From Challenge Workouts: Delicious Meals for a Week (Recipes Included)

I am on this woman's email list Shawna Kaminski, - she is the author of Challenge Workouts, and femalefitoverforty.com and she often passes along some fantastic advice! Below is an email from her with some unbelievable recipes. 

I am doing her 21 day Challenge Diet. It was $27 for the 3 weeks, and her advice is sound, and you get to be a part of a support group on FB so that's the best! She offers a 1200 calorie program for women and 1900 for men. She does NOT recommend following such little calories for longer than the 21 days, it is a jump start program, and then there is a maintenance plan. She offers workouts like Zuzka's and BR's as well. 

I'm following the 1900 calorie program even though it is for men as I teach 10 fitness classes a week and practice yoga on top of that (and chase 2 small children around). I get my cheat meal today. :) I also have had only one piece of processed food in a whole week! Loving that. 

Here's Shawna's email:

We all know that I'm vying for the title 'worst cook on the planet' so I wouldn't count on me for developing recipes. I do, however, have eating skills and while I can't be counted on to whip up something from my imagination to cook, I know what ingredients I want to eat and I can follow directions.

 

Now a happy coincidence with my 21 Day Challenge Diet is that I have amazing cooks on the private page. Today I have a guest post from one of my superstar members from the 21 Day Challenge DietFacebook page with a guest post for you. You'll find 12 healthy and yummy recipes below...enjoy!

 

Guest Post by Lisa Bullock 

 

Even if you've been living under a rock, chances are you'll have heard talk of Shawna's wildly successful 21 Day Challenge Diet.   This is really a 'non-diet' diet in that the program teaches you healthy nutrition and sensible eating.  And one of the key elements in the success of this plan is the social support from the 'Challenge Diet' Community private Facebook page.

 

Even if you're not ready to commit to this program and don't feel that you have extra pounds to shed you might enjoy trying some of the recipes that have been posted by the Community.  We've come up with some tasty and easy recipes to share that follow Paleo principles designed for maximum taste and maximum fat loss!  Bon Appetit!

Breakfast:

Thanks to Karen R. for this suggestion - sunny-side eggs with tomato, red and yellow peppers, avocado, aragula (rocket), lemon wedges - full of good proteins, good fats and great fibrous veggies - a colorful mix of veggies guarantees a wide selection of nutrients and means that you'll never go hungry!

Vaughan C. shared his amazing breakfast too - chock full of protein and taste with good fibre.  5 egg omelette with kale, 3oz/100g tuna and chilli. Women will reduce the number of eggs to 2 eggs plus ¼ cup of egg whites to meet calorie requirements.

Patti J. loves her breakfast of Greek yoghurt with berries, chia seeds, and cinnamon - you could also choose to add some chopped nuts to top this healthy, filling kick start to the day.

Think you'll be hungry on this diet?  I don't think so.  It ended up being too ambitious for me and I only got through 2/3 the plate but this breakfast came in at just under 350 calories - loads of fibre, great nutrients, good fats and proteins and I was full for hours!  I sautéed mushrooms, red peppers, asparagus, English spinach alongside 1 egg and 4 egg whites.  Lean and clean eating at it's yummiest!

Let's bring out the big guns now!  Suzie is a star on the facebook page with her amazing recipes for all occasions that are paleo-compliant, healthful and satisfying to the most serious foodie!  You can read more from Suzie at her stunning food and design blogurbancountrystyle.com

 

Here's how Suzie had us drooling over this restaurant quality breakfast recipe.  "Are you tired of the same old breakfast? How about this steak and eggs breakfast salad with leftover steak, caramelized red onions and mushrooms, sitting on a bed of very lightly dressed olive oil and white balsamic arugula." As Suzie was eating this for brunch on a mad busy day and didn't know when she'd be eating next, she had 2 poached eggs.  Watch the protein portions if you're cooking this for breakfast - women should choose one egg serving and men, 2 eggs.

Main Meals

For a filling lunch with fewer than 350 calories I chose lean bacon alongside a green salad of diced avocado and aragula (rocket).  A light drizzle of flaxseed oil and balsamic vinegar added flavour and bite, and zucchini and sweet potato fritters added some body to the meal.  The fritters were quick and so easy to make - I grated 1 large zucchini and ½ sweet potato in the food processor, stirring in 3 eggs, 1 tbspn of coconut flour and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook in extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil and serve.  I whipped up an extra batch for snacks too!

