Mason Jars Salads!!

I'll admit.. I saw the posts about salads in jars and I thought it was absolutely ridiculous... and then I gave it a whirl. Ya'll- it stays fresh all week! Try prepping a salad in a plastic or glass storage container and it does NOT work. I hate soggy lettuce! I also hate toting around dressing bottles with me.

Behold - some of my favorite recipes in jars.

Ingredients: layer bottom to top 

-Bolthouse farms Caesar dressing

- Rotisserie Chicken 

- Grated Parmesan Cheese

-Romaine Lettuce 

Ingredients: layer bottom to top 

-Chicken Salad: (2c rotisserie shredded chicken, 1/2c plain Greek yogurts, 1/2c red onion, 1/2c grapes, 1/4c celery, 1tsp garlic powder & pepper, 1tbsp lemon juice) 

- lettuce of your choice 

Ingredients: (layer bottom to top) 

-Poppyseed salad dressing 

-Chopped chicken (can use rotisserie chicken) 

-almonds slices 

-Chopped apples (squirt with lemon juice to prevent it turning brown)

- Cranberry 

-Lettuce (50/50 Blend) 

Ingredients: layer bottom to top

-Salsa

-Turkey burger with low sodium taco seasoning 

-Low Sodium black beans 

-Chopped red onions 

- Corn

-  Shredded cheese

- Chopped peppers

- Romaine lettuce 

Family Meal Planning!

"How do I meal prep for my entire family?" --- this is something I hear OFTEN. I don't have children YET, but I am from a large family, and so I wanted to share some of my favorite tips. 

First things first, you don't have to prep all your meals in one day, but you do have to PLAN them. If you're frugal like me, and on a time crunch, you'll want something healthy, easy, and convenient. 

So where do we start? Check your pantry and freezer for anything you can use. That'll save you some money! If you're a coupon clipper like me, you can plan to use those as well. (Look back at previous posts about Meal Prepping on a budget for more details). 

Recipes are literally floating all around you, you just have to utilize them! I personally like crockpot meals, freezer meals, & quick 15 minute meals like skillet meals. Pick 5 meals for Monday - Friday (or 7 meals if you want to plan Saturday and Sunday in advanced too), and write them on the calendar. From there, create your grocery list & head to the store! You can either toss it all in the crockpot before work, make it ahead of time like me, or make it the night of - choose whatever works best for you and your family! 

After your store run, your kitchen may look something like this..... 

After the store, wash/cut the produce that can be used in snacks or lunches. Invest in containers that help keep produce fresh for longer! Wash apples, peaches, etc and toss them in the fruit crisper. Wash lettuce and put in salad spinner. Wash carrots and put in container for an easy snack. (These are just some examples)

Now, lunches. Don't over complicate it! There's endless combinations that are healthy, well balanced, ANNNND children friendly. I remember the middle school days... I wanted lunchables, but it was the last thing my parents would buy me. They were expensive and had ZERO nutritional value. Make lunches fun by creating DIY lunchables and offering the kiddos, or your husband, options! 

Here are some of my favorite things that alone can be used as a snack, or combined can create a meal:

- Boars head lunchmeat (deli section-still technically processed but doesn't contain nitrites.)

- Sargento cheese 

- Ezekiel tortillas 

- Mixed nuts

- Hummus

- Hard boiled eggs 

- Peanut butter (I love Justin's Peanut Butter! Comes in mini packets for lunches, or you can buy the tub and put it in separate containers. Dip carrots, celery, peanut butter, or crackers!)

- Nut Thins crackers 

- Fresh fruit (apples to dip in peanut butter, berries, banana, etc)

- Fresh Veggies 

- Lara Bars, Kind Bars, AdvoBars (my favs!!) 

Now, mix & match!

- Turkey, cheese stick, crackers, hummus, carrots, berries, and trail mix. 

-turkey wrap, string cheese, crackers, hummus, carrots, and hard boiled egg. 

- Turkey Wrap, carrots, berries, hard boiled egg. 

