My Latest Addiction

I'm totally hooked on this Chopped Buffalo Chicken Salad at Subway. I've had it 2 days in a row and I actually want to get it again for lunch today. 

It's only 130 calories and 21g protein!! The sodium is pretty high at 700mg though, so maybe I shouldn't be having it every day but it tastes so good! 

Healthy Travels

I'm back from vacation! I went to Florida to visit my beautiful best friend and we went to Universal Studios. I finally got to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. If you know me, you know that I love Harry Potter. We went to Halloween Horror Nights on Thursday and Friday night and got sufficiently scared by all of the zombies. I had so much fun! I want to go back right now.

Matching cupcake temporary tattoos because we're awesome. Yes, that is a zombie in the bottom corner.

I always allow myself to go wild on vacations. No counting calories for me! I mean c'mon I'm so much more active on vacations anyways since I sit at my desk ALL day long at work. Case in point, I wore my Fitbit around the parks and racked up over 30,000 steps each day, which is almost 10 miles per day. So I will allow myself a delicious Butterbeer without any guilt.

I will never say "No" to Butterbeer! 

But when it comes to flying I like to keep it clean. Since my parents live on opposite coasts (Mom's in California and Dad's in North Carolina. That's about 7 hours in the air, plus any time during a layover) I fly A LOT and the flights are always extremely long. I've gotten pretty good at packing exactly what I need on a flight so that I don't have to pay the $10+ for a box of crackers and cheese on a plane and I won't feel tired or gross when we land.

1. First, and most important, I always pack a reusable water bottle. Preferably one that has a built in filter so that you can refill it at the water fountains through out the airport.  In case you didn't know, TSA does not allow you to bring a full bottle of water through security. I refuse to pay $5+  for a bottle of water at the airport and the little cups they give you on the plane are gone in a sip. Flying really dehydrates you so it is important to keep water on hand at all times. 

2. Healthy snacks are key to any flight. I like to pack granola bars and prepackaged bags of almonds. Apples, Bananas, Babybel, or 100 calorie pack snacks would also be a great options.

3. Bring your own meal. A lot of people aren't aware that it is totally acceptable to bring your own meal to the airport. I love to go to the grocery store the night before a long flight and pick out a fresh prepackaged salad. Place it in a safe spot in your bag so that it doesn't get crushed and enjoy whenever you get hungry. This saves me probably over $5 since this Kale Crunch salad that I bought was about $4 and the salads at the terminals are about $10. 

4. Since flying completely dries out my skin I need to bring a thick body lotion and a good lip balm. Always remember to apply generously before you board and then keep it close at hand during the flight. I absolutely hate getting off the plane with chapped lips.

5. Hand Sanitizer and Anti-Bacterial wipes are super important when flying. This may seem crazy but I feel so much better if I just wipe down my tray table before I use it. I would rather look like a germaphobe than get to my vacation destination and be sick.

And of course magazines to keep entertained during the flight. I also like to download movies to my iPad the night before just in case they don't show any on the flight. 

If you do have a layover try to walk as much as you can during your time there. I know most people already have to run from one side of the airport to the other to catch their next flight but sometimes I have a layover that's 2 hours or longer and it's good to just walk and stretch my legs.

What are some of your tips for healthy travels?

Turkey Sloppy Joes

Lately, I've been craving comfort food. But comfort food isn't typically diet friendly. I wanted to make lower calorie sloppy joes and add in a bit more veggies than I normally would (normally, I don't add any veggies at all so this is an improvement). I think this sloppy joe recipe rocks. Totally delicious and really quick and easy. 

Ingredients:
2 lbs Lean Ground Turkey
1/2 Red Onion
1 large red bell pepper
3 Celery Stalks
1 Garlic clove
1 cup Ketchup
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire
1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Tabasco (Optional)
1 tsp sriracha (Optional)
Hamburger Buns

Chop up the red bell pepper, celery, and onion as finely as possible.

Spray the pan with Olive Oil spray and set to medium heat.

Throw those veggies in the hot pan.

Wait until they are a bit soft and tender then add in minced garlic and sprinkle salt and pepper.

Let the veggies cook for another 2-5 minutes then remove from the pan and set aside.

I have never been that crazy about ground beef. In fact, when I was little I wouldn't eat anything with ground beef, not even a hamburger. My taste buds have changed,of course, but I still prefer ground turkey over ground beef when I can. This Jennie-O ground turkey is my favorite! 

Cook up the ground turkey until you no longer see any red/pink. Use a spoon or spatula to go through and break up any of the larger pieces. 

Add in the rest of the ingredients, including the veggies we set aside earlier.

