The BEST Blueberry Muffins

Need a quick, healthy, and yummy breakfast/snack treat for the weekend?? These muffins will satisfy your craving for sure! This recipe took me a total of 15 minutes to make so you will not be in the kitchen all morning long. Tip: For breakfast you could pair this up with a hard boiled egg to add some protein for a well balanced breakfast. Hope you enjoy! :)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of skim milk
• 1/4 cup of almond milk
• 1/4 cup of canola oil
• 1/2 cup of applesauce
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of all purpose white flour
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 3 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of frozen blueberries

Topping:

• 4 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place muffin liners in a 12 cup muffin tin. Lightly spray muffin liners with non-stick spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, oil, applesauce, honey, and egg until the ingredients are well incorporated.

3. Add flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla to your wet (milk and applesauce) mixture. Whisk the mixture well until there are no longer any clumps.

4. Fold in frozen blueberries. Scoop batter into miffin tins with an ice scream scoop; make sure you do not overfill them because they will rise (should be 3/4 full).

5. Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle over the muffins so that the top is covered. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!!

Recipe adapted from: www.eatbetteramerica.com

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Looking for a recipe that is full of flavor but does not contain any meat? These enchiladas are a great source of protein and fiber, are easy to make, and are budget friendly! Sweet potatoes contain vitamin A, which is especially good for your vision. Sweet potaoes also contain fiber which mainly comes from the skin of the potato, so if you would like to leave the skin on in this recipe feel free to do so, it will still be delicious!

Ingredients:

• 10 corn or flour tortillas
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 1 small can of green chilies
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 cups of salsa verde
• 1 cup of 2% (low fat) shredded mexican cheese
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or canola oil (whatever cooking oil you like to use)
• 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place peeled and cubed sweet potatoes on a large non-stick cookie sheet and add 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and pinch of salt and toss together with your hands. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping in between.

2. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, add diced bell pepper and onion and 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet and saute the vegetables for about 10-15 minutes on medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft and slightly browned. Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir in the minced garlic with the vegetables.

3. Turn the stove off and next, add the can of green chilies, black beans (rinsed and drained), and chopped cilantro and stir until all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Season with 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin.

4. Gently fold in the roasted sweet potatoes with the vegetable/bean mixture making sure the sweet potatoes do not get mashed up during the process.

5. Add 1 cup of the salsa verde to the bottom of the baking dish, spreading it out so that the entire bottom of the baking dish is covered with salsa. Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the sweet potato/bean mixture, roll it up, and place in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with each tortilla until the entire baking dish is filled. Add the remaining 1 cup of salsa verde on top of the tortillas and then top it off with shredded mexican cheese.

6. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Once the enchiladas are finished baking, sprinkle any remaining cilantro you have on top for presentation.  Enjoy!!

Video - How much water do you need to drink in a day?

If you want to know more on hydration, Jenn and I did this video on hydration for school. It is important to know how much to drink throughout the day whether you are an athlete or not so that your body is getting all of the nutrients it needs to function! Hope you enjoy our short and informative video!! :)

Nutrition Myth Buster: Sugar

What Kind Of Sugar Do You Prefer Using?

o   White granulated sugar

o   Agave nectar

o   Honey

o   High fructose corn syrup

o   Maple syrup

o   Natural sugar from fruit and milk

White Granulated Sugar:

Primarily found in baked goods like cakes, cookies, pies, and bread. This type of sugar is the most commonly used sugar, and is most frequently called for in recipes.

Agave Nectar (Syrup):

Most often produced in Mexico. This type of sugar has a high carbohydrate content which results in a high percentage of fructose (approximately 75-90% fructose). Because of its high fructose content, Agave is a lot sweeter than most sugars and therefore you can use less of it. Agave is used by a lot of Vegans because it excludes all animal products.

Honey:

Produced by honey bees. Honey is used to sweeten all kinds of foods and beverages. Honey has approximately 47% fructose.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS):

Also known as “corn sugar.” This type of sugar is composed of the same simple sugars found in table sugar and honey. HFCS is mainly found in sodas and fruit flavored drinks. HFCS has anywhere from 45-55% fructose.

Maple Syrup:

Produced from the sap of maple trees. This type of sugar is most often used on pancakes and waffles.

