Simply Living a Fit Life

Shrimp and Broccoli Lo Mein Takeout Makeover! I decided to tackle a take out favorite and modify it to get rid of the normal sugar laden teriyaki sauce. This version is lower in calories, fat and sodium and comes together in less than 30 minutes.  So next time you consider reaching for a takeout menu, stop and throw this simple recipe together.   Ingredients: 1 package brown rice lo mein noodles 1 lb cooked Shrimp (or 1 pound cooked chicken breast) 1 bag frozen broccoli, steam fresh bag Sauce Ingredients: 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 ginger root; grated 1/2 c. coconut  aminos 1/4 c water  1/4 cup agave syrup 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar 1/2 ginger root; grated 1 tsp sriracha Directions: Whisk sauce ingredients together in bowl and set aside. Put Broccoli in the microwave according to directions. In large skillet on medium heat add sauce and bring to boil then reduce to simmer.   Cook noodles according to package directions Add ...

                      pic Fixate cookbook Edamame Salad Every now and again I like a good meatless meal and this find arrived just in time for Ash Wednesday.  Give it a try and let me know how you like!! Ingredients: 1 c  Shelled edamame 1/2 c sliced napa cabbage 1/2 c shredded carrots 1/2 c thinly sliced red bell pepper 1/4  avocado, chopped 1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro 1Tbsp black sesame seeds Directions: Place cabbage, edamame, carrots and red pepper on serving plate a Top with avocado, cilantro and sesame seeds. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp Asian Vinaigrette Fix counts: 1-1/2 Green, 2 Yellow, 1 Blue, 1 Orange

Do you find yourself hitting the drive thru because you are short on time in the morning??   These little gems are so quick you could whip them up in less than 5 minutes, with a few short cuts* and out of the oven when you step out of the shower. Vegetable Egg Cups Serves 6 (2 each) Ingredients: 12 large Eggs 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 2 green onions, thinly sliced Himalayan salt to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Lightly spray a 12 cup muffin tin  Place eggs in large bowl and whisk to blend,  Season with salt and pepper if desired Add vegetables; mix well Pour egg mixture into muffin tins evenly Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean Top with 1 Tbsp of clean salsa Fix counts: 1 Red per serving *time saving tip:  use egg beaters and frozen pepper, onion mix or mushrooms for the veggies

Clean Pizza Sauce Simple sauce recipe that is full of flavor and you can throw it together in 10 minutes.  I love using whole wheat pita breads and I cut them into 4 for portion control.  Pair this with a salad and you will be satisfied and not kicking yourself for eating more than your share of the pie. Recipe Ingredients: 2 cups Tomato Sauce 3/4 cup tomato paste 1 Tbsp oregano 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp basil 1 tsp Himalayan salt Directions: In a small bowl, mix tomato sauce and paste until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well

 Chunky Monkey Ice Cream ICE CREAM is a favorite treat of mine although I don't like all the sugar it contains.  As I was looking thru the dessert section in the Fixate cookbook I came across this gem!!  It totally hit the sweet spot!! lol...Frozen bananas...natural sugar...Pure JOY!! Give it a try, you won't be sorry!! Ingredients: 3 Ripe bananas, cut into chunks 3 TBSP  all natural peanut butter 1-2 TBSP Unsweetened almond milk 4 tsp chopped dark chocolate 4 tsp sliced raw almonds Directions: 1.  Place bananas in plastic bag and freeze for 4 hours or until completely frozen. 2.  Place bananas and peanut butter in blender or food processor and blend until smooth.       Add 1-2 Tbsp almond milk, if needed for creamier texture. 3.  Divide ice cream evenly into 4 serving bowls; top evenly with chocolate and almonds. 4.  Serve immediately      fixers: 1 purple, 3-1/2 spoons ...

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies I have ALWAYS had a sweet tooth since I was a little girl and my Aunt Sara can vouch for that...lol. Today is a different story...I have seen how sugar affects me and I don't like it.  Crazy cravings that don't stop and then the sugar crash!!!  I really wanted some type of dessert...a good melt in your mouth chocolate chip cookie but I didn't want to ruin all the progress I have made on my abs so I immediately went to pinterest looking for a healthier version and found a this one from  Texanerin ...they were melt in your mouth AMAZING!!! Prep Time: 8 min, bake 10 min Ingredients: 1 can chickpeas, rinse well and pat dry with paper towel 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons   natural peanut butter 1 /4 cup honey 1  teaspoon baki ng powder a pinch of salt if peanut butter doesn't have any 1/2 cup chocolate chips  Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.   2. Combine the chi...

