Make veggies your best friend!

It's true! You should have a love-love relationship with your vegetables!! The average person should consume 5-7 servings (4-5 cups) of veggies per day! AND POTATOES DO NOT COUNT! It's much easier to do than you think! The more variety you bring into your diet, the better! My choice of veggie varies by season- i love fresh, seasonal veggies. Mmmm nothing like fall squash, summer beans, or winter cabbage, leeks, & onions!

 

 

  

There are SO many ways to take in your daily allotment of veggies, but do you? Try Eat Seasonably for a guide to in season fruits & veggies! Do you look at a carrot and say "eh, later." Well don't! There are so many difference recipes and variations and juices, detoxes, smoothies that will all give you a huge chunk of your daily requirement!

Don't forget the essential nutritional value & benefits they play in your everday life. Veggies are All-Stars in my life! I try to consume as much as possible!!! I make soups, sautees, grill them, cook them, smash them, and drink them! Possibilities are endless! Check out one of my favorite veggie recipe go-to gals, Fully Raw Kristina ! I buy some of her half share fruit/veggie co-ops! She has great juicing recipes along with fruit/veggie recipes!

 

Fully Raw Kristina Inspiration!

 



                                          Some of her great juices!



AND, to top it off, if you still aren't convinced to chow down those colorful bad boys, here is a list of benefits eating them regularly with do for you:

**A colorful palate of veggies will lower blood pressure, which greatly reduces the chances of heart disease (my dad is a cardiologist!), stroke, and even some cancers

**Increased intake of Vitimin B6 --> what does this mean for you? B6 plays a key role in fighting illness!

**More folate consumption (asparagus, broccili, sprouts, cabbage) --> what does this mean for you? helps fetal development for those mamas out there and increases blood cell development

**More FIBER in your diet!! (a big one!)-->we all know this one! Helps with metabolism, lower cholesterol, and a well balanced digestive system!

If you need an extra hand increasing some veggies into your daily routine, check out my good ol go-to Detox company that delivers to your door! (locally) They have a wide assortment of detox juices to choose from. Squeezed Detox Juices

Make Veggies your Best Friend!

Crispy Eggplant Frites!

Don't do it! You know you saw eggplant and you thought, "no thanks." Well, if you are a fry aka "frite" lover like me, then you know you need substitutes! French fries are a big no no in any health-conscious routine... (notice i did not say DIET!) and I've made zucchini fries which were great, so I decided to give eggplant a go since it is about the same consistency! In fact, i think i liked these better- eggplant has just a touch of sweetness to them...very faint...but the foodie in me can tell the difference =) 

These were fairly easy to make, and i loved how crispy they turned out! Give them a go!

I paired mine with a big ol grilled chicken sandwich (bonus: *these buns only had 100 calories in them!)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

: 1 eggplant

: 1 container low sodium bread crumbs (panko would also work great)

: egg whites

: flour

: seasonings of your choice (i went with paprika, pepper, and red pepper flakes because i likey-de-spicy!)

1. Peel and cut your eggplant in half- you can cut into thirds if you want your frites shorter (note: make sure you use large enough dipping bowls so they complete fit straight)

2. In three separate bowls, pour some bread crumbs, flour, and egg whites. You will want enough egg whites to cover all your eggplant (i used 4 egg whites)

3. Slice your eggplant into "frite" size bites; lengthwise mine were about 2-3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide

4. Drench eggplant frites into eggwhites first, then flour, then eggwhites again, then breadcrumbs

5. Place on greased sheet pan

6. Continue until all eggplant is gone

7. Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until outside is brown & crispy to your desire!

Mmmmm they were so crispy and good! 

Approx 300 calories for about 8 frites!

Healthy Vegan/Vegetarian Dinner!

So i am attempting to do a whole week ("week" meaning 5 days, lol saturday and sunday don't count, right??! =)  hehe) of a semi-vegan/vegetarian clean eating! For those of you that aren't familiar with a Vegan diet, it is one that has absolutly no animal products in them. This includes eggs, diary, and all other animal-derived products. Simply put, it is mostly used by those with very strong convinctions against animal cruelty and inhumane treatment of how we slaughter/kill/absorb food from animals. That being said, as an animal lover, i don't think I could ever give up milk or eggs. So- i am doing a "semi-vegan" diet-- composed of all vegan restrictions with the exception of egg whites & fat free milk =) They both have tons of protein...and i need my daily coffee fix...with milk, sooo ya.

