Healthy snacks and healthy hacks

With Winter (hopefully) coming to a close, and summer approaching, it's time to start thinking about how we are going to manage our time more efficiently, and in the healthiest of ways. As a female business entrepreneur, we're gaining time in the sun, but not on the clock. With always being on the go, we desire to find the strength to maximize our hours and fill them with what's important to us. This could mean balancing a variety of things. Work loads, school assignments, side hobbies, family, friends, but how can we really do all that if we don't have the proper fuel? Everyone  wants to meal prep, but no one ever wants to make the time to do it (it's tedious, takes forever, and requires a lot of patience that most of us simply do not have.) There are SO many life hacks out there that we can follow, that can really be of advantage to you throughout those long, excruciating days. You can find so many different ways to curve your cravings, and fill up your stomach and with minimum effort. All you need to do is plan out a decent sized grocery list- and you're set to go!
With that being said, here are a few of my all time favorite recipes, and ideas of how to make the most out of your meals. We'll talk about things from meal replacement smoothies, to multiple ways to make your water tastier, and even some dishes to pack up with you when you're on a serious time crunch. 

Smoothing over Cravings

• Protein Power Crunch -  32 grams protein 7 grams of fiber 450 calories
  • ¾ Cup milk
  • ¼ Cup hemp granola
  • 1 banana
  • 1 scoop of protein powder (soy, rice, hemp or whey, approximately comes out to be 2 tbsp)
  • 1 Cup of ice cubes
• Chocolate Peanut Butter - 12 grams protein 5 grams fiber 360 calories
  • ½ Cup milk
  • 1 ½ tbsp peanut butter (PB Fit Powder, All natural)
  • 1 tbsp raw organic honey
  • ½ tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup ice cubes
• Go Green! - 18.8 grams protein 20.3 grams fiber 306 calories
  • 1 cup fresh kale
  • 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
  • 1 cup mixed berries
  • ½  banana
  • 1 tbsp almond butter
  • 2 tbsp rolled oats
• Apple & Cinnamon - 13.7 grams protein 9.9 grams fiber 238 calories
  • 8 oz coconut water
  • 4 raw almonds
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup chopped apple
  • ½ scoop unsweetened protein powder
  • 1 tbsp ground flax seed

Infuse your Immune System
*Combine each with 12-16 oz water*

• Fat-burning, digestion and headaches
  • Green tea, mint leaves, sliced lime
• Blood sugar support and digestion
  • Sliced cucumber, sliced strawberries, kiwi
• Hydration, digestion and appetite control
  • Sliced cucumber, lemon, lime
• Immune defense, digestion and heartburn
  • Lime, orange, lemon
• Weight and Sugar Control
  • Ginger, Cucumber, Lemon
  • Lemon, Lime, Green tea
• Antioxidants- Vitamin Enriched
  • Orange, Strawberry, Cranberry
  • Blueberry, Apple, Raspberry
• Metabolism Booster
  • Cinnamon sticks, Green Tea, Strawberry
  • Mint and Lemon
• Lower Blood Pressure
  • Kiwi, Guava, Passion fruit
  • Pomegranate, Cherry, Kiwi

Kick Start the Morning

• Iced Coffee Protein Shake
  • ¾ Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • 1 Frozen Banana
  • 1 Scoop of Vanilla or Chocolate Protein Powder  (Whey Protein tastes best!)
  • 1 Cup Cold Brewed Coffee
  • 2 Cups of Ice  
• No Bake Oatmeal Energy Bites
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup almond butter or substitute PB
  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips
  • ⅓ cup raw honey
  • ¼ cup ground flax-seed
  • DIRECTIONS
  • In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together
  • Roll out teaspoon sized balls and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper
  • Freeze until set about one hour
• Make Ahead Hearty Breakfast Bowls
  • 3 lbs red potatoes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 9 large eggs
  • Olive Oil spray
  • 1 ½ cup salsa
  • 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • DIRECTIONS
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees,
  • Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes, place in a bowl and add tbsp olive oil- mix together to coat
  • Bake for 45 mins or til golden brown
  • Make scrambled eggs and add to the pan with olive oil spray, sprinkle with pepper if desired
  • Add eggs, potatoes, salsa and cheese over 6 separate breakfast containers (bowls)
  • Store in fridge for up to a week, and enjoy/ reheat
• Mini Pancake Bites
  • ¼ Cup of dried blueberries
  • 3 tbsp of cake batter muscle egg egg whites, or regular egg whites
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 4 scoops of vanilla "kidzshake" protein powder or whey protein
  • ¼ cup of stevia
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ cup of dark mini chocolate chips
  • 2 tbsp coconut flour
  • 1 ½ cup kodiak super food mix
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cup soy milk, almond milk, or regular
  • DIRECTIONS
  • Mix all ingredients in large sized bowl, add in fruits and choc chips if desired- place in mini muffin tins

