It’s officially fall, and the easy, breezy days of summer have become a distant memory. Everyone is back at work and kids are back at school, which means adjusting to busier schedules & new routines.
Even though life is busy it’s important to still eat healthy. For me, it’s all about meal ideas & recipes that are healthy, easy & yummy, and provide healthy leftovers for lunch the next day.
Here’s an example of what I eat on an average busy week, and a delish recipe for my Mushroom & Pepper Frittata – enjoy!
Monday: Mushroom Pepper Frittata with Spinach Salad* (see recipe below)
Frittatas are the best because all you need is eggs for the base, and you can make any variation you like with anything you have in your fridge. *Place a container next to your salad bowl, and make your salad for lunch while making your salad for dinner (lunch leftovers: 2 slices of frittata with salad).
Tuesday: Beretta Farms Organic Roast Chicken from Loblaws with Sweet Potato Fries & a Spinach Salad*
Beretta Farms makes fabulous “free-from” pre-roasted chickens, which means the only thing you have to make are the fries (sweet potato fries are high in fiber & won’t spike your blood sugar), and a quick spinach salad (lunch leftovers: chicken with salad or a chicken wrap).
Wednesday: Fish Fajita salad
Sauté some white fish (make sure it’s MSC certified) with salt & pepper, and add to a salad with sautéed onions & peppers, avocado, corn and use salsa for a dressing. It has all the flavors of a fajita, but is super healthy & you won’t even miss the cheese & sour cream (lunch leftovers: add fish & fajita toppings to whole wheat wrap for fish tacos).
Thursday: Chick Pea Tomato Pasta
This is the easiest pasta recipe you’ll ever make, and it requires simple ingredients that most people have (or should have!) in their cupboards: chick peas, tomatoes, red pepper, & feta cheese. The fact that it’s vegetarian means you don’t have to worry about de-thawing, cleaning & cooking meat.
Friday: Pulled Pork
This one is great because you can set it & forget it in your slow cooker, and the only thing you have to make before dinner is Healthy Coleslaw to go with it.
Because you may not have time to get into the gym until you’re settled into your routine; here are a few tips to keep your weight under control:
Make a Healthy Plate
Half your plate should always be salad or steamed vegetables, and serve yourself a fist-size portion of whole grains (ex. quinoa or brown rice) & a palm-sized portion of lean protein.
Slowwww Down
Put your cutlery down between each bite, and chew your food thoroughly. This is not only important for proper digestion & nutrient assimilation, but will help you recognize when you’re full sooner. It takes your stomach 20 minutes to realize it’s full, so if you’re finishing your meal in less than 20 minutes chances are you’re overeating. If you listen to your hunger, and recognize when you’re full, you can put the rest of your food away for lunch leftovers. You can lose weight simply by eating slower!
Cut back on the Booze
During the summer you may have got into a routine of a glass of wine or cold beer during the week. Alcohol is high in calories, and will affect your sleep making it extra hard to get out of bed the next morning.
Mushroom and Pepper Frittata
Ingredients
8 eggs
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 small onion
2 Portobello mushroom caps or 1 package of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 small red pepper diced
2 cups chopped organic arugula or ½ cup chopped fresh basil
½ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta
Salt & fresh ground pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 400 F
In a bowl, whisk together eggs, salt & pepper and goat cheese
In a large frying pan (that’s oven safe!), heat grapeseed oil on medium-high, and sauté onions & mushrooms for a few minutes (if you need more liquid – add a splash of water). Add in peppers & arugula and sauté for a couple more minutes.
Turn heat down to low, and stir in the egg mixture (make sure the toppings are evenly distributed). Cover and cook on low for 6 minutes or until sides start to appear cooked.
Uncover and cook in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until set.
Once done, remove from frying pan, and let cool for a few minutes on a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve with a salad.
Have a great (& healthy) week!
Sweet Potato Fries
http://theotherbigo.ca/2011/03/17/best-sweet-potato-fries/
Chick Pea Tomato Pasta
http://theotherbigo.ca/2011/09/22/healthypasta/
Pulled Pork
http://theotherbigo.ca/2012/06/13/easypulledporkrecipe/
Healthy Coleslaw
