Clean Eating Kitchen and Sweet Coconut Flour Green Beans

Hey guys! I hope you are having an awesome day. The other day I had posted a photo on IG of some of the things I keep in my clean eating kitchen.  I was asked if I would go more in depth as to what I keep in my stores, so I decided I would dedicate an entry to it! 

One of the main things you can do in order to stay on track with a clean diet is to make sure you have healthy and clean options around the house. I hear too many people complain that the reason they eat like crap is because other people in the household have unhealthy food. No excuse. Unless you do literally none of your own grocery shopping and/or have no income, then you really have no reason to make such a statement. Get your butt to the store or farmer’s market and get some healthy foods! I used to live in situations where my roommates had really unhealthy foods around and I managed to stick to my guns and eat clean. 

First off and most important are the fresh foods: fruit, veggies, lean meat, eggs, fish. These are all super important in a clean eating diet (if you are like me and not vegan or vegetarian of course). I like to make sure I go to the local farmer’s market at least once a week if I can. Not only am I supporting local farmers, but you get a lot more bang for your buck! If you aren’t sure if your town has a farmer’s market, do some research! I guarantee that there is one somewhere near you. If not, the grocery store obviously has all of these things. I like to try to get 90% of what I am buying from the perimeter of the grocery store.  For the most part, this is where the fresh foods are kept. I also like to make trips to the local health food store in order to get some items that I can’t really seem to find at the regular grocer yet, like hemp hearts, some specialty flours, and flavored natural stevias. I also have been utilizing websites such as Vitacost and iHerb a lot more lately. These sites offer great deals and often have specials where you order a certain amount and they don’t make you pay shipping, which is where the bulk of the added price of online shopping seems to come from.

In the refrigerator I keep some of my nut butters (all natural/organic), opened specialty flours (peanut, almond, and coconut), hummus, my prepped foods, and more. Not all veggies need to be refrigerated to keep fresh, but some do like cucumbers. I also buy unsweetened vanilla and unsweetened original almond milk. I rarely if ever buy regular milk any more. I also always have fat free or 1% fat cottage cheese and plain Greek yogurt, usually Chobani.  I personally do not drink anymore, but my boyfriend has beer in the fridge and a bottle of plain vodka I haven’t touched in months.

In the freezer I usually don’t have much unless I buy fish or chicken in bulk where I will keep it in the freezer until needed. Currently the only thing in my freezer is some tilapia filets, some frozen fruit, a loaf of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread, and some 100 calorie flax and whole wheat sandwich thins.
 

In my cupboards is a lot of goodies! Unopened specialty flours, whole grain rolled oats, oat bran, chia seeds, flax seeds, granola, muesli, sweet potatoes, tea, puffed kamut cereal,  low carbohydrate high fiber tortillas, bananas, unsalted rice cakes, protein bars (usually Quest), cans of low sodium beans, water packed tuna, all natural unopened salsa, my collection of peanut butters (most from Peanut Butter and Co), coconut oil (the only oil I use except non-stick cooking spray), unsweetened apple sauce, low sodium tomato sauce,  my spices (I use a lot of crushed red pepper flakes, ground cinnamon, and Mrs. Dash seasonings), baking supplies, a tub of rainbow sprinkles for when I am feeling fun, a variety of nuts and seeds (unsalted), whole grain pasta, wild rice, and brown rice. 

Finally, there are my protein supplements. I use these all the time in baking and shakes. The casein I eat before bed time because casein is a slow releasing protein that will help rebuild muscles over night while you are sleeping. In contrast is whey protein, which is quick releasing and is used for pre/post working out. I use the whey more for cooking goodies like brownies and pancakes. 

Overall, keeping a well stocked kitchen will do wonders in helping you stay on track. If you have things to reach for that are healthy and still go for the sugar filled pop tarts or candy, then you need to take a second before sticking those things in your mouth, put them back and be creative! Make something! A lot of times I will throw things together and they end up really delicious and I like them so much more than eating something that I know will make me feel sick or guilty later.

