Roasted Broccoli for When You Are #Sickoflettuce

Raw Broccoli in a baggie for a seasoning

Thank you to Meredith Stewart, Regional Director of Medical Sales, for this delicious veggie recipe for when she is #sickoflettuce. 

Meredith puts fresh, raw broccoli florets in a baggie and drizzles with 1-2 TBSP of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. (I like to add red chili pepper flakes!)  Then she spreads the broccoli out on a baking pan and bakes at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Then she turns her oven on high broil (on my oven that's 500 degrees) and cooks for another 10 minutes to get it nice and crispy brown.

Roasted Broccoli. A perfect veggie side.

This is a quick and easy recipe - perfect for a weeknight after a long day at work! 

5 Reasons You Should Switch to Veggie Sausage

Veggie Sausage that hits the spot! 

Here's a pic of some veggie sausage that I cooked for a yummy Sunday breakfast! Why veggie sausage? Well, everyone in my house (except me) is a vegetarian and every once in awhile I wake-up craving a juicy patty of salty, spicy sausage --- the kind that reminds me of Sundays at my grandmothers. So, what's a meat eating girl to do? Cook veggie sausage!
I do not like any of the other fake meats --- but this one makes me a believer. I'm amazed at how well the veggie sausage satisfies me.
While preparing the patties, I wondered what the actual difference was between regular pork sausage and the veggie kind so I looked it up. Here's what I found.

Wow! What a difference. Here are FIVE things to look at which might help you make the decision to switch:

5. Regular sausage has 139 extra calories! (That's an hour of yoga or grande skinny latte)
4. Veggie sausage has 3 grams of Fiber where regular sausage has ZERO!
3. While veggie sausage has 4 grams more carbs, it also 5 grams more protein!
2. When you eat just 3.5 oz of pork sausage, you are getting 65% your daily allotment of fat compared to only 15% from veggie sausage.
1. Veggie sausage when cooked right - really does taste JUST AS GOOD!

So here's how to cook it - JUST RIGHT!

In order to make it as healthy as possible while keeping the flavor, I sprayed my hot cast iron skillet with butter flavored Pam and cooked the patties for about 15 minutes on each side. In the last two minutes, I added 1/2 TBSP of butter to the very hot pan and shook the patties around in it which just gave the patties a nice brown color without all the extra fat you get when you cook them in oil. I patted them dry on a paper towel and quickly took this pic so I could hurry up and devour my delicious sausage patties to go with eggs and toast.

These patties freeze well so go ahead and make a batch even if you are cooking for 1 and then wrap them individually in aluminum foil and you'll have healthy sausage available whenever the craving strikes. Enjoy! Let me know what you think :)

#sickoflettuce? Sweet Veggie Salad!

 

#sickoflettuce? Easy, delicious green bean and tomato salad!

 A big thank you to Rachel Seibenhener, a student at Auburn University (War Eagle!) and a part-time weight loss consultant at the Metabolic Research Center in Auburn (334-887-9292) for submitting this recipe. As a girl on the go, Rachel takes time to eat right because she knows she couldn't keep up with her demanding schedule if she didn't. Rachel says she makes this for dinner a lot :) Here's the recipe: 

             Sweet Veggie Salad 

                    8 oz cherry tomatoes (cut in half)

                8 oz blanched green beans (best to chop)

                Oregano to taste

                4 TBSP olive oil

                4 TBSP apple cider vinegar

                4 packs splenda

Bring water to a boil and add in green beans – cook for about 5-7 minutes. Drain water and immediately add tomatoes to the green beans. Mix the oregano, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and splenda and shake vigorously to create a dressing. Pour over veggies. Yum! 

This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator and tastes just as delicious the next day served cold or room temperature. It would be very easy to throw leftovers into a travel container for the next days lunch salad! Enjoy :) 

                               

Easy Apple & Celery Salad for when you are #sickoflettuce

Delicious Apple & Celery salad for when you are #sickoflettuce  

Big thanks to Diane Alpeter who is based in Enterprise, AL for this fabulous recipe. Diane lost over 50 pounds on program 7 years ago and  says she loves this salad because, "mixing the crunchy textures with a hint of sweetness is delicious!"

