Best Corn Salad Ever!

Summer is here and I love me some good ole summer salads. Black beans, avocado, CORN! Eat them hot or cold, summer salads are what grilling out is all about!

Years ago my good friend, Ashley over at Wee Wander, gave me this recipe. I’m not sure if she concocted it because she’s and former chef and all, but either way, it’s amazing. It’s super simple and yet the flavors are unlike any other veggie summer salad (or corn salad for that matter) that I’ve ever tried. The secret? Apple cider vinegar.

Here’s the recipe and 21 Day Fix container breakdown, below!

INGREDIENTS

• 5 ears of corn, shucked
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. EVOO
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. basil (dried) or 1 Tbsp. chopped (fresh)

DIRECTIONS

Boil corn for 3 minutes. Remove and plunge into ice water to stop the corn from cooking. Remove kernels and toss all ingredients (except fresh basil) together in a bowl. Allow to marinate for several hours or overnight. Toss with fresh basil before serving.

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

1/2 cup = yellow

21 Day Fix Energy Bites!

Oh are these little nuggets of yumminess SO easy and SO kid friendly! They’re so good, in fact, I could literally pop, like, 10 of them at a time and never look back. You know, except for the fact that even all-natural, clean ingredients do actually have calories, too. (I hate when that happens!)

So this recipe is from Gimme Some Oven, which is an awesome blog to follow if you like clean eating! And bonus for all of your Fixers out there, these are 21 Day Fix approved as a treat! Hip hop hooray!

Here’s the recipe plus the 21 Day Fix container breakdown! Enjoy!

Yields 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed (don’t use whole flax seeds as they won’t be absorbed into your body as efficiently as ground)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs (optional)
• 1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.
2. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
3. Makes about 20-25 balls.

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

2 balls = 1 yellow

Sweet PB & Banana Tacos

Need a quick pick-me-up? This 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme approved snack does the trick!

I like peanut butter. I like bananas. So when I needed a quick snack today to stave off my sweet tooth cravings, this little guy was the perfect answer! When the peanut butter melts like that it’s just SO. DARN. GOOD. Bonus: it’s 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme approved!

INGREDIENTS

Serves 1

• 1/2 Small banana sliced
• 1 Corn tortilla toasted (if you don’t toast it, corn tortillas fall apart. Plus, it tastes better toasted! We toast ours in a pan with no oil or anything at all)
• 1 tsp. Natural peanut butter

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

1/2 Purple 1/2 Yellow 1 tsp.

Quick, Clean, & Delicious Breakfast or Snack!

This fast and easy breakfast is also one of my favorite midday snacks now! Bonus: It’s 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme approved!

I’m a firm believer in eating things that keep you full for longer periods. I mean, who wouldn’t want to feel more full more often and therefore eat less? That’s how you lose weight, right? Calories in, calories out? So my go-to breakfast and snack on most days is a bowl of steel-cut oats. These cooked little oats literally get me through an entire morning if necessary. Better yet, the options for toppings are pretty bountiful.

I’ve always done mixed berries, strawberries, or blueberries depending on what’s in season. Occasionally I’d throw in half of a banana. But, for some reason, I’ve never tried apples. Which is funny considering I love apples. So I saw this recipe on From Forks to Fitness‘s Facebook page–the blog, by the way, is a fantastic source if you’re looking for 21 Day Fix recipes–and decided I had to try this simple snack on top of my oatmeal.

So I did. And wow, SO good! As always, it’s 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme approved, which also means it’s ALL clean eating! Wahoo!

Here’s the recipe and 21 Day Fix container breakdown, below:

INGREDIENTS

Serving size 1

• 1/4 cup steel-cut oats
• 1 cup water
• Dash sea salt or Beachbody Mineralize
• 1 tsp. natural peanut butter
• 1 medium apple, chopped (I prefer Gala apples)
• Cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Add sea salt or Mineralize to water. Bring water to a boil. Add oats and cook according to directions, usually 20-30 minutes. (There are also options for quick steel-cut oats. I use Quaker Quick Cooking Steel-Cut Oats when I’m pressed for time.) Sprinkle apple with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice and put in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 2-3 minutes. Add peanut butter to apple mixture and stir well. Top oatmeal with apple mixture.

NOTE: I added 1 Stevia packet and a little bit of unsweetened vanilla almond milk to my oatmeal but it’s not necessary to do either.

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

1 Yellow, 1 Purple, 1 tsp.

Super Snack: Greek Yogurt Smoothie

I love me some smoothies, especially ones with 0% fat Greek yogurt. The Greek yogurt not only keeps you full longer, but it’s also low in calories and high in protein, the latter of which helps cancel out the carbs in it. Couple that with a cup of fresh or frozen berries–your choice!–and you have yourself a nutrient-packed breakfast or snack, perfect for on-the-go health food lovers. Better yet, it’s 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme approved! (See the breakdown at bottom of recipe.)

(Bonus: my three year old LOVES this smoothie! Oftentimes I throw in a handful of spinach to give her an extra dose of veggies without her even knowing. And in the summer, I love to freeze these as popsicles, which she thinks is a great treat!)

Here’s the recipe!

UPDATE: Join my Healthy New Year challenge group! All you need is a Beachbody program of your choice to follow and me as your coach along the way! Click here to join and let’s kick off 2016 with some awesome health and fitness resolutions!

Makes 1 serving
6 oz. 0% Greek yogurt
1 cup berries (frozen or fresh)
1 handful spinach
1/5 banana (optional)
1 Stevia packet
Splash of water

Blend in blender until smooth. Add water if too thick.

21 Day Fix breakdown: 1 red, 1 purple, 1 green

Quick & Easy Snacks for On the Go!

Need some quick and easy 21 Day Fix snacks? Take a peek at Autumn’s fun recipes, below!

Nuts To You: Which Ones Are Best For Your Health?

Nuts are one of the easiest snack foods. But easy doesn’t always mean healthy and in the case of nuts, it can also mean pretty hefty tick on your calorie count for the day. (One cup of peanuts can cost you a whopping 800-plus calories. On the flip side, a cup of super food raspberries clocks in at a mere 65 calories.)

So which nuts are worth the calories (not to mention give your brain, heart, and body an overall health boost)? Here’s a quick-hit list of the best nuts for your body, courtesy of this article in Health magazine:

• Best for Your Heart: Walnuts “A 2006 Spanish study suggested that walnuts were as effective as olive oil at reducing inflammation and oxidation in the arteries after eating a fatty meal.”
• Best for Your Brain: Peanuts  “Peanuts are also full of brain-boosting healthy fats and vitamin E, as well. One ounce of peanuts (about 28 unshelled nuts) contains about 170 calories, 7 grams protein, and 14 grams fat.”
• Best for Men: Brazil Nuts and Pecans “Creamy Brazil nuts are packed with selenium, a mineral that may protect against prostate cancer and other diseases” while “pecans are also good for men’s health: They’re loaded with beta-sitosterol, a plant steroid that may help relieve symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or enlarged prostate.”
• Best for Disease Prevention: Almonds They’re “rich in fiber and vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps fight dangerous inflammation and possibly health conditions such as lung cancer and age-related cognitive decline.”