, tomatoes, & plain Greek yogurt for a condiment. Turkey burger is just seasoned with Frontier organic garlic & herb.

How many servings of vegetables do you eat a day?

veggiesOn average, how many servings of vegetables do you eat a day? Be honest!

First, let me answer the most commonly asked question I get…

Yes, I did & it was a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Sometimes I do oil & red wine vinegar.

Secondly, I try to have a salad & a Shakeology (sometimes 2) every single day because it means I’m getting *at the very least* 6 servings of veggies in for the day. In case that helps you get your veg’s in

This was low-sodium, nitrate-free turkey, avocado, tomatoes, sweet peppers, & Feta on a spring mix.

What’s your fav splurge food?

Favorite splurge foodWhat’s your favorite splurge food? One of mine is PIZZA!

You’ve seen me post it before, you’ve seen different variations in my ebook.

(www.JenelleSummers.com) and you will certainly see it again!

I cut the Ezekiel wrap like a pizza first & place it on a cookie sheet that I’ve sprayed with non/stick spray. Top with whatever you like & put in the oven at 450 until the edges are a bit brown & crunchy looking (5-10min). I used organic pizza sauce, turkey burger, red onion, reduced-fat cheese, baby spinach & a side of sweet salsa! About 450 calories including salsa & ~35g protein!

A Salad + Shake = Happy!

Salad + ShakeWe were all on our own eating schedules tonight so this was my little dinner.. A salad w/reduced fat feta, kalamata olives, sweet peppers, chick peas & light balsamic vin dressing on spring mix & baby spinach. With a half Shakeology – “Peanut Butter Banana” made with 1c ice, 1c Vanilla Unsweetened Almond Milk, half scoop Vanilla shakeO, 1 T Natural PB, & 1/4 banana.

Peppers and Hummus

Peppers and HummusWould you eat this as a snack?

Since it was late afternoon when I feel slightly sluggish, naturally I craved chocolate & “bad” carbs for a minute, but this was actually DELICIOUS! I *never* used to snack on sweet peppers but they’re PERECT with hummus (no, it’s not homemade & yes, I know how.. Just no patience or time to make everything homemade all the time #RealLife lol)! 150 calories & packed with nutritional value (100 calories of hummus which was 3 Tbsp & 50 calories of SWEET peppers!

This month’s choices are next month’s body

This months choices are next months bodyAhh.. Anyone else need this reminder??

I do!! Even though I’ve been working on my fitness & nutrition for years & years, I still struggle & have to overcome new & old bad habits. For me, it’s that I eat pretty healthy & workout intensely, both consistently, but I’m a grazer and have a non-stop appetite. Even if you eat healthy, if you consume more than you burn, or if it’s junk your body has no use for, it’s stored as fat. You can have the strongest abs, but -unless you’re really young or genetically blessed- they won’t show unless your nutrition is on point. Grrrr

Everyone has different issues & different needs & different stage of their journey, so trying to do what works for someone else can be COMPLETELY pointless for you & your “issues”. You just have to IMPROVE what you currently do!

If you’re nutrition is in a rut, check out my free ebook of Foodspiration hereLook to the LEFT to see where to enter your email.

 

Maple Brown Sugar ShakeO

Maple Brown Sugar Shakeology

Maple Brown Sugar ShakeOYou LIKE??
MAPLE BROWN SUGAR SHAKEOLOGY
This is heavenly! It almost tastes like a CARMEL shake! It’s a great postworkout meal packed with 30g protein! And since it’s Shakeology, it also has antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, 3-4 servings of fruits & veggies !

RECIPE
1.5 cups Ice (~12-14 cubes)
1 cup Vanilla Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/2 cup water
1.5 Scoops Vanilla Shakeology
1 packet dry instant Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal (there are some cleaner versions out there I used all-natural #Kashi).

TIP: Adjust the ice or amt of fluids based on how thick or thin you like your shakes.
ENJOY!!

Feed The Muscles

Are you struggling with Nutrition?

Feed The MusclesAre you struggling with Nutrition?? Which 1 do you think is your issue?

I’m NOT a nutritionist, but from my own trial and errors and working with hundreds & hundreds of people over MANY years, I’ve observed a thing or two.

10 things to consider that have worked for myself or others:

1. If you’ve been eating healthy, within your nutrient & calorie needs and working out -all of these consistently for at least 12 wks and no progress – consider getting tested for food allergies or thyroid problems. There could be an underlying issue making you FEEL like you’re not making progress or it’s causing unnecessary weight fluctuations or bloating which makes you give up very easily;

2. Try the 21-Day Fix. I *believe* it’s off back-order now. It has you eating what you want but takes the guess work out by using color coded containers to measure fat, carbs, proteins, fruit, etc. If you get the Challenge Pack, you save $$ plus you get Shakeology which has vitamins and superfoods to naturally help aid in fat loss.

3. Get an estimate for what your calorie and nutrient intake should be for fat loss for YOUR age, size, activity level, etc. FreeDieting.com has a “daily calorie needs” calculator over to the left-hand side of their site. Once you have that estimate, you can click “nutrient needs” and determine approximately how many fat, protein, and carb grams you should be eating for fat loss. It’s just an estimate . I would NOT recommend the extreme fat loss caloric intake, as that is too low for those of you working out and getting stronger, and would cause muscle loss and your metabolism to slow. If you’ve been eating next to nothing, you’ll need to gradually start adding calories & nutrients back in & add back that muscle you’ve probably lost.

4. Tracking using MyFitnessPal.com works for a LOT of people. The “If It Fits Your Macros” method (IIFYM.com) works for many as well.. check it out if you’re unaware. Again, this is where you’re tracking fat, protein, and carbs.

5. For some, tracking calories and nutrients does NOT work. For some people, just eating healthy when they feel hungry works! If you’re getting the lean, toned body you want this way, by all means.. carry on! You may need to “dial in” to your specific nutrient needs more once you hit a certain point if you want to get MORE muscle and/or more defined muscles.

6. For some, just switching to VEGAN, or GlutenFree, Dairy Free, Raw foods, Paleo, Juicing, etc has worked.

7. Drink more water!! (this is MY downfall ..but improving!)

8. Get enough sleep and stress relief (exercise and downtime for YOU). When you’re lacking sleep or stressed, it’s a FACT you’ll be more likely to crave bad foods or eat when not hungry. It’s not just in your head.

9. ID your trigger foods and what causes you to really slip up and FIX the root of the problem. Maybe you have to stop buying certain foods (or drinks!) FOR GOOD. Maybe you have to go off sugar to stop a sugar addiction. Maybe you have to stop putting yourself in certain environments or stop socializing with certain people. Maybe you need professional help.

10. DON’T OBSESS!!! I personally don’t think you should step on the scale every day, but I know for some, it keeps them going & they know not to take that number as the true measure of progress (because it’s NOT). Either way, you are NOT defined by your physical appearance.. your appearance today is a result of what you have done in the PAST. So that’s OVER; your past is irrelevant except to learn from it. Move forward and get excited about the future. START NOW. Choose to work towards PROGRESS, not perfection & be happy at every stage of the process!