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…Infinite Life Fitness Recipe: Zucchini Lasagna…

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I don’t know about you…but there are just some things that I can not give up.  BUT the key to reaching your health and fitness goals is FINDING A BALANCE.  You may not have to completely give up on the things that you enjoy the most. All you have to do is slightly alter them.

I came up with a zucchini lasagna that taste JUST AS GOOD as the real thing…minus the pile of noodles that come along with a lasagna.  Not only does it taste just as good…there are fewer calories and MORE protein!

What you will need:

  • 1 lb lean ground turkey (or lean beef or any other chopped up lean meat)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 dices onions
  • dash of salt
  • dash of pepper
  • 1 tbsp basil
  • 16 oz contain of low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1 can of tomato paste
  • 1 can of tomato sauce
  • 3 cans of diced tomatoes (i used the fiesta lime Rotel)
  • 1 pack of low-fat shredded cheese
  • 1 LARGE zucchini  (or enough zucchini to cover the various layers that you want)

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What you will do:

  • Pre-Heat your oven to 350 degrees
  • Cook and season meat in a pan and set aside for later step
  • wash your zucchini (some people have even skinned the zucchini…so you can do what you prefer)
  • you can slice the zucchini into long thin strips OR you can cut your zucchini into round slices such as I did:

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  • Next you HAVE to grill or saute your zucchini.  Zucchini is a vegetable that retains a lot of water. If you do not pre-cook the zucchini when you cook the lasagna it will become a watery/soupy dish.
  • After you cook your zucchini pieces start to layer your dish:

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  • Now layer your lasagna with the other ingredients:

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  • This is when you can get creative and mix up how you put together your layers. I wanted to have a total of two layers on my lasagna so I just cut all ingredients in half and mixed them up between the two layers.

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This dish can make approximately 8-10 servings.

I was able to make this dish, separate the squares of lasagna out into containers and freeze the extra pieces. This lasagna was AMAZING flavorful. I would have to say having the lime Rotel added a new burst of flavor. I also enjoyed having the tomato past because that also added to the flavor of the meal.

The fun thing about these casserole is that you can mix and match ingredients and add or change anything that you would want.

Another great thing about making a dish like this is that you will be able to set aside portions of this lasagna to have later during the week. With the added cottage cheese and lean meat, this dish is packed with protein while still leaving you feeling full and satisfied.

Meal preparation is KEY when it comes to helping you stay on track with healthy meal planning and eating.  If you have food prepared and ready to eat you are more likely to make healthier meal choices during meal time.

 

,,,Meal Planning 101…

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Preparing your meals is just as important as planning your workouts!
You should pick one (or two) days a week to cook meals that will last you for a few days (or for the whole week)

You can cook meals that will last you the whole week and freeze 1/2 of them!

This will help prevent the meat from going bad after you cook it. (this is something that I do regularly and I have not gotten sick)

A good thing to do would be to cook a whole bag of chicken or fish. I try to cook 2 meats so that I will have something different for lunch and dinner.

Example: 1 lb of lean beef and 1 lb of lean ground turkey or 1 package of lean turkey tenderloin and 1 package of chicken breast

I will cook the meat AND THEN weigh it (it weighs MORE uncooked than when it is cooked)

Depending on my meal plan for the week I will put 4-6 oz of meat in each container.

I will then place 4-6 oz of carbs (which usually are sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat bread, or oatmeal)

I will then also pair it with 1 cup of green veggies (like broccoli, zucchini, green beans, or asparagus)

I will place each meal in Tupperware and just keep them in my fridge and freezer.  This allows me the chance to grab it and go when it is meal time.  When I take one meal out of the fridge I will replace it with a meal from the freezer.  I just rotate them so they all get eaten and nothing is wasted.

I also pre-make some of my breakfast items (like my protein pancakes or egg white muffins) so I can have those to grab-and-go in the morning.

Planning is KEY when you are trying to stay on track with your healthy eating!
If you have your meals planned it eliminates the urge to “go grab something” or get food that are not apart of your healthy eating plan.

You can have fun with your meals and also make other options like chili, tacos, tuna, and other flavorful meals.

You can get Tupperware from your local super store or you can find options here: Meal Planning

Fail to plan = Plan to fail!

Planning is KEY to reaching your goals.

It is easier to cook all of your meal in bulk at one time than come home and have to cook at each meal everyday!

Save time…save yourself from stressing out…save yourself from making bad food choices!