Lean and Green Meal - Noodles + Peanut Sauce

This is ONE SERVING and is a COMPLETE Lean and Green meal! 

Ingredients:

1.5 cups Hearts of Palm linguini-style noodles (3 GREENS)

1/3 oz plain peanuts (1 HEALTHY FAT)

6 oz cooked pork tenderloin (1 LEANER)

1/4tsp garlic (1/4 CONDIMENT)

1 tsp ginger (1/2 CONDIMENT)

3/4tsp reduced sodium soy sauce (1/4 CONDIMENT)

4Tbsp Walden Farms peanut spread (2 CONDIMENTS)

1/3c water

Splash of lime juice (I didn't count this)

Shake of black peppercorn (I didn't count this)

Directions:

Cook the pork as directed (I did mine in the air fryer until it reached 145º)

Add water, peanut spread, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to pan and heat, stirring frequently.

Add Hearts of Palm noodles to sauce and stir, coating the noodles, while noodles heat through

Cut the pork into bite sized pieces and add them to the mixture, and continue stirring for another 5 minutes or so until well heated and sauce has time to absorb into the noodles and meat. 

Plate, top with crushed peanuts, and serve!

*This recipe is versatile and you can sub out different proteins if you like, just be sure to adjust the protein quantity and any healthy fat requirements. 

Complete Lean and Green Meal - Noodles + Peanut Sauce

Shrimp and Grits - Complete Lean and Green Meal Recipe

Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits - Complete Lean and Green Meal (makes 1 portions)

 

I adapted this from the Optavia recipe here. 

Ingredients:

12 oz peeled and deveined frozen shrimp = 7 oz cooked shrimp (1 LEANEST)

1/2 tsp cajun seasoning (a mix of paprika, garlic, cayenne, pepper, oregano) (1 CONDIMENT)

1/4 c water

1.5 tsp butter (1 HEALTHY FAT)

1.5 c riced cauliflower (3 GREENS)

1/2 c unsweetened almond milk (1/2 CONDIMENT)

1/8 tsp salt (1/2 CONDIMENT)

2 Tbsp sour cream (1 HEALTHY FAT)

1 wedge Laughing Cow Creamy Aged White Cheddar (1 CONDIMENT)

Directions:

1. Thaw and rinse the shrimp, pat dry. 
2. Add shrimp and cajun seasoning to a bowl or plastic bag, and mix or shake until coated.
3. Heat shrimp in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through (3-4 minutes per side usually, shrimp will be pink and opaque when cooked).
4. Add water to skillet with shrimp, scrape the bottom, simmer for 1 minute, and remove from heat.
5. In a separate skillet, heat butter until melted.
6. Add riced cauliflower to butter, and stir frequently for about 5 minutes.
7. Add milk and salt, and continue to stir frequently for another 5 minutes.
8. Remove cauliflower from heat, and stir in sour cream and laughing cow cheese until melted. 
9. Serve shrimp atop cauliflower grits, and enjoy! 

Breakfast Scramble - Complete Lean and Green Meal

I really wanted scrambled eggs today, and I had some extra veggies to use up, so I mixed up this Breakfast Scramble. It is a complete Lean and Green meal. I had some leftover ground beef from a previous meal, so I split the protein between the eggs and the beef, and added veggies. You could easily substitute other veggies (be sure to weigh/measure) and a different healthy fat, depending on what you have on hand. I will include some suggestions below. 

PLEASE use the Vegetable Conversion Chart to WEIGH your foods! 

Again, this is a full and complete Lean and Green Meal! You do not need to add anything else! 

Breakfast Scramble - Complete Lean and Green

Ingredients:

1 cups liquid eggs/liquid egg whites (1/2 LEANEST)

2.5 oz cooked 93% lean ground beef (1/2 LEAN)

1 cup spinach, cooked* - (2 GREEN)

0.5 cup sliced portobello mushrooms, cooked* (1 GREEN)

5-10 black olives (1 HEALTHY FAT - read your label to determine serving size)

*I cook first, then weigh my veggies according to the vegetable conversion chart

Directions:

1. Preheat skillet on stovetop over medium heat, spray with nonstick cooking spray. 

2. Add sliced portobello mushroom to skillet, let sit for 5 minutes, and then stir for another several minutes until cooked. Remove from heat and weigh them (0.5c cooked portobello mushrooms from raw = 60.5g = 1 GREEN)

3. Add spinach to skillet, stirring and heating just until wilted. Remove from heat and weigh (0.5c = 90g = 1 GREEN, so 1c = 180g = 2 GREEN).

