We have all heard the saying, "you can't outwork a bad diet”. Now more than ever that statement has become true. My name is Hillary and I’m a trainer from The Edge Fitness Clubs in Meriden, CT. With all of our activity levels significantly lower than usual, it’s now even more important for our nutrition game to be on point. On an average work day I hit about 20,000 steps. That has now been reduced to about 10,000 a day. Taking that change in my activity level into consideration, I’ve had to change my nutrition goals. A normal day for me would consist of 1,600 calories but I've recently lowered my calories to about 1,300. My number one tip to lower your calorie intake is to not change your meals or frequency, but to reduce your serving sizes. I think a lot of us can agree that controlling our caloric intake has a lot to do with our mental mindset. And to help keep the same mindset that we do when we are able to live our normal lives, it is important to keep things as consistent as possible.
Weekly meal prepping is something I strongly encourage for my clients who have busy schedules and something I utilize myself. However, during this time I have really been enjoying cooking my meals fresh. I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes with you. Below is a breakfast recipe, dinner and a dessert recipe along with nutritional information! As always, if you are stuck on how to approach your nutrition during this time, please reach out to one of the amazing personal trainers from The Edge!
Breakfast: Egg Muffins
INGREDIENTS:
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 9 large whole eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper
- 3 strips cooked bacon (chopped)
- 3 tbsp diced tomatoes
- 3 tbsp diced onion
- 3 tbsp diced bell pepper
- 2 oz shredded cheddar cheese
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray the muffin tins with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl whisk the eggs, season with salt and pepper.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients.
- Fill muffin tins about ¾ full and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Serving: 2 muffins. Calories: 165 kcal, Carbohydrates: 2.5g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 11g.
Dinner: Chicken Lettuce Wraps (just like P.F Chang’s!)
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 lbs. 95% lean ground chicken
- 3 tsp. sesame oil
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts, diced
- 1 cup mushrooms, minced
- 1 tbsp. water
- 3 tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. Hoisin sauce
- 1 head butter lettuce
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove and set aside.
- Add the sesame oil, green onions, garlic, and ginger to the pan. Cook for 1 minute.
- Then add the red pepper, water chestnuts, and mushrooms. Cook for 4-6 minutes until tender, adding 1-2 tbsp. of water if needed.
- Add the chicken back to the pan.
- Stir in the soy sauce, Hoisin, and hot sauce if using. Stir and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove and serve in lettuce wraps.
Serving: 1 cup of chicken. Calories: 270 kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 11g.
Dessert: Chocolate Cheesecake Cups
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 oz 1 square semi sweet baking chocolate, plus 1/8 oz shavings
- 4 oz Philly 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light sour cream
- 1 large egg, room temperature
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 225F. Line a mini muffin pan with mini muffin liners.
- Melt 1 oz chocolate in the microwave in 30 seconds increments, stirring in between until chocolate has melted, about 1 1/2 minutes total.
- In a bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar, then add the sour cream and beat until smooth.
- With a spoon, fold in egg and the melted chocolate and stir until smooth.
- Spoon 2 tbsp in each cup. Bake for 50 minutes, then turn the oven off and let the cheesecakes sit in the oven for 30 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving (2 hours or overnight in the fridge).
- Shave the remaining chocolate and sprinkle over the top before serving.
Serving: 1 muffin cup. Calories: 65 kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 1.5g, Fat: 4g
