Slow-Cooker Mexican Chicken

I LOVE recipes that are quick, easy, and healthy! Here is a meal that I can throw in the crockpot on Monday morning and eat for lunch the rest of the week. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 cup corn (drained)
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 TBSP cumin
- 1 TBSP chili powder
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups brown rice (cooked seperately)

Directions:
Add all ingredients to slow cooker (except yogurt and rice). Cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Add Greek yogurt and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Serve with brown rice.

Makes 6 servings
Nutritients: 262 calories, 29g carbs, 2g fat, 33g protein, 5g sugar

Clean Breakfast Tacos

I have to eat breakfast! It gives me the boost I need in the morning to be productive. I like to switch it up week to week so that I don't get bored, plus my tastebuds thank me when I introduce something new. This combination of eggs and peppers is so yummy. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 3 whole eggs
- 1/2 cup egg whites
- 1/4 onion (diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 3 slices of turkey bacon (cooked and diced)
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- salt and pepper
- hot sauce for extra flavor

Directions:
1.  Heat oil in a medium skillet and add onions and peppers.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Season with cumin, salt, and pepper.
2.  Add eggs and scramble everything together.  Just before eggs are fully cooked, add cilantro and combine.
3.  Serve with a dash of hot sauce.

Makes 3 servings
Nutritients:  292 calories, 28g carbs, 12g fat, 18g protein, 6g sugar

Jamie Eason's Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

These turkey muffins are a good afternoon snack (Meal 4).  Make a batch at the beginning of the week and grab a couple on the go.  May be served hot or cold. 

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp chipotle pepper spice
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 diced onion
- 2 diced celery stalks

Directions:
1.  Pre heat oven to 375 and spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2.  Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined.  Roll the mixture into balls (makes 12 balls) and place on the cookie sheet.
3.  Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Makes 12 muffins
Nutrients per muffin:  121 calories, 6.4g carbs, 1.5g fat, 19.6g protein

Yogurt Parfait

Simple to make and great for on the go...

- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup natural almonds
- 1/2 cup fresh berries

Nutrients:  254 calories, 17g carbs, 14g fat, 19g protein, 10g sugar

My Go-To Protein Shake

If I don't have time to prep my breakfast or mid-morning snack, I'll quickly whip up a shake before I head to work.  It's also a good alarm clock for my babies at 6:00 am (my son is NOT a morning person either, haha)!  This shake has everything I need... a carb, a protein, and a healthy fat.  The ingredients have been adjusted to meet my macros.

Ingredients:
- About Time Whey Protein Powder (right now I have vanilla but I LOVE the birthday cake flavor!)
- 1 cup Almond Milk Unsweetened Vanilla
- 1/2 banana
- 1 tsp Marantha Creamy Almond Butter
- 1/4 cup Chobani Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats
- 1/2 cup ice

(I also add 1 TBSP of flaxseed and 1 TBSP of chia seeds if I have it on hand)

Directions:
Add all ingredients to the Magic Bullet and blend until smooth.

Makes 1 serving
Nutrients: 313 calories, 35g carbs, 9g fat, 27g protein, 11g sugar

Caloric Intake Guide

Let me start by saying that I am an average, ever so busy, working mom.  I'm not training for anything, I'm not a fitness competitor, nor am I a model preparing for a photo shoot!  I do my best to live a healthy lifestyle day to day.  Some days I'm better than others...and on those days I have a well thought out grocery list, I batch cook (without rushing), I get a good workout in, and I track my food on myfitnesspal (my username is lindsaylea78).  On other days I go to the grocery store without a list, I scramble to batch cook for the week on Monday nights in between cooking dinner for the family and tending to the kids, I miss my workout, and I can't find the time to track my food.  What can I say?  I'm normal! BUT, when I do have a bad week, and I start over with a clean slate come Monday morning, I like to know what I need to do to get my body where I want it to be.  I never knew there was such a science to calories!  I owe everything I've learned here to James Wilson.  Here is the caloric intake guide that I follow:

When I don't feel like counting calories, I use the palm-and-fist rule:
- Carbohydrates will be the size of your fist when prepared
- Proteins will be the size of the palm of your hand when prepared
- Fats will be one handful

Formula to calculate caloric intake:  Body Weight multiplied by 10  and add 300.  This is based on your current weight.  For example, my current weight is 110, so 110 x 10 + 300 = 1,400.  My caloric intake should be 1,400 on rest days (if I wanted to maintain my weight).  To increase muscle (which is my goal) you need to increase your calories by 250-500 on your rest day.  To decrease body fat, eat 250-500 less than your given number.  *My caloric goal is to reach 1,700 - 1,900 on my rest days.

On the days I strength train, I also need to consume pre-workout and post-workout meals.  Typically I burn 250-400 calories (depending on the muscle group I train and if I incorporate HIIT).  Those calories should be split between the two meals.  For example, during my workout I will burn 400 calories so my pre-workout meal should be 200 calories and my post-workout meal should be 200 calories.  *My caloric goal is to reach 2,100 - 2,300 on my workout days.

Macros ratio:  My goal is to hit 40% carbs, 40% proteins, and 20% fats.  Here is the breakdown of grams based on 1,700 calories consumed on a rest day:

Grams per day:
- 170g of carbs
- 170g of proteins
- 38g of fats
- 30g of sugars

Portion size per meal (6 meals per day):
- carbs: Meals 1-4 = 38 grams and Meal 5 = 18 grams
- proteins: Meals 1-6 = 28.33 grams
- fats: Meals 1, 2, 3, and 6 = 9.5 grams
- sugars: Meals 1-6 = no more than 5 grams at each meal

Protein Pancakes

I'm excited to share my first recipe! I'm a member of a fitness group on Facebook and one of the members graciously shared her Protein Pancakes recipe. I've tried a few recipes before but I've never liked the taste. I love this one! They are delicious, packed with protein, and easy to make.

Here is a picture of one of the perfect little pancakes. I'm having this at work this week as my mid-morning snack (or Meal #2). As my topping, I added 1 TBSP of this yummy peanut butter. It may not be the "cleanist" PB, but the price is really reasonable and I don't think the ingredients are too shabby!

Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked rolled oats
- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese
- 1 cup liquid egg whites
- 1 scoop vanilla protien powder
- 1 TBSP vanilla extract
- 1 TBSP cinnamon

Directions:
Add all ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Grab just over 1/2 cup of batter and cook until done.

Makes 5 servings
Nutrients: 160 calories, 16g carbs, 2g fat, 17g protein, 3g sugar