I Did It So You Can Try It Too!

My boyfriend and I decided that due to this semester being very busy for both of us, that we would try to meal prep lunch every Sunday. So, that is what we did last weekend! We complied a list of what we would both need for the recipe and made it together. It makes mornings so much easier when you don't have to open the fridge and try to decide what you're going to make for lunch; it's already there and ready! Meal prep helps you make nutritious and healthy decisions every day, without having to put much thought into it.

To start our semester meal prep, we decided to keep it easy. I found a video on facebook of a recipe that looked delicious and very nutritious, that was Pesto Chicken with Green Beans and Tomatoes. This recipe was super easy and a great starter for more meal prep. Both my boyfriend and I loved it, and my fellow interns and classmates thought it smelled great too!

The only thing I would change about this recipe is use fresh pesto (avaliable on the Wegman's Olive Bar) instead of the jarred pesto. The fresh would have covered the chicken and vegetables a lot better. I would also recommend bringing a starch to accompany your lunch. Perhaps an apple or pretzels! That way you hit all the food groups in one sitting!

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 pound green beans
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup basil pesto

PREPARATION

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil and add chicken thighs. Season with salt and pepper. When the chicken is completely cooked through, remove from pan, slice into strips, and set aside.

2. Add green beans and cook until crisp tender. Return the chicken strips to the pan, then add tomatoes and pesto. Stir until fully incorporated.

3. Serve immediately or divide into 4 food storage containers and store in the refrigerator. Can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.

4. Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from BuzzFeed 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/robertbroadfoot/step-up-your-meal-prep-game

I used chicken tenders for this recipe instead of chicken thighs due to preference. We also doubled it in order for us to get 8 servings out of it too. 

Try it out and tell me what you think! 

Ditch the Dips!

When I was walking down the canned goods aisle the other day with my parents, I saw that cannellini beans were on sale so I had to pick some up! I wanted to make my own hummus to bring back to my apartment at school and knew that I didnt have a food processor there, so it had to be made here. Hummus is very easy to make and a very nutritious snack. It's a lot healthier than breaking out sour cream based dips at parties, or for a midday snack with something crunchy. Not only is hummus a good dip, but it can also be mixed into salads and used as a dressing, put on top of grilled meat to add some flavor, and even replace mayo in your sandwiches. There are endless possibilities with hummus!

Besides being mighty tasty, hummus is also high in protein and healthy fats. Cannellini beans have 6g of protein per half cup serving! Perfect for anyone on a meatless diet trying make sure you're getting enough protein. Hummus is also made, most of the time, with extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil is high in one of the heart healthy fats called Monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in the body, which can reduce the risk for heart disease.  

Next time you're trying to decide what to bring to a family gathering, or just want to make something tasty to snack on- Turn to Hummus! Delicious, easy, and nutritious too! 

When you make your own hummus, you can decide what type of bean you want to make it with! I like my hummus made with cannellini beans, but some may like it with chickpeas or even kidney beans. Why not try this recipe a few times with different beans!  Here is the recipe I used to make it!

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 

2 cans (15 oz. each) white beans (I used cannellini beans), drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 sprigs fresh rosemary, rinsed

Preparation

1.  In a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir half the olive oil and the 2 cloves garlic until fragrant, being careful not to brown garlic, about 1 minute. Pour the oil and garlic into a food processor. Wipe out the pan and set aside.
2. Add white beans, lemon juice, and salt to the food processor and whirl until smooth. Pour into a serving bowl.
3. Return the frying pan to medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the rosemary sprigs. Warm the rosemary in the olive oil until fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally so the rosemary doesn't burn. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.
4. Set the rosemary aside and drizzle the olive oil over the bean dip. Mince one teaspoon of the rosemary leaves and sprinkle over the dip.
5. Do-ahead tips: Make dip up to 2 days ahead. Store dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring dip to room temperature before serving. Prepare the rosemary oil right before serving.

Thank you diningwithadinergirl.blogspot.com for this great recipe!

Tips for Eating Healthier this Summer

It's officially summer time! School is out for everyone and even the calendar finally says its summer. With summer comes more cookouts, parties, graduation parties and lots and lots of snacking. Snacking can be the downfall of many people's diets or plans to get fit. But no need to worry, I'm here to help! Here are a few tips to help you start or continue eating right in the sunshine and heat.