4. Add ground beef to skillet to brown, and cook thoroughly. Remove from heat and weigh (2.5oz cooked 93% lean ground beef = 1/2 LEAN). Drain any fat from the skillet. 

5. Add 1c liquid egg whites/substitute (1/2 LEANEST) to skillet, and stir while cooking until desired hardness. 

6. Add cooked ground beef, cooked mushrooms, cooked spinach, and black olives (weighed to proper serving) to skillet, stir together, and serve hot. I topped with a dash of hot sauce! 

Substitutes:

• Any approved vegetable can be substituted for the spinach or mushrooms for your GREEN - be sure to weigh and measure properly!
• Top with 2 Tbsp Sour Cream, and remove the olives, for your Healthy Fat
• Mix in 1 Babybel or 1 Original Laughing Cow, and remove the olives, for your Healthy Fat
• Remove the beef, and use 2 cups of liquid egg white/substitute (add 1 Healthy Fat if you do this)
• Remove the beef, and substitute with 3 oz cooked shredded chicken (add an additional 1/2 Healthy Fat if you do this)

This recipe is very versatile - so customize it how you like, and enjoy! 

Breakfast Casserole - Complete Lean and Green

Sometimes I like to prepare some Lean and Green meal options ahead of time, especially if I know I'm going to be busy the next day. This is a twist on the Crustless Vegetable Quiche I shared a few weeks ago. 

This is a full Lean and Green Meal! You do not need to add anything else! It is easily customizable with different vegetables to use up whatever you might have on hand in your fridge. 

To make:

1 glass baking dish (mine is a Pyrex 3 cup rectangular dish - approximately 8"x6"x2")

2 cups liquid eggs/liquid egg whites (1 LEANEST)

1 cup spinach (1 GREEN)

0.5 cup sliced mushrooms (1 GREEN)

0.5 cup diced zucchini (1 GREEN)

100g Black olives (2 HEALTHY FATS - read your label to determine serving size for 2 HF)

Lightly coat baking dish with oil spray to prevent sticking. Mix liquid eggs, mushrooms, zucchini, and olives together. Spread spinach in the bottom of the baking dish, and pour egg/veggie mixture over the top. Swirl together to make sure it is evenly spread through the baking dish. Bake at 400ºF for 40-50 minutes, until baked through and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

I topped mine with a few dashes of hot sauce before eating! 

----------------------------

Update 1/24/21:

I made it again and changed it up a bit - same directions as above, just a twist on the veggies:

2 cups liquid eggs/liquid egg whites (1 LEANEST)

1 cup spinach (1 GREEN)

0.5 cup sliced bell pepper (1 GREEN)

0.5 cup cooked spaghetti squash (1 GREEN)

50g black olives (1 HEALTHY FAT - read your label to determine serving size)

1.5oz avocado

Tuna "Sandwich" Lean and Green

I have been trying to use up some of the food in my fridge before it goes bad, so I pulled this Lean and Green together today and it was quite yummy! If you eat snacks, you could also use a dill pickle spear for the crunch with the tuna, or just on the side! I mixed the cucumber and mayo in with the tuna, and made myself sandwiches and wraps with the lettuce and sandwich thins. It was so filling and tasty! 

3 Outer Aisle Cauliflower Sandwich Thins (3 thins = 1/2 Lean + 1 Green)
3.5 oz tuna canned in water (1/2 Leanest)

0.5 Tbsp mayonnaise (1 Healthy Fat)

0.5 cup diced cucumber (1 Green)

1 cup romaine lettuce leaves (1 Green)

Lean and Green - Tuna, Romaine, Cucumber, Outer Aisle Cauliflower Sandwich Thins

Christmas on Optavia

I love cooking and baking. I especially love the tradition I have with my children to bake holiday cookies - peanut butter blossoms, cut-out sugar cookies with frosting, snickerdoodles, oatmeal chocolate chip, and sometimes even more. We bake everything dairy-free, and often gluten-free also, and it is something we all enjoy. 

