Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

I am a big fan of crockpot meals. Now that I have two kiddos, I have less time to make dinner every day. I keep a few crockpot freezer meals on hand for days that I know I will be short on time. I pull them out 24 hours ahead of time, then toss them in the crockpot the next day. Of all the meals I've tried, the Hawaiian chicken was a family favorite.

Ingredients

To make enough for two adults and a toddler (plus left overs for my husband's lunch the next day), I use the following:

• Two defrosted chicken breasts
• Half a bottle of Hawaiian BBQ sauce (I use Lawry's)
• An 8oz can of crushed pineapple

A friend suggested adding red pepper chili flakes to give it some kick.

Directions

I put the ingredients in that order into the crockpot and cook on low for 3.5-4 hours.

As sides, I prepare basmati rice and green beans. I make the rice according to the package. The green beans I put on the stove and add a bouillon cube to the water for flavor. I cook them on medium for 10 minutes or so.

Nutrition

The nutrition information below includes 3 oz of chicken, one serving of basmati rice, 4 tbsp of the marinade sauce drizzled over the rice, 1/4 cup of crushed pineapple, and one serving of green beans with bouillon.

Cals	Fat	Carbs	Protein
382	2	69	20

Lighter Creamy Chicken Stuffed Shells

My mom found this recipe on Pinterest, and it was an immediate hit. However, it has mayonnaise. Mayo and I do not have a good relationship. It kills my stomach and carries a significant caloric punch as well. I decided to lighten this up by using Greek yogurt instead. It still tastes amazing, but the Greek yogurt reduces calories and fat while increasing protein. I also use almond milk instead of regular milk because I can't tolerate it.

Ingredients

To make these stuffed shells you will need the following:

• 12 jumbo shells
• Betty Crocker chicken flavored homestyle stuffing
• 12 oz of chicken (~two breasts)
• 1 single 5.3oz container of plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2  cups almond milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil your noodles, cook and dice up your chicken into tiny pieces, and prepare the stuffing according to the package. Mix the chicken, stuffing, and Greek yogurt in a bowl. Once mixed, stuff your shells and place them in a 13x9 baking dish. 

In a separate bowl, mix together the cream of chicken soup with the milk. For a thicker sauce, use one cup instead of two. Pour over the shells, then place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Short on time? Increase the oven temp to 375 and bake for 20 minutes. 

Nutrition Information

	Cals	Fat	Carbs	Protein	Sodium	Fiber	Sugar
Per 2 shells	334	4.5	39.8	23.5	664.7	3.1	4.5

Easy Breakfast Skillet

It's been awhile since I posted a recipe, and this one was too good to pass. It's great because it only requires one dish (a skillet, duh) and tastes awesome. It's also highly versatile, so feel free to throw in different veggies or meats (or take out the meat entirely to make this vegetarian friendly). This recipe yields two servings.

Ingredients

• 3 small bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow) or one large bell pepper (any color)
• 2 red potatoes
• 2 slices of turkey
• 1/4 of a Vidalia onion
• 1/3 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
• Spices: thyme, pepper, and salt

Directions

Dice all of your ingredients.

Add the coconut oil to your skillet and heat it up, then add your potatoes. Sprinkle with thyme, pepper, and salt to taste. 

Brown the potatoes over medium high heat, then add your remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper if so desired.

Reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking until the turkey browns and the veggies get soft. Add half the mix to a small plate. My husband also wanted scrambled eggs, so I added his half to a larger plate to accommodate the extra food. Sprinkle each plate with half your cheddar cheese. 

Hubs used the same skillet to make his scrambled eggs. He used 4 eggs and added some salsa and mozzarella. 

