Tips for Handling the Holidays

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Tips for Handling the Holidays

The holidays are a wonderful time of year!  The memories, time spent with friends and family, the festivities… I love the time from Thanksgiving to the New Year.  After that, I’m ready for scorching hot FL summer weather again lol!! This girl can’t take the cold. 

If you’re not careful, it’s super easy to go off the deep end with nutrition and health goals because of all the yummy food and holiday parties. Up until 4 or 5 years ago, I was very guilty of “gain 5lbs, lose 5lbs” during this time of year. My obsession with cookie dough was real!  And really anything chocolate and sweet.  And not that weight gain defines anyone’s worth, it wasn’t about that for me, it was the fact that the weight gain made me feel sluggish and bloated. I simply didn’t like the way it made my body feel.  I’ve really shifted away from simply “how does my body look” to “how does my body feel”.  The better we FEEL, the better our quality of life will be. 

So let’s talk about a few tips I like to use during this time of year to stay on track with my goals. 

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Paleo Chicken Enchiladas

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Whoever said healthy food is boring is a liar!! These enchiladas are delicious and super simple to make. If you’re trying to save time, do yourself a favor like I did and buy paleo tortillas and a red enchilada sauce without all the extra sugar instead of making them from scratch. I recommend Siete or Mikey’s. Both can be found at WholeFoods or Sprouts, and sometimes can be found at your local grocery store. I used Mikey’s Cassava tortillas this time and they worked perfectly.

I’ve got 3 different options for the chicken:

  1. If you want SUPER simple, just buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up.

  2. Follow my baked chicken recipe here.

  3. Do what I did and marinate some boneless, skinless chicken thighs is honey, coconut aminos, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

Paleo Chicken Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 chicken breasts or thighs, shredded

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • 1 green bell pepper, diced

  • 1/2 yellow onion diced

  • 8 paleo tortillas

  • 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese

  • 1 container red enchilada sauce (~ 400 grams)

  • Salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder to taste

  • 1-2 teaspoons olive, coconut, or avocado oil



INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Heat oil in a medium sauté pan on stovetop. Add onion and bell peppers and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add shredded chicken to pan with vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add spices. I started with 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon chili powder, and then just adjusted from there if it needed more seasoning.

  4. Take 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and spread it onto the bottom of a glass 9x12 baking dish. Pour the rest into a bowl wide enough to fit the tortillas. Take 1 tortilla. Dip into enchilada sauce so both sides are lightly coated.

  5. Spoon the chicken and veggie mixture into the center of each tortilla and sprinkle with shredded vegan cheese. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat process for each tortilla.

  6. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the assembled tortillas in baking dish and sprinkle with the rest of shredded vegan cheese.

  7. Bake in oven for approximately 15-20 minutes.

 
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Enjoy!! I topped mine with dairy free sour cream.

A Little Bit of Life and a Whole Lot of Cauliflower!!

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A Little Bit of Life and a Whole Lot of Cauliflower!!

So after taking a few months off of my social media account,  I'm bringing it back with some of my favorite cauliflower recipes!!  

But first, let's talk a bit about life.  Y'all, LIFE!!  It has kicked my butt recently.  Ever go through certain periods of time like that?  These past few months have been just that for me.  Health and fitness will ALWAYS be a priority, hence the reason for Danielle4Life, but my #1 priority has been providing for my boy.  A year ago, my life changed drastically, and it was not something that I was prepared for AT ALL.  I packed up all of my things, fit what I could into my Mitsubishi Outlander, and drove from Texas to Pennsylvania with my 6 year old son, trusting that God had a plan for me and my boy that I just couldn't see yet.  He's been taking care of us ever since.

