Awesome 21 day diet

I've had some questions about the diet that I'm following. It is from an old fitness magazine from years ago but great for re-boosting your metabolism. If you have Spring Break goals or want to begin a journey for better eating, here is the diet I've been following to get there. I promise it isn't that bad. It is hard the first week losing some things that may have been tasty before but it is WORTH IT! First I will post the meal set ups and at the bottom I will post the food options and measurements.

Look for some meals these next few weeks that are diet friendly! I'm going to throw in some post workout smoothies as well.

Week 1: Your metabolic rate is reset (eat these 5 meals a day)
Meal 1: 2 carbs, 1 fruit
Meal 2: 1 fruit
Meal 3: 4 oz. Chicken, 1 1/2 carbs, 1 vegetables
Meal 4: 1 fruit
Meal 5: 4 oz. fish, 3 vegetables, 1 fruit

Week 2: Your metabolism shifts into it's highest gear
Meal 1: 2 carbs, 1 fruit
Meal 2: 1 fruit
Meal 3: 4 oz. Chicken, 2 vegetables
Meal 4: 1 vegetable, 1 Tbs. peanut butter
Meal 5: 4 oz. fish, 3 vegetables

Week 3: Your body blocks New fat deposits
Meal 1: 2 carbs
Meal 2: 1 vegetable
Meal 3: 4 oz. Chicken, 2 vegetables
Meal 4: 1 vegetable
Meal 5: 4 oz. fish, 3 vegetables

Carbohydrates
~1/3 cup brown, white, or wild rice, black beans, kidney beans, lentils, or sweet potato
~1 cup puffed rice, puffed wheat, popcorn
~1/3 baked potato
~1/2 cup oatmeal, bran flakes, corn grits, cream of rice, cream of wheat, couscous, bulghur wheat
~1/2 cup corn, winter squash, green peas
~1 medium artichoke

Fruit
~1 medium apple, pear, peach, orange, nectarine
~1/2 banana, grapefruit, mango, cantaloupe, papaya
~1/2 cup cherries, applesauce
~1 cup grapes, watermelon, pineapple, cranberries, currants, berries
~2 kiwifruit, guavas, plums, tangerines
~3 apricots, peaches, dates, prunes

Vegetables
~1/2 cup pumpkin, onion, sauerkraut
~1 cup asparagus, broccoli, Brussels spouts,  cauliflower, turnips, collard, kale, mustard greens, green or yellow squash, peppers
~2 cups celery, cabbage, cucumber, mushrooms, spinach
~3 cups alfalfa sprouts, beet greens, iceberg or romaine lettuce
~4 cups endive, Swiss or ruby chard
~1 tomato

Freebies! (my favorite)
~ Condiments: ketchup, barbecue sauce, nonfat sour cream, soy sauce or tamari, miso, teriyaki sauce, pickles, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and horseradish.
~All dry seasonings, spices and herbs
~Garlic, chives, watercress, radishes
~Nonfat salad dressings and mayonnaise (Mix mustard and mayo for lowfat tartar sauce)
~Butter substitutes, cooking sprays
~Salsa, tomato juice, vegetable juice, oil free tomato/marinara sauce, fat-free vegetable broth, fat-ree chicken broth (up to 1/3 cup daily)
~Lemon and lime juice, vanilla and other extracts, vinegars
~Light jams, jellies, and syrups (up to 2 Tbs daily)
~Nonfat milk or soy milk (I prefer Almond milk) *1 cup daily
~Artificial sweeteners


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Homemade bagel pizzas

Living on the mountain the weather is so unpredictable. Four days ago we were all snowed in, yesterday it was 68 degrees and sunny and today we had thunderstorms and flash floods that have us all trapped indoors. Not knowing what to eat for dinner my roommate and I rummaged through the cabinets for something to eat. I had some bagels, some left over sauce from Stromboli and some left over cheese. Oh the things you can do with leftovers!

Bagels weight in at only 1 gram of fat per bagel. Unlike bagel bites you purchase in the frozen foods section, home bagel bites are preservative free! If you're fortunate enough to have left over toppings (we did not) then add those atop of your bagels!

Prep time: 3 min
Cook times: 10 min
Ingredients:
2 Bagels
Marinara Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
 Instructions:
1. Split your bagel in two and spread sauce on each halve.
2. Place or sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce.
3. Bake on 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Skillet Cajun Flounder

This was a first timer! After a trip to the gym we needed something yummy so I thought I would give this a try. If you like tomato based meals, you'll love this one. It is super quick and very satisfying! Thaw your fish before hand.


Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12-15 min


Ingredients:
4 Flounder (I used 6)
2 cans of diced tomatoes
3/4 c onion diced
3/4 c green bell peppers diced
1 T Cajun Spice (or to taste)
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Garlic or 1 garlic clove *minced*
1 T olive oil


Instructions: 
1. Combine 1 T of Olive Oil and 3/4 cups of onion in skillet on medium heat. Let it heat for a few minutes until the onions are soft.
2. Add bell peppers, tomatoes, and spices. Leave on medium heat until bell peppers are soft.
3. Add raw flounder into the sauce.
4. Cover for 12-15 minutes on medium heat. Cook until flounder is done and flakes.



Final Steps: Serve fish and sauce HOT over rice or with sides!

Chicken Herb Meatloaf w/ Pitas

I tried this recipe a few years ago when I was at the beginning of my culinary adventures. It came to my memory last night so I decided to give it ago again. What is with Wal-mart packaging red peppers in plastic wrap? It was moldy so only green peppers made it in this time. You can use 2 lbs of ground chicken or 4 large chicken breast processed raw in a food processor. The ingredients list seems long but most of the items you have lying around your pantry.

Prep time: 20 min (with raw chicken breast) 10 min with ground chicken breast
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Serves: 4+
4 raw chicken breast or 2lbs ground chicken
1/2 c green bell pepper
1/2 c red bell pepper
1/2c onion
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons Greek seasoning
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1/2 c dry bread crumbs
1/3 c light mayo
2 tablespoons dried parley
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Step 1: Process raw chicken breast
Step 2: Saute peppers and onions on medium heat for 5-7 minutes with teaspoon of olive oil
Step 3: Add tender veggies to a bowl with the ground or processed chicken
Step 4:Add all remaining ingredients (spices, bread crumbs, mayo, eggs)
Mix until combined and bake in 9x5 or 9x9 baking dish for 1 hour 10 minutes



Final Steps: Serving
Thinly slice cook meatloaf and serve inside of pita. 

Topping Options: Sliced Cucumbers, Sliced tomatoes, olives, (plain yogurt or ranch dressing), lettuce, & feta cheese.

Bubble Up Pizza

This does not fit the diet I'm following but with low fat cheese and turkey pepperoni it can become slightly healthier. I found this recipe and since we are such Pizza lovers we figured it would be yummy. This recipe has lots of room to play with. If you like veggies or other meats feel free to add!

Prep time: 10-15 min
Cook time: 25-30 min

Serves: 4+
2 cans 12 oz Buttermilk biscuits
1 jar pizza or marinara sauce

30 pepperonis
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
Step 1: Cut each biscuit into fours and place in medium bowl.  
Step 2: Toss biscuits with pizza sauce.  
Step 3: Add pizza topping (peps) and half of the cheese. Toss until well blended.  
Step 4: Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour biscuit mixture into pan and top with remaining cheese.  
Final Steps: Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, or until biscuits are done.

*Serve with salad or alone :) Enjoy!!

Strawberry and Cream Cheese (grilled cheese) French toast

Complicated title but this breakfast is fabulous both grilled cheese or French Toast style. My boyfriend is a fan of french toast however, I would be satisfied if the egg wasn't involved at all. So I made this breakfast both ways and it came out tasty both ways. The French toast section of the recipe are highlighted in red.

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min

1 Serving:
2 slice of bread
Plain Cream Cheese
2 Strawberries
Butter Spread
Syrup
1 egg
**Powdered sugar optional**

Instructions:
Step 1: Spread cream cheese to taste of inside of two slices of bread.
Step 2: Slice strawberries thin and spread across bread on top of cream cheese.
Step 3: Close like a sandwich and spread butter on outside of bread (like a grilled cheese).
Optional Step:*Or dip in egg on both sides
Step 4:Place sandwich on skillet on medium heat. Cook until golden brown or until contents are melted.

 Final Steps:
Serve with syrup or powered sugar.

Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli

Since I've been dieting in preparation for my last Spring Break Cruise, my diet has consisted of eating a lot of chicken. It became extremely redundant and non satisfying at all. I had some Teriyaki sauce left over from the Anniversary Chicken I made a few weeks ago so I decided to use it and this is what I came out with. I suggest using Low-Sodium Teriyaki sauce. It taste better to me and has way less sodium. This is super quick and easy and will be my go to on a lazy night!


Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 15 min

 2-3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1-2 c of frozen or raw broccoli
1 bag or 2 cups of Success rice
1/4 c of LOW SODIUM Teriyaki Sauce
Spices to taste *Cayenne Pepper, basil, salt and pepper*
(To be fancy)
Small can of mushrooms
1/2 c onion
1/2 bell pepper
2 tbs Olive Oil

Instructions:
Step 1: Pan sear chicken and cut into 1 inch cubes
Step 2: Boil broccoli for 5 min (do not fully cook)
Step 3: Boil Rice for 10
Step 4: Strain Broccoli and add to pan with cooked chicken
(To be Fancy) *optional
Step 4.1 Saute onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms in a seperate skillet on medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
Step 5: Add Teriyaki sauce and cook on high heat with chicken and broccoli.
 

Final Steps: Serve with rice and sauteed veggies.

Chicken Pillows

If you have never had Chicken Pillows, this is absolutely the most thing requested in my family. Any time I ask "What do you want for dinner?", my boyfriend immediately begs for these. This recipe can easily be made healthy and is so delicious! Boil your chicken before you shred and it is 10x easier.


Prep time: 30-50 min
Cook Time: 18 min
Ingredients:
4-6 Chicken Breast
8 oz Cream Cheese (I use1/3 less fat)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg Ritz Crackers
1-2 Rolls of Crescents (dough)
     **1 roll if 4 chicken breast. 2 rolls if 5 or 6)
1/4 c butter
1 egg w/ 1 tbs water

For healthiest meal outcome choose fat free cream cheese, 98% fat free soup, and hint of salt Ritz Crackers.

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and defrost chicken breast.
1: Shred chicken breast in skillet  
2: Combine cream cheese and butter in a bowl and soften.
3: Combine shredded chicken, cream cheese, and butter and mix well.
4: Mix 1 egg and 1 tbs of water in a small dipping bowl

5: Smash pkg of Ritz Crackers and spread on plate.
6: Roll out crescent dough and fill with 1tbs (or so) of the mixture.
7: Roll the crescent closed around the mixture.


8: Dip and cover the roll into the egg/water mix. Then roll around in the crackers. (We call this the dip and roll)
9: Spread out finished rolls on a baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes.
10: While your rolls are baking, cook cream of chicken soup on stove top. I add any left over chicken mix to the soup.

Final Steps: After your rolls are finished serve with soup over top of your rolls and with rice.

Anniversary Chicken

Tonight I went a little Pinterest crazy trying to find something to make my family before I head back to Grad School. I stumbled across this recipe and my Dad sounded intrigued so I had to try it. It has a fairly easy prep and is an inexpensive meal. It was about an hour prep for me. I'd never chopped green onions before so I used this video to make sure I did it right.

http://www.monkeysee.com/play/16822-how-to-cut-green-onions


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (or 1/3 cup if too salty)

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 (3 ounce) can bacon bits

Instructions:

(Preheat oven to 350 degrees.    
Step 1: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add chicken breasts.
         Saute 4 to 5 minutes each side, until lightly browned. (I lightly seasoned my chicken with cayenne pepper).

Step 2: Place browned chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Step 3: Brush with Teriyaki sauce and spoon on ranch dressing. 
Step 4: Sprinkle with cheese, green onions and bacon bits. 
Step 5: Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. 

I served with Mashed potatoes and green beans. Super yummy and the family loved it. 

Walt Disney World Trip Tips

I thought I'd share some tips and advice from my Walt Disney World Trip this summer. We went in June and it was really hot so I'm not going to go through the obvious sun block type advice. Here are some things that you may not know that are nice to know.

1. What we didn't know... The fast pass

Some rides have painfully long waits. The longest

Tower of Terror Fast Pass

wait that we saw was for the Toy Story ride in Disney's
Hollywood Studios. The ride averaged a 2.5+ wait which
with small children can be hard to handle. First thing you do is look over your Disney map. Which rides have the longest waits that you actually want to ride. Arrive early and head straight for that ride. If the wait is shorter than 30 minutes go ahead and wait. If you think you might want to ride twice then you insert your tickets into the fast pass machine and it will give you your time to return to ride. For example, if you arrive to the Tower of Terror at 2:00 p.m. you could be given a return time of between 4:45-5:45. You have about an hour to return and the wait is usually less than 10 minutes. It is absolutely awesome. NOTE: YOU CAN ONLY GET ONE FAST PASS PER HOUR. So for the Tower of Terror ticket below, you can get another fast pass at 4:47.