21 Day Fix Oatmeal Pancakes Love pancakes for breakfast!!  I can also make these ahead and freeze for convenience.  Ingredients: 4 egg whites 1/4 cup of oats 1/2 cup of berries 1 tsp cinnamon 1-2 packets stevia 1 tsp vanilla or almond ext Add all ingredients into blender until mixed pour into heated skilled (on medium heat) cover and cook for about 2 minutes or until able to flip then cook an additional 2 minutes. Enjoy!! fix counts:  1 yellow, 1 red, 1/2 purple

Avocado Chicken Egg Salad   Looking for something different for lunch?  Try this quick and easy recipe for Avocado Chicken Egg Salad!!    Ingredients:  1 hard boiled egg, chopped 4 oz chicken, chopped 1/4 avocado 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp Dijon mustard Shake of onion powder Pinch of salt Dash of cayenne pepper   Combine all Ingredients and serve open faced on Ezekiel Bread.   21 day fix counts:  1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue

  I love chicken but I must admit it can get a little boring so I'm always looking to spice it up.  This recipe incorporates two of my favorite ingredients...Dijon mustard and garlic!  YUM!!  The best part of all is it takes about 15 minutes from start to finish and it comes from the beachbody blog  and fix approved!!! So let's get right to the recipe which makes 2 servings Ingredients: 2 (4-oz.) raw chicken breasts, boneless, skinless 1 clove garlic,crushed 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 6 fresh parsley sprigs (or thyme, marjoram, or rosemary), finely chopped 1 dash sea salt ½ tsp. ground black pepper 1 Tbsp. olive oil Preparation: Preheat grill or broiler Combine garlic, mustard, parsley, salt, pepper, and oil in a small bowl; mix well. Brush chicken breasts evenly with garlic mixture. Grill or broil chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal I absolutely LOVE oatmeal and Pumpkin and add a little pure maple syrup...WHOA!!!!    Originally found this recipe on the beachbody blog.  I am always looking to speed up my kitchen time so I used the microwave and I was done in 2 minutes!!   Check out the quick and easy recipe for 2 servings below. Ingredients: 1¼ cups water ½ cup old-fashioned oats ½ cup pumpkin puree ¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice ¼ tsp. cinnamon 1 Tbsp. chopped pecans 2 tsp. pure maple syrup ½ cup almond milk Preparation: Microwave the water and the oats for 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and pecans; mix well. Divide evenly between two serving bowls; top each with maple syrup and ½ cup almond milk 21 Day Fix portions (per serving) 2 yellow, 1/2 purple, 1 tsp    

Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Cheesecake Who else LOVES ice cream?!?!?!  Hard to believe but we used to buy several half gallons each week!!  It was sooooo good but so bad for my waist!!! Well I can't remember the last time I brought it home!! Why?!?!?  Because I have my healthy waist friendly version...right here!!   Can't wait to tell you all about it starting Monday in my shake off!  Join for more info!! Loading...

So I started this post before Thanksgiving and finally finished it this evening!!  I know  that doesn't help your Thanksgiving meal this year however it will help with your  planning for Christmas.   Since I know how easy it is to  fall  off track with our  health and fitness goals  during the holidays I wanted to share with you a few tips on  saving yourself  some guilt and lightening up some of your favorite holiday recipes!!   You see  there are  lots of ways to make a recipe lighter or healthier without losing  the flavor.   Trust me when I say no one even had a clue that I lightened this show  stopper up!!    I used low fat cream cheese,  yogurt instead of sour cream and whole  wheat flour...I would like to change out the whipping cream but honestly it was only 1/3  of a cup and I also would like to change up the sugar to stevia but I only had the thought at the ve...

What is better than coming home to a crock pot of chili ready and waiting??  I love spice so I added 2 jalapeno's with seeds to the following recipe...enjoy!! (Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each) Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey 1 medium onion 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 Tbsp chili powder 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste; optional) 2 (15 oz) cans black beans (or pinto beans) drained, rinsed 1 (15 oz) can all-natural diced tomatoes, no sugar added 12 fresh cilantro sprigs, finely chopped (for garnish; optional) Directions: Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat Add turkey, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute Add beans and tomatoes (with liquid...

One of my favorite recipes for Thanksgiving has always been Sweet Potato Casserole and my old recipe has been begging for a makeover.   As I was scouring the internet this evening for some ideas, I came across this lighter, cleaner version from " The Gracious Pantry "   My family is going to be so greatful...Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without the Sweet Potato Casserole.    So...here ya go…can't wait to indulge in a few short days!!   "Clean" Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Casserole (Makes 8 small servings) Topping Ingredients: 1 cup pecan pieces 1/4 cup raw honey 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 tablespoon safflower oil 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or more!) Filling Ingredients 3 pounds sweet potatoes 1/2 cup clean orange juice 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon honey   Topping Directions: In a large mixing bowl, combine all topping ingredients together.  It will ...

