Cheesy Flat Zucchini Noodles
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  1. Cheesy Flat Zucchini Noodles

    Here’s another guilt-free pasta recipe for you! You won’t need a spiral slicer for this one, use a regular veggie peeler – like the kind you would use to peel the skin from a potato – to create long, flat zucchini noodles.

    This recipe has a delicious, nutty flavor that will make you forget all about traditional noodles. Feel free to serve with some sliced chicken breast, sliced hard-boiled eggs or steak for added protein. Enjoy!

    What you need

    Serves 4

    • 1 teaspoon coconut oil Pinch of salt
    • 1 Tablespoon almond flour
    • 4 large zucchinis, peeled with a veggie peeler
    • 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
    • 1 Tablespoon minced parsley
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions

    1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, about two minutes. Add the coconut oil, and once it’s melted, add the almond flour and a pinch of salt.

    2. Stir often with a wooden spoon, until it’s toasty brown, about two minutes. Remove crumbs from the pan and save for garnish.

    3. In the same skillet, add the peeled zucchini noodles. Sauté them until just tender, about one to two minutes. Turn heat to low.

    4. In a new pan on low heat, combine olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes, stirring with a spoon until fragrant, about 20 seconds.

    5. Transfer the zucchini noodles to garlic and oil mixture. Toss and stir until coated.

    6. Turn off the heat and add parsley, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle with almond flour crumbs before serving. Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    165 calories, 12g fat, 72mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 6g protein

  2. Whole Wheat Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce Casserole

    Here’s a good recipe as the days grow shorter and more refreshing. A delicious and simple vegetarian pasta to spruce up your meat-free Mondays – or any day of the week. It weighs in at less than 500 calories per serving.

    Brought to you by Active Aging Week, an awareness promotion by the International Council on Active Aging. Along with the Grain Foods Foundation, the council is encouraging people to get healthy whole grains in their diet.

    Ingredients

    • 1 box whole wheat penne pasta, uncooked, 14.5 oz
    • 1 package reduced fat cream cheese 8 oz.
    • 1½ to 2 cups marinara sauce
    • 1 can seasoned diced tomatoes, 28 oz.
    • 2 cups low-fat Mozzarella cheese, shredded
    • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
    3. Fold in marinara sauce and canned tomatoes. Pour into a rectangular 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
    4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

    Remember

    This dish probably serves about 8 so go easy on the carbohydrate dense servings. Try less pasta and/or gluten-free for an even cleaner version.

  3. Zucchini and Asparagus Pasta

    Traditional pasta is a big no-no when it comes to being fit and toned, so many fitness enthusiasts turn to vegetables for their noodle fix. This is a wonderful recipe to make a big batch of and to use throughout the week for meal prep by adding chopped, grilled chicken breast for protein. There’s tons of flavor and fiber to keep you fueled and happy.

    You’ll need a spiral slicer for this recipe, in order to create long, noodle strands out of zucchini. If you don’t already have a spiral slicer, it’s a great tool that makes low-carb noodles quickly and easily. The addition of roasted asparagus to this pasta is simply delicious. Enjoy!

    Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

    What You Need
    Serves 4

    1 bunch, organic asparagus
    1 teaspoon olive oil
    dash of sea salt and pepper
    5 organic zucchini
    2 Tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, chopped

    For the dressing

    1 garlic clove, chopped
    2 Tablespoons yellow onion, chopped
    1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
    1 Tablespoon lemon juice
    ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
    2 Tablespoons olive oil
    ¼ cup fresh chives, thinly sliced

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

    2. Trim the ends off the asparagus, and chop into ½ inch pieces. Place in a medium bowl and combine with the olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

    3. Trim the ends from the zucchini and use a veggie peeler to remove the green skin. Cut the zucchini in half, width-wise, then run through a spiral slicer to create long, angel hair noodles. Place the noodles in a large bowl. Add the sun dried tomatoes and roasted asparagus.

    4. In a small bowl combine all of the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the noodle salad and mix well to combined.

    Nutrition
    One serving equals: 134 calories, 8g fat, 10mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 5g protein

  4. Eat this instead!

    Are you eating these wrong foods?

    I see it happen all the time…fat loss results that are trashed and all kinds of inflammation in the body by eating the wrong foods. Please don’t let this be you. Whether you’re exercising hard or not, keep your results and feel better by avoiding these 7 foods:

    1) Don’t Eat: White Pasta
    White pasta will never be OK to eat when your goal is to look fit. Sorry, it’s filled with way too many simple carbs. These plentiful carbs have one singular goal: to be stored on your body as fat.

    Eat This: Spaghetti Squash

    On those nights when you really crave a big bowl of noodles, try this instead. Poke a spaghetti squash all over then bake at 400 degrees F for 45-60 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, scoop out the seeds and then scrape out the long, noodle-like strands of squash. Serve these healthy noodles with spaghetti sauce and meatballs.

    2) Don’t Eat: Store Bought Salad Dressing

    The nutritional benefit of your salad is all but undone by the questionable ingredients in store bought salad dressing. From trans fats to preservatives, store bought salad dressing is a landfill of unnatural ingredients that are best avoided.

