New meal prep recipe: Tuna Muffin Cups

Welp. Today has started my new BB program: The Master's Hammer & Chisel (I'll be referring to it as H&C quite a bit)! I mentioned my meal plan for this in my last post & as promised, here is the new recipe I said I was trying this week! I prepped tuna muffin cups for lunch this week, which I was super excited about.

These were actually very simple to make- not only ingredient-wise but throwing-together wise. It was quick except for the 30-minute baking part. And they pretty much turned out as yummy as they look, which is always good!

Serving size: 3 muffins
Recipe yield: 3 servings (9 muffins)

Ingredients:
2 cans drained tuna
3/4c diced green pepper
1/4c diced onion
1/4c diced carrots
1/4c chopped spinach (small pieces)
3/4c cheese
2 eggs
salt & pepper to taste (as well as any other spices you wanna throw in. I added garlic powder and used garlic sea salt instead of regular salt as usual)
*for the diced veggies, I bought shredded carrots and bagged spinach and used my pampered chef manual chopper to chop them smaller along with already diced onion/pepper to be sure all pieces were small enough*

Preparation:
1. Preheat Oven to 350.
2.Combine everything but the cheese into a bowl and mix well.
3. Use a muffin/cup cake pan and scoop mixture evenly into 9 cups.
4. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the muffin cups. To be precise, you can put the cheese into the blue container and spread evenly across 3 muffins to be sure you're sticking correctly to the plan- do this 3 times t accommodate for the 9 muffins.
5. Bake for about 30mins/until cheese is melted and crispy to your liking
6. Voila. Enjoy!

Hammer & chisel/21 day fix/fix extreme stats per serving (3 muffins):

1 Red, 1 Blue, 1/2 Green

Nutrition facts per serving:

Cals: 240 Total Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 182 mg
Sodium: 478 mg
Potassium: 335 mg
Carbs: 6 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 0 g
Protein: 25 g
Vitamin A	35 %
Vitamin C	5 %
Calcium	22 %
Iron	9 %

 

 

Weekly meal prep

Not much to my meal prep this week but I said I'd do this weekly so here you go!

My meal prep for work is very similar- almost the same- as last week. My breakfast & lunch ARE the same and my snacks are just a tiny bit variation. Again, for me, simplicity (and budget friendly) are key. I spent less than $25 on my work meal prep groceries + the things I needed to grab for dinner that I didn't already have in my fridge/cabinet. And I stay full all day at work!

CTC days: 3G, 6R, 1Y, 3tsp

Breakfast: Whole wheat English Muffin w/ almond butter= 1Y, 1tsp

Morning Snack: ½ scoop Vegan Choc Shakeo w/ 1/2c cashew milk & greens = ½ R

Lunch: Lean ground turkey with green beans=2R, 2G

Afternoon Snack: Choc shakeo “pudding”- ½ sc Vegan Choc Shakeo w/ Dannon Light & Fit greek vanilla yogurt cup (5.3oz cup)= 1.5R

Dinner: Refer to dinner menu= 2R, 1G

Reg Ext Days: 3G, 4R, 2Y, 2 tsp, 2P, 1B, 1O

Breakfast: English Muffin w/ almond butter & ½ sliced banana= 1Y, 1tsp, 1P

Morning Snack: ½ scoop Vegan Choc Shakeo w/ ½ c cashew milk, frozen berries & greens = ½ R, 1P

Lunch: Ground chicken or turkey stir fry =2R, 2G

Afternoon Snack: rice cake with almond butter= 1Y, 1tsp

Dinner: Refer to dinner menu= 2R, 1G

**Swapped blue for an extra ½ Red**

I'm debating on just doing CTC all week. See...my next milestone goal is close and the date I set for it is my wedding anniversary- June 13th. As of Friday (3 days ago) I was literally 1 pound away from this milestone number I'm aiming to reach- with a week to spare. Regardless of the fact that -as usual- the weekend got the better of me and I gained some back by this morning, I'm confident I can reach this milestone goal # before my goal date but if I'm lucky enough for that to be the case, the trick is to maintain it! So I'm thinking instead of carb cycling and doing the 2 days CTC interlaced with 1 day of the regular extreme plan (as given in the meal plan calendar for the CTC plan option of the 21dfx), I'll maybe do CTC everyday- cut out the regular extreme (higher carb) days in order to have more of a deficit and kick butt in reaching my goal by the 13th. I'll try it through Wednesday (since that's supposed to be my 1st regular ext. day this week) to see how it goes and let yall know if my theory seemed to work!

Anywho, DINNER. Here's my dinner menu for the week! My weekly "new recipe" for this week is healthy 21df approved general tso's chicken. I love Chinese food so I'm stoked to try it! I'll let yall know later in the week how it turned out, along with the recipe!

