Tag Archives: Fit Foodie 5k

Holiday Gift Ideas for Fit Foodies who Love to Run, Workout and Eat

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Shopping for a “fit foodie” can be tough. I mean, they pour a lot of passion into working out AND eating, and it’s hard to know what makes the cut it terms of supporting that fitness lifestyle. But, the good news about working out, running and hitting the gym is that you can eat a lot, and consequently need good food and kitchen gear to keep up the routine. And, by all means, don’t ever let anyone in your sweat squad get hangry. To help make holiday shopping easier, here are the best gifts for fit foodies – all The Fit Fork approved and the things I am obsessed about!

Moonlight Maker's Dish Towels
Moonlight Maker's Dish Towels

Moonlight Maker’s Dish Towels: Bring a smile to your kitchen with one or more of these cute and funny flour-sack dish towels! Laughing burns calories, so use these “punny” towels to help clean up after your meal prepping and healthy recipe making! Make from 100% cotton flour sacks, screen printed in eco-friendly, non-toxic ink. Unfolded size is 28” x 28” and they get suber absorbent after a few washes. All handmade by a small, woman-owned biz from Asheville, NC! More designs and other holiday gift ideas at Moonlight Makers  approx. 14.95 per towel

Oven Mitt Apron
Oven Mitt Apron

Apron with Built-in Oven Mitts from Grand Fusion – This heat-resistant light canvas apron is so genius, not only to you keep your clothes clean and splatter-free when baking, roasting, or grilling, but you have TWO oven mitts always at the ready – no more frantically trying to find a mitt when something needs to be taken off the heat asap! Adjustable straps, one size that fits most men or women, large front pocket, easy to wash, and available in grey or yellow!  An oven mitt apron is the perfect holiday baking gift for that person who is always losing stuff!

Artisan bread from the Wildgrain subscription box, save $30 with code THEFITFORK at http://bit.ly/Wildgrain
Whip up a fresh fit meal in minutes with this easy, no-cook pasta sauce that features tomatoes, marinated artichokes, garlic and feta cheese - plus a little EVOO. It's tossed with hot noodles that warms it up! A delicious summer dinner! Used pasta from the Wildgrain subscription box, save $30 with code THEFITFORK at http://bit.ly/Wildgrain

Wildgrain:  Wildgrain is a delicious bread subscription box that also delivers artisanal pastas, pastries all kinds of breads (made with clean, nutritious ingredients) to your door that are frozen and ready to prepare in a flash – no more than 25 minutes from freezer door opening to your mouth opening for the first bite! I love to cook, but baking from scratch is a whole ‘nutha skill set and patience level. Wildgrain is perfect this holiday season for your own entertaining and recipe making but also for giving to fit foodie friends who need a little more carb days in their life!  

Artisan bread, pastas and pastries in the the Wildgrain subscription box, save $30 with code THEFITFORK at http://bit.ly/Wildgrain
Use code THEFITFORK to save $10 on your first box (AND, if you sign up now, they will treat you to a free 4-pack of croissants with each and every box you have delivered for life – and these croissants ARE AMAZING, we fight over them at my house!!!)

Instant® Cold Brewer: Cold brew is the original pre-workout in my opinion. This makes a great holiday gift for food and fitness lovers. The new Instant® Cold Brewer lets you  skip the coffee shop line and make true cold brew at home, in under 20 minutes – no overnight waiting. Use your favorite ground coffee, and customize the brew strength to your preferences. Cold brewer also makes iced tea. Pitcher holds 32 oz for brewing, serving and storing, and is dishwasher safe for easy up. $99

WODBottom: They make fun and funky bootie shorts for workouts. The prints are always novel and SO clever . . . like these tasty snack-cake inspired “Santa Batch” bootie shorts you can get now when you sign up for the Shortie of the Month Club.  When you join, take $5 off your first month and free shipping with code JOINTODAY! Don’t worry, shorts (and fun tanks) available for non-club purchase too – always love their food inspired ones like tacos, pies, donuts and more. Also super cool, the ballsy and funny gym shorts are actually marketing for a bigger purpose – to raise funds for domestic abuse.

