Breakfast Turkey Sausage Sweet Potato Apple Hash

(revised from multiplydelicious.com)

(Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS:

2 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (or one large)

1-2 apples, peeled cored and diced

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

1 lb breakfast turkey sausage (no casings)

2 to 3 large cups of baby spinach

1 small sweet yellow onion, diced

sea or himalayan salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Once heated, add diced sweet potatoes and apples. Add a pinch or two of sea salt or himalayan salt and cinnamon to the pan. Cook sweet potatoes and apples until cooked and softened.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add to skillet the sausage and onion making sure to crumble the sausage up in small pieces while it cooks. Once the sausage is no longer pink in color and completely cooked, add spinach to the skillet. The spinach will wilt down within 1-2 minutes when cooked. Once spinach is cooked, combine the sweet potato apple mixture to pan and stir to combine all.

ENJOY!

PIN IT HERE!

HEALTHY DINNER: Italian Pesto Turkey Sausage Zoodles

Italian Pesto Turkey Sausage Zoodles (PIN IT HERE)

Makes 2 servings

2 sweet Italian turkey sausage links (1/2 pound)

2 medium zucchini

1/3 cup pesto (green or red, but I prefer green)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Extra virgin olive oil spray to coat pan when cooking

Heat oil in pan over med/high heat and add sausage (remove from casings). Cook sausage and crumble. While cooking, use julienne peeler/spiralizer/zoodle maker to make "noodles" out of zucchini. Heat up oil to med heat in a second pan and once hot, add zoodles, flipping around while cooking for only 5-7 min or they will get too watery/flimsy. Drain off any liquid then add pesto, Parmesan and cooked sausage. Serve right away. Enjoy!!!

For more healthy, delicious meals and snacks, please visit Ashley's Recipe Corner!

21 Day Fix Friendly: protein packed (meatless) salad!

21 Day Fix Friendly: protein packed (meatless) salad!

So, it's true... I like BIG salads and I cannot lie!!!! I mean, just check out that picture above and I dare you to tell me that a salad is boring! Here's what I love about 21 Day Fix: I can plan my meals out with perfect portions, knowing that I am giving my body exactly what it needs within each food group! It's been such a game changer for me and I can still have my Shakeology every day too! I know that I'm the healthiest I have ever been just by learning to eat right! It really isn't rocket science, it is just doing the right amount of the right thing!

Now, let's get to this beautiful salad...


I had already prepped and chopped cucumbers, tomatoes. and had hard boiled eggs pre-made. So, I got out some spinach, 1/4 avocado, my seed and dried berry mix (got it at Sam's Club! You can use any unsalted seeds such as sunflower seeds and pepitas with dried cranberries and/or blueberries), blueberries, plus the eggs, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I piled them all on my plate and then drizzled a little olive oil with balsamic vinegar. Perfection!


Because I am a recipe person, I listed it all out below. Enjoy!



21 Day Fix Friendly: protein packed meatless salad

2 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
1/2 cup sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
2 hard boiled eggs, cut in pieces
1/4 avocado, cut in pieces
1-2 tbsp seed and dried berry mix
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Add spinach first, then layer all other ingredients, topping with olive oil and vinegar as dressing.


**For those on 21 Day Fix, here's how you would count this: 2 green, 1 red, 1 blue, 1 orange, 1/2 purple
(PIN IT HERE!)

Want to get your hands on 21 Day Fix and get started on a healthier life? Click HERE and get your discounted bundle with Shakeology on it's way to you TODAY! (Plus, you get me as your free coach! Visit me and say hi on facebook HERE!)

Healthy Mexican food: Quinoa Turkey Black Bean Casserole

Need a new dinner recipe that's healthy but is also a good helping of comfort food??? This one is sure to satisfy that craving and please the whole family! 

I was trying to find something to make for dinner with ingredients I had on hand and that would satisfy my Mexican food craving (thank you pregnancy!). So, I sorta made this one up between a couple of recipes I already knew. It turned out awesome and my almost 3 year old ate it up like it was going out of style! #momwin!

So, check it out and be sure to PIN IT as well to refer back to! ENJOY!