I'm not going to lie, it was REALLY difficult this year to not taste-test the batter (especially the oatmeal chocolate chip batter) or the cookies (the peanut butter blossoms are my favorite!) but I asked myself one simple question and it helped me refocus: "What do I want more - that cookie, that I already know how it tastes (and honestly, it's probably not as good as I'm imagining it to be), OR to keep feeling amazing and not destroy my stomach by eating foods it isn't used to?" The answer was simple at that point. Maybe some day it won't be simple, but this year, it was easy to choose ME over the cookies. It was easy to put myself first, and break that habit, and remind myself it was things like those cookies that got me to where I was in the first place. There is a time and place for choosing to indulge in a sweet treat, but I am not at that time nor that place right now, and I made a very conscious and intentional choice to NOT taste-test the sweets this year. 

But what about dinner? 

I know there are tons of ways to create Optavia-compliant holiday meals and side dishes. Several are listed here. Much like Thanksgiving, I just don't have the same sentimental attachment to holiday foods that a lot of people seem to have. I don't need the meat and cheesy side dishes. As a kid, I would only eat mashed potatoes (no gravy) and pumpkin pie and cookies. 

I know a lot of people make the conscious choice to go off-plan for the holidays, to splurge a little bit, or take small tastes of foods that they would normally not eat while following Optavia. All of that is fine, especially when it is an intentional decision. 

So what did I eat?

I had my five Fuelings - I added a dash of nutmeg to a creamy vanilla shake and it was delicious! - and I ate seafood and spaghetti squash, with salad, for my Lean and Green. It was yummy, it was filling, and it kept me in Fat-Burn!

Lean and Green Recipe - Crustless Vegetable Quiche Breakfast Casserole

I love breakfast. Crustless Vegetable Quiche Breakfast Casserole, is one of my favorites. It's so versatile and easy to pull together with whatever vegetables I have on hand. 

I adapted my normal recipe to make sure it is completely Lean and Green friendly. It's so simple, and easily customizable to fit your preferences. I don't eat cheese, so this recipe suits my needs perfectly. I noted what the options are, if you choose to include cheese with your quiche, just be sure to make the appropriate substitutions. 

Crustless Vegetable Quiche - Lean and Green

Crustless Vegetable Quiche Breakfast Casserole - Lean and Green 

*This makes 2 full Lean and Green servings! 

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 oz (2 cups) of liquid egg whites or liquid egg substitute (1 Leanest)
• 3 whole eggs (1 Lean)
• 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (1 Condiment)
• Vegetables, cut to small bite size pieces - mix and match - CHOOSE 6 (6 Greens)
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 1/2 cup asparagus
• 1/2 cup swiss chard
• 1/2 cup cauliflower
• 1/2 cup kale
• 1/2 cup summer squash
• 1/2 cup zucchini
• 1/2 cup broccoli
• 1/2 cup bell pepper
• 1/2 cup tomatoes
• 1/2 cup hearts of palm
• Healthy Fat - mix and match - CHOOSE 2  (2 Healthy Fats)
• 5-10 black olives
• 1 wedge Original Laughing Cow Cheese, softened and diced to small pieces
• 2 wedges Laughing Cow Light cheese, softened and diced to small pieces
• Alternatively, 1.5 oz of avocado added as a topping AFTER your quiche is cooked
• Seasonings as desired (follow the condiment guidelines) - I like plain old salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and sometimes like to top with hot sauce before eating

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk liquid egg/liquid egg whites and 3 eggs together until well mixed. Add seasonings if desired.
3. Add in 1 cup of unsweetened plain almond milk and whisk until well combined.
4. Add in your vegetables, 6 Greens required for this recipe - remember, only choose six from the list, there are so many options! 
5. Add in your Healthy Fats, 2 Healthy Fats required for this recipe. Again, you can mix and match and choose your favorites. *If one of your Healthy Fats is 1.5 ounces of avocado, don't add that into the egg and veggie mixture! Save it to cut up and top your quiche with once it is finished cooking!
6. Pour your mixture into a glass baking dish. Mine is 11"x7". 
7. Bake at 350º for 40-50 minutes, testing with a toothpick to determine if the egg is cooked through. 
8. Let cool, serve, and eat!
9. Makes TWO FULL LEAN AND GREEN MEALS