Learn to experiment. Do not be afraid of trying new things. If you eat the same things over and over, I guarantee that you will fall off the wagon. I used to have a very limited taste in terms of what I would eat. I was so picky and most of the things I would eat were unhealthy. Your taste buds will evolve through clean eating. I eat things now that I never would have imagined eating 9 months ago. Keep it exciting, keep it clean. 

I really hope this entry sheds some light on clean eating and helps anyone who is struggling trying to figure out what to keep in the kitchen. I want to see what you keep in your kitchen! If you have an instagram, tag your photo with @megameows and #cleaneatingkitchen!

I decided to experiment myself tonight! I had a bunch of fresh local grown green beans that needed to be eaten. I really wanted to try some breaded green beans, but wasn't sure what route to go. I thought to myself, green beans would probably taste really good if they were on the sweet side.  BOOM! Idea: Sweet Coconut Flour Green Beans! These were the perfect side I was looking for!

 What you need:

• fresh green beans (about 2-3 cups)
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 3 large egg whites
•  a bit of fresh ground black pepper
• 2 packets raw stevia

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Prep your green beans by washing them and taking off the end with the stems. If you want, you can take off both ends. Sometimes I do that because the ends are a little tough. Boil the green beans on the stove covered for about 5-8 minutes.They will cook more in the oven so it won't matter that they are still a little firm. Once cooked, drain the beans well. Put the 3 egg whites in a large bowl with some fresh ground black pepper. Pour the beans into the egg and coat them well. Put the beans onto a baking dish (by hand, don't pour them with the excess egg) sprayed with non-stick spray or coconut oil. In a separate bowl mix two tablespoons of coconut flour and a packet of raw stevia. Pour the flour and stevia mixture over the beans, coating them. You can toss them around so that the ones underneath can get coated as well.  Before putting them in the oven, I put another packet of stevia on top. I baked the beans for about 25-30 minutes, taking them out after 10-15 to mix them up to make sure they all cook evenly. This recipe is super simple and you really don't need many ingredients. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. My 12 year old cousin even liked them! I let him try some and he asked for more! Kid approved!

Happy Saturday and Strawberry Banana Muffins

Good day you lovely lovely people. It is currently 8:05 and I am sitting and eating my breakfast. Today is an exciting day as two of Dylan and I's good friends are getting married. It's very exciting. I am not going to have any cakes or desserts, but I am going to allow myself to drink a bit because I haven't in a longgg time. Probably since my birthday in July. Everything is ok in moderation. The good thing is I won't have to drink much to feel it! I am a light weight :)

Anyway, the other day I was experimenting and created a delicious recipe, although already done before by many others, it's exciting and new to me.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Dry:

• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 2 tablespoons of coconut flour
• 3 packets of raw stevia
• 1 tablespoon vanilla whey protien
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Wet:

•  1 ripe mashed banana
• 3 egg whites

•  ALSO 1/4 cup chopped strawberries and 1/2 a strawberry on to top for garnish

You can also add more stevia/natural sweetened and/or some vanilla extract to these muffins to make them a bit sweeter. Mix the dry ingredients well, then the wet. Combine them and mix very well. Then, fold in gently the 1/4 cup chopped strawberries. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes. They will be done when you can pull out a toothpick and it will be dry. I sprinkled a little organic brown sugar on top of my muffins to give it a little crunchy sweetness.

My batch made 5 because 2 of them ended up being larger than the others, so evenly dispersed this batter should make 6 muffins!

My version for one was about 100 calories with 4 grams of fat, 0 saturated fat, 198 grams of sodium, 179 g potassium, 10 g carbs, 4 g dietary fiber, 6g sugar, and 7 g of protein.

Apple Crumble Eggs, Dark Cocoa Peanut Spread, and More Goodies!

Hey there guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Been busy with life things as I am sure you all can relate to. I have been working on a couple of recipes for you guys, but I want to wait until I think they are perfect before posting them. These are my first recipes from scratch so I really want them to be amazing and knock the ball out of the park!