Other easy meals can be created using a rotisserie chicken and some imagination! Add some hot sauce to the chicken, or pizza sauce, and make a quesadilla! 

Add some taco seasoning or salsa & your favorite Tex Mex seasoning, and you have a taco salad! 

If you don't want to prepare dinners ahead of time, that's ok! Shred a rotisserie chicken and toss it in a crock pot with some chopped veggies & Soup Mix, and you have a delicious fall soup by dinner time. 

Marinate a pork tenderloin & throw it in a crockpot with red potatos, carrots, and onions. 6-8 hours on low, and your house will smell HEAVENLY! 

If crockpots aren't for you, Google skillet meals!  Super easy, and typically take 10-30mins. This is a Mexican skillet meal that I am obsessed with. 

This process isn't meant to be overwhelming, which is why my next challenge group is focusing on Families!!! So whether you're solo or you're a family of many, I would LOVE for you to join my challenge group. It will focus on meal planning for the week, eating clean, gaining energy, and becoming more active. 

How do you enroll? Message me or email me (jesolgat@gmail.com) and we will set up a time to talk details. Warning : I will ask many questions, but it is only so I can customize this for you/your family! You pick your recipes, and I will help you execute the plan. I am SO excited about this challenge - it's a first of its kind! :) once you learn this process, I PROMISE that your weeks will be more organized and less overwhelming. 

Have a blessed week! I'm logging off to eat some chicken & veggie soup while watching college football. <3 

In good health, 

Jessie 

A few of my favorite things! (Healthy Alternatives!)

The other day I was grocery shopping for my week, and I noticed the amount of people just grabbing jars and boxes without ever looking at a label. I picked up a few of the items and snagged a picture. 

Let's start with this "healthy", organic soup. The front of the box makes it look super healthy, right? I mean, only 90 calories? 

And then you look closer. 90 calories per 1/2 cup serving. Who only eats a 1/2 cup of soup?! Then sodium.. Holy mother of Pearl. 850mg * 2.5 servings in this box = 2125 mg sodium. Yikes! 

Next up, black beans! These cans look very similar, but the one on the left has no salt added. 1400mg sodium in 1 can of regular black beans..... Scared yet?

When I look at labels, I look at sodium, Sugar, and I quickly browse the ingredients list. I'm not going to get into the specifics of what you need to look for, but I'm going to share with you my healthier alternatives. 

If you want to learn more about food labels, try watching some documentaries.  Some of my favorites are "Hungry For Change", "Food, Inc", "Food Matters", & "Sugar coated". It'll change the way you eat. 

So what do I do? 

1. Buy fresh over canned. Rarely do I buy ANYTHING in a can. Veggies are fresh or frozen, and even my frozen veggies are plain frozen ones. Don't get the kind covered in cheese or flavoring. Fruits are ALWAYS fresh or sometimes I get the plain frozen berries. 

2. Black beans & Brown rice - I buy them in the bags and make them myself. It does take longer, but it's WAY healthier.

3. Pasta sauce? I make my own! 

No, I am not a distributor for Wildtree, but I stand behind their products 110%! They have healthy BBQ sauces, taco seasonings, fajita seasonings, spaghetti sauce blend, and bouillon bases. I use them every single week during my meal prep. My cupboard... :)

If you dont want to pay the money for Wildtree, some over the counter alternatives are Tony's salt free seasoning  (Again, make sure you get SALT FREE), and Mrs. Dash.  

4. Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce. Click here  and you can actually sign up to get some free samples. 

5. Plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, butter, milk, or mayo. I just swap it out when I make things. My favorite is Chobani. I also use almond milk instead of regular milk in a lot of my recipes as well.

6. Save your money and your health, do not even buy a single pre-packages frozen meal... 

7. Noodles? Buy whole grain, or use spaghetti squash or make zoodles! (Zucchini noodles). Don't make this feel like a diet, you CAN still eat pasta, there's just healthier alternatives. :)

8. Bread & wraps-  I LOVE Ezekial brand. In frozen health food section. 

9. Drinks? My most consumed beverages are: A. Water B. Spark C. Rehydrate D. Plain black coffee. When you have energy & you FEEL good, you start to show it in your smile and the way you carry yourself. Don't be the girl on the left. The life sucking, exhausted, negative Nancy.

