A warm bowl of soup like this is a fantastic way to eat a low calorie, high protein dinner.

There’s bone broth that’s rich in soothing, immune system supporting minerals and there’s also fresh kale with magical healing properties. Next we have tender meat for usable protein and quinoa with wholesome complex carbs. And it’s finished off with fresh lemon juice for a shot of vitamin C.

Paired with a green salad, this meal is light, full of fiber and will help you towards your best body yet!

What you need
Serves 16

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds bone-in breast, turkey or chicken, skin removed
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• One yellow onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 parsnips, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• One teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 8 cups bone broth
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups lacinato kale, chopped
• 2 lemons, juiced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Place 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey breast; cook until well browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and return to high heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery, parsnips, carrots, thyme, salt, and pepper. Next, cook, stirring occasionally until golden, about 8 minutes.
3. Transfer the cooked veggies to the slow cooker and stir in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
4. Transfer the turkey breast from the slow cooker to a plate, remove the meat from the bones and shred. Return the meat to the slow cooker and stir in the quinoa and kale. Cover and cook on low for an hour, until the quinoa is tender.
5. Generously season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Nutrition

One serving equals 305 calories, 6g fat, 18g carbohydrate, 952mg sodium, 4g fiber, and 47g protein.

​Reducing the starchy carbs in your dinner is a proven way to stimulate weight loss. This means making changes like using lettuce leaves instead of tortillas and swapping out rice for shredded cauliflower.

Dinners like these Turkey Lettuce Wraps will help you quickly reach your fat loss goal. The shredded cauliflower, rice and onions in this recipe make an amazing substitution for grain-based pilaf. With the addition of lean, ground turkey and lettuce this comfort-food tasting meal is actually quite lean and green.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Serves 6

12 large Romaine lettuce leaves

For the Cinnamon Ground Turkey Rice:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 yellow onion, minced
dash of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 lb ground, organic turkey
1 head cauliflower, shredded (To shred: cut into florets and run through a food processor with the grating attachment)
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 cup chicken broth
dash of freshly ground pepper

For the Quick Apple Chutney:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 green apples, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon coconut crystals
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
sprinkle of sea salt

Instructions

1. For the Cinnamon Ground Turkey Rice: In a large skillet place the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and onions, cook for 3 minutes, until soft. Add salt, cinnamon and ground turkey. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add the head of shredded cauliflower, raisins, broth and pepper. Cook for another 4 minutes, until heated through.

2. For the Quick Apple Chutney: In a medium skillet place the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and apples. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover, add the cinnamon, coconut crystals, apple juice and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for another 4 minutes until apples are tender.

3. Assemble Your Lettuce Wraps: Spread a generous spoonful of the turkey mixture along the center of a Romaine lettuce leaf, top with a spoonful of chutney. Enjoy

Nutrition
One serving equals: 248 calories, 9g fat, 156mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 17g protein

A light dinner that’s centered around protein and veggies is the perfect way to end your day. Today I have an innovative recipe that delivers big in both flavor and fitness.

This Fit Turkey Goulash is a fun way to serve up wholesome ingredients that the whole family will enjoy. Making smart substitutions, like using zucchini noodles instead of traditional pasta noodles, is a great way to eat meals that help propel you towards your fitness goal. Lucky for you this wholesome meal is packed with flavor!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What You Need
Serves 8

3 strips bacon, chopped
2 pounds ground turkey
sea salt and black pepper
2 apples, seeded and diced
2 yellow onions, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
juice of 1 lemon
2½ cups broth (chicken or bone)
5 medium zucchinis
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
non-fat, plain Greek yogurt (optional)

Instructions

1. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

2. Add the ground pork to the pot in the bacon drippings, cook, breaking it into smaller pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the apples, onions, bell pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Cook until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Mix in the paprika and cumin.

4. Return the bacon back to the pot, along with the lemon juice and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the goulash thickens.

5. Use a veggie peeler to peel the zucchini into flat noodles in a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil and season with sea salt. Mix in the parsley and dill.

6. Serve the goulash warm over zucchini noodles with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Nutrition
One serving equals: 360 calories, 18g fat, 19g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 37g protein.

After 20 years in the fitness industry I have a hard time accepting that Thanksgiving is a day of indulgence. Yet, while you may be on a diet or watching your food intake, bringing any sense of deprivation into the day may cause you to overeat out of sheer rebelliousness against “missing out”.

