Weekly Clean Eats Cheat Sheet :-)!

It's time to clean it up y'all. And I'm not talking about your bathroom or a barbell at the gym, I'm talking about your diet. Through trial and error and feeding myself all kinds of different foods this is the weekly eating template that I've discovered works best for ME. My biggest problem has always been lack of planning when it comes to food. 10 hour work day and no prepared food? Okay I'll just hit the chicfila drive thru and grab something fast. And then feel like crap afterwards. Crap.

So this is what works for ME. It keeps me  honest and fueled with clean, healthy food. I lift heavy weights and do some kind of metabolic conditioning 3-5 days a week (aka, I do crossfit) so I need food that keeps me fueled for heavy workouts and feeds tired muscles post sweat sesh.

I encourage you to find what works for you! It may not be this exact plan, but concentrate on whole real foods- read ingredient lists on EVERYTHING. It's insane the crazy ingredients they put into our food these days. If there's an ingredient listed that you don't recognize, pull out your phone and google it. We live in a time with far too much technology for ignorance to be an excuse. 

You may have noticed this is for Monday- Friday. On Saturday and Sunday I eat tuna dip and drink wine, and last weekend I had a bacon cheeseburger that was heavenly. That keeps me sane. You could totally do this 7 days a week if you wanted to though. I don't eat a ton of fruit. It's high in sugar. I try to stay low in sugar. That's a personal decision for everyone. Again, I strongly encourage you to educate yourself on what you are putting into your body and how it affects you.

Some notes: I use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, microwaved with 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk and 1/2 mashed banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

I "hard boil" a bunch of eggs on Sunday and eat them throughout the week. This is the easiest way to prep them: http://unbearablygood.blogspot.com/2012/05/easiest-hard-boiled-eggs-in-oven.html

For my balsamic dressing I just mix together 3 parts evoo to 1 part balsamic vinegar, a squirt of Dijon mustard and some salt & pepper. I put this on my salads and my veggies. This is another great, clean option: http://unbearablygood.blogspot.com/2012/10/easy-mustard-vinaigrette.html
I give options for different types of protein at different meals. Eat what you like. That's clean of course & reasonable. Applegate farms turkey slices are excellent, and pretty much everything else they make if you can find them. Chicken breasts, thighs, tenderloins all great. You can do cuts of fish, shrimp, eggs, Aidell's makes great clean chicken sausages & meatballs. Bunless burgers are a great change-up, my husband eats lots of steak (I'm just not particularly a steak fan) you could do that too. Change it up, don't get bored that will keep you going!

I get the big frozen bags of broccoli that you can steam in the microwave. Easy & fast. You can sub cauliflower or any veggie that you love. When buying frozen veggies ALWAYS READ THE LABELS. They sneak very unnecessary ingredients into some of those veggies. The label should read: broccoli. Nada else. 
For my servings of chicken we grill up a bunch on Sunday/Monday and use it throughout the week. This is my fave marinade: http://unbearablygood.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-very-best-everything-marinade.html

Post workout & in my protein pancakes I use this paleo protein and unsweetened almond milk:

We find the protein at GNC. I like the triple chocolate post workout and the almond vanilla in protein pancakes (recipe below the table). Again, when you're buying protein powder READ THE LABELS :-)

For my sweet potatoes: I clean them and dice them into wedges, coat them all liberally with olive oil, season with salt & pepper and roast in a 375 degree oven for 30-45 min or until crispy. For a serving I eat about 3/4 cup of the wedges. You could just bake or microwave a bunch of sweet potatoes and eat those as well. I like to have as much pre-prepared for grab & go meals as possible.

The meal #6 of cottage cheese/ Greek yogurt & jam is the night time treat meal. Also cottage cheese & Greek yogurt contain casein which helps rebuild your muscles while you're sleeping.

****always drink lots of water! I have a cup of coffee in the morning and usually a cup or 2 of hot, unsweetened tea throughout the day. Beyond that, I just drink water. Lots of it. Hydration is key!

