Free 5-Day Clean Eating Challenge {Guest Post}

Have you ever wished that you had a personal coach who would help you eat healthy, exercise, provide nutrition tips and support you and your goals ? I know I have! I am thrilled today to have my friend Britney Ammen writing and sharing some EXCITING news with you!!! 

~Alyssa~

Hello! When Alyssa asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I was beyond excited. As a fellow clean-eater and mama to a sweet one year old, I have often found myself pouring over Alyssa’s blog for fun, healthy meal ideas. And let me tell you- we have not once been disappointed. (The Cinnamon Swirl Whole Wheat Bread and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad are currently on a weekly rotation at our house. As they should be in every household.)

I am also so excited to be able to offer my FREE 5-Day Clean Eating Challenge to anyone interested! After becoming a mom, I realized much more fully my need for simple, nutritious meal ideas that don’t consist of mac and cheese or pb and j (though don’t get me wrong- a good stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth pb and j will always have a spot in my heart). And so began my journey of clean eating.

As a Beachbody coach, I have the opportunity to help people define their health, fitness, dietary, and financial goals, and then provide them with the support, accountability, and resources they need to reach those goals through challenge groups and one-on-one coaching. It has been a fantastic way for me to share all that I have learned over the past several years and to inspire others to really look at their eating and lifestyle habits.

My clean eating challenge will begin on Monday, August 11 and will consist of meal plans, a grocery list, healthy snack ideas, nutrition tips, and support/accountability. The goal is to encourage your body to become less dependent on processed foods as well as to help you realize that not only is clean eating affordable and simple, but it is delicious as well! Hopefully by the end of the 5 days you will be able to tell a difference in your energy and want to continue choosing to eat less processed foods.

All you have to do to join is find me on facebook and from there I will add you to the challenge group page. This is where I will post the grocery list, daily recipes, tips, answers to questions, etc. Each day, you be able to check in, post any questions or insights, and get the meal plans for the day.

Each day also incorporates Shakeology into one the meals/snacks. Shakeology is a dense superfood protein shake filled with naturally derived vitamins and nutrients and is soy-free. I personally drink shakeology every day and have noticed a huge difference in my energy levels and reduced cravings, as well as my overall health. For more information, or if you are interested in adding Shakeology to your challenge, click here.

I hope you will join me in my challenge as I seek to transform the lives of those around me through clean eating. It will be delicious!

Turkey Panini with Almond Basil Pesto

Looking for an easy and delicious dinner? These sandwiches are fast and taste fantastic! The hubs and I are currently in love with these toasted sandwiches and think you will be too. They are super tasty and fast to whip up for a quick lunch or dinner. What better way to serve a delicious warm panini than with a fresh basil pesto. I love using whole wheat pita pockets, Monterrey Jack cheese, fresh spinach and some Cajun rubbed sliced turkey breast.

Yield: 4 Sandwiches and 1/3 cup Pesto

Almond Basil Pesto
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons raw unsalted almonds
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Dash of black pepper
Approximately 3 tablespoons olive oil (more or less depending on your preference)

Combine basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, almonds, lemon juice and pepper in a food processor or blender, slowly drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Turkey Panini
1/2 pound sliced turkey breast (our favorite is Cajun rubbed)
8 thin slices of Monterrey Jack cheese
Handful of fresh spinach
8 pita pocket halves
A couple shakes of garlic powder
Olive oil

Build panini, layering one pita half, one slice of cheese, a couple slices of turkey breast, a few spinach leaves and another slice of cheese. Top with a pita pocket half and set aside while you prepare the rest of the sandwiches.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, drizzle in a little olive oil and add a couple shakes of garlic powder. When oil sizzles add sandwiches, using a firm spatula press down on the panini, flip when golden brown and repeat on the other side.

Serve warm with basil pesto.

Meals for the Week

Can you believe it's August? I seriously think summer gets shorter each year! This morning I harvested onions and cut a bunch of fresh basil to dry and use over the fall and winter. My tomatoes will be ripe in the next week or so and I can't wait to try my hand at canning fresh pasta and pizza sauces.

