Half the Fat Zucchini Bread

I took the highest rated zucchini bread recipe and reduced the fat by half and the sugar by a third! My zucchini bread keeps it healthy, but has the same great texture and taste!

You may be rolling your eyes at me, you're thinking "Ewwwww it's gonna taste like crap with half the fat, why did you do that?" Come on now... do I look like a chick that would eat crappy food?! I founded NY Foodgasm for the purpose of creating healthy recipes for those of us that reeeeallllly love food. Good food, not "diet food".

Summer Weight Loss- Week 14

This week's tip is all about whole grains. From fiber to protein, whole grains got you covered and will keep you full and healthy!

What the hell are whole grains anyways?

Following is the official definition of whole grains, approved and endorsed by the Whole Grains Council in May 2004:

Whole grains or foods made from them contain all the essential parts and naturally-occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed in their original proportions. If the grain has been processed (e.g., cracked, crushed, rolled, extruded, and/or cooked), the food product should deliver the same rich balance of nutrients that are found in the original grain seed.

Below is a complete list of grains...

• Amaranth
• Barley
• Buckwheat
• Corn, including whole cornmeal and popcorn
• Millet
• Oats, including oatmeal
• Quinoa
• Rice, both brown rice and colored rice
• Rye
• Sorghum (also called milo)
• Teff
• Triticale
• Wheat, including varieties such as spelt, emmer, farro, einkorn, Kamut®, durum and forms such as bulgur, cracked wheat and wheatberries
• Wild rice

 Okay enough of the introduction, you get it. People tell you alllll the time how awesome whole grains are. Well they are and they are NOT boring guys, you are just not used to them!

I am sure you guys have heard of quinoa the most. The thing about whole grains is that they are way more than carbs, they have fiber and protein. Not only do they keep you full longer, they also are good for digestion and for your heart health. They're GREAT for diabetics too. Processed carbohydrates like pasta can cause a spike in sugars to your system and then a crash of the sugar levels. Whole grains take longer to break down so you get a more gradual sugar release giving you more sustained energy.

So let's get real here... some of these may seem weird and scary, but like that quote last week said, "Life begins outside your comfort zone." So I challenge you guys to try one on this list you have never had before!

I am committed to try and cook farro the very first time!!

How about you? What whole grain would you like to try?

Summer Weight Loss- Week 13

You love food, that is why you are reading this website. Food is one of the things that brings you joy. To me food is definitely one of life's greatest pleasures! Funny enough, I became a lot more adventurous with it when I started my journey into healthier living. As much as I loved food, I was stuck in a box.

I only ate American, Italian and Greek Food. I knew what I knew and I ate in larger quantities. Food was great to me, but I didn't have much respect for it. I wanted lots of it and I wasn't that picky an eater.

Summer Weight Loss- Week 12

This week's tip for the summer weight loss challenge- Be a portion pro! Eating in the proper portions is most of the battle when living a healthy lifestyle!

Eating healthy, nutritious foods is only part of the battle of the bulge. Knowing how much to eat is JUST as important or even more so! Knowing what a portion is really opened my eyes when I started my journey into a healthy lifestyle...

I literally filled a plate with pasta, that is totally just a serving, right?! WRONG! 1 cup of pasta is a serving. So still to this day I measure my pasta since I tend to be heavy handed with it! Same with rice, couscous, etc. A serving of meat, who knows what a serving a meat is... oh it must be that steak you gave me. WRONG! It's just 3 oz.! So same thing goes for meat I weigh it. Though now I have gotten good at eyeballing it. A serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards.

Here is a list of what portions look like...

I know it can totally be scary and the MOST annoying thing like EVER! Believe me I resisted weighing and measuring my food for a while, but that is why I did not see much success before. Once I started weighing and measuring my food it really gave me the momentum and the power to learn proper eating habits! Just do it, seriously! It make a BIG difference and it's not so bad. Also if your plate doesn't look like enough... add some veggies, you can NEVER go wrong adding more veggies!

To make measuring and weighing much less of a hassle, I hung my measuring cups and spoons in plain sight where I prepare my food. This made it a lot less of a pain in the ass!

