Category Archives: Snack

Southwestern Roasted Veggie Wraps, Veggie Snacks & Workouts

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You don’t have to be vegetarian to enjoy the wholesome goodness of this Southwestern-Spiced Roasted Veggie Wrap. A spinach tortilla is lightly charred on the grill (or gas burner) and then stuffed with roasted vegetables kicked up with a light dusting of cumin and chipotle chile powder. Perfect for a #MeatlessMonday meal.

roasted veggies in tortilla

Southwestern-Spiced Roasted Veggie Wrap Recipe

  • 1 medium zucchini, cut into ¼” planks
  • 1 medium summer squash, cut into ¼” planks
  • 1 red bell pepper, quartered
  • 2 carrots, quartered lengthwise
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons ancho or chipotle chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 4 spinach tortillas
  • 1 large avocado
  • 2 teaspoon lime juice
  • 4 spinach tortillas
  • 4 ounces fresh spinach leaves
  1. Preheat grill or broiler. In large bowl, toss together zucchini, squash, red bell pepper and carrots with olive oil, salt, pepper, chile powder and cumin with oil. Place in single layer on large baking sheet. Grill or broil vegetables 4 to 6 minutes per side, turning once.
  2. Remove veggies from oven and let cool for 5 minutes; cut into long julienned strips approximately ¼ inch wide.
  3. In small bowl, mash avocado with lime juice. Spread in even portions across each tortilla, leaving a ½ rim at the border.
  4. Spread out a pile of fresh spinach on top of each tortilla. Arrange remaining filling ingredients in a row along in the center of tortilla.
  5. Roll of tortilla as tightly as possible, cut in half crosswise and secure with toothpicks if needed.
  6. If packing in a lunchbox, switch the avocado and spinach steps so that tortilla doesn’t become soggy. Serves 4.

vegetable platter

Three servings of veggies are the recommended bare minimum amount for the daily diet of an adult – are you getting enough?  Snacking on vegetables is a great way to help you meet and surpass this good health goal. this Forget about the chips and cookies; it’s so much easier to reach for a healthy handful of veggies if you’ve prepped them and have them waiting in the fridge.  Keep cut up veggies in single-serve zip-top baggies for on-the-go grabbing – I also love to make mini veggie dip cups to serve the kids after school (great for a party too).

jennifer fisher litehouse mini veggies in dip fridge 2

Oh, one last thing to mention! In a rare moment of organization, I pulled all my workouts and put them on one page that is easily accessible by the category bar under the header.  The precious minutes you save by not having to hit the search bar can be reallocated to some extra burpees. You can thank me later!

workout screen shot

Cottage Cheese, Please! Lemon Chia Tea Cakes with Berries Recipe #GlutenFree

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The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Daisy Cottage Cheese.

Today, it’s cottage cheese, please! But, as I kid, I expressed my displeasure with this curd-style dairy product with the same gusto that was reserved for having blood drawn, getting grounded, having to babysit my brother instead of hang out with friends  — no, please, please, please don’t do this to me!  Crying, screaming, gnashing of teeth and so on. Boy, how times change! I barely wince at a needle prick, never get in trouble with my parents anymore and would welcome the opportunity to spend more time with my brother.  And . . . as you probably have guessed, I now love cottage cheese!

berries daisy cottage cheese container 700

When I headed down to the store to get my carton of Daisy Cottage Cheese, I noticed that the brand has rolled out new packaging – it’s so catchy with the white carton, blue lid and signature flower. It’s easy to figure out if you’re buying delicious full-fat Daisy (dark blue lid) or low-fat Daisy (light blue lid) — these little details matter, especially if I’m in a rush! But a great carton isn’t the only #DaisyDifference when it comes to stacking up this product against similar seeming cottage cheese brands on the shelves.  Daisy Cottage Cheese just plain uses better ingredients (and fewer) than the competition. Made from only four ingredients, this stuff is straightforward and simple – just the way it should be. I feel confident serving Daisy to my family knowing it isn’t gunked up with unnecessary additives, preservatives and thickeners.