Cut yourself a little slack and let yourself enjoy more food than usual on this special day. The NEXT day, Friday, November 24^th, you can join me for a “28 Day Maintain Don’t Gain Challenge” between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Details are here

1. Be sure to eat properly prior to the meal. Don’t skip any of the meals during the day – eat breakfast and lunch. The only difference is that you may want to eat more lightly than usual. However, skipping eating normally will just tempt you to overeat at the Thanksgiving meal.

• Snacks, if needed, should be raw veggies or fruit.

2. Take small amounts when serving yourself. Take one small piece or scoop of everything that you enjoy to begin with. Remind yourself that you can always take seconds! This approach is considerate of the need to avoid waste.

Using a smaller plate can also fool your eye into thinking that you have more on the plate. This is a traditional dieter’s trick.

3. Honor the food.Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks for the food that is on the table. Think about the contents of your plate and how it was once alive and is now about to provide you with energy and nutrition. Think about all the people whose efforts brought the food to the table, from the farmer to the cook.

4. Pause.Before you begin to eat, notice everything about the food on your plate. What are its colors, textures, aromas and anything else of note.

5. Take small bites and chew everything well. This relates back to the previous step––as you bite, savor the things that you noticed about the food when you took time to assess, such as texture and taste. Also, small bites and slow chewing aids digestion, as enzymes in the mouth begin to break down the food for you.

• Rest your eating implements on the plate between each bite.

6. Chat with others.You’re more likely to realize that you’re full (before you feel sick) if you talk, rather than shovel food into your mouth non-stop! During the meal, make an effort to engage others in conversation between bites. This shouldn’t be too hard if family members (you haven’t seen for a while) turn up with news of the events in their lives.

7. Avoid wolfing down your food.Eat slowly and savor the food you’re consuming. If you finish everything on your plate, wait a minute. You can tell a story to everyone else, or just sit back and relax.

8. Take seconds only if you’re still hungry.Repeat the eat-wait-take more cycle until you feel satisfied, but not stuffed. Aim for feeling good, not feeling so stuffed that you can’t eat another thing or feel ill.

• Leave room for the dessert. As bad as sugar is for us, one small piece of pie or other dessert is sufficient to end the meal. If you feel too full, leave dessert until much later (like before your workout the next morning!).

9. Get away from the table.Go for a walk, play football, entertain a child, play with a pet or help clean up! Head out to volunteer for those less fortunate on Thanksgiving. This will keep you from munching just because there’s food in sight. Here’s a great workout I put together years ago at your neighborhood park. View the video here

• And, stay away from snacks arranged away from the dinner table. If they’re so tempting, move to another spot where the snacks are not in view.

Then, congratulate yourself on a job well done! You can even laugh at everyone who feels so full they can’t move! In fact, you might take a moment to share the secret of enjoying a Thanksgiving meal mindfully with them––just don’t be preachy and tell them all about Your Personal Best Training Studio for the over 50 crowd!

Lastly, whether you are one of my loyal clients, a non-member or-out-of-town, sign up TODAY for my “28 Day Maintain Don’t Gain Challenge” that starts MONDAY, November 27^th – Christmas Eve. It’s so affordable even doing 50% of this challenge could maintain you! Details are here

Here’s a great recipe for a busy weeknight dinner. Ground turkey breast is mixed Mediterranean spices to create flavorful, protein-packed kebabs. Serve with salad and vegetables and a side of plain Greek yogurt.

Servings: 4

Here’s what you need:

– 1 1/2 pounds turkey breast, de-boned, trimmed of skin and cut into thin strips
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– 1 teaspoon olive oil
– 2 eggs
– 1/4 cup almond meal (more if needed)
– 1 teaspoon cumin
– 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– dash of salt (optional)
– 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
– 1 Tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped

Directions:

1. In a food processor, blend the turkey strips until ground. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until well blended.
2. Pre-heat your grill or grill pan.
3. Lightly grease your hands, then press the meat into the wooden skewers until it covers about 3-4 inches in an elongated meatball shape. If the meat is not sticking then add some more almond meal.
4. Grill for about 8 minutes per side.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 254 calories, 8g fat, 156mg sodium, 2g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, and 47g protein

We recently served these at our open house and they were an absolute hit. These roll-ups are a quick, easy, no-cook lunch or snack item that will please the whole family.
—

Ingredients

Whole wheat tortillas or flatbread
Your choice of mustard (we used Dijon, Regular & Jalapeno mustards)
Spinach leaves
Low sodium Turkey breast or Ham
String Cheese

 Step 1                               Step 2                             Step 3                             Step 4————-