Getting rid of the Velveeta this year! Super Bowl Clean Eating Snacks!

Super Bowl - Clean Eating Snacks

So the Super Bowl is around the corner. Do you know what you are serving up for the day??  This day is notorious for serving up high fat and high calorie foods. So how do you change it up a bit to make it really good food but a bit on the healthier side?

Well, I grew up in the Midwest and Velveeta was a normal type of "cheese" in our house (if you can even call that a cheese. We would often make a Velveeta cheese dip to serve with chips or veggies. My brother even came up with his own "secret recipe" creation of this infamous cheese dip. And yes, it's really good...but so bad for you. 

So last weekend, my husband asked me if I could make my brothers cheese dip for the big game!  Let's just say I didn't answer him right away, because I wanted to pipe in and immediately say "NO"!

Queso Dip - Going for the clean version this year!

Fortunately, that same day I saw a recipe using real cheese instead of processed cheese...so that's what I'm going to do. In excited to have this instead if the "other stuff". 

So here are the recipes I plan to serve at my Super Bowl party.   Thanks Sara Stakeley for the cheese dip recipe!

(No Velveeta) Queso Cheese Dip

Makes about 4 cups.

Ingredients

• 16 oz (1lb) Natural American cheese
• 8 oz Sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 10oz can diced tomatoes & green chilies -drained* (optional)
• 
  

Instructions

Microwave directions:

1. Place all ingredients inside a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stopping to stir every 1-2 minutes. The mixture might seem watery during the first few stirs, but should come together as a nice runny dip after all the cheese is melted.
2. Serve immediately as a dip with tortilla chips. You can cool this in a loaf pan and refrigerate for a week to use as you would use traditional Velveeta.

Crockpot directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a small crockpot (that will fit at least 4 cups of liquid). Turn crockpot on high for 2.5 hours. Mix ingredients every hour to prevent cheese from sticking to walls and possibly burning. Reduce heat to lowest setting and enjoy!

 Notes:

1. Not all white American cheeses are made equal. Check ingredients because some… well, don’t really expire. If it says “cheese product” it’s probably not real. I used Land O’Lakes brand in our test. Yes, I know… not the best but many of you asked for it. After tests, there is just no way to get around it. Get the best quality you can find and afford. For both recipes, I purchased the cheese from the deli counter in a big chunk –don’t use sliced cheese.
2. *To make this as a true Velveeta replacement, take out diced tomatoes and green chilies and add ½ cup additional milk. Cool and refrigerate or freeze in 1-cup portions. Reheat every 30 seconds until creamy and hot. Use as you would cook with Velveeta.

Notes

*the diced tomatoes & green chiles is optional but it adds a lot more flavor. For plain velveeta, omit.

Trader Joe's Lentil, Bruschetta, Feta Dip (with baked chips and veggies)

This is literally my favorite appetizer ever!  It is SO easy, so delicious and I could eat it as a meal!  Oh…and it's really healthy!!

1 container of steamed lentils

1 jar of bruschetta

8 oz of feta cheese

Mix it all together and serve with crackers, bread, veggies. 

Trader Joe's Lentil, Bruschetta, Feta

TurboFire Chili (Click for Recipe)  You can't have a football game without chili!  I have to be careful or I'll eat way too much of this!

Turbo Fire Chili

Quinoa Confitti Salad (Click for Recipe) - I absolutely love this quinoa salad.  I could literally have an entire meal of just this!  This will be a great thing to snack on to keep on track throughout the day!

Quinoa Confetti Salad

I know these will all be a hit and these are all clean eating dishes!

For more recipes go HERE!

Clean Eating 101

What is Clean Eating?

Clean Eating

When I first learned about clean eating, I knew I wanted to start eating more "clean" and less processed foods.  I had been introduced to it probably a year before I started to incorporate it into my diet.  WHY?  Well, I made it to difficult in my head.  It really isn't a hard concept to understand, you just have to go for it and make a change for your health!

So, I'm going to sum it up in very short, sweet and to the point terms…Clean eating is getting rid of the processed food in our diets and eating whole and fresh foods.  If you can't pronounce the ingredient, then you shouldn't eat it!  Now, like I said…that is a VERY basic way to explain it, but hopefully that will help you realize that it isn't a scary thing to start…even if you start slowly by getting rid of the processed food in your pantry and not buying them anymore!