NOTES:

• For the quiche I made (pictured), I whisked 2 cups of liquid egg whites and 3 whole eggs together, added 1 cup of unsweetened plain almond milk, 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper, 1 cup broccoli, and 1/2 cup diced hearts of palm. I mixed all of that together. I put 2 cups of fresh spinach in the baking dish, and poured the egg and veggie mixture over the spinach, and gently mixed it all together to make sure everything was coated in the egg mixture. It took right at 45 minutes for it to bake in a 11"x7" glass baking dish at 350ºF. I debated over adding black olives to the mixture for the Healthy Fats, or holding out to slice some avocado when I eat it, and ultimately decided on the avocado. Next time I'll add in black olives though! 

Crustless Vegetable Quiche - Lean and Green

Do you have any favorite quiche or breakfast recipes that you eat or make on the Optavia Program? 

Do you have any other suggestions or ideas to modify this recipe?

Leave a comment!

Thanksgiving and Optavia

 I love cooking and baking. I love it so much, I spent the day baking five pies, cooking different side dishes, and enjoying being in the kitchen. 

I know there are tons of ways to create Optavia-compliant holiday meals and side dishes. Several are listed here. I just don't have the same sentimental attachment to holiday foods that a lot of people seem to have. As a kid, I would only eat mashed potatoes (no gravy) and pumpkin pie. 

I know a lot of people make the conscious choice to go off-plan for the holidays, to splurge a little bit, or take small tastes of foods that they would normally not eat while following Optavia. All of that is fine, especially when it is an intentional decision. 

I chose to remain on plan today. I didn't even lick my fingers (well, there's COVID to thank for that restraint also!) but I did not have a single lick or taste or bite of something that wasn't one of my Fuelings or my Lean and Green. Honestly, I didn't even really consider not staying on plan. Turkey doesn't like me, and I prefer to not feel like crap from eating foods that don't like my body. 

What did I make? 

My daughter and I made vegetable quiche for breakfast. She is dairy free, so everything we made today is dairy-free. 

We made a loaf of bread.

We made FIVE pies - three pumpkin pies, one apple crumb pie, and one pecan pie. (We have 4.5 pies leftover)

We made sweet potato casserole, and garlic mashed potatoes. 

We made bacon-wrapped scallops. 

We made candied pecans. 

There was stuffing, and turkey, and cranberry sauce, and rolls, and deviled eggs. 

There was a lot of food here. I'm sure all of it tasted delicious. We have a lot of leftovers (apparently I don't know how to cook for just my family - we could have easily fed 15 people with the food we have). 

So what did I eat?

I made myself a salad, with avocado and seared scallops and a drizzle of Walden Farms French dressing. 

And you know what? Scallops with salad and avocado is one of my all-time favorite meals, and I was perfectly happy and content to eat it today. It was delicious! 

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving meals!

Lean and Green - Scallop Stacks

 Today I adapted a recipe for Shrimp Stacks for my Lean and Green, and it was delicious! I cooked 1.25 cups of cauliflower rice, diced .25 cups of cucumber (3 servings of my green), mashed 3 oz of avocado (2 servings of healthy fat), and cooked 7 oz of scallops (1 serving of leanest). Then I layered the cucumber, avocado, scallop, and rice, in that order, in a small measuring cup (1/4c and 1/3c both worked) and flipped the cup over onto a plate, tapped the bottom, and had a really amazing looking scallop stack on my plate! I topped with a tiny bit of Walden Farms chipotle mayo (1 condiment). You could top with 1T of soy sauce (1 condiment), or 1 tsp sesame seeds (1 condiment), or another creamy spicy sauce (check nutrition info and amounts) as well. 

The original recipe calls for shrimp, but this would easily work with any seafood - tiny bay scallops would be good also, but so would sushi-grade salmon or tuna (in the proper amounts). 

This satisfied my sushi craving too!

Scallops Stack Lean and Green

Cheese and Dairy on Optavia - How does it count?