Truncated Directions

1. Dice all ingredients
2. Brown potatoes, add spices to taste
3. Add remaining ingredients, add more spices if desired. Continue cooking until turkey is browned and veggies are soft. 
4. Plate and sprinkle with cheddar

Nutrition Information

	Calories	Fat	Carbs	Sodium	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
Bell Peppers	60	0	8	0	1.6	8	2
Red Potatoes	220	0	52	0	4	2	6
Turkey	60	4	0	420	0	2	8
Onion	16	0	4	2	0.8	0	0
Cheddar	110	9	0	180	0	0	7
Coconut Oil	60	7	0	0	0	0	0
Total	526	20	64	602	6.4	12	23
Total per serving	263	10	32	301	3.2	6	11.5

Healthy Chicken Salad Sandwich

Whenever I look at chicken salad sandwiches, I always think "That looks really good, I want some of that." Unfortunately, it's usually pretty hit or miss (too much mayo, too much onion, too much whatever), but something I've always noticed is it's holy hell unhealthy.

I'm looking at you mayonnaise.

I hate mayo. Hate it. As a kid, I disliked it so much I used mustard in my tuna instead (talk about a weird flavor). And almost every chicken salad recipe calls for it. As an incredibly popular picnic/potluck/derp-de-derp-I-don't-know-what-to-bring dish, I am surprised by how many people just leave it sitting out in the sun (usually next to the egg salad, also slowly turning into poison).

A refreshing bowl of poisonous phlegm. Oh wait, it's mayo.

The 411 on Mayonnaise

Other than personal opinion, why am I hating on mayo so much? Four reasons actually.

1. Calories. One single tablespoon of mayo has 90 calories in it. Most chicken salad recipes call for a whole cup; that's 16 tablespoons. Your chicken salad now has 1440 calories from mayo alone, never mind all the other stuff that will go into it. 
2. Fat. One tablespoon of mayo has 10g of fat in; your recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 65g. That one cup of mayo? 160g of fat. Womp, womp.
3. Cholesterol. One tablespoon contains 5mg of cholesterol (and not the good kind, people). That one cup of mayo has 80mg of cholesterol. Your RDA is 300mg, so 80mg may not seem like that big of a deal. However, cholesterol is a sneaky bastard and shows up in a lot of places, namely eggs, meats, and dairy products. Some cholesterol is good for you, all the cholesterol ever is not. If you're loading up on mayo, avoid common cholesterol sources (especially fast food) or experience the wrath of clogged arteries.
4. Sodium. Americans consume an obscene amount of sodium per day. The RDA is around 2300-2400mg depending on who you ask, but most Americans get around 3500 and even up to 5000 per day. This is largely due to unhealthy diets of fast food, frozen meals, and canned products that requires a lot of salt to act as a preservative. One tablespoon of mayo has 90mg; one cup has 1440mg, over 60% of your RDA. 

Also, mayo is just gross. Let's be real. It's a jar of white phlegm and mystery goop. 

Chicken Salad Sandwich Sans Mayonnaise

Now that I've gotten that little rant out of the way, onward to my healthy variant of the chicken salad sandwich. How is it healthy? NO MAYO. Plain Greek yogurt works just as well and is way better for you.

As for the recipe itself, I'm big on keeping recipes simple because ain't nobody got time for 50 billion ingredients. I also tend to make recipes with a small yield for people who live alone or with just one other person (as the internet is weirdly lacking in this area).

When a recipe yields 24 servings, my English major brain goes Uggggggggggh, math. It's also hard to pare down certain ingredients from 24 to 2, such as 1 clove of garlic. How in the hell do you divide one clove of garlic 12 times without making an ungodly messy, pulpy disaster? And the what do you do with the rest? I'm aware I could make the original amount the recipe called for and simply freeze my 20 million pounds of left overs, but at a certain point you don't want to eat the giant lasagna anymore.

But I digress.

Ingredients

This recipe will yield enough for two sandwiches. You will need:

• 4 oz of chicken (about two chicken tenders)
• 6 TBS plain Greek yogurt
• 1 celery stalk
• 2 TBS dried cranberries
• 1/2 TBS honey

Instructions

1. Grill your chicken. I have a Foreman grill so I use that. It takes about 8.5 minutes when the chicken tenders are frozen. Once they are completely cooked and have cooled off, shred them into small pieces.
2. Chop up your celery.
3. Measure out the remaining ingredients and mix everything together in a bowl.

That's it. Now you just need to get your hamburger bun, sandwich thin, English muffin, croissant, what have you (I use a dinner roll) and plop half the mix into it.