I am seriously dying for fall to get here. I can not wait for cool and dewy mornings, beautiful colored leaves, hoodies and jeans, and fall foods. I have been finding myself craving more apples and pumpkins and warm savory foods.

The day I had been inspired by Laura's (Sprint 2 the Table) photo on instagram which contained eggs and apples. I thought it looked fabulous and I had been wanting to try the whole egg and apple mixture. So, craving fall, I decided to make a slice of Apple Crumble Eggs.

What you will need for this easy recipe:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 a Macintosh apple
• Ground cinnamon
• 1/3 scoop of vanilla whey protein
• 2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk
• Walden Farms calorie-free syrup
• 2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter/peanut flour/PB2
• some natural sweetener to your taste

Coconut crumble on top:

• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
•  1-1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 a packet of raw stevia 
• a dash of ground cinnamon

First, crack and mix 4 egg whites with 1/3 scoop vanilla whey protein, 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, and some natural sweetener. Mix well and set to the side.

Cut up 1/2 your apple and put it into a skillet heated with non-stick spray or coconut oil. I had my stove set to medium-low. Start browning the eggs with some ground cinnamon. After I let them cook for a couple minutes, I poured on some Walden Farms calorie-free pancake syrup and let them cook in that for a bit. Then, I added the egg and protein mixture.

 

Let the eggs cook up while stirring occasionally. Basically, you are making scrambled eggs. While this is cooking, whip up your peanut butter mixture for on top. You can use regular peanut butter, too. I like to use powdered peanut butter/peanut flour because it is high in protein, low carb, and full of healthy fat. Your egg/apple mixture should eventually look like this:

 Add some more natural sweetener and ground cinnamon if you like. I plated my apple and egg mixture and then mixed up my crumble and added it on. Then, I topped mine with some more cinnamon and powdered peanut butter. This would also go great with some cottage cheese or Greek yogurt! This was awesome and very good for pre or post workout because it is high in protein and has carbs in the apple. Delicious.

I was super excited yesterday when I came home from work and my package from iHerb was on my step!

I love love love my new goodies. The almond flour is wonderful and the peanut flour is better than I expected. I like it because apparently it is just PB2/Powdered Peanut Butter. But, you can get a larger amount of it as peanut flour and it's cheaper that way! Both Almond and Peanut flour are better alternatives to flour. Low-carb and high protein, which is what I like to hear! I also ordered some Miracle Noodles to try. I already ordered 3 more bags of almond flour and also a smaller container of peanut flour. I want to make sure I am stocked up on these babies!

To try out my peanut flour yesterday I made a Dark Cocoa Peanut Spread. It turned out amazing!

I used 1 teaspoon of Dark Chocolate Dream from Peanut Butter & Co, 1 large tablespoon of peanut flour, 1/2 a tsp of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, raw stevia to taste, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk. So light and yummy. Also, you get a good amount for about 90-100 calories. I smeared mine on a toasted high fiber low carb tortilla that I had toasted.


Last night I went to have my casein dessert, before bed and I remembered an awesome site that my friend Enid had shown me Chocolate Covered Katie's Funfetti Cookie Dough Balls. I didn't feel like baking them after making test runs of my new recipes, so I decided to alter it to make a basic cookie casein dough!

What you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons of coconut flour (almond flour also works awesome)
•  2 tablespoons unsweetened natural apple sauce
•  3 tablespoons cookies and cream casein (I use Optimum Nutrition)
• 1 packet of raw stevia
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk
•  
•  Mix well until a doughy consistency. Topped with some of the Dark Cocoa Peanut Spread from earlier and some rainbow sprinkles! Put in the freezer for a half an hour or so. Consume! 

I have been going crazy trying new recipes for the peanut flour. I wanted to make some more peanut chicken that I had made before, so I perfected the recipe a bit with peanut flour for dinner tonight!

The Peanut Sauce I used is pretty basic, but tastes amazing! 2 tablespoons of peanut flour mixed with 2 tablespoons of water. Add 1/3 packet of raw stevia, a little cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. I also tried mixing in a teaspoon of Sriracha in the sauce for my wrap tomorrow to make it more spicy!

