Taco Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa

Hey beautiful peeps!

I am always on the look out for new healthy recipes to try out, especially Gluten Free! So, I stumbled across this recipe and decided to make a few adjustments. Check out the recipe below and give it a try!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

Taco Stuffed Peppers with quinoa

Ingredients:

3 Green or Red Bell Peppers with the tops cut open and seeds removed

1 Pound 90% Lean Ground Beef

1 Packet Low Sodium Gluten Free Taco Seasoning

1 Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained

1  Small Package Organic Frozen Corn

Quinoa, made according to package

Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400*. Pour 1/4 cup water into the bottom of a glass casserole dish.

Brown Ground beef in a skillet on medium heat until cooked thoroughly. Add corn, black beans, cooked quinoa, taco seasoning, and 3/4 cups water to the cooked beef.

Stir, heating through until mixture thickens.

Spoon beef mixture into peppers all the way to the top of each.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle cheese on top, then return to oven and bake until cheese is thoroughly melted.

Serve.

Can be served with taco sauce and sour cream

 

ENJOY!

 

Breakfast: Is It The Most Important Meal Of The Day?

Good morning beautiful!

We have all heard the saying “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, but do we really know why?

Well, in this post I will dive into the pros and cons of skipping the first meal of the day, which will give you a guide to choose which alternative suits you best. So, let’s get started!

When we skip breakfast. there are a number of things that will occur through the course of your day that will negatively effect you, and when you eat breakfast within the hour of waking up, there are some seriously positive things that take place inside of you.

Pro/Con #1:  Reduced risk of heart disease vs. Increased Risk of Heart Disease

When we are sleeping, our body goes through a fasting period. When we wake up in the morning and eat within the first hour, our bodies do not go through an added stress period due to hunger. When we skip breakfast, we increase the stress levels which causes a strain on our bodies that can lead to some serious health issues. These health issues can be, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and insulin resistance to name a few. So, when it comes to heart health, prolonging fasting increases our bodies stress levels, but a healthy balanced breakfast in the morning is good for your heart health!

Pro/Con #2: Healthy Brain Function vs. Starving Your Brain

Studies show that when we forgo breakfast, we are less productive at work/school, have a more difficult time problem solving, and can suffer from brain fog/mental clarity. Did you know the USDA reports that when children eat a balanced breakfast, they are able to retain more information in school which increases their test scores. So simply stated Our bodies are kind of like a car, when we fill it up with good fuel, we run better.

Pro/Con #3: Weight loss vs. Weight Gain

The misconception on weight loss is by restricting calories, we will obtain our weight loss goals. So , people will not cut back on the unhealthy foods, they will just skip a meal, and breakfast tends to be the one they choose. But did you know that by skipping breakfast you are setting yourself up to intake more calories from the wrong foods later in the day? If you eat a balanced breakfast with a good healthy amount of protein, you are jump starting your metabolism as well as setting the day for healthier food choices. This in turn will benefit you on your weight loss journey.

All of this chatter about breakfast is making me hungry! So, now I am off to make my most important meal of the day today which is almost always my super delish, super dense nutritional vegan chocolate Shakeology. I am getting a healthy amount of protein as well as 70 whole foods with 23 vitamins and minerals for breakfast all in one shake a day. It fills me and fuels my body with all of the good stuff. On the days I choose to have my shake later, I opt for eggs with a fruit and veggie.

Be sure to follow my blog to get notifications for my upcoming posts on the breakfast recipes! Have a great Wednesday!

Mozzarella, Roasted Pepper, Basil Stuffed Chicken Breast with Garlic Roasted Broccoli and Brown Rice

Good evening beautiful!

This meal is definitely a go to in our household. It is so quick, simple and inexpensive to make, that even on your busiest night this can be made and served within the hour. Check out the recipe Below!

Chicken stuffed with Mozzarella, Basil, and Roasted Red Peppers

Ingredients:

4-5 Chicken Breasts

4-5 Slices of Mozzarella Cheese

4-5 Roasted Red Peppers In A Jar

8-10 Fresh Basil Leaves

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Himalayan Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Thyme

Dried Sage

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400*.

