Badass Fitness

Badass Eats: A Day of Mediterranean Eating

The Italians and Greeks get it. Spaniards, too.

Robust vegetables. Lycopene-rich tomatoes. Fresh fish. All cooked with a light touch of monounsaturated fats like olive oil, maybe a bit of avocado and all its healthy fat. Cheeses so full of flavor, a small amount is plenty. Pasta in moderation. Wine for enjoying with meals, not for all-night benders leading up to Whataburger or Taco Bell visits. These are the staples of the Mediterranean diet, enjoyed across the ocean for so many generations.

This way of eating -- real, healthy, lean food savored but in moderation (imagine that!) -- has been proven to hold multiple health benefits, from reducing breast cancer and lowering cholesterol to cutting heart attack risk and protecting against obesity and type 2 diabetes. Mediterranean food also happens to be delicious.

Sadly, our fast food and overly processed American food habits are creeping across the ocean, increasing obesity and other health problems among Spaniards, Italians and their neighbors. I come from an Italian family that goes through olive oil like water and finds a way to put tomato sauce on just about anything. I remember vividly First Fridays in our Catholic house, when Grandma made shrimp creole or baked swordfish or filet of sole. So good.

The menu below is what an ideal day of Mediterranean eating might look like. Depending on your current eating habits, these changes won't happen overnight. That's OK. But I challenge you to try to incorporate at least some elements into your daily meals. The food is delicious, and it will make your Badass healthier and more energetic. Now, as Grandma Colavecchio would say, Mangia!

A Day of Mediterranean Eating

Breakfast: Italian frittata (1 egg, 2-3 egg whites, cooked with 1 Tbsp olive oil, spinach, 2 spears chopped cooked asparagus, 1/4 cup feta cheese, 3 Tbsp. parmesan) with sliced tomatoes. Serve with a cup of espresso and 1 grapefruit or orange.

Mid-morning snack:  1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries topped with 1 1/2 tablespoons crumbled feta or goat cheese and drizzled with balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped mint over it all. (Less than 150 calories and delicious.)

Lunch: Fast Fatoush salad topped with 4 ounces chicken, shrimp or grouper marinated in rosemary balsamic marinade, then grilled.

Mid-afternoon snack: 1/4 cup hummus or feta-guacamole with carrots, sliced green and red peppers (and half a whole wheat pita if hungrier)

Dinner: Two options

Greek "Nachos": Whole wheat pita topped with lean ground lamb, a Greek yogurt-mint-feta 'cheese sauce' plus freshly chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, makes for a fast, healthy, flavorful meal. Enjoy with a glass of red wine.

Greek Tilapia served with couscous salad or roasted vegetables.

 

Coming Wednesday: A fun workout for the whole family, even the little "Bad Donkeys"...

Clean Eating: A Day in the Life

When I tweeted this week that I was two days into a no-sugar, nothing processed clean eating regimen (call it Spring Cleaning for the Badass), a few followers asked to see a daily menu of what that looks like.

The aim of this blog is to help, encourage and inform the Badass Army as you all go about your fitness and health journeys, so I am happy to share.

Notice a few things as you check out the 2-day food log below:

1. I am basically eating all day - specifically, every few hours. This keeps blood sugar levels stable, keeps the metabolism firing and helps prevent any feelings of 'deprivation.'

2. Fats, the good kind, are totally OK: I am not avoiding olive oil or cheese or nuts. These are the good fats our bodies need to absorb the nutrients in all those awesome fruits and veggies.

3. I manage to find a dessert substitute: That casein protein smoothie at night not only helps muscles recover and metabolism remain stoked during the night - it also happens to give me a chocolate 'fix' that is sugar and white flour-free. That no-bake protein bar also has a cake-like quality that feels decadent even though it is completely unprocessed and packed with nutrition.

4. Clean eating isn't accidental: It requires planning and food prep - in my case on Sundays, when I shopped for roasted chicken and veggies and then did some cooking ahead. If you want it bad enough, the hour or two this takes is a small investment that will yield big results. 

5. I am not going low-calorie: Eating well is not eating 1,000 calories a day. That is called starving yourself. Don't do it.

