Meal Prep doesnt have to be hard… 5 of my meal prep hacks!

Meal prepping doesnt have to be hard! Here are 5 of my meal prep hacks that make it EASY!

Happy healthy eating! xo Coach Jen

1. Season meat three ways using just one pan. If you’re sticking to lean meats like chicken, it can get BORING!  Use aluminum foil dividers in your pan. Sriracha, BBQ, mustard… all in one pan!

2. Hard-boil eggs in the oven — not in a pot.
To make a delicious dozen in one go, bake your eggs in muffin tins for just 30 minutes at 350. Boom You’ll get a perfectly hard-boiled batch.

3. Freeze blended smoothies in muffin tins.
Never have the time to measure out a million fixings for a morning sip? Save time by buying the ingredients in
bulk, blending your favorite beverage, and then freezing the mixture in muffin tins. Next time you need a shake,
stat, toss two or three “smoothie cups” in a blender for a quick and easy breakfast or let them melt slowly for healthy ice cream!

4. Chop or spiralize raw vegetables in advance.
Cut veggies in bulk ahead of time to avoid wasting precious
minutes chopping on busy weeknights.

5. Roast different vegetables with same cooking time.
Fast-cooking vegetables that can bake in the same pan include asparagus, mushrooms
and cherry tomatoes; slow-roasting vegetables include carrots, cauliflower, onions, potatoes and parsnips

Watermelon and mozzarella salad

Try this recipe next time your invited to a cookout! My friend Amy made it over the 4th and it was a hit!

xo Jen

A Twist on Caprese Salad—Watermelon and Mozzarella Salad With Basil
3 sprigs fresh basil – stems removed and coarse chop
small/ medium watermelon balled
8oz or less fresh mozzarella – small balls or cubes
1/4 c or less balsamic reduction
salt and pepper

Either toss together as a salad or place on skewers!

 

Are you wearing the right shoes for your workout?

Are you wearing the right shoes for your workout?

Shoes play a huge role in performance, comfort and preventing injuries.

They are different in weight, flexibility, cushioning and heel-to-toe-drop.

Running shoes are super light, and flexible mid sole. They have extra cushioning to protect the body from repetitive injuries. There also isn’t much lateral support.

Training, or cross-training shoes are designed to handle a variety of activities. This means that they have a lot more stability in them. In general, they are heavier, less flexible in the mid-sole and a lower heel-to-toe-drop.

For straight weigh training I recommend a light flat shoe allowing you to push through the floor with more force. It is very hard to drive force through the heel in running shoes, flat shoes will help you during heavy squats, deadlifts and any other free compound lift activating more muscle fibers and force from the bottom up.

Keep it Fierce! xo Coach Jen

4 Tips to Stay on track this Summer!

4 Tips to stay on track this Summer!

1) Embrace “Healthier” Barbeques
Families and friends love to have a good barbeque during the summer, bring a healthy side dish of your own!

Instead of the traditional burgers and brats, opt for grilled chicken or try some fresh fish on the grill.

2) Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Water is your best bet for a summer beverage. Sure, you can still enjoy the occasional cocktail, you just need to drink more water if you are going to be outdoors for more than a few hours.

3) Eat Breakfast!
Too many times too many people forget to eat breakfast in the morning before heading outside.
Eat a breakfast high in protein, like eggs, or a protein shake with a side of fruit or whole grains

4) Limit Alcohol
It’s understandable that during summer you want to have a good time, but it’s important that you cool it on the alcoholic beverages if you are going to be outside for more than a few hours.

When you drink alcohol in the sun, it dehydrates you even more. Alcohol fails to replenish your water stores, so it’s important that you drink water between alcoholic beverages.

Keep it fierce and keep it healthy! xo jen

Summer Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad

Just in time for the 4th! I know this is going to be on my cookout menu!

Enjoy! xo Jen

Summer Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad 

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 medium cucumbers

4 medium tomatoes, cut into ½-inch wedges

1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, halved and very thinly sliced

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped chives

Whisk vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper in a large shallow bowl. Remove alternating stripes of peel from the cucumbers. Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds. Add the cucumber slices, tomatoes and onion to the dressing; gently toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Just before serving, add chives and toss again.

Nutrition information
Serving size: about 1½ cups
Per serving: 66 calories; 3 g fat(0 g sat); 2 g fiber; 10 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 36 mcg folate; 0 mg cholesterol; 7 g sugars; 1 g added sugars; 838 IU vitamin A; 18 mg vitamin C; 31 mg calcium; 1 mg iron; 204 mg sodium; 361 mg potassium

Fish Tacos for the win!