Anyways, here is a treat! Second night for dinner I did use an all vegan diet- I had milk/egg whites for breakfast and a big full veggie lunch! After two meals of sauteed veggies you gotta start thinking outside of the box in terms of veggie usage!

I made Butternut Squash & Carrot Soup (don't knock it before you try it!!) along with vegan lasagna bites! They were DELICIOUS! AND the best part about them? *drumroll*.............................. the soup has a mere 60-80 calories per serving (depending on bowl size of course) and the lasagna bites has around 80 calories per serving! A big nice fully healthy meal for a grand finale calorie count of 220 calories! Ladies and gents, you can't beat that! Even with 220 calories, they are all great healthy calories for your clean eating! Your body will love you for it!

On a side note, for about 48 hours I have been vegan-izing, and i have had more energy than I can imagine! The natural energy that fresh fruits & veggies gives you is amazing! I feel like the energizer bunny...keep going and going and going and going...you get the drift. Try out this recipe, I'm sure you'll love it. The sweet taste from the butternut squash overcomes any carrot issues you may have, which, i am not a top fan of carrots...they are not on my top 10 veggie list. So i was a little concernicus that it would be too "carroty" for me-- but it totally was not! The onions brought in a nice sweet carmel taste to it .......ohhhhhhhhhh boy! I can't wait to have my leftovers for lunch! =) Try it out with some variations too! I bet it would be great with tomatoes or even some yellow squash!!

Vegan Butternut Squash & Carrot Soup

Veggie Lasagna Bites

What you will Need:

VEGGIE LASAGNA BITES
-won ton wrappers
-8 oz firm tofu, chopped up
-Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
-fresh basil
-mushrooms, stems removed & thinly sliced
-zucchinni, peeled & thinly sliced
-grape tomatoes, cut in half
-2 cloves garlic, crushed & diced
-oilve oil
(food processor)
(cupcake pan)
BUTTERNUT SQUASH & CARROT SOUP
-1 butternut squash, peeled & chopped (omit seeds)
-5 carrots, peeled & chopped
-1 large onion, chopped
-nutmeg
-2 cups chicken broth substitute (or chx broth for those on non restricted diet)
-pepper
-soy milk (or can use fat free half & half or fat free milk for those on non restricted diet)
(food processor)
(large pot)
To make Lasagna Bites:
1. Sautee garlic in pan with oilve oil lightly, add zucchinni until soft and cooked through
2. Remove from pan & set aside- add mushrooms & more oilve oil until soft - add sliced grape tomatoes until just cooked
3. Spray cupcake pan with light cooking spray, line with wonton wrappers until they form a "cup"
 4. Make "Ricotta Layer" --> in a food processor add tofu, 1 tbs oilve oil, pepper to taste, and a handful of basil. Process until semi-chunky & resembles ricotta cheese
5. Layer your bites with 1 tbs "tomato sauce," then zucchinni, ricotta cheese, mushrooms & tomato.
6. Add one wonton layer inbetween (i had to cut mine so they fit a little more perfectly) Repeat layers once more
7. Add one more dollup of "ricotta" layer
8. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 or until edges of wonton are brown & crispy. Serve immediately & enjoy!!
To make Butternut Squash Soup:
1. After peeling all veggies, in a pot add few tablespoons of oilve oil & get a nice steam/sautee going for a few minutes to lightly coat the outside of the veggies
2. Add chicken broth and let simmer for 30 minutes or until veggies are soft and tender
3. transfer to food processor and pulse until resembles soup. If mixture is too thick, add more chicken broth substitute. If it is too watery, you can try draining some of it through a very fine mesh strainer.
4. Add a few tablespoons of soy milk to it to make it a little bit more creamy...
5. Add pepper to taste--> I added cayenne pepper for an extra oomph!
6. Enjoy!

LOVE basil...pre blend mixture...

Post blend "ricotta" looking mixture!

Calling all wontons!