Clean Eating Food Log

DAY 1

Meal 1, 5:30 a.m. (in the car, enroute to The Powermill for TRX Rip Trainer session): 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup raspberries and 1/3 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal, 1 packet Stevia. Coffee sweetened with nonfat soy creamer and 1 packet Stevia.

Meal 2, 8:30 a.m.: 2 hardboiled egg whites, 1 hardboiled whole egg. Lemon ginger tea.

Meal 3, 10 a.m.: 20 almonds, roasted. 1 black plum.

Meal 4, 12:15 p.m.: 4 ounces roasted chicken breast mixed in with a big salad consisting of 1.5 cups shredded cabbage, 1.5 cups romaine lettuce, 1 tomato, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 green pepper, 1.5 Tbsp. Bolthouse Farms blue cheese dressing (all natural, made with Greek yogurt). 1 slice Organic Valley Monterey Jack reduced fat cheese.

Meal 5, 2 p.m.: 10 olive oil-roasted asparagus spears, 2 egg whites. Drank coffee afterward, w skim milk and 1 packet Stevia.

Meal 6, 5 p.m. (before teaching bootcamp at Kinetix): 1 no-bake peanut butter protein bar.

Meal 7, 8:30 p.m.: 5 ounces leftover grilled skinless Beer Can Chicken, 1.5 cups roasted broccoli. 1 "dessert" smoothie of 1 scoop casein protein blended with water and ice.

Calories: 1,800. Sugars: 31 grams (from fruit, veggies, nothing processed or refined. A Grande Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, by comparison, has 35 grams from mostly processed sugar...and that's just one thing you might eat all day).

DAY 2

Meal 1, 5:15 a.m. (before teaching 6 a.m. cycle at Kinetix): 1 No-bake peanut butter protein bar, Coffee sweetened with nonfat soy creamer and 1 packet Stevia.

Meal 2, 8 a.m.: 1 scoop whey protein powder blended with water and ice.

Meal 3, 10:30 a.m.: 1 hardboiled egg, 2 hardboiled egg whites, 10 carrots. Lemon ginger tea.

Meal 4, 12 p.m.: 4 ounces roasted chicken breast mixed in with a big salad consisting of 1.5 cups shredded cabbage, 1.5 cups romaine lettuce, 1 tomato, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 green pepper, 1.5 Tbsp. Bolthouse Farms blue cheese dressing (all natural, made with Greek yogurt).

Meal 5, 2 p.m.: 10 olive oil-roasted asparagus spears, 2 egg whites. Lemon ginger tea.

Meal 6, 5:30 p.m. (before teaching 7 p.m. cycle at Kinetix): 15 almonds, 1 medium organic Fuji apple

Meal 7, 8 p.m.: 4-ounce Trident Seafood Wild Alaskan Salmon burger patty, 1.5 cups roasted broccoli. Dessert smoothie of 1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk, 1 scoop casein protein powder, 1/2 cup blackberries, 1 Tbsp. flax seed and crushed ice.

Calories: 1,800. Sugars: 40 grams (from fruit, veggies, nothing processed or refined).

Badass Eats: A Lighter Way with Turkey and Trimmings Leftovers

Happy Morning After the Feast! Are you emerging from your self-induced food coma of the average 3,000 to 4,500 calories? If so, maybe the thought of doing it all again today with leftovers the traditional way - aka, making the same plate you did last night - makes your stomach feel like a 10-pound pile of turkey carcass.

So here are three ideas for using what's left of your Thanksgiving spread. Enjoy!

 

 

Lean, Mean Turkey Scramble with Sweet Potato Cakes

Ingredients

• 1 egg, 3 egg whites, beaten with 1 Tbsp milk (or 3/4 cup Egg Beaters)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped onions, green peppers, any other veggies you like
• 1-2 tsp oil
• 1/4 cup reduced fat feta or goat cheese, or a few teaspoons grated Romano cheese
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped leftover turkey
• 2 big spoonfuls of leftover sweet potatoe casserole, formed into pancake patties
• 1/2 pat butter or cooking spray

Directions

1. First make the egg scramble. Heat the oil over a medium-high skillet and add the veggies, sauteeing until they're soft.  Add in the eggs and once they start to set, add in the turkey. Scramble them to your liking, and lastly sprinkle with the cheese. Cover to keep warm.