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 11

This week's tip, You shall burn for your sins.... not in hell but with some exercise!

Sounds brutal right? Though you WILL NOT burn in hell though, not really. You're gonna burn them calories at the gym! To make up for some of those eating sins.

Here is how I used to handle eating badly: beat myself up for it, make myself feel like a horrible person, a failure etc.... Then I would eat MORE since I felt a failure to try and make myself feel better.

BAD PATTERN!

So here is how I deal now- I take action! I made some eating mistakes, okay that is life and I LOVVVVE food and beer. So I had tooooo much to drink and too much to eat. All I can do NOW about it is make better choices today and BURRRRRN some of those calories with some exercise. NOT as punishment, but to be good to my body and to make sure I can lessen or even negate the bad behavior I already had!

Case in point- I had one hell of a week. Good Beer (a beer and food event in NYC) on Thursday, Maroni's 16 course chef's tasting on Friday for my in-law's anniversary and a party on Saturday when battle ship beer pong was played.... (because if battleship beer pong IS a thing and I NEED to play it, even though I sucked miserably at it)

Yes lots of excessive eating a drinking and somehow I escaped a hangover both times... I try and tell people I don't drink a lot, but ummmmm people see this on social media and it just does NOT look good for my case.

I did not wanna run today- but I did- I ran and ran with some killer music for a mile and a half thinking about all the fun I had, but also about the scale that I have a date with Tuesday. Then I came home and dug up grass for the patio we're building for more exercise. So yes I am gonna burn for my sins in a good way.

Overall, as I explained it was a pretty epic week, a beer and food event, a chef's tasting, and a party with old friends and more good beer. If I do go up on the scale, I will own it because I had a GREAT time and that is really what life is about. Plus it's not usually so many food and beer events are in just one week!

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 10

This week's tip is about protein! Stay full, fit and build muscle by having protein at every meal!

This week is all about the protein! You hear lots about it on TV and there's lots of products that boast protein... These products are sometime also loaded with sugar, artificial ingredients and preservatives. So basically what I'm saying is that protein does not mean healthy. You gotta look at the total package.

Eating protein not only keeps you feeling full longer, you need it to build muscle. 

Here's what you wanna look for in protein... 

1- Lean protein- Lean means it has little fat, such as chicken breast or chickpeas.
2- From the source- Eat the source of the protein, have nuts or meat, stay away from man-made protein snacks and drinks as much as you can. Like I said there can be lots of extra sugar or chemicals.

Here are some GREAT examples of lean proteins...

• Eggs- Each Egg has 7g protein, 2 grams of fat
• Edamame- 1 cup has 17g of protein, 7g of fat
• Ground Sirloin- 3oz. has 23g protein, 12 g of fat
• Pork Loin- 3 oz. has 21g proten, 8g of fat
• Chicken Breast- 3oz. has 27g protein, 3 g fat

 Week 9 in review

Overall I had a good week, got in exercise, not excessive indulgence etc.

low point- a little stress indulgence, rough week at work, gave in to temptation
high point- loooooong day of hiking and not much eating on Fire Island proving there is much more to life than food and beer!

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 9

Week 9's tip is to start the day f%$^*n healthy! When you start well you have a better chance of keeping that groove going the rest of the day, the converse is the same. If you start with a sweet you will be craving it ALL day long!

This is a lesson I learned along my journey to healthier living. It took trial and error but I totally realized how you start your day totally impacts the rest of it! This can be said for eating as well as everything else.

I noticed if I caved and had a cookie and called in breakfast I would be craving sugar the rest of the day. Then there is the old "Oh I already had an unhealthy breakfast may as well write this day off..." There is this domino effect, if you start with a healthy choice odds are that you will make another healthy choice.

For example this morning I started with a smoothie, went to work and spied a chocolate cake in the kitchen. I was totally tempted by the fudginess, the gooeyness, how moist it was and the smell of chocolate wafting in the air at me. That bitch was calling my name... BUT I didn't wanna undo the good I already did, so I completely gave that cake the cold shoulder.

But I really wanna know... how do YOU start the day healthy?