Nutrition

If you are looking for a filling snack, go ahead and make one sandwich and save the left over mix for later. If you're looking for a solid meal or you are super hungry, go ahead and eat both. I won't judge, I promise.

	Calories	Fat	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
Chicken Salad mix	161	0.02g	91.4mg	24.4g	2g	13.4g	16.1g
Potato Dinner Roll	90	1g	115mg	16g	0g	3g	5g
Total per 1	251	1.02g	206.4mg	40.4g	2g	16.4g	21.1g
Total per 2	502	2.04g	412.8mg	80.8g	4g	32.8g	42.2g

And there you have it: a much healthier option than using mayonnaise. You can try swapping out the dried cranberries for grape halves or pieces of apple if you are looking to reduce the sugar content as dried fruit is usually much higher in sugar than fresh fruit by volume.

About Samantha Bookwalter

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Samantha Bookwalter is freelance writer and social media specialist. She specializes in web editing, copy editing, copy writing, social media management, HTML, CSS, and other web-related acronyms. Samantha has an affinity for health and fitness; in her free time she enjoys working out with her husband and researching recipes that are not only healthy but delicious too.

How to Make Pot Stickers - Thug Kitchen Style

For those of you who don't know Thug Kitchen,  HOW DARE YOU. Fix yourself, immediately.

For those of you who do, enjoy.

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You know when you go grocery shopping like a grown ass adult, and you buy TV dinners fresh produce to provide your body with nutrients like the beast you are? Ever seen those little wonton wrappers next to all the vegan shit?

Yea, those sons of bitches.

I've been eyeballing them for awhile now and finally bought some. And let me tell you, using those little fuckers is tedious. If you only have thirty minutes before your Hangry sets in, make some other shit for dinner.

Pot Stickers

To make 8 pot stickers, you will need:

• 1 chicken tender
• 2-3 green onions
• wonton wrappers
• A small cup of water 
• Salt and pepper (for taste)
• 1 tsp olive oil

Prep

• Grill your chicken. Once cool, shred it into very small pieces.  You can use two forks or just your bare sausage fingers. Not sure what the hell I'm talking about? Follow these instruction.
• Dice your green onions. Chop those bitches up something fine or your pot stickers won't fucking end well.
• Mix the onion, chicken, and salt and pepper in a bowl.

Now, set out a wonton wrapper and scoop about a teaspoon of the mix into the center. More than that, and those little fuckers won't seal. Wet the edges so they will stick together when you fold them.

Now fold the wonton into a triangle and squeeze the air out like that bitch talked bad about your mother; press the edges together firmly.

Now starting on the left corner, fold the edge over slightly every half inch or so all the way around the open seam. Otherwise, your pot stickers will puke their insides all over your frying pan.

Once you finish your pot stickers, heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan. Add your pot stickers and cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Watch those squirrely motherfuckers though, they'll burn into poisonous black plumes of death.

When they are nicely browned, add 1/3 of a cup of water (step back, it's gonna pop and fizz all over the damn place), lower the heat, and cover until the water is absorbed.

Here is the final product. I made pot stickers and baked ravioli because I am a BAMF. I'll post the ravioli directions soon.

Nutrition information

	Calories	fat	Sodium	Fiber	Sugar	Protein	carbs
8 Wonton wrappers	160	.5	370	1	1	6	31
Chicken	25	.125	31.25	0	0	6	0
Green Onion	5	0	0	.5	.5	0	1
Olive oil	40	4.5	0	0	0	0	0
Total	230	5.125	401.25	1.5	1.5	12	32
Per serving (4)	115	2.5625	200.625	.75	.75	6	16

About Samantha Bookwalter

Google+
Samantha Bookwalter is currently Associate Web Content Manager for Health Supplement Wholesalers. She specializes in web editing, copyediting, SEO, HTML, CSS, and other web-related acronyms. Samantha has an affinity for health and fitness; in her free time she enjoys working out with her husband and researching recipes that are not only healthy but delicious too.

The 1200 Calorie Myth

Anybody who has ever dieted knows about the 1200 calorie myth. There are multiple variations of this myth, but here are the most common two I come across in fitness forums.

