The Vegan Roadie at Work

So, my workplace had the honor of hosting the Vegan Roadie for cooking demonstrations today. He was a contestant in the "Brand with 10 Grand" promotional contest that we ran, and so we invited him to make a stop here on his tour. It's kinda cool how it turned out that way!

The presentation was short and sweet, but Dustin Harder has a great personality that kept us engaged and laughing. With him and his assistants being show people, their personalities were animated and entertaining.

His recipes du jour were Vegan Caesar Salad and Bowties in Garlic Cream Sauce. They were both very delicious! And they looked pretty easy to prepare. I'm no vegan, but I do enjoy many a meat- and dairy-less meal during the week, so I can definitely appreciate having some new recipes in my standard rotation. Dustin had a strong bent for chemical-less ingredients, i.e. clean ingredients. Real food. I'm always down with that!

Bowties in Garlic Cream Sauce

Vegan Caesar Salad

Have you ever tried nutritional yeast before? I actually do have some on-hand at home because it's actually has a great nutrition profile (excellent source of complete protein) and a really great cheese substitute. That was the main base of the "Parmesan" dressing and it had the same consistency and cheesy taste as parm. It's a great salad, popcorn and casserole topping. You should try it! It's not that hard to find in the store. I got mine at a nutrition supplement store, but they sell it right by the Parmesan cheese at the regular grocery store.

Thanks for stopping in on your way through Dustin!

By the way, check out his fun video entry into our contest here!

My Favorite Easy Shakeology Recipe

In the morning, at work, you'll typically find me triple-fisting it with my three essential beverages: water, coffee and ShakeO smoothie. Obviously, the two first ones are essential for human life, hee hee! The third one is like my protein and vitamin insurance. It covers me in case I don't get enough essential vitamins in my food and could cover some protein and fiber deficiencies in my diet. Just reading the superfoods in the ingredient list makes me feel healthier. Haha!

Now, I have tried quite a few protein shakes, meal replacement shakes and other smoothie mix-ins. I'm not about to get all gimmicky, but right now I really love the taste of Shakeology and what's in it most. I was skeptical of it for a loooong time (like, years!!!), but once I tried it, I loved the taste and the ingredient list! There's nothing but superfoods and all-natural ingredients in there. There are even probiotics in there! You won't find any weird chemicals like you do with some of the other meal replacements that are big on the market right now (check your labels, I dare you! Ha!)

The fact that it has so much protein is really good for me too. Remember my doctor's orders about protein? Whenever I track my food intake for a day or two, I always notice that I lean heavily on carbs and not enough on protein. Have you tried this? My guess is you're leaning the same way too. It's something I notice with a lot of people I coach. So, getting the extra dose of protein is really important to me.

The only other powder I've found so far (because I have looked HARD for an alternative, believe me!) is Raw Meal, which I requested for Christmas, but the taste doesn't even begin to compare! Raw Meal tastes like it sounds. Kind of like ground up "stuff." I can just "tolerate" it in my smoothie, but it leaves much to be desired. So, right now, ShakeO it is!

So, my favorite way to prepare Shakeology is this:

Berry Shakeology Smoothie

1 c Frozen berries
1 splash milk
1 scoop vanilla shakeO
Water to fill the rest of the cup
I just blend all the ingredients in my Bullet, and that's it!

It's what I always drink on my way to work, after my workout. And let me tell you, it's an amazing meal replacement when you're sick because it's yummy and filling when nothing else sounds good or goes down, it's giving you tons of vitamins, and the frozen stuff feels really good on the throat.

Another favorite is a Banana ShakeO Milkshake. I like to freeze bananas in our house that are just past the edible stage, but aren't quite to the rotten stage yet. Thin, I mix a frozen banana with vanilla ShakeO, milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon (and on occasion, some peanut butter). It tastes like a milkshake, no lie!

Interested in Shakeology? Check out the incredible ingredient list and benefits here. Leave a comment or contact me to give it a try.

Summer Bodies Weight Loss Challenge

I'm hosting a fitness challenge group over on Facebook and wanted to extend the invitation here on the ol' bloggy.

It’s true! The time to start working on your summer body is right now! Picture yourself lighter and leaner in your favorite summer vacation spot this summer. Now let’s make that dream a reality!!!

I’m starting a fitness challenge group on March 23^rd for three weeks. What you’ll get is an entire package for transforming your body:

• Fitness: doable yet challenging at-home workouts with such variety that you’ll never be bored. I'll help you find the perfect match for you!
• Food: you’ll get a meal planning book, additional help with meal planning, and 30 days’ worth of easy nutrient-dense breakfasts.
• Support: not only do you get me, a certified personal trainer and fitness coach, for support, but you’ll also be cheered on and guided by the other participants. It’s amazing how something as simple as an accountability group can have such a profound impact on goal achievement!

The support group takes place in a secret, confidential Facebook group. My last few groups have been a huge success—people reported everything from losing weight to managing pain to simply feeling better—and I can’t wait to help more people. I’m still on a weight loss journey myself after having a baby and I myself get so much out of these groups, it’s really my passion!

Because small intimate groups really have the most impact, I am opening up the group to only FIVE people, so secure your spot right away if you want in!

Message me if you’re interested in more info.

Clean Eating: Faster than Fast Food

I recently led a 7-day clean eating group, and I was trying to come up with some ideas for clean meals that are "faster than fast food" for my participants. That eliminates a few of the top excuses for not eating healthy, no? I am always tempted to reach for convenience food when I come home starving and it's way to easy to say that clean eating is way too involved. So, coming up with a few super easy, super fast recipes is my fall back plan so I don't blow it. I'd like to share these with you too!

Here are a few meal-building lunch/dinner options:

#1. I saw this meal on a website where they asked top nutritionists what they eat on the run. If a nutritionist is eating it, I don't mind if I do too!

Brown rice (or quinoa/other grain) + sugar snap peas (or any veggie) + black beans

#2. I happened to find this super healthy, organic meal mix at Walmart, right by the frozen Steamer veggies. It's a kale, quinoa, feta mix that has an incredible amount of flavor and it's very nutrient dense. I just added a can of black beans and a can of chickpeas for extra bulk with two bags of this, and I had lunch for the week!

3. I like toast-building options too. You can make a complete meal simply by building on top of toast. How about:

• Bruschetta: tomato, mozzarella, avocado, basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar
• Peanut butter roll-ups: pb, honey and banana on a whole wheat tortilla
• Mini pizzas: mozzarella, tomato or tomato sauce, mushrooms, and onion on an English muffin, heated in the oven.
• Avocado/egg on toast
• Ricotta cheese and berries on toast
• Grown up grilled cheese: lean cheese and a pile of sauteed veggies (onion, pepper, zucchini, etc) on toast.

Do you have any fall-back recipes for clean eating on-the-run?