Enjoy these favorite FIVE meals!

1. First up is my Roasted Honey Dijon Potatoes with Chicken Pepper and Onion. I just posted the recipe this week and thought it was too good not to include in this week's meals. Healthy, budget friendly and easy prep; your family will love this tasty dinner.

2.  Vegetarian and delicious Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato Skins from Pinch of Yum. Serve with a  mixed green salad and you've got a complete meal.

3. We love this moist, flavorful and delicious Tomato Stuffed Chicken by One Sweet Appetite. Calling for six tomatoes this recipe is a fantastic way to incorporate your garden delights. Try serving this dish with my Roasted Asparagus with Lemon.

4. Dairy free Coconut Chicken Satay is divine and one of our favorite meals! Pair with a side of brown basmati rice and steamed broccoli.

5. And lastly, vegetarian Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake by Two Peas and Their Pod. Tons of fresh veggies and a little spicy kick easily make this meal a new family favorite.

BONUS!

Healthy Snack

These Key Lime Coconut Energy Bites by Spoonful of Flavor are simply incredible. Free from refined sugar, portion sized and super EASY. I added 1/2 cup quick oats and 1/2 cup rice crisp cereal for an extra crunch but either way they are delicious and the perfect grab and go snack.

No Bake Mini Key Lime Pies

So confession, growing up I wasn't really in to sweets, crazy right? I didn't like candy bars, wouldn't eat chocolate ice cream, hated frosting and usually requested angel food cake (no frosting or glaze) with strawberries for my birthday cake. Over time my dessert palette has expanded and while I'm still picky about my sweets (still not a frosting fan) there are a few treats I have a serious weakness for. One of them is the key lime pie.  In this picture, a buttery cinnamon crust meets creamy citrus with a fresh layer of whipped cream to marry all the flavors together. It's a beautiful thing!

A word of advice if you were hoping to find a healthy treat, you're looking at the wrong dessert. These aren't really healthy, not low carb and not even low sugar, but they are darn delicious and you will not regret eating one...or...two of these delicious summery treats.

I brought in a platter of these beauties to the Hubs work and they were gone in about 5 minutes flat. I think that means that they liked them?!?

Yield: 18 Mini Pies

No Bake Mini Key Lime Pies
1 and 1/2 sleeves honey graham crackers
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
12 oz cream cheese, set at room temperature for at least an hour or until very soft
1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh squeezed key lime juice
Zest from 2 key limes
Whipped cream
Additional lime zest, for garnish

Combine graham crackers in a food processor or blender and pulse until fine crumbs form. Toss graham cracker crumbs with butter and cinnamon.

Place liners into muffin pan and add 1 heaping tablespoon of the crumb mixture to each liner. Press crumbs down with the bottom of a small glass or measuring cup.

Using a hand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth and then add the sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice, beating again until smooth. Stir in the lime zest. Fill muffin cups with cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and grated lime zest.

Roasted Honey-Dijon Potatoes with Chicken, Pepper and Onion

With gardens and farmer's markets bursting with fresh produce, this dish is the perfect meal for a mid summer dinner. I was thrilled to add my garden bell peppers to this easy and delicious supper. As I've mentioned before, our all-time favorite chicken sausage is the the Al Fresco Roasted Pepper & Asiago. I love that they are all natural, no msg and gluten free. But feel free to use you favorite or whatever you have on hand.

Adapted from Inspired Edibles

Yield: 4 Servings

Roasted Honey-Dijon Potatoes with Chicken, Pepper and Onion
4 large russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch x 2 inch pieces and skins intact
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons course ground Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt
Pepper
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
2-3 fully cooked chicken sausages, halved lengthwise and then cut into 1/4 inch slices

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with middle rack in the second to top slot in the oven. Prepare potatoes and place in a large bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, mustard, honey and rosemary until smooth and pour over the potatoes. Toss until potatoes are evenly coated in the mixture.

