Recipe Book Archives - Get Fit NH Concord Gym Personal Training

3 Reasons Why The “Big Veggie Salad” Should Be On YOUR Menu

It's no secret that the Big Veggie Salad, is well, BIG. And there has been a lot of chatter around the various S3 groups that it is "SOOO much food" and "too big to eat all at once".

Here's 3 reasons why the Big Veggie Salad is so important:

1) More bulk means fewer calories AND you are still full.

Do you know how many calories the Big Veggie Salad has?

A whopping 169.

In fact the dressing for the salad has almost as many calories as the salad itself, coming in at 165. That's a total of 334 calories. ONE chocolate glazed donut at Dunkins has 340.

How come no one ever complains eating one donut is "too much food"? 🙂

The picture above tells the story.

The more VOLUME your food has, the more it fills your stomach, and the fuller you feel. Choosing low density food has been shown to automagically cause you to eat less.

2) It helps you regulate your hunger signaling.

One of the reasons you may be having a challenge eating the big veggie salad at one sitting is you just aren't used to sitting that long!

You can't scarf this thing down in five minutes. The volume of food means you are going to be at the table longer, and that's a GOOD thing.

Why?

Because eating slowly is one of the crucial skills in both hunger mastery and permanent weight loss. It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to signal the brain it is full - "Stop Feeding Me". When there is a lot of food available, it is very easy to just keep eating until it's too late. I bet you can eat a LOT of chocolate chip cookies in 20 minutes, before the brain says "enough".

It's one reason why "family style" is not a good strategy for eating. Usually we are going to keep eating until nothing is left on the serving platter. When we pre-portion our food onto our plates, we are done when OUR plate is empty. Big difference.

3) It helps you build your kitchen skills.

There is a whole lot of chopping, cutting, dicing and slicing that goes into preparing the Big Veggie Salad. You are going to figure out really fast that you may not want to do this every time. Employing strategies such as prepping veggies for 2 or 3 meals at a time, or investing in tools that allow quicker chopping and slicing (such as a mandolin) will help that prep get quicker and quicker.

So there you go. 3 lessons that the Big Veggie Salad teaches us.

Eat low density foods
Take your time eating
Work on your "ninja" food prep tactics

Time to get your veggies on!

- DC

For those of you who have no idea what the "Big Veggie Salad" is, here are the recipes.

The “BIG” Veggie Salad
Prep Time: 15 min
Ingredients: (Serves 1)

3 cups Mixed Greens (not iceberg, chopped)
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
1 Carrot (chopped)• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper (chopped)
1/4 Avocado (diced)•
Zucchini (small, chopped)
1 Cucumber (small, peeled and chopped)
1/4 cup broccoli (chopped)

Directions: In a bowl, toss everything together with 2 tablespoons of any challenge-approved dressing.

Mom’s Balsamic Dressing
(12 servings, 2 Tbsp. per serving. Store in refrigerator)
Ingredients:

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp. Dried Parsley
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper (just to season)
1 Garlic (1 clove, minced)

Directions: Add all ingredients into a bowl & whisk until thick and creamy.

ENJOY!

Coach Nancy Loves Football- Go Pats!

I love football – Go Patriots!

You can party and keep your waistline intact. If you don’t want to look like a lineman after Sunday night, try some of these healthier choices for the big game!

Coach Nancy’s Guacamole

3 ripe avocados
¼ red onion, chopped fine
1 tomato, diced
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Half the avocados, remove the seeds and use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash with a fork. Fold in the tomato, onion, lime juice and salt. Taste for seasoning.

Using Hester’s Grillin Spice Rub Create your own Spicy Chicken Wings

The amount of wings is up to you. I usually make 3 pounds.

Hester’s Grillin Spice Rub

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup Spanish paprika
2 T onion powder
2 T garlic powder
1 T cumin
1 tsp cayenne
2 T thyme
2 T basil
2 T oregano
2 T coriander
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 T. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Rub wings with a little olive oil first. Add spice rub to a Ziplock bag and shake wings until well coated. Arrange wings on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn and sprinkle with more spice rub. Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Coach Dean love's Buffalo Wings, find out how he makes them here.

Enjoy the game,

Coach Nancy

How Can You be Prepared to Eat Right?

Out of all the things you want to change or do, what’s most important to you right now?

I'll be patient as you answer that one. Don't give a flip answer. Let is sit in your brain for a minute or two. What do you REALLY want right NOW?

In order to say “yes” to healthy choices, what are you prepared to say “no” to?

Each and every time we chose to do something we are saying no to something else. Let me explain, If I say, "Yes, I am going to eat veggies with every meal." Then I am saying no to having only a muffin for breakfast. Since you already know what is REALLY important to you, what are you going to do today to help that along? * Tip: Be able to track your action. Make it real to count or measure. Saying you will eat healthy has so many variation and can depend on our mood or feelings. But saying you will take your multivitamin every day is something you can count how many days you did that in a row. Its easy to track your progress. Say yes to something you can check off in a box.

Keepin’ it real: What are you NOT prepared to give up or lose right now?

