Summer is practically hear and let’s face it. No one wants to be slaving away every day over a hot stove in the sweltering heat. Thats where meal prep comes in handy. All you have to do is take a few hours once or twice a week and prepare all of your meals in advance. It saves you loads of time and energy in the long run. Saving your time isn’t the only great thing about meal prep because preparing in advance also ensures that you will stay on track. So instead of reaching for fast food or quick fixes you have your pre made meal right on hand. If you arrange your meals accordingly you can have delicious meals lined up in a row right in your refrigerator to grab and go for the whole week.
Not only is meal prep a great way to stay on track but you can make healthy meal prep food in a mason jar. You can pick mason jars up at most local dollar stores, home suppliers or department stores. Once you start using mason jars you soon will realize that they are very versatile. You can make anything from breakfast, salads, pastas, rice bowls, snacks or even desserts just to name a few. They are also very aesthetically please and keep well when sealed and placed in the fridge.
The following 3 recipes are a great start to healthy meal prepping in a jar and I hope that they inspire you to be creative and make your own recipes or add your own personalized twists to these ones. Don’t be afraid to make your favorite meals. Just make sure to layer the wet ingredients on the bottom and layer up from there. The beauty of a healthy meal in a mason jar is that most anything works. Enjoy!
Peanut Butter and Banana Overnight Oatmeal
Ingredients:
½ ripe banana, mashed
½ cup Oats
1tsp ground cinnamon
⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk (if you want chocolate oats just substitute chocolate-flavored almond milk for the plain almond milk)
¼ cup plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp peanut butter (organic preferred)
1 tbsp liquid honey (optional)
1 scoop protein (flavour and brand of choice)
Instructions:
In a jar combine banana, oats, cinnamon, almond milk, yogurt, peanut butter and honey. Stir well, then seal jar and give it a good vigorous shake to make sure the oats are coated with all of the liquid.
Refrigerate overnight.
Serve cold or remove lid and microwave on high for 1 minute or until desired temperature is reached.
Serve in the jar.
Tofu, Snow Pea and Cabbage Rice Jar
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup water
½ long-grain brown rice
¼ tsp sea salt
3 tbsp of sesame dressing or your choice
½ cup snow peas
½ cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced cabbage
1 cup cubed firm tofu
Instructions:
In a medium pan bring water to a boil over high heat. Stir in rice and salt. Cook.
First pour dressing of choice into the bowl. Then layer the rice, snow peas, carrots, cabbage and tofu. On top. Seal the jar and refrigerate for up to a day.
Remove the jar from the refrigerator a minimum of 30 minutes before serving. Turn the jar upside down in a bowl and let the dressing coats the rice.
Rainbow Fruit Salad Jar
Ingredients:
¼ cup diced strawberries
¼ cup diced pineapple
⅓ cup diced mango
¼ cup diced watermelon
Instructions:
Layer the fruit in the jar.
Seal and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Serve in the jar.
If you're like me and constantly in the kitchen prepping meals, opening cans, bottles etc you are constantly having to waste time trying to open them. Time that could be spent more efficiently.
I was actually lucky enough to get sent the Magic Opener Plus and Mini which is called the Magic Opener Combo from Easy Opener Inc. Now I don't think that there is a bottle or cap out there that I can't open now.
The MO Plus will open 8 different sized larger caps found on sports drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, Vitamin Water etc. The MO Mini also opens 8 different sized bottles like water bottle caps and soda bottle caps. Both include a can opener for pet food, tuna etc.
They specifically say that "Understanding and Practice, makes perfection." What do they mean by that? Well its because that they go out of their way to explain that the different between a magnificent Magic Opener and a terrible one is the two minutes you use beforehand to understand how to properly use the opener."
How do you understand and learn to use it properly? Simple. The best way to understand how to use the opener is by watching the video demonstration on the top of their website or on their youtube page and then try it as you see it in the video!
I totally recommend this product for any one. But I also think it would make a great gift for parents or grand parents that don't have good grip strength. So go ahead and gift them one or both of these! http://www.magicopener.com
2 cups Minute Rice® Premium Instant Long Grain White Rice
2 cups Minute Rice Premium Instant Long Grain White Rice
Asian Dressing
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Salad
2 cups roasted deli chicken breast meat, shredded
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
1 cup chopped cucumbers, unpeeled
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
½ cup roasted peanuts
Garnish
2 tbsp chopped green onions
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
lime wedges
DIRECTIONS
To prepare the rice, in a small saucepan bring water and salt to a boil. Stir in rice, cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit covered for 5 minutes. Place rice in large serving bowl and set aside.