I lived in gorgeous San Diego for a year and I ate more fish tacos than I care to admit… this recipe took me right back… so delicious!!!

Enjoy xo Jen

FISH TACOS

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds mahi-mahi filets
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lime, quartered
12 small corn tortillas, warmed (i used gluten free tortillas)
Romaine or Iceberg lettuce, shredded, for garnish
Pico de Gallo salsa, for garnish
1 avocado, pitted and cut into thin slices, for garnish
Plain Greek Yogurt

Pat fish dry and combine in a nonreactive bowl with lime juice and garlic. Set aside to marinate about 10 to 15 minutes.

When fish is ready, remove it from the marinade, pat dry, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, place fish skin-side down in skillet. Cook until opaque and firm to touch, about 3 minutes per side.

Flake the fish, squeeze one of the lime wedges over the top, and toss to coat. To make a taco, stack 2 tortillas on top of each other and fill with fish, lettuce, salsa, a few avocado slices, and a dollop of greek yogurt. Repeat to make 6 tacos total.

Healthy Chicken Quesadilla

My crazy kiddos have been on a quesadilla kick! So I was on a mission to create a healthier version and it is DELICIOUS!

Enjoy xo Jen


1⁄4 cup onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
1⁄4 cup bell pepper, chopped
2 chili peppers, minced (to taste)
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
nonstick cooking spray
8 gluten free tortillas
1 cup vegan cheese, shredded
1 1⁄2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I made some meatless ones too)
scallion
salsa
plain greek yogurt

DIRECTIONS
In a medium-heavy skillet, saute the onions, garlic and peppers
Add the chili peppers and tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes more until the liquid has evaporated.
Add the chicken and stir well to combine.
Spray a cold skillet with the nonstick spray and heat over medium heat.
Place a tortilla in the pan and sprinkle with 1/8 cup cheese.
Add about a quarter of the chicken mixture and top with another 1/8 cup cheese.
Cover with another tortilla and cook for two to three minutes or until golden brown.
Flip the quesadilla over and cook for an additional two minutes.
Remove from the heat and cut into edges.
Keep warm while frying the remaining quesadillas.
Serve with salsa, scallions, and fat-free sour cream.

Layered Mexican Chicken Salad

This is FUN, portable and DELICIOUS!!!

ENJOY! xo Coach Jen

LAYERED MEXICAN CHICKEN SALAD

2 cups chopped seeded plum tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped seeded plum tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 15-oz. can unsalted black beans,
drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
breast
1 cup fresh corn kernels
3/4 cup prepared guacamole or use fresh avocado
2 ounces lightly crushed tortilla chips – I cut these out but if your plan allows go for it!

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup roasted salted pepitas

How to Make It
Step 1 Make pico de gallo: Combine tomatoes, onion,
cilantro, salt, cayenne, 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, and 2
tablespoons of the oil in a bowl.
Step 2 In a separate bowl, stir together beans, cumin, and
remaining 1 tablespoon each lime juice and oil.
Step 3 Divide half of pico de gallo (about 1/4 cup) among 4
large glasses or pint jars. Top each evenly with romaine,
chicken, corn, guacamole, tortilla chips, black bean mixture,
and remaining pico de gallo. Top each with 1 tablespoon sour
cream and 1 tablespoon of pepitas.

Homemade grain free protein bars!

These bars are dangerously delicious!!!!

Enjoy xo Jen

Grain-Free No-Bake Homemade Protein Bars

Grain-free, soy-free, dairy-free, egg-free and soy-free!

Ingredients
Base:
2 cups nuts
1/2 cup flax meal (flax seeds ground in a blender or spice grinder)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened and organic if possible)
1/2 cup seed or nut butter (made from soaked and dried nuts or seeds is preferable)
3/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tsp organic vanilla extract
Topping:
dairy free chocolate chips (melted)
Instructions

Place nuts or seeds, flax meal, coconut, seed or nut butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
Process until the nuts or seeds are ground into a coarse meal.
Melt coconut oil over low heat. If the temperature of your home is around 76 degrees, you can skip this step and add the oil directly to the food processor as it will be soft enough to process easily.
Add coconut oil, and vanilla to processor bowl and process until well combined to form a thick, yet crunchy paste.
Press the mixture into an 8×8 square pan
Place in refrigerator to chill.
While bars are chilling, melt the chocolate, top the bars with chocolate.
Press the topping onto the chilled bottom layer.
Place back in refrigerator to chill
Cut into squares and serve.
Store in refrigerator.