Brown Bag Bites

• Chicken Avocado Salad Roll Ups
  • 2 cups shredded chicken
  • 1 ripe avocado-mashed
  • 2-3 tablespoons plain Greek Yogurt (start with 2 and add more if salad seems dry)
  • 2 green onion-sliced
  • Freshly ground black pepper- to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 ½ tablespoon fresh cilantro or parsley-chopped
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 5-6 Tortillas (8 or 10 inch diameter)
  • DIRECTIONS
  • Combine all ingredients for Chicken Avocado salad. Stir until evenly blended.
  • Spread the mixture over tortilla and roll up tightly. Repeat with remains.
  • Slice up or place in refrigerator until firm.
• Skinny Pizza Wrap- Only 255 calories!
  • 1 Flatout Flatbread Soft 100% Whole Wheat Wrap
  • 3 tbsp Ragu Light Pizza Sauce
  • ½ Tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 17 slices turkey pepperoni
  • ¼ cup low moisture, part-skim
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese
  • DIRECTIONS
  • Spread pizza sauce on wrap
  • Top sauce with Italian seasoning, pepperoni slices and sprinkles with cheese
  • Roll wrap tightly- you can eat it cold or throw it in the microwave for 1:30 minutes.
• Skinny Bang Bang Zucchini Noodles​
  • 4 medium zucchini spiraled 
  • OR, if you don’t own a vegetable spiral machine; you can cut the zucchini into thin, noodle-like strips, toss with 2 teaspoons of salt and place in a colander and drain for 30 minutes. Bring a pot of water to boil, add noodles and cook for one minute. Drain, and then rinse immediately with cold water to stop from cooking
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil 
  • For the Sauce:
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1 ½ tsp sriracha sauce
  • 1 ½ tbsp honey
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp light mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp fat free plain Greek Yogurt
  • In a large bowl add all sauce ingredients. Mix with a whisk until smooth, taste and adjust if needed.
  • Pour sauce into 4 small containers. Mix zucchini noodles with your proteins and into one large container separate from the sauce.
  • To heat your food up the day of, heat the noodles and drain any water that may be released. Toss the sauce in- try it hot or cold. Either way, it'll taste great and you will not be disappointed.
  • Store in the fridge, and eat within the next three or four days.
  • *You can cook shrimp, chicken, steak, or any sort of protein to go with the noodles, just cook them first on the stove and set aside.* 

 

• Baked Lime Chicken
  • 2-3 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. Cut into cubes
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • Juice from 2 limes
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
  • DIRECTIONS
  • In a large resealable bag, combine olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
  • Add cut up chicken to marinade and toss to coat. Marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 400° F. Pour marinated chicken onto baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
  • Serve with Cooked Quinoa, Salad, Green Beans or Roasted Brussel Sprouts.

Dining in a Dash

• Low Carb Goulash- Gluten and Grain Free! (Yield Six Servings)
  • 2 pounds of ground beef
  • 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes canned
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 2 bay leaves, diced
  • 10 oz cabbage
  • 4 cloves of large garlic
  • 2 tbsp oregano, dried
  • 1 yellow onion, large
  • 1, 15 ounce tomato sauce, canned
  • 1 ½ tsp soy sauce
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp seasoned salts
  • 1 package of cheddar cheese
  • DIRECTIONS
  • Cook the meat over medium heat, stir in onions and garlic once cooked.
  • Stir in water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, oregano, basil, bay leaves, seasoned salt and black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and cover for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in cabbage and let simmer for 5 minutes for crunchy texture, 10 minutes for softer texture.
  • Remove from heat, discard bay leaves and refrigerate overnight. If you need to, you can serve it right then and there, but it tastes best once everything’s settled the next day.  
• Bell Pepper Meatball Subs
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 egg
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 (15 oz) jar of marinara
  • 4 bell peppers, cored and halved
  • DIRECTIONS
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine beef, breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan, egg, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes. Mix until just combined and form into 16 balls.
  • Add 1 tbsp of oil into skillet on medium high heat. Add meatballs to cook, turning occasionally. Add Marinara sauce to the skillet and toss to coat.
  • Take the bell peppers cut side-up, on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Top each halve with mozzarella slices and bake until cheese has melted and bell peppers are warm throughout.
  • Add meatballs on top of the pepper halves with cheese already on them and put the second halve on top and boom! Perfect knock-off-meatball sub.
• Balsamic-Glazed Steak Tips and Mushrooms (Gluten free ☺)
  • For the steak
  • 1 ½ lbs sirloin steak tips
  • 1 lb cremini mushrooms
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup taman or soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • For the mushrooms
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp butter, unsalted
  • DIRECTIONS
  • Marinate the steak in a resealable bag, set aside and refrigerate at least 1-4 hours. You can add in 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar to the mixture if you would like but it is not necessary.
  • Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium high, take the steak out of the marinade and pat it dry with a paper towel to remove an excess.  Add the steak to the pan in a single layer. Once all pieces are cooked thoroughly put them on a separate platter and set aside somewhere warm or just cover the pan LOOSELY!!!!!!! With aluminum foil.
  • Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook, adjust the heat if needed for about five minutes and then add in the vinegar and simmer for a minute. Once you take the mushrooms off the heat, add in butter and stir until melted and the sauce that is in the pan looks pretty and glossy. Pour everything over the steak pieces, top with parsley if you're feeling extra saucy ;)

What are some of your favorite quick time, or summer prep recipes? Do these look like something manageable? 
Let us know which ones you tried, modified, liked, didn't like. We would love to hear your feedback! 

Tune in next week to see what we'll be chatting about next!♥

xoxo,
Alayna Anderson
Editorial Contributor
Intern & Mini Badass in Training 

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