1. You must eat 1200 calories per day in order to lose weight quickly (2 lbs per week)
2. 1200 calories is the minimum caloric intake a person needs before they go into starvation mode

I've heard this myth and parroted #2 a few times myself. However, after calculating my BMR and realizing I needed 1491 calories just to exist (as in to just lay in bed all day doing nothing) I started to doubt the 1200 calorie myth.

Mmmm delicious burger...aaaaand I'm not eating again for three days.

The first thing most of these forums don't tell you is where this myth even came from. Some of them site the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM), so I started my search there. And I found nothing. Well, not nothing. I just found some super complicated formulas. No magical explanation about the 1200 calorie myth.

So I turned to Google and tried to find the 1200 myth's connection to AMSSM. What I found was a connection to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). I found one article with no citations and no author. It references the ACSM guidelines, but gives no link to them. I also couldn't find them after scouring the web. Nevertheless, I had my first source outside of public forums quoting the myth. It also added to the myth including men need to eat at least 1800 calories per day.

By the way, this is what a 1200 calorie diet looks like.

I turned to Google again to try and find the root of this myth and I finally struck gold. Here is the direct quote from the article:

So where did the 1200 and 1800 calorie floor numbers come from? Those are generalizations based on average caloric maintenance levels (TDEE), as determined by exercise physiologists. According to Victor Katch & Frank Mcardle, the average female between the ages of 23 and 50 has a maintenance level of about 2100 calories per day and the average male about 2800 calories per day.

Based on the maximum recommendation of two pounds of weight loss per week given by organizations like the American College of Sports Medicine, these "calorie floors" are based on 1000 calories below the average person's TDEE (2800 calories per day average for men, minus 1000 calories equals calorie floor of 1800 calories per day. 2100 calories per day average for women, minus 1000 calories equals a calorie floor of 1100 calories, and most health organizations round up that number to 1200 since 1000 calories under maintenance is a larger relative deficit compared to men.)

This blows the 1200 calorie myth out of the water. Very rarely have I heard an argument for a net of 1200 calories; usually I see diet plans that account for 1200 calories exactly as well as an exercise regimen. Thus, anyone who is actually working out while sticking to 1200 calories exactly is most definitely throwing themselves into starvation mode.

Not only that, but the 1200 calorie diet is meant for the average person who is purposely trying to lose the maximum safe amount of weight per week. But what exactly does average mean? I don't own the book by the physiologists cited above; however, I can guarantee you the average person is not busting their butt in the gym every day.

This is where your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) comes into play (check out my post on the Biggest Loser fiasco, I get more into how it is calculated there). I included links to a few different equations for determining daily caloric need. Using the Harris Benedict equation, my daily caloric need came out around 2300 (using all the various equations I got a range of 1900-2300).

According to the Harris Benedict formula, I am 200 calories over the suggested average. 200 calories may not seem like a lot, but after a week that is 1400 calories. Imagine how out of whack my diet and metabolism would get if I continued that deficit unknowingly.

Also, in general, leaner bodies will need more calories. For example, two women who are the same height and wear the same clothing size, but have totally different body composition will have different caloric needs.

To sum it up for those who don't like reading:

Myth 1: You must eat 1200 calories per day in order to lose weight quickly (2 lbs per week)
Reality: You need to calculate your BMR to determine your daily caloric need. Then you subtract 1000 calories from that in order to lose 2 pounds a week. You also need to take into account calories burned through exercise (ex: 1300 calories/day to lose 2 lbs + 300 calories burned through exercise = 1600 calories total for the day).

Myth 2: 1200 calories is the minimum caloric intake a person needs before they go into starvation mode
Reality: 1200 calories in the minimum caloric intake for the average woman who does not exercise. Again, you will need to calculate your BMR, daily caloric needs, as well as calories burned from exercise in order to determine what your minimum is.

About Samantha Bookwalter

Google+
Samantha Bookwalter is currently Associate Web Content Manager for Health Supplement Wholesalers. She specializes in web editing, copyediting, SEO, HTML, CSS, and other web-related acronyms. Samantha has an affinity for health and fitness; in her free time she enjoys working out with her husband and researching recipes that are not only healthy but delicious too.