2. Food and Drinks
So it is not surprisingly expensive to eat at the Park. The first day we packed lunches and left them in the car. If we got hungry we figured we would go out to the car and eat. Magic Kingdom, however, does not have an upfront parking lot. You have to ride the ferry boat or the Monorail. While this doesn't take long, when it is hot and you're hungry you do not want to wait. Here's the catch. FOOD IS ALLOWED IN THE PARK. We began noticing families with small coolers and lunch boxes that were sitting down to have their homemade lunches. We enjoyed our own lunch without spending $9.00 plus on lunches per person. This is great for families with small children who may be in need of snacks throughout the day. So don't forget you can bring your drinks and lunches into the park with you. :)

3. Wal-Mart
I know I know...everyone wants the experience of buying souvenirs from the parks but on the way back to our resort we passed a Wal-Mart right outside of the park. We decided to stop for groceries. What we discovered is the Wal-Mart and Target both had more affordable Disney items. As far as t-shirts and coffee mugs go, they were the same items we saw in the Parks for about $10-15.00 dollars less. Just a thought for those on a budget. 

4. Rides at Night
Thousands of people it seems like go nuts over the Electric Parade. I must admit, it is pretty cool and essentially no one is riding rides in the park at this time. After spending an entire day at Epcot, we returned to Magic Kingdom to experience the Fireworks show again. My boyfriend's Dad joined the trip late so he missed the day we spent riding at Magic Kingdom. The park closed at 12:00am and the waits for most rides read 10 minutes but were actually less than five. Some rides we were able to get straight on. If you can fight through the back of the parade crowd, there are many rides waiting for you before the park closes. Ride the ones you loved the most again, or the rides that had too long of a wait during the day.

5. Disney Apps

Disney has helpful apps for the Iphone, Ipad, Android, and other smart phones. A fun and simple way to get the most out of your Disney Vacation. Use GPS-enabled maps to get around the Parks, locate some of your favorite characters for a special greeting and even make dining reservations.
When you are in the Parks you can check official attraction wait times and Disney’s FASTPASS® return times for the Park you’re in.

6. Military Discounts 
So I am not in the Military but if you are or a family members is, Disney will honor your military discount. Provide your Military I.D. when you purchase tickets and take advantage of the price cut. 

7. Disney Character Autograph times
Gone are the days of just bumping into a character and getting hugs and an autograph. They now have individual places and times to meet with you and your family. Check your Disney park App to find out which spot your favorite Characters will be hanging out and what time. 

8. Simple but necessary 
  Here are the obvious tips but very necessary for a comfortable day. Florida is a beautiful state but if you've never been, here are some things to be prepared for. If you're traveling during the summer, its HOT! Plain and simple, you'll sweat and be miserable if you're not prepared. There also tends to be rain showers. Some come and go even when the day is beautiful. Many rides will close if it rains but since there are so many exclusively indoor rides at Disney, many stay open. 

Things to consider
   1.) Lots of WATER. 
   2.) Sun screen, sunglasses, and hat.
   3.) Poncho or light rain jacket
   4.) Tennis Shoes or Sneakers (whatever you may call them) You're going to be doing a lot of walking. Flip flops aren't comfortable after a while and it isn't fun to lose them on rides either. 
   5.) Carry a light back pack or travel bag with you full of any type of emergency materials. Have some type of identification on that bag. I lost my wallet while at Disney, amazingly it was picked up by an employee and I retrieved it at the front desk with EVERYTHING in it. 

9. You won't want to miss...
    The live shows! These shows frequently change but they are amazing. Cleverly choreographed, these shows star your favorite Disney characters from the princesses to Nemo to Simba! It can truly be a magical experience for the entire family. When you pass a stage, posted will be show times. Plan lunch and your fast pass pick ups around show times. They last the perfect amount of time and are something you won't want to miss. 
    You also do not want to miss the firework shows. They are spectacular and most likely unlike anything you've ever experienced before. One common theme of the shows I experienced were frightened little ones who cried through the entire show. If you have very small children who may not be too excited about fireworks, be conscious that they aren't particularly short shows. Take that time to beat the crowd and head out of the park. 
    At Animal kingdom, you won't want to miss the Kilimanjaro Safari. It usually has a pretty extensive wait but the experience and the animals you will see is well worth it! 

10. If it applies to you... 
Check websites and Apps for handicap services and locations. Having a handicap pass kept us from having to park in the back of the park which really cut down on the amount of walking I had to do before even getting inside of the park. Disney is really kind and has great handicap accommodations. 

If you're planning a family trip to Disney, I hope this helps. Have fun :)

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