For the dressing, in a medium bowl whisk rice vinegar, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds until smooth set aside.
To prepare the salad, add chicken, red pepper, carrots, cucumbers, parsley and peanuts to the cooked rice. Pour dressing over to coat well. Garnish salad with green onions, sesame seeds and lime wedges.
2 cups Minute Rice® Premium Instant Long Grain White Rice
4 cups chicken broth
¼ cup cream cheese
1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast
DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a pan on the stove on a medium heat setting. Add the onion and garlic and sautee until the onion is clear.
Stir in the mushrooms, and sautee until the mushrooms are golden brown.
Add rice, and stir for about 2 minutes.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth, and stir the entire mixture until it's thick - about 5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to a low setting and stir in the cream cheese and cooked chicken breast. Cook for about 2 more minutes or until the cream cheese is incorporated and the chicken is warm.
Serve with a sprinkling of chopped green onion or parsley.
1 lb of thinly sliced sirloin (or any tender prime beef cut), about 1/8 inch
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 yellow onion
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1/2 medium carrot, peeled and grated
2 tbsp rice wine (mirin)
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup of Coca Cola
1 tbsp sesame seeds for garnish
2 cups Minute Rice® Premium Instant Long Grain White Rice
DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients except the beef in a bowl to create the marinade.
Add the beef and marinate for a few hours or overnight for best results.
Grill or pan-fry until meat is cooked (approx. 30 minutes).
Garnish with sesame seeds, add individual serving sizes into foil packets, close packet and serve with a side of Minute Rice® Premium Instant Long Grain White Rice
NOTES
If you want to swap the coke for a healthier alternative, use half a cup of crushed asian pear or royal gala apple
always taste your marinade before adding beef so you can adjust to your taste
the meat quality and thinness is super important!
if you double the recipe for leftovers, portion them out and freeze; thaw overnight the day before consuming.
you can freeze the unused (& uncooked) meat in the freezer for a few weeks
you can find pre-sliced bulgogi thinly sliced beef at most Asian stores, if not, ask the deli if they can thinly slice the meat about 1/8 inch. If you choose to cut the meat yourself at home, slicing is easier when meat is partly frozen.
We've all seen the post on Instagram that says a Sunday well spent brings a week of content. We over here at Train It Right couldn't help but agree! Sunday's are a great day to relax, reset and get ready for the work week ahead. But like many, you're probably on a journey of health and fitness. Eating clean and sticking to a plan can be one of the hardest parts of your journey. The best way to combat failure in this is planning and prepping. Though there are many food prep companies (and they are great) prepping your own food can be simpler and easier than you think.
Here are a few tips to help you ease into prepping your own food:
* Create a grocery list based on your food plan and shop the day before prepping
* Lay out all of your containers
- Use your open counter space to house your containers and place the food in the containers as you go. So when your spinach is ready go ahead and ration it out for each meal as you go.
* Cook all at once
- The cool thing about a full kitchen is several appliances. Example... You can bake your fish or and chicken in the oven while cooking your sides such as spinach, kale, broccoli and more on the stove top. Multitasking at its finest!
- You can also make use of the racks in the oven and bake several items at once. Just keep strict watch of the timer.
* Wash the dishes as you go
- This helps with clean up which speeds up the process. A secret of all chefs!
*Remember why you're doing it
- Lets face it, some of us just don't like to cook. With that being said, remember why you're investing the time now. Not only are you sticking to your meal plan to ensure you meet your goals, but you're saving time and money!
Happy meal prepping.
150 Best Meals In A Jar - Tanya Linton - Book Review
I love mason jars! I have always said that "everything tastes better in a mason jar." And it does! Thats why I was excited to receive this book 150 Best Meals In A Jar. Once you start using mason jars you will see just how easy it is to do meal prep, eat on the go. You can even be as innovative as you want with the recipes. There really are no limits.
The book has a wide variety of delicious meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It includes soups, snacks, fruit and vegetable salads, grain and legume salads, pastas, rice bowls, over night oats and even desserts.
My favourites are the over night oats. I always love including that into my own plans as well as my clients. One of my top fav recipes is the chocolate protein smoothie that is on pg 19.
The recipes are easy to follow, have great ingredients that are easily available and most often times you already have in your panty. Tanya Linton also provides great variations of the recipes so you aren't limited to exactly what she has in the originally recipe.
Overall I give this book an 8/10. There arent pictures of each recipe but there are just so many amazing options and variations its a go to book for meal prep. If you are into health and fitness and want amazing healthy recipes this is a go to!