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Cauliflower "Alfredo" with Ranch Meatballs and Zoodles

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Cauliflower "Alfredo" with Ranch Meatballs and Zoodles

Next to sushi, Italian dishes are my favorite!!  I love cheese, like really really LOVE cheese.  And when I'm eating something that I love, my brain never reaches that point where it's supposed to tell you, "Stop, you're full."  I make a killer homemade alfredo sauce, a recipe passed down to me by someone very dear to my heart, but it will put me in pure food coma.  I've seen so many different recipes with cauliflower alfredo sauce, so I decided to give it a try.  I'm all about finding healthy substitutions to delicious, not-so-healthy foods.  Don't get me wrong.  This is NOT like the real thing.  But it is still so good!!

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Buffalo Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

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Buffalo Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

So I'm not one of those people that obsess over Fall.  I don't get excited about Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte.  I know.  I'm the complete opposite of most girls.  I don't even like Pumpkin Pie.  I'd rather wear flip flops than boots, and I LOVE the hot weather.  I grew up in Pennsylvania but I'm a Southern girl at heart.  But with this Fall weather in full swing, I got the urge to make soup.  It could be blazing hot outside, and I'd still be in the mood for soup.  I love soup!  Same goes for coffee.  

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Smokey (Not so) Sloppy Joes

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Smokey (Not so) Sloppy Joes

I grew up loving the typical messy, saucy Sloppy Joes!!  It was a dinner staple in our house.  Fast forward about 20 years, and it just doesn't have the same effect on me as it used to.  But THESE sloppy joes, MMMmmmm!!!!  They are filled with veggies, have a smokey flavor, and are 100% guilt free.  I chose to put them on sweet potato slices, because I love sweet potatoes, but use whatever "bun" you like.  

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My Weekly Nutrition Must-haves!!

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My Weekly Nutrition Must-haves!!

I get a ton of questions about what to eat from day to day.  I've found the easiest way to stick to your nutrition goals is to find a handful of items that you can buy on a weekly basis as your go-to meals.  It's fun to have variety, but unless you have an in-home chef or an unlimited number of hours available each day, it's just not realistic to have 4 to 5 different meals every single day of the week.

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Balsamic Peach Chicken Skillet with Bacon and Sun-dried Tomatoes

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Balsamic Peach Chicken Skillet with Bacon and Sun-dried Tomatoes

If all of that sounds even the slightest bit amazing, then you'll want to cook this up.  It is the bomb dot com!!  Theres something about cooked fruit that adds the perfect touch to meat.  And bacon?  C'mon.  If you don't like bacon, then we can't be friends.  

Surprisingly, this meal does not involve using the grill.  I've been into all things grilled lately, so this is a good change of pace.  You only need one pan to cook up this delicious dish of flavors.

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Lemon and White Wine Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan Crusted Cod

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Lemon and White Wine Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan Crusted Cod

I love spaghetti squash.  It's light and slightly sweet, and in my opinion, pairs perfectly with many different sauces.  

Beware that the sauce with this dish is strong.  But the combination of the lightly flavored fish, subtle sweetness of spaghetti squash, and saltiness from the Parmesan cheese bring all the flavors together perfectly.  

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Sweet Potato Nacho Pizza Casserole

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Sweet Potato Nacho Pizza Casserole

I am so excited to share this recipe with you!!!  It is THAT GOOD.  I'm a "everything in moderation" type of girl.  Dairy does not give me problems like some other people, so I'll have it in my diet from time to time.  I ALWAYS encourage whole foods over processed, but I do not enforce complete elimination of certain foods in my nutrition plans unless there are specific dietary restrictions or health problems that a client deals with.  You could certainly make this meal without dairy, and it would still be incredibly tasty, but the dairy gives it that "pizza" feel that I was going for.  

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Cheesy Cauliflower "Grits" with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce and Grilled Pork

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Cheesy Cauliflower "Grits" with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce and Grilled Pork

Look no further!!!  You NEED to make this for dinner this week.  My family is not a fan of grits, but they devoured these cauliflower grits!!  

I wanted to make something grain-free, but not dairy-free.  My workouts had not been as intense for that week, so the goal was a low-carb meal.  This dish was PERFECTION.

