recipes

Chili is delicious… but you may not like THIS recipe.

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Chili is delicious but you may not like this recipe.  You’ll LOVE IT!!

I use my crockpot often and with the temps cooling off, the smell of comfort food cooking all day is calming to me.  I love the aroma from my crockpot!  Whether it be from the Mexican chicken recipe, PB/coconut granola (recipe on this blog site), apple crisp, or this chili recipe…… I love the aroma of home cooked food on a cold day, any day.  Chili can be very healthy and includes a lot of protein & fiber in the meat and beans which will keep you fuller for a longer period of time!

I made this chili this week and the left overs are even better the next day!!  The ingredients are very simple and so is the process.
Chili1
I used:

  • 93% lean ground beef.  (Ground turkey or chicken would work too, but I find that beef absorbs the flavors better).
  • 1 medium green pepper, diced
  • Half of an onion, diced
  • 2 Tablespoons of chili powder
  • Can of diced tomatoes with basil, Garlic, and Oregano seasons
  • Can of light red kidney beans
  • 1 can of mild chili beans
  • 2 cans of tomato sauce
  • 1 box (found at Target) of low sodium organic kidney beans
  • Black pepper and Garlic powder to taste
  • 1 cup of water

I browned the ground beef, diced green pepper and diced onion together in a skillet. While it was cooking I added some black pepper and garlic powder to the mix.

chili2

While that was browning, I put all the beans, tomato sauce, and chili powder together in the crockpot. I rinsed all the beans in cold water except for the mild chili beans because I wanted the flavor of the liquid.  I added a cup of water at this time but it can be added anytime.
chili4 - Copy chili3 - Copy

Then I added the skillet mixture to the crockpot and gently stirred it all together.  Turn the crockpot to low and allow to cook for 5-8 hours.  In my house we all like a little something different to top off the chili.
Some options are: oyster crackers, shredded cheese, or sour cream (healthier version would be plain Greek yogurt).
chili final

Put left overs in the fridge and reheat the next day!  You could put this chili over a baked potato or use it as a dip with low sodium whole grain tortilla chips the next day also!  Enjoy!!!

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Family Meal Planner still in the works! Stay tuned…

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The more thought I put into creating the family meal planner documents that I have been working on,
the more information I want to pass along!  

This project began as a simple way that I can assist families with basic, healthy, meal options.  I have been asked many times over the past 4 years, “What do you feed your family?” and so I felt it was time to create organized information complete with grocery list, recipes, and healthy options for each meals. I do not believe in “you must eat this for lunch” meal plans.  It’s just not practical for family lifestyle, or anyone, honestly.  Friends want to go out for dinner, the chicken gets freezer burn, the veggies grow mold…..things happen & if you only have one option, then you feel stuck.  Unfortunately, much of the dietary advice available today focuses on what you “cannot” or “should not” eat and little information is out there regarding meal plans and the amazing food you SHOULD be eating!  
Food is beautiful & delicious…..even healthy food!
dessert

I am an advocate for fighting childhood obesity.  This kind of fell into my lap to be honest.  A few years ago, I felt I was being called to serve women/families who have had premature infants (my son was born at 32 weeks, weighing less than 4lbs) and I was considering joining forces with the March of Dimes.  I  still support the March of Dimes, but feel I can do more personal assistance with helping parents feed their tiny people.  I am a fitness-focused Mom and became a sport nutritionist so I could not only help my own ageing runner’s body, but feed my family correctly and be a better source for my customers.

Once I became a Mom… I realized how stressful meal times can be!!  Yikes!!  Now I understand the effort that went into the meals my parents made while being working parents!  They did very well based on their job hours, having 3 children involved in sports, and juggling life in general.  I remember sitting at the table as a family, praying, and eating dinner together. The meals were always hearty & relatively healthy…but back then nutrition didn’t get the attention it gets now.  And no….. the food then and the food now are NOT created equal.  Just because you ate it as a child, doesn’t mean your children should too!!!  

This project has really got me thinking.  What started off as a simple list of food options to create a healthy diet….. has evolved into much more. I’m overwhelmed sometimes!  I don’t only want to create meal options, but I want to educate parents/people on WHY they should eat certain foods and WHY it’s important to make healthy options vs. boxed mac & cheese.  (Cheese from a powder form shouldn’t be a dinner staple!)  

salad

Just to clue you in a little on what I am working on…… here are some topics that will be covered.  

  • How to Plan Balanced Meals.
  • Components of meals – what should be included.
  • Why are family meals are important?
  • Childhood Obesity – a growing epidemic.
  • Why children should be involved in meal prep?
  • Restaurant guides & social aspect of eating out. 
  • What food items should be staples in my house?
  • Organized Grocery List
  • Easy recipes including slow cooker recipes (best invention Ever!) 
  • Saving money on your grocery bill.  

People who purchase my documents/packages (whatever I’m going to call it) will also have my personal assistance as needed to answer any questions.  
I’m excited to see this come to fruition, but I have a lot more to do so be patient!  🙂  
Stay tuned………

Follow me on social media!!  I’d love to answer your questions on facebook at YourFitnessInfo !dinners ready

Lisa is a Physical Therapist Assistant x17 years, a Specialist in Sports Nutrition, and owner of YourFitness-411.com

Peanut Butter Coconut Granola

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PB Coconut granola

I plan to incorporate some recipes into my blogs.  I’ve had a lot of requests for recipes!  I am typically a very basic meal planner.  I make some sort of meat (simply made) and then add a vegetable, salad, and some sort of pasta for the kids (every so often).  I typically stay away from casseroles and sauces because I find they have a lot of calories and ingredients that I do not want.

That being said, I found this delicious recipe for Peanut Butter Coconut Granola!  I LOVE home-made granola and often times eat it as a pre or post exercise (specifically run) energy booster or recovery meal.  I like to put a couple spoonfuls in a little bowl and add some fresh PB to it w/ a little honey, raisins, apples, bananas, protein powder and such (pretty much whatever I have in the house).  sometimes, I even sprinkle a bit of granola on my PB toast (that’s what I eat before every run that is 3+ miles.  It just works really well for me).

Anyways, I found this recipe on the facebook page of “I see Fit People” and love it.  Loved it so much….felt the need to blog it!

I liked the healthy mix of ingredients and I especially found the coconut sugar to be really tasty! I substituted walnuts for the peanuts because I wear braces (coming off soon!) and peanuts are too hard for my braces.   I can’t wait to try it frozen, such as ISFP suggests.  Here’s the recipe….ENJOY!!  (Oh….and it will make your house feel cozy and smell delicious!)

http://iseefitpeople-everywhere.blogspot.ca/2012/03/peanut-buttery-coconut-granola.html?showComment=1332189526446#