Turkey Quinoa Black Bean Casserole

(makes 6-8 servings)

1lbs ground turkey
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups chopped bell peppers (I used a frozen mix)
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Colby Jack)

Add quinoa in 2 cups water and bring to boil. Once boiling, put lid on top then reduce to simmer for 15 min. Meanwhile, cook ground turkey and add in spices. Preheat oven to 375. Once turkey and quinoa are done, add both to casserole dish and add remaining ingredients, leaving cheese for the top. Cook in oven for 20 min.

Enjoy!

For more recipes, be sure to visit Ashley's Recipe Corner!



-Ashley

WHAT IS COACHING Join Me May 26-30 to find out!

Being a Beachbody coach snuck up on me a few months after Kaylee's first birthday. Since then, I had no clue the blessing it would become.

I wasn't at my goal weight yet, I was still working on me. I was loving Beachbody workouts and their yummy superfood shakes that gave this momma the energy I needed to make it through the day. I knew that I wanted to keep these things in my life and that I could get a discount if I became a coach. So, I took a leap and I signed up. One of the BEST decisions I've ever made! 

Not only have I stayed accountable to my own fitness goals, I've been able to add extra income to our family above and beyond paying for my (and now Greg's) shakes! I've been able to share with others (thank goodness we are all about sharing and not selling bc this girl is NOT a sales lady!) and help lots of people crush their own health/fitness goals and go off medications by encouraging them to live healthier lives. Blessing upon blessing has come from this one decision.

And now, my team is growing! We are expanding and looking for others to add the blessing of coaching into their lives! Could that be YOU? Join me and my team the Tuesday after Memorial Day in a private fb group where all of your questions about Beachbody coaching will be answered. Being in this group doesn't obligate you to anything, just a chance to take a peek at this amazing opportunity. Shoot me an email (betterfitlife@gmail.com) or message me on Facebook if you'd like to be a part of this group!

-Ashley

Strawberries and Cream Healthy Superfood Shake!!!

Strawberries and Cream Shakeology!

It's strawberry picking season and what a better way to celebrate that than with a healthy, delicious snack like this! This recipe sounds so good, but I would definitely add in a couple freshly picked strawberries with it!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 scoop Strawberry Shakeology
1 cup ice
*optional: add in a few fresh strawberries!

Preparation:
1. Place almond milk, ricotta, Shakeology, and ice in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.


Don't have Shakeology? Click HERE to get some today! You will be so happy you did!

3 Things You SHOULD Experience When Starting a New Workout Program

Are you changing things up and moving on from TurboFire to ChaLEAN Extreme? Or maybe like my husband has done, gone from a strength intense workout like P90X3 to a more comprehensive one like 21 Day Fix Extreme? Or maybe you haven't been working out at all and you and starting to incorporate exercise as a part of your routine. Chances are you are going to be experiencing these 3 things listed below. But don't worry - it won't last forever! And these are all good things! These are signs that your program is WORKING! Yay, right?!?!?

1. Soreness - Yes, you should be sore. Your muscles should ache and it should be a little harder than it was before to climb the stairs, carry your groceries, or (like me) pick up and put your 2 (almost 3) year old in her car seat! Soreness is a sign that your muscles are being used. And they are working for you even when you've stopped working out. And this is a BIG YAY because guess what? Muscle BURNS fat! This is definitely what we want to be happening! And the soreness gets a little better and you will begin to look forward to that burn (hurts so good, right?). But when we stop feeling ANY soreness altogether (we don't want an intense hurt, but a good sore) that means that we need to add more weight or change up our routine again.

2. Hunger - Oh no! I said it. Yes, you might feel hunger pains. Even when eating exactly according to your eating plan (you are doing this, right?). Beachbody programs, especially 21 Day Fix, have amazing nutrition plans to follow that will give you the EXACT info on what you should be eating to go along with the workouts that you are doing. When you first switch over to eating on a new plan, it does take your body some time to adjust. Especially if you are making a drastic change from eating pizza, pasta, candy, ice cream, etc., to a clean eating veggies, lean protein, good carbs, healthy grains, healthy fats eating plan! Your body is going to wonder what in the world is going on! But, with keeping your body fueled with the right kind of foods every 2-3 hours, adding in a nutritious meal replacement shake that will help curb your cravings, Shakeology, and keeping your body hydrated with water will REALLY help you to get adjusted to your new plan and it won't be long before you are feeling satisfied by the new foods you are eating. This new eating plan should also make you feel like a brand new person, giving you energy and helping you to lose weight in a healthy way, and feeding those muscles that you are building. If you do find that you are just way too hungry, give yourself food with few calories such as veggies, or drink some herbal tea.

