Jes Reynolds…Your Fitness Coach

Ingredients

3 grilled chicken breasts, chopped
1 cup wild rice
1 red onion, chopped finely
1 cup diced sweet potato
1/2 cup fresh corn
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
3 stalks celery chopped finely
1 medium apple, diced
3 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tsp. salt
1/2 Tsp. ground pepper
1/4 cup cilantro
1 Tbl. orange zest
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbl. basalmic vinegar

Directions

1. Cook rice on stove top according to directions.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Spread almonds over a baking sheet. Roast 8 min, until
browned.

3. Mix onion, sweet potato, & corn in bowl with 1 Tbl. olive oil & 1/2 Tsp. salt.

4. Spread mixture on baking sheet and roast in oven at 425 for about 15-20 minutes. Stir after 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

5. In serving bowl, mix chopped chicken breast, rice, and corn mixture. Then add
celery, sun-dried tomatoes, apple, cilantro, & orange zest.

6. In a small separate bowl, combine lemon juice & basalmic vinegar with remaining oil, salt & pepper. Add to rice/chicken mixture and toss. Sprinkle with roasted almonds.

If you make this, let me know how it turns out! ENJOY!

If you wait until just before work to prepare this, you’ll be in a time crunch. I would make it on Sunday morning and then save any leftovers for breakfast during the week.

Ingredients:
4 Egg Whites
1 Whole Free Range Egg
½ c. Spinach (lightly steamed)
½ c. chopped peppers and onions
¼ c. water chestnuts, chopped
¼ c. mushrooms
¼ c. skim milk
3 tbl. Low fat cheese (Monterey Jack is good)
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Set oven to 375. Mix all together, spray small baking pan with olive oil spray. Bake until egg whites are cooked through about 10-15 minutes. You can make a double batch if you don’t have a small enough pan.

I’m not sure I’ve shared this before, but I have totally brainwashed myself to eat healthy, balanced meals (and snacks) no matter what. As I was preparing the chicken pasta I mentioned a few days ago on Twitter, I realized that some of you may not be aware of all the little secrets my brainwashing has lead me to discover over the years.

Since being brainwashed allows me to totally negate the actual taste of food (kidding) I often substitute traditional recipe ingredients for healthier ones. One of my common substitutions is to use protein enriched pasta instead of white flour pasta. The best one I’ve found is Barilla Plus. It’s a multi-grain pasta with a profile that allows you to create a nutritionally-balanced meal instead of the typical fast absorbing, carbohydrate loaded, blood-sugar spike that you normally receive from traditional pasta. Barilla Plus has a balanced profile and healthy ingredients that are naturally rich in protein and fiber, but still provides the taste you (or at least I) expect from your favorite pasta meals.

I will admit that I don’t really remember the taste of white flour pasta…

I’ve included a profile comparison chart for you to review below. If you end up trying it, let me know what you think!