Also I try to avoid alcohol during the week. It's just not conducive to a healthy, clean eating lifestyle. Save it for the weekend friends!

Meal	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
1	½ C GF oatmeal, 2 eggs (however you like them!) ½ banana or your choice ½ fruit -OR- Protein Pancakes	2 Egg omelet with 2 Cups your choice veggies. I like peppers, spinach, broccoli. Top with 4 Tbs Salsa or 2 Tbs shredded cheese	½ C GF oatmeal, 2 eggs (however you like them!) ½ banana or your choice ½ fruit -OR- Protein Pancakes	2 Egg omelet with 2 Cups your choice veggies. I like peppers, spinach, broccoli. Top with 4 Tbs Salsa or 2 Tbs shredded cheese	½ C GF oatmeal, 2 eggs (however you like them!) ½ banana or your choice ½ fruit -OR- Protein Pancakes
2	1 hardboiled egg (or 1 clean sausage or 3 slices turkey- a small serving of protein!) & a small handful of unsalted almonds (or choice of nut)	1 Banana or choice of 1 serving of fruit & small handful of unsalted almonds or choice of nut!	1 hardboiled egg (or 1 clean sausage or 3 slices turkey- a small serving of protein!) & a small handful of unsalted almonds (or choice of nut)	1 Banana or choice of 1 serving of fruit & small handful of unsalted almonds or choice of nut!	1 hardboiled egg (or 1 clean sausage or 3 slices turkey- a small serving of protein!) & a small handful of unsalted almonds (or choice of nut)
3	Salad with 6 oz chicken (or choice of protein: turkey, tuna, etc), 2 cups lettuce (I like Spring Mix), small diced tomato, 1 diced hardboiled egg, ½ avocado, & balsamic vinaigrette	6 oz chicken (or choice of protein) 1 cup cooked broccoli (or cauliflower), & 1 small sweet potato (I like to top my chicken & broccoli with balsamic vinaigrette!)	Salad with 6 oz chicken (or choice of protein: turkey, tuna, etc), 2 cups lettuce (I like Spring Mix), small diced tomato, 1 diced hardboiled egg, ½ avocado, & balsamic vinaigrette	6 oz chicken (or choice of protein) 1 cup cooked broccoli (or cauliflower), & 1 small sweet potato (I like to top my chicken & broccoli with balsamic vinaigrette!)	Salad with 6 oz chicken (or choice of protein: turkey, tuna, etc), 2 cups lettuce (I like Spring Mix), small diced tomato, 1 diced hardboiled egg, ½ avocado, & balsamic vinaigrette
4	1 scoop protein powder, 8 oz unsweetened almond milk **workout days only, post workout shake. If not a workout day sub 1 hardboiled egg (or small serving protein) & string cheese	1 scoop protein powder, 8 oz unsweetened almond milk **workout days only, post workout shake. If not a workout day sub 1 hardboiled egg (or small serving protein) & string cheese	1 scoop protein powder, 8 oz unsweetened almond milk **workout days only, post workout shake. If not a workout day sub 1 hardboiled egg (or small serving protein) & string cheese	1 scoop protein powder, 8 oz unsweetened almond milk **workout days only, post workout shake. If not a workout day sub 1 hardboiled egg (or small serving protein) & string cheese	1 scoop protein powder, 8 oz unsweetened almond milk **workout days only, post workout shake. If not a workout day sub 1 hardboiled egg (or small serving protein) & string cheese
5	6 oz chicken (or fish or choice protein) 1 Cup cooked broccoli 1 Small Sweet Potato	6 oz. Fish (or choice protein) 2 Cups choice of cooked veggies	6 oz chicken (or fish or choice protein) 1 Cup cooked broccoli 1 Small Sweet Potato	6 oz. Fish (or choice protein) 2 Cups choice of cooked veggies	6 oz chicken (or fish or choice protein) 1 Cup cooked broccoli 1 Small Sweet Potato
6	½ Cup cottage cheese or unflavored., unsweetened Greek Yogurt with 1 Tbs All Fruit Jam ( I like Polaner) mixed in	½ Cup cottage cheese or unflavored., unsweetened Greek Yogurt with 1 Tbs All Fruit Jam ( I like Polaner) mixed in	½ Cup cottage cheese or unflavored., unsweetened Greek Yogurt with 1 Tbs All Fruit Jam ( I like Polaner) mixed in	½ Cup cottage cheese or unflavored., unsweetened Greek Yogurt with 1 Tbs All Fruit Jam ( I like Polaner) mixed in	½ Cup cottage cheese or unflavored., unsweetened Greek Yogurt with 1 Tbs All Fruit Jam ( I like Polaner) mixed in