My Week 8 Recap

High Points- I got in exercise and went to a beer event that night, didn't even have 1 whole drink and I ate a snack when I got home since I forgot to eat dinner. (but ummm it was a cookie, DUMB!)

Low Points- Didn't plan enough in advance, ate a lot and did some wine tasting on Saturday. Resulted in lots of snacking and eating a sandwich called "The Heart Attack" this would have been okay if I remember I ALSO had my father's birthday the next day. I sampled pastries and dinner was eggplant parm and meatballs. Did my best to control my portions, but OUCH! Let's see what the scale beholds, but I am not feeling too lucky!

Below is evidence Exhibit A- Me and "The Heart Attack"

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 8

This week's tip is Drink some Fuckin' H20. You need water so make sure you get 8 glasses in a day.

Our bodies range from 50-65% water. Every damn part of your body needs water to function. So you know if that ain't enough here are some more reasons to get your 8, 8 oz. glasses a day....

To drive the point home I used some colorful fucking language.

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 7

Today it's my birthday and I enjoyed this weekend to it's fullest! It was my birthday and it only happens once a year so I am gonna enjoy it MY way.

Bacon and Beer!

My party had a bacon theme and it served as a bottle share. (A bottle share is when people bring all different types of beer and you sample them all as a group).

Yes it is the summer weight loss challenge BUT it's also my birthday and I am gonna have fun and own the consequences on the scale if there are any.

BUT.....
I also planned for this indulgence by getting in plenty of exercise. Went hiking almost every day of the weekend so I could minimize the damage and you know what? I will be heading out for MORE exercise in a few!

So I am taking control and owning my debauchery and undoing as much damage as I can. It is a MUCH different feeling when you eat too much on your birthday and didn't plan for it... then when you eat lots and DID plan for it. I'm in control- I got this.

While I am all mmmmmm bacon and beer- I accounted for this and allowed it to happen.

This may explain my brown butter and bacon ice cream that will find it's way onto the blow this week.

80% healthy 20% bacon and beer-- it ALL ties together!

My week's recap

The last couple weeks I have stayed the same weight (even with my lady time). So I take that as a good sign. But I know I gotta push through harder and detox from all the sweets and fat from this weekend. I am also joining a gym for the days it's too hot to run outside (i'm not a morning person). Like I said, got lots of exercise. BUT I also drank lots of beer and ate a bacon cheeseburger. Will I lose tomorrow? Guess I will find out! But if I didn't I am okay with that, I had a great week and enjoyed it all!

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 6

This week's Summer Weight Loss Challenge Tip is 80/20 RULES! Eat healthy 80 percent of the time, the other 20 indulge in whatever you love most!

This is my favorite philosophy and I like to explain it as 80% healthy and watching portions 20% bacon and beer! I mean you guys know following me on Facebook and Twitter just how much I love the tasty things in life and my passion for craft beer. A lot of people wonder how do you maintain your weigh loss when you love those things? The answer is I love them in moderation and I don't keep lots of things like that in my house.

I think this photo illustrates 80/20 pretty nicely, a well balanced portion controlled dinner after a workout with a pint of beer. A little indulgence with lots of veggies!

You can see 80/20 as weekdays are strictly healthy, weekends you loosen the reigns a bit. So usually during the week for me there is no beer. I mostly eat salads for lunch, a smoothie or Greek yogurt with fruit and granola for breakfast and a light dinner. On the weekend I may go to a brewery for a tasting, have a couple pints with friends, or eat a nice piece of cake. I choose my indulgences and don't beat myself up for them since I am in control. I decide when to indulge and how.

During the weekdays when you want some ice cream, think about it... DO I want this now? Would it taste sweeter on the weekend on the beach? Just think about when you indulge and how often. If you can remember you indulged in a Carvel Sundae the night before, you want to second guess indulging again for the next couple days.

When I was on Weight Watchers they gave us points. Every week you had an extra 49 points to blow on whatever you liked. Sometimes I would blow it all in one day, one meal or spread it out through the week. You can think of the 80/20 the same kinda way. If you go have a 12 course chef tasting you will need the count that as the entire 20% LOL! But if you wanna have a little chocolate every night you can do that too!