Lumen Metabolic Tracker : Any fit foodie looking to dial in their nutrition will love Lumen, a portable device designed to measure track and analyze your metabolism instantly and provided nutrition recommendations to help reach goals. It does this by measuring the CO2 in your breath.  I’ve been using my Lumen for 4 months now and it has helped me make better choices and when and what to eat to perform my best support my athlete lifestyle. It’s also a great tool to help you manage weight or become more aware of how various factors affect your overall health. Save $50 with code THEFITFORK

The Instant® 20-cup Multigrain Cooker:  Not just an ordinary rice cooker, it’s a low carb rice cooker (say what?!)  It offers 8-in-1 functionality and smart features to make rice and grain cooking simple. PLUS features breakthrough CarbReduce technology reduces carbs and sugar in rice up to 40% with a special steam basket that gets carb sugars to separate and drip away from rice while cooking. Of course, also all types of grains – quinoa, oats, you name it. This is one of the best gifts for gym freaks and meal preppers I’ve seen this year.

Organic Herbal Greek Mountan Tea (Spartan Tea):  In ancient times, Spartan warriors drank a refreshing tea that provided energy, healing, and restoration. The elixir’s name in Greek means “he who is made of iron”, and now this same tea is available to you and to gift to your friends – I mean, who wouldn’t want to drink this stuff! This makes a great holiday gift for runners, obstacle course races and others into wellness and recovery. I’m feeling powerful already! Aroo! Save 20% on all Spartan Nutrition products with code SAP-718613Z at Spartan.com

Save 20% on spartan race code: UBST24-TK88D27
save 20% at spartan.com code: SAP-718613Z

ZipTop Bags: Kind of like a plastic storage bowl and a zip lock baggie had a genetically superior baby, these ZipTop Containers are part genius food storage system and part eat-right-out-of bags. Love ZipTop so much for storing staples (like the Spartan Tea and grains), packing them for on the go gym snacks (one size even stands up perfectly in a car cup holder), prepping cut fruit and other ingredients – and even storing, freezing and reheating leftovers. One of the best gifts for meal preppers.

Snap-Corner Silicone Baking Mat (No Leak, Non Stick) From Grand Fusion: This is a pretty handy-dandy adjustable baking mat. Not only can you bake cookies on it that slide right off without spray, the corners fold up to create a leakproof tray that will contain juices as you cook. As a silicone baking tray, it’s perfect for oven-baking salmon, chicken breasts, veggies and such without having mess running all over the pan (like never use foil again!). Super easy clean up, oven-safe to 450F degrees and fits in half-sheet pan (about 11.8” x 15.75” snapped up). $14.99

Seriously Good Chili Cookbook -- Beef Mushroom Quinoa Chili by thefitfork
Beef Mushroom Quinoa Chili

Seriously Good Chili Cookbook: 177 of the Best Recipes in the World: This one is for the protein lovers!!! All the best chili recipes around (and, ohhh . . .did I mention that little ole me has a recipe featured — Beef Mushroom Quinoa Chili (pictured above), it’s a bona fide winner! This book is from Brian Baumgartner — remember him? He was Kevin on the hit series “The Office” and one of his most epic episodes was when he dropped that huge pot of chili all over the floor at the office party. Available in Hardcover Spiral and Kindle

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission on purchase made through links, however the price to you remains the same. Proceeds help offset the operating costs for The Fit Fork, thank you and happy holidays!!

Paleo Pecan-Paprika Tilapia on Bacon Brussels Sprout Toss + Fit Foodie 5k

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With autumn just around the corner, it’s time to start salivating about all things that include pumpkin and pecans to bacon and Brussels sprouts – and, of course, other delicious fall-inspired ingredients. The Paleo diet embraces so many healthy foods that remind me of the cooler weather season – squashes, sweet potatoes, onions, cranberries, persimmons, pomegranates, broccoli, chard, spinach, all types of nuts, turkey, wild game and more.

