​​​​Who knew you could make a high protein pizza crust that tastes this good?!

We all love pizza, but we also want to be fit and healthy. The traditional pizza crust is loaded with processed ingredients and simple carbs that promote weight gain, BUT THIS PIZZA CRUST is different!

This pizza crust is made with CHICKEN, QUINOA, and EGG!

It’s incredible that ingredients that are this full of protein and wholesome nutrition can come together to create a legit pizza crust! You’ve got to try this recipe if pizza and protein are two things that you love.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com​

What you need
Servings: 4

For the Pizza Crust

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup uncooked quinoa (Soaked for 8 hours)
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Optional Toppings

• ½ cup pesto
• ½ cup baked, sliced chicken breast
• ½ cup Fresh mozzarella in water, grated

Instructions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in the food processor until the chicken is fully ground and the ingredients are fully combined.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Place the chicken dough in the center of your pan and spread into your desired pizza crust shape. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees F.
4. Load up your crust with your favorite sauce and toppings. Place back in the oven for 5-8 minutes, until your cheese has melted and toppings are warmed. Serve immediately and enjoy!

In the spirit of the holidays, here is a wholesome cookie recipe that is packed with the flavors of the season.

These cookies are made with grain-free flours and coconut sugar to make it more fitness-friendly so that you can stay on track while enjoying a treat.

Keep in mind that the dough expands while baking, which is why you’ll need to space the cookies at least 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Don’t flatten out the balls when you put them on the pan, either. Let them expand naturally in the cooking process and enjoy the pretty cracks that come as a result.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Servings: 50 Cookies

• 2 cups Raw Pecans
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• ½ cup blanched almond flour
• ½ cup arrowroot starch
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup coconut cream
• 1 cup coconut palm sugar
• ⅓ cup molasses
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat, often stirring, for 5 minutes, until fragrant and golden. Set aside to cool.
3. Pulse the pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Add the coconut flour, almond flour, arrowroot, baking soda, salt, ginger, cardamom, pepper, oil, cream, 3/4 cup of the sugar, molasses, and egg. Pulse until thoroughly combined.
4. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it with plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Place the remaining 1/4 cup coconut sugar in a bowl. Form the dough into 1-tablespoon-size balls and roll them in the sugar. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart and do not press the dough down. Bake for 8–12 minutes, until golden.

Nutrition
Four Meatballs equals: One cookie equals: 84 calories, 5g fat, 88mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 6g sugar, and 1g protein.

A bowl of this homemade soup is a wonderful meal to enjoy during the holidays. It’s low carb and filled with protein and veggies to power your day and curb your cravings. Best of all it’s made in the slow cooker, so preparation is quick and easy.

Most tortilla soup recipes contain ingredients that are high in carbs, like tortilla strips and rice. In this recipe, I’ve removed these ingredients and filled in the gaps with high fiber cauliflower rice. What’s great is that you get all of the tortilla soup flavors that you love without the extra calories.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Serves 8

• 2 organic, free-range chicken breasts
• 1 (28oz) can dice, fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 (4oz) can green chiles, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 head cauliflower, shredded
• 32 oz organic, free-range chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• dash of sea salt and pepper
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 avocados
• Tajin seasoning for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all of the ingredients, except the cilantro, avocado, and tajin, in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.
2. Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker. Shred with a fork and then return to the slow cooker.
3. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of cilantro, a few slices of avocado and a dash of tajin. Enjoy!

Nutrition
One serving equals 153 calories, 6g fat, 321mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, and 10g protein.

​​​​When it comes to appetizers, our healthy diets can often fly out the window, which is why I really like these stuffed dates. While this is certainly a treat and not something to include in your daily diet, each date contains protein, fat and complex carbs. Additionally, these ingredients are wholesome and simple, not deep-fried, and not containing a laundry list of additives and fillers.

A word of advice: make a double batch! These disappear quickly…

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com​

What you need
Serves 24

• 12 bacon strips, uncured pork
• 24 Dates (get the kind with pits, these are softer)
• ½ cup Goat Cheese
• 24 walnut halves
• 24 toothpicks

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the bacon strips in half, width-wise.
2. Remove the seed from each date and stuff with a teaspoon of goat cheese and a walnut. Squish it together.
3. Wrap each stuffed date with a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick and place on the prepared baking sheet. (You can store in the fridge up to a day once wrapped. It’s nice to make the day before your party!)
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the bacon is cooked through and crispy. Enjoy immediately!

Nutrition
One serving equals 96 calories, 6g fat, 237mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 5g sugar, and 5g protein.