What is WONDERFUL about 80/20. It means I can each EVERYTHING I want, just not all at once. But knowing you CAN eat something doesn't make you obsess over that cake. You may have a sliver and call it a day and give yourself a pat on the back for having that cake!

What does 80/20 mean for you? How can you implement it into your life?!

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 5

Week 5 of NY Foodgasm's Summer Weight Loss Challenge is to Eat 5 to Stay Alive, meaning to strive 5 5 serving of fruits and/or veggies a day!

So coincidentally this is week 5 and we're talking about having 5 serving of fruits and veggies a day. When someone tells me they want to try to eat healthy and change their lifestyle, the first thing I suggest is to try to get their 5 servings of fruits and/or veggies a day?

Why you say? The answer is it is easier to add something to your diet than to take something away. If you literally make a pact with yourself to get your 5 servings a day you will also find you are eating less carbs since you need to have fruit for that snack to get that extra serving in. You may also find at dinner you eat less pasta or potatoes since you ate some veggies with that meal.

Fruits and vegetables are also just about the healthiest foods you can eat. They have lots less calories and are very low in fat (except avocado and some others). They pack in tons of vitamins and minerals, micro nutrients and FIBER! Yes your colon will thank you!! Your tribute to the toilet gods will be more frequent and enjoyable!

In short they keep you healthy, regular and stave off disease.

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 4

This week's tip: Show yourself some LOVE

Have you ever noticed how you talk to yourself? That voice in your head? Take a good listen, chances are there all sorts of negative mean spirited bullying going on. We are, often, our worst critics. So this week I want you to take notice of how you talk to yourself... then try and imagine what you best friend would say to you!

I had this revelation when talking to a friend a few years ago. We were talking about weight loss and often how you think in terms of black and white and expect perfection from yourself. We were talking and I realized I always tell myself... "You're not good enough..."

So for a week a consiously listened in on this dialogue to myself..... the very first day I will never forget what I noticed.I was at the gym- I was about 40-50 pounds heavier than I am now and this is what was running through my head.

"What the hell am I doing here, these people probably think I am hopeless and look disgusting... how did I get this heavy? I look like a joke." (that is the basic jist)

I then realized what I was doing and I turned it around on myself- I thought where is the positive in this situation? Okay I could see it, like a best friend would tell me.

"Actually Sophia you are fucking brave and you DESERVE to be here more than anyone, you need this, you want this and you DESERVE to be healthy. You are taking charge of your health, good for you!"

So this week I implore you to listen to your voice and show yourself some much deserved love. You have the power to change and do ANYTHING you set your mind to, if you're on your own side.

Week 3 in review

My lowpoint - Tuesday eating a small hot fudge sundae at Carvel. Yeah I ate that bitch right up. I had a hard day and was feeling pretty crappy about myself from work. An old friend of mine got a promotion and is now giving me orders on a project. It reminded me that I am exactly at the same job that is totally beneath my skill set. I felt like an utter failure. But to see this from the bright side I got the sundae in a SMALL and I got nonfat ice cream. So I am proud of myself for that!

My high point- Thursday Dinner out with a friend- ordered some gourmet meatballs and a side of bacon risotto. I did NOT finish my meal. I knew the risotto was full of fat and calories and I had a weekend ahead of me. I knew I was gonna want to eat something extra or have some beer. So I didn't finish my food and silently did a happy dance. I am damn proud I didn't finish all that food, even though I wanted to!

The bottom line my last weigh day I did not gain or lose, I stayed the same. I'm hoping for a loss of .5 on Tuesday when I weigh in.

Summer Weight Loss Challenge - Week 3

We all think in extremes... to lose weight I have to work out 5 days a week and stop eating junk food and start eating salad like every day. Then to make matters worse you try and do it all at once... Does this sound familiar?

The truth is your setting yourself up for failure, no one can make those changes overnight and you would hate living. Then honestly WTF is the point?!

Do not try and start with these HUGE lofty goals. Start with stupidly simple goals. Like seriously idiot proof. Something that you absolutely KNOW you can achieve.

