Sunday, March 25, 2012

for the love of food...

well here we are again.. another instalment of Heather's healthy favourites.
Came across the recipe for Mini Ham & Chs Qunioa bites and knew it was something we would all love over here. This was SO simple to make.
You must try this. These are packed with protein. 3g per bite. And at less than 50 calories per bite you can feel good about eating these for dinner.. or lunch, or breakfast or as a snack.
You could add in so many other things too..the options are endless. Here is my version of these delightful mini power packed bites.

1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup grated cheese - I use a light farmers marble cheese.
3/4 cup diced lean ham
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup parsley - chopped
1/4 cup light cottage cheese
2 sliced green onions
salt and pepper
I also added a bit of red hot pepper sauce. - YUM.
Throw that all in a bowl

Add to it
2 eggs
2 egg whites (I use the egg whites that come in the carton and I think I did about 1/4 cup or so)
Add in 2 cups quinoa



Turn your oven to 350 degrees and spray a mini muffin pan (spray it well) I scoop my mixture with a cookie scoop so they are full. Put in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool for 5 minutes and remove them.. then try to walk away so you don't pop them in one after the other. :) So good hot, warm or cold. I served this for supper with steamed broccoli. The perfect little yummy bite!


*Adapted from IowaGirlEats

I also wanted to share a couple more of my "secrets" to eating healthy especially when you are in a hurry. Lunch is always a bit hard for me cause I only get home around 1:00 and then by the time I get Jett to sleep it's 1:30... So I have been getting good at always having healthy options on hand. Baby Carrots, Hummus, Whole Wheat Pitas. These are go to's for me. I also always have Baby Spinach and Broccoli Slaw on hand for a super quick yummy salad. I also have been making a batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week. I throw that in a container with black beans and a couple tablespoons salsa (I like the black bean and corn salsa from PC) when I get home I throw some hummus onto a pita and fill it with my mixture.. add in either spinach or broccoli slaw and I have a yummy filling delicious FAST lunch.



On Monday & Wednesday's I teach two bootcamps per evening so I need a power packed something to get me through but eating a full supper doesn't feel good in my stomach so I make myself a Green smoothie. I always walk away feeling full but not bogged down. Here is my favorite combination

Frozen berries
Kiwi
1 cup of greek yogurt
I mix in 2 Tablespoons of protein powder (I have been using an all natural hemp product - really good and gives me tons of energy)
1 cup of Almond milk
Then I fill the blender with spinach
Blend it up and ENJOY.

So there you have it a few of my favourite tips for eating healthy through the week!!






6 comments:

Amanda said...

Looks so good. But shouldn't your first recipe have quinoa?

I do zucchini shakes all the time, but haven't tried spinach yet.

Heather said...

oops thanks for pointing that out.. lol. I edited it.

Dixie Vandersluys said...

Thanks for the ideas, Heather. Going to try them!!

Holly said...

i like your pita idea, i'm going to try that!

Angela Oliver said...

Yes! Keep them coming! I love good healthy "quick" recipes! Thanks Heather!

Corinna said...

Looks great Heather! I have to ask though, being a green smoothie skeptic and never having had one...are they really good?? Are they really satisfying enough to skip supper for? I just keep believe that they are, but feel free to change my mind.
I love quinoa, and like your new ideas. I will definitely be trying the quinoa bites. Do you use cooked quinoa or uncooked? I'm imagining you have to cook it first?