The chicken is pre-cooked. I like to prep a good bit of chicken every 4 days or so to use for meals. Chicken is my favorite protein, so I keep a lot of it around for quick and easy meals. I put the chicken in a skillet with non-stick spray. I also cut up a green hot pepper and sauteed the chicken with the pepper. I added the peanut sauce on top after the chicken and pepper cooked a bit. Allowed it to cook over medium-low heat while I steamed 1 cup of broccoli. I saved a little bit of sauce to drizzle on top once plated.

With meals like this, I really see no point in going out and spending money on Chinese food that is probably loaded with grease and will make me feel sick. Simple, clean, and delicious. Few ingredients. Exactly how I like it!

I hope you guys enjoy these if you go to try them. I will work on perfecting these recipes I created so you guys can enjoy them as well.

xo Meg

Low-Carb Zucchini Fritters

Low-Carb Zucchini Fritters

I bought a bunch of zuchinnis at the farmer's market this past Sunday, and my friend Enid and I had been talking about zucchini fritters. She really made me want to try them so I made an altered version of a recipe I found on The Gracious Pantry.

What you'll need: 1 small to medium zucchini, 4 tablespoons milled flax seed, 4 tablespoons coconut flour, 6 egg whites, any spices you would like to add (I didn't use any, I topped mine with garlic lovers hummus and a bit of black pepper).

Wash the zucchini and trim the ends off. Grate it like the photo above. Add 6 egg whites to the bowl with the grated zucchini

 Mix the coconut flour and milled flax seed in a separate bowl, then combine them. Mix them well.

Heat up a pan and use non-stick spray or coconut oil to cook the fritters in. I cooked mine on medium (3-4 setting). Flip them and they will be kind-of like a pancake. They are awesome, rather mild and a great boat for flavor. They are low carb, too due to the flax and coconut flour. High in protein due to the egg whites. Very healthy and simple recipe that works as a main course or a side! Nutritional information will vary with the size of your cakes.

How To: Overnight Oats

Hey guys! This morning I posted my breakfast on Instagram:

White Chocolate Wonderful Overnight Oats

There usually seems to be a lot of confusion concerning those who have never heard of or tried overnight oats, but would like to. So, I decided to type out exactly what overnight oats are and how you can make them! 

Overnight oats are so perfect for when you know you have to have a quick breakfast ready to go that you can even take with you if you wanted! All you need is an almost empty jar of nut butter (any will work!) with about 1 to 2 tablespoons of peanut butter left inside, some whole grain (non-instant) rolled oats (or other form of oatmeal/grain), milk in whatever form you choose, cottage cheese or greek yogurt. You can also throw in some chia seeds, ground flax seed, protein powder, fruit, nuts, whatever tickles your fancy. Here is what I use for my personal oats for this morning:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons left in a near-empty Peanut Butter & Co White Chocolate Wonderful container
• 1/2 a cup of low fat 1% cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup organic puffed kamut cereal
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/4 cup whole grain (non-instant) rolled oats 

I combined all of the ingredients above into the peanut butter jar and mixed well:

Doesn't look the prettiest, but I swear it is so worth it. I have done overnight oats where I have mixed in half a banana along with the other ingredients with other flavors of nut butter and it turns out fantastic. Overnight oats are so great because they are simple, quick, and make your morning easy. You can play around with toppings and try all sorts of combinations. You don't need an empty jar to do this, you can just add the ingredients plus 2 tablespoons of nut butter and let it sit overnight in a covered container. They still turn out amazing.

I hope this was helpful to those who want to try making overnight oats for the first time. Remember to play around! You can do endless combinations.

Berry Good!

Hey guys!  I hope you have had a nice couple of day. I had yesterday as well as today off so I have been relaxing. Yesterday I went and bought myself two pairs of denim shorts from American Eagle. I felt I deserved them. I had only one pair of shorts to wear outside of my gym shorts and they were way too big on me. I spent $45 and got two pairs. American Eagle's denim seems to be the only ones that fit me well.