For example: Say you don't work at all, just the sight of a gym makes you cringe. Well can you take a walk around the block once a week, just once? Totally!

Another example: You're obsessed with soda, you drink like 4 a day. Well maybe you cut it down to 3 a day.

The point is when you set a completely attainable goal, you achieve it. That makes you feel good about yourself, then you can move to the next level of that goal. That positive reinforcement gives you confidence and makes you feel great that you did something you wanted to do for yourself, more importantly you kept your word to yourself!

Conversely when we set goals too high and are unable to achieve them we think negatively about ourselves, making our self esteem plummet and that causes you to fall off the wagon and jump into a pile of twinkies.

So even if you think it is dumb... humor me and try it out.

Sign up to join in the summer weight loss challenge here and here. 

Let me know YOUR small goal for this week in the comments below!

Chicken Beeriyaki with Asian Slaw #beermonth

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Millennial Central for Kirin. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. All ideas presented are my own.

Here is the first group celebration of #beermonth my friends! My blogger pals have all joined together to bring you their take on beer recipes. I am super excited to introduce you all to Lauren of Hall Nesting, Heather from girlichef and Jessica from Jessiker Bakes! I love all these ladies and I want you to show them love to by checking out there blogs (I love them all and read them all every week!) and by checking out their recipes at the bottom of this post!  

This is my very first sponsored post, I often shy away from these things unless I genuinely think you guys wanna read about it. With this one, I knew I should be involved with this one. It is #beermonth after all! So when the opportunity arose for me to sample and cook with Kiran Ichiban, I was totally on board.

If you haven't heard of Kiran Ichiban it is THE Sushi Restaurant go to beer to represent Japan. To learn more about the beer, visit their website! I hadn't tried it before, so my expectations were low. But it was pretty decent, crisp and clean. Absolutely perfect to accompany any Asian dish. I think it represents Japanese cuisine pretty well; it is a simple yet elegant beer and very balanced. Not overly malty or hoppy you can pair this with most anything. But you know I don't just pair beer with food, I make food with beer!

Asian beer, Asian inspired dish! All you foodies- don't hate on me, I have a confession. I don't like sushi- nope- I tried it all and it ain't my thing. So that was out and I was glad, it's a whole lotta work. So I made something completely different with my beer. Chicken Beeriaki, it's like chicken teriaki, but like WAY better.

Everything is better with beer, but I also made this super easy too! All you have to do is brown some chicken and prepare the sauce in the food processor, then added the fresh Asian veggies. No cooking of veggies required, so it kinda makes an Asian slaw. I paired it with some sushi rice for that authentic feel. So I got what I like about sushi- protein, the sauce and that awesome sticky rice without the seaweed taste. I made a roll out of the ingredients, but I tasted it and I don't care for the seaweed AT ALL! If you do like sushi and seaweed wrappers this can easily be made into a roll. You can see I included a piece of the roll on the pictures so you could see it.

 Why is this a Foodgasm?

Chicken teriyaki is a staple- but kicked up with beer?! Even better. I find the beer flavor intensified and enhanced this and accompanied it even more than I imagined! This sauce is one of my new favorite things and I think it will be yours too! Even for the skeptical- try it! It will surprise you! Plus it is easy to make and low in fat and calories!

What you need

2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/3 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
Olive Oil as needed for browning

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon pickled ginger
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup Kiran Ichiban beer

2 cups chopped Asian salad (the kind you buy in a bag)

 

How to make it

1- Dredge chicken in mixture of flour, salt and pepper.
2- Brown chicken on both sides in a skillet on medium heat.
3- In a food processor, combine: 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon pickled ginger, 1/2 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1/2 cup Kiran Ichiban beer.
4- Mix together the Asian chopped salad with some of the sauce.
5- Serve atop Sushi rice.

Nutritional Information

Each serving includes chicken sauce and vegetables. Additional calories for white rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#Beermonth recipes

 

Roasted Vegetable Pizza

Vegetables remind you of Spring right?! Spring is looooong overdue here in NY and I needed some Spring inspiration mixed with a heartier cold weather food. So this pizza is just what I needed. I am sure I have told you about the magic of roasted vegetables- they are so so sweet. Some of you may be like a 2 year old and pouting with your arms crossed and your face all scrunched up saying, "Ewwwww." Well don't be a baby and put them arms down. Have I ever really steered you wrong? The magic of roasting vegetables is the flavor it adds! As the water inside the veggies evaporates out, the flavor and sugars get concentrated- similar to how caramelizing onions makes them sweeter.