Protein Pancakes Recipe:

These are a quick morning fix that are high in protein, low in carbs and will fuel you all morning long. Also, they're freaking delicious. You can eat them plain on the run, top with a smidge of almond butter or real butter or a small amount of 100% pure maple syrup. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 banana (the riper, the sweeter your pancakes will be)

1 Egg

1 Scoop Protein Powder (I Like Vanilla- Almond "Paleo Protein)

2 Tbs unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 Tbs Ground Flax Seed (or meal)

Mash your banana in a bowl, whisk in your egg, protein powder, milk, Cinnamon, & flax seed until well mixed. Heat a skillet on medium- high heat and melt some real butter in the pan, cook in small batches, 1-2 minutes on each side. Enjoy!

SO that's all I've got for now. I'm sure I missed some stuff. Ask away! Let's do this y'all. Let's clean up our diets and do work in the gym :-)

Sunday Supper- Spaghetti Squash!

Happy Sunday friends! Did y'all have a good weekend? I did, but I feel like it was far too short! How can the 5 week days feel so incredibly long and the 2 weekend days just fly right by?!

Have you ever had spaghetti squash before? When I began to really start educating myself on what I eat and how the food I put into my body affects me, I quickly understood that standard noodles just weren't doing anything for me. Well, anything good anyway. I grew up a pasta girl, and I really like pasta! Spaghetti noodles with a hearty meat sauce & a good sprinkle of Parmesan cheese is one of my favorite meals. So when I decided to cut processed grains from my diet (or at least try to avoid them most of the time) I really hoped to find a good replacement for my beloved pasta dish. Spaghetti squash came up quite a bit on recipe blogs, in recipe books, and in any general Pinterest search. I was extremely skeptical, squash instead of noodles? Eh, I don't know about that. But it works. It really does. The great thing about spaghetti squash is that the taste is extremely mild, like a plain noodle would be, so when topped with a hearty meat sauce you almost forget that you're eating super healthy squash & not pasta! :-) And my husband LOVES this dish. He asks for it all the time, our grocery store does not always carry spaghetti squash in store and he's always super sad when I tell him no spaghetti squash that week.

Bonus, aside from the task of chopping the squash up this recipe is EXTREMELY EASY. We love that. Make sure you use a sharp knife and you'll need a little arm power- these gourds can be a bit tough to cut through but the work is worth it! 

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 small spaghetti squashes

Olive oil 

Salt & pepper to taste

Your favorite spaghetti sauce, I used organic ground beef & bottled Glen Muir tomato sauce

Step 1: preheat oven to 375 degrees. I generally use 1 large spaghetti squash but I couldn't find a good one today, so I went with these 2 smaller guys.

Step 2: cut off the tops and bottoms of the squashes:

Step 3: cut the squash in half longways like so:

Step 4: scoop out the seeds & pulp & throw those bad boys away:

Step 5: line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Liberally coat both sides of the squash with olive oil. I just use my hands to make sure the oil gets in every nook & cranny.

Step 6: season rind side of squash liberally with salt & pepper.

Step 7: roast rind side DOWN for 30-40 minutes.

