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…Infinite Life Fitness Recipe: Zucchini Lasagna…

zucchini_Lasagna

 

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.

 

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…Infinite Life Fitness Recipe: Healthy Chili…

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When it is cold outside there are a few items that i MUST have.

These things include:

Tea

Protein Pumpkin Bars

and CHILI!!

When you lead a healthy lifestyle you are always trying to find ways to make some of your favorite recipes healthy and full of nutrients that will satisfy your nutritional needs.

Here is a great recipe that was created by me and my friends that is healthy yet filling and  YUMMY!

What you will need:

  • 1 regular sized can of garbanzo Beans (optional)
  • 1 regular sized can of dark red kidney beans
  • 1 regular sized can of black beans
  • 1 can of petite cut tomatoes
  • 1/2 diced onion
  •  1 can of chili ready tomatoes
  • 1 can of salt free tomato sauce
  • 2 lbs of lean meat (turkey, beef, ground chicken) (in my recipe i used venison)
  • 2 tablespoons of chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons of pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons of garlic powder

Note: You can use any variation of beans for this dish!  I used the above beans because those are the beans I personally enjoy.  Also remember you can add any spices or other veggies to this dish! I know some people add diced bell peppers or chopped celery. Get creative and add your own touch! 

Here is how to cook it:

  1. Cook the meat first so it is ready to go!
  2. Drain the oils/waters out of the meat pan
  3. In a crock pot or big round cooking pot place all of the ingredients together.
  4. Turn the heat on low or medium and let it cook stirring occasionally (it will cook for about 2 hours or longer depending on your own personal preference!)
  5. Once things are warm and mixed let the chili cook and serve!

For this recipe i used a crock pot. I cooked the lean meat and placed everything in my crock pot.  I let it sit on medium heat and stirred it occasionally.  

Here is the nutrient breakdown of this meal:

For each meal i will measure out 230 grams of the chili into my bowl.  I have an electronic food scale that i use to help make my measurements as accurate as possible.

  • 1.5 grams of fats
  • 23 grams of carbs
  • 24 grams of protein
  • 325 calories

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You can garnish your chili however you like!

You can add crackers, cornbread, regular bread, or whatever you would like!
With my meal (the picture above) I added 1 tablespoon of fat-free sour cream and 2 tablespoons of mild salsa.

This is a great meal to make a big batch of and have throughout the week for dinner or lunch.  I will make a big post of this and measure out my serving sizes into Tupperware containers.  I will freeze half of the containers and put the other half in my fridge.  This will allow me to choose when i want to eat it but also not letting any of the chili go to waste.  And when i am ready for some of the chili that is in the freezer i will take it and place it in the fridge the night before OR just pop it in the microwave when i am ready!

Try this recipe out and let me know what you think!
You can post it on Instagram and use the Hashtag ” #ILFRecipes

Who knows…maybe those who share their creations will win a prize 😉

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…Infinite Life Fitness Recipe: Protein Pumpkin Bars…

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Tis the season to bring out the pumpkin, apple cider, hot coco, and hot tea.

Today was meal prep day in my house and i made meals that will last me until next weekend.  This next week is going to be a BUSY week so i wanted to get a jump start on my meals so i would have NO excuse to not make the right food choices.

This week i tried a new recipe.  I tired to make Protein pumpkin Bars.

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For those of you who LOVE pumpkin and other spices that correspond with this upcoming cold weather you will LOVE these bars.

Here is what you will need:

Here is how you cook it:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray a 9 X 13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray ( I used olive oil)
  3. Combine  ingredients and mix them in a mixing bowl
  4. Spread the batter into your dish
  5. Bake for approximately 30 min (some ovens will take a shorter OR longer period of time. You will have to monitor them and do the “toothpick test”.)

The “toothpick test” is when you place a toothpick in the middle of the pan of your baked goods.  You stick the toothpick straight down and pull it back up (mimic the motion of dipping a tea bag into a hot cup of water).  Once you take the toothpick out if you see wet batter on the toothpick the baked good needs more time in the over.  If the toothpick is dry and relatively clean when you take it out (you may get small morsels of the baked good on the toothpick) the dish is ready!

You can add other things to these bars such as nuts, fruit, or anything else! BUT that will ADD calories, fats, carbs, and protein to the nutritional value of the bars.  You will want to be careful and not try to add too much because the more you add, the more you risk making these bars not as healthy as they should be.

Here is the nutrient breakdown of these bars:

  • 57 Calories
  • 6 grams of Fat
  • 10 grams of Carbs
  • 4 grams of protein 

Each pan can make about 24 squares and the above nutrients are for ONE piece of the protein bars.  I cut mine up, placed them in zip lock bags, and placed them in the fridge.  I would recommend storing them in the fridge.  This will allow for them to stay fresh longer.  If you want a more solid protein bar (not soft and moist like a piece of cake) you can put them in the freezer.  This will make them a little harder and they will actually last LONGER if you keep them in the freezer.  I will keep 1/2 of my batch in the fridge and the other 1/2 in the freezer.  This will help to ensure that none of my delicious pumpkin bars go to waste!

Try then out and let me know what ya think!

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