Paleo Tangerine Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients: 

1 lb ground chicken 

1 tbsp avocado oil 

1 c mushrooms, diced 

1/4 c green onion, chopped 

4 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 tbsp white wine vinegar 

1 tbsp raw honey 

1-2 tsp cayenne pepper 

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 tsp black pepper 

1/4 tsp sea salt 

1 tsp ground mustard 

2 tangerines, peeled 

8 large romaine lettuce leaves 

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat avocado oil on medium heat. Add ground chicken. Cook until almost done.

2. Add mushrooms and onions. Cook until onions and mushrooms are limp. Stir in garlic, white wine vinegar, honey, and seasonings. Allow to simmer 5-10 minutes on low heat.

3. Add tangerine sections and allow to simmer another 3-5 minutes.

4. While mixture is simmering, trim romaine leaves to use as the wrap.

*makes 4 servings*

Adapted from Emily Schromm's Asian Lettuce Wraps, be sure to check out her amazing Superhero Challenge!

Chicken Fried Rice {21 Day Fix Approved}

Chinese food is a staple in our house so being able to make it at home is a must, but making it healthy has been a struggle until now. Today I'm sharing my favorite Chicken Fried Rice recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (I use THIS RECIPE and make my chicken in advance.)

1-2 tsp coconut oil

2 eggs

1 cup brown rice

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or teriyaki sauce

Directions:

1. If you have not pre-made your chicken, cut into chunks, then saute on medium heat in a large skillet with a tsp of coconut oil for 7-8 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside. 

If you have pre-made your chicken, skip to step 2.

2. Scramble 2 eggs. Set aside.

3. Cook your rice. I use Seeds of Change's Seven Whole Grains, which only takes 90 seconds to make!

4. Add frozen mixed vegetables to pan with a tsp of coconut oil. Heat until thawed.

5. Add all ingredients to pan, add low sodium soy sauce or teriyaki sauce.

If you are following the 21 Day Fix Meal Plan:
Measure out 1 GREEN for portion size

One portion equals:
1 YELLOW
1 RED
.5 GREEN
1 ORANGE

{Photo Cred: Beachbody}

Chicken Stuffed Peppers {21 Day Fix Approved}

Stuffed peppers are one of my husband's favorites and one that I'm guilty of not making very often. In all honesty, I'm generally not that impressed with the recipes that I've found. They generally have the same ingredients and I've always made them with ground beef. Turns out, switching the beef out for chicken made a huge difference! So today I'm sharing my new Chicken Stuffed Peppers recipe and to make it even better...it's 21 Day Fix Approved!!

{Photo Cred: Pinterest}

Ingredients:

4 medium bell peppers (I used red and green, but you can use any color)

2 tsp coconut oil

1 medium red onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp chili powder

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (I pre-made my chicken using THIS RECIPE)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups brown rice or quinoa (I use Seeds of Change's Brown Rice & Quinoa Mix)

1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp lime juice

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1/2 cup fresh or frozen sliced mushroom

1/2 cup fresh jalapenos, diced

Hot pepper sauce, to taste (optional - we like the new Chipotle Tabasco sauce)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Place bell peppers, skin side down, in baking dish. I used a square 8x8 Pyrex dish which worked well to hold the peppers upright.

3. Heat coconut oil in large skillet over medium heat.

4. Add red onion, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes or until onion is translucent.

5. Add garlic, stirring frequently for 1 minute.

6. If you have not pre-made your chicken, cut it into small cubes and add it to the skillet here with chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. If you have pre-made your chicken, add chili powder to the skillet, let simmer, and move to step 7.

7. In a separate bowl, mix shredded chicken, cumin, salt and pepper.

8. Follow directions on bag for Seeds of Change Brown Rice & Quinoa. Add to bowl, stir.

9. Add beans, cilantro, and lime to juice to bowl and stir.

10. Add mushrooms and jalapenos to skillet and let simmer for 5 minutes.

11. Add 1/2 cup cheese to bowl and stir. Add contents of skillet to bowl and mix together thoroughly.

12. Add a heaping 1/2 cup of chicken mixture to each pepper and cover lightly with foil.

13. Bake for 35 minutes, or until peppers are tender, remove foil and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

14. Serve sprinkled with cilantro and hot sauce (if desired).

If you are following the 21 Day Fix Meal Plan:

1 YELLOW 

1 RED 

1.5 GREEN

{Photo Cred: Pinterest}

Salmon Burgers with Dill Yogurt Sauce {21 Day Fix Approved}

Y'all these are definitely a new favorite!!! They are seriously amazing and I don't think my family will be surprised at all when we have these again later this week! They're easy to make, so flavorful, and they're not just healthy...they're 21 Day Fix APPROVED!!

