If you have stubborn weight to lose that won’t seem to come off, no matter how hard you exercise, then it’s time to closely examine the meals that you eat. When I go through this process with a client it’s nearly always high calorie dinners that are the reason that their results have slowed or stopped.

This is a tough one for most of us. Life, work and family are hectic and time consuming, so the concept of eating a healthy, simply prepared dinner may seem completely out of reach.

I believe that we overcomplicate the idea of a healthy dinner. This is because we are so used to eating out at restaurants where entrees are accompanied by sides, sauces and garnishes.

Here are 7 truly healthy dinners that are quick and simple to make…

1. Roasted Broccoli & Poached Eggs: Toss chopped broccoli with a little olive oil, sea salt and minced garlic and roast on a baking sheet at 425F for 25 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice and serve with poached eggs.

2. Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs & Sautéed Kale: Brown 8 beef short ribs in a skillet with coconut oil. Place in a slow cooker with ½ cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce), 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 Tablespoon crushed garlic, 1 Tablespoon crushed ginger and ½ teaspoon ground red pepper. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours. Serve with sautéed kale.

3. Super Greens Salad & Roasted Chicken: Combine a mixture of super greens in a large bowl: baby spinach, beet leaves, arugula and kale. Top with sliced, grilled chicken and drizzle with balsamic vinegar glaze.

4. Baked Catfish & Shredded Cabbage: Grease a casserole dish with olive oil and scatter 1 cup of chopped cilantro over the bottom of the dish. Wash and pat dry 4 catfish fillets. Rub the fillets with curry powder, sea salt and sweet paprika. Lay the fillets evenly in the dish, over the cilantro. Drizzle the fillets with lemon juice and sprinkle with chopped garlic. Bake for 30 minutes at 350F. Serve with shredded cabbage.

5. Stir Fried Chicken & Veggies on Cauliflower Rice: Sauté chicken breast, sliced onions and sliced bell peppers in a skillet with olive oil. Season with sea salt, black pepper and fajita seasoning. Set aside. Cut a head of cauliflower into small pieces and run through a food processor with the shredding attachment. Sauté the shredded cauliflower for 5 minutes in a skillet with a teaspoon of olive oil. Serve the chicken and veggies on top of the cauliflower rice with a side of coconut aminos or soy sauce.

6. Smoked Salmon Omelet & Sliced Tomatoes: Whisk together 3 eggs with a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper. Cook in a heated skillet with a teaspoon of olive oil. Line the egg with smoked salmon and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Fold the egg over the salmon and cheese, and serve with sliced tomatoes.

7. One Pot Chicken & Veggies: In a large skillet, brown a pound of chicken tenders in olive oil. Season with sea salt, black pepper, dried basil, crushed rosemary, sweet paprika, dried thyme, dried parsley and cumin. Add 4 cups of chopped veggies (zucchini, onion, tomatoes) and 4 cloves of chopped garlic. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until tender and fully cooked.

You see, healthy dinners can be quite simple to prepare. Don’t get too hung up on the exact measurements of ingredients and instead focus on combining a handful of quality ingredients together in a delicious way. There’s no such thing as a dinner that’s too simple when nutritious, wholesome ingredients are used.

Don’t forget that a consistent, challenging exercise program is the key to getting and staying fit and lean. If you’ve been dragging your feet about joining one of my programs then today is the day.

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Quick Fast Food Guide

Let’s face it, there will always be those nights when cooking is simply out of the question. Here’s my quick guide to making smart choices when you’re stuck eating a fast food dinner…

Choose Grilled: many fast food restaurants serve grilled chicken – choose this as often as you can.
Ditch the Bun: If a sandwich or burger is the only option then lighten it up by asking to have it lettuce wrapped or simply ditching half (or all) of the bun.
Dressing on the Side: Salads are a great choice, but don’t ever let the restaurant drench it in dressing. Get the dressing on the side and simply dip a little bit to taste. Also avoid croutons or any other high-calories add-ons.
Skip the Fries: Most fast food places now carry more side options than just fries. Avoid all of the fried sides and stick with steamed vegetables or fruit.
Don’t drink Calories: Just because you’re eating out doesn’t give you license to drink a few hundred calories. Stick with water or unsweetened iced tea to easily avoid unnecessary sugar and calories.
Fruit for Dessert: That package of cookies or brownie that comes with your meal may look tasty, but you’re not eating it. You have a fitness goal, remember? Stick with fruit and you’ll be leaner and happier for it.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Who doesn’t love Chicken Pot Pie? Creamy, hearty chicken soup wrapped up in a warm flaky crust…it sounds dreamy, but it’s actually a nutritional nightmare! Not only are there far too many carbs and calories in the crust, but the soup itself is often filled with heavy dairy products and noodles that make weight gain automatic.

