Clean Eats!

 


Hey Friends!! I know it has been a while since my last post. I promise, I've been prepping! I've also been renovating my house, raising 4 rescue pups, working full time as a PA, coaching my current challengers, reading/studying nutrition, & spending time with my husband. Phew! Busyyyyy It's the sole reason why its CRUCIAL that I meal prep!

I recently started reading the book "How to End Diabetes" by Dr. Furhman. I'm stepping into this new diabetic educator role at work and to be honest, it's blown my mind! He has this concept of "Eat to Live" which is actually the title of another book. I highly recommend looking it up, or his website. I've tried to adopt some of his practices because how can I possibly tell patients/challengers to do something if I'm not doing it, too?! So lets dive in - this weeks theme is EAT FRESH.


I first went to the grocery store and got SO much produce to put on salads, eat as sides, put in smoothies, etc. I was actually quite surprised how cheap it was! Check out my spread:

I washed and dried all of my produce and then got to work. I chopped up vegetables and put them into containers for the ultimate salad bar. I even included vegetables I hate (mushrooms, tomatoes, tofu) because I realized I am not eating a VARIETY.

Check out this power salad! Spinach, kale, green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, corn, carrots, bell pepper, radishes, cucumbers, avocado, purple cabbage, carrots, red onion, mushrooms, celery and tofu. I am not usually a fan of tomatoes, tofu, or mushrooms, but when you mix it in a massive salad, WOW. My taste buds go nuts. I literally CRAVE salads. Nutrient dense salads. I dont measure or portion size - if its a fruit or vegetable its fair game!

Another way I'm making sure to fill my diet full of fruits and veggies is a smoothie bowl! There's sooo many recipes out there! Today I had kale, spinach, strawberries, mango, kiwi, chia seeds, banana, coconut, & almond milk. 

I couldnt believe how filling it was.

Now, for meals this week. I plan on having those salads daily for lunch. For dinners, I'll be eating Spaghetti squash and fried rice.

Both of the recipes were a way to hide so many more veggies. SO if you have a picky eater, hide them!

Spaghetti squash:
1. Cut the squash in half, scooped out seeds, and baked at 400 degrees for 30-40 mins until tender.
2. While that baked, start the pasta sauce. In a sauce pan, add mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, chicken broth, minced garlic, and herbs (parsley, basil, oregano). Cook until veggies were tender and then add your favorite pasta sauce (Side note: this summer I'm so geeked to have my own garden so I can make my own sauce!). I also added some leftover shredded chicken to the sauce to add some more protein also. I cooked sauce on low until spaghetti squash was done.
3. Once squash is done, shred with a fork and place into meal prep containers. Top with pasta sauce.

Fried rice: I modified this recipe.
1. Make 1.5c brown rice in cooker (After making this meal, I realized you could go without rice if you wanted. You could also add quinoa too)
2. Cook ground chicken ( I wanted more protein in my rice but you can make veggie friendly) Set aside.
3. Saute your fav fried rice veggies. I used 1/2 head purple cabbage, 1 chopped yellow onion, 1 chopped bell pepper, 2 chopped large carrots, 1/2c peas and 1/2c corn in olive oil. Add vegetable broth if needed so veggies dont burn. Cook 5-7 mins.
4. Add minced garlic adn ginger to veggies. Cook until fragrant
5. Add rice, chiken, and veggie mix into fry pan or wok. Add 3-4T liquid aminos and 4 beaten eggs. I recommend following the link when it says to make a well with the rice and cook eggs on the inside, then mix in. I did not do that and it took longer to cook.

I have noticed an increase in my energy since I started eating many more fruits and vegetables than normal. I'm SO excited to see where this takes me. I never aim for a specific number on the scale and my goals continuously change as I grow older. I want energy, longevity, and wellness. I want to feel good and confident. I want to love myself even on days I eat pizza and forget to work out. My goal is to live a life of balance and I'm proud to say that after years of trying and failing, I've finally figured it out. Don't take your life for granted. I'm always here to hopefully inspire you and motivate you. It's never too late to to be a stronger, healthier, better version of YOU.

Next challenge group starts in 1 week. Who's joining?!

In good health,

Jessie

Full meal prep with snacks!