3. Slowness -  Yes, that meat-head workout comic you are picturing in your head can sorta be true. When our bodies are growing larger muscles, it can actually make us physically slower at first! Weird, right? But this is why we have to make sure to fuel our body properly, 5-6 times a day during this muscle growing process! Feed those muscles! But remember, if you are feeling a little slow, that means your program is WORKING! So keep it up, it won't last forever!


Again, keep in mind that these are NOT chronic conditions. They are temporary while your body adjusts to the change up you are putting it through. Also keep in mind that changing things up is a GOOD thing for your body and something that you should do from time to time to keep progressing on your fitness/health journey!

Not sure what program you should be doing right now? Shoot me a message via facebook and let's chat! You can also gain more accountability and motivation through joining in on one of my private fitness/health groups on facebook! Hope to hear from you soon!


-Ashley

4 Reasons Vacations Are Good For Your Health

Recently, my husband and I decided to take a short little vacation to a small town in NC called Beaufort. It is on the water (yes, that pic above was taken on our trip!) and it is very quaint and relaxing. We stayed only 2 nights and celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary there. We didn't spend a ton of money, and didn't even plan a lot to do while we were there. And it was just what the doctor ordered. 

You see, I am not only a stay at home mom, but I am a health/fitness coach where I am, thankfully, able to do all of my work from home. This means that while my daughter is in preschool twice a week for 3 hours, or on the days where she does actually still nap, I am working. Usually to be seen with my iPad mini or laptop, immersed in helping my own coaches grow their businesses and/or engaging in my online fitness and nutrition private Facebook groups, helping those who have chosen to invest in their own health. It is fun, it is challenging. And it has turned into something that God gave me to help me not only better myself and our own family's health, but it also has turned into a way for me to glorify Him through helping others. I could go on and on about this, but that goes back to the main point of this little blog: needing to take a vacation.

So, in the busyness of life, we could have decided to just go out to dinner for our anniversary and ask my parents to keep our daughter for the night. But, we looked into some places less than a 2 hours drive away and found a great deal in Beaufort at the Beaufort Inn. We were walking distance to everything we needed and didn't use the car the whole weekend. We woke up on Saturday morning, after indulging in an amazing dinner and dessert the night before, and went for a jog around the historic district. We stumbled upon a flea market and walked around, not having to worry about our 2-1/2 year old getting into everything. I didn't even have to say "don't touch" once! Ha! 

The moral of the story is that I relaxed. Unplugged. Didn't think about coaching for 3 days (ok, I might have thought about it a few times, but I kept it to myself!) And it felt great. I was present in life and actually felt more refreshed when I got back to "work" on Monday. 

If you are looking for a permission slip to take a vacation, here it is! Go, unplug, have fun, enjoy the outdoors and God's beautiful creation!

And if you need more proof on why should take a vacation, check out these 4 reasons why it is healthy to take a vacation (from prevention.com):

1. You’ll be happier. Who doesn’t wake up a bit more chipper on a Saturday morning than a dreaded Monday? Women who don’t take regular vacations are up to three times more likely to be depressed than their vacationing counterparts, according to researchers from the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin.

2. Your heart will thank you. Men who take regular vacations are 32 percent less likely to die of heart attacks, and 21 percent less likely to die early. And women who go on vacation have a 50 percent lower risk of heart attack, finds the Framingham Heart Study.

3. You'll get sick less often. Carving out time off keeps you balanced, says Robinson. Stress squashes your immune system and has been shown to increase your odds of suffering from adrenal dysfunction, headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome , Robinson adds.

4. You’ll stay forever young. Or at least not age any faster: Not taking a break can elevate the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in your body. And cortisol may actually speed up the aging process, according to a recent study in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

Are you planning your vacation? Or are you now ready to start planning? Comment here and let me know what you are planning! 

- Ashley

Cheesy Ground Turkey Broccoli & Cauliflower Casserole

Wowee.. this dinner was sooo good! And I really have to pat myself on the back. I literally just thought of things I liked and combined them (based on what I had in the house!)!!! The main inspiration for this was the head of cauliflower and 3 heads of broccoli that I needed to cook. So, let's got on with it so you can make this yummy goodness for you and your family.

 

Step 1.