2. Next, make the sweet potato cakes. Heat the butter over a nonstick skillet at medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, put the 2 sweet potato patties in. Cook a few minutes on each side, until they're heated through and golden brown.

Open Faced Turkey Cranberry Salad Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped or shredded leftover turkey
• 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup fat-free mayo or sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 chopped apple
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 Tablespoons leftover cranberry sauce
• Whole wheat bread (1 slice per sandwich)

Directions

1. Mix together everything except the bread.

2. Toast the bread.

3. Put a big scoop of the turkey salad mix on top of the warm bread and eat it with a fork and knife. So simple, so good!

Big Badass Thanksgiving Bird Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups salad greens
• 1 cup chopped leftover turkey
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup gorgonzola crumbles
• ½ cup of craisins or raisins
• 1 apple, peeled and diced (or use a pear—or both!)
• ½ cup mandarin oranges
• 1 cup toasted walnuts

Directions

1. Mix everything together in a big bowl.
2. Drizzle with a bottled balsamic or fruity vinaigrette. Or make your own using 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup or orange juice, salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. This makes a great, light day-after dinner served with a crusty warm wheat bread.
3. Serves 2-4

Badass Eats: Fall calls for pumpkin - and not just as latte!

The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte boasts a cult-like status, with fans tweeting for weeks in anticipation of the sweet drink's seasonal release.

The drink has come to signal fall, but it also signals the start of the holiday eating season. For those of us on the Badass Journey, this is a tricky time.The Badass path can quickly become the gumdrop-riddled path in the Candyland board game - all sugar and decadence, few green veggies.

You know the drill: The Pumpkin Spice Latte begets Halloween candy, which begets Thanksgiving and leftovers, which begets holiday parties and Christmas and Hannukah meals, which begets that number on the scale that sends us into "resolution mode" come January 1.

But there is a better way with pumpkin. It is, inherently, a Badass-approved food. Canned pumpkin contains only 40 calories in a ½ cup serving, plus potassium, Vitamin A and fiber. Pumpkin seeds are a great alternative to sunflower seeds in recipes and snacking. Heck, even the Starbucks latte can be "saved," nutritionally speaking.

So as we move deeper into fall, try these Five Badass Ways with Pumpkin:

1. Lighten the Latte: A Grande latte with 2 percent milk and whipped cream is about 400 calories - yes, a meal's worth - plus 13 grams of fat and 51 grams of carbs most of it sugar carbs. But if you go a size down, use skim milk and skip the whip you can have your latte fix for just 200 calories, zero fat, and 38 carbs.

2. Make chocolate pumpkin 'pudding': Add 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin to 3/4 cup of Greek nonfat yogurt, plus a half scoop of chocolate protein powder, cinnamon, and for extra sweetness add a touch of agave nectar or Stevia. This will pack a protein and fiber punch - but is low in carbs and less than 250 calories. I officially give all of us in the Badass Army permission to eat this for breakfast!

3. Pumpkin vs Butter: In baking, replace half the called-for butter with canned pumpkin - a similar tactic to lightening recipes by using apple butter. It will add a rich layer of flavor while retaining baked goods' moisture, for fewer calories and less fat.

4. Make your own caffeinated pumpkin smoothie: If you like the Pumpkin Spice Latte, try making a chilled version for breakfast on the go or a mid-afternoon/after-dinner treat. This is a healthier way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Mix 1/2 cup Greek nonfat yogurt with 1/2 cup canned pumpkin. Add in Stevia or agave nectar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chilled coffee. Blend with ice cubes and voila!

5. Pumpkin Pie Oats: (This is Badass Foodie Kirsten's fave) Add ½ cup of canned pumpkin, 2 packets of low calorie sweetener (Stevia, Splenda, or use 1 tsp of agave nectar or honey) and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg. Warm, filling, delicious!

Coming this week: A combo-moves workout that makes the most of your time; This blog, two years later; and the return of the Friday Confessional...