I was astounded because I actually managed to fit into a size 2 with room to spare. I don't like my shorts to be skin tight. I fit into a 0, but decided to go with a more comfortable size 2. I have never in my life fit in a size 2 and it is such a great feeling. I have been working so hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle and when it pays off, it is amazing.

I went to the grocery store late last night on a berry run. I needed fruit for work and they had pretty good prices so I stocked up. I have even more strawberries than this, they just didn't fit in my massive container! I also picked up green tea, turkey lunch meat, peaches, a tomato, avocado, and more Greek yogurt.

This morning I made a banana protein pancake from leftover batter I had in the fridge. I still have some left, so I may have another once I get home from the gym later for my post-workout.

I served it with a side of mixed fresh berries, green tea, and a simple blackberry chia seed spread.

The spread is so simple and delicious for pancakes, and healthier than syrup. I took 1/4 a cup of blackberries, 1/2 a tablespoon of chia seeds, and half a pack of stevia and mixed them together, mashing the berries. I microwaved the mixture for about a minute and a half, took it out and spread it on my pancake. SO GOOD!

I hope you guys have a wonderful day. I am planning on going to the local market with my boy in a while just for something to do. If they have some nicely priced produce, I may be picking up some veggies. I also am planning on hitting the gym for a leg and ab session today. Good luck and stay cool!

Protein Pancakes

I have been trying to perfect my protein pancake making and it really is not working too well! Whenever I don't have any flour in the mixture, it is very difficult for me to keep the pancakes from going to complete mush when I flip them. I don't like when my food turns out looking like baby food! What can I do to make my protein pancakes stay whole? They always stick to the bottom of the pan, even with spray and low heat.

However, I did make some protein pancakes that were pretty delicious. They had carbs, but I am ok with that today because I need the energy. It is supposed to be around 97-99 degrees today, plus I will be going to the gym soon for an arm and cardio session.

This lovely giant protein pancake topped with whipped peanut butter, half a banana, flax seeds and chia seeds ended up being about 500 calories, but it was filling and will give me the protein and carbs I need to fuel my workout. To make two servings of batter:

• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/2 cup of cottage cheese
• 4 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 a large banana

Put all the ingredients about in a food processor and blend. I had attempted to make half the batter without wheat flour, but it ended up making a mess (a delicious mess, but I like pretty food, not mush). I added 1/4 a cup of wheat flour to the second half of the batch and they turned out like the photo above. A beautifully formed pancake. You can make them either way, and they will both be delicious. 

Introduction

Hello out there to anyone who is reading this blog, and thank you. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to learn more about me. I am currently 22 years old, in a couple weeks I will be 23. I recently graduated from a local college with a degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections. I have always been interested in law enforcement and investigations work. It was not until recently I realized that my health may hold me back from prospective career opportunities. It is not easy being a female in the law enforcement field. Often you are not taken seriously, and are seen as an easy target. I did not want to get a job simply because I was a female and they needed to fill the position in order to not discriminate. I wanted to stand out. I wanted to be fit. Along with that, I just honestly was so tired of being depressed about my body. I have always struggled with weight and self-esteem issues. I have an anxiety disorder that really controlled me and I was always on edge and having freak outs about my appearance and not feeling like I was good enough. At the end of 2011, I was about 170 pounds.

Today, I weigh at about 123-125. I am a bit taller than 5'8". I did all of this through healthy diet and exercise. In high school, I was a cheerleader. However, I did not really like to do strenuous exercise. For a period of time in early high school, I suffered from anorexia due to a destructive relationship with a guy who constantly told me I was fat and not living up to his expectations of a perfect girl. However, that is not the way people should lose weight. It is not long-lasting and it sure does not help self-esteem or health. I love cooking and finding new healthy alternatives to my favorite foods. If I can do this, I know you can. With effort, dedication, and support, you can get there. I hope that anyone who strives for/lives a healthy life will be able to reach out to me. I know how difficult it can be sometimes to not have support of those around you or feel like you can't make it, but you can. I want to inspire you, and I want you to inspire me.