the 10th day of fit·n·pretty Christmas… “10 lazy lunches”

The busy holiday season is no excuse to skip a well balanced lunch. You should be spending your holiday season decking the halls, not falling victim to diet pitfalls! Rather than grabbing a quick slice of pizza when you’re pressed for time, opt for one of these quick and healthy lunchtime suggestions instead. So, on the 10th day of fit·n·pretty Christmas I give to you… “10 lazy lunches”!

jaclyn

1. Amylu Sweet Caramelized Onion Chicken Burgers on an Oroweat sandwich thin with your choice of veggie toppings and an apple with 1 tablespoon of almond butter. (Calories: 450 )

2. Four Whole Foods Bakery Whole Wheat Pitas filled with egg salad (1 egg and 1 egg white mixed with 1 tsp mayo and 1 tsp spicy brown mustard) and a banana with 1 tablespoon of almond butter. (Calories 430)

3. Aidells Organic Chicken Apple Sausage with your choice of condiments with 1 cup of cooked whole wheat couscous and a banana. (Calories: 420)

4. Greek salad with lettuce with 3oz of chicken breast, 1 oz of feta cheese, ½ cup of cucumber, ¼ cup of red onion, and 1 tbsp of olive oil and vinegar dressing and a bowl of Amy’s Organic Lentil soup. (Calories: 430)

5. Gardenburger on an Oroweat sandwich thin with 2oz avocado and your choice of veggies toppings. Serve with one single serving bag of bbq Popchips. (Calories:400)

6. Grilled cheese sandwich made with two slices of Trader Joe’s 100% whole wheat bread and two slices of melted Jarlesburg lite cheese with a bowl of Amy’s organic Chunky Tomato Bisque soup. (Calories:400)

7. One cup of cooked whole-wheat pasta and  ½ cup of jarred marinara sauce with a side of steamed veggies and two cuties (clementines). (Calories: 400)

8. Turkey sandwich on two slices of Sara-Lee classic 100% whole wheat bread made with 2oz Columbus sliced maple smoked turkey breast, your choice of veggie toppings and 2oz avocado. Serve with one single serving bag of bbq Popchips. (Calories: 450)

9. Quesadilla made with one whole wheat tortillia, ¼ cup of light shredded cheese, and salsa with ½ a cup of black beans. (Calories:460)

10.Tuna melt made with ½ cup of Tuna mixed with 1 tsp mayo, 1 slice of cheddar cheese on two slices of Trader Joes Fat-Free Multi-Grain Bread and half an apple. (Calories:450)

Still searching for the perfect lunch? Check out some additional healthy lunch suggestions here!

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lunchbox: healthy lunch ideas

You are a busy girl and you don’t have time to fuss over your lunch. Below I have listed a ton of lunch ideas that are simple, filling, healthy, and won’t leave you feeling weighed down or sluggish. A good calorie aim for lunch is approximately 25% of your daily intake. For example, if you normally eat 1,800 calories per day, keep lunch around 400-450.

Use this list as a mix & match guide. Start with something from the protein category, then pair it with one of the carbohydrates and add some toppings for a sandwich or wrap. Or forgo the breads and add one of the proteins to some rice or couscous. Or pair one of the carbohydrates with some soup. You get the picture, the possibilities really are endless ☺.

happy lunching!

jen

Protein:
Amylu Sweet Caramelized Onion Chicken Burgers; they are all natural, pre-cooked (so you can just heat them up in the oven or microwave) and are absolutely delightful and filling. Calories: 140

Aidells Organic Chicken Apple Sausage (their other varieties are great as well); pre-cooked, organic, delicious right out of the microwave; we love everything about them. Calories: 150

Trader Joe’s Chicken Apple Sausage (they have a ton of other varieties as well); also pre-cooked and delicious, plus the added bonus is that they are less expensive than other brands. Calories: 150

1/2 cup of Tuna mixed with 1 tsp mayo (you can use light mayo, but we’re really not fans and would prefer to just use a tiny bit of regular). Calories: 160

Egg salad made with 1 egg and 1 egg white mixed with 1 tsp mayo and 1 tsp spicy brown mustard. Calories: 110

Gardenburger; great heated up in the microwave. Calories: 100

Jennie-O Turkey Store Turkey burger; already yummy and seasoned, cook at home the night before, super filling. Calories: 160

3oz Chicken breast; cook some up on the weekend to have for the week. Calories: 140

2oz of Columbus Sliced Maple Smoked Turkey Breast (our favorite lunch meat). Calories: 70

