November 21, 2013

starter grocery list + Paleo Roast Pork with Apple Chutney & Butternut Squash

November 21, 2013/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

'i want to be healthier.'

you do? ok, read!

first off, breathe. don't over-complicate things. this process does not go from 0-60 in 3 seconds and you won't either. it's a gradual thing. a lifestyle thing. one that you will see and feel the effects of if you just stick with it. little by little, a little becomes a lot. we know by now that proper nutrition and physical fitness is a package deal. can't have one without the other. i will be focusing on the nutrition part of the equation for now as this is where your journey begins:

here is a staple starter grocery list to save, print out, and take with you to the grocery store. i go into detail about each section below and provide some of my favorite brands and where to get'em. keep reading.

key:

WF = Whole Foods

SFM = Sprouts Farmers Market

WM = Walmart

TG = Target

TJ = Trader Joes

HEB = HEB Pantry (local)

K = Kroger (local)

ALL = available at all listed stores

grains / cereals / breads

Ezekiel brand breads and tortillas WF, SP
Ezekiel cereal varieties WF, SP, WM, K, HEB
Alvarado Street Bakery brand bread WF, SP
La Tortilla Factory tortillas & wraps WF, SP, WM, K, HEB
Nature's Own Double Fiber Wheat Bread WM, K, HEB, TG
Sara Lee 45 Calories & Delightful brand bread HEB, WM, K, TG
Trader Joe's whole grain breads TJ
Sprouts Farmers Market whole grain breads SFM

i find that rolled, quick oats, oat bran, rice, quinoa, and couscous are cheapest when bought in bulk. whip out your calculator and do the math if you must and compare the price per lb to whatever way you previously purchased these items. yeah, those Uncle Ben's single serving rice pouches are DELICIOUSLY easy to prepare and taste so good, but they just aren't cost-effective and you know it! buy your rice in bulk and season it yourself.

flours / nuts / oils

Bob's Red Mill flour varieties WF, SP, HEB, K, WM, TG
flours & nuts from the bulk bins of WF, HEB, or SP
choose unrefined, virgin, and cold-pressed oils ALL
roasted & unsalted mixed nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, pecans) in bulk WF, SP, HEB

starchy veggies

fresh & frozen are best. if you must do canned, look for a low/no sodium option. these are veggies that are carbohydrate rich, higher in sugar content, have an adverse affect on blood glucose levels, and load you with energy. any on the list above will do; pick your fave. if unsure about how to classify a particular veggie, use this helpful list of starchy veggies. ALL

non-starchy veggies

fresh & frozen are best. if you must do canned, look for a low/no sodium option. these are veggies that contain fewer calories and carbs, lower sugar content, and have little to no effect on blood glucose levels and are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals. any on the list above will do; pick your fave. if unsure how to classify a particular veggie use this helpful list of non-starchy veggies. ALL

fruit

fresh & frozen are best. beware of packaged and canned fruit which can contain crazy high amounts of sugar. read your labels! don't forget avocado is a fruit and high and good fat. we know fruit is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and natural sugar, but the sugar content does vary per fruit, so choose wisely. here's a chart of some of the most popular and available fruit choices that gives you an accurate depiction of the sugar content for a 1 cup serving. ALL

here's a more detailed list:

dairy

Lactaid brand milk & cottage cheese ALL
Greek yogurt brands: Fage, Chiobani, Oikos, Trader Joes ALL
Laughing Cow Spreadable Cheese Wedges ALL
Mini Babybel light cheese ALL

non-dairy

Blue Diamond, Silk unsweetened vanilla and original almond milk ALL
Lisanatti Almond Cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella) WF, SFM
Tofutti non-dairy cream cheese spread WFM, TJ, SFM, HEB, K
Trader Joe's canned light coconut milk TJ

meat / seafood / protein

boneless & skinless turkey and chicken breast ALL
97-99% extra lean ground turkey, chicken, and beef ALL
choose cuts of beef with the least marbling
leanest beef cuts: eye of round, sirloin tip and steak, top & bottom round roast & steak ALL
shellfish: scallops, mussels, lobster, shrimp, crab ALL
choose low sodium canned beans and rinse beans under cold water before cooking: navy, kidney, black, lima, chick peas, pinto, black-eyed peas. ALL
HEB & Crystal Farms egg whites ALL, HEB
fish: cod, salmon, tilapia, flounder, trout, halibut, mahi mahi, perch, snapper, sole, tuna (canned and packed in water) ALL

seasonings / sauces / sweeteners

Bragg's Liquid Aminos WM, WFM, SFM, K, HEB
Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar WM, WFM, SFM, K, HEB
all fresh herbs (sage, cilantro, oregano, basil, dill) ALL
any salt-free standalone spice or seasoning blend (Mrs. Dash, McCormick, Trader Joes, Generic brands ALL
use fresh lemon / lime just for natural seasoning, flavoring & marinating ALL
liquid smoke WM, TG, K, HEB
Heinz low carb ketchup ALL

so do you just go buy the entire list at once? no! remember, i spoke with Tiara in HEB the other day and here's that grocery shopping advice i gave her in a nutshell: 'depending on how ambitious you feel, pick 2, or 3 recipes you know you'll be making in the next 2 weeks or so and do your grocery shopping based on those ingredients. else, there's a good chance you may not use everything you purchased and have to throw it away. we know some items have longer shelf lives of course, but the majority of what is thrown away is spoiled produce.' i try to limit my store visits to 2-3 times a month. i make large batches of a recipe at a time, and we have those meals/leftovers for the next 2-3 days before switching to something new. sometimes i'll cook two large batches of two different recipes at a time and alternate those meals for more variety.

grocery shopping tips:

buy fresh AND frozen produce
only buy produce in-season and on sale to save $
make a list first and stick to it
don't shop when you're hungry
set a monthly or bi-weekly budget and don't go over it
buy meat in bulk and freeze what you don't use immediately
buy generic brands whenever possible
shop the perimeter of the store (fresh meat, bread, produce, dairy). processed foods tend to rule those isles.