There are somethings in my eating plan that I am just not ready to stop doing or giving up quite yet. I might not ever be. Stay within your limits while still extending extra effort to get towards your goals.
*Tip If you are thinking you should give up something but every time you think about doing it, you freeze or get that know in your stomach- it might not be the right time to do that yet. If you are unable to take a step back from your action you might not be ready for it yet. For example, my knuckles turn white as I clinch my fist when I think of giving up coffee cold turkey. But I know I could back just one cup out of my day right now.

Prepare yourself with a plan first of all. Then have an action you know you can take today. Knowing you have given yourself boundaries to protect your progress.

To Your Best Health,
Coach Nancy

Merry Christmas – No-Excuses for Your Kitchen

Christmas is a busy time of year for everyone. It’s not any different in my house. Family, friends, and extra work activities have put me on the run, literally.

I’m not one to take excuses from my marvelous Get Fit NH Family regarding their training time, so I don’t want to make excuses about my nutrition with the holidays either.

My faithful friend the crock pot has saved me many times from spending too much time in the kitchen but delivering a mouth watering meal for my family. I love the rich smells of food cooking slowly all day. I’ve listed just a few of my favorites for you to try.

Peppered Beef

2 pounds lean beef round steaks, sliced thin

1 large green pepper, sliced thin
1 large red pepper, sliced thin
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup beef broth
2 Tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon ginger or a teaspoon freshly grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Place onion and peppers inside crock pot. Place meat in criss cross patterns in pot, avoiding stacking meat directly on top of each other. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over meat. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 on high.

Three ingredient pork chops

4 pork chops, ½ inch thick
1 15 – ounce can vegetarian chili
1 14 – ounce can stewed tomatoes, do not drain

Combine all ingredients in crock pot in order listed. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.

Cajun Ranch Chicken

4 Tablespoon milk
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breast
3 Tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Spray inside of slow cooker with peanut oil. Combine the spices and place in a tray. Dip chicken first in the milk and then rub with the spice mixture. Place spiced chicken in crock pot. Sprinkle remaining spices over chicken. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low or on high for 4-5.

Serving these recipes with a salad will keep you on track nutritionally, take just a few minutes to prepare, and are delicious.

No Excuses!

To your Best Health,

Coach Nancy

The 12 Mugs of Christmas is Back and Better Than Ever!

All I really want is a cup of coffee. Yet every time I drive into my local coffee shop (you know who you are) it's staring me in the face. A Peppermint Mocha, Eggnog, or Gingerbread Latte.

SOOOO good, but also enough sugar to put me into a coma.

But there's gotta be a way to get that holiday taste AND get some good nutrition in, right?

Oh Yeah!

The Grateful Plate 12 Mugs of Christmas1-1

A few years our favorite protein supplement provider, Beverly International, put out some recipes they called "The 12 Mugs of Christmas", using their absolutely delicious "Ultimate Muscle Protein".

We decided it was time for an update, so we tweaked a couple of the recipes, gave an option to use one of their newest flavors - Graham Cracker, and compiled it into a full color downloadable .pdf you can have for absolutely free.

With a selection of both hot and cold drinks, coffee based and not, this recipe booklet is sure to please your taste buds this holiday season. Check out the names of these recipes:

Peppermint Peace
Santa's Gingerbread
Wings of an Angel
Silent Night
Joy to the World
Mid-Winter
Home for the Holidays
Naughty or Nice
Candy Cane Delight
Angels Sing
Christmas in a Cup
Santa's Cup of UMP
Rudolph's Applesnack

A Baker's Dozen!

Not convinced, Mr. Scrooge?

Here's a sample of just one of these delicious recipes:

Candy Cane Delight

1 cup unsweetened Almond Milk
1 scoop UMP Chocolate
1 tbsp Sugar Free Peppermint Mocha Creamer
¼ tsp Peppermint extract
8-10 ice cubes
Blend all ingredients for 1 minute

Want to turn it into a hot drink? Substitute hot coffee for the almond milk and ditch the ice!

A tip from the head elf: Use a blender for your hot drinks too. It ensures the protein is fully mixed and adds a wonderful froth to the top!

Just enter your email below for your FREE instant download. Grab it before it goes away!

Want to turn it into a hot drink? Substitute hot coffee for the almond milk and ditch the ice!

A tip from the head elf: Use a blender for your hot drinks too. It ensures the protein is fully mixed and adds a wonderful froth to the top!

Just enter your email below for your instant download.

Figuring Out Food Labels

See where it says “Start Here”?

Don’t miss that, because if you are anything like me that is NOT the first thing you look at. My tendency is to look at how many grams of carbs and sugar, then I might take a look at the fat content.

Which is fine, unless I NEVER check the “Start Here” section. Because that is where the label tells me two key facts:

1) Serving Size. This is important because the number of grams of protein, carbohydrate and fat in the label below are PER SERVING.

2) Servings Per Container: This is what sneaks up and bites you sometimes. If you just look at the calories, you might think that number is the calories in the whole container. For instance you pick up that pint of decadent ice cream and look at the calories. “Only 300” you think to yourself, “That’s not so bad.” Until after you down the whole thing only to realize later there are FOUR serving per container and you just ate enough fat and sugar for a whole week.

