Wasabi Almond Shrimp Salad Bites + Football #GameChangingSnacks

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds. For more Game Changing Snacks, visit Blue Diamond Almonds on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

An interception, a fumble, an unexpected player injury, crazy weather . . . . a (gasp) deflated ball. These are all “game changers” in football. In the blink of an eye, the tables can turn – that’s part of the excitement of being a sports spectator. If you’re having people over to your house this weekend to watch the Big Game, add to the excitement by kicking up your gridiron grub with #GameChangingSnacks !

The same-old football finger foods can get boring – enough with the potato chips, hot dogs and pizza. Whip up some easy (and healthier) snacks) that your friends and family will devour with the lip-smacking satisfaction of a hungry linebacker. You can’t go wrong with a can of almonds on your starting snack lineup, especially one of Blue Diamond’s yummy flavors like Wasabi & Soy or Smokehouse.

You can even become the MVP of football party food by adding plain or flavored almonds to a unique and healthy recipe – one that will have your guests eating like the true champions that they are. I put together this quick and healthy appetizer recipe for Wasabi & Soy Sauce Shrimp Salad Bites – between the veggies and almonds, it’s got a lot of crunch factor not to mention a blast of wasabi “whoohoo” – talk about #GameChangingSnacks ! Low-cal and low-carb, you won’t bust your training diet scarfing down the whole plate.

This past weekend, I had my own “game day” of sorts running the 3M Half Marathon in Austin, Texas. The weather was perfect, the point-to-point course is fast and I was pretty well rested. Alas, there was no PR, I was a good 4 minutes of my best time on this fast course. But, I also didn’t also do too shabby (1:28:12) considering I haven’t be training anywhere near my max and I’m another year older. Perhaps it was those #GameChangingSnacks at the start – a banana and handful of Blue Diamond Almonds!

Also, if you’re looking for other healthy snack ideas for your football party, check my instructions on how to build a Healthy Snack Stadium filled with fruits, veggies, healthy dips and a whole-grain sandwich station. Pop open a few cans of Blue Diamond Almonds in the end zones and you’ll score you a gazillion high-fives!

Wasabi Shrimp Salad Bites w/ Almonds @BlueDiamond #GameChanginSnacks #ad

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What snacks are you making for the Big Game?

Wasabi & Soy Sauce Shrimp Salad Bites with Almonds

Prep Time

15 mins

Total Time

15 mins

Packed with big flavor from wasabi, these cucumber slices are topped with shrimp salad and a crunchy almond. Healthy finger food for your party!

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: 12 2 appetizers per person

Ingredients

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder
1 cup frozen pre-cooked small salad shrimp, thawed and drained
2 radishes, chopped finely
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped finely
1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped finely
2 green onions, bulbs and stems slices finely
1 large cucumber, cut crosswise into ¼” thick slices (24 slices)
24 Wasabi & Soy Sauce” Blue Diamond Almonds (from 6-oz. can)

Instructions

In medium-sized bowl, whisk together soy sauce, yogurt and wasabi powder until combined.
Add thawed shrimp, radishes, bell pepper, water chestnuts an d green onions to bowl, toss gently until coated with Greek yogurt mixture.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of shrimp mixture in center of cucumber round; top with almond. Repeat to finish remaining appetizers.

Recipe Notes

Healthy Snack Stadium + Football Finger Foods for the Win

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

The BIG GAME will be here in a little over a week and my guys have been uncharacteristically fussing about the football-watching party preparations. I have some football players, past and present in my house! What television should we watch – in the game room or downstairs closer to the kitchen? Should we play games like ‘squares’ or have a bean bag toss? And, most importantly, what will everyone eat?!

It’s not JUST going to be (root) beer, Buffalo wings and burgers. It’s impossible to be a healthy food and fitness blogger and not bring a little sumptin’ sensible to the shindig. But I’m not talking about a sad little tray of carrot and celery sticks, instead imagine a nutritious array of nibbles that is as exciting and epic as the BIG GAME itself – a HEALTHY SNACK STADIUM!