Carbohydrate:
Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins; perfect for a sandwich or chicken/turkey burger or chicken breast, we love them. Calories: 100

Trader Joes fat-free English Muffin; best english muffin there is. Calories: 110

Trader Joe’s Truly Handmade Whole Wheat Flour Tortilla. Calories: 140

Tarder Joes Fat-Free Multi-Grain Bread; delicious, low in calories and high in fiber. Calories: 140 for 2 slices

Sara-Lee Classic 100% Whole Wheat bread, so soft and delightful. Calories: 150 for 2 slices

Whole Foods Bakery Whole Wheat Pitas, Jaclyn loves these. Calories: 120 for 4 mini pitas

Trader Joe’s 100% Whole Wheat Bread; so good toasted and it tastes like you just freshly baked it. Calories: 90 per slice

Toppings:
Veggies (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, sprouts, onion, avocado) are a great way to make your lunch go even further to fill you up, most are very low in calories, the avocado are 50 calories per 1oz or about 1/5 of a medium avocado.

Guldens Spicy Brown Mustard. Calories: 5 per tsp

Ketchup. Calories: 20 per tbsp

Mayonnaise. Calories: 30 per tsp

Teriyaki sauce; do yourself a favor and order some Happi House Teriyaki Sauce here (believe it or not we have no affiliation to them we just love them and think you should also), it is hands down one of our favorite, low-cal sauces to put on everything, especially brown rice with chicken and veggies.

Newman’s Own Cesar Dressing: 75 per tbsp

Vinegar and olive oil. Calories for oil: 120 per tbsp

Cheese. Calories: varies, but most are 80-100 calories for 1 oz.

Sides:
1 cup of cooked brown rice. Calories: 210

1/2 cup of black beans. Calories: 210

1 cup of cooked whole-wheat couscous. Calories: 170

1 cup of cooked whole-wheat pasta with ½ cup of jarred marinara sauce. Calories: 220

Steamed vegetables; those single serving, steam in a bag ones are great.

Greek salad; lettuce with 3oz of chicken breast, 1 oz of feta cheese, ½ cup of cucumber, ¼ cup of red onion, and 1 tbsp of olive oil and vinegar dressing. Calories: 280

Any of the Amy’s Organics Soups (they are all easy, delicious and filling). Calories: varies, you can check them out online here. In a pinch, most of the Amy’s Organics frozen meals are a safe bet (just be sure to check out the calories).

Fruit, a great dessert after any meal.

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breakfast bar: healthy breakfast ideas

We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet at 8 o’clock in the morning, most of our creative inspiration has gone to pulling together a cute outfit and we end up having coffee and a granola bar, AGAIN (boring and not that great for you). Well you are in luck, because below are some quick and tasty breakfast ideas, sure to leave you feeling fit, pretty and most importantly, full.

Egg FitMuffin: Toast one English muffin and spread it with 1 Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedge. Then pile on 1 egg (cooked over medium or scrambled in no-calorie cooking spray) and 1 slice of Canadian bacon that has been heated. Calories: 235

Steel Cut Oats: Prepare steel cut oats according package instructions. You can use the quick cooking kind that are ready after 5 in the microwave, but I prefer the flavor of the ones that you cook over the stove for 45 minutes. It’s probably not realistic for you to spend 45 minutes cooking them every morning, so I make a big batch on Sunday, portion them out into 1 cup servings and refrigerate. Pop it in the microwave for a minute or two and they taste delicious. Serve steel cut oats with a pinch of salt and your favorite toppings. I like to add a ¼ cup of skim milk, 2 tsps of brown sugar and 1 tbsp of light maple syrup. Delicious and filling. As prepared above, calories: 230

Yummy Yogurt Parfait: Layer 1 cup of low-fat vanilla yogurt (I love Stonyfield Farms low-fat vanilla), 200 calories worth of your favorite granola (I crush up two Nature
Valley Crunchy Granola Bars which are 90 calories each) and 1/2 cup of fresh sliced berries or peaches. Calories: 450

Super Filling Scramble: Spray a nonstick pan with no-calorie cooking spray and chop and heat 150 calories of your favorite ham or turkey sausage, scramble in 1 egg and two egg whites, once eggs are set mix in 1/4 cup of low-fat cheddar cheese until just melted. Plate and serve with 1 slice of whole-wheat toast or 1 whole-wheat tortilla. This is also delicious when served with a few slices of avocado and salsa. Calories (w/out avocado and salsa): 410. Calories (w/ avocado and salsa): 500