- Plant a vegetable garden- whether you're in an apartment or a house, you can have homegrown vegetables! Herbs are easy to grow and don't take up much space. You can even grow them inside on a window sill in a little pot. Window boxes are also great for growing things like lettuce or even radishes. And growing tomatoes can be as easy as getting a picking up a tomato kit from your local grocery store or home improvement store

-Buy foods from local farms- When you buy local you not only support your local economy, but you're almost guaranteed that what ever you're buying is just as fresh as if you were growing it at home. I recommend looking up what's in season before you go to the grocery store to buy to make sure you are buying the freshest produce or fruits available.

Now, fruits like blueberries and strawberries are in season where I live.  Try going out and pick strawberries and blueberries at a local fruit stand that offers these options.  It can be much cheaper and a lot of fun to pick them yourself.   One of my favorite memories of growing up is picking strawberries with my family and then making fresh strawberry ice cream.

-Swap out milkshakes with smoothies- A hot day sometimes calls for a refreshing and cool treat to make the heat a little more bearable. Smoothies are an easy and delicious treat to help withstand the heat. Grab a blender, throw in some of the fresh fruit you just picked or grabbed at the store, some ice, and yogurt or milk and blend. Viola! You'll have a cold treat to help you cool off in the summer heat. Protein can be added too to make a great post workout drink. If you aren't able to finish off all the smoothie you made, you can pour it into Popsicle or ice trays and put them in the freezer to have later.

-Skip the chips and dip and try veggies and hummus- Crisp potato chips and dip can taste really, really good, aren't the most nutritious choice for a snack. Instead of bringing chips or crackers and dip to your next cookout, bring a vegetable tray with some homemade or store bought hummus! Vegetables and hummus is a low calorie, highly nutritious snack that won't leave you feeling bloated or guilty like chips and dip will. You'll still get a great crunch, without all the costly calories.

-Drink lots of water- it is no surprise that with increased temperatures comes the increased risk of dehydration and heat illness. To be sure you wont be missing out on any of the summer fun due to feeling tired or sluggish, make sure you're getting 10-12 glasses of water a day. Our bodies are about 70% water, and without an adequate supply, our bodies will not function properly.

Summer Snacking Treat- Cheese-Stuffed Pizza Pretzels

I apologize to all my readers that I have not been able to post sooner on my page, but the summer so far has been quite busy with getting ready for my internship, working about 30 hours a week at starbucks, family get togethers, and my boyfriend visiting for a few days. However, I am going to try to stay on top of this and post more in the coming weeks!

If you know me well, you know that I am a foodie. I am very adventurous in my eating and like to try a wide variety of food, even though I am going to school to be a dietitian. At family parties and eating out  with friends I often get asked "why are you eating that if you're in school to teach people how to eat healthy?", my response is always that you can eat anything in moderation and a little splurge here and there won't hurt me. One of the dishes that I like to make when I am in the food for a little splurge is Cheese-Stuffed Pizza Pretzels. I originally saw this recipe on facebook in one of the Tasty food videos and knew that my family, boyfriend and I would all enjoy it. This recipe is perfect for an appetizer at a barbecue or even as a midnight snack. Its super easy and definitely worth the calories.

Cheese Stuffed Pizza Pretzels

Yields: 3 pretzels

Ingredients:
1 (13.8-ounce) tube store-bought pizza dough
4 cups shredded mozzarella (from two 8-ounce bags)
nonstick vegetable oil spray
15 presliced pepperoni
Store-bought marinara or pizza sauce for dipping

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C. Unroll the dough (it should form 15x9-inch rectangle), then cut the rectangle horizontally into three equal strips. (These will be your three pretzels.) Carefully stretch each of the strips by width and length — stretch each to about 3 inch width and about 34 inch length. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese down the center of each dough strip. (Reserve the last 1 cup of cheese for later.) Fold the dough over the cheese, pressing to seal and rolling slightly to create 3 dough logs filled with cheese. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with vegetable oil. To form the pretzels, take one dough log, move it to the foil covered baking sheet, then form a circle with the ends of the log at the top of the circle. Twist the log ends around each other once and bring them down to meet the bottom of the circle. That's your pretzel shape! Repeat with the other two dough logs on the baking sheet. (Watch the video if you need help with this step.) Wrap pepperonis on the pretzels — 5-ish per pretzel — then sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese among the three pretzels. Bake 14-18 minutes until deep golden brown. Serve immediately with pizza sauce for dipping.

The video is on facebook and can be found with an easy search, unfortunately I am not able to put the link in this post. I recommend eating them right when they are still warm and stuffing a lot of cheese inside them too! Even if you are watching what you're eating, remember it is healthy to treat yourself!