Pumpkin Spice Protein Smoothie!

Fall weather is quickly approaching! Along with the cooler weather comes fall produce. When trying to choose healthier options, it's important to consider what is in season. By purchasing foods in season, you will not only save money but obtain fresh and nutrient dense food.

Foods lose flavor when they have to be shipped from another part of the world, just as they lose moisture when they are held. Fresh, locally harvested foods have their full, whole flavors intact, which they release to us when we eat them. Buying conventional foods means you are eating something produced with varying levels of chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth. This could include insecticides to reduce pests and disease, chemical herbicides to manage weeds, and possibly antibiotics, growth hormones and/or medications to animals (when looking at eggs, meat, etc) in an effort to prevent disease and spur quicker growth.

Many grocery stores have a section for locally grown produce or head to your local farmers' market. Here are some options around the Fort Bragg area:

Fayetteville - Reilly Road Farmer's Market offers fruits, vegetables, eggs, bedding plants and more. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is at 445 N. Reilly Road. Call 868-9509 or find the market on Facebook.

Southern Pines - Sandhills Farmers' Green Market operates three days a week at different locations April through Sept. 29. Hours and sites are: Homegrown on the Village Green in Pinehurst Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sanford - Sanford Farmers Market is open through September. The market is at Depot Park, 106 Charlotte Ave. in downtown Sanford. Hours are Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Call 919-356-3007 or go to downtownsanford.com.

Multiple pick-up locations: Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative: Local farms and bakeries sell their fruits, vegetables and bread to consumers who subscribe to a weekly service. There are 11 box pickup sites in Moore, Lee, Cumberland and Randolph counties. The cooperative also offers produce cooking lessons at Green Gate Gourmet in Southern Pines. Go to sandhillsfarm2table.com

You can download the app – EatLocal – for free on your phone. It gives you the local farmers’ market info, produce that’s in season and how to pick out/prepare that vegetable or fruit.

Pumpkin Protein smoothie

1 cup almond milk

½ can (~3/4 cup) pumpkin (winter squash – find in canned vegetable aisle or seasonal section)

2 bananas

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves to taste

Optional: add vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt instead of whey protein

Nutrition Facts

• Without yogurt: 450 calories, 6g fat, 75g carbohydrates, 28g protein
• Use as a post-workout snack for a weight maintenance athlete
• Use as a small meal for weight loss athlete (when eating 5 times per day)
• 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt instead of whey protein: 530 calories, 4g fat, 100g carbohydrates, 23g protein
• Use as a pre-workout meal for any athlete
• Increased carbohydrates & decreased fat

Sweet & Spicy Seasoning

How often do you eat fish? 
We've discussed the benefits of fish here, here and also here.
For the busy professional, coming home to cook dinner is the last thing you want to do. Recently, I discovered frozen fish from my local Sam's club that can be thawed while at work & whipped into a meal within 15 minutes.
When checking out the frozen fish section, look for: - Extremely short ingredient list ("Tilapia", "Flounder", "Salmon") - There are some fish that are already seasoned but make sure you understand the ingredients before purchasing. Don't purchase items with words you don't know or artificial ingredients. - Wild caught if possible
White fish does best with this seasoning. I love it so much that I make a big batch of it so I can store it in my cabinet for easy dinner prep. It's the perfect combination of sweet & spicy!
Favorite Fish Seasoning: 1 tbsp paprika 1 tbsp light brown sugar 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp sea salt
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan on the stove (medium heat). Place fish in the pan & sprinkle seasoning on one side. After 3-4 minutes, flip the fish over and sprinkle with more seasoning. Allow fish to cook for 3-4 more minutes. Serve hot.
Pair with quinoa or brown rice as well as plenty of veggies (saute some on the stove or use an easy Steamfresh bag).

all-in-one lunch

How great would it be to make lunches for the entire week by prepping for a couple hours on Sunday? I can tell you firsthand that it's awesome. You can use the time as an excuse to catch up on the TiVo without feeling guilty for just sitting on the couch all day, too... you can be productive instead. That's the best.

The guys I work with are usually exercising first thing in the morning, which means our staff is waiting to exercise later in the day when we have downtime. 

This is where lunch can become really important essential to a successful workout later in the day. Many of us have experienced the day where we grab some leftovers, apple & PB, or something small hoping that it will give us the fuel to motivate a good workout... 3pm hits and we realize this was a bad idea.

Here is a lunch that is easy to assemble, takes 2 hours or less to prepare for the entire week, and lets you catch up on Property Brothers or Homeland. Yes, please.