Preheat your oven to 425F. Chop up and wash cauliflower and broccoli. Then place on a roasting pan (I am in love with my Pampered Chef stoneware bar pan). Spray with extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle with seasonings. Roast for 25 min.

 

 

 

Step 2.

Chop up one yellow onion and sauté with 1 minced garlic clove and sprinkle with seasoning. (Note, I made a double batch, so this is 2 onions!)

 

 

 

 

Step 3. and 4.

Meanwhile, cook your quinoa according to package directions, but use chicken broth instead of water. In sauté pan, push onions to the side and add in ground turkey. (again, I was doing a double batch, so that is a little more than 2 lbs in the picture!)

 

 

 

 

Step 5.

Continue cooking quinoa and turkey onion mix and don't forget to take out your veggies once they are done! Change oven temp to 350F.

 

 

 

Step 6.

Once quinoa and turkey are done, mix together with parmesan and 1/2 the mozzarella in a casserole dish.

 

 

 

Step 7.

Add other 1/2 mozzarella on top. Bake for 15 min.

 

 

 

 

 

And THIS is what happens after it is done! SO GOOD!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheesy Ground Turkey Broccoli & Cauliflower Casserole

 

 

1 lbs. lean ground turkey

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced
1 head cauliflower, washed and chopped into florets
2-3 heads broccoli, washed and chopped into florets
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Italian Seasoning, to taste
Himalayan salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 425F. Place washed and chopped broccoli and cauliflower on a roasting pan. Spray with extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle with seasonings. Roast for 25 min. Sauté chopped onion with minced garlic clove and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

Meanwhile, cook your quinoa according to package directions (boil 2 cups chicken broth with 1 cup dry quinoa. Once it is boiling, cover and turn down to simmer for 15 min.)

In sauté pan, push onions to the side and add in ground turkey. Once turkey, quinoa, and broccoli and cauliflower are all finished cooking, turn oven to 350F and then combine all ingredients into a casserole dish. Gently stir in parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella. Add the rest of the mozzarella on top. Bake for 15 minutes.

ENJOY!

BE SURE TO PIN IT HERE!



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Like this recipe and want to see more? Be sure to sign up for me to be your free coach to receive my newsletters every Friday! Click HERE to sign up!


-Ashley

Undone SKINNY Stuffed Pepper Casserole

If you are looking for a filling, healthy, YUMMY, and EASY recipe, look no further! This one is always a crowd pleaser in our house! And if you live near me and have just had a newborn, this recipe was most likely brought to your door. So, without anymore chit chat from me, because this one is soooooo easy I know that y'all can do this one yourselves, here you go! 

Leave me a comment below if you try this! I'd love to know if your house loves it as much as we do!

Undone Skinny Stuffed Pepper Casserole

1 lbs. lean ground turkey

2 green bell peppers, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomato with green chiles

2 cups cooked brown rice (I used instant)

1 cup shredded cheese (I used colby)

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

BROWN meat with onions, peppers and garlic in large skillet; drain. Stir in rice, cans of tomatoes and sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese.

SPOON into casserole; top with remaining cheese.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through.

ENJOY!

Don't forget to PIN IT HERE!

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Like this recipe and want to see more? Be sure to sign up for me to be your free coach to receive my newsletters every Friday! Click HERE to sign up!


-Ashley

Zoe's Kitchen Inspired: Quinoa Salad

I don't know if you have a Zoe's Kitchen in your area, but if you do and you haven't been there yet, YOU NEED to go there! It is so good and most of their options are much healthy than other alternatives out there. One of my favorite things to get there is the Quinoa Salad. It was soooo good that I wanted to be able to try and recreate it at home! With the help of a few other recipes I found online plus my own trial and error, here is my copy-cat Zoe's Kitchen Quinoa Salad recipe! (Btw, if you want to add on some chicken like I did, I just baked a small chicken breast with olive oil brushed on and some seasoning!)

Quinoa Salad
Serves: 4-6

3 cups Quinoa, cooked

1 Tablespoon Chopped Oregano

1 Cup Diced Tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes cut in half)

1 Cup of Diced Cucumbers

1/2 Cup Chopped Green Onion

1/2 Cup Celery Diced

1 1/2 cups Blanched Broccoli (cut into bite size pieces)

1 cup black olives

2 – 3 Tablespoons Lemon Vinaigrette

Juice of Half a Lemon

1 tsp Zoës Spice of Life (or lemon pepper or Greek seasoning)

4 cups of Spring Mix

1/2 Cup Feta Cheese Crumbles (if desired)

Toss all ingredients together in a mixing bowl, except the feta cheese & spring mix, and mix well.

