Healthy & Easy Mexican Casserole

I'm always looking for easy dishes that I can disguise and substitute beef for turkey, because beef sloooooowes me down, and doesn't quite feel right in my digestive tract. Plus, my husband, who is a good 'ol Texas boy, adores his beef. He can often take a quick whiff and tell whether I've tricked him into consuming turkey (with eyes closed).

Lean ground turkey
Mexican chili seasoning or a dash of taco seasoning
Diced tomatoes & purple onion (purple offers more nutritional value)
2 cups salsa (I use homemade- husband makes the best!)
1 cup Greek yogurt & 1/2 c green enchilada sauce combination
Low fat refried beans, black beans, great northern bean,or similar (make sure its spreadable)
Baked & crisp corn tortillas (cut in half)
Mozzarella cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 350. Brown turkey with onions and tomatoes, chile seasoning, and salsa. Cook until juice simmers down. Line casserole dish with corn chips. Spread with beans. Add yogurt mixture. Top with meat. Final layer= mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Beans should be a part of your regular diet. They provide great essential protein (14 grams of protein in a 1/2 cup serving), omega 3, fiber, and Calcium. The health benefits are numerous, and can be viewed here.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/271572-what-are-the-benefits-of-great-northern-beans/

I also wanted to comment on beef, and why I tend to stay away from it. It's not the beef, itself, that is bad. It is how the agricultural industry has chosen to mass produce it. For one, the cows are being fed unnatural feed (they are suppose to eat grass, you know..),cows are injected with crazy GROWTH hormones and ANTIBIOTICS, so they can remain disease-free and get larger-- bigger cows, more meat. What do you think happens when it comes time for the chop shop?? The chemicals remain in the meat. Then we feed our children. If you do eat Red meat, buying directly from a local farmer and organic is the way to go.

http://worldvillage.com/the-truth-about-red-meat-whats-the-problem-with-beef

http://nutrition.about.com/od/meatsandproteinsources/a/leanbeef.htm

This is a great site which lists grass-fed and hormone-free farmers, for your grocery needs in Texas and shows an interactive map with each location.

http://www.eatwild.com/products/texas.html

And as always, don't forget your 100 naked jumping jacks. Enjoy!

Healthy Chicken Spinach Enchiladas

1-2 boiled & diced chicken breasts
Corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
1/2 cup green chile enchilada sauce
1/2 cup chopped spinach (I use frozen spinach)
Mozzarella cheese
Diced tomatoes for topping

Preheat oven to 300. Heat tortillas in saucepan with olive oil. Remove. Add diced chicken. Mix Greek yogurt, green chile sauce, and spinach in bowl. Add mixture to top of chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll. Spray with olive oil. Place in baking pan and add additional cheese, green chile sauce, and tomato. Bake around 10 minutes until cheese is melted.

Spinach is a wonderful addition to your diet. It contains powerful antioxidants, rich vitamins and minerals, and helpful for your eyes. Read more about it's healthy benefits here.

http://www.naturally-healthy-eating.com/benefits-of-spinach.html

Spinach has high pesticide absorption, so always eat organic when you can.

The only cheese I occasionally consume is mozzarella. Mozzarella is full of helpful water soluble vitamins, rich in protein. Our bodies absorbed these vitamins right away, so you aren't left feeling bloated like other cheese or dairy products.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/268074-nutrition-facts-on-mozzarella-cheese/

As always, don't forget your 100 naked jumping jacks. Enjoy!

Crazy Eights

2 cups whole wheat flour OR 1 cup all-purpose, 1 cup whole wheat for fluffier doughnuts
3/4 raw sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup raw milk
2 egg whites
1 tblsp H2O
1 tsp milled flax seed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tblsp olive oil

Icing
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tblsp hot H2O
1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract

Icing Option 2
2 tblsp Dark Cholcolate Almond Spread
1 tsp olive oil
1 capful vanilla extract
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tblsp hot H2O

Preheat oven to 325. Mix and knead dough until soft ball forms. Spray olive oil on hands, roll out snakes on floured surface. Have the kiddos form a crazy eight shape on sprayed cookie pan. Spray top of doughnut with olive oil, sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool. Drizzle with icing and sprinkles. These are always better dipped in milk ;).

And don't forget your 100 naked jumping jacks! Enjoy!

The Key to Ignoring Temptation-- today's devil, RED ROBIN!

So.. The husband twisted my arm and talked me into eating out on our way home from gymnastics. It was 2 to 1, I was outnumbered :(. BUT, I was prepared. You can never walk into a restaurant unprepared. The menu will win every time. I researched the lowest calorie menu items prior, and decided on something I LOVE, and worked with it. Did I get fries?? NO, though they are sooo good at Red Robin, and bottomless, I should add... But, you will feel like a bloated tick after, so it wasn't even fathomable.