Stir it up until everything is fully coated in sauce.

I put half a cup of the sloppy joe mix in a toasted bun. I used regular hamburger buns because the whole wheat buns were an additional 100 calories. Of course whole wheat is a lot healthier but right now I'm focusing primarily on calorie count. 

    Makes 8 Servings

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 sandwich with 1/2 cup of sloppy joe mixture

Amount Per Serving

Calories 328 Calories from Fat 88

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9.8g 15%

Saturated Fat 2.5g 13%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 80mg 27%

Sodium 668mg 28%

Total Carbohydrates 34.2g 11%

Dietary Fiber 2.7g 11%

Sugars 13.7g

Protein 26.4g

Vitamin A 26% • Vitamin C 55% Calcium 7% • Iron 21%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

What is your favorite comfort food?

Green Goddess Smoothie

When I decided to make just green food this week for St. Patrick's Day I did not plan on making a whole bunch of green smoothies but this one is really good and I just had to post it. Not only is it good for you but  it's super delicious. It has easily become my new favorite breakfast.  

This smoothie has a whole bunch of really delicious, fresh ingredients that are really great for you. 

Spinach, is great for your skin but it also promotes healthy brain function. 

Broccoli, boosts your immune system and fights cold virus'. 

Kiwi, is high is fiber and antioxidants, has been found to protect against cancer. 

Pineapple, improves digestion and strengthens bones. 

Orange, is rich in vitamins and minerals, lowers cholesterol and high blood pressure as well and boosts immune system.

Ingredients:

1 Kiwi (peeled)

1/4 Cup Fresh Broccoli Florets 

1 Cup Frozen Pineapple

1 Navel Orange

~4 Cups Raw Baby Spinach

1/4 Cup Water

Blend all ingredients until liquefied. 

Pour into a festive glass and enjoy.

I love this smoothie because it tastes more like a tropical cocktail than a ultra healthy smoothie. If you don't think it's sweet enough you could add a small sweet apple, like a honey crisp, or more pineapple. 

    Makes One Large Glass.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 557 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 244 Calories from Fat 12

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1.4g 2%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 105mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 58.6g 20%

Dietary Fiber 12.1g 48%

Sugars 40.2g

Protein 7.5g

Vitamin A 238% • Vitamin C 494% Calcium 24% • Iron 24%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

                 What is the best smoothie you've ever had?

Saving Money with Homemade Freezer Food

I've been trying my hardest to save money lately. I have an addiction to weekly retail therapy and I love going out to lunch. But since I am going to Italy in May! (I'm so freakin' excited!!) I really need to buckle down and save as much as I can. I thought what a better way to save than to start bringing my lunch from home everyday. I began this mission last week and the only thing I could think of bringing for lunch was Lean Cuisines and Progresso Soup, that is until I was totally sick of it and ended up getting Chick Fil A because I couldn't stomach eating one more Lean Cuisine.

Then I thought about making freezer burritos. Less calories than the ones at the store and less mysterious. It seemed easy enough and I do love burritos.

The ingredients were simple, too. Just flour tortillas, shredded Mexican cheese, black beans, Target's Cilantro lime rice (it's in the freezer section and it's just like Chipotle's  rice but with corn in it) and shredded chicken.

The chicken I made ahead of time by throwing it in the crock pot for 8 hours on low with a little taco seasoning and hot sauce. 

Prepare the cilantro lime rice as instructed on the bag and added the can of black beans. 

Take a heaping scoop of the rice and beans and plop it on the tortilla.

then add the chicken.

(Brian wanted to add more spices and hot sauce to his burrito) then sprinkle on the cheese.

roll the tortilla up as tightly as possible.

Then individually wrap each burrito in saran wrap before throwing them in a large zip-lock and putting them all in the freezer.

Whenever your ready to eat one just take it out, remove the saran wrap and microwave for a minute. It's a really quick and cheap work lunch alternative and it's pretty healthy.

The next thing I decided to try was pancakes. I make pancakes almost every Saturday morning. I LOVE PANCAKES. But, I always have left overs and never end up finishing them all. I don't know why I never thought about freezing them before.

First off, I cheated and just made a double batch of Bisquick blueberry pancakes. (I am on the hunt for a low calorie healthy alternative that doesn't call for crazy ingredients that I would never normally have on hand. I'll keep ya posted if I ever find one.)

After stuffing my face, I began stacking the pancakes with wax paper in between each one.

and then I just stuck them all in a Freezer Ziploc Bag. 

When you're ready to eat them, take out as many as you want and nuke them in the microwave for about 45 seconds to a minute. 

Time & money saving deliciousness!