Line a large baking sheet with foil and spread the tossed potatoes in an even layer. Salt and pepper to taste and roast for 15 minutes on the upper rack. While potatoes are roasting chop your onion, peppers and chicken sausage. Flip the potatoes after the 15 minutes and add the onion and peppers. Continue roasting for another 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are soft and lightly browned. Turn the oven to broil and add the chicken sausage. Broil for about 5 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.

Serve Warm

Whole Wheat Bagels

If there was one food that I could eat every day it would be the bagel. Breakfast bagels with cream cheese,  panini style sandwiches with pepper roasted turkey and Havarti cheese, pizza bagels. The possibilities are endless! Unfortunately, most of the "healthy" labeled store-bought bagels still contain processed ingredients and if you do find a good product they can be pretty pricey. I am in love with these soft and chewy whole wheat bagels and warm from the oven...yum!

An important trick to making that dense, soft, and chewy bagel goodness is to really work the flour into the dough. Your dough should be smooth, slightly shiny and elastic after it has been kneaded and fairly stiff, so if you have a heavy mixer and a dough hook this would be a great opportunity to pull that baby out. Or if you need a really good workout, kneading by hand is always a great option. We inhaled these healthy bites for brunch toasting them and then slathering them with cream cheese.

Adapted from Lovely Little Kitchen

Yield: 12-16 bagels

Whole Wheat Bagels

Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 cups plus 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour (approximately)
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup butter, melted

10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda

Optional Toppings
Poppy seeds
Sesame seeds
Ground flax seeds
Cinnamon sugar
Sea salt
Dried onion flakes
Ground flax & oatmeal

In the bowl of your stand mixture combine the water, honey and salt. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let mixture set for five minutes. Stir. With dough hook attached, add 3 cups of flour, gluten and melted butter. While mixing on low, add the remaining flour in 1/2 cup increments until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the mixer. Increase speed to medium and mix for five minutes. Dough will be slightly stiff but still pliable.

Lightly oil a large bowl and let dough rise for 1 hour or until almost doubled in size (cover the bowl with plastic wrap while rising).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Fill a large pot with 10 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Turn dough out onto a counter and gently knead the air bubbles out. Separate into 12- 16 pieces (depending on the size you like your bagels) and roll into smooth balls. Cover dough with plastic wrap as you prepare the bagels. Once you have rolled the dough into balls, gently poke a hole in the middle of each ball and stretch until a 1-inch in diameter hole forms. Place on a lightly oiled parchment lined baking sheet.

Add baking soda to the boiling water and drop 4-5 bagels at a time into the water, boil for 30 seconds and then remove to a drying rack. Sprinkle with desired toppings. Once all the bagels have been boiled, place on prepared baking sheets and bake 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Let bagels rest on cooling racks for at least 30 minutes before freezing.

Meals for the Week

Welcome to Friday! I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the weekend and some quality time with my family.  Enjoy these top FIVE meal ideas.

1. Easy Healthy Breakfast Crepes- These may say breakfast in the title, but make a delicious light summer dinner. One of the best parts of this recipe is how FAST and EASY these are to whip up.

2. Keeping in line with the breakfast theme are PW's Breakfast Burritos by Ree Drummond. If you're short on time, use frozen hash browns instead of russet potatoes. This recipe makes a bunch and the leftovers are an easy lunch for the next day.

3. For those who don't want to eat breakfast foods every night, this Kale Pasta Salad also by Ree Drummond is delicious and made for a yummy meat-free meal. We substituted the white pasta for whole grain wheat and found it tasty warm or cold.

4. These Spring Vegetable Potstickers by The Smitten Kitchen may be a little time consuming but well worth the effort. I couldn't believe how delicious the fresh asparagus was in the filling. My family isn't a huge fan of tofu so I used chicken instead. Fill these potstickers with your favorite veggies and serve with basmati rice.

5. And lastly, Zucchini Quinoa Fritters with Parmesan by The Scrumptious Pumpkin. We ate these with a fresh garden salad for a satisfying meal. Grilled chicken would also be a tasty accompaniment.

~Enjoy~