Place about 1 cup of spring mix in the center of each plate and portion prepared quinoa over the lettuce.

Top with feta cheese crumbles.

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Like this recipe and want to see more? Be sure to sign up for me to be your free coach to recieve my newsletters every Friday! Click HERE to sign up!

-Ashley

3 Ways To Live a Positive Life

3 ways to live a POSITIVE life:

1. Wake up early to have alone time: Yes, I said wake up early! Give yourself an extra 15 minutes in the morning to get up and have quiet alone time. Drink a glass of water (extra bonus if it is warm lemon water - gets your digestive system going for the day!) while you take that time to pray, read your Bible, read a personal development book, or just concentrate on good thoughts of what you are thankful for and how you want your day to go (or a combination of them!). Doing this will give you a POSITIVE start to your day and help you be a blessing to others! (Btw, for a good recommendation on a personal development book, check out The Compound Effect by, Darren Hardy - it will change the way you think - in a good way!)

2. Focus on the GOOD by doing GOOD: Give compliments, put a stray grocery cart away (without wanting to curse the person who left it in the middle of the parking lot), and most importantly: SMILE! Did you know that smiling uses a lot of muscles? So think of it as a good workout and flex that smile! You never know how giving someone, yes even a stranger, a smile can change their day for the better! Be the good in the world.

3. BELIEVE in YOU: This one seems simple and yet you can be the hardest, am I right? I know that this is true with me. But, we really can’t be a blessing to others or even take care of ourselves right if we are busy looking down on ourselves. Tell yourself that you are WORTH the effort to be a happy, beautiful, healthy human being! Yes, it may take time, effort, sweat, and even money to take care of yourself, but again, YOU ARE WORTH IT! Start telling yourself this everyday. Sure, that may sound weird, but the more we tell ourselves that can achieve what we put our minds to, the more we believe it and then those thoughts will take root into ACTION!

So, moral of these 3: LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BE A NEGATIVE NELLY OR NED. BE POSITIVE!

Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal in the Crock Pot

I have been measuring out a yellow 21 Day Fix container full and counting it as that (not enough of the pumpkin and sweetener in 1 serving to count, in my opinion)! I keep this in my fridge for the week and when I'm ready to eat it, I add a little water and heat it up in a microwave safe bowl for about 45 seconds. This will store in the fridge for 5 days. Didn't last that long in our house though!

Enjoy!!!!

-Ashley

Chocolate Covered Strawberries with Coconut Oil

Here's what I made my Valentine! Yes, we do splurge and eat treats sometimes!!!

Enjoy and leave me a comment if you try this!

-Ashley

Quinoa Crusted Chicken

Oh my yummy! We made this the other night with some leftover quinoa I had in the fridge. Sooooo good! 

How did I make it? Well, I started out by roasting the quinoa to dry it out a little. 

Then, I combined the quinoa (it was 1 cup cooked), some Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan grated cheese, and Italian seasoning. 

Then I set up my trays to dip my chicken in: whole wheat flour, 2 eggs beaten, and the quinoa breadcrumb mixture. 

Then I went to work with my chicken tenders, after washing them and patting them semi-dry. Flour, then egg, then the breadcrumbs. Then all went onto my stoneware. Meanwhile, the oven had been preheating to 375F. 

I cooked them for about 15 min, or until the chicken centers were no longer pink. Served 2 chicken tenders with a small side alas and 1/2 sweet potato that was sprinkled with cinnamon. Mmmmm, delish!

(21 Day Fixers, this plate is equal to 2 red, 1 green, 1-1/2 yellow- that sweet potato was pretty big!)

Quinoa Crusted Chicken

7-8 chicken tenders

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (add more if needed)

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1-2 tbsp italian seasoning

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 425F. Spread out quinoa onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 min. After roasting, change oven temp to 375F. Meanwhile, get 3 trays/plates ready. Add flour to one, eggs to another. The last you will combine the roasted quinoa, panko, Parmesan, and seasoning. Pat chicken dry and cover in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs. Add to stoneware. Continue until all chicken are coated. Bake for 15 min, or until center is no longer pink.