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Rosemary and Garlic Rubbed Steak with a Yogurt-Horseradish Rosemary Sauce

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Rosemary and Garlic Rubbed Steak with a Yogurt-Horseradish Rosemary Sauce

I realized when I got home from the grocery store the other night, I brought home WAY too much rosemary, so naturally I decided to put rosemary on everything!!  This meal was out of this world!!  I'll put the recipe for rosemary potatoes in a different post, so in today's blog post, you get a recipe for rosemary and garlic rubbed steak AND a greek yogurt horseradish rosemary cream sauce.

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Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Kabobs

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Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Kabobs

Sunsets are one of my favorite things to watch!!  I find them breathtaking.  So this week, I've been grilling in the evenings just in time to catch the sunset.  

Grilling + sunset watching = Perfect Combination!

These kabobs were delicious!!  I absolutely love the combination of grilled pineapple and teriyaki sauce.  The added red onion and colorful bell peppers made this into a very tasty and vibrant meal.    

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Strawberry Spinach Salad with Greek Yogurt Poppy Seed Dressing

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Strawberry Spinach Salad with Greek Yogurt Poppy Seed Dressing

Have you ever tried Brianna's Homestyle Poppy Seed Dressing?  It's rich and creamy.  If you've tried it, you know its the BEST, right?!!  One of the most delicious salad dressings ever!!  But just like all of those delicious store bought dressings, it's got some problems.  The biggest problem being that the main ingredient is canola oil.  I'm big on counting macros.  But I know it's not just the quantity of foods that count, but the quality.  One reason why canola oil is not the best choice of fat is because it contains a very high level of omega-6 fatty acids.

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The Perfect Baked Chicken Breast

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The Perfect Baked Chicken Breast

Whenever I cook chicken, I go with boneless and skinless.  Chicken thighs are my favorite cut of chicken. They are flavorful, great for grilling, and hard to overcook.  Chicken breast, on the other hand, is a white meat and, if you're not careful, very easy to dry out.  Dried out chicken breast is the worst!!  

I have tried sooooo many different ways to cook chicken breast, and this method is by far my absolute favorite.  And if my son likes it, you know it's a sure thing!!

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Homemade Protein Bars and Orlando Road Trip!!

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Homemade Protein Bars and Orlando Road Trip!!

I just finished up a lovely family vacation in Orlando and I have so much to share!!!  I took as much of a break as I could from life for about a good week, and soaked up every minute of the trip.  I think it's good to disconnect and decompress every so often.  

So first, SNACKS!!!

Confession:  I love Quest Cookies N Cream protein bars.  I know, they are NOT actually healthy, but every so often, I will have one post workout instead of my Stronger Faster Healthier protein shake.  I was really tempted to buy a bunch of Quest Bars for the road trip, but those things are expensive!!  And I wanted a snack that didn't have questionable ingredients, so I did the next best thing and whipped up some homemade protein bars with my SFH protein.  

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Pork and Apple Spinach Salad with a Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

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Pork and Apple Spinach Salad with a Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

This salad was the bomb!!  Its got the flavorful combination of sweet, sour, and salty.  

I did a sweet and salty brine for the pork.  Stir together 3 cups water, 1/4 cup salt, and 1/4 cup coconut sugar.  Place pork tenderloin in a ziplock bag, and pour the brine into bag.  Let sit in the refrigerator overnight.  

I stick with lean meats 99% of the time so I ALWAYS use pork tenderloin

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Meal Prep: 2 meals done 8 ways!!!

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Meal Prep: 2 meals done 8 ways!!!

One of the biggest complaints I get from people is... they don't know what to eat!!  Cut out the cereal, sandwiches, and pasta, and they feel like they are left with next-to-zero options.  Let me give you some help on this topic.  

I am going to provide you with 2 recipes, and show you how you can turn that into 8 different meals!! 

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