Natural Sugar:

Fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose) both contain natural sugar meaning no sugar is added to these foods, they are produced with sugar already in them.

So Which One Is Better?

The truth is....sugar is sugar!! Once it enters the body, the body cannot tell the difference. Regardless of what kind of sugar you choose to use, you should always use it in moderation because they all have calories and therefore can all contribute to weight gain.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!! J

Greek Yogurt Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of fat-free Vanilla Chobani Greek Yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups of whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup of vanilla protein powder (brand of your choice)
• 1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of chopped almonds

Directions:

1. Combine all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk together until there are no longer any clumps.

2. Heat a large non-stick griddle pan or skillet to medium heat. Scoop out 1/4 cup of pancake mix onto the pre-heated griddle pan (you can cook 2-3 at a time depending on the size of your pan). Flip the pancake once the top starts to bubble and puff up (about 1 1/2 min-2 min per side).

3. Top your pancakes with your favorite toppings. My toppings included: sliced bananas, a drizzle of sugar free maple syrup, and a sprinkle of homemade granola! Enjoy!!

Note: This recipe was modified from Chobani's greek yogurt pancake recipe.

How Many Calories Do You Need In A Day?

Have you always been wondering how many calories your body needs in a day? Most of us want to know this number in order to lose weight or gain weight. This number is somewhat important, but it really depends on the day. If you are growing, pregnant, breastfeeding, sick, training for a particular sport, or just doing more physical activity in general your body needs more calories on a day-to-day basis. Below are the answers to some common questions asked about calories:

What are calories? Why do we need them?

Calories are what your body uses to produce energy. The body will not function the way it should on a day-to-day basis if you do not give it the proper amount of calories it needs.

How many calories should I eat per day?

The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) is an equation used to tell you the amount of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight. This equation is for healthy adults and it factors in sex, age, weight, height, and physical activity. This equation is on the USDA ChooseMyPlate website so you can insert your own information (age, sex, weight, height, and physical activity level) and it will tell you approximately how many calories your body needs per day. Click on the link below to find out how many calories your body needs:

Calculate Your Calories

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Basic rule of thumb is to subtract 500 calories from the number you received from the ChooseMyPlate website. This allows for a 0.5-1 lb loss per week. If you are planning to subtract greater than 500 calories from your diet ask your doctor before doing so as this can be dangerous.

How do I know how many calories are in my food/drink?

You can look up how many calories your food or drink has on the following websites:

Calorie King

USDA Data Base

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballs

Spaghetti Squash in Marinara with Turkey Meatballs

This was my first time to make spaghetti squash and it was sooooo...good!! Spaghetti squash has a little bit more of a bite to it than spaghetti noodles, and it is a bit more difficult to make, but it has alot less calories and carbohydrates than spaghetti noodles. The one difficult part about this recipe was cutting the squash in half. I got the knife stuck in the squash a few times and I was afraid if I tugged too hard the knife would come flying out at my face! Afterwards, I read that you can put it in the microwave to soften it a bit before slicing, which I think I will definitely try doing next time. Nevertheless, this recipe was delicious and I will for sure be making it again! Enjoy!



Ingredients:

• 1 large spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 lb. of lean ground turkey meat (93/7)
• 2 Tablespoons of worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1/4 cup of fresh italian parsely, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 jar of Prego Heart Healthy marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (Note: you will need a sharp knife to do this - please be careful. If it is too hard to slice you can place it in the microwave for 5 minutes to soften it). Place on greased baking sheet cut sides down. Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Let squash cool for about 20 minutes.

2. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. While the squash is cooling, place ground turkey meat, worchestershire sauce, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, dried oregano, italian parsely, garlic powder, and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Mix ingredients together with a large spoon or your hands until well incorporated. Once you are finished mixing, form meatballs by scooping meat out with an ice cream scoop and placing on a large greased baking sheet (you may need to use your hands a little bit to round the balls). Bake meatballs for 20-25 minutes, flipping in between to brown both sides.

3. Use a large spoon to scoop out the spaghetti squash and place in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and add the spaghetti squash and marinara sauce. Bring to a slight boil and then turn down to simmer (low).

4. Place spaghetti squash and marinara sauce in a bowl and top with 3-4 turkey meatballs. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese. Enjoy!!

P.S. This is what a spaghetti squash looks like if you didn't know:

Spaghetti Squash