Friday, September 30

Smoothies!!

I had smoothies for breakfast 100% of the time while I was losing weight (and have them about 50% now , the other 50% split between oatmeal and egg white scrambles.) They are the perfect way to ensure that you're consuming less than 300 calories in the morning...or that you're eating breakfast at all for "non-breakfast" people.

Besides being delicious and low cal you can pack them with all the nutrients your diet is lacking. I put magnesium and flax seed oil in every smoothie I make (great for digestion) and protein if I've worked out that morning. (You can save money by substituting silken tofu for protein powder.) You can even sneak things like spinach and kale into your smoothies. (Tone It Up has a delicious Kale smoothie!)

 Here is one of my favorite recipes, the cinnamon roll smoothie, courtesy of my friend Heidy:

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 cup nonfat greek yogurt
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 frozen banana
1 spoonful almond butter
1tbsp flaxseed
1 tbsp chia seed*
sprinkle of cinnamon
LOTS of ice

*Chia seed can be purchased at Whole Foods. It's pricey ($8.99/bag) but since you only use 1 tbsp at a time it lasts a long time. (It is also used to make "healthy" deserts like chocolate mousse and chocolate chip cookies.)

Thursday, September 29

Tofu . . . not as scary as it sounds

Tone It Up is NOT anti-meat.* In fact its not anti anything. Wine, cheese, chocolate and carbs are all fine in moderation. However, as the diet is high in protein** they recommend substituting alternate protein sources whenever possible.

I am totally fine substituting chicken, fish and tempeh (which I had never even heard of pre-Tone It Up) for red meat. But tofu has always grossed me out. It's slimy, squishy, and soggy. Yuck.

However, I hated that I was missing out on Tone It Up recipes like the Zesty Tofu Garden Scramble and Thai Coconut Tofu. So I went looking for a "good" way to cook tofu . . and stumbled upon the dry-fry method:

Take a block of super firm tofu (Trader Joe's brand is the best!) and cut it into thin slices. Place each slice in a dish cloth and press all the moisture out of it. Then place the slices on a Teflon frying pan with NO oil or cooking spray.  As you cook continue to press moisture out with a spatula. Once the tofu is browned on both sides cut into cubes and place in a ziploc bag with a marinade. My favorite is Bella's Organic Asian Wing Glaze from Whole Foods. (20 cal per tbsp)

This morning I combined 4 oz tofu (10 grams protein) and mixed vegetables in a ziploc bag with the wing glaze and added it to a container with quinoa (another great source of protein at 11 grams per 1/2 cup). Two minutes in the microwave and I had a delicious and healthy lunch:)


*There are vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian versions of the plan available.

**Studies show that people who consume more protein have a lower body fat percentage and maintain their weight better. Maintaining blood sugar levels promotes a lean abdomen and helps you hold onto lean muscle tissue. Tone It Up

Wednesday, September 28

Pumpkin Season

As a beach lover, sun worshiper and baseball fan there is almost no reason to look forward to fall. No reason except pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes and, well, pumpkin everything. I admit - I'm a little obsessed. But as pumpkin is a great source of fiber as well as beta-carotene, vitamin A and potassium it's nothing to be ashamed of!

I was THRILLED to get the latest edition of the Tone It Up diet* and find pumpkin pie pancakes and homemade pumpkin spice lattes - something I thought I would have to eliminate from my diet this year. I was also lucky enough to find this amazing enchilada recipe online. Make it spicy enough and it will even appeal to non pumpkin lovers.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 1/2 tbsp. taco sauce
1 tsp. taco seasoning mix
2 large corn tortillas
3/4 cup red enchilada sauce, divided
1 slice fat-free cheddar cheese, halved
1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Brown onions on the stove, transfer to bowl.
Add pumpkin, taco sauce, and taco seasoning to the bowl. Mix well.
Lay two tortillas flat, side by side. Spread 2 tbsp. enchilada sauce onto each one. Place a half-slice of cheese in the center of each tortilla. Distribute the pumpkin mixture between the centers of the tortillas.
Wrap tortillas up tightly and place them in the baking pan with the seam sides down. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup enchilada sauce.
Bake in the oven until enchiladas are hot (about 8 minutes.)
Sprinkle enchiladas with shredded cheese.
Return to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.


*Tone It Up is a lifetime membership so you will get new editions of the plan periodically (summer, fall etc.) The fall plan is all about "comfort food" and even includes a recipe for healthy mac n cheese:)