I created this masterpiece of munch-worthy goodness for Litehouse Foods – they challenged me to put a healthy spin on the increasingly popular and pin-worthy food displays made for football-watching gatherings. The stands are packed with fruit and veggies and the field is covered in healthy salsas and dips made from Greek yogurt. Guests even get an all-access pass to refuel at a sandwich-making station and dig into sidelines loaded up with whole-grain chips and football-decorated eggs!

Go over and visit Living Litehouse for additional photos and details on how to make this Healthy Snack Stadium (including how to assemble the framework and making pretzel rod goal posts) that will have your guests eating like champions.

While the Patriots and Seahawks rumble on the Super Bowl gridiron, I’ll be serving up even more healthy appetizers alongside my Snackadium. Here are a few ideas for healthy snacks that will make you an MVP on game day, any day and every day!

Cilantro Lime Guacamole – Simple, smooth and just so darn good that I have been known to eat the whole bowl at one sitting! A perfect dip for chips or healthier options like carrot, jicama, or zucchini sticks and to use as a spread on your sandwich. If you have leftover guacamole (yeah, right!) or just want to make extra in advance, check out my blog post on How to Freeze Guacamole.

Nutty Slow Cooker Snack Mix – Snack mix is a perennial party favorite, my recipe uses a slow cooker (really!) to make the process stress-free and super tasty. I like to add lots of nuts to my snack mix for healthy fats and extra protein. A sure bet!

Football Deviled Eggs – Are these the cutest eggs ever? And, the good news is you will not go to hell for incorporating them into a healthy diet – eggs are a great source of protein and essential vitamins. I’ve used Greek yogurt instead of the traditional mayo for a slimming swap-a-roo!

Healthy Gridiron Grub #recipes + Super Snack Stadium for the win! @litehousefoods #football

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Football Deviled Eggs

Prep Time

20 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Put your healthy stack stadium over the top with these fun and tasty football deviled eggs -- a fun finger food for the Big Game! Touchdown!

Course: Appetizer

Servings: 12 people (2 each)

Ingredients

12 large eggs boiled
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce or more to taste
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
bunch chives

Instructions

Peel eggs lengthwise and scoop out yolks; set whites aside.
In small bowl, mix together yolks, yogurt, mustard, sriracha sauce, salt and pepper.
Spoon mixture into empty cavity of eggs.
Snip and cut chives with knife into approximate ½ pieces; each egg half will need four pieces (96 pieces). Place 3 chive slices crosswise along egg filling and cross with one piece lengthwise.

Cute Run and Fitness Accessories #Giveaway + Sit-Up Handstand Exercise

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

The holidays are a month behind us now and I’m getting a little nostalgic for giving gifts! That’s why I’ve put together a collection of fitness-inspired accessories that any girl would enjoy for her run or workout. Several of these companies I met at The Running Event trade show in Austin this past December and they were kind enough to give me products to sample and then extra to give away to one of you! There are five fun little treats in this giveaway (entry at bottom of post):

Vim & Vigr Compression Socks – I didn’t know about this company that makes stylish and effective compression socks until just a couple months ago. So happy to have found them! Vim & Vigr socks are cute and perfect to wear during a run or workout as well as to keep your legs alive if you’re stuck all day travelling or behind a desk. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed I count on compression socks for performance and muscle recovery – they help to increase oxygen delivery, decrease lactic acid, prevent cramps, and minimize muscle fatigue – especially after a hard work out (oh, and I have a fun exercise for you to add to your workouts at the bottom of this post). Vim & Vigr is my new favorite with so many fun styles for women and men, including the Women’s Navy & Cobalt (size M) that I am giving away.

Great for the gym or CrossFit, too!

Momentum Designs That Move You – I love how this 20+ year old jewelry company was inspired to create their Momentum fitness line – while looking at a bare wrist during an extremely long and torturous plank. Words of motivation were needed (I can relate) and the Motivate Wrap was born.