Cheese is tricky! It can count different ways when you're on the Optavia 5&1 Program. Here are some guidelines on cheese and dairy options. https://www.facebook.com/myjourneytoahealthyme/posts/274369217817967

What do I eat on Optavia? Can I eat out?

 When you're following the Optavia 5&1 Program, here is info on what you can eat: https://www.facebook.com/myjourneytoahealthyme/posts/pfbid035Yw4STFavJ9u8kAyMjrJB3psaHVuxexpxGpJmq9JZvzhtMdUm68Ki59GXG6vMxpcl

How to Calculate Optavia Lean and Green

Lean and Green Nutritional Parameters

Read here:

https://www.facebook.com/myjourneytoahealthyme/posts/pfbid02BeZDRuyzQmc1UyN5pQYPTGwrWiw5iHqBLzvkTB8sEVoTQP958zqaB7FJ8tPX2iMFl

Here's a handy graphic to save with these guidelines, and bookmark this page!

Lean and Green Guidelines - OPTAVIA 5&1 - MyJourneyToAHealthyMe.com

Easy and Filling Lean and Green - Shrimp and Salad

Those asking what I eat...this was my big meal yesterday for my Lean and Green, and it was delicious. 😋 Lettuce (2c), broccoli (0.5c), avocado (3oz), shrimp (7oz), and dressing (2T). And let me just tell you, 7oz of shrimp is A LOT OF SHRIMP! It took me ten mins start to finish to cook the shrimp and get the salad together, and that was the most time intensive thing I ate yesterday. 

The best part about this program is that it’s ridiculously easy to follow. I eat six times a day, five small easy and quick meals or snacks, and one bigger meal. It has basically taken the planning and prep work of food out of my life. Before, I was skipping meals or snacking on something easy (and unhealthy) because I didn’t have time to do anything more, then overeating when I did eat. You guys, I am so happy I found this health program. It’s changing my life. Did I mention it’s basically foolproof? Follow the guidelines, see the results. If you are relating to anything I’ve said, please, let’s talk and see if this program might benefit you too. It’s too good and too easy to not share.

Optavia Day 7 - 10/18/20

 WEEK 1 and I'm finished with Day 7 on Optavia! I can't wait to weigh in tomorrow and take my measurements. I can't believe how stupidly easy this program is to follow. Even with traveling all day, I was able to stay on the program. I am not 100% sure about my dinner tonight but I followed the dining out guide and I think it was okay. That guide is super helpful. 

Today's fuelings were: chocolate cherry ganache bar, chocolate mint Cookie Crisp bar, honey mustard and onion sticks, creamy double peanut butter bar, and pudding. I had a #16 sub at Jersey Mikes with no cheese and no bread. It made me feel a little bloated (it's meat and I don't usually eat meat) but it was the best I could do while we were driving back from the mountains. 

I am really proud of myself for this week. I stuck to the program completely, with the possible exception of my lean and green today. I drank all my water. I made it through the feeling gross part of the first week and now I feel amazing. I'm really excited for this program and how easy it is. 

Optavia Day 6 - 10/17/20

 Day 6 and I had my first not-at-home experience with Optavia. We left late afternoon to drive to the mountains for the night, got a hotel room, so we can drive the parkway tomorrow. I was able to pack my lean and green and eat it in the car, and I did just fine! We ordered Chinese to be delivered to the hotel for dinner and I wasn't even tempted - I am so proud of myself for that. It helped that I wasn't hungry. I prepped a brownie for my last fueling before we left, so it was already cooked and ready for me when we were at the hotel too. 

My fuelings today were: cranberry honey nut granola bar, chocolate shake, chicken noodle soup, honey chili cranberry nut bar, and the brownie. My lean and green that I packed for the road was salad with salmon and tomatoes, and the Walden Farms dressing. Somehow I even hit all the water for the day, even though I had to use a port a potty at one of the parks we stopped at on the way to the hotel. I brought my Ultima powder with me too and that was good. I feel like I prepared myself well for today and tomorrow and I'm excited to see the fall colors tomorrow! The weather should be amazing. 

Optavia Day 5 - 10/16/20

 Day 5 is finally here and I feel SO MUCH BETTER today. My stomach isn't bothering me, although I'm still a little gassy. My headache is GONE, whew! I slept great last night again. And I really like all the fuelings I've tried so far. I was down 9 pounds this morning when I weighed myself - whaaaatttt???!!?? 9 pounds! That's so amazing! 