​This Beef Skillet Supper is a very Fitness-Friendly meal, with tons of protein and wholesome, nutritious ingredients to power you through your day and fuel your results. It’s perfect for making on a weeknight when you don’t have a ton of time to spend in the kitchen, but you still want a dish that’s full of flavor.​

This recipe calls for sweet potato rice, which is sweet potato that has been turned into noodles with a spiral slicer, and then pulsed in the food processor until small rice-like pieces form. It’s entirely possible to save time by chopping up your sweet potato rather than going through the process of turning it into rice if you’d prefer!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Serves 4

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 Cups Sweet Potato Rice or finely chopped, uncooked sweet potato
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 1 cup liquid egg whites
• *Optional* ¼ cup fresh mozzarella
• *Optional* ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• *Optional* ¼ cup guacamole

Instructions

1. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until all of the pink is gone. Remove from heat.
2. Mix the sea salt, paprika, and garlic powder into the beef. Return the heat to medium and add the sweet potato rice to the skillet. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the chopped kale to the skillet, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. In another skillet over medium heat and scramble the egg whites until the curds are barely wet and starting to break apart.
5. Mix the egg whites into the skillet and top with mozzarella and cilantro. Immediately serve with guacamole. Enjoy!

Nutrition
One serving equals 342 calories, 7g fat, 712mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 6g sugar, and 44g protein.

Are you stuck in the frustrating cycle of gaining and losing the same 5 pounds but never reaching your goal weight?

Read on to see if these 3 Bad Habits are holding you back from the body of your dreams…

Bad Habit #1: You’re Eating TOO MUCH (healthy food)

Yes, there is such thing as TOO MUCH healthy food. Extra calories can come from healthy food just as readily as from unhealthy foods.

Yes, healthier foods are typically lower in calories, so it will take you longer to gain weight by overeating roasted chicken and sweet potato than it would ice cream and chips, but the extra pounds will add up nonetheless.

If you would like to lose weight then it’s very important to control your portions, even of super healthy foods, since ALL foods carry calories, and too many calories will block weight loss.

Bad Habit #2: You’re Dehydrated (not enough water)

If you are like most people then you live in a state of partial dehydration, every day. Being dehydrated is dangerous for all of your major body organs, and it blocks fat loss. Additionally, water is an appetite suppressant that fills your stomach and prevents you from overeating, and add to that the fact that thirst is often mistaken for hunger pains, you can see why dehydration leads to frustrating weight gain.

Make it a point to sip on water throughout the day you’ll avoid dehydration, making it easier to drop those unwanted pounds.

Bad Habit #3: You’re Slacking (in the gym)

If you want to lose weight and see a measurable transformation in your body, then going through the motions at the gym simply won’t cut it. I understand the desire to stay as comfortable as possible at all times, even when this means moving lightly through a workout, rather than going all in. And, yes, going through the motions with a workout is better than sitting on the couch, it certainly won’t get you the body that you want.

How hard do you exercise on a scale of one to ten? If you know your workouts land below an 8 then seriously consider stepping up the intensity of your next workout in order to really burn that fat away.

Some desserts simply require a sweet, whipped topping to top them off​. It’s pretty, it’s yummy and it’s nostalgic. However…traditional whipped cream is NOT part of any fitness-focused diet that I’ve ever heard of!

This creamy, dreamy Whipped Greek Yogurt is the solution. It gives you that whipped topping that you crave without ruining your fitness results. Regulate the amount of sugar in this recipe by choosing between liquid stevia (no sugar) and pure maple syrup, based on your dietary goals.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Serves 12

• 1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt, full fat
• ¼ cup coconut cream
• 2 Tablespoons pure Maple syrup OR ¼ teaspoon liquid stevia
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
2. Mix on low for 20 seconds, to allow everything to combine, and then increase to high speed.
3. Continue to mix on high speed for 2 minutes, until peaks form. Chill until you serve. Keeps in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Nutrition
One serving equals 119 calories, 5g fat, 54mg sodium, 5g carbs, 0g fiber, 13g protein

Egg muffins have been a go-to favorite in my kitchen for years, and for good reason. These savory muffins are packed with wholesome egg protein, can conveniently be made ahead of time, and have an endless array of possible add-ins. Think of it like tiny little omelets. Cute and tasty.

Using the base of 6 eggs, get crazy and add whatever meats, veggies, spices or fresh herbs that you love and have available. Think of the eggs as a blank backdrop against which you can add any array of flavors. And you don’t even have to confine yourself to savory items. I’ve been known to add ground cinnamon and sautéed apples to egg muffins for a healthy spin on apple fritters!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Serves 4

2 strips Nitrate free bacon
1/3 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
6 eggs
sea salt and black pepper
1 Tablespoon minced chive, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 6 muffin tins with paper liners or grease with coconut oil.

2. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once crisp, remove from the skillet, cool and crumble. Add the sliced onion to the hot skillet and sauté for 10 minutes, until soft and caramelized.

3. In a medium bowl combine the crumbled bacon and caramelized onion. Add the 6 eggs and season with salt and pepper. Whisk until fully combined. Fill the muffin tins two-thirds of the way full.

4. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the egg is fully set.

Nutrition
One muffin equals:  109 calories, 7g fat, 251mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 9g protein

Make the most of fall produce like butternut squash and kale in this hearty vegetarian soup. Pasta and beans make it especially filling.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
• 2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled baking potato
• 1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans (about 1/4 pound)
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups chopped kale
• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 1/2 minutes or until tender. Add broth and the next 7 ingredients (broth through salt); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Add kale, orzo, and beans; cook 5 minutes or until orzo is done and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

Nutritional Information

• Calories 212
• Fat 5g
• Protein 9.6g
• Carbohydrate 36g
• Fiber 3.9g
• Sodium 961mg
• Calcium 164mg

Let’s face it, we live in a world where food temptations are everywhere…which leads to cravings, which lead to you eating things that you shouldn’t. Again. And again. And again. Until you’re so fed up with your body that you don’t even know where to begin to get yourself back on track.

Stores display the most tantalizing junk food items right where you could easily reach them. TV commercials for greasy, fattening foods portray them so scrumptiously that you literally salivate. Sugary snack items have full-page, glossy pictures in your favorite magazines. And as if all of these weren’t enough, the people in your daily life are another, constant source of food temptation.

To make matters worse, you’ve been conditioned since childhood to have a positive association with the act of indulging in your cravings. You use food as a reward. You use food as a source of emotional comfort. You use food as a way to relieve stress. And quickly these associations and uses of food become a habit. A habit not easily broken.

New Technique to End Food Cravings

Food cravings don’t need to have the upper hand on you anymore. Here’s how you can fight back using your most powerful asset: your brain.

Remember that your mind is an amazing thing. Once your mind is made up about something it’s nearly impossible to change it.

Try This Powerful Mind Exercise: Imagine that you are peacefully floating down a river on a raft. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and you are having a fun, relaxing time.

You feel wonderful about the river because it’s making you feel happy.

Now change perspectives for a moment. You’re now in a plane flying over the river and the raft. Instantly our eye is drawn to an enormous rocky waterfall. Then you look back to the person floating on the raft, having a wonderful time, headed straight for the treacherous falls.

With this new perspective of the river, do you think that you’d agree to get on a raft and take your chances floating toward the falls? Laughable, right? You’ve seen the hidden danger of the river. You know it leads to pain and suffering.

Now your negative association (watery death) with the river has replaced your initial positive association (relaxing fun).

This is the key to overcoming food temptations and putting an end to food cravings: building negative associations in place of existing positive ones. I’ll break this process down for you in two steps:

Step One: Create a STRONG Negative Association with Unhealthy food you may not have realized it, but up until this point you’ve placed unhealthy, fattening foods on a pedestal in your mind. As long as the wrong foods are on that pedestal you’ll continue to give into your cravings and will continue to gain fat.

• Take the wrong food off that pedestal by listing off everything negative about them…
• These foods make you unhealthy.
• These foods cause weight gain.
• These foods drain your energy.
• These foods kill your confidence.
• These foods lessen your quality of life.
• These foods damage your love life.

Every time that you feel tempted to eat unhealthy food, focus on your list of negatives. Kick the junk off the pedestal and put something healthy in its place.

Step Two: Create a STRONG Positive Association with wholesome foods

Now that your mental food pedestal has been cleared, put truly wholesome food items on it. Juicy fresh fruit, crispy vegetables, and savory lean meats are the place to start.

List off the things that you love about healthy food…

• These foods make you healthy.
• These foods promote fat loss.
• These foods boost your energy.
• These foods build your confidence.
• These foods improve your quality of life.
• These foods enhance your love life.

I encourage you to immerse yourself into the world of healthy, wholesome foods. Browse the aisles of your local natural foods store. Stroll through a farmer’s market. Pack healthy snacks to bring to work. Clear your kitchen of junk.

Use the technique above consistently and you will soon find that healthy, wholesome foods are your favorite.

And craving the wrong foods will be a thing of your past.