Sometimes I am laser focused when I meal prep, and other times I need to just chug a Spark, remind myself of why I need to do this, and get to work. I NEVER want to be the old Jessie again. The always tired, always sick, frumpy, fluffy, Jessie. You'll realize your journey is mostly a mindset shift, followed by a little motivation & a lot of discipline. Just the other day, I was talking to one of my good friends that finished a challenge, and she was shocked at how easy this transition has been. Again, mindset. When you FEEL good, and you see results, you're going to stick with it.

So with a new challenge group launching, I wanted to do a step by step blog of this weeks prep.

Step 1. I looked in my freezer. I had lots of chicken, and a container of turkey burger. I also looked in my fridge and found cauliflower, carrots, and zucchini. Pantry is always stocked with black beans, brown rice, and whole grain noodles.

Step 2. Look at ads. What's on sale? Stock up on things you can put in your freezer and pantry, and any household items. Buy produce that is on sale. Sometimes frozen is cheaper (just buy plain frozen veggies, no added sauces).

Step 3. Recipes. Endless options. My first go-to is Pinterest. Look up recipes utilizing your ingredients. "Black bean and brown rice recipe", "easy healthy chicken recipe" "healthy 20 minute meal", Etc. write them down & create grocery list

Step 4. Store, home, prep.

My Menu:
Buffalo chicken mason jar salad
Taco salad mason jar
Fattoush mason jar
Baked chicken and veggies.
Cilantro lime skillet meal
Frittata
Protein bites!

Before I left for the store, I threw the buffalo chicken in the pressure cooker and started marinating the chicken for my Fattoush. (To make this buffalo chicken recipe easier, follow this link and use a Pre-Cooked rotisserie chicken. It is more expensive this way if you purchased chicken on sale like I did. To cook the chicken like I did-  I placed 3-4 normal sized chicken, 1 cup buffalo sauce, 1/2c chicken broth, some minced garlic, and cooked until done. Then I shredded the pieces. You can follow this same recipe in a slow cooker.) If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can cook basically anything insanely fast and it is still super juicy.  For time sake, I used the pressure cooker. Threw the finished chicken in the fridge, and went to the store.

Marinated Chicken

Buffalo Chicken

**Mealprep money saving tip: since salads are on the menu, buy the heads of green lettuce or romaine vs prewashed lettuce I'm a tub. You'll save $3-4 right there!

Before I started on my meals, I washed my lettuce. I always let it soak in a sink full of water and a cup of vinegar (apple cider or white). Soak for 10 mins and then rinse.  I clean all my fruits and veggies this way. When it's done, I place them on towels and layer with paper towel. It'll dry as I prep my meals.

Next up, baked chicken and veggies. Preheat oven to 400. As my lettuce was soaking, I was chopping veggies. I used cauliflower, zucchini, onion, and sweet potato. Use whatever veggies are in SEASON or on sale.  Place chopped veggies in a ziploc an with a little olive oil/grape seed oil, shake until evenly coated. Placed veggies around chicken and season. I used Mrs Dash salt free herb seasoning. Bake for 20-25 mins until done. At this same time, I also put my marinated chicken in the oven for the same amount of time. (Kill 2 birds with 1 stone, right!?)

As those were baking, the skillet meal was up next! I followed this recipe, and it turned out really well!

Oven is done! The chicken and veggies were placed in Tupperware dishes, as well as the skillet meal.

Chicken & Veggies

Skillet meal

 Bring on the Salad Station! I started the quinoa for the second salad in my lineup.


For the Fattoush salad, I layered Fattoush dressing (basically a lemony vinaigrette), chicken, onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, and then the lettuce. I use the big quart size jars, but if you want to use pint size, make sure you have something else to eat for lunch. (Great place to add in some fruit!)

Next up! Those buffalo salads. Layer quinoa, buffalo chicken, red onion, tomato, green pepper, and lettuce. You can see I changed the recipe a bit. I went with what I had or what ingredients were cheapest.

Last salad, taco salad in a jar. I don't follow a particular recipe for this. First layer is salsa, second layer is ground turkey with taco seasoning, next is toppings of your choice (I used tomato, green pepper, onion, and corn), lettuce, and then crushed tortilla chips.

