Tag Archives: runner’s diet

Jun 17 2012
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Food

Healthy Summer Chicken Salad

It might seem like I’m going on a bit of a salad kick lately…and that’s because I am! Not only are salads great for whipping yourself into swimsuit shape, but they are efficient for packing a tonne of healthy nutrients into one meal, and they are nice and light for the summertime. With that in mind, I present to you my Warm Summer Chicken Salad – perfect for a summer lunch or dinner, or for hosting some health conscious guests in the backyard! Enjoy. :)

 Ingredients (serves three):

- 1/6 cup pine nuts (nuts are super healthy but also high in calories, don’t go overboard!)

- roasted red peppers (these are healthy, use as many as you’d like!)

- about 2 square inches of feta cheese (if you’re really trying to behave you can skip this altogether)

- lots and lots of greens (I used a mix of field greens and baby spinach)

oh…and chicken breast!

For this recipe I used three chicken breasts (one per person). I like to bake them and cover them with foil so that they are super moist. I also used a lemon and herb seasoning on these to make them a little more zesty!

Here they are! Now of course you also need to make some dressing. This one isn’t super low-calorie, but it doesn’t matter because it IS super healthy. Here’s what you need to make a jazzed up vinaigrette:

(Serves three)

- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

- a big squirt of pure lemon juice

- about 1 tbsp dijon mustard

- just a hint of honey

Mix all of the ingredients (except for the chicken) in a big bowl with the dressing.

Distribute everything evenly onto three plates and add the chicken breasts on the sides.

Yup, that’s it! The only thing that’s going to take you a bit of extra time here is waiting for the chicken breast to bake, so make sure you plan ahead for that. You could also make them the night before, however fresher is always better isn’t it? For those of you who are interested, this salad will ring you in at about 390 calories, minus the cheese it’ll cost you about 340 – the perfect portion size to allow for some fresh fruit for dessert!

On another note: Happy Father’s Day!

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Jun 13 2012
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Food

How to Craft the Perfect Omelette

Make fun if you will, but it took me a while to master the art of omelette making (and I have a feeling I’m not alone). Omelettes are a great choice for any meal: they are high in wonderful eggy protein, and you can also stuff them with much needed vegetables. Not only that, but they are naturally low carb, thus perfect for all of you who are trying to get into swimsuit shape right now! Here’s how you do it:

Ingredients:

eggs (I used two)

about 1 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

filler items – I basically just use whatever is in my fridge, usually some random veggies – however I encourage you to experiment! One of my favourite omelettes is leftover salmon and asparagus…mm…Anyway, the key is dicing them up into really small pieces so that your omelette doesn’t break apart later on!

Now, let’s make an omelette!

Step one is to add 2tbsp of water to the eggs and beat them really quickly with a fork until you see bubbles on the surface.

Next it’s time to pan fry your veggies. Use butter to cook them at a low heat. If you are using greens like spinach and want to add them at this phase you can, however because it cooks so quickly I usually leave it until the very end.

Pour your bubbly eggs into the pan (ensuring that they are spread evenly) and let them sit at a low heat setting for a few minutes (you will notice that the edges will begin to solidify and change colour).

Almost ready! Now is a good time to add your spinach…

…and some cheese if you’re feeling daring!

Now it’s time to fold in half. If you have cooked it well this shouldn’t be too problematic, however even seasoned experts have their bad days…

…that’s better! It’s all in the wrist. Don’t worry, even if things don’t look too pretty it’ll still taste just as good. There you go! Now you can call yourself an omelette master as well (though maybe not in public…) ;)

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Jun 05 2012
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Food

Warm Chicken and Beet Salad

We’ve all heard it before: salads are awesome for you, but don’t they get a little bit…boring? This salad mixes it up by replacing your standard leafy greens with a base of beets, and has enough nutritious goodness to keep you going until your next meal. Here’s how you make it:

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced beets

1 grilled chicken breast, cubed (I used leftover chicken from my shawarma salad)

1/4 cup chickpeas

1-2 tbsp feta cheese

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 slice lemon

To Make:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, and a squirt of lemon juice. Enjoy! :)

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May 12 2012
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Food

1, 2, 3, Spaghetti Squash!

Let’s just say it: spaghetti squash rocks! For those of you who have never tried it, it is basically a vegetable that is so much like noodles that you can substitute it in numerous noodle dishes (say that three times fast)! Of course it doesn’t have the same taste as a pasta, however it saves you hundreds of calories in carbs (and it’s gluten-free), so I think it’s a pretty reasonable trade-off. Not only that, but it’s really easy to prepare. Here’s how you do it:

Step 1: Purchase a spaghetti squash from your local grocery store and chop it in half (this can be quite a taxing process so brace yourself and be safe)!

Step 2: Place each half face down on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at around 350 degrees until you can pierce through the top with a fork.

Step 3: Remove the seeds and then scrape out the insides with a fork (they’ll come out looking just like spaghetti noodles).

Time to eat! You can prepare this numerous ways: casseroles, spaghetti, pad thai, basically any dish that you might otherwise use noodles for. I enjoyed mine with Italian Turkey Meatballs the other day and it was fantastic!

Enjoy! :)

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May 07 2012
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Food

Homemade Gluten-Free Tortillas

I find that I feel better when I am eating gluten-free, however this is often quite inconvenient, and not too economical. This is especially problematic if one is running regularly and needs to be consuming fuel heavy carbohydrates on a daily basis. I was particularly excited when I discovered this tortilla recipe online, and had to try it for myself. Good news: it’s awesome! You can use virtually any type of flour for this pan bread (including varieties containing gluten), it holds together surprisingly well, and best of all they only take five minutes to make! Allow me to explain:

Ingredients (for one tortilla):

1/4 cup flour of any sort (so far I’ve experimented with quinoa and brown rice flours…you can also combine them!)

