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 :-)

Paleo Cinnamon Roll Pancakes!

Today, we're talking pancakes. I LOVE pancakes. They're quick, easy, and delicious. I love these pancakes because they taste like a cinnamon roll, minus the sugar crash and guilty feeling afterward. Also they make your whole house smell like cinammon-y heaven. Score.

I added some chopped walnuts to this batch because I like nutty pancakes, but you can totally skip those and achieve the same cinnamon roll goodness. Make sure to top with 100% maple syrup (none of that fake high fructose stuff!) and some protein on the side. Perfect Saturday morning breakfast for the whole family! 

Ingredients:
4 Eggs
1 Cup Almond Milk
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Honey
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)
2 Tbsp. Butter or Coconut Oil

Step 1: Whisk your eggs together for a couple of minutes until bright yellow and frothy. We wanna incorporate air to keep the pancakes light & fluffy!

Step 2: Add almond milk, vanilla, honey, coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to your eggs and whisk together until combined.

Step 3: If you're adding nuts fold them into your batter now.

Step 4: Warm a non-stick skillet or griddle on medium-high heat and melt butter or coconut oil on the skillet.

I used fresh grass-fed butter for super cinnamon roll-y taste!

Step 5: Ladle batter by about 1/4 cup onto skillet to form pancakes. Let cook 1-2 minutes until browned around the edges and bubbling, then flip and cook through.

Stack high, pour on some maple syrup & enjoy! Yum!

Apple Cinnamon Pumpkin Oat Muffins!

Merry Christmas y'all! So I've been missing in action via the blogosphere- you'll have to forgive me, my life has been IN-SANE lately. As most of you know my husband returned from deployment last month, I met him in Arkansas where we were stationed (I was in Florida with my mom for the duration of his deployment), we traveled to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with my husband's family, we then returned to Arkansas to pack up our belongings and move to Panama City, FL- our new home! We spent a week finding a home, moving our things in and then we drove to Jacksonville, FL to spend the holidays with my family. 2 months, 5 cities, 3 states, no big deal. The good news is I HAVE a home now, I'm just not there currently, hehe. We'll be back and on our way to getting settled after the new year. So that's where I've been...

 In other news, this really cool company "Better Oats" sent me some samples of their instant oatmeal. I was super excited because I love oatmeal, it's such an easy breakfast and it actually keeps you FULL. There's nothing worse than eating and being hungry 30 minutes later. Better Oats are great because they're made with wholesome, honest ingredients- you can read every ingredient on their box and know exactly what you're consuming. Love that. Here's some of the fab flavors they sent me:

You can't really read the flavors in the picture but (from left to right) they are: blueberry muffin, apple cinnamon, pomegranate, bare, & oatmeal raisin cookie (MY FAVE!). They also have ground flax in the mix for some extra fiber & nutrition. The other uhh-mazing thing about Better Oats? No measuring cup needed: you measure the water right in the same package the oatmeal came out of. 

You just pour the oatmeal into your microwave-safe bowl, measure the water in the pouch, stir into the oatmeal & zap away. How cool is that? I'm a huge fan of using the least amount of dishes as possible, sayonara measuring cup! So after the holidays I'm going to make up a little goodie bag of some of these Better Oats to give away to a reader (and maybe a super cute bowl & spoon combo?!) so be on a look-out for that! For more information on Better Oats and to find a location near you where you can purchase them visit: www.BetterOats.com & you can "Like" them on Facebook here (they have COUPONS on the FB page!): https://www.facebook.com/BetterOats

ON TO THE RECIPE: These muffins are so yummy! Low- carb, high protein, easy to throw together, perfect little breakfast treat. I knew I wanted to use some of these Better Oats for a muffin recipe, my hubby asked for the Apple Cinnamon flavor- he loves anything apple! I added the pumpkin for added moisture (they're super light & fluffy!). These are a must try. Maybe a perfect Christmas Eve breakfast?!