I have a lightened up this recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup that gives you the same flavors and comfort of Chicken Pot Pie, while keeping you on track with your fitness and fat loss goals. Enjoy this warming recipe on chilly day!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 16

Here’s what you need

1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 yellow onions, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
¼ cup coconut flour
½ cup white wine
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed
2 cups sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 bay leaf
3 cups roasted chicken, chopped
2 (14 oz.) cans coconut milk, full fat
1 cup Pearl Onions, halved
1 Green Zucchini, diced
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Melt the coconut oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the coconut flour and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in the broth, butternut squash, thyme, poultry seasoning and bay leaf. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to medium. Simmer the soup until the butternut squash and sweet potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes. Discard the thyme and bay leaf.

3. Add the chicken, coconut milk, pearl onions, diced zucchini, parsley and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis

One serving equals: 227 calories, 15g fat, 11g carbohydrate ,4g sugar, 329mg sodium, 3g fiber, and 12g protein.

We have all heard the saying, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and technically, this is true, even if not scientifically proven. Breakfast is the first meal you have and will help set the tone for the rest of your day. Food is fuel for the body, and the decisions you make for breakfast can help make or break the remainder of the day when it comes to becoming energized and ready to go.

So, what can you have in the morning that will provide you with the energy you need?

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a warm and filling breakfast that can be made even better when the proper ingredients are added such as matcha powder and coconut. It will provide you with a hearty and satisfying breakfast that will hold you over until later in the day when you can have lunch. Making it at home also helps eliminate the added sugar that a restaurant or coffee shop may end up adding to it.

Avocado

While avocado may not seem like a breakfast food, it can be a pretty satisfying morning snack when spread onto a piece of toast. While bread can be very high in carbs, it is still not necessary to ditch it. Instead, make better bread choices such as choosing a sprouted grain or rye bread instead of white bread. It is good for the digestive system and will give you the boost of energy you need.

To make it even more filling, you can add an egg to the top of the avocado, and you will get even more protein from a very simple and easy to make breakfast.

Smoothies

Smoothies are a go-to for a lot of people in the morning when they are on the run, and if they are made correctly with only the best ingredients, then it is an ideal solution and a better alternative than skipping breakfast altogether because of lack of time.

Coffee smoothies, for example, are perfect if you can’t function without that cup of coffee in the morning. Blend coffee, banana, oats, chia seeds, and almond butter together for a dairy free but delicious smoothie to start your day off right. Of course, you can substitute any ingredients you may not like or even ditch the coffee altogether.

Smoothies are an easy way to mix in your daily value of fruits and vegetables for your on the go breakfast or snack.

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Here’s a recipe to use those little decorative pumpkins that fill the market this time of year. It’s possible to turn these pumpkins into a quick and yummy dessert.

Here’s the sweet and creamy dessert recipe for baking small pumpkins with coconut oil, cinnamon and a touch of coconut sugar. Eat this wholesome dessert instead of all that seasonal candy to stay on track with your fitness goals!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 1

Here’s what you need

1 mini baking pumpkin
½ teaspoon coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
sprinkle of ground cinnamon
sprinkle of sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a small casserole pan with ¼ inch of water.
2. Carefully cut the top off the pumpkin, so that you can set the top back on for baking. Scrape out the seeds and pulp.
3. Pour the melted coconut oil into the pumpkin. Sprinkle with the coconut sugar, cinnamon and sea salt. Place the top back on the pumpkin and put into the casserole pan of water.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until really tender. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis

119 calories, 3g fat, 24g carbohydrate, 12g sugar, 246mg sodium, 7g fiber, and 3g protein.

I hope that you get a chance to give this recipe a try this week. Remember that I’m only a call or email away to assist you in all things fitness. And if you are not yet one of my prized clients then call or email me now to set up your first workout – I’d love to help you achieve your best body ever!

This is a question that I am sure is asked of many personal trainers. A lot of people claim that yes, muscle does weigh more than fat, but how true is that?

Let’s discuss an old riddle for a minute. Which weighs more? A pound of feathers or a pound of lead? If you answered the same, then you are absolutely correct. A pound is a pound, and that does not change when you are discussing different materials, including body fat and muscle.

A different way to look at the muscle versus fat content is to examine how much room they would each take on a scale. A pound of feathers, for example, wouldn’t take up as much space as the pound of lead. So, in the same respect, muscle takes up less room in our bodies than fat does.

Muscle is dense and fibrous and helps support our body. If you have been on a workout regime or have the help of a personal trainer and you have been sticking to your program, but you find that you are still at the same weight, do not worry. While you may remain the same weight for a while, your body is gradually becoming leaner, healthier, and slimmer. Even if you don’t notice the difference right away.

Muscle Versus Fat

One of the biggest differences between muscle and fat is the density of the two. Strength training is a good way for your body to begin to gain muscle while losing fat, but again, the results may not be immediately recognizable on a scale.