PS: If you haven't heard yet, this blog was nominated as among the best out there by Shape Magazine. I kinda feel outta my league on this one, but if you're so inclined Vote for Badass Fitness here and spread the word

Badass Fall 2012 Challenge: Baby Steps for Lasting Results

Success in the Badass Journey requires determination and big goals. But achieving them doesn't require giant leaps from tall buildings.

Baby steps and smaller, incremental victories are what lead to the big finish - the one that lasts.

Former Desperate Housewife Bethenny Frankel, healthy living author and maker of the Skinny Margarita and, has this mantra that "you can have it all, you just can't have it all at once."

The same goes for making healthy changes. To change it all, you need not change it all at once.

A new runner wouldn't be expected to run a marathon next week. Likewise, becoming more Badass -- from weight loss and muscle gain to faster race times or simply finishing that first 5K -- doesn't require completely overhauling your eating and fitness in one giant leap. 

Which brings me to the Fall 2011 Badass Challenge for every reader and Badass Army recruit: Starting this week, and for the next four weeks, make just two little changes. Each week, you'll maintain the changes from the week before and add two more.

By week four, you will have changed eight little things about the way you eat, drink, shop, and move. And it won't feel like you have drastically deprived yourself or subjected yourself to torture at the gym. When week four comes, I will ask you to let me know how it's going. What worked, what didn't? Then we'll pile on more baby steps over four more weeks. By the end of it, you might not even need to include "lose 5 pounds" on your list of 2012 Resolutions. How 'bout them apples!?

This first week, pick just two of the "baby steps" below.

1. Ditch whole milk, go down a few percentage points. If you drink whole, go to 2 percent. if you drink 2 percent, go to 1 percent or skim.

2. Add one piece of fruit to your daily eating.

3. Park further away from the entrance.

4. Take the stairs.

5. Move from whole-milk mozzarella to skim-milk mozzarella.

6. Use brown rice, quinoa or couscous instead of white.

7. Eat only half of that morning bagel, and shave off half the cream cheese while you're at it.

8. When you're on a conference call, hit 'speaker' and use the time to walk around, stand up, even squat.

9. Take 10 minutes at lunchtime to walk.

10. Daily soda drinkers: Drink one less can per day.

11. Stop SuperSizing. The most expensive food you'll ever eat, health-wise, is "free" or a "value meal."

12. Use half the normal amount of sugar in your daily coffee.

13. Half the recipe's recommended amount of oil or butter, except when baking.

14. For baked goods, make half the called-for flour whole wheat.

15. Sprinkle wheat germ and ground flaxseed in oatmeal or cereal. You won't even know it's there.

16. Switch from regular to Greek yogurt. More protein, less sugar.

17. Use bison meat or lean turkey instead of beef for burgers, chili, meatloaf, etc.

18. Half your normal portion of rice or pasta and replace it with veggies or a salad.

19. Skip the bread basket - and shave hundreds of calories from your eat-out meal.

20. Trade white bread for wheat.

21. Add 5 minutes to your regular cardio regimen.

22. Go up in weight, even if it means a few fewer reps, in your strength training regimen.

23. In between strength sets, do 20 jumping jacks. By the end of a full workout, you'll have done hundreds of jacks and burned extra calories.

24. Add 5 reps to your "maximum" reps of pushups. Odds are, you can push out those last 5 and prove you are stronger than you've given yourself credit for.

25. Trade that candy bar "fix" for 2 small York Peppermint Patties - just 100 calories of chocolate mint goodness! And about 150 FEWER calories that those regular candy bars.

Coming this week: A fellow recruit shares her latest salad-for-dinner obsession (meat lovers rejoice!), and a strength routine to sculpt those legs and glutes.

Fellow Badass Recruits share a few healthy recipes

I love the Badass Army. You guys rock - and not just for reading this blog and sharing your questions, thoughts and personal stories. You also rock in the kitchen, proving that healthy eating doesn't have to taste like cardboard!

Today, I am passing along two recipes that fellow Badasses recently sent to me. One is a great pre- or post-workout smoothie; the other is a great fish entree. If you have something you want to share, please pass it along via email (shannon@badassfitness.net) or in the comment box below. Happy eating!