(Note: 1 chicken tender equals 1 red for the 21 Day Fix plan! In my opinion, there aren't enough other ingredients in the coating to count any other colors!)

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Like this recipe and want to see more? Be sure to sign up for me to be your free coach to recieve my newsletters every Friday! Click HERE to sign up!

-Ashley

21 Day Fix Recipe: Superfood Salad

That is definitely my motto: It's not about perfection, it is about PREPARATION! And this recipe is one that is SUPER EASY to prep and have ready for your lunches for the whole week! WOOT!

This is ANOTHER reason that I love the portion fix containers!!! I know that my body is getting the exact types of food I need everyday! So simple. This recipe is a GREEN (veggie), YELLOW (grains/carbs), and ORANGE (seeds/dressing). And the great thing is, you can use different veggies than I use, so don't stress about having the perfect ingredients, just use what you have! Ok, let's do this!

Can I tell you just how much I LOVE my chopper? (another of my Pampered Chef obsessions - and no, I don't sell it, I just LOVE it!). So, get out your chopper (or food processor) and throw in some veggies. I usually do this in a couple batches, starting with the leafy greens (with a few of my chunky veggies to weight the leaves down) and throwing them into my big bowl. Then I will add in the rest of the chunky veggies (carrots, celery, red bell pepper, red onion). Chop, chop, chop! If you have little ones, let them help you with this part! If they are a part of the prepping process, they will be more inclined to want to eat their "work"!

Then, stir it all together. So colorful and pretty!

Quinoa... this is one of those foods that is hard for people to pronounce so they think it probably doesn't taste good - NO WAY! I like to cook a batch in chicken broth and have in the fridge to use all week, so that is what I did for this recipe. If you are cooking it as you are chopping veggies, be sure to let it cool down before the next step.

Next comes the fun part, because I am kind of a geek and like having perfect portions! So now you will fill up 1 green container of the chopped veggies, 1 yellow container of quinoa, and 1/2 orange container of sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds are a great way to add a little crunch to your salads! I try to always keep it on hand at our house! Then mix together in your lunch container!

And there you have it! Lunch for the week! Well, in this case, the amount I made was lunch for 4 days! So, when you are ready to eat, add 1/2 container full of dressing and then you are good to go! 

To change things up, you can always add in a BLUE container of feta cheese and/or a RED container of grilled chicken breast!

SUPERFOOD SALAD:

Equal parts of:

kale

spinach

carrots

celery

red bell pepper

red onion

sunflower seeds, unsalted

cooked, cooled down quinoa

Chop all the leafy greens and veggies into less than bit size pieces (use a chopper or food processor if you have one!). Then add into a big bowl and mix. In your lunch container, add in: 1 green container of the chopped veggies, 1 yellow container of quinoa, and 1/2 orange container of sunflower seeds.

ENJOY! And be sure to PIN IT HERE!

-Ashley

2 Delicious, Healthy Snacks to Keep You Fueled!

SNACKS!!!! One of the biggest parts of eating healthy is to make sure that you are eating several times a day! As in 5-6x! Today, I thought I would share with you a couple of my favorite snacks: Avocado Toast and Blueberry Parfait.

So, I try (no, I am not perfect at it) to plan out my day and I will keep in mind what I am going to eat. I use the Portion Fix containers from the 21 Day Fix to help me to plan this out to make sure I make enough of each type of food (protein, fruits, veggies, grains, healthy fats, etc). On days when I drink Shakeology as one of my meals, I eat snacks such as these below. Shakeology is also a great snack replacement and I do drink that a lot in the afternoons to give me an energy boost with superfood nutrition! So, here are 2 of my favorite delicious, healthy snacks to help you stay fueled throughout your day!


Avocado Toast

1 piece of Ezekiel bread, toasted
1/4 avocado

Toast bread and mash up avocado. Spread on toast. Enjoy and try not to melt away in the YUMMY goodness of this snack!

(Fix Portions: 1 yellow, 1 blue)

Save it for later: PIN IT


Blueberry Parfait

3/4 cup Plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 tsp Pure Maple Syrup (organic if possible!)
2 Tbsp Your favorite granola (organic - my favorite is Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax granola)

Mix yogurt and syrup together, Stir in blueberries and granola. Enjoy! (This can also be eaten as a yummy breakfast too!)

(Fix Portions: 1 red, 1/2 purple, 1 yellow (even though I measured it in a orange container, it counts as a yellow!)