Nutrition Label for Daisy Low-Fat 2% Cottage Cheese

Nutrition Label for Daisy Low-Fat 2% Cottage Cheese

What I’ve found as a mom and athlete is that cottage cheese is a great way to pack a wallop of protein into any meal of the day– even snacks and treats! Did you know that a ½ cup serving of 2% Daisy Cottage Cheese has just 90 calories and 14 grams of protein – getting me well on my way to achieving my daily protein requirement.  As a runner and fitness enthusiast who often works out two times a day, I require extra protein to help my body recover and rebuild muscle.  It’s so easy to add cottage cheese to a smoothie, a salad, or on top of a baked potato – I even blend up cottage cheese to transform it into a creamy sauce and silky, smooth baking ingredient.  Plus, since our family is on a budget, I really appreciate the value that cottage cheese offers as a protein source.

In honor of spring and all its fresh flavors, I whipped up this yummy batch of Lemon Chai Tea Cakes with Berries. It’s a healthy dessert that is balanced with protein – actually, I think it would also be great for breakfast!   As a bonus, this recipe is gluten-free and doesn’t have a lot of added sweetness – only a bit of honey and lemon curd. 

lemon cake cottage cheese

Lemon Chia Tea Cakes with Berries Recipe

  • 2 cups gluten-free oat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cup 2% Daisy Brand cottage cheese
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup lemon curd
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Sauce and Garnish

  • ½ cup 2% Daisy Brand cottage cheese
  • ¼ cup lemon curd
  • Blackberries and raspberries
  1. In large bowl, mix together oat flour, baking powder, chia seeds and salt until combined.
  2. In blender, mix together cottage cheese, lemon juice, lemon curd, honey, vanilla, eggs and oil until smooth.
  3. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring until just combined but not over mixing.
  4. Spoon batter into 4 free-standing paper baking cups (4” diameter) or 8 standard size muffin tins.
  5. Bake for approximately 20 – 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center pulls clean.
  6. While muffins are baking, make sauce by adding ½ cup cottage cheese and ¼ lemon curd in blender; blend until smooth.
  7. To serve, spoon sauce over cooled tea cakes and top with berries. Serves 4.

low fat daisy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Miss the Twitter Chat with Daisy Cottage Cheese

Find out how to “Power Your Way Through the Day” with cottage cheese, a versatile protein source for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks – as well as for workout fuel and recovery. I can’t wait to learn more about the benefits of cottage cheese from the experts and find out some of the Fitfluential community’s favorite recipes.

Twitter Chat:
Hosted by: FitFluential
Date: April 10, 2014
Theme: Power Your Way Through the Day
Time: 9:00 pm EST
#DaisyDifference

Halloween Appetizers so Healthy, It’s Scary!

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For most, Halloween is a valid excuse to eat fun-size chocolate bars and candy corn until falling into a sugar coma – and I’m not immune. Aside from chocolate anything (natch), my favorite “kid” candies are banana Laffy Taffy, Tootsie Rolls and Hot Tamales!  There’s a reason why I don’t buy Halloween candy until the day before; if it’s in front of my face, I’m going to eat it! Actually, I’m repeating my treats last year and giving trick-or-treaters SunRype Fruit Strips (100% all-natural, no preservative fruit leathers). To prevent being “tricked” by ticked off pre-teens, I also offered candy under the obligation that each kid must take taking at least one healthy treat. (Nov. 1 update — the SunRype were actually very popular as Halloween handouts!)

P1020047

My older boys are having some friends come over for a scary-movie and video game party! I’m setting up a bone-chilling buffet similar to this one I created for Litehouse Foods. Look closely and you’ll see that this deconstructed platter of goblin parts is actually quite healthy, and could even be called a well-balanced meal. There are blood shot eyeball eggs, baked shrimp goblin fingers, molded intestine noodles and creepy crudities. Rattle your bones and get on over to Litehouse Foods to get the recipes for the Bloodshot Eyeball Eggs and Shrimp Goblin Fingers – your family will be screaming . . . with delight!

goblin platter no product large

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

jennifer fisher litehouse goblin platter whole eggs

Make these bloodshot eye eggs by gently tapping them to crackle shell and soak overnight in beet juice.