 

Line em up, stack em up!

 

Add another wonton crazy layer....

Line em up, stack em up again!

Bake and serve!

Yum yum yum!!! Oooey Gooey veggie goodness!!

 

Get ready to boil these babies

Back into this lovely food processor you go!

Little drizzles of soy milk for some extra creamy-gooey-ness

Garnish your bad boy with whatever you like! I choose sprouts! =)



 



Organic Carb Free Zucchini Spaghetti!

So I have had spaghetti squash, which is fantastic, but I wanted to try zucchini spaghetti! It was awesome!! I loved the texture the zucchini have the pasta! You could probably use yellow squash for this too!! The whole thing took me less than 10 minutes!!

I mean look at that color!! Anything you eat with lots of color is FAN FREAKING TASTIC for you!! Everything in this is home made pure fresh and organic!! 

You will need:

-1 large zucchini (2 for two people, etc. 1 zucc made approx 1 cup)

-Julianne zester

-1 large tomato or about 15 cherry tomatoes

-fresh oregano

-2 tbs light oilve oil

-seasoning to taste

Julianne zest the cucumber like so- a Julianne zester has several small ridges which makes the pasta shape! 

Once you zest, make sure you don't start zesting into the seeds, which will just fall apart and become soupy. Now you don't want soupy pasta! You should have a thin zucchini left.

Now, don't throw that away!! We use every part of our fruits and veggies in the Creger household! Oh yes!! Now dice that bad boy up and throw it in the blender! This is going to give your sauce that extra thickness! Throw the tomatoes in along with about 4 tbs of water, your oregano, and any other spices you want! I like my things sppiicccyyyy because I'm southern and dangit everything needs to be spicy!! Lol LIKE SO

Blend that bad boy up.....

Do a taste test......Yum yum yum.. And add any additional seasonings you may need. I added more tomatoes here because I wanted mine just a SMIDGE more creamy!

Next, lightly sautee the strips of zucchini in a pan with 2 tbs oilve oil for a few minutes until warm!

Throw in a bowl, add your sauce and BAM!! Instant CARB free spaghetti ladies and gents, oh yes! This one is a belly buster! Not only a great source in vitamins A & C, but high in calcium and a great source for omega fats and even some protein!! AND....

..........................

Wait for it ................

A whopping 164 calories in that bowl of pasta!! SCORE! Good calories too! Feed your body healthy clean food! 

Low fat Low Calorie No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of my all time favorite desserts!! but SUPER high in fat content!! I found a great recipe and tweaked it a little bit for a low fat low calorie no bake strawberry cheesecake!! You can put any fruit you like on top, or you can make it with regular crust, but I choose sugar free chocolate for my crust...because every girl needs a little chocolate lovin in her life! =)

SO, what you need:
-sugar free chocolate graham cookies (mine were those animal graham cookies)
-1/2 container fat free cream cheese
-1/2 container low fat cream cheese
-1 cup fat free sugar free frozen whip
-strawberries, sliced & hulled
-2 tbs sugar free jam (seedless)
-3 oz bittersweet chocolate
-2 tsp canola oil
-1 tsp vanilla
-1/3 c powdered sugar-2 or 3 tbs fresh squeezed orange juice

(finished product)

Using a food processor, crumble about 25 or so (depending on your size) cookies. Melt the chocolate in a bowl and combine melted chocolate into graham cracker mixture. Also add the canola oil. It should easily combine. Coat a pie dish and lightly layer the bottom and sides with the cookie crumble crust. Place in freezer for 20 minutes or so until it firms up.

 

In a seperate mixing bowl, whip both cream cheeses (cheeses?? correct english?? lol), powdered sugar, and vanilla. Once evenly mixed, lightly fold in the frozen whip (make sure its thawed before you do this!). Spread evenly into pie crust.

 

 

Place in fridge for another 20 - 30 minutes or until it firms up.

In a seperate bowl, combine strawberries, jam, and OJ. Stir until the strawberries are evenly coated. Place on top of pie. Chill for 20 more minutes and BAM! Great cheesecake....i have to say, it really was fantastic..between 3 people it was gone in a week! LOL =) oops! Each serving has approx 200-230 calories, which is great for cheesecake. (and im talking a big hefty serving!) It would be great with blueberries & blackberries as a topping, or even peaches!!

