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September 2, 2014/in Clean Eating, Tips /by phiggins

One-Pot Family Meals for Fall! {Download it for Free here}

Nobody loves doing dishes, nobody. But everyone loves a delicious meal that comes together quickly and who isn’t looking to eat something healthy these days either?

I put together 5 of my favorite one-pot family meals for the fall season just for you. I want you to eat well and have less dishes to wash, because sometimes you are cooking and cleaning up in under an hour.

Using Leftovers to Make Lunches

April 1, 2014/in Recipe, Tips /by phiggins

Bringing lunch to work doesn’t have to be boring. Pack up leftovers and you’ll be looking forward to this mid-day meal right after breakfast!

Once of my favorite kinds of lunches are comfort foods like sweet potato and beans. I baked up sweet potatoes for a dinner, then sliced up leftovers for a few lunches. I made a pot of black-eyed peas which make great leftovers, you can use canned if you don’t want to soak and cook the beans. Be sure to use BPA free canned beans such as Eden Farms.

Creamy avocado is a great addition to this meal for some healthy fats and extra protein along with protein from the beans.

Other great leftover combinations:

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew
Leftover balsamic chicken with garlic-lime broccoli (Recipe in my E-cookbook!)
Red Quinoa and Black-Eyed Pea Salad – Recipe featured on Vitacost.com
Spinach and Zucchini Lasagna
Espresso Roasted Pork with Brussels Sprouts

For a sweet treat try my No-Bake Cacao-Hemp Protein Balls!

What are your favorite leftovers to bring for lunch at the office?

Healthy Eating During the Holidays

December 9, 2013/in Beneficial Foods, Tips, Weight Loss /by phiggins

You may be on the go quite a bit this holiday season, tons to do at work, shorter daylight hours may make the days seem shorter (I know that’s true for me). Maybe you’re seeing more treats around the office every week plus all those fancy pumpkin and peppermint fancy (read: high calorie bomb) lattes can be fun sometimes but adding as a staple to your daily eating can result in tighter pants, more blemishes on skin, crankier moods, headaches, and lower quality sleep. Totally not worth it after all right?

So, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite eats lately. Winter time makes me crave comfort foods like no other time of the year. These eats are nutrient dense, easy to make, and taste great (i.e. craveable).

#1 Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Recipe: Wash sweet potato then cut in half then slice length wise using a really sharp knife (careful not to cut your fingers). Toss with coconut oil, sea salt, and cinnamon. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Store leftovers in fridge, they taste great chilled too.

#2 Green Drink

I love a green juice or smoothie. This one I’m calling green drink because it’s something to have in place of water or tea, not a meal replacement or snack.

Recipe: 1 cup water, 2 cups greens (spinach, leaf lettuce, swiss chard), 1/2 cup frozen mango. Blend until smooth, then sip your way to gorgeous skin and more energy.

#3 Apple slices with avocado

I love apples. I love avocado. Just last week I decided to enjoy them together, wow what a treat! Crunchy and creamy together, heavenly.

Recipe: Slice up an apple, cut avocado in half. Scoop out avocado with apple slices.

#4 Millet toast with avocado and apple

I had to take my avocado and apple creation to the next level with some delicious millet toast. I only find this at Whole Foods (in the freezer section), it’s called Millet Special made by Deland Bakery www.delandbakery.com. It’s the best gluten free bread in my opinion, few ingredients and yeast free.

What are your favorite eats this time of year? Please share in the comments below, I’d love to know.

To your healthy eating,

XOXO, Pam

Mulligatawny Soup – Warm up with Veggies of the Season

October 1, 2013/in Beneficial Foods, Recipe /by phiggins

When Fall season comes around, all I can think of is soup oh and apples, pumpkin, and Halloween too! This week I planned out a few soups and took out the a very cool soup cookbook.

We tried Mulligatawny soup quite a while ago and it was time to bring it back. Reminds me of that well known Seinfeld episode with the Soup Nazi. Mulligatawny soup is one of the recipes that Elaine got the from armoire and was ready off at the end of the episode. I was excited to try this soup for the first time a few years ago, and now I’ve got my own version to share with you!

But first, a snipet from that infamous show:

Ingredients:
1 + 1/2 cups each chopped onion (1 medium) and tart apples (2 small-medium)

1/2 cup each chopped celery (2 stalks), red bell pepper (4 baby sweet bell peppers)

1 cup chopped carrots (15 baby carrots or 2 whole carrots)

1 clove garlic, crushed or minced

1 Tablespoon Organic olive oil

Spices: 1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon each: ground allspice, dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon sea salt + 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

28 ounces chopped or diced tomatoes ( I used Pomi brand)

1 pound chicken breast, boneless

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or unsweetened shredded coconut flakes

Serve with cooked brown rice or millet

Method:

1. Chop veggies (you can do this the night before to save time)

2. Heat soup pot or French oven on stove top, I own a 5-Quart Fontignac French oven soup pot. Add olive oil then add veggies (stir to coat veggies in oil), sauté at medium to medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until veggies soften.