Ingredients:

For Burgers:

2 lbs salmon

2 tbsp red onion, diced

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 tsp dijon mustard

3 tsp olive oil

For Sauce: 

1/2 c Greek yogurt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp capers, drained

1 tbsp dill, finely chopped

1. Remove skin from salmon. Dice meat into cubes.

2. Place cubes of salmon into food processor and pulse until the salmon is ground (about the consistency of ground beef/ground turkey).

3. Add salmon to medium bowl. Add egg, whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs, onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, and dijon mustard along with a little bit of black pepper. Mix together until thoroughly combined.

4. Evenly separate the mixture into 4 parts, and make patties out of each.

5. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.

6. Sear patties for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until they are a deep golden brown. 

7. For your sauce, mix all ingredients (Greek yogurt, lemon juice, capers, and dill) together in a medium bowl. 

8. Top burgers with yogurt sauce and serve. We chose to serve ours with a broccoli slaw salad topped with a variety of nuts and dried cranberries. Yum!

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Cheat Day...It's More Than A Meal

Y'all I know all too well the excitement that comes with the arrival of the cheat day!! You've worked hard all week to eat perfectly and finally that day comes when you can dig in and eat whatever you want. But what you forget each week is the guilt that follows that cheat meal.

I can remember the feeling of waiting all week for my cheat day to arrive, planning exactly what I was going to splurge on. Finally, my meal would come and that first bite would be everything I dreamed it would be. Then I would start to think, "I really shouldn't be eating this, it's got so many calories," or "it's so fattening," or "I'm going to have work harder tomorrow to make up for this," and on and on. I would try to rationalize that I deserved this meal because of how good I had been and as long as I was stricter next week, it would make up for my cheating. I was stuck in this cycle and I saw no way out.

Often my cheating would cause so much guilt that I would be discouraged and would easily let that one cheat day, slip into a cheat weekend, and on and on until my progress was completely derailed. Not to mention that these over-indulgent cheat days would tear up my stomach. My body never felt well the next day. Because of the guilt I was dealing with and the sluggish, bloated way I felt the next day, I couldn't even enjoy this day I had been looking forward to all week. 

{Photo Cred Pinterest}

I had no idea how to change what I was doing. My meals during the week were so strict, plain, and unsatisfying. I couldn't wait to eat anything else. I was limiting myself to tiny portion of bland salads and plain grilled chicken. Nothing had flavor and nothing made me feel full. But the thought of having that one cheat day, would keep me going through the week. And so the cycle would continue, week after week. Strict deprivation. Overindulgence. Guilt. Over and over again.

{Photo Cred Pinterest}

So, how did I break the cycle? Well, for me a couple of things changed...

1. I learned how to eat clean

We've talked a lot about clean eating in the last week, so I'm not going to dig into that much, but once I realized that I could eat good-tasting, flavorful food it made my meals enjoyable. I actually looked forward to what I was eating.

2. I learned portion control

For me, having portion control containers was a game-changer! To know exactly how much of a delicious food I could have with each meal made my meal planning so much easier. I was surprised to see how much food I could have and it was a lot more than I'd been allowing myself. They allowed me to eat well and still feel full!

3. I started incorporating a "lifestyle meal" each week

No more "cheat" meals!!! Each week when making my meal plan, I plan in advance where I'm going to work this meal in. I limit myself to an extra 500 calories per week. This meals I can use them all in one meal or I can spread them out throughout the week. Whatever works for me. 

The thing I didn't expect was how little I would actually use those extra 500 calories. My food throughout the week is so delicious and keeps me so full that I usually find that I'm skipping that lifestyle meal. And even better than that? I've fallen in love with my daily Shakeology that my sweet tooth cravings are completely gone. I never would have believed someone if they had told me that was possible!! 

If you're reading this and you're realizing that you're stuck in this all or nothing cycle, know that you can get out!! Find a meal plan that you can stick to without feeling deprived. It shouldn't be bland and it shouldn't be boring. You can eat well and enjoy it!

But know this, there are days you're going to mess up. There are days that you're going to have that extra piece of cake you didn't plan on or that big, juicy burger at your favorite restaurant, and that's ok!! No one is expecting you to be perfect every single day. You haven't failed because you had a few extra calories. You don't owe yourself an extra workout. You don't need to deduct calories from tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day, your next meal is new meal. It's ok to give yourself another chance. You can do this!! I believe in you!!

If you're struggling to find a meal plan that works for you or you can shake that sweet tooth, let me know! Reach out, I'm here for you and I will help you!! My upcoming August Challenge Group might be perfect for you. It's a great place to learn how to meal plan, how to meal prep, learn some awesome recipes, and more...and you can join for FREE!!!!! Interested? Comment with your email below and I'll send you the details!