Looking at what you're drinking is very important. It's always the added ingredients that go unnoticed. The sugar in the sweet tea & juices, the crap in the creamer for your coffee, the energy drinks - don't even get me started. I did a lot of research to find healthy alternatives, and I chose to use the products that Doctors & pro athletes use. 

10. Your mindset. It's important to understand that the things I listed above should never make you feel like you're on a diet. IF you go out to eat or go to a party in which you consume something not so healthy, you shouldn't beat yourself up about it. I host challenge groups solely to teach others what they SHOULD eat, how to swap ingredients, and that this is a lifestyle change with the goals of eating 80% healthy, and 20% whatever. This is coming from a girl that just ate a cold slice of leftover pizza before I go running with my dog. #balance

Be strong. Be fierce. And continue to make small changes each day. Over time, BIG changes occur.

Happy Sunday, ya'll! Hope to see more of you joining the next round of our challenge group! 

Chicken & Quinoa Chipotle Jars

This one is SO delicious!! This recipe is nutritious, simple, and so filling! 

Ingredients:
- 1/2 c black beans
- 1 c quinoa
- 1 sweet potato 
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 c cilantro
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 rotisserie chicken OR 2 chicken breasts, cooked
- Taco Seasoning
- Chipotle Seasoning

Directions 

1. Cook 1/2c raw black beans per package until done. If you used canned black beans, make sure you get low/no sodium! 
2. Add 1c quinoa, 2c water, and season to taste with taco seasoning. Cook per package, usually simmering 20-25mins. (Note: I use Wildtree because it's low sodium, but there's many options to make your own! You'll hear me say this over and over, I do not get paid to endorse Wildtree seasoning, its just healthy and I love it! Nor do I sell the product.) 
3. In a frying pan, cook 1c diced sweet potatoes in 1 tbsp coconut oil. Season to taste. I used chipotle seasoning!
4. When quinoa is done, add 2 tbsp lime juice and 1/4c chopped cilantro. Mix up, set aside.
5. Shred rotisserie chicken, or cook and shred chicken breast. I use rotisserie chicken because I make multiple meals out of it, like chicken Caesar salads (see next post)
6. Layer in a jar! I did sweet potatoes first, then chicken, black beans, and quinoa. You could top with salsa and a spoonful of greek yogurt instead of sour cream when you're ready to enjoy!

More yummy recipes in my Meal Prep Mania challenge group! 😍 You're always welcome to join us! 

Message or email me if you want to join us!

 

Message me on IG (@Jnferrell)

Email: Jesolgat@gmail.com 

In good health,
Jessie 

Healthy Chicken Burrito

In the Ferrell house, we could eat tacos and burritos EVERY single week. I'm always discovering ways to make them as healthy as possible, and I finally nailed it. 

Ingredients:
-Ezekiel tortillas (Found in health food section in the freezer!)
-2 chicken breasts
-Salsa
-1/2c black beans 
-2c brown rice 

- Cheese

Recipe:

1. Throw chicken breasts (frozen or thawed) in crockpot.. Season with some low sodium taco seasoning and cover in salsa. (I use Wildtree taco seasoning because it's super healthy. No, I'm not paid to endorse them. I literally just love their products. Some people make their own. Others just buy low sodium kind. Do what is best for YOU!) Cook on high 4 hours.

2. Black beans- (I use raw) cook per package. They simmer for about 1.5-2h
3. Brown rice- (I use the plain kind in a bag). Throw 2c rice, & 4c water into pan and bring to boil. Season to taste, so it is like Spanish rice (I use Wildtree taco seasoning and throw in 1/4c salsa). Once boiling, let simmer for 45mins.
4. Once chicken is done, shred with a fork. Add more salsa if it needs it. Put shredded chicken. Black beans, and a pinch of cheese in tortilla. Rolls up like a burrito. Place it in a pan with a small amount of coconut oil so each side is crispy and the burrito stays together.
5. Place in Tupperware for the week. Makes 6 servings!!

