Hello Fellow Health Pro!
I have a secret to confess, I LOVE food! And what I’ve learned through the years is most of us love food too. The concept that you need to stop eating the foods you love to lose weight and burn fat is simply ridiculous. That is the exact mindset that triggers yo-yo dieting. Food is your body’s fuel and you need food to live. You also need to enjoy the food you’re eating, or let’s face it, you’ll stop eating it.
As health pros, I think we sometimes get a little to strict with food, and forget where we each started. Most of us want to take our results to the next level, but the majority of our clients are beginners and need to know how to make their food and fitness work in a chaotic world. The moment we say “can’t” our clients start tuning us out.
Imagine your clients eating the foods they love, but with a healthier twist. They’ll still have every mouth watering bite, just without all the unnecessary calories and extra carbs and fat. That’s what I’m sharing with you today, three of the top food requests from our powerful Venice Nutrition community of women, men and kids who are all living the program and want to know how to take these amazing dishes and throw a healthy twist on them, while of course keeping everything delicious. Venice Nutrition Chef Valerie Cogswell was up for the task and is responsible for these recipe masterpieces. All three are PFC (protein, fat & carb) approved, blood sugar balanced and will keep your client’s metabolism ignited.
So let’s get the Food Party Started with with my all time favorite food – Pizza!
Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizza
Thrive Phase and Body Confidence Approved
Grab ‘n’ Go
Sometimes nothing but pizza will do! This easy, flavorful pizza has a delicious balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat to help you burn fat, build muscle, and feel your best. Cook chicken breast in bulk for the week for quick grab ’n’ go meals like this one. Kids will love this recipe too.
Makes: 1 small pizza
Serving size: 1 small pizza
Calories per serving: 280
Protein per serving: 23 grams
Fat per serving: 11 grams
Carbohydrates per serving: 15.5 grams
Ingredients:
- 1 low-carbohydrate, 8” whole wheat or gluten-free tortilla
- Fat-free cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons all-natural tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup reduced fat (not low-fat) sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 2½ ounces cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small chunks or shredded
- 1 tablespoon organic all-natural barbecue sauce
- Onion, thinly sliced (optional)
- Bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
Method of Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 450˚F.
- Place tortilla on a cookie sheet and spray the tortilla lightly with fat-free cooking spray.
- Spread tomato sauce on top.
- Sprinkle half of the cheese on top of sauce.
- In a small bowl, combine the chicken and barbecue sauce, and then layer on top of cheese.
- Sprinkle onions, peppers, and remaining cheese on top of pizza.
- Cook for 8–10 minutes, or until crust is crisp and cheese is melted.
- Allow to cool slightly, and cut into quarters.
What is the nutritional balance?
This recipe has a great balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat.
Next up it’s my son Hunter’s favorite recipe – Chicken Nachos!
Chicken Nachos Over Homemade Sweet Potato Chips
Ignite & Thrive Phases as well as Body Confidence Approved
Grab ‘n’ Go
This lean take on nachos takes only minutes to make if you have sweet potato chips prepared ahead of time for the week. Simply cut sweet potatoes in thin, even slices, coat lightly with fat- free cooking spray, season with Mrs. Dash seasoning of your choice, and bake at 450˚F until crispy, about 20–30 minutes. Just keep an eye on the potatoes while they cook, as they tend to burn.
Makes: 1 Serving
Serving size: 1 Plate
Calories per serving: 216
Protein per serving: 19.5 grams
Fat per serving: 6 grams
Carbohydrates per serving: 18.5 grams
Ingredients:
- 3 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded
- Favorite Mrs. Dash seasoning
- Large handful homemade sweet potato chips (recipe above)
- 1 ounce chopped tomatoes
- ½ ounce sugar-free salsa
- 1 ounce avocado, chopped
Method of Preparation:
- In a small bowl, toss chicken with desired amount of Mrs. Dash seasoning. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds.
- Arrange sweet potato chips on a plate.
- Place seasoned, shredded chicken on top. Add tomatoes, salsa, and chopped avocado. Add a sprinkle of Mrs. Dash seasoning on top if desired.
- Heat entire plate in the microwave for about 45 seconds to warm it up.
What is the nutritional balance?
This recipe has a great balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
And our last recipe, in the spirit of football season – Game Day Turkey Chili!
Spicy Turkey and Black Bean Chili
Ignite Phase Approved (if you omit sour cream) / Thrive Phase & Body Confidence Approved
Grab n’ Go (if turkey chili is made already) / Gourmet Style
This rich and spicy chili recipe is easy to make and great for family lunches or dinners and grab ’n’ go meals all week long. Fresh toppings like sour cream, cilantro, and diced red onion add texture and flavor. Try doubling the ingredients for plenty of extra meals throughout the week. To increase the heat, add more cayenne pepper or jalapeño.
Makes 7 servings
Serving size: 1 heaping cup
Calories per serving: 258
Protein per serving: 20 grams
Carbohydrates per serving: 25 grams
Fat per serving: 7 grams
Ingredients:
- Fat-free cooking spray
- 1 (20-ounce) package 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or pink Himalayan salt, plus extra if necessary
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
- ½ jalapeño, finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (Cento brand petite diced are good)
- 1 (20-ounce) can black beans
- ½ cup light sour cream
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 small red onion or bunch of scallions, finely chopped
Preparation:
- Spray a pot with fat- free cooking spray and place over medium- high heat.
- Once hot, add ground turkey and break up meat with spatula.
- Add cumin, thyme, salt, cayenne, and paprika and cook until turkey is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Once turkey is cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove it to a bowl (keeping as much fat as possible in the pot) and set aside.
- Add onions, celery, and bell peppers to the pot and sauté for approximately 3 minutes.
- Season gently with a pinch of salt.
- Add jalapeño and garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.
- Add turkey to the vegetables in the pot and stir well.
- Add tomatoes and beans and simmer, covered, over low heat for about 15 minutes (or more if you have the time) until thickened.
- Top with 1 tablespoon of sour cream per serving and some red onions and cilantro.
What Is the Balance?
This recipe has a great balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
There you have it, three scrumptious recipes that show your clients they can eat the foods they love and still get great results. So the next time you think your client has to “give up a food”, squash that thought and focus on how you can spin a healthy twist on it and work it into their plan. It’s that simple.
Want to provide more balanced recipes and customized programs for your clients?
If you are looking to seamlessly add nutrition to your business, check out our two main programs, Body Confidence Plan and 8 Week Run. Both are full of tons of recipes and fully customized meal plans, plus so much more.
And if you’re ready to take your Nutrition skill set to the next level, get started with our robust Nutrition Coach Certification. Here’s a video sharing the power of the course:
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Thank you for making an incredible difference every day!