Save it for later: PIN IT


Want more info on how you can plan out your eating? Need help with portion control? What about exercise - are you getting in the recommended amount of daily activity? If you need help in any of those areas, please contact me! I am a Beachbody coach whose mission in life is to help individuals JUST LIKE YOU! Why? Because I was once in your shoes too. (Check out my story HERE).

Find me on FACEBOOK and connect with me OR click HERE to sign up for free for me to be your coach and get weekly newsletters with tips, recipes, and more!


Hope you have a great, healthy day!

-Ashley

5 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

5 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues:

Let’s face it, Winter can be tough on us. It’s cold, dark, and sometimes even wet. So here are some ways to help us find that energy, warm up our bodies, and beat those winter blues!

1. Exercise: Yeah, I am sure you all knew that one was coming. There have been numerous studies done that prove that working out and getting your body moving can help you overcome a negative mood! Working out also can help us by getting our blood pumping and by giving us an energy boost! So, instead of sleeping in, get up and find a routine that works for you. And stick with it! Plus, you know what they say: Summer bodies are made in the winter! (You'll be so glad you conquered this one NOW!)

2. Eat Healthy: Eating the right kinds of foods can affect our mood in a positive way and eating the wrong kinds can make us feel sluggish, irritable, and just BLEH. When your body is being fed with fried, greasy, salty, and sugary “comfort” foods, your body immediately knows that it isn’t getting the right nutrients it needs to keep your body fueled properly. When that happens, our body thinks we are still hungry and then we keep eating, and eating, and eating without really ever feeling like we are full even though we are over-eating JUNK! This is why people tend to put on weight over the winter time. Who says that salads are summertime foods? Find a few staple veggies sides and some big ol’ salads that you enjoy eating and make them a part of your daily routine! Try adding Shakeology into one of your daily meals or snacks each day! It truly is a dose of daily dense nutrition!

3. Stay Warm with a Hot Drink: Coffee, tea, and even a glass of warm lemon water will really help you relax and embrace the cold weather by staying warm on the inside! Just be sure to not load your drinks down with sugar, and yucky liquid creamers (ok, confession: I didn’t used to think they were yucky and I used to drink WAY TOO MUCH of them! So if you are like me, please taper off the creamer and enjoy your coffee as it is, or with some almond milk and honey!). Look for non-caffeinated teas that have immune boosting power in them. Treat yourself to one in the afternoons.

4. Start a Countdown: Have a vacation coming up in the Spring/Summer? Start a countdown on your calendar, or find a countdown app on your phone! This is also a great way to keep yourself on track with #1 and #2 on this list! Keep yourself healthy and fit for those tank top and short seasons! They’ll be here before you know it!

5. Get out of the HOUSE: Yes, I said it. Don’t hibernate! Yes, it is cold and you have to get all bundled up like an eskimo before going anywhere. However, if you are stuck in your house, you might just go a little crazy! So find some fun places to go to. Go to the library, aquarium, etc. Look up places locally that are still inside and warm (and CHEAP!). This will force you to get up and shower and go somewhere (even when you just want to be lazy and stay in jammies all day!).

Don’t let Winter give you the BLUES!



Now, here's a BONUS Winter Workout found on my favorite place to find images: Google Images!

-Ashley

Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Mmmmmmm..... Fries. Can we all just admit to loving them? Even if they are just not that great for us? I know I can. BUT, I have found a way to have my fries, and eat them too! Oven-baked sweet potatoes!

They are so simple and easy to make. All you need is some sweet potatoes (duh), extra virgin olive oil (preferably in a spray bottle like a Misto), and some black pepper and pink Himalayan salt. Thankfully, my in-laws had brought us a large bag of sweet potatoes the other day so we were able to make some! OK, without further wait... here's how you make them:

I used 2 large sweet potatoes, and gave them a scrub down. Then I sliced them in half and then into good size fries.

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I sprayed my stoneware with the olive oil and placed the fries in an even layer on the pan. Then I sprinkled them with the salt and pepper (hadn't done that yet when I took the picture!)

The oven was heated to 425F and I cooked them for 10 min on one side and then flipped them and cooked them another 10-12 min on the other side. I set the oven to broil for about 2 min to give them a little crispiness!

Don't they look delicious??? They were an awesome side to our meal of Italian seasoned chicken breasts and steamed veggies!