More yummy recipes in my Meal Prep Mania challenge group! 😍 you're always welcome to join us! 

Message or email me if you want to join us!

Message me on IG (@Jnferrell)

Email: Jesolgat@gmail.com 

Meal Prep Mania - Week 1

Tomorrow is Day 1 of the new Meal Prep Mania challenge group! I am so excited! Before I dive into what I did to prepare, let me just give you an overview of what the group is. Although we are officially starting Day 1 tomorrow, we are still welcoming others to learn tips and tricks of fitness and nutrition.

The group was created by 3 women: Robyn, Meg, and me. Although we are scattered across the globe, we used the same method to regain our health and confidence, and so we are paying it forward and teaching others.

Meg McCarthy - Georgia 

I've never formally met this woman, but I have watched her transformation from the sidelines. She is one of the most positive, inspiring women you will meet. She isn't afraid to be transparent and share the good, the bad, and the ugly about her journey. You will ALWAYS see a smile on her face - and if you follow her social media, she is always 100% with meal prepping, taking her products, and exercising.

Robyn Partin - Tennessee 

Despite being in another state, Robyn is one of my BEST friends. She works full time as an exercise physiologist, but she is always willing to help others outside of work. She was a collegiate athlete and then trained pretty intensely for decathlons.  She literally trained herself into the ground. She joined one of my challenge groups a few months back and has been hooked ever since. She's now stepped up to teach others about fitness, nutrition, and the importance of supplementation. 

Jessie Ferrell - Texas

Yes, that's me. I work full time as a PA, but I've always had a calling to help more people. After I gained confidence and self love through my fitness journey, I felt compelled to share what I learned with others. I love meal prepping, AdvoCare, and all things fitness. 

Did you notice the similarities between us? 1. We meal prep. 2. We exercise 3. We use the world's best and safest nutritional products to fill in our nutritional gaps. We decided to launch a challenge group that focused on those 3 key areas to help others transform their health and fitness the way that we have.


So now that we covered that, lets dive into what I did to prep for this week. If you belong to my group already, then you also have a grocery guide that shows you how to create a well balanced meal. You also have some money saving tips.

1. Check inventory - freezer, pantry, etc. If you have things on hand, USE THEM. :) Write down things you have like brown rice, black beans, frozen veggies, meats, etc

2. Check ads for things on sale. Again, stick to the grocery guide. If pizzas are on sale, walk riiiiiiight by. This is about eating clean and healthy.

3. Once you checked inventory and ads, start looking up recipes you can make with those. My favorite is Pinterest.

4. Grocery store then home to prep. ;)

Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes 

When prepping, I always start with things I can throw into the crock pot since those take the longest. For this week, it was the pulled pork stuffed sweet potatoes. The recipe called for 2# pork loin, so I cut my loin in half and threw the remaining 2# in the freezer for a recipe next week. :) 

Next, sweet potatoes. I threw them in the oven for 45 mins. When they were done, I just let them cool and placed in the refrigerator until my pulled pork was done.

Final result:

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken

Since I have 2 slow cookers, I try to do 2 slow cooker recipes, and remaining between stove top and oven. Gives me more options to multitask. This recipe was SUPER easy! 

 Because this recipe calls for rice, I went to stove top recipes next. Brown rice cooks for 45 mins, so I placed that on the stove first and then began prepping for my next stove top meal.

When it was all done, final result:

Sauteed chicken chunks, quinoa, and broccoli

The original recipe calls for brown rice, so I could've made a double batch of brown rice on the stove top, but for whatever reason, I decided to do this recipe with quinoa.

See - chicken, quinoa, and brown rice going. 2 slow cookers going to my left also. MULTI TASK! :)

When my chicken was done, I set it aside and then sauteed the veggies to add to the cooked quinoa. Sooooo good. 

My next 2 recipes called for grilled fish and chicken. Since I don't have a grill, I broiled them at the same time, but on 2 separate pans. I just realized I didn't take a picture of this - but that's ok! 