Tammy Curry Means' "Mean-Good, Not Curry" Smoothie

From Tammy: I've switched to mostly gluten free and this seems to get me through the mornings after my workouts at 5:00 am.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup - Almond Breeze Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1 Scoop - Isopure Zero Carb Creamy Vanilla Protein
• 1 Scoop - IPP Non-GMO Soy Lecithin Granules
• 1 Tablespoon - Cold Milled Ground Flaxseed with Mixed Berries
• 1 Medium - Ripe Banana (preferably frozen)
• 7-8 Medium - Fresh Strawberries (preferably frozen)

Directions: Blend in a blender until berries are all incorporated. I use the fruit frozen so that I don't have to dilute the smoothie with water by adding ice.

Calculated Nutrition per serving: 326 Calories, 29g Carbs, 10g Fat, 29g Protein, 18g Sugar

Badass Reader and student Mollie Hamm shared this chicken recipe she found in Oxygen Magazine, which is a great resource for healthy cooking ideas.

Hold the Hamm Cheese-Stuffed Chicken

*Prep and cook time: 35 minutes
*Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:  

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 4 oz skinless chicken breast
• 1 light Laughing Cow Swiss cheese wedge
• 1/4 cup low-fat, low-sodium cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup diced tomato
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp oat bran
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic fresh, chopped
• 1 4-oz sweet potato

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Cut chicken breast on half and set on baking dish.

3. In a small mixing bowl, mash together the cheese wedge with cottage cheese. Add tomatoes and rosemary. Mix well.

4. Stuff the cheese mixture into one side of the chicken and use the other half breast to top it. Dust the top with oat bran.

5. In another bowl, toss together broccoli and cauliflower with oil and garlic. Place on the baking dish beside the chicken.

6. Bake chicken and vegetables for about 25 to 30 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, wash and poke a few holes in the potato with a fork. Microwave for about 8 minutes (turning after 4 minutes).

8. Plate the chicken breast, vegetables and sweet potatoes. Serve with a vegetable such as asparagus.

Nutrients per serving: Calories: 530, Total Fats: 19g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 80 mg, Sodium: 490 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 52g, Dietary Fiber: 13g, Sugars: 12g, Protein: 45g, Iron: 4mg

Coming up: Your Target Weight Math, and the Badass CEO's Summer Faves!

Healthy Snack? Or Calorie, Fat and Sugar Trap?

Trail mix. Granola. Yogurt-covered raisins.

These are the snack words that conjure up feelings of righteousness and self-control. These are the snacks we proudly display to our friends and colleagues because they are so healthy. 

They are the anti-Frito. Your guilt-free yin to your pod mate's chocolate-drawer yang. Right? Well, yes and ... sad to say, maybe not so much.

See, those trail mixes and breakfast granolas certainly have healthy elements - nuts for good fats, antioxidant-rich raisins, whole-grain oats. But they also are often loaded with sugar, fat and calorie-dense dried fruits that you would be better off eating as ripe fruit.

And because we perceive them as healthy snacks, we tend to eat larger portions. "This is so good for me!" you exclaim as you grab another big handful. Twenty minutes later, your 'snack' has turned into the calorie, sugar and fat equivalent of a generously portioned dessert.

Consider the Kirkland's Signature Trail Mix, sold at Costco and Wal-Mart. Problem No. 1: A serving size is three tablespoons. Really? THREE? Tablespoons!?! Are we feeding elves? If you can limit yourself to 3 measly tablespoons (pictured, above right), I  salute you. But we mere mortals would likely eat a 'serving' closer to half or three-quarters of a cup, being sure to get as many chocolate M&Ms into each handful as we can.

Here comes the scary math: If three tablespoons contains 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 9 grams of sugar, go ahead and double or triple those calories when figuring your intake. For 350 to 400 calories, you could have eaten a huge bowl of grapes (the pre-raisin) AND six Hershey's Kisses.

So what's a Badass to do? You've got to live a little, and if it's a choice between four slices of double-crust pizza or trail mix, the trail mix is probably a better bet.