So the reason this roasted vegetable pizza was born was necessity. My husband and I are trying to eat less meat. Not necessarily become vegetarian, but just cut down on animal proteins. We all have our own reasons and I don't wanna convince you this is what you must do. We all walk our own road. But since I have been blogging about food, I have learned more about all things food. Meat in this country is mass produced, has all sorts of hormones and antibiotics and I am sure you can imagine the animals are not treated too well. I was blissfully ignorant. Ignorance is not bad, I didn't wanna know. So I want to try my best to eat farm raised meat when I can and cut back in general. I just want to share with all of you since you all read this blog. This is something I am trying out and trying on for size.

Spinach and Feta Strata

I cannot get enough of the spinach and feta combo. I made Spinach and Feta Orzo, I made a Spinach and Feta Salad and now I got for you a Spinach and feta Strata. It is part quiche, part potato and part fritata. In fact, I had a really had time naming this, LOL. But a food bloggers friend of mine came up with something sorta like this and called it a strata, so thanks Joanne from Joanne Eats Well with Others. You saved me on this one!

Why is this a Foodgasm?

Spinach and Feta, it is magical and delicious and totally Greek. I like to give a nod to my hetitage when I can and they knew what they were doing with this flavor combo. Salty, creamy and you got a little bitter from the spinach, it just works. Then of course I add in some caramelized onions, garlic and you got yourself a full blown Greek-gasm. I love that this has a layer of potatoes too. It's a great filling meal, especially nice with a side salad for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dinner.

Eggplant Parmesan "Meat"balls

So my gratuitous v-day post was last week, but I made this recipe around the same time and all I could say is "Damn these are good" every single time I ate one. I never posted my recipe for veggie infused meatballs, but this is a staple to me. The perfect transformation of a food I love so very much to something soooo much healthier. The secret is that I add lots of hidden veggies to my meatballs. Seriously, no one will know since they a chopped up in the food processor. So I though why the hell not add the meat at all.... and use eggplant!! Since you are going to cover it in marinara anyways later on, why not add a little fresh mozzarella cheese over top. So this magical concoction was born!

Why is this a Foodgasm?

This has EVERYTHING you love about Eggplant Parmesan, even the breading, in a crispy little ball dripping in marinara and melted mozzarella cheese. They are NOT fried, they're baked! So you are losing LOTS of calories and fat and keeping ALL the flavor. These are sooooo good, I am making them twice and I almost NEVER make the same thing twice! Even better: they are not nearly as time consuming as Eggplant Parmesan.

So I don't have kids yet. But you know, I think that kids would eat these guys up! If you have vegetarian friends coming over- you can make this and both eat meatless, healthier and be completely satisfied. Actually this is one dish that makes me think, maybe I can be vegetarian someday. It is that good. Another great thing is you can make this as an appetizer or serve these over pasta as an entree.

#HolidayDetox Part 2- Start your day off right!

You know how if you have a bad morning it can ruin your WHOLE day. Like you wake up and the dog has chewed one of your shoes, it's raining outside and you ran out of coffee?! Well a bad start to your day can give the rest of the day a nasty outlook. Similarly if you start your day with an unhealthy breakfast or no breakfast at all it can have a negative impact on all food choices that follow. So that is why the second post in the #HolidayDetox series is about healthy, easy and delicious breakfast choices. Sophia tested and approved. Me and Jennifer from Peanut Butter and Peppers gotcha covered!! She makes some of the BEST healthy breakfasts I have EVER seen!! Go to the bottom of the posts for some pics and links to today's recipe!