Broiled Flounder, Asparagus, Cauliflower mash:

I took my 4 flounder fillets and put chipotle lime rub on them from Wildtree. I broiled for 3 mins on each side.

Asparagus, I just sauteed in a pan with some olive oil and seasonings.

Cauliflower mash : here's the recipe. After I got the chicken and the fish in the broiler, I started steaming the cauliflower.

Sriracha Lime Chicken Chopped Salad

Remember when I said I broiled chicken with the fish? Well, the chicken is for this recipe.  It looks soooooooo good. I cannot wait to dive into this!

I always make my salads in jars becase they keep better in the fridge. Layer dressing, chicken, veggies and pineapple, lettuce. (I used romaine)

No Noodle Pad Thai 

Since I made Thai peanut chicken and had all of the ingredients, I figured I'd make this easy recipe also. It involves tons of veggies so I did my chopping after I chopped veggies for the above salad. (Note: I probably should've left the peanut sauce on the side and mixed right before eating - but I guess now I know for future reference!) 

Lastly - snacks.

I ALWAYS make sure my fruits are washed and chopped and put into appropriate containers. Its much more convenient and I don't waste produce.

Well, that's all for today. I cannot wait to see what other recipes the members of the group come up with! Check out the past blog posts for more recipe ideas. :) Happy Sunday! 

Quick & easy meal prep!

In the perfect world, I'd meal prep on Sunday's after church. In my world, it's based around my husband's shift schedule. He works multiple day stretches at 3 fire departments, so there's many days I don't see him. Today is his first day home in a week, and he's gone again tomorrow. So today, I meal prepped. 

We were out running errands, so I had to think on the fly. I had a savory sweet onion chicken freezer meal already frozen. I also had brown rice, ham, cabbage, red potatoes, carrots and onions. 

I purchased broccoli, lettuce, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, apples for snack, a rotisserie chicken, and some hot sauce, and together I created this: 

The cabbage soup is an old childhood favorite. I don't even follow a recipe, I used whatever I had. 

After that was going, I threw 2c of brown rice in a pot, 4c water, some carrot slivers, onion, and some of my favorite seasonings for more flavor. (a low sodium, all natural chicken bouillon base by Wildtree, pepper & garlic powder). Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes. 

Next, the rest of my red skinned potatoes before they spoil. I cooked them in some garlic Grapeseed oil and seasoned with pepper. 

Next, broccoli and green beans for my veggies! Just steamed them. 

My stove- multitasking is key!

After all of that was done, I grabbed out my rotisserie chicken. 2 meals were prepped using one of the chicken breasts from the chicken, some green beans, and some red skinned potatoes. 

The rest of the chicken was shredded and thrown in bowl with a few tsp of buffalo sauce. I mixed it up, and layered them in jars. I LOVE salads in jars, they literally don't spoil or get soggy! 

First layer: Bolthouse Farms Greek yogurt ranch

Second: buffalo chicken

Third: salad toppings 

Fourth: lettuce! 

Made 8 jars! 

Last step, throwing everything else into containers. My savory sweet onion chicken that was cooking in my ofher crockpot was enough to make 8 meals. So I measured the rest of the potatoes/brown rice as my carbs, and green beans/broccoli as my veggie. 

I like to smash down my rice and throw some of the extra broth from the chicken on there so it doesn't get hard in the fridge. 

This whole, last minute meal prep didn't take me long at ALL. 

Buffalo chicken salad- 8 servings 

Savory sweet onion chicken, a carb & veggie - 8 servings 

Cabbage soup - 8 servings 

Rotisserie chicken with a carb and veggie - 2 servings. 

That's 26 servings! 

We also have extra lettuce for salads or lettuce wraps with these tuna packets: 

 

Snacks, since we eat EVERY 3 hours! 

And of course, breakfast is always covered ☺️

Some people are overwhelmed about meal prepping, but I PROMISE it makes your life so much easier. Check out past blogs about where/how to get started. 

In good health,

Jessie 💜💪🏼