Check out Fall Into Paleo

by The Fit Fork at Foodie.com

If you’ve scrolled through my blog, you may have noticed I don’t live and die by the strict rules of the Paleo diet. That being said, I DO believe that the Paleo diet has many great benefits that can contribute to a healthy lifestyle and I always feel great when I’m eating meals that follow a Paleo-esque menu. However, this regime, which eliminates wheat, cereals, dairy, starches (including most starchy vegetables & fruit), grains and anything containing gluten and/or legumes, can be difficult for me to maintain for many reasons including practicality (sometime I just can’t find or afford grass-fed beef), performance (I need extra carbs to support my athletic output – check out the book Paleo Diet for Athletes) and personal sanity (an excessive focus on food makes me freak out). So, I’m one of those “I eat 100% Paleo 80% of the time” kind of people and I don’t feel bad about it nor do I pass judgment on others who are strict abiders or those who would never, ever eat caveman style.  Also, when I’m thinking about Paleo recipes and what I should or shouldn’t do, I remember a quote from one of the go-to cookbooks on my shelf, Paleo Comfort Foods. The author makes a great point that the “Paleo (diet) is a logical framework applied to modern humans, not a historical reenactment.”  Amen. pecan crusted tilapia and warm brussels sprout salad I hope you enjoy my fall-season paleo dinner I whipped up as part of a Foodie.com campaign — Pecan-Paprika Crusted Tilapia on Bacon Brussels Sprout Toss.  Of course, this duo is delicious together, but can also be made and served individually – for example, the fish is also excellent in lettuce-wrap tacos and the warm Brussel sprouts salad makes the perfect seasonal side dish to bring to a potluck or Thanksgiving dinner. .paleo diet pecan paprika tilapia For Pecan Paprika Tilapia Recipe:

  •  1 lb tilapia filets
  • ½ cup pecan meal (ground raw pecans)
  • 1 tablespoon ground paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  1.  In large shallow dish, mix together pecan meal, paprika, and salt.
  2. In another shallow dish, whisk egg.
  3. Dip each fish filet into egg and then dredge in pecan mixture.Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Add fish to skillet and pan fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, flipping once. Fish will be done when white and flakey throughout and turning golden brown on crust. Serves 4.

Paleo Bacon Brussels Sprouts For Bacon Brussels Sprout Toss:

  • 4 slices bacon
  • ¼ cup finely minced sweet onion
  • 1 teaspoon paprika (sweet or hot, your preference)
  • 1/3 chopped raw pecans
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup wine or cooking wine
  • 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • 1 lb shaved Brussel sprouts
  1. In large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon from skillet and crumble up (set aside); reserve about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in skillet.
  2. In same skillet with drippings, add paprika, onion and pecans; stir over medium-high heat for several minutes until nuts are lightly toasted, onions are softened and paprika has become fragrant.
  3. Add vinegar and cooking wine to skillet; stir quickly for 1 minute to deglaze pan. Lower heat to medium and add syrup and garlic paste; stir combine.
  4.  Add shaved Brussels sprouts (either slice thinly with sharp knife or mandolin or buy prepared) to skillet and saute for approximately 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften and caramelize.

Tips: Finely slice the Brussels sprouts with a knife or mandolin – or just by them pre-prepped from the produce section of your market.  Also, it’s important to add the paprika to the beginning of the saute so the spice has time to bloom, lending a richer and deeper flavor – this is a trick of trade with chefs fiitfoodierun collage Also, I want to share with y’all an upcoming event that so matches my personality and interests, I’m assuming it must have been put together specifically for me! But, I want you to come join the fun too – it’s the Fit Foodie 5k Weekend hosted by Cooking Light and Health magazines. In addition to the 3.1 mile race, there are gourmet tastings from Texas chefs, fitness demos, sunrise yoga, an obstacle course and boot camp. Allison Sweeney from The Biggest Loser television show will be there signing her newest book and showing support for the race beneficiary, City of Hope. City of Hope is a leading treatment and research center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases – 10% of all race entry proceeds benefit this official charity.

The Fit Foodie Weekend is coming up quick (Sept. 12 – 14), but it’s not too late to register!  Use the promotion code FITFORK and get 10 percent off your registration. Please let me know if you are coming by sending me a note in the comments – I’d love to plan a meet up! Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Foodie.com, however all opinions, comments and recipes are my own.  Also, I am an ambassador for The Fit Foodie Race Series – whoot, whoot!