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Q: questions? FIRE AWAY! what would you like to see MORE of? what wasn't covered or covered in enough detail? i need your feedback. email me or comment below.

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my featured FITzee meal of the week:

Paleo Pork Roast with Apple Chutney and Butternut Squash

all natural, dairy-free, gluten-free, Paleo friendly & smells and tastes like FALL.

place your FITzee Foods order to be shipped right to your doorstep now.

July 25, 2013

let's try this again, shall we!?

July 25, 2013/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

and just like that....my prayers for the last 2 months have been answered. to God be ALL the glory.

buy FIT FOODIE LEAN right here, right NOW.

if you don't have a Paypal account, no big deal! you can log on in as a guest.

:shock:

as promised, it includes:

full page color foodie photos

almost 50 healthy, lean, clean, delish recipes

breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert & snack options

gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat, low-carb, low-sugar, low-calorie, vegetarian, vegan options

macro & micro-nutrients included (calories, fat, sodium, carbs, fiber, protein)

specialty grocery list for my favorite items used in the book

made with tons of LOVE!

to buy Fit Foodie Lean, click meeeeee!

or click the Fit foodie Lean cover in the right sidebar up there OR the cover pic in this very post. they'll all get you to the right place.

i just want to thank each and every single one of you fit foodies for being so patient with me and the never ending battle to publish Fit Foodie Lean. i can finally say IT IS COMPLETELY FINISHED without a shadow of a doubt. enjoy this ebook and have fun making and devouring these recipes with your family!

*jumping up and down*

NOTE: if you've purchased Fit Foodie Lean already via amazon, EMAIL YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFO TO LE@FITFOODIELE.COM RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!! please and thank you :)

for now, ummm it's super late and i have to teach in the morning, eeeeek!!!! GOODNIGHT!

November 07, 2012

journey to clean(er) eating

November 07, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

how it starts....

how it ends.

i got the baby basket on purpose but i stuffed it full like i knew i would. going in and coming out with one thing is a complete joke. there is always something else we need!! or want.

the journey to clean(er) eating starts in the grocery store. remember these tips when you go shopping:

MORE fresh fruits and vegetables

LESS processed foods (low to no)

lean proteins - chicken breasts, ground turkey, seafood, beef,

healthy fats - avocados, mixed nuts, olive/coconut oil, natural peanut butter

whole grains/fibrous carbs - oatmeal, sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans, whole wheat pasta, high fiber cereal

on Sunday's trip, i got everything on my list plus a few more items:

oh and Ezekiel sprouted grain sesame bread. left it off the list, oops. aaaand i did get a few indulgent items for Sonny for winning his show this past weekend... i know you see them :shock: oreos, gummy bears, and cookies n cream ice cream.

i have always wondered why pumpking pie spice is so freakin high!!! this 1.12 oz jar is like 4.99. for no reason. this is what i've always bought. i was on my way to get some magic pop when i passed a table of seasonings and saw a big bucket of this:

what! now 4.99 a POUND is more like it!! i grabbed a couple bags. man i love finding great deals.

yesterday, i applied that same 'squeeze the muscle with every rep' technique to my upper body workout and man did it give me a good muscle pump. try it!!

one of my fave exercises (i'm sure my class members HATE them by now lololol) are W presses with dumbbells. make a W with your arms (similar to my pose above) holding a heavy dumbbell in each hand. move both arms up / out simultaneously without going higher than your head with the weights. then, retract them back in towards your head. keep your elbows in front of your body. makes for great shoulder/collar bone/back definition! the racerback style is my absolute fave to wear, regarding my tops, and this exercises targets that area nicely.

dinner that night was a baked sweet potato stuffed with seasoned chicken breast chunks, green onion, and topped with fromage blanc. french cheese! i also had a side of steamed zucchini.

yum.

i found the fromage blanc at Whole Foods while looking for the quark that they didn't have. the cheese lady told me that fromage blanc was the closest thing to it. i picked it up and read the stats,

and they were even better than the quark! heck that's better than sour cream and greek yogurt! greek yogurt does have a ton of protein, but it also has sugar too. anyway, awesome find. HEB has it also.

today...cardio, legs, and stretching.

i could not WAIT to get home to dinner to make me a sandwich. that was all i could think about.

i made a big pan of baked chicken breasts this morning, so all i had to do was cut it up and put my sammich together. i seasoned each breast with something different (bbq, lemon pepper, garlic and herb, smokehouse maple, and montreal steak seasoning) and some dried parsley. 350 degrees for 1 hr.

finally! seasoned chicken breast, avocado, tomato, almond cheese and Trader Joe's pumpkin butter all on toasted Ezekiel sprouted grain sesame bread. i also had half a sliced apple and some Justin's maple almond butter for dipping.