Today's fuelings were: chocolate shake, honey mustard and onion sticks, brownie, cheddar herb biscuit (I cooked this in the Dash waffle maker too - so delicious!), and a double peanut butter bar. My lean and green was salmon with lettuce and cherry tomatoes, and Walden Farms French dressing. I am still hitting my water goal every day too, go me! 

Optavia Day 4 - 10/15/20

 Optavia Day 4 - October 15, 2020

I feel like crap today. My head hurts, I'm gassy, I have diarrhea, I just all around feel gross. I'm sticking to plan though because this is what I was told would happen this week, just before fat burn kicks in. They said EVERYONE goes through this and then it's like a lightbulb goes off and everything is so much better.  I still am sleeping okay. 

Today's fuelings: chocolate shake, cinnamon crunchy o's, s'mores bar, oatmeal, and a double peanut butter bar. I had three Ultima electrolyte things today and it made a HUGE difference with my headache. My lean and green was shrimp, avocado, spaghetti squash, and tomatoes with some on-plan dressing. I like Walden Farms French dressing the best. 

Optavia Day 3 - 10/14/20

 Day 3 - today I was super hungry and had a headache. I made sure to drink the Ultima electrolyte powder and that helped. My coach said I could have up to three a day. I guess this is the transition to being in Fat Burn like they talk about - the crummy feeling before the amazing feeling. I stuck to the program though. My fuelings today were: cinnamon crunchy o's, smoky bbq crunchers, spinach pesto Mac and cheese, honey chili cranberry bar, and a chocolate mint Cookie Crisp bar. My lean and green was lettuce, with shrimp, avocado, and on-plan dressing. 

I've been sleeping better at night, which is awesome. Like sleeping soundly and waking up feeling refreshed. 

Optavia Day 2 - 10/13/20

 Day 2 and I was 100% on top of it! Yeah! Crazy that I'm eating so much more than I normally do, and so frequently. I guess I had all the knowledge on how to be healthy before, I just sucked at implementing it. This program is so easy and straightforward, it is ridiculously simple to follow. 

I am breaking the habits already. I was so used to taking care of everyone around me, that I forgot to take care of myself. I forgot to eat. I forgot to eat healthy foods especially, because the bad foods were easier. This program takes all the thinking out of it, and gives me easy and healthy foods to eat all day long. 

Today my fuelings were: maple brown sugar oatmeal, campfire s'mores bar, chocolate chip pancake (that I cooked in the Dash waffle maker - OMG delicious!), chocolate cherry ganache bar, and chocolate pudding (super yum!). For my lean and green, I had salmon with broccoli and cauliflower rice. And I nailed the water goal for today! 

Optavia Day 1! Monday, October 12, 2020

 Today is DAY 1 of my journey to health! I am so excited. I have alarms set on my phone for 8 am, 10:30 am, 1 pm, 3:30 pm, 6 pm, and 8:30 pm to remind me to eat - five of those are fueling times, and one is a lean and green time. 

I decided to keep it easy and I'm literally just following the plan. I see some people go out and try to split their lean and green into two meals and eat half at lunch and half at dinner, or try to "hack" their fuelings, but I'm not messing with all that. I'm eating a fueling by itself five times a day, and one full lean and green once a day. 

I don't really like meat, and meat doesn't really like me, so I'll probably have to eat a lot of seafood. 

The journal from the Optavia Guide is super helpful in keeping me on track so far. I started my day with a cranberry honey nut bar and then had a creamy chocolate shake mid-morning. I tried the rustic tomato herb penne at 1pm and then a creamy peanut butter crisp bar late afternoon, with my lean and green at 6pm with lettuce, tuna, avocado, and on-plan dressing. Before bed, I had a chocolate mint Cookie Crisp bar, and that was my five fuelings plus a lean and green for today. 

My coach checked in with me and I told her I feel like I've been eating all day long, but otherwise everything is good! I'm used to drinking a lot of water, so hitting 100oz wasn't a problem for me. 

She told me to dream big - average loss is 10lbs per month but she lost faster than that the first few months. 

Overall, it was a good day 1!