Some foods are less obvious than others. We know if we pick up a carton of oatmeal or boxed cereal there are multiple servings per container. But things like the aforementioned pint of ice cream, or bottle of soda or sports drink usually contain multiple servings.

So always make sure you “Start Here”.

To Your Best Health,

Coach Nancy

Its Almost Here – Salad Dressing Workshop

On August 9th at 6:00pm at Get Fit NH Epsom, come learn how to make your own healthy, delicious dressings. During the workshop I’ll show you how easy it is to make your own salad dressings, with healthy oils and without a bunch of sugar and artificial ingredients.

You’ll walk out of the workshop with a jar full of a dressing you made to start using right away. You’ll also receive a mini-cookbook over 20 salad dressing recipes. I love oil and vinegar as much as the next girl, but I like a bit of variety too!

Check out just this delicious recipe:

Tangerine Lime Salad Dressing:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Juice of half a tangerine
Juice of half a lime

Mix the ingredients for the dressing. Whisk well, so the oil and juice mix properly and the dressing gets a little bit thicker.

Served best with this salad.

In a large bowl combine 4 big handfuls of mixed salad greens, a handful of olives, 5 Sun-dried tomatoes, and a couple tablespoons of chopped almonds and walnuts. Add the Tangerine-Lime Dressing and mix until all the ingredients are coated.

Oh. So. Good. 🙂

But wait, there's more!

Many salad dressings use mayonnaise as their base, right? But do you know how easy it is to make your own? I'll show you there.

The investment for this workshop is only $15, and you will walk away with a dressing you can go home and share with the whole family!

Don't be shy, sign up now - it's going to be a lot of fun!

DIY Salad Dressing Workshop

Wednesday, August 9 at 6pm

Get Fit NH Epsom

Registration Closed. Thank-You! lorem ipsum dolor

DIY Salad Dressing Workshop Returns

Salads are great, but without a good dressing, you’ve just got a pile of raw veggies, right? Healthy, but not always exciting. But store bought dressings usually have a bunch of sugar, use low grade oils, and have ingredients most of us can't pronounce.

Because of all that, I’ve made a habit out of making my own tasty and healthy dressings. With a bit of tweaking I have figured out how to turn classic dressings like Ranch and Caesar into ones that my whole family can enjoy!

In fact you’ll walk out of the workshop with a jar full of a dressing you made to start using right away. You’ll also receive a mini-cookbook over 20 salad dressing recipes. I love oil and vinegar as much as the next girl, but I like a bit of variety too!

Check out just one of these delicious recipes:

Tangerine Lime Salad Dressing:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Juice of half a tangerine
Juice of half a lime

Mix the ingredients for the dressing. Whisk well, so the oil and juice mix properly and the dressing gets a little bit thicker.

Served best with this salad.

Oh. So. Good. 🙂

But wait, there's more!

Many salad dressings use mayonnaise as their base, right? But do you know how easy it is to make your own?

There’s a trick (there usually is), but I’ll show you how to make a mayonnaise you can use in dressings, in marinades, in dips, and more. Bonus Points!

The investment for this workshop is only $15, and you will walk away with a dressing you can go home and share with the whole family!

Don't be shy, sign up now - it's going to be a lot of fun!

DIY Salad Dressing Workshop

Wednesday, August 9 at 6pm

Get Fit NH Epsom

Registration Closed: Thank-You! lorem ipsum dolor

DIY Salad Dressing Workshop

On January 25 at 6:00pm at Get Fit NH Epsom, come learn how to make your own healthy, delicious dressings. During the workshop I’ll show you how easy it is to make your own salad dressings, with healthy oils and without a bunch of sugar and artificial ingredients.

Check out just one of these delicious recipes:

Tangerine Lime Salad Dressing:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Juice of half a tangerine

Juice of half a lime

Mix the ingredients for the dressing. Whisk well, so the oil and juice mix properly and the dressing gets a little bit thicker.

Served best with this salad.

Oh. So. Good. 🙂

But wait, there is more!

Many salad dressings use mayonnaise as their base, right? But do you know how easy it is to make your own?

There’s a trick (there usually is), but I’ll show you how to make a mayonnaise you can use in dressings, in marinades, in dips, and more. Bonus Points!

The investment for this workshop is only $15, and you will walk away with a dressing you can go home and share with the whole family!

Don't be shy, sign up now - it's going to be a lot of fun!

DIY Salad Dressing Workshop

Wednesday, January 25 at 6pm

Get Fit NH Epsom

Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Is it you?

Okay so not maybe not a CHICKEN dinner, but maybe a salad for dinner!? I promised PRIZES for perfect attendance students when I became a Pampered Chef consultant so I am keeping my word! We put all 42 names into a hat and drew 2 lucky winners so here we go….

HUGE congrats to Kelly Gauthier and Michelle Thomas! These ladies are our October perfect attendance prize winners. They are both getting this excellent book on Fresh and Fast salad recipes!
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Congrats to ALL of our perfect attendance students- we appreciate you penciling us in every day and making it happen!

Thank you!
Coach Meagan and the crew

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