Ingredients: 
1 Cup Almond Flour
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree (100% pumpkin, no added sugar!)
1/4 Cup Almond Butter (or your choice of nut butter)
1/4 Cup Honey
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Packages "Better Oats" Cinnamon Apple Instant Oatmeal

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, grease a muffin pan. Whisk together all of the ingredients except for the oats.

Step 2: Fold in oats, stir to combine.

Step 3: Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full with batter. Batter will be thick- that's okay!

Step 4: Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

ENJOY!

“This sponsorship is brought to you by Better Oats's whom we have partnered with for this promotion.”

Sweet Potato Bacon Biscuits!

Happy Friday-eve! This is my 4th post in a row this week, whoa. I went from being MIA to bombarding you with all kinds of Thanksgiving goodness. Thanksgiving is just 1 short week away though! It is time to get that menu plan locked and loaded. So why should these biscuits make your Thanksgiving menu? Well first (and most importantly) they're freaking delicious. Second, they have bacon in them. Do I really need a third? I said bacon. But if you really need a third, it's a different, unexpected way to do sweet potatoes. I know I talk about (and cook) sweet potatoes ALL THE TIME, and that's mostly because I just love them but they're also nutritional powerhouses! Super good stuff yo. So eat your sweet potatoes. Like this. Or like any of the other tons of ways I've mentioned on this blog.

This is a Paleo OMG recipe (PaleOMG.com, she's hilarious & makes amazing food!) and the MINUTE it arrived in my in-box I knew I would be making them. They combine my hubby's 2 favorite things, sweet potatoes & bacon. Sounds like a weird combo, tastes delicious. TRUST ME. I added a little cheese and that was a great addition but they would be fab without as well. Just as great with breakfast as dinner too. These little guys are versatile! Check out Juli's original recipe here: http://paleomg.com/thanksgiving-side-dish-bacon-chive-sweet-potato-biscuits/

Ingredients: 
2 sweet potatoes, cooked & peeled (I just zapped mine in the microwave for 10 min)
3 Tablespoons coconut flour (I would think any kind of flour would work though...)
3 eggs, whisked
8 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled
leftover bacon fat from cooked bacon
4 Tablespoons chopped green onions
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
(optional) 1/4 cup shredded cheese

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a baking sheet. Mash your cooked & peeled sweet potatoes in a bowl (I just used a fork, mine were super soft).

Step 2: Add flour and stir to combine.

Step 3: Add eggs and stir to combine.

Step 4: Add bacon, bacon fat, green onions, baking powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper, and cheese (if desired) and stir to combine.

Step 5: Drop biscuits by rounded spoonfuls onto your baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and cooked through.

 
ENJOY :-)
 

Slow Cooker Applesauce!

Guess who's back? Back again? Brittany's back, tell a friend. Okay, sorry I'm no Eminem- but the point is I'm back to blogging! The past couple of weeks have been totally cray cray for me because I was moving my little caravan from Florida to Arkansas to wait for my hubby to come home from his 6 1/2 month deployment to the Middle East. Pretty much all of last week I was just running errands and setting things up for him to have some-what of a stable "home" to come back to. I say "home" in quotations, because we are currently residing in our very generous friends house while we are in limbo until we move to our new base next month. I told you- cray cray! But it's all good now, because my husband arrived back in my arms last Saturday morning! Wahoo! So all is right in my world, I have been cooking up a storm- but most of the meals I've made him thus far are already on the blog! Back to me thinking up new ideas, at least I have a very good recipe tester now! :) Okay, I lured you here with promises of applesauce...