You CAN have the good stuff when eating out, I chose the Chicken Bruschetta Sandwich, halfed it, and then sealed it up in the to go box before I ate the whole thing. Yes, the waitress will look at you like you are crazy, but no biggie :). So, I went from possibly consuming 876 calories, to 438. You can also substitue broccoli or melon, free of charge, for your fries. So I did-- though I have to admit I snuck a few sweet potato fries from the hubs ;).

I always talk about moderation, that's the key! You can still set the stuff you love, maybe not everyday and for every meal,but, cut your portions down and your good to go! Most of us are into these quick fixes in life, a nip and tuck, power diet with outrageous meals, do it for a month or so hard core and then quit!

This is YOUR life, take control of it, figure out WHY your indulging, feel your stomach, is it growling or over stuffed? And then eat or step away from the food. Anyways, I have listed some other options for Red Robin, and am happy to say the hubs chose sweet potato fries, AND a plain chicken sandwich. What's this world coming too :) ?

Generally, you always think that a salad is the healthier alternative. Red Robin is famous for the large portions. Really, you need to downsize every meal, unless you choose to eat from the kids menu, which calorie wise is the safest.

Here is what NOT to eat:

Beef Burgers- from 907-1440 calories
Chicken burgers- up to 982 calories
Any salad other than Asian Chicken or Apple Harvest


Here is what would be feasible to eat if you must:

Kids menu items (smaller portions)- from 390-534 calories
Anything from above HALFED, no fries and lay off the bread
Lighted Up Burgers- crispy fish burger 560 calories
Lettuce wrapped garden burger- 560 calories
Bruschetta chicken sandwich, cut in half- 438 calories
Chicken tortilla soup- 173 calories
Asian Chicken Salad or Apple Harvest- around 582 calories
Side salad- 217 calories
Steamed veggies- 134 calories
Melon slices- 61 calories

Negative on the cokes, diet, etc... Water or unsweetened tea! And, as always, don't forget your 100 naked jumping jacks. Though, you might want to bump it up to 150 after this meal ;). Enjoy!

Here is a good run down on all the menu items at Red Robin- calorie counts & points (if you're a WW fan.

http://onemorepound.com/2009/04/02/red-robin-menu-weight-watcher-point-values/

Add MILLED flax seed whenever you can!

From Omega3 fatty acids, powerful antioxidants, to preventative cancer qualities, flax seed should be at the top of your grocery list & nearby when cooking! I put a dash in pancake batter, biscuits, morning shakes, even my healthy cookie dough. Plus it's a hoot when the entire family RUNS to the bathroom at the same time ;). A sure sign you added a little too much.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed

http://www.livestrong.com/article/383868-milled-flaxseed-benefits/

Cheerie Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Boiled 1/2 cup honey & 2 tbsp packed brown sugar combination
Add 1/2 cup dark chocolate almond butter
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups honey-nut cheerios
Dash vanilla
Dash milled flax seed (I sneak flax seed to recipes when I can to keep the family regular-- shh!- works great in pancake batter & my morning shakes)

Combine all and stir well. Set aside for a few minutes to cool. With wet hands, form mixture into small balls (get the kiddos involved). Add more PB and/or honey if mixture is not sticking together. Transfer balls to a wax-paper lined container & refrigerate for a few minutes.

Almond butter is rich in Vitamin E and monounsaturated fat, which helps lower cholesterol. Almonds are high in calories, so do not eat the entire tray full of PB balls! As always eat in moderation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond

They are part of the new Mediterranean diet.

And, don't forget your 100 naked jumping jacks! Enjoy!

Chick-fil-A

If you must!! I know it's a restaurant that is clean, fairly new, and has amazing playscapes for the kiddos. So.. If you MUST-- here is what to eat!

You know you can always get a large unsweetened tea with honey and sip on that should the kiddos eat, and hang in there until you get home and cook. BUT, if you must..

NEVER any cokes, colas, or DIET... I have been without for over a year.
I choose unsweetened tea or water with lemon everytime!

Here are some options, and not all of these at one time!

Side Salad w/ raspberry vinaigrette- 140 calories (use 1/2 the dressing and it decreases to 100 calories)
Fruit cup- 60 calories
Nuggets (get 8 pack but eat 4-- give the rest to your kiddo and split the meal!)- 130 calories
Chick-fil-A chargrilled chicken sandwich- Take off the top bun (200-240 calories). NO mayo, NO cheese.
Chicken soup- 140 calories ( no crackers, they can add up!)