Ordinarily my husband and I drink meal replacement shakes every morning, but this week we had a house full of guys laying flooring. I decided to give this  frittatta recipe a try to give them some breakfast. I used 10 eggs, 1/4c Almond milk, spicy turkey breakfast sausage, onion, peppers, and kale. It was actually DELICIOUS!

And here you have it! My finished product.

Snacks this week are mixed nuts, tuna packets, Gingerbread bars, AdvoGreens snack shake, hummus and veggies, Greek yogurt, fruit, and pumpkin protein bites!

Well there you have it! A successful meal prep.I am always running challenge groups to teaching others healthy habits & how to incorporate meal prep in your life. What are you waiting for?! It took one friend saying "let me help you" for me to quickly change from restrictive eating to balanced habits. In less than 1 month I felt better, and 4 years later I am still on track.  All it takes is one friend.. and your life can forever change.

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 

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 

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 💜💪🏼

Healthy snack - Kale Chips!

Sometimes I just need to munch on a snack - especially when I'm reading or studying. Apparently utilizing my brain makes me super hungry. Well, yesterday was one of those days! 

I have a list of my "go-to" snacks, such as frozen grapes or blueberries, homemade granola, protein/energy balls, and trail mix. 

Yesterday I wanted to try something new- so I hopped on the beloved Pinterest App and found Kale Chips!

Who knew there were like 100 different flavors?! I kept it simple with some garlic grapeseed oil and sea salt. 

I threw the ingredients in a bag and mixed well. Placed them on a cookie sheet and baked at 400 degrees for 15 mins. 

My first attempt was a FAIL. Poor Clint said my breath even smelled like burned broccoli (that's exactly what it tasted like, too!) 

But alas, my second attempt was a success! 

Helpful pointers: 

Kale chips shrink tremendously! So don't cut it into tiny pieces before baking. It burns - haha. 

Do a trial run first with a little bit of kale and see how it turns out. When I used less kale, 10 minutes baking was suffice. 

Enjoy! Remember, you should never feel guilty about eating. Food can be delicious, fun, AND nutritious. 

In good health, 

Jessie 

Weekly meal prep - healthy & on a budget!

I often have people tell me that it is just too expensive to eat healthy. Now, I admit, I used to think this also. With a little planning and 1 day of work, you can have all your meals planned, cooked, and in containers, all while staying on a budget! 

My husband, Clint, works as a full time firefighter and fills his schedule with other part time gigs. He hops from 24 hour shift to 24 hour shift to provide for our family while I anxiously wait for the State of Texas to grant me a license to practice as a PA. In the meantime, I have a mortgage of student loans so I work as a nanny. We are ALWAYS on the road and we are trying to save money, so our meals travel with us. The process is quite simple. Check ads. Use coupons. Cook on Sundays. 

1. Look at Ads

Every week I get a big chunk of ads in the mail for Kroger, Aldi, HEB, and others. I briefly skim the ads to see what's on sale. I skip all of he "food-like-crap" (cereals, granola bars, premade meals) and stick to the basics. I focus mostly on meat, vegetables, and fruit. I also pay attention to household products like soap, detergents, toilet paper, etc. If I save more money in that area, then I have a bit more room with food. 

2. Coupons!

Yeah, I'm a 27 year old who avidly cuts coupons. I'm frugal. My sisters brought me to a coupon class a long time ago, but now they have online tutorials that break it down for people. I get the paper every Sunday and clip what I need. I also print from coupons.com.  I do throw a LOT of coupns away. I don't use cereal, or microwave meals, or any of that pre-made stuff. 

Stores like Kroger and HEB have electronic coupons. They link right to your shoppers card and are deducted when you buy the product. Yes, it's that simple. 

You can also search "Kroger coupon match ups" online and view a database that shows product sale price, which coupon to use, etc. Someone does all the work for us (and I wish I could personally hug them all for being a lifesaver!) 

Organizing clipped coupons is also important. You can't save money if you don't know what coupons you have! I have that little wallet sized holder with dividers. I categorized them based on what I buy "meats, eggs and dairy, condiments and spices, cleaning, laundry, hair care, etc." Search online for different methods to organize & find the one that best suits you! 

3. Rebates

Just recently I discovered yet another money saving ap called Ibotta. After my list is made, I look on the ap and see if there are any money back options for the things on my list. (https://ibotta.com/r/xtpadya) 

$27.50 lifetime earnings in 2 months. Not bad! 