Dinner

Monday CTC: Fish [R] with steamed veggies [G]

Tuesday CTC: Taco [salad] Tuesday! Lean ground meat (R), Lettuce/Tomato (G), Optional Black beans/tortilla strips [Y]

Wednesday Ext: 21df general Tso chicken- 1 red, 1/2 orange, 1 tsp

Thursday CTC: Chicken [R] with veggies [G] or leftovers

Friday CTC: [turkey] bacon-wrapped asparagus (R & G)

 

Weekly meal prep menu. Simplicity= key

With it being a holiday weekend this past weekend, I'm a little later than expected in my last post- SORRY!

Anyway, I mentioned that I think I'll start doing a weekly post on the weekend to share my meal prep for the upcoming week & also a goal of trying a new healthy dinner recipe each week. My new recipes this week are both a dinner & a snack recipe. My new dinner will be 21 day fix- approved buffalo chicken meatballs and my new snack is a Shakeology "pudding."

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm currently doing the 21 Day Fix Extreme and implementing the "countdown to competition" meal plan that came with the 21df extreme challenge pack I originally bought last year to get ready for my June wedding. I may not compete in staged competitions or in any bikini contests, but the CTC meal plan is for quicker/better results. With a goal date/scale number coming up and wanting to break my current plateau, this is good for me/my personal goals.

The CTC meal plan is essentially carb-cycling. It switches back & forth between "CTC days" and regular extreme days throughout the week as far as the meal plan goes- the workouts stay the same. Anyway, CTC days have higher protein/lower carb & fat and the regular extreme days are my normal 21dfx macro/portion calculations which have a little less protein and allow a tiny bit more carb. Here's my meal plan for the week to implement the CTC plan, which includes what my container portions are for the plan:

CTC days: 3G, 6R, 1Y, 3tsp

Breakfast: Whole wheat English Muffin w/ almond butter= 1Y, 1tsp

Morning Snack: ½ scoop Vegan Choc Shakeo w/ 0.5c unsweetened cashew milk & PB = ½ R, 1 tsp

Lunch: Ground chicken or turkey w/ veggies=2R, 2G

Afternoon Snack: Choc shakeo “pudding”- ½ sc Vegan Choc Shakeo w/ 0.75c plain greek yogurt & PB= 1.5R, 1 tsp

Dinner: Refer to dinner menu= 2R, 1G

Reg Ext Days: 3G, 4R, 2Y, 2 tsp, 2P, 1B, 1O

Breakfast: whole wheat English Muffin w/ almond butter & ½ sliced banana= 1Y, 1tsp, 1P

Morning Snack: rice cake with almond butter= 1Y, 1tsp

Lunch: Ground chicken or turkey w/ veggies =2R, 2G

Afternoon Snack: ½ scoop Vegan Choc Shakeo w/ ½ c cashew milk, frozen mixed berries & IW greens = ½ R, 1P

Dinner: Refer to dinner menu= 2R, 1G

**Swapped blue for an extra ½ Red**

 

I realize you're probably asking yourself "does she really eat the same breakfast & lunch everyday?" The answer is yes- for each week at a time, I keep my breakfast and lunch the same. But I usually change what that is each week, so I'm only really eating the same stuff for 5 days at a time (I only prep for the workweek then keep healthy stuff at home too for my weekend breakfast/lunch..and if I cheat, it's on the weekends- for example, going out to eat).
This meal plan-particularly lunch- may seem kind of bland to you as well. However, I make sure to season my meat & veggies with various spices- I always use garlic and garlic salt, along with other seasonings too depending on what the meat is.
I don't mind eating the same thing for 5 days in a row and it's still quite tasty to me and definitely keeps me full & satisfied. I also like to keep it simple, quick & cheap! I've already mentioned in the past that I'm all about saving that money which is partly why I meal prep! It saves tons of money, especially over time. I'm a fan of meal prep that's simple, quick & easy- it keeps me from having a laziness excuse; I can't say "wahh I don't feel like prepping..it takes too long" because my meal prep is quick.
This is just my preference. Using the 21df, 21dfx, or CTC plan doesn't have to be this "boring!" You're free to choose different meats, veggies, etc. if you get bored easily! The simplicity for me is part of what helps me stick to it but everyone is different =)

Below is my dinner menu for the week. Of course when I planned this out last week, I had a brain fart- or as my husband calls them, "Chelseanisms"- and I totally forgot that Monday was Memorial Day, so the planned dinner didn't happen. We'll be on track starting with Taco Tuesday tonight, though!

Dinner

Monday CTC: Crockpot chicken & veggies (R, G)

Tuesday CTC: Taco salad. Lean ground meat (R), Lettuce/Tomato (G), Optional Black beans/tortilla strips [Y]

Wednesday Ext: Buffalo chicken meat balls (1R, 1/2Y per svg) & salad (G)

Thursday CTC: Fish [R] with steamed veggies [G]

Friday CTC: Chicken [R] & veggies [G]

New dinner recipe followup/meal planning cont'd

Happy Friday, yall!

Well, I started to talk about meal planning/prepping in my last post and disclosed a new recipe I was excited to try, along with promising an update.