Here's how you do it:
1 small apple (skin on) diced 
2 celery stalks diced 

Mix the apple and celery together and enjoy! Add 1 packet of sweetener, a dash of cinnamon and/or poppyseed with 2 tsp. canola oil to mix it up even more! 

74 year old Judy Naylor loses 100 lbs!

              

Judy Naylor Before Picture 

Judy Naylor After Picture 

Congratulations to Judy Naylor who at 74 years old lost 100 lbs over the last five years. Judy lost almost half of her weight - 43 lbs - using the Metabolic Research Program. Her weight loss partner Claire Pearson says, "Judy proves that age is not a factor when losing weight - but attitude is. And her attitude has been focused, diligent, and positive. She has been a joy to work with and I am thrilled to be on her team!"

Judy battled her weight for most of her life and as a nurse, found the extra weight to be extremely inconvenient. "It got in the way of me being able to do my job" says Naylor. "Also, I was sewing a lot of my own clothes because you just don't have as many fashionable choices when you wear the bigger sizes. Now, I can shop in any store I want and wear any style I want! I'm having so much fun looking and feeling better than I ever have!"

If you want to experience the same success Judy Naylor has had - contact Claire Pearson now to schedule a consultation. Your first appointment is free. Make this year the last year you struggle with your weight. Call now - 678-995-LOSE.

#Sickoflettuce? Easy, Delicious Asparagus Salad

Ribbony Asparagus Salad for when you are #sickoflettuce

Meredith Stewart, Regional Director of Medical Programs in Columbus, GA, and truly awesome person (should I mention she lost 50 lbs on program before coming to work for us?) shared this awesome recipe with me in response to my new found #sickoflettuce kick. I tried it yesterday and it is was DELICIOUS!

Ribbony Asparagus Salad
1/4 cup sliced almonds (unsalted), toasted and cooled
1 lb asparagus (rinsed)
1 lemon (halved)
olive oil
sea salt
black pepper (freshly ground)
1 1/2 ozs parmesan cheese

No need to snap off the tough ends of your asparagus. Lay a single stalk on its side on a cutting board. Holding onto the tough end, use a vegetable peeler (a Y-shaped peeler is easiest, but I’ve used a standard one successfully) to shave off thin asparagus ribbons from stalk to tip, peeling away from the tough end in your hand. Discard the tough ends once you’re done peeling. Gently pile your ribbons on a medium-sized serving platter. Squeeze some lemon juice over the asparagus, drizzle it with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle it with sea salt and pepper. Toss gently and then use your peeler to shave curls of Parmesan right off the block, over the asparagus. Sprinkle with some toasted almonds. Eat immediately.

#Sickoflettuce? Chopped Caprese Salad couldn't be easier!

Chopped Caprese Salad for when you are #sickoflettuce 

Sick of Lettuce? Here's a simple, easy chopped Caprese Salad that will keep you satisfied and healthy. 

I don't know about you but I get so sick of lettuce when I'm trying to recover from an over-indulgent holiday. Coming up with easy recipes that are packed with flavor and nutrition is key. I also like dicing the ingredients because I find it travels better  and it can work as a topping for fish/chicken or even eggs.   

My family loves this - let me know what yours thinks. You can even double or triple the recipe and eat it over the course of a few days. This portion is two days worth of salad for me! 

Simple, Easy Chopped Caprese Salad 

2 tomatoes - diced

4 oz. mozzarella cheese - diced 

1/4 cup red onion* - diced 

2 TBSP fresh basil - julienned 

1/4 cup low fat, low sugar oil & vinegar dressing 

salt & pepper to taste 

*MRC clients on Meta-Slim can substitute green onions 

Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. 

If food were fashion, this dish would be the little black dress

Party food can be healthy and delicious!

If food were fashion, this would be the little black dress...  

Today my family is watching football. It's also the day many of us are "getting back on track" after an indulgent holiday. So when fixing snacks for three generations of crazy college football fans I went for simple, easy and timeless. Apple slices, mixed cheese cubes, raw nuts (no sugary coatings or extra salt please!) and some whole grain crackers and celery stalks for dipping. This easy plate keeps me from slaving away in the kitchen, pleases the 6 year old and the 71 year old, and most importantly - keeps mytinyheiney- TINY :)  #mytinyheiney #partyfood #football #easydish