So let's dig in a little deeper than we did just now.  Here are the 10 basic principles to eating clean:

The 10 Basic Clean Eating Principles:

1.  Eat More!  Eat 6 small meals each day, spaced at two and a half to three hour intervals.
2.  Eat breakfast every day within an hour of rising.
3.  Make your last meal three hours before bed.
4.  Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal.
5.  Eat sufficient healthy fats every day.
6.  Drink two to three liters of water each day.
7.  Carry a cooler packed with clean foods each day.
8.  Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes.
9.  Adhere to proper portion sizes.
10.  Eat only foods that have not been overly processed or doused in chemicals, saturated in trans fats and toxins.

Now you have the rules…what kind of foods can you eat?

Allowable vegetables include:  Sweet and regular potatoes, radishes, carrots, parsnips, cucumber, broccoli, asparagus, beets, leeks, leafy greens, brussels sprouts, spaghetti squash, green beans, onions, sprouts, celery, zucchini, fennel and garlic.

Allowable fruits include:  Bananas, apples, plums, berries, pears, watermelon, cherries, oranges, tomatoes, limes and lemons.

Allowable protein sources include:  Egg whites, lean turkey, chicken, pork, beans and legumes (in moderation), lean fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, bison and other game meats, hummus (also a healthy fat), quinoa, spirulina, sea vegetables, protein powder, tofu and tempeh.

Allowable healthy fats include:  flaxseed, nuts such as almonds and walnuts (unsalted), pumpkin seeds, nut butters, hummus (also a protein), avocados, oils (flaxseed, sesame, coconut, olive, hazelnut, walnut and fish).

Now let's talk about portions sizes…this is what so many people have a hard time with…me included!

You are eating 5-6 small meals a day so you don't want to have your normal huge meals that you may be used to having.  So you need to distribute your calories throughout the day.  Using your hand (since your hand is ALWAYS with you) is a great idea on how to measure your food.  A man will usually have bigger hands than a woman, but it would fit the needs of his body whereas a woman wouldn't need as much food as a man!

Protein: Proper portion of meat or other protein is measured by what can fit in the palm of your hand.  

Starchy Complex Carbohydrates:  Proper portion size is what can fit into one cupped hand

Carbs from Fruit and Veggies:  Proper portion size is what can fit into two cupped hands together.

 Don't let clean eating get overwhelming for you!  There is nothing that says you have to go ALL IN right away.  Take baby steps, slowly incorporate one thing at a time…or take away one or two things from your diet that you know is not within the clean eating guidelines.  It's ok for this to be a process.  I'm not perfect all the time.  I try to follow it as best I can, but of course I have slip ups along the way!

You can find clean eating recipes here!  And also there are many weeks of clean eating meal plans here!

If you'd like to have additional support with clean eating or meal planning…or you would like more information on my 30 day clean eating challenge group, please fill out the application below, or email me for additional help!

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Beachbody Coaching - Paying it Forward!

I have always had a great interest in health and a growing interest over the years in fitness.  I have had my ups and downs in keeping myself motivated over the years and would find myself (like so many others) on this yo-yo of working out and eating right, to eating like crap and "taking a break" from working out.  Have you ever found yourself like that?

Well over the last 2 years I had been pretty consistent with my working out and had picked up running again.  I decided to do a couple races in 2013, a 15K and a 1/2 marathon.  In March, I did the Hot Chocolate Race which was the 15K and I have to be honest…I was so excited to get to the end to have my chocolate fondue after the race…a girl's gotta have her chocolate, right?  And then in May, I ran the Orange County 1/2 Marathon.  Even though I'd run a full marathon back on 2006, this has been on my bucket list for a couple years.  After this…I knew I wanted to get back into more of a cross training form of exercise and that's when I started searching…

March 2013 - 15K

I found myself dying to get T25 and craving the 25 minute workouts!!  I had struggled with motivation after my 1/2 marathon I ran and knew things needed to change, but I didn't have the motivation to do it on my own.

First Beachbody Workout and Challenge Group

As I was searching online about T25, I found my coach and messaged her and asked TONS of questions.  She was patient with me and got me plugged into a Challenge Group she had starting.  I was SO excited to know that I would have support, motivation, accountability and that I wasn't doing this by myself.  I had had too many, "I'll start on Monday",  Monday's (I know you know what I'm talking about!!).