I’m giving away the “Live Joyfully” rectangle motivate wrap, but there are lots of other inspiring choices as well as other products including Foot Notes (inspirational jewelry for your exercise shoes), suede cuffs, necklaces and more.

Bondi Band Headband – this company makes a lot of fun and functional fitness accessories and I am a fan of the moisture-wicking headbands. Why do I like them, lots of reasons! First, these fitness headbands keep sweat from dripping down into my eyes and the thin fabric dries quickly. Second, they are wide enough to keep all the bangs, fringes and wild hairs I have from falling into my face while working out (being tickled by my own hair during times of exercise stress is one of my biggest pet peeves). Third, the come in nearly every color and fun phrase combination and you can even place custom orders.

Motivational Magnet – This “I’ll be Thelma, You be Louise’ vintage-inspired magnet makes me laugh. I thought it would be a fun little accessory to stick on your fridge or front to remind you to hit the road and make a run for it. Also, did you know that there is actually a Thelma & Louise Half Marathon? It’s June 5^th in Moab, Utah . . . . I may have to do this one!

Swankies Heart Tissues – You never know when you’ll need to blow your know and please don’t do it on the sleeve of your running jacket. This small little pack of tissues easily fits in a pocket so you can wipe up (anything) on a long run – I pick hearts because I “heart” running and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

Looking for a way to mix up your workout — try these “Stand Up” Sit Up to Hand Stands I’m demo-ing with my friend Valerie.

“Stand Up” Sit Up to Hand Stand – This has been a favorite exercise of mine now for quite a while, it’s just fun once you get the hang of it. It’s a moderately advanced compound move that uses core power and explosive strength for the stand-up sit-up and shoulders, core and balance for the handstand. A huge test of fitness is if you can get out of a seated position without using your arms to push off the floor, and this exercise works best with the momentum of rolling backward into the sit up– but it may take a while to get there. Watch the video, if you are having trouble, break the exercise down into 2 parts – 1) lay on back with feet about two feet from a wall. Roll back and then sit up explosively into standing position in one fluid motion. If this is too hard, sit up and use hands as needed to push off the floor. 2) From standing position, kick or straddle jump into handstand position. Hold for 1 to 2 seconds and then kick down, sitting down immediately to begin another sit up. Try for 3 sets of 10 reps, but stop if you start feeling dizzy.
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Tuna Avocado Toast with Tangy Lemon Crema #BeeHealthy

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

It’s a New Year and I’ve made a pledge to continue yet another year of striving to be the best me I can be. I’ll stay on this path (although there are always a few detours) by making nutritious food choices, exercising in some way every day, stepping outside my comfort zone with personal challenges and just being at peace with myself. While I don’t have a lot of resolutions (sounds so shaming), I do have one oath of an epicurean nature to make – never make a rash judgment that prevents a delicious healthy food trend from meeting my mouth.

What delicious healthy food trend, you ask? I’m talking about avocado toast, the creamy and crunchy hookup that has been buzzing all over the Internet. I’ve seen avocado toast in some form or fashion on every social media channel imaginable in the last few months, but I dismissed the toast and topping as not protein-rich enough for my diet (although I don’t mind eating an entire avocado in one sitting – wink, wink).

But then, I had a moment of clarity yesterday while trying to come up with a quick healthy meal from the pantry – what about tuna fish?! I always keep a few cans of tuna from Bumble Bee Seafoods to elevate salads, sandwiches and simple ingredients into yummy and healthy meals. For example, my recipe for Fiesta Tuna Quinoa Salad is still a make-ahead favorite for a whirlwind week as is my Speedy Salad Nicoise.

Tuna is a simple (and frugal) way to add a host of nutrients to your diet, including lean protein, healthy fat, and important vitamins and minerals. I’m a fan of the single-serve, 2.5 ounce pouches of Bumble Bee® Premium Albacore Tuna and Light Tuna because the packages don’t require a can opener, messy draining, or any cooking!