This is the recipe I used, although any veggies in the fridge will work as a great add-on:
Spinach Kale 1 large tomato 1 cup goat cheese 1 can black beans 1 can white beans 1 cup dry quinoa *Add chicken, tuna, lean steak, etc for more protein (optional) Homemade balsamic vinaigrette (recipe below)
By using a variety of vegetables, you are incorporating many different antioxidants to naturally detox your body throughout the week. The goat cheese, beans & quinoa add in protein as well as some complex carbohydrates. The homemade dressing gives you flavor without the processed junk - hydrogenated oils, preservatives, etc.
Start with 4-5 empty containers based on how many days you need lunch this week.

Fill each one 1/2-3/4 way full with a spinach/kale mixture. If you have other dark leafy greens on hand, use those too! Next I added 1/4 cup cheese (REAL cheese), 3/4 cup black/white bean mixture (they were combined together in a bowl since I rinsed and drained previously), and 1/2 cup quinoa to each container. 
One of my favorite things about quinoa is that it can be paired with almost anything! It really doesn't have much of a flavor, so by adding it into this salad, you can add more texture & complex carbohydrates.

Quinoa is super easy to prep. For this specific lunch, I used 1 cup dry quinoa. Double the water (2 cups) & boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce to a simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all the water & easily fluffs with a fork (~10-12 minutes of simmering). 

  The dressing makes ~1 cup, which would give 1/4 cup dressing per salad. The dressing recipe was adapted from Oh She Glows (one of my favorite go-to blogs when needing a good recipe!).

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 clove garlic 1/4 cup olive oil
I put the dressing into a small magic bullet cup to keep for the week. While you can make this in a food processor, it's much easier to make with your magic bullet or other blender for easy clean up.
What will you have for snacks? Even with a nice veggie & protein-packed lunch, you may need something small pre-workout. 
This week is all about dips. I have hummus & avocado hummus ready in the fridge. Definitely use the suggested Tabasco in the hummus... so delish.

Boiled eggs with fruit is another perfect snack for the right combination of protein & carbohydrate while using zero processed food.
Within 2 hours, you are done with lunch & maybe even snacks for the week!

eggs for breakfast

Make this dish ahead of time for a quick & healthy breakfast during the week. By using 2 whole eggs, you can still get the benefits of the yolk without adding too much cholesterol and/or saturated fat. Egg yolk contains important nutrients including zinc, vitamin B6/B12, vitamin D, choline & protein.

Zinc: Important for growth, immune function & wound healing

Vitamin B6/B12: Critical for energy & protein metabolism, synthesis of red blood cells & immune function

Vitamin D: Promotes bone health, immune function & muscle recovery

Choline: Important for memory, brain development & functioning of all cells

Protein: While egg whites contain 3.5g protein per white, the whole egg will give you 6g protein

Pair with a carbohydrate source such as fruit, low-fat milk or whole grain toast for a complete meal.

Spinach and Feta Frittata

Servings: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1/4 of frittata 

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 whole eggs
8 large egg whites (or 2 cups liquid egg whites)
4 oz crumbled feta
salt and freshly ground pepper

Squeeze all water from spinach. In a 9 inch non-stick sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and scallions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add salt, pepper, cheese and spinach. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the skillet and cook until the bottom sets, about 5 minutes. Hold a large plate over the pan and invert the frittata onto the plate, then slide it back into the pan. Cook about 5 minutes longer. Serve hot. If reheating, place in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 140 Calories; 7g Fat; 5.5g Carbohydrate; 15g Protein

Spaghetti Squash Bake!

After seeing this spaghetti squash bake recipe on Pinterest... I changed it up a bit & tried it myself.
New Recipe:
1 large spaghetti squash 4 cloves garlic 4 Roma tomatoes 1/2 cup fresh basil 1 cup fresh baby spinach 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese salt & pepper to taste
Instructions Pierce squash several times with sharp knife (to avoid squash explosion). Bake on a cookie sheet for 1 hr 20 min at 375, flipping squash once halfway through.

Preheat your oven to 375. 

Once your squash is cooked, slice off the very end with the stem. Then, halve the squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and gooey bits and throw those away. Scrape the remaining flesh of the squash with a fork to get out all of the wonderful spaghetti noodles. Place noodles in a large bowl and set aside.

Mince garlic. Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Roughly cut basil and spinach leaves. Place all of these ingredients, along with the olive oil, into the large bowl with the spaghetti squash.

Mix well, then season with salt & pepper to taste. Then stir in 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella.

Add mixture to a baking dish & sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 230 calories, 15g fat, 13g carbohydrate, 12g protein.

This dish is perfect as a side/veggie since it contains healthy fat and a good amount of protein. For a bigger & complete meal, pair this dish with a protein source.