I wanted to talk a bit about staying on track when weekends roll around. I know its not easy. Friday comes around, you are done your day at work and you are so happy to have those couple of days to relax. Your mindset changes and most times we don't have a ''plan'' for the weekend. Its very easy to sabotage your whole week of hard work, of healthy eating if you don't have a plan. I am not saying you should not have a treat as I am all about balance. Plan ahead, plan a ''treat meal''.
A few things:
1. On Thursday or Friday, make a menu for the weekend. Make a few easy meals or snacks that you can leave in the fridge so that you can be prepared. I call this like a ''mini meal planning'' for the weekend. I sometimes will cook a chili or nacho soup on Thursday or Friday and usually have some left over for the weekend. Snacks are very important for us to have ready as we are always running around on the weekend with kids activities, so having healthy snacks really helps to stay on track.
2. Start your day (Saturday & Sunday) with your workout and a healthy breakfast. You start your day right and keep you moving towards the right direction.
As this is labour day weekend - here are a few ideas for some healthy recipes that are delicious.
GRILLED CORN SALAD
INGREDIENTS
5 ears corn, shucked and rinsed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1/4 cup diced red onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.
In a large bowl of water, soak corn for 30 minutes; drain well.
Preheat grill to medium high heat. Add corn to grill and cook until grill marks appear, about 3-4 minutes on each side; let cool before cutting the corn kernels off the cobs.
In a large bowl, combine corn, tomatoes, avocado, basil, red onion, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in vinaigrette and gently toss to combine.
Serve immediately.
Inspire by Damn Delicious.com
Grilled Corn, Basil, and Tomato Salad
Ingredients
3 ears corn, shucked
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh basil leaves, torn
Directions:
In a pot of boiling water, cook corn for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Spray a grill pan or outside grill with nonstick spray and heat on medium-high heat. Grill corn for 10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes until all sides have grill marks. Remove from grill and set aside to cool.
Once corn is cool enough to touch, use a paring knife to cut kernels off cob into a medium bowl. Be sure to cut very close to the cob to use as much corn as possible. Add tomatoes to bowl.
In a small dish, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add to corn and tomatoes and toss to mix.
Clean Eating Apple Crisp
Ingredients
• 7-8 Large Apples (Peeled and Sliced)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 TBS pure maple syrup
• 3 TBS honey
• 2 TBS lemon juice
• 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oats (quick cooking or 5 minute)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 TBS coconut oil
Instructions
1. Peel and slice the apples and throw them in a bowl. Add the cinnamon and 1 TBS of the maple syrup and mix well.
2. Pour the apples into a greased casserole dish. I used a round pan, but a 9×13 would work.
3. In the same bowl, combine the remaining maple syrup, honey, lemon juice, flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and coconut oil. Mix well.
4. Spread the oat mixture over the apples.
5. Bake for 25 minutes at 350. The top should be golden brown.
Notes
This recipe makes about 6 servings.
*You could use any combination of agave, maple syrup, honey or Stevia to fit your taste. Stevia is quite strong though, so less is more!
*You could substitute olive oil for the coconut oil.
inspired by Mama Say What.com
Barbecue Grilled Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
2 cups barbecue sauce, click for barbecue sauce recipe 6-8 skinless chicken breasts (boneless or with bone-in is fine)
Directions
Add the chicken breasts and barbecue sauce in a ziplock bag or a bowl with lid, stirring or shaking to coat evenly. Marinate it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to 4 hours.
Preheat the grill to medium. Place the chicken on an oiled grill. Cook for 6 – 8 minutes per side. In a small pot on the grill, heat the barbecue sauce that was in the bag on medium-high heat until bubbling.
When flipping the chicken, brush more barbecue sauce onto the side facing up. After the chicken is cooked on both sides, pour the remaining hot barbecue sauce over the chicken to serve.
BBQ Sauce Recipe -
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 sweet onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (use white balsamic vinegar for gluten free)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
2 teaspoons chili powder
Kosher or sea salt to taste
Directions
In a medium sauce pan add canola oil, turn to medium-low heat and sauté onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Have a wonderful weekend!!
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