I tried making it with all fat free cream cheese, but the consistency of fat free is just a lot less firm, so it was more like a cheesecake pie =) This one held up a lot better. I freezed it for a bit before serving so it was fairly firm.

 

ENJOY!

Whey is Wonderful!

So i love love looooove me some Whey Protein! I have used it in oatmeal, pancakes, and of course smoothies! I recently made one of my favorites- cinnamon blueberry whey smoothie! It was fantastic!

Super easy and fast to make too! I lots of times have them for breakfast or after a workout-- post workout protein is essential in building & repairing muscle! ESPECIALLY if you are trying to tone up with weights! Protein also helps give you an energy boost and this particular Whey is 100% Whey and is low calorie.

Flavor is Cinnamon Graham Cracker! YUM! Take one scoop and throw it in the blender alongside a cup of blueberries and a cup of fat free milk. For extra creaminess, you can add 1/2 c of non fat plain greek yogurt as well!

Blend that bad boy up and Whoila!! Great creamy delicious, healthy smoothie!

For more great whey recipes, visit Cecilie Lind's website! She has a TON of protein packed recipes that I love trying! I'm going to try the orange protein mousse & pancakes this weekend!! Recipes

 

Make everyday a Protein Party!

Protein: Any of numerous, highly varied, organic molecules constituting a large portion of the mass necessary of all animals and organisims.

Ever heard of the caveman diet? Or the raw diet? or the paleo diet? or any of those "fresh" diets? Well, I wouldn't call them diets, EXACTLY, i would call them protein conscious eating habits..at least, that's how I like to think about it =)

I don't diet. Ever. There are two things i hardly ever eat/drink-- BEER (high carbs, high sugar, no nutritional value) and red meat (rare occassions). Other than that, i indulge, I don't "diet" (meaning cut out certain foods), i just eat clean and healthy! And OH YES, lets not forget about my never ending chocolate cravings...uh huh, yes sir. Top of the list buddy!

BUT, protein is a great way to streamline your eating habits. Protein is healthy, gives you energy, muscle mass (if you are working out actively), a better digestive system, and oh yes, a faster metabolism (or so they say!). So, why not focus on giving yourself a protein party everyday! Here is a list of quick easy, yummy things that are packed with protein! Snack em, eat em, sautee em, cook em, grill em, whatever! The less you add to them, the healthier they are for you!

1. NUTS--> almonds, peanuts, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, ALL GOOD. Even peanut butter (LOW SALT) is a great way to sneak it in!

2. SEEDS --> Pumpkin seeds! sunflower & seasame seeds (again, NO SALT!) all great! I love adding some cayenne or paprika to my pumpkin seeds for a punch!

3. DAIRY --> some have mixed emotions about the fat content of diary ,myself? I consume a limited amount of what i call "pure" protein dairy EX: cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, fat free greek yogurt, fat free milk, egg whites (LOVE boiled eggs!)

4. BEANS --> one of my FAVORITE ways to grab n go a protein party! Kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans (no salt!), garbanzo beans, chick peas...yummmmmmm (hummus anyone?)

5. SOY --> this is the king of the party, soy EX: Tofu, soy milk, veggie burgers, these can contain up to a whopping 25 g per half cup! WOW! Try this Tofu Wonton Recipe!

6. SPINACH --> also provides a great source of fiber and Vitimin A! throw it in a salad, your sautee, your bake, or stuff it inside a chicken!

7. NON-FATTY MEATS --> Turkey & Chicken breast (skin off). I usually make a batch of this on the grill or sauteed or in the oven on Sunday and then have them all different ways as snacks or lunches during the week! Pork Loin is also good!

8. SEAFOOD --> Shrimp, Scallops, Mussels, all have under 80 calories per serving with very high protein ratios. Salmon, Hailbut, Tilapia are all great choices as well. Seafood is one of the best things you can eat when eaten without a lot of "additives" (ex cream sauce, pasta, etc).

Incorporate several servings a day of fresh fruit and veggies and you are good to go! =) How many ways can you incorporate protein into your diet!?