But it also helps to be informed and to remember that moderation in eating is the key to maintaining a healthy and lean Badass over the long-term. Know what you're eating - and I mean REALLY know it. Then choose accordingly.

Maybe today you think, I don't care that the granola has all those extra calories because I really want it right now. Maybe next week, you decide those calories aren't worth it. Whatever the choice, you make it because you know exactly what the choices are.

To make you more Smart-Ass about those Badass choices, here are a few more nuggets to keep your "healthy" snacking in perspective:

Yogurt-covered raisins: These aren't unhealthy like french fries are unhealthy. But they are higher in sugar than you might think, and a "serving size" is so small you are probably eating more like two or three servings. If you're watching calories and sugar, these are not the snack for you. Sun-Maid's version says a serving is 1/4 cup (pictured, at right). For this, you get 130 calories and 19 grams of sugar. So go ahead and double that because you know you'll likely grab a second handful.

Then consider this math: A whole cup of nonfat Greek yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup of blueberries would be far more satisfying, with less than 200 calories and under 20 grams of sugar plus LOTS more protein to keep you full.

Granola: The snack choice of hikers and outdoor athletes! The goodness brought to us by hemp-wearing hippies, right? Well, maybe. But you could also dub some granolas "oats drowned in fat, excess sugar and loaded with too many nuts."

Big Sky Bread Honey Almond Granola is delicious, with its big chunks of granola surrounding almonds. But one bag is supposedly eight servings, each weighing in at more than 200 calories, 14 grams of fat and 8 grams of sugar. The fats are healthy fats for the most part, and the ingredients are all 'real food,' but you could easily "snack" on half the bag. And 800 calories later.... you could have eaten a huge bowl of oatmeal sprinkled with nuts and berries and been far better off in terms of calories and fat consumed.

Back to Nature's Sunflower & Pumpkin Seed Granola is lower in fat (7 grams for 1/2 cup), but you get 11 grams of sugar per 210-calorie serving.  And if you're eating this granola as your morning cereal with milk, are you really just going to eat half a cup? A cup or a cup and a half is more likely. And that means 400 to 500 calories - far more than if you scrambled a few egg whites or Egg Beaters and veggies and served them with a side of whole wheat toast. 

So these are the choices to be made next time you snack. Choosing the trail mix or granola is NOT a "bad choice." Just know what you're consuming - and think about whether it's truly one serving, or more like three.

Coming up: The 100 Workout -- as in, 100 pushups, 100 crunches, etc. And YES. YOU. CAN. DO. IT!

Overnight Meusli = Breakfast Fuel for Busy Badasses

I am a total Type A. If it's due next week, I like to get it done tomorrow. Planning is what I do - whether it's lunches for the week or what I plan to wear for the next three days to work. The Monica character on the 90s hit show Friends? Totally a caricature of me.

So when I found a breakfast meusli recipe that not only contains Greek yogurt, oatmeal, and blueberries (three of my favorite "clean" foods) - but can be put together the night before - I felt like I had hit a little Type A Jackpot Torpedo.

This takes all of 5 minutes to prepare and will provide you with whole grains from the oats; protein and zero fat from the nonfat Greek yogurt; and antioxidants and natural sweetness from the blueberries. Toss in the flaxseed and chopped nuts, and you get the good fats your Badass needs to get stronger and exercise harder. All for less than 250 calories and only 5 grams of fat.

So no more excuses about "I don't have time for breakfast." You can make this the night before, or two nights before, and eat it when you wake up or even bring it with you for that first-thing-in-the-morning breakfast at your desk.

Make-Ahead Morning Muesli

Recipe makes 2 servings

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, uncooked
• 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 1 Tbsp crushed walnuts or almonds
• 1 tsp cinnamom
• 1 tablespoon Stevia (or agave nectar or maple syrup)
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (or mixed berries)

Prep: Stir the oats into the yogurt. Mix in the flaxseeds, nuts, Stevia and cinnamon. Fold in the berries and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy the next morning!

Per serving: About 250 calories, 5 grams fat, 36 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, 16 grams protein.

Coming up: "Healthy Snack" or High Calorie Trap?