Make Waves, Get Raves – Tuna Avocado Toast w/ Tangy Lemon Crema #recipe #BeeHealthy #CG #Ad

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Tuna, Avocado & Radish Toast with Tangy Lemon Crema

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

2 mins

Total Time

12 mins

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

4 slices rustic artisan bread your favorite variety
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 2.5 oz pouch tuna, drained I used Bumble Bee Albacore Tuna
1 radish sliced thinly and then quartered
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp red chile pepper sauce more or less to taste
Pea Shoots for garnish

Instructions

Lightly brush tops of bread with olive oil and set under broiler until lightly brown on top. Remove from oven and set aside.
Cut avocado in half, remove seed and score flesh inside of skin. With a spoon, scoop out one half of the scored avocado and add to bowl with lemon juice, garlic and sea salt. Mash together very well. Add in the other half of scored avocado and mix lightly to combine – this will keep a chunkier texture.
Spread equal portion of avocado mixture on the top of each toast. Top each toast with just a little over ½ ounce of tuna fish and sprinkling of radish slices.
In another small bowl, wish together Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest and hot pepper sauce until incorporated.
Drizzle lemon crema over tops of toast and garnish with pea shoots.

Keep Calm and Eat Brownies #SpecialKBrownies

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

Chocolate is awesome in so many ways! It tastes divine; it smells heavenly and is actually quite good for the mind and body (in moderation, of course). Scientists and nutritionist have spent years researching the positive health benefits of chocolate (tough job) and I’m happy to report that I’ve collected my fair share of anecdotal evidence! Chocolate is a winner!

Sitting around eating chocolate all day probably wouldn’t be a good thing though – I like to reserve chocolate-eating for a treat. I will admit that I do start my day off with a few dark chocolate chips alongside my hot chai or coffee – this ritual that gets me in a good mood to tackle even the craziest days. The kids always request my Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies, but brownies are actually my favorite feel-good, chocolaty comfort foods – but it can be quite dangerous to have a whole, homemade pan sitting out! Oh, the temptation to eat the whole pan of my Mom’s decadent recipe that features entire big toffee-chocolate candy bars baked into the middle.

I was excited when Kellogg’s recently sent me a couple boxes of Special K Brownies to try out – Divine Fudge and Heavenly Caramel. What I noticed right away when sampling these brownies is that they taste like REAL brownies, not like some weird diet food “brownie.” That’s because Special K Brownies are REAL brownies made with real ingredients like cocoa, chocolate or caramel chips and topped with a drizzle of chocolate fudge. The other thing I appreciate about the Special K Brownies is that these convenient brownies are pre-portioned to be just an 80-calorie treat. The brownies aren’t huge, but just the right size to enjoy the indulgence and not end up feeling deprived later in the day (and eating that whole pan of Mom’s candy bar brownies I just mentioned). Sure, I COULD open up all the brownie packages in the box and eat them at one sitting, but I probably wouldn’t since they are wrapped as single servings – a great visual cue on portion-size awareness.

I stashed a few of these brownies in my gym bag for a reward after my 10 mile run and CrossFitWOD – washed down with a carton of milk, it was a totally on target recovery snack. Also, since February is sneaking up, I started experimenting with ways to incorporate Special K Brownies into a Valentine’s Day celebration. It so easy to use a cookie cutter to make a simple heart shaped – serve as a little chocolaty pick-me-up or sandwich two brownie hearts with frozen yogurt in the middle.

Visit www.specialk.com for more information on the new Special K Brownies in Divine Fudge and Heavenly Caramel, available now at grocery and mass retail stores nationwide.

What is your favorite chocolate treat?

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Special K Brownies.

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Author Archives: Jennifer FIsher

Wasabi Almond Shrimp Salad Bites + Football #GameChangingSnacks

Healthy Snack Stadium + Football Finger Foods for the Win

Cute Run and Fitness Accessories #Giveaway + Sit-Up Handstand Exercise

Tuna Avocado Toast with Tangy Lemon Crema #BeeHealthy

Keep Calm and Eat Brownies #SpecialKBrownies