4. Stock up. 

This week chicken was on sale at Kroger, so I stocked up and put some in the freezer. Last week ground beef and turkey were on sale so I stocked up. If frozen veggies are on sale (like this week private selections was 99 cents a bag when you buy 4) - STOCK UP! 

5. Meals 

Now where do I find the recipes to make? Simple: Pinterest. You can follow my recipe board if you'd like, but that's where 99% of my receipes are found! 

Typically whatever fruits and veggies are in season are cheaper. Kroger had bell peppers 99 cents each, so stuffed peppers were added to the menu.  Instead of buying prepackaged lettuce for salads that's around $3-4, I buy a large head of green leafy lettuce for 99 cents, wash and chop it up, and stick it in a salad spinner. Instead of buying the baby carrots, I buy a bulk bag and it's so much cheaper! For rice and beans, I buy them in bags and spent the extra time making them. They take longer, but they don't have all of the sodium the canned and instant beans/rice have! 

Now for the cooking. After I make my grocery haul, I start cooking. Just about any recipe can be cooked, separated and placed in the refrigerator. 

- Mediterranean Chicken Gyros 

(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/191754896611401042/) 

I had some WildTree Mediterranean seasoning, so that made this recipe super easy! I also had some Tzatziki seasoning on had. No, I don't sell Wildtree, but I'm obsessed with it! The seasonings simplify my life so much, and offer healthier alternatives to a lot of condiments and spices. After the chicken, I quickly sautéed some onions and peppers and placed it in a container with some chicken. I put the wrap in some aluminum foil and put it on top of the chicken/veggie mix. The Tzatziki topping was put in another tiny container, so the gyros can be assembled when we are ready to eat. 

- Stuffed bell peppers

 

Wildtree saving the day again! This recipe can be found on the Wildtree website. It's called "Simple skillet stuffed peppers." 

Voila!  

- Spaghetti squash recipe

http://www.iwashyoudry.com/2013/09/04/super-easy-crock-pot-spaghetti-squash-meatballs/

I typically make my own meatballs, but this week the meatballs were on sale and I had a coupon. I couldn't pass that up. I don't stress if my food isn't 100% clean. I just try to make 80% of the food myself, and 20% whatever. 

- Chicken, potatoes, and green beans

http://honeywerehealthy.blogspot.com/2014/07/healthy-meal-prep.html

Self explanatory. Very basic recipe. If sweet potatoes are cheaper, go with those. Shop what's on sale, and don't be afraid to change up a recipe to suit what you have in your home. 

-Jalapeno chicken with Spanish rice

http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/07/chicago-chicken.html?m=1#_a5y_p=1957444

Spanish rice: 

2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup brown rice. Add some chopped onions and peppers. I added some Wildree fajita seasoning. If I didn't have that, I'd add some chili powder, cayenne pepper, chicken or veggie bullion, etc. Use whatever you have on hand!

-Black bean and corn quesadilla with Spanish rice 

For this, I didn't have a recipe. I cooked black beans and smashed them to a paste. I smeared it on a tortilla with some corn and cheese, and cooked both sides in a pan. I cut into 4s and placed in tin foil. I used some of our leftover Spanish rice, and included a little salsa dish. (On sale at Kroger, coupon available too!) 

Black beans + brown rice = total protein - so you don't have to worry about the lack of meat in this recipe! 

-Tex mex bowls with Spanish rice

http://honeywerehealthy.blogspot.com/2012/11/tex-mex-to-go.html

I didn't have refried beans, and I didn't want the extra sodium. I had leftover black beans from the previous meal so I used those. 

-Dirty brown rice

http://mybodymykitchen.com/dirty-rice-turkey/

I used my ground beef and turkey in the two previous meals, but I had some sausage in the freezer so I used that. Slight modification, but it still tastes excellent. 

I'll be the first to admit, it takes some time to learn. Hang in there! Remember, this is a lifestyle change and may take a while to make all of the adjustments. I know people who eat completely organic and 100% clean, and I have nothing against that. It's just not for me. I have made gradual changes over the year to get where I am now, and maybe I'll have more changes in the future. If you eat poor choices based on convenience, then this might be something for you to try, too.