3. Add spices: curry powder, chili powder, allspice, thyme, sea salt, black pepper. Stir and coat veggies with spices.

4. Add remaining ingredients: pour in chicken stock, water, chopped tomatoes, and chicken breast.

5. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer covered for about 20 minutes to allow chicken to cook thru.

6. Remove chicken from soup pot, place on a cutting board and shred, then add back to soup pot.

7. Taste soup broth (carefully since it’s really hot) and adjust seasonings to taste before serving.

8. Sprinkle with either fresh chopped parsley (my preference) or shredded unsweetened coconut (Heman’s favorite).

9. Enjoy!!

For 30 healthy recipes plus my 3 favorite desserts:

https://www.totalhealthcounseling.com/work-with-me/

I created this e-cookbook with yummy and healthy recipes you can make quickly on weeknights, have snacks for on the go and serve up at parties! Please check it out, I know you will enjoy them too! XOXO

April is Fresh Florida Tomato Month

April 26, 2012/in Beneficial Foods, Resources /by phiggins

I’ve had the honor of receiving a guest post from Produce for Kids! This wonderful organization stands for healthy family eating and provides great recipes and tips to help your kids eat better so they can have the energy to move more, learn more, and be healthy and strong. Produce for Kids also raises funds for local children’s non-profit organizations, click here to learn more. All recipes and the nutritional tomato tips are credited to Produce for Kids Pop Advisory Board member and Registered Dietician, Estela Schnelle.

April is Fresh Florida Tomato Month and in the spirit of this fantastic fruit, we wanted to share the nutritional benefits of tomatoes and some delicious and easy recipes revolving around the nutritional powerhouse from Produce for Kids. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat between 22- 24 pounds of tomatoes per person, per year. (More than half of that consumption is ketchup and tomato sauce.) In addition, the tomato is the fourth most popular fresh-market vegetable behind potatoes, lettuce, and onions in the U.S.

Most people know that tomatoes are good for you, but how many people know why? Here are some fun facts about tomatoes from PFK Pop advisory board member and Registered Dietician, Estela Schnelle:

·Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, & potassium

·Tomatoes are also one of the foods that contain the highest amount of Lycopene, which is the pigment that give tomatoes, and certain fruits and vegetables their color

·Lycopene appears to have antioxidant capabilities and is very good for the eyes

· Research shows that a diet rich in Lycopene may be associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer and heart disease

Produce for Kids is a fantastic resource to help parents and kids learn about the benefits of consuming fresh produce by providing healthful meal solutions, videos, podcasts and much, much more. The site even hosts an advisory board made up of parents with a wide range of expertise who can provide additional tools and resources on how you can easily incorporate fruits and veggies into your family’s daily routine. To celebrate, we thought we would also give you some fantastic tomato recipes from Ideal Meals, provided by Produce for Kids:

Guacamole Tomato Boats

Serves 2

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

·2 medium tomatoes on the vine

·8 Tbsp. guacamole (liberal tablespoonfuls)

·8 Tbsp. salsa

·4 Tbsp. grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F or turn broiler on High.
2. Wash and dry tomatoes.
3. Slice tomatoes in half, cross section wise, and scoop out the insides, being careful not to puncture/tear the bottom of the tomato half.
4. With open side of tomato facing up, fill with guacamole, then salsa, and garnish with cheddar cheese.
5. Bake/broil until cheese melts, then remove from oven.

Nutrition Information:

Guacamole Tomato Boats Calories 365; Fat ; Protein ; Carbohydrate ; Fiber 7.2g; Cholesterol 1.5mg; Sodium 484mg; Calcium 16%DV; Vitamin A 62%DV; Vitamin C 97%DV; Iron 8%DV

Peach Tomato Salsa

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

·2 tomatoes

·1 medium nectarine peeled and chopped

·1 medium peach, peeled and chopped

·¼ cup Vidalia® onion, chopped

·2 Tbsp. lime juice

·3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

·1/8 tsp. salt

· Additional Meal Items:

·1 seedless cucumber, sliced

·4 corn tortillas, 6-inch diameter, cut into 8 triangles

·Nonstick cooking spray

· 1 cup low-fat milk or juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In a medium serving bowl, gently combine the tomatoes, peaches and onion.

3. Gently stir in the lime juice, cilantro and salt. Let set 15 mins. before serving to allow flavors to meld.

4. While salsa marinates, place tortilla triangles on a baking pan. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 5-6 mins. or until lightly browned.