Success & Nourish

Preparing to Succeed :

I have always considered myself to be pretty organized and effective in time management but recently I started preparing for the week and what a difference that has made in my world.  I find I have more of a successful week with a few hours of prep on Sunday.  Meal planning, grocery shopping and food prepping is truly what keeps me on track and keeps me making great choices.  

A typical meal prep session looks something like this at Café5400 :

Chopped fresh fruit & veggies: (great for munching and a better option vs. chips or wheat thins)

Cooking a large batch of quinoa and storing it in the fridge in an airtight container.

Quinoa Ideas: replace rice in a stir fry, great side dish to protein, fry an egg in the morning and place on top of quinoa, mix in oatmeal for more protein, mix in plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit for a quick breakfast.

Grilled Meats:  I usually grill a tri tip, batch of chicken or large piece of fish to eat with salads during the week.  The only prep after getting off work is making the salad.  Quick & Easy!

Sweet Potatoes:  I bake 3 or 4 large whole sweet potatoes and store in a large zip lock bag in the fridge.  Ideas: Cut one half, drizzle with olive oil, season with S&P and place on the BBQ until heated through.  Great for breakfast with your favorite nut butter & topped with fresh berries.  Dice and add to salads or mix with scrambled eggs for a healthy breakfast.

3 Additional things you can do tonight to prepare for a successful tomorrow:

• If you work out in the morning, lay out your clothes and essentials (heart rate monitor, full water bottle, Ipod & earphones) this motivates me to get up and get going without hesitation.  It’s a commitment I feel I have to keep once I have prepped.

• Just like food prep, plan your weekly workout schedule and don’t let excuses get in the way!  Schedule that sweat session just like an important doctor’s appointment and stick to it!

• Rely on your buddies….ask for a wake up text or phone call…accountability is huge for me….half the time seeing my awesome friends doing amazing workouts, is just the push I need to get out the door!

Nourishing the Soul:

“To be beautiful means to be yourself.  You don’t need to be accepted by others.  You need to accept yourself” – Buddist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh

Wishing you all a great weekend! 

Protein Power Pancakes:

I have to share this pretty amazing recipe with you.  The first time I made them, I added too much almond milk and tried to compensate by mixing in coconut flour – the texture in the final product was bad…they tasted great but something was way off.  I made them again, using the right amount of almond milk and leaving out the coconut flour.  They turned out PERFECT.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I used vanilla)
• 1 Egg - Use the whole egg
• 1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese - Splash of vanilla extract
• Splash of unsweetened almond milk – mix until you get desired consistency

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Heat coconut oil in a non-stick pan and start cooking the pancakes.  You will know they are ready to be flipped when you see bubbles in the middle of the pancakes.  Serving ideas: fresh berries, almond butter, sliced banana or pure maple syrup.  Enjoy!

PS.  I made extra to have on hand and stored in the freezer.  Place a piece of wax paper between each pancake prior to freezing.  Remove from freezer and heat in toaster oven.  This makes for a quick breakfast or snack on the go!