I literally fell in love with the accountability and support that I got through the challenge group and specifically my coach, who helped push me through to the end, and that's what made the difference for me.  From there, I KNEW that I wanted to pay it forward and help others get the support they needed to succeed in their health and fitness goals so I decided to become a Beachbody Coach and be able to help others!

I get beyond excited to be able to celebrate with my challengers their victories, whether it's losing 1 or 2 pounds or 50+ pounds, or learning how to properly feed their body nutritious foods.  They are all real people with real struggles with weight, nutrition, body image, snacking.

I'm so excited that to get started with my next group of 8-10 challengers on February 3rd who want to change their lives!

Do you have a passion to help people be successful?  What about a passion to end the trend of obesity? Or how about helping teach our children the importance of nutrition and fitness?


If you have this passion and desire to help others too, then we need to talk!  Have you ever thought about helping others by being a Beachbody coach?  You don't need to be at your goal weight, or have the perfect body, or be a nutrition expert.  You need the passion for helping others get healthy!

If you are considering becoming a Beachbody Coach, I want you to know that you won't be thrown out there to figure this out for yourself.  I will share everything that has worked for me to this point and you will be a part of the #2 team in all of Beachbody.  You will have access to learning from the best!  I am dedicated and compassionate!

Are you interested in becoming a coach on my team??  I am looking for YOU!  I have only 2-3 spots available in my next Coach Training Program starting on February 3rd, and I want to positively impact the lives of others in the same way it has been impacted for me!

Coach Training Program Starting Feb 3rd

If you would like more information on becoming a coach on my team please fill out my Coach Application below to be considered for a spot in my next Coach Training Program.  Together we can end the trend of obesity!  I will invest in YOU!

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What is the 21 Day Fix?

This is what so many people have been waiting for…A brand new workout which is the 21 Day Fix!!! It's available to YOU on February 3rd, 2014!  This is a rapid weight loss program that is designed to take all the guesswork out of weight loss.  It gives you a nutrition guide with portion controlled containers, a workout program, plus the support and accountability of me as your coach!

This program is designed by trainer Autumn Calabrese and she shares her passion for food and fitness as she teaches you to make simple choices that add up to life-changing results.

Now there's a program that makes losing weight so simple and easy to follow, you'll never have to diet again! Introducing 21 Day Fix, the latest breakthrough from Beachbody®.

30 minute workouts

Can you say AWESOME program???  This is a genius idea to combine a 30 minute workout with the exact portion size containers that you need in order to eat the appropriate portions for you to lose weight.  We forget that your weight loss is 80% dependent on your nutrition!!  So, this is a GENIUS idea!  Takes all the guesswork out!

21 Day Fix

So, do you want to be a part of the exclusive 21 Day Fix test group?  Wanna get your hands on this program as soon as it's released on February 3rd?  This will not be open to the general public on February 3rd…only those who have a Beachbody Coach!  So…here's what you'll need to do to get your copy…

Go to my site and create a FREE ACCOUNT which makes me your Beachbody Coach.  Then I will send you the details of the 21 Day Fix the week of January 27th.  I will be hosting a 21 Day FIX EXCLUSIVE TEST GROUP for individuals who would like that continued support, guidance, motivation, and accountability to start and complete the workout program!!

Do you want to be a part of the Exclusive 21 Day Fix Test Group?  If the answer is yes, then fill out the application below to be considered for a spot in my test group.  This group will be a select group of individuals ready to take on the commitment of this 21 day program.  I will walk you through the nutrition plan, teach you how to plan it out, and will help you be accountable to your goals of a new lifestyle.  This is done through an online private support group, only the members in the group will be able to see what is being posted.  I won't let you fail!  My goal is your success!  The only cost is the cost of the challenge pack which includes everything you need to get started.  The 21 day nutrition guide, the program manual, the workouts, free shipping, discounted price and me as your coach for the accountability, support and guidance!!!  Let's make it happen!  You are going to  look amazing this spring and summer!  Why not start now!!  You will be the next TRANSFORMATION STORY!!!

21 Day Fix Exclusive Challenge Group

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