Have you ever made homemade applesauce before? If you answered no, that is a real shame! It is CRAZY easy and the end result is a much healthier applesauce than what you get in those little jars at the grocery store! Bonus, it is apple season and you can get all kinds of apples for super cheap right now. Depending on what kind of apples you get, it will change the taste of your sauce. Like if you were to use some sour-ish granny smith apples, you'd have a more tart applesauce. Use super-sweet Gala & Courtland apples, like I did here, and you'll get a more traditional sweet applesauce! Apples are naturally sweet, so you don't need to add much sweetener, if any. I chose to add a couple of teaspoons of agave nectar. You could sub the agave for honey or for a bit of brown sugar- or you can skip the sweetener all together and have just an unsweetened applesauce. Bottle some of your fresh sauce up and give it to neighbors as gifts! There is nothing better than some fresh homemade goodies, especially when they're secretly healthy ones ;) The kiddos are always applesauce fans (at least all the ones I know...) and this is a recipe you can feed them and feel really good about! Plus... it makes your house smell heavenly while it's cooking! That perfect fall, cinnamon-y fragrance! YUM!

Ingredients:

6 apples of your choosing (I used 3 Courtland, 3 Gala) peeled and cut into wedges
1 Cinnamon Stick (you can buy just 1 in the bulk section @ Whole Foods;))
3 teaspoons Agave Nectar (or honey, or brown sugar)

Step 1: Peel & cut up your apples. Dump them into the slow cooker. Top with agave and toss in the cinnamon stick. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir every couple of hours.

Step 2: Fish out your cinnamon stick. If you like chunky applesauce- you're done! For a smoother texture mash with an old fashioned potato masher, or use one of those fancy schmancy immersion blenders if you have one! If you have super picky kids who need their applesauce SMOOTH, toss it into a food processor or blender and give it a whirl. 

THAT'S IT. Told you, easiest recipe ever! Keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator :) ENJOY!

And a little pic of me & the hubbs the day he came home... :)

Paleo Banana Bread!

Good Afternoon everyone! I have a special little recipe today! Before my little paleo adventure began I was somewhat known for my banana bread. I loved to make it as gifts for people, home-made treats always make others feel so special! So, this morning when I walked into the kitchen and saw 2 extra-ripe bananas sitting on the counter I knew what it was time for- paleo-ifying banana bread! It was an experiment that turned out terrific. I am in love with this loaf! Didn't miss traditional flour at all. Plus it's super- low sugar and even packs a little protein! Winning!

On a side note (if you don't care about my personal life and just want the recipe, I don't blame you- just scroll down!) I haven't been posting much lately because my life is extremely hectic right now! After a 6 month deployment my husband is coming home in the next couple of weeks or so! It is very exciting, but also stressful as I have been staying with my mom in Florida for the duration of his deployment and I will have to return to Arkansas this weekend to meet him. We will be there for a period of time and then we will be moving to the Florida pan-handle where we got PCS orders to! It's a very exciting time, but also very busy so I don't know how much blogging time I'll have. I will try my hardest to always post at least 1 new recipe per week though :-) I hope y'all stick with me! Now back to the bread...

Ingredients:
3 eggs (whites and yolks separated)
3 Tablespoons Honey
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Cups Almond Flour
(Optional) 1/2 Cup chopped nuts (I used almonds!)

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan. Separate the eggs, yolks in one medium-sized bowl and whites in another.

The egg whites are in the green bowl to the left, kinda hard to see them! Yolks in the bowl on the right.

Step 2: Add honey to the bowl with the egg yolks and cream with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. You could also use a whisk by hand- but you'll have to work! Mine took about 5 minutes to look like this:

Step 3: Add olive oil, bananas, and vanilla to the yolk mixture. Stir in gently, until just combined.

Step 4: Add baking powder, cinnamon, and almond flour to banana mixture. Stir in gently, until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Step 5: Using the hand mixer again (or a stand mixer, or a whisk by hand) beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. This is important. Mine took about 3-4 minutes.

Step 6: Fold egg whites gently into banana batter mixture. Do not over-mix. Gently fold in nuts if desired. 

Step 7: Pour batter into loaf pan and bake about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan and then remove and serve!

ENJOY :)