Those same fritters appeared in another salad the next day.

I had a craving for smoked salmon (princess that I am!) and combined a colourful salad with left-over zucchini fritters.  After a family battle over the last remaining avocado in the house, I won!  But not by much as you can see!  I chopped tomatoes and cucumber with some aragula (my fave) for extra veggies and I was full til dinner!

 

No guessing who added this amazing vegetarian classic - Suzie from urbancountrystyle.com does it again! 

Carrot Faux Fettucine -  a vegetarian recipe that comes in under 300 cals

To make the sauce: add a glug of olive oil, a dozen or so cherry tomatoes (halved), 1-2 tbsp capers, 8 black olives (these are from a tin and pitted), 1/4 c diced red onion, 1-2 cloves minced garlic, 2 quartered tinned artichoke hearts (packed in water), 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1-2 tsp dried basil. This makes one serving. 

 

Simmer all together over medium heat until the tomatoes start to break down and it forms a rough chopped looking sauce.

 

Use a speed peeler to make the noodles from 2 carrots. A tip to get wider noodles: peel one side then turn it over so that the carrot lays flat while you keep peeling over the same area. When you hit the center, turn it over and peel the other side.

 Top the noodles with the sauce (I like them raw but you could blanch them for a couple of minutes as well). I added a shaving of Parmesan. Careful with adding any salt as the capers are already salty.

Rod's Fave Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin soup is our go-to Sunday night meal!  Adjust quantities to suit you and your family.  Saute roughly chopped lean bacon in coconut oil till lightly browned.  Add in diced pumpkin, carrots and half a head of cauliflower.  Stir veggies until lightly sautéed and coated with coconut oil (don't use too much, it's a healthy fat but it's still a fat!). Add in 2 tspns of cumin powder and stir thoroughly.  Cover over with low-sodium chicken stock and allow to simmer until veggies are tender.  Use your stick blender to blend to a smooth and thick consistency and then stir through one small can of light coconut milk. " 2,4,6,8 - dig in, don't wait"!  For an even more filling meal, I'll saute ½ kg/1lb of chicken thigh fillets in a separate pan - then chop into smaller pieces and add to soup just prior to blending.  The chicken adds protein and real thickness to this meal.  Delish!

 Another fabulous offering from Suzie are "zoodles" - now famous on the Page to replace traditional noodles.  Zucchini "noodles" (cut from the whole zucchini with a spiral cutter) topped with lemon garlic tiger prawns and a creamy avocado Alfredo (avocado, garlic, lemon, Greek yogurt, fresh basil). 326 cals 23g protein, 12g carbs, 22g fat.

Snacks

 

 Jennifer gave us this delicious looking snack!  Strawberries, Greek yoghurt and chopped almonds.  If you find the taste of Greek yoghurt a little too bitter - add some cinnamon or stevia to taste.

And probably the all-round MOST requested snack recipe on the page - I hand it to Suzie again!  For when a sweet craving hits and you just HAVE to satisfy it! Suzie's afternoon apple pie.   1 small apple, diced, and sprinkled with a tsp of cinnamon. Microwave on high for 1 min and top with 1/4 c Greek Yogurt plus 1/8 c chopped walnuts. Mmmm!

 

Now, tell me again how dieting is deprivation and boredom?  Not at our place!  If you'd like to join our Community and experience successful weight loss or even just healthy, nutritious eating then check out the 21 Day Challenge Diet  and take your taste buds for a run!

 

Big thanks to Lisa for sharing these fantastic recipes, this is the sort of thing you'll find day in and day out on 21 Day Challenge Diet private Face book page. Oh, and a ton of questions being answered around the clock.

 

I hope you enjoy the recipes!  

 

Shawna Kaminski
Author: ChallengeWorkouts.com

ZUZANA has a shoulder workout posted on her FB page (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE7txmFLEi0), and BR has a repeat workout (http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/12/13/the-girl-with-the-dragon-abs-workout-2-of-the-12-workouts-of-christmas/) as well as a jump rope challenge (http://www.dailyhiit.com/hiit-blog/hiit-workout/summer-body-workout-1-jump-rope-burn-fat/).