    Eat This: Simple Homemade Dressing

    Making you own salad dressing is so simple, it literally takes less than five minutes, and it tastes so much better freshly made. Here’s the equation to use when making your own dressing:

    • 3 parts high quality oil – extra virgin olive oil, hemp seed oil, flax seed oil, or sesame seed oil.
    • 1 part something acidic – vinegar, lemon, lime
    • A dash of salt and fresh ground pepper
    • Some fresh or dried herbs

    3) Don’t Eat: Packaged Granola Bars

    Packaged bars have one thing going for them—the convenience factor. This convenience comes at a price, as each packaged bar contains more preservatives, carbs, calories and sugars than you should be eating.

    Eat This: Raw Nuts

    When you need a quick, energizing snack look no further than a handful of raw nuts. This is a great way to cut down on the sugar and other harmful additives in granola bars while still enjoying a convenient energy boost.

    4) Don’t Drink: Blended Coffee Drinks

    Coffee chains have made it socially acceptable to sip on a large blended coffee drink topped with whipped cream, anytime and anyplace. Unfortunately, your body is going to respond to all that sugar in the only way that it knows how…by storing it as fat. These blended drinks are extremely addictive, so it’s best to avoid them completely.

    Drink This: Unsweetened Iced Tea

    The whole idea behind blended coffee drinks is to quench your thirst, but there are more fitness-friendly ways to do so. Double brew 4 cups of your favorite tea – try Chai Rooibos—then chill it in the fridge for a few hours. Serve over ice and sweeten with a sprinkle of Stevia if needed. Guilt-free refreshment.

    5) Don’t Eat: Fast Food Breakfast Sandwiches

    The drive thru may be calling you, especially when you’ve left for work in such a hurry that you forgot to eat breakfast, but don’t give in. Fast food breakfast sandwiches are filled with loads of preservatives, trans fats and questionable ingredients. Not to mention these little breakfast bombs contain more calories and fat than you need in the morning.

    Eat This: Grain-Free Mini Muffins

    The recipe below Grain-Free Mini Muffins make the perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack to keep you out of the drive thru line. Make a batch on the weekend to stock the fridge and then grab as needed throughout your busy week.

    6) Don’t Eat: Flavored Yogurt

    Little cups of fruit-flavored yogurts are often marketed as the next best weight loss secret, but you know better. These ultra-sweet concoctions are filled with sugars, corn syrup and preservatives, which will derail your fitness results and send you on a sugar high.

    Eat This: Plain Greek Yogurt with Fruit

    Plain Greek yogurt has more protein and far less sugar than the cute little fruit-flavored yogurt cups. Dress it up by adding your own, chopped fresh fruit.

    7) Don’t Eat: Potato Chips

    Around three o’clock in the afternoon, when that vending machine is calling out your name, remember this fact: Studies suggest that a potato chip habit caused subjects to gain weight even faster than an ice cream habit. This is likely due to all the preservatives, trans fats, empty calories and salt, and how hard it is to each just a few.

    Eat This: Baked Kale Chips

    Kale chips are crunchy and satisfying, just like potato chips, yet you’re able to crunch away guilt-free. Filled with fiber, protein and real food nutrients, this is one crunchy snack that won’t expand your waistline. Here’s how to make them at home: Wash and tear one bunch of kale into chip-sized pieces. Toss with a Tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees F for 12-15 minutes.

    The quickest and most permanent way to drop fat, feel amazing and live independently for a lifetime is through a combination of healthy eating and consistent, challenging functional fitness workouts.

    Are you over 50 years old? I’m here to help you meet your fitness and weight loss goals. You deserve that fit and healthy body—I can help you get it.

    Call or email today and together we will get you on the path to your best body ever!

  5. One Pan Spaghetti

    You’ll never make traditional spaghetti and meatballs again. This lightened recipe combines butternut squash noodles with tender meatballs and savory red sauce for a healthy meal that tastes downright naughty. Every family needs a reliable spaghetti and meatball recipe, and it’s a happy bonus that this one is light and lean.

    Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

    What you need
    Serves 6

    1 pound ground beef
    ¾ cup grain-free bread crumbs
    ⅓ cup Basil pesto
    1 teaspoon sea salt
    ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
    6 cups Butternut squash noodles
    1 (24 ounce) jar of marinara sauce

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with olive oil.

    2. Use your hands to combine the beef, bread crumbs, pesto, sea salt and black pepper. Roll the mixture into about fifteen 1-inch meatballs. Place the meatballs in the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the meatballs, setting aside on a plan, and drain off any liquids from the pan.

    3. Spread the noodles in the pan. Pour the marinara sauce over the noodles and toss gently with tongs to coat. Add the meatballs back to the pan, gently nestling throughout the noodles. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 7 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 3-5 minutes.

    4. Remove the pan from oven. Toss to coat the noodles and meatballs with the sauce. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper and garnish with fresh basil.

    Nutrition
    One serving equals 289 calories, 10g fat, 23g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 26g protein.


Your Personal Best Location
Your Personal Best Training Studio
Doddridge Plaza
3765 S. Alameda, Ste 102
Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(361) 857-5087 info@ypbtrainingstudio.com