The 21 Day Fix approved alfredo was


....DUN DUN DUN...




Delish! ANNNDD picky husband approved! I'm always stoked when I not only try new recipes in general that he ends up liking...but especially when they're healthy recipes! SCOOREEE!
Chicken zoodle alfredo may become a "usual" in the Vera household as far as including it in my weekly dinner menu goes. It was so good I ended up taking leftovers for lunch the next day ;-)

Feel free to snag the recipe in my last post!


I think I'm going to make it a goal to try 1 new recipe each week. I've already planned next week's meals and my new dinner recipe for the week will be 21DF-friendly buffalo chicken meatballs ☺ I'm also trying a new snack recipe in my weekly meal prep for work next week- Shakeology "pudding." You guys will have more info later- think I have decided that I'll do a weekly weekend post with my meal plan for the upcoming week! ;-) Still new to this blogging thing so trying to figure out a "flow."

 

Stay Tuned!

Meal Prepping/Planning- new fav dinner dinner recipe!

Hokay. So.

Meal prepping & planning! Everyone knows that what you're putting into your body is more than half the battle.

I make a grocery list then grocery shop & meal prep every Sunday for the whole week. I have been meal prepping for 2 years or so now, and only prep my breakfast & lunch to eat at work- it makes life so much easier! Planning your meals makes grocery shopping a whole lot simpler/quicker and also saves money and TONS of time. Not to mention it helps keep you in check with your eating habits in your healthy lifestyle.

Dinner-wise, I've never really prepped nor planned too specifically unless I was craving something. I had moved out of my parents' house and in with my fiancé [at the time] about the same time I started meal prepping we had a roommate up until we got married last summer so dinner was always "whatever." Even now- or until recently- as my husband & without us having a roommate, dinner hadn't been planned to a T because, well...I had to make sure I made a dinner my husband  (who never paid too much attention or time on his diet) would like. I wouldn't exactly call him picky but he's a bit close-minded when it comes to that, lol. We'd always get general stuff while grocery shopping- chicken, ground beef, hamburger helper, frozen chicken tenders, mac & cheese, hot dogs, etc. and we'd just eat whatever was the easiest to put together/fit our schedules. For Christmas, he DID get me a Vegetti Pro and has been open to random "zoodle" dishes I've made, so I'll give him that ;-)

ANYWAY. Back on topic. As mentioned in my intro post, I'd started doing the 21 day fix extreme again- meal plan included. Wasn't long after I'd started it this go-round that my husband decided to hop on the scale & furthermore decided it was time to get back in the gym every once in awhile and pay more attention to his eating habits. He'd also quit smoking around this time which probably contributed to a little bit of weight gain...but we'll keep that observation hushed. He's "quit" smoking multiple times in the past but would still use his vape- but this time he decided to quit nicotine completely, cold turkey. He'd been meal prepping his lunch for awhile- the actual food being good choices but he didn't know- or decided not to comprehend- that there's more behind it than just the content. Everybody is different and has different calculations of what we call MACROs (macronutrient)- portions of carbs/protein/fats that we're supposed to put in our body for optimal health and weight loss/fat loss/muscle gain or whatever you're trying to accomplish. He didn't go by macros, he just bought what was supposed to be healthy food, cooked it & separated it into 5 containers in an amount that looked good to him (looked like "enough"/would fill him up). When he started seeing that this wasn't exactly working & that what I was doing for myself WAS working really well, he finally decided to let me take over his meal prep- he let me portion him out based on the 21dfx calculations individualized to him. I was SO excited he's finally letting me help him! It's so important to trust the process.
If you want a fool-proof sustainable meal plan without having to worry whether or not you'll stay satisfied or full, you can check out different 21df options here- including the original basic 21 day fix, as well as the 21 day fix extreme (which I use). If you're interested in a challenge group I have starting the 6th, you can check out the 21df challenge pack (which includes Shakeology) or the 21dfx (x=extreme) challenge pack with Shakeo within the link above & email me for details if you might be interested in joining!

I also decided to take meal planning to the next level and start making a weekly dinner menu! Now, I wouldn't be prepping dinner like I do with lunch but I would plan each night's meal, incorporate that into the grocery list, then stick to the plan for dinner. Again, it makes grocery shopping and life after coming home from work so much simpler.

So get this. One of my husband's favorite dinners is chicken or shrimp alfredo. I already know I can use zoodles in place of fettuccine for this..but I recently came across a recipe for 21DF-approved alfredo sauce! What?! Perfect timing with dinner planning & trying to get my husband on board. I'm so excited to try this tonight!

21 day fix alfredo sauce:



1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic

3/4c plain yogurt (I'm using plain Greek yogurt for added health benefits)

1/3c parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp nutmeg

 

For those who are familiar with/already use 21df, the container portions for the sauce are 1 red, 1 blue, & 1/2 an orange container(s).

 

 

I'll keep y'all updated with how it turns out/if it's hubby-approved!