orange is the new fit

One of my go-to dinners is a grilled BBQ patty, mostly because it’s quick, easy and pretty damn tasty when cooked right.  When I gave up bread I started to get pretty creative with my burgers, loading them up with all sorts of healthy goodies.  I’ve been doing it so long now that I don’t really miss the bun.  Depending on my mood I’ll either load it up with veggies – sautéed spinach, mushrooms, onions, even zucchini/squash, bell peppers.  Or, I’ll go the bacon, fried egg, avocado route.  Basically, I look in my fridge to see what I have and then go from there.  During the hot summer months, topping your burger with a few pieces of grilled fruit is also a nice option to throw in the mix.  Partner pear and blue cheese, pineapple with pepper jack or even Fuji apple and cheddar.  You really can’t go wrong with a loaded burger. Because my husband is a beef patty kind of guy, I usually stick to ground beef, but occasionally i’ll throw a turkey or chicken patty in the mix.  When on a flexible eating program, a loaded beef patty can start to use up your fat grams real quick, so ground turkey and chicken are great alternatives because they are very lean and you can top them with all the extra fatty goodies you want, depending what fits your day’s macros.  Continue reading →

I think I’ve mentioned several times before that I’m obsessed with Mexican food.  I eat it once or twice a week in some form or another.  I like Mexican food because it’s so easy to make it clean.  Sure, everything is better wrapped up in a big old flour tortilla and loaded with cheese, but that type of Mexican food is not realistic for my training or health.  On a rare occasion I’ll go for a burrito and splurge on the tortilla but keep the insides clean and stick to meat, avocado, lettuce/veggies and pico…maybe a little cheese.  But in general, whenever I order Mexican food, I typically get one of two things – lettuce wrapped tacos or chicken tortilla soup.  Most Mexican restaurants load their soup up with tortilla strips and it can get a little overwhelming.  What I like about the soup is the shredded chicken and the intense Mexican flavors.  I’m always trying to recreate restaurant-style Mexican soup and I think I came pretty damn close this last time.  The broth was the perfect consistency and the spices were right on.  This is one of those soups that you can throw together in the morning and leave in the pot all day so that the ingredients meld together and the chicken really absorbs those flavors.  When it comes to soups in general, I like to plan a little bit ahead because the longer it sits and simmers, the bolder the flavors are going to be.  If you don’t have the time, it’s absolutely not necessary, just something I like to take into consideration!  This soup looks and tastes fancy but it is so easy to make.  And even though it’s summertime, Mexican soup is never off the table for me. Continue reading →

When it comes to flexible eating, and especially when you’re on a cut with limited carbs and fat, ice cream can be really hard to fit into your macros.  I’ve probably said this a hundred times to people: flexible eating is not about donuts and eating like shit.  You have choices.  If I were to eat a half cup of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, the macros for a peanut butter flavor, for example, would be 270 calories – 24C / 18F / 6P.  So I look at that and think hmmm…I could either eat a few bites of ice cream OR I could have 3/4 cup oatmeal, a tablespoon of Sun Butter and some Greek yogurt…give or take a few macros.  For me, it’s always about eating as much food as I can so the choice is simple.  I’m not saying I never have straight up ice cream.  I do, but I save it for special occasions for the most part.  Instead, I either find or make cleaner alternatives that let me double the serving, or just go in a different direction and eat larger quantities of food that still satisfy my sweet tooth.

With it actually feeling like summer and seeing people everywhere walking around in the evening with ice cream cones, it’s made me really crave ice cream.  So I came up with this clean alternative that is super creamy and tastes sooo good!  You can probably do this with a variety of fruits, but using frozen banana as a base really helps keep the texture creamy so I went with a Strawberry-Banana with Peanut Butter Chunks flavor for my version!  Bananas are high in carbs so if you prefer a different fruit, feel free to experiment.  This recipe is so easy and takes only a few minutes to throw together.  If you can plan the day before, that’s best but not necessary.  You might even have all of the ingredients ready to go and not even know it if you tend to have frozen fruits already cut up in your freezer if you’re a smoothie person.

For those following a flexible eating program, the macros for one serving (1/2 total batch) are:

166 Calories – 21C / 8F / 5P

Continue reading →

Pizza is probably one of my most favorite foods, however, it doesn’t exactly fall under the category of “clean eating options.” You can top pizza with all the paleo veggies and meat that you want, but that gluten-filled crust is the killer.  I’m always searching for grain-free alternatives when it comes to making pizza crust, but there’s a time here and there where I just want good old fashioned pizza.  Pizza is my cheat meal of choice but my husband can’t stand the way it makes him feel so I rarely get to actually go somewhere and order it.  So if I’m cheating with actual pizza, it usually means that it’s Pizzas on the Grill night at home.  Pizzas on the Grill combines two of my favorite things – BBQ and pizza.  And if we’re BBQing then it usually means the weather is warm, so that’s just an added bonus.  When the weather is warm, I usually like to keep my meals on the lighter side and pizzas on the grill are made personal size so it’s easy to keep your portions in check. When making pizzas at home, whether on the grill or in the oven, you obviously have more control over what goes into your pizza and you’re less likely to overindulge on super heavy restaurant-style crust and cheese. Continue reading →