1/2 a large egg

4 tbsp milk (I used almond milk)

Combine ingredients in a bowl.

Use a bit of oil on a pan (coconut oil works well), spread the mixture evenly, and cook until you see bubbles on the top. Use a spatula to flip and cook the other side.

Let cool and either eat immediately or cover tightly and refrigerate. There you have it! Five minute gluten-free, preservative free wraps that ring you in at only about 145 calories! You can also add spices, chia seeds, cut them into fours and make mini sandwiches, roll them up, etc. I would also recommend making sure the mixture is more watery (this might require adding extra almond milk for certain flours), as it makes it easier to spread evenly on the pan.

Today I spread some dijon mustard, spinach, and preservative free chicken slices on my tortilla and made a delicious, healthy, gluten-free wrap. Yum!

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Apr 25 2012
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Food

Easy-Peasy Oatmeal Banana Bake

As a busy university student I typically have three requirements of my meals: 1) Healthy, 2) Easy, 3) Economical. This oatmeal banana bake meets all of those criteria…oh, and did I mention that it’s delicious? I doubled this recipe to make this bake which provided enough hearty goodness for four breakfasts! We were surprised to find that it actually has the texture of a soft chewy bread, not a granola bar like we expected. A couple recommendations if I may: firstly, as these are preservative-free I would make sure to cover them well and try to eat them within a few days (otherwise things start to get a bit…sticky). Second, I think I would cut down on the walnuts next time around (or perhaps substitute them with almond) – but that’s more of a personal preference. Enjoy, and as always I love to get your feedback! :)

I just had to sneak in these adorable cupcakes that we made for my friend’s birthday! Yeah that’s right…we’re not always perfectly healthy either ;)

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Mar 25 2012
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Food

Skinny Italian Turkey Meatballs

What do you do when you have a free Sunday afternoon and two health-minded people? Well for us the only logical thing to do was to make an enormous batch of Italian turkey meatballs! These ones are super duper healthy, and while they take a little bit of time and effort to make, they are definitely worth it. You can find the recipe here. Also, I find that I sometimes struggle with maintaining my healthy lifestyle while cooking things that are “guy friendly”…this one clearly gets the male stamp of approval:

Enjoy! :)

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Jan 10 2012
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Food

Egg Stuffed Avocado

This morning I got a little crafty in the kitchen, and decided to try something new by baking an egg inside of an avocado half. Not only are these both super foods (avocados are full of healthy energizing fats – yes, I said healthy fats, and eggs are loaded with protein), but also it tasted absolutely delicious! I know I say that about a lot of things that I cook, but I seriously think I may have started singing after I took my first bite of this. This breakfast is super easy to make: just cut an avocado in half, take out the pit (you might need to scoop out a bit more depending on the size of your egg), pour a raw egg in, and add some seasoning if you’d like (I used a cajun spice). Then just throw it in the oven until the egg is cooked through and enjoy!

Also, a petite fitness update: For those of you that are interested, I am still pushing through on my half marathon training (although admittedly it is getting tougher with this cold weather!), and I started doing some work outs from p90x for strength training last week which are incredible. I’m really using January as a month to be hard core about my fitness and nutrition. I hope this inspires some of you to do the same! I’ll post more details including a calendar so you can work out along with me if you’d like soon. (:

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Dec 18 2011
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Food

Chicken Shawarma Salad

One of the best parts about living in downtown Toronto (or any urban centre for that matter) is the street shawarma, which is oh so good. Sometimes however, we want to enjoy this meal from the comforts of our own homes (and hey, let’s face it, maybe a little less fatty too)! Enter this primal shawarma salad recipe, which is absolutely delicious! I used chicken breast (because it’s healthy and easy to work with), but you can try this with a variety of meats. We also created our own salad dressing because we found that just mixing olive oil with lemon juice was a little bland. Up to you! Now, I’m off on vacation for a week where I fully intend to bask in the sun and think about nothing but my beach volleyball score. I will report back after. Hope you all have wonderful, healthy, and happy Holidays! (:

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Dec 14 2011
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Food

Chicken Tikka with Homemade Potato Chips

I got the recipe for the Chicken Tikka (above) from a Women’s Health article on protein packed meals. Though it looks a little bland in colouring, this meal is full of delicious flavour thanks to a yogurt-cashew coating that is packed with healthy spices. Making homemade potato chips is also a super easy, fun way to spice up an old staple. All you have to do is slice up a potato or yam into thin circles (I just used a knife since I don’t have any fancy tools), then coat the slices in vegetable oil, salt, and pepper, and bake in the oven until they look nice and crisp! We ate this chicken with an easy-to-make yogurt dip which also works really well with the chips. Enjoy!

Chicken Tikka with Yogurt Dip

Dip (serves 3-4): Mix 1 cup yogurt (I used plain organic 2% yogurt), with 1tsp minced garlic and some lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Chicken Tikka (Serves 4): Cut 4 boneless chicken breasts into 1″ chunks and marinate in the following for 30 minutes:

- 1/2 cup plain organic yogurt (I used 2%)

- 1/2 cup ground cashews (you can be a dweeb like me and grind these with a knife, or you can avoid sore arms and simply use a food processor)

- 2 tsp ground cardamom

- 2 tsp ground coriander

- 2 tsp minced ginger

- 2 tsp minced garlic

After marinating cook through until chicken is browned (the original recipe suggests grilling the chicken, but I pan-fried mine in canola oil). Serve with the yogurt dip.

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