Chilly weekend calls for a crock pot of soup!!  So quick and simple...toss the ingredients into the crock and we will be eating in 5 short hours.  Perfect meal for times when you'd rather not be tied to the stove. Ingredients: 3  Pounds Boneless skinless chicken 3        Cups Diced tomatoes 2 1/2  Cups Frozen corn 8        Cups Chicken stock, low sodium 1        Onion, chopped 2        Green peppers, diced 1        Jalapeno, diced 6        Large garlic cloves, minced 2       TBSP Ground cumin 1½    TBSP Chili powder 1       TBSP Sea salt Directions:    1. In a large crock pot, combine all ingredients. 2. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours. 3. Fish cooked chicken out and shred. 4. Put shredded chicken back into the pot and stir. 5. To make the tortilla strip...

I don't know about you but I LOVE chinese food but not how it makes me feel.  I have been surfing the web trying to come up with lightened up version of one of my favorites General Tso's and today I came across this one right on the beachbody site !!  It comes in at just 183 calories per serving and totally works with the 21 day fix program (1 red, 1/2 orange & 1 tsp.)   Total Time: 25 min. Prep Time: 10 min. Cooking Time: 15 min. Yield: 4 servings Ingredients: 1 lb. raw chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. cornstarch, divided use ¼ tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. sesame oil 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 thin slice fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped 2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce ½ cup low sodium chicken broth 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. tomato paste, no added sugar 2 tsp. hoisin sauce 1 tsp. pure maple syrup (or raw honey) 2 Tbsp. cold water 2 green onions, sliced 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds 1 Tbsp. ...

I absolutely Love these pancakes!!! They are easy to make during my prep days and pull out of the freezer when needed.  Ingredients:  1/2 cup oatmeal 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese 1 teaspoon almond extract 4 egg whites 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 banana Directions: Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Spray a medium size skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium. Add pancake batter to prepared skillet and cover, cook until top is slightly set and carefully flip and cook till bottom is lightly browned. Top with pure maple syrup, Light Agave Nectar, honey or fresh fruit! I personally like a little stevia and MORE Cinnamon!!! YUM!!!

I have always wanted to try Thai food but never found the opportunity until tonight!! Rainy cold fall evening what else is a girl to do?? COOK!!! I already had some chicken cooked up and I as said...in the mood for something spicy! Honestly there is NEVER enough heat!!!  This recipe totally rocks!!  1 lb grilled chicken breast, sliced or diced 1 TBSP chili paste 2 TBSP Sriracha 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 TBSP organic coconut sugar 1 TBSP Natural Peanut Butter Mix the chili paste, sriracha, minced garlic, coconut sugar and the peanut butter together & add 1/2 tsp of water to your mixture and set aside. Place the cooked cut chicken in a skillet on medium lo and pour the sauce over chicken and thoroughly mix and heat to desired temperature. Serve your chicken mixture over rice.

Ingredients:  1/2 c chopped onion 1 minced garlic clove 2 c chopped celery 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth 3 cups of chopped chicken breast (boneless & skinless) 2 c sliced carrots 1 1/4 c whole wheat pasta   Directions:  1. In a large pot - toss in the onion, garlic, celery, broth, chicken and carrots. 2. Heat on high till boiling then reduce to low and cover for 30 min or till carrots are and pasta are soft.

A Chilly Saturday Morning definitely called for Pumpkin Waffles to get outta bed!!  Oh Love me some Pumpkin!!! They are simple, filling and hard to believe...healthy!  This recipes makes 2 servings- 4 whole waffles Packed with 22 grams of protein and only 317 calories!! Ingredients: 1 cup pumpkin puree ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk 3 large egg whites (⅓ cup) 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 cup quick cooking oats 1 scoop whey protein powder, vanilla flavor ½ tsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp. ground nutmeg 1 tsp. baking powder Nonstick cooking spray 2 Tbsp. reduced fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt Preparation: 1. Combine pumpkin, almond milk, egg whites, and extract a medium bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside. 2. Combine oats, protein powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder in a medium bowl; mix well. 3. Add oat mixture to pumpkin mixture; mix until just blended. 4.  Spray waffle iron lightly with cooking spray and spoon batter (about 2 cups for fou...