Cut a Pocket into each chicken breast.

Place a red pepper, slice of mozzarella, 2 basil leaves in each chicken breast.

Place in a glass pan, then sprinkle tops with, salt, pepper, onion, garlic thyme, and sage.

Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes, or until chicken is done.

 

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

3-4 Fresh Broccoli Crowns, cut into florets

3-4 Tablespoons Minced Garlic

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Himalayan Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Olive Oil

Chicken Broth

Instructions:

Preheat Oven 400*.

Line a large cookie sheet with tinfoil.

Place broccoli in a single layer onto cookie sheet.

Drizzle olive oil, add an 1/8 of a cup of chicken broth.

Sprinkle minced garlic, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste.

Cook 10 minutes or until bright green. Do not over cook.

 

Brown Rice: Cook Following Package Instructions.

 

I hope you and your loved ones enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 

 

Let’s Talk Nutrition For Your Loved One’s And Yourself

Hey Beautiful!

The sun is shining, the rain has ended, so enjoy this glorious day! I hope you all woke up this morning with your happy faces and put on your confidence pants to make the best of this day, I know I did! Before I head out to help out, I wanted to take a few minutes to discuss nutrition with you, especially supplemental nutrition.

I was reading a few articles last night after a question came up about some supplemental nutrition shakes that you can purchase in the store. Now I am all for adding additional supplements to your diet since we live in a world of on the go and fast food now, but are you really getting and giving to your family what you should be putting in your bodies? I am no doctor, but I can tell you that after reading the ingredient list, especially the first few (that is what the bulk of the food is made of in some of these “nutritional shakes”), I was quite shocked to see ingredients such as; Corn Maltodextrin, Sugar, Canola Oil! What?! Are you kidding me?! How are these nutritious? I am sorry, but you can add some vitamins, minerals and protein to ice cream and it doesn’t make it a healthy way to provide your body with what it needs to properly function daily. Did you know to maintain a healthy weight, even lose weight, it all starts in the kitchen? So think about what you eat, your children, your grandparent, parents, etc. and ask yourself, is my diet 80% healthy with a little wiggle room here and there for a cheat night? Am I providing not only for myself but for my family the keys to a healthy life starting in the kitchen?

Now I understand that kids can come with the picky eating gene, I have one of my own 😉 but it doesn’t mean we can’t fake them out with the proper nutritional foods and nutritional supplement that provides their bodies with what it needs. It is sad that we no longer eat to live, but live to eat. We are actually STARVING our bodies from the lack of nutrition, living on carbs, sugar, and preservatives.

Here is a simple way to test your healthy habits:

1. Grab a notebook; can even be logged on your phone, tablet, computer, dry erase board.
2. Start on a Sunday
3. Write down everything you eat
4. Log what time you ate
5. Write down what you were emotionally feeling when you did
6. Write down how you felt physically after
7. Write down how you emotionally felt after
8. Write down what time you became hungry again
9. Note your sleeping habits

By the end of the week, note how you are feeling over all.

 

 

Help! The Scale Won’t Move!

Hey beautiful,

Here is a little motivation Monday for you!

I have been where you are many, many times. I would exercise and eat right and the scale would start to go down,”YES” but then all of a sudden, the scale stops dead in it’s tracks! WHAT THE HECK?! So we exercise more, eat less, and try to get that scale to budge some more towards our ultimate weight loss goals, and sometimes the scale budges a little more and we are back on the weight loss high, then BOOM, it stops again! GRRRR!!!

We have a tendency to become defeated, so we give up instead of looking at what is really going on inside our bodies. It has been said so many times that fat and muscle do not weigh the same. That is so wrong. The difference between the two is space. Fat takes up more space than muscle, muscle is more compact. So you need to not look at the scale during your weight loss journey all the time. Pay closer attention to how your clothes are fitting, use a tape measure to see if the inches are melting away. That is the best way to track your progress.

Now keep in mind that you will notice some areas numbers coming down a little faster than others, it is completely normal.  As I noted before, when in doubt, focus on how your clothes fit. Enjoy the journey, leading a fit lifestyle is not only based on weight loss, it is a mental and emotional journey as well.