Banana Breakfast Smoothie: In a blender combine 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1/2 cup of low-fat vanilla yogurt, a dash of ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt, 1/2 of a banana sliced, and a handful of ice. Blend until smooth. Calories: 200

Whole Grain Waffles: Two whole grain waffles (my favorite are Van’s All Natural Multi-Grain Gourmet Waffles with two waffles having 190 calories, 5g of fiber & 5g protein) toasted and spread with 2 tsp of light butter (I love Balade brand which is 50 calories per tbsp). Serve with 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries and 2 tbsp of light syrup. Add a glass of skim milk for a little extra protein and calcium. Calories (with cup of skim milk): 370

Almond Butter Toast: Spread 2 tbsps of almond butter (so much better than peanut butter) on two slices of toasted whole-wheat bread, slice one banana and arrange on top of the bread. Calories: 530

Egg and Toast: One egg (cooked any way without any oil or butter) and 2 slices of whole wheat toast spread with 2 tsp of light butter. Calories: 350

Cereal and Milk: 200 calories of your favorite whole grain cereal, 1 cup of skim milk, and 1/2 cup of blueberries. Calories: 320

Want a delicious and nutritious addition to your breakfast? Try a tall skim latte, with around 8 ounces of milk, you will get in one serving of dairy and healthy dose of protein, calcium and vitamin D. Calories for a tall: 90

Fruit, fruit and more fruit. Fruit is a great addition to any breakfast and will help fill you up for the rest of the day. One serving is equal to 1 medium piece or ½ cup of chopped or canned. Just be sure not to overdo it though, just because it’s good for you, doesn’t mean it has no calories. Try to keep your servings to around 2-3 per day and aim to get 3-4 servings of vegetables each day as well.

What are your favorite filling and healthy breakfasts?

jen

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eat and run

Happy fit·n·pretty Friday!

Got some serious weekend workout plans? If you do (and you should!) you may also be wondering exactly what you should be eating post run, hike or bike. For shorter workouts, like a brisk morning walk or 3 mile run, your body doesn’t really require a post-workout “recovery meal”. However, for strenuous fitness sessions lasting longer than 45 minutes, your body may be in need of some refueling.

Why eat?

When we exercise our muscles use up their glycogen and protein reserves for energy. Studies have consistently shown that eating a recovery meal, containing both a carbohydrate and protein source, leads to faster replenishment of these two nutrients and results in more efficient rebuilding of the muscle. Our bodies store glucose (from carbohydrates) as glycogen. When exercising, our muscles burn up glycogen and protein for energy. So it is important to supply our bodies with a meal that allows for maximum restoration of both its glycogen and protein reserves.

When to eat?

The timing of your recovery meal is key. Even if you don’t really feel like it (pretty much the last thing I want to do after a run is eat), you should try eating your meal within 15-30 minutes of completing your workout.Otherwise, you could be missing out on the prime window when your body is most responsive to refueling and this could result in less than optimal muscle recovery and rebuilding. And if you are feeling so nauseated post-workout, that even the thought of food makes you queasy, you may be overdoing and might want to consider toning it down.

What to eat?

So now that you know why you need a recovery meal, let’s talk about what you should be eating. You should aim to have your meal contain 10-20 grams of protein and then for every hour you workout 40-50 grams of carbohydrates (look for complex carbohydrates, like whole wheat breads and crackers). Need ideas? Check out the protein and carbohydrate contents of these popular post-workout foods and create the meal that works best for you!

Each of the following contain approx. 15 grams of carbohydrates:

• 1 slice of whole-wheat bread
• 1 whole-wheat tortilla
• ¾ cup of ready to eat cereal
• ¼ cup granola
• 1/3 cup cooked whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa, or couscous
• 10 whole-grain crackers
• 3 graham crackers
• 3 cups plain, air-popped popcorn
• 3/4 oz whole-wheat pretzels
• 1 small piece of fruit, ½ cup chopped fruit, 1 oz dried fruit, ½ cup unsweetened fruit juice

Each of the following contain approx. 7-8 grams of protein:

• 1 oz of lean meat, poultry or fish
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of low-fat or skim milk (low-fat chocolate milk has a great carb/protein mix and makes a great post-workout recovery drink, yes please!)
• ¼ cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup of yogurt, depending on type
• 1 oz of cheese
• 2 tspb of peanut butter
• ¼ cup of nuts or seeds

And don’t forget the most important thing: water! You should be getting at least 16 oz of it post-workout to prevent dehydration and to help your body recover.

jen

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