To purchase your own copy head on over to:
How To Eat
Everyone is attracted to something different in a partner. On average women want a man that is not too skinny and not too big. We all want someone who is healthy and takes care of their body not just in the gym but at home with food choices. A perfect mate isn’t 100 pounds and definitely isn’t a 300 pound muscular superhero. There is a balance.
Remember to lose or gain weight you must eat more. Most people only eat two to three big meals a day. Male or female youneed to eat more often to be healthy and have the body that you want. However, it is important that you make your food clean and healthy for both healthy weight loss and weight gain.
Follow these ten tips for successful clean eating for your perfect body:
1. Eat five to six small meals a day. If you eat less your body may be a risk for malnutrition, diabetes or it can even cause weight gain in the form of fat storage.
2. Never skip a meal. When you skip a meal your body goes into starvation mode and tends to store fat in unwanted places. If you eat frequently (i.e five to six small meals) your body stays constant and does not go into starvation mode and store fat.
3. Combine lean protein and complex carbs every meal. Make sure to include dark green veggies in every meal as well. Remember that variety is the spice of life and having variety at each meal is very important.
4. Avoid sugars and processed foods, refined sugars, and white breads. The best way to do this is try and shop along the outside aisles of a grocery store and avoid the middle (and the candy store). Alcohol is also included in the avoidances. A lot of alcohols are high in sugar and calories especially if you mix them so make sure to always avoid cola’s and juices.
5. Drink plenty of water. On average you should be drinking at least two litres a day or 8 glasses of water. However, if you are active or out in the sun for long periods of time you should be drinking even more.
6. Take a daily vitamin. It helps with nutrient absorption and that will help you digest your clean diet properly.
7. Avoid fried foods and saturated fats. These are high in trans fat and will cause you to gain weight and store fat instead of build lean muscle.
8. Take a daily dose of Omega 3. There are many health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids. They can boost heart health and lower triglycerides. Omega 3’s also help with rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and many more.
9. Prepare your meals beforehand. Try making your meals on Sunday night for the rest of the week. If you fail to plan you have planned to fail. Make sure that you have lots of tupperware on hand for your meals, label them for the different days and refrigerate them until you need them.
10. When choosing a protein make sure to chose a lean meat such as chicken, turkey, fish or lean ground beef. If there is excess fat on your cut of meat simply cut it off. Avoid seasonings for your meat that contain sodium and cook with olive oil or coconut oil instead of using fattening butter.
These ten tips if followed properly will guarantee success in your search for the perfect diet for the perfect body that women want. However, it will only be successful if you are exercising regularly. So hit that gym, plan your meals and eat a variety of clean planned and prepared meals.
Do you have someone on your holiday gift list that loves health and fitness? Not sure what to get them? Here is your solution. Well here are the Train It Right Top 10 gifts for the fitness enthusiast this holiday season. Happy Holidays! Train It Right!
This juicer is quiet, easy to clean, No heat build up, allowing for no loss of enzymes so that you can enjoy nutrient-rich juice full of live enzymes, doesn't foam or clog, and User friendly - easy to assemble, operate and clean.
You can't go wrong with a set of wireless headphones for your fitness enthusiast because if they workout hard they don't what any messy wires getting in the way of their workout. Freedom to move is a blessing during a tough sweaty workout.
These are available for both men and women and they are one of the most comfortable workout pants out there. Your workout will love to get a pair of these as a holiday present. They also are available in many colours and patterns.
This is a great bag for the fitness competition or the business man who is always on the go. It allows them to pack their food in a stylish backpack and bring it with them wherever they go.
This Protein shaker allows you to store protein or other supplements right inside the core. It saves space and lets you bring protein or supplements with you all day long.
Alicia Bell at Train It Right provides a great online personal training program that you can access anywhere. The workouts are personalized for at home or in the gym. You have access to videos from apps to see the exact exercises and it is completely affordable.
Introducing the stack pack and the Core 150 Shaker Meal Pod. According to the company "Each Pod comes complete with removable cores that allow you to separate two small meals or transport one large meal from within just one unit. Finally a meal system that you will feel proud to be seen with."
I really want one of these! It seems more portable than the six pack bag would be.
Everyone is attracted to something different in a partner. On average women want a man that is not too skinny and not too big. We all want someone who is healthy and takes care of their body not just in the gym but at home with food choices. A perfect mate isn’t 100 pounds and definitely isn’t a 300 pound muscular superhero. There is a balance.