In the beginning of my weight loss journey my breakfast either did not exist or it consisted solely on carbs, even sugary carbs. Skipping breakfast seems like a great way to save calories, but you wind up being so hungry at lunch you not only consume what you missed for breakfast and would each for lunch, you usually eat more than you would in those two meals had you not been "hangry". LOL! It took me a long time to realize this. I also realized if I started the day with sugar I craved it the ENTIRE day! So, when I started my weight loss journey, I knew I needed a meal that would fill me up for hours, but not break the bank in calories or WW points. 

BIG change starts with a single baby step, and then several after that!

So I started making my own healthy breakfasts. I started with Greek yogurt, the pre-flavored ones, then eventually moved to plain and added in my own flavors. I learned I could make my own flavor combos that would cost me less WW point and calories, since the pre-flavored ones usually have lots of sugar added. It is all in baby steps. You gotta do what you a comfortable with. So having breakfast at all is a good step and one that may take time to become a habit. This stuff doesn't happen overnight so be patient and kind to yourself. There is nothing wrong with you! Start with a SMALL commitment. For example if you don't eat breakfast at all, start by committing to eating breakfast twice a week. If you eat breakfast that isn't so healthy, commit to a healthy breakfast twice a week. You see where this is going.  

My breakfast evolution went something like this
Farina with Chocolate Chips
Honey Nut Cheerios
Instant Oatmeal Packets
Pre-Flavored Greek yogurt
The cheesy grits phase!
Plain Greek Yogurt with fruit and Stevia
Plain Greek Yogurt with Cheerios
Instant Oatmeal Packet with Greek Yogurt Added
Chocolate Smoothies
Fruit Smoothies 
Green Smoothies with no added sugar

This is over the course of like 2 years! So this stuff takes time and I understand if you don't jump right in to the Green Smoothie, I get it. It seems weird and intimidating and like a "health food" LOL.

 Now for my first round of recipes!

Triple Toasted Coconut Oatmeal Bars

Why is this a Foodgasm?

You like coconut? Well this not only has shredded coconut inside the bar, but is also made with coconut milk and coconut sugar. New to cooking with both? Me too! But it gave it an even more pronounced coconut flavor. This has the texture of a really soft granola bar. It is kinda cakey in a way. I love the texture and I LOVE that is tastes so good I wanna go back for more! The nice thing is it is not too sweet, just sweet enough to make it feel like a treat, without that gross feeling after you eat a muffin.

Why is it healthy?

This baby is PACKED with protein and whole grains. It is also VERY low in fat and sugar. Compare the stats below with your favorite granola bar or breakfast bar. Plus you made it yourself with ingredients you can pronounce!

What you need

2 cups steel cut oats
1 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup pecan pieces
1/3 cup coconut flakes plus 1/4 cup to toast on top

How to make it

Preheat oven to 350º
1- Mix together all ingredients except 1/4 cup coconut flakes for the top.
2- Grease a square 9"x9" baking pan and pour in batter and add coconut flakes to the top
3- Bake for about 35 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Happy Green Smoothie

Why is this a Foodgasm?

I discovered this by accident. I did an online challenge called The Live More Weigh Less Challenge. The second day's challenge was to make a green smoothie. It was basically a way for you to start the day right, thinking of your health. So I was like, you know what I am gonna give it a go. I was committed! I totally thought it was gonna taste gross. I thought okay what sort of greens do I have, well I had my FAVE arugula. I am basically obsessed with the beautiful peppery taste of arugula! I knew I had to cut the bitterness with something sweet- another fave honeycrisp apple! Only the best and sweetest apples EVER! Most smoothies then add water, ummmm ewwwww. I wanted my smoothie to be creamy and provide some protein so I also added some nonfat Greek yogurt and low fat milk to loosen it. You know what.....I was shocked I actually liked it and found myself craving them and it was good for me too! YAY! Score!

Why is it healthy?

Did you hear the part about the arugula and apple...non fat yogurt. It's a win all around. Antioxidents, protein, vitamins and minerals. It is also a pleasant happy green color. Not a scary deep green.

What you need

1 1/2 cups Arugula
1/2 cup Non Fat Greek Yogurt
1 cup diced Honeycrisp Apple
1/2 cup low fat milk (I used 2%)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 How to make it

1-Put everything in a blender and blend on high until completely combined and liquified.

Nutritional Information

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