To start cutting down on body fat, you should start by changing your lifestyle. Your personal trainer or even nutritionist can offer advice and recommendations on the types of exercise you should be doing and the types of foods you should be eating.

Getting plenty of sleep, drinking plenty of water, and consuming fewer calories than you are able to burn will all begin to put you on the right path towards health.

Never become discouraged by the numbers you see on the scale, instead continue your program, stay motivated and find encouragement from your personal trainer or by joining a small group fitness program, and you will be well on your way to discovering a new life filled with both health and happiness.

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After you’re finished with your private trainer session, you may feel sore and tired. While this is a sign of a great workout, it’s also a sign that your body has been depleted of necessary nutrition. To curb the post-workout exhaustion, giving your body the proper fuel to repair itself is important, and we want to outline what you should be eating to get yourself feeling great again.

Before getting into the foods you should be eating, it’s important to first understand why your body may feel this way. Post private training, your muscles are running low on glycogen, and you may be experiencing minor wear and tear on your muscle fibers. The discomfort you’re feeling is your body trying to use what it can to repair itself, and you can help by eating foods rich in glycogen, proteins, and healthy carbohydrates. What these do is restore your energy, restore glycogen within muscles, and decrease the breakdown of muscles while simultaneously building them back up.

5 foods to eat after your training are:

1. Tart Cherries – Whether fresh, in a juice, or dried, tart cherries are known to promote muscle recovery and reduce post-workout muscle pain by restoring glycogen stores. A handful of cherries taken plain is just fine, but you can turn this into a fun post-workout snack by adding them to oatmeal, yogurt, or salads.

5. Sweet potatoes – Delicious and starchy sweet potatoes don’t just replenish your body’s glycogen stores, they also contain beta carotene and vitamin C, which help to keep your body strong while upping your immune system defense. They can be taken in a more dessert fashion, like seasoned with cinnamon, or for a savory snack with garlic, paprika, and salt.

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With Halloween just around the corner, it can be pretty difficult to stick to what your small group trainer, personal trainer, and nutritional counselor say to do to keep you on track for your fitness goals. A holiday so heavily revolved around sweets presents a lot of temptation, but you don’t have to derail all of your hard work simply to have fun at a Halloween party. 4 healthy Halloween party snacks you can bring along for everyone to enjoy are:

1. Orange Jack-O-Lanterns – Oranges are pretty simple to carve out just like a pumpkin, and once they’re hollow they’re even simpler to carve a face into! Take oranges and turn them into orange-o-lanterns, then fill them with fruit and replace the top. What you have is a festive, sweet, and party appropriate treat that is wholesome and delicious.

2. Banana Pops – Bananas dipped in chocolate is a big favorite, and in white chocolate they take on the look of a Halloween appropriate ghost. To keep things healthy, use vanilla yogurt rather than white chocolate, and freeze your bananas before the big party. To make eyes, you can insert raisings, small chocolate chips, or chocolate candies into the yogurt before freezing to look like eyes.

3. Spider crackers – Spider crackers work at all-age Halloween parties, and they’re cute to boot. Take a circular whole wheat cracker, use cream cheese or peanut butter in the center, stick 8 “spider leg” pretzel sticks to the filling, then top with another cracker. Using a little of the filling as a glue, stick raisins on the top for two spooky eyes.

4. Cheesy pumpkins – Cheesy pumpkins are perfect for when you need to bring a dish on short notice. Take your favorite soft cheese and form it into a ball, then place a small pretzel stick into the ball of cheese to act as a stem. Using a knife, cut vertically to create pumpkin ridges.

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Oh yah! These dark chocolate coconut cups are about to become your new sweet tooth obsession!

These sweet treats are filled with only wholesome, low-sugar ingredients to keep you on track with your fitness goals. Store these tasty treats in your freezer. Enjoy!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 15

Here’s what you need

For the Dark Chocolate:

1 bag lily’s chocolate chips (stevia sweetened)
1 teaspoon coconut oil

For the Coconut Filling:

½ cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
¼ cup coconut oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Liquid Stevia to taste

Instructions

1. On a rimmed baking sheet that will fit in your freezer, arrange 15 mini cupcake liners.

2. Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler over medium heat. Melt, stirring often, until smooth. Remove from heat. Carefully spoon a teaspoon of melted chocolate into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to harden.

3. Combine the filling ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until creamy and fully combined. Remove the pan from the freezer and place a heaping teaspoon of filling in each liner. Press down to level off the tops.

4. Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the filling, covering all of the white with chocolate. Place the pan back into the freezer for 10 minutes to harden. Serve and enjoy! Keep leftovers stored in the freezer.

Nutritional Analysis

102 calories, 8g fat, 9g carbohydrate, 0g sugar, 16mg sodium, 3g fiber, and 2g protein.

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