Step 8: while your squash is roasting go ahead and make your fave sauce. All I do is brown a lb of ground beef and then add a jar of spaghetti sauce:

Step 9: when your squash halves are done roasting it's time to scrape out your "noodles"! Place a squash half in an oven mitted hand, using a fork just scrape out the insides into a bowl.

 The squash will come out very easily and look a little like this:

Top with your favorite meat sauce or butter & cheese or whatever you think sounds good!

Enjoy!

Sunday Supper- Bang Bang Shrimp!

Happy Sunday friends! Did y'all have a good weekend? We sure did. I'm super excited to share this recipe with you- it's pretty much our favorite thing ever. Have you ever had the bang bang shrimp appetizer at Bonefish? If you have, you know the addictive greatness of the sweet & spicy fried shrimp dish. If you have not, you need to make this ASAP and introduce yourself. If you're not a shrimp fan you can very easily sub chicken (and we do use chicken in this same recipe frequently!). Just dice the chicken into about 1 inch pieces, about the size of a small piece of shrimp, and follow the directions below!

Just so we're all clear, this is not a "healthy" or necessarily "clean" dish. I do try to use the best ingredients available, but this is a weekend meal for us. During the week I try to eat super clean, lift heavy weights, drink lots of water, etc etc. Therefore on the weekends I let myself have some allowances; wine, fried shrimp, pancakes, etc. Everything in moderation and with a plan friends! Also I'm going to share my weekly clean eating plan tomorrow so lookout for that. 

But for TODAY we have fried shrimp in a creamy sweet & spicy sauce that is to-die-for. Make this. ASAP! Trust me.

Ingredients:

1 lb (ish could be a lil more or less) peeled & deveined uncooked shrimp (or chicken, diced)

2 eggs

1- 1 1/2 cups cornstarch

Extra virgin olive oil (enough to fill a skillet, about an inch deep)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce

1 tbsp (more or less, depending on how spicy you want your dish!) Sriracha chili sauce

Spring mix

Green onions to garnish

Step 1: heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Make a battering station for the shrimp. Whisk the eggs with about 1/4 c water, that will be station 1. Station 2 is the corn starch followed by the skillet.

Step 2: When the oil is hot & ready (you can check by dropping a wood spoon in, the oil around the spoon will bubble) drop the shrimp pieces individually into the egg mixture, then the corn starch to coat, then into the oil.

Step 3: I cook about 15 pieces of shrimp per round (usually takes me about 3 rounds to cook all the shrimp) you don't want to over- fill the pan or it will drop the temperature of the oil. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.

Step 4: while you are frying up the shrimp you can go ahead and make the sauce. In a small bowl combine the mayo, sweet chili sauce, & Sriracha, whisk together until smooth. You can add more or less Sriracha to your preference. We like it spicy, but not overly so! I use this organic mayonnaise, it's not perfect but it's better than most on the grocery shelf. Read your labels people!

Step 5: When your shrimp is ready toss it into a big bowl, pour the sauce over top and stir until all the shrimp is evenly coated. Serve over spring mix and garnish with green onions on top!

This recipe makes enough to feed my VERY hungry husband, me, & leaves a leftover serving for his lunch the next day. 

I'm Baaaaaack!

Hi friends! So I took a bit of a blogging hiatus last year. Things were changing in my life, we had just moved down south to Panama City, FL, I got a new job, adjusting to new schedules & just a new life in general! So I put the blog on the backburner always intending to come back to it at some point but that point never really came. Recently I've been thinking a lot about writing and I have things to say SO I decided to come back & blog again but in a new manner. Same blog, new stuff. Still going to post recipes- they won't all be 100% paleo or 100% clean (Nobody's perfect- Miley Cyrus voice) but they will all be 100% delicious. Still going to post DIY projects when I do them. Going to post about my workouts & hopefully get my husband (who is now a level 1 certified Crossfit coach) to guest post some movement articles! I'm just really going to post & share whatever I feel like. Would that be alright? Well, it's my blog so I guess it will ;-)