 

 

 

 

Now, I’m not that mom who refuses to serve something sweet and sinful. I’ll also be making this Halloween Trash recipe I found floating around on Facebook – it certainly looks to die for! So, for whomever is keeping score out there, this one is NOT as healthy! But, enjoy!

halloween trash

Here’s my take on throwing it together (plus I’m adding m&ms and pretzels) — 8 cups popped corn using my microwave brown paper bag method, 2 cups mini pretzels , 1 cup fall-colored M&Ms, 1 cup candy corn, 1 pound vanilla bark, Halloween sprinkles. Mix popped corn, pretzels and candy together on wax-paper lined, rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with vanilla bark melted according to manufacturer’s directions. Toss to coat evenly. Finish up with Halloween-colored sprinkles.

Healthy Snack Solutions + SunRype Fruit Strips #Giveaway

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School is back in session for the kids and extra-curricular activities are in full swing. Let’s see, we’ve got cross country (two different teams), Pop Warner football, band, robotics team, extreme performance percussion team, Boy Scouts, National Honor Society and school play practices. I’m surely forgetting something.  It takes a lot of food to keep the tanks of this crew topped off and ready to roll, and quality snacks become ever so important this time of year when our dinner is often delayed for hours.   Plus, I won’t lie; with marathon training and CrossFit workouts, I’m an all-day grazer, so I like to have nutritious snacks on hand so I’m not tempted to pig out on junk food. While some people say “out of sight, out of mind,” I say “out of sight, out of mouth” – I still dream about my chocolate M&Ms.

jen and the boys st andrews xc

Veggies always make a great snack. Loaded with vitamins, minerals and micronutrients, plus many of my favorite raw vegetables like mini carrots, sugar snap peas and cucumbers have such a satisfying crunch. One thing I’ve noticed about getting my kids to eat vegetables for a (gasp) snack is the presentation. I’ve had lots of luck getting them to munch on mini salads by making easy-to-grab veggie cups that have a little dollop of ranch dip at the bottom.  If you want some other ideas, I did a fun post on this for Litehouse Living on mini veggie cups.

jennifer fisher litehouse mini veggies in dip

Who doesn’t love popcorn as a snack? The average American eats more than 50 quarts of it a year and I know that I can’t pass up a bowlful once I smell it popping. As an alternative to store-bought microwave popcorn which is packaged with congealed transfats, sodium and chemicals, I like to microwave mine in a brown paper bag, plain and simple!  It couldn’t be easier or healthier; most people are surprised to find out this can be done without fats or oils. For a special treat, my recipe for Caramel Almond Popcorn with Coconut Oil and Honey is fun to pack in backpacks or for movie night – and it’s even acceptable to most of my Paleo diet peeps!

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - caramel almond popcorn coconut oil honey

Out of necessity, other snacks have to be grab-and-go – I like to call these types of “fast” foods either purse snacks or car snacks! Beef jerky has always been a popular with my family, now we have a new reason to love it even more. Recently at the TriRock Expo I bumped into the Austin rep for Krave Jerky and he hooked me up with some of their gourmet jerky – previously, I had only tried the Sweet Chipotle Beef Jerky but found out this Sonoma-based company has lots of other flavors profiles I love like Black Cherry Barbeque Pork and Basil Citrus Turkey Jerky.  Not at all like gnawing on an old boot, as is the case with some jerky; low and slow braising is Krave’s secret to its super-tender texture. I’m a #Kraver!

krave

One of my longtime favorite take-along snacks is SunRype Fruit Strips – they are fruit leathers made with only 100% natural fruit ingredients and no preservatives or artificial colors at all. This season debuted new fun flavors that the kids will love as much as you –  Raspberry and Strawberry Watermelon.I also use them as fuel while running  — they have 50 calories each, 12 grams of clean carbs and are easy to carry on the course.  By the way, for full disclosure, I am an ambassador for .SunRype but would totally eat this nutritious, delicious snack even if I wasn’t.  Whoohoo, I think I feel like giving one of y’all a case of SunRype Fruit Strips this week – just check out the giveaway instructions below.

win sunrype
a Rafflecopter giveaway