Cam's Fit Foods/(insert your name) Fit Foods

If you want to manage your weight or loose weight you have to plan for it. Planning is the key to avoid mistakes and flip ups. Those who know me well...know that I am the ultimate planner. I have most of my life planned to a E. I say why not E.....its a cool letter....what does planned to the t really mean anyway? Plan your life to whatever letter you choose. This week I will plan it to the E. Wait, scratch that......I am going to plan it to an N....for Napa....I am going this week and can't be more excited.

Wow...I digress. Back to planning. Those who know me ......know when something changes in my plans I "need some time" to wrap my head around it.

Naturally, I do it with meals. Going to the grocery store each week is a step in the right direction but its about what you do when you get home that really counts. Plan a time you can go to the grocery store....get home, unload/unpack and start cooking right away. It will keep your focus and it also keeps things from going bad in the fridge. Get vegis...wash and cut them up right away and put them in a ziplock or an airtight container so they are locked and loaded....ready to pop right in your mouth. Quick snack before you can reach for that Snickers.

I also make "Cam's Fit Foods" each week. Hey guess what....if you put your name before the Fit Foods...you will have your own Fit Foods! Try it....say: (insert name) Fit Foods. Has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

How did this start? There are places in Dallas and Austin that serve pre-made healthy meals. You walk in, buy....put in fridge and heat up to eat. Fresh, tasty....and natural.

I totally support this place! In fact, even though I make my own each week now....I normally buy a few of these to have on hand just in case.

Here is one place....My Fit Foods: http://www.myfitfoods.com/

I really love the breakfast things there. Migas, tacos, etc...try them.

(what if you don't live in a town with one of these...go to the site....look at the menu....and make your own based on those ingredients!)

Here are a few more in Austin:

http://www.melsmealsaustin.com/

http://www.snapkitchen.com/index.php/site/

I haven't had Snap yet....just a few Mel's Meals but My Fit Foods is my fav. They use more spices that I like. I only make my own at home because I don't want to get too tired of My Fit Foods and it saves money. Eating these pre-made meals every day really adds up so learning to make your own is key.

I do think really like saving the containers they use because they are perfectly portioned. If you don't have them....get yourself small microwavable containers to use! I say get around 10 of them.

This week since I am going to Napa (remember the entirely too long blurb on the N), I am going to use what I have in my fridge before it goes bad.

With broccoli, brussels sprouts. and sweet potatoes....I will mix in with some rice and baked chicken breast. Um excuse me, brown rice. You will read more of that in the Eat Clean book.....which you all ordered already right?

So the steps:

1. wash and cut up the broccoli. I am steaming these because its easy. Did you know roasted in the oven broccoli is amazing as well?

2. wash and cut in half the brussels spouts. Put them in a bowl....drizzle EVOO (extra virgin olive oil...so good for you! Please see Clean Eat Diet book...which should be hopefully on the way to you by now) put some sea salt and pepper on them...mix around and put on pan. Roast for 20 mins or so at 400 degrees.

3. Clean the sweet potatoes, cut them up, drizzle some EVOO, sea salt and pepper and roast for 20 mins at 400 degrees.


SIDEBAR: measure the EVOO. One tablespoon is 120 cals. I would put 1-2 tablespoons on each vegi type. Don't sneak in those extra calories!

All you need is a simple steamer doodad!

Take these vegis and put each kind in the individual containers. It doesn't have to be exact. Try to make it even.

Scoop in the brown rice in each container. Did you know that 1/4 cup of brown rice is 170 cals? Don't overdo it. You will learn in the book that a serving of brown rice is about one smaller handful. I made one cup of dry brown rice so that is 680 cals that I will break up into 7 meal containers. There were 8 of them....but my puppy Minnie Pearl pulled one off the counter as I wrote this.....so now 7 :)

I like this brand. They make brown rice, wild rice, orzo. Love em.

I am baking a piece of chicken breast. They are about 150 cals each. That makes 150 cals for the chicken and about 100 cals for the rice. That is only 250 cals for the meal...vegis really don't have a ton of cals but I will put down 100 cals because of the olive oil. I am just estimating. This could all be plus or minus!

I like to season my chicken with dried herbs like Italian Seasoning with salt and pepper. Less sodium (salt) that way...and less preservatives. My husband likes to use a more spicier blend. Whatever works for you. Just check the ingredients and calories on the seasonings. Ask yourself if its a high calorie seasoning...if its worth it to you!

I bake chicken at 375 degrees for 20 mins and check it. Cut thru it and see that its cooked thru. Before putting them in the containers I cut each piece up into bite size pieces so all I need is a fork when I re-heat!

There you go! Cam's Fit Foods! Try it yourself.

Here is what it looks like!

Yumtastic healthy goodness

All in a row (hey there would be 8 if Minnie Pearl didn't pull one off for herself!)

And look how easy and nice to grab right out of the fridge!

The possibilities on your Fit Foods is endless. Think of some, message me so I can post your ideas too!

Last week I made steamed spinach with whole grain orzo and chicken breast. I mixed the orzo with 2 tablespoons of pesto (for the entire batch of orzo) I bought at Whole Foods for flavor. You can do anything. Pork, chicken. etc. I sometimes find seafood doesn't re-heat well so I don't use that. Try any whole grains...orzo, wild rice, brown rice, couscous. Just make sure its whole grain. You will learn more about this in the Eat Clean Book (that is obvi by now already ordered)

Any vegis work. Just make sure you put the alot of vegis in there. Low calorie, fiber, high in nutrition and they fill you up without the cals. Mix it up each week so you don't get tired of the vegi!

Try roasting some, try steaming some. Steamed vegis have less calories because you save on the EVOO calories.

Wow, this is a long post as well. I promise soon the post won't be so long winded.

What did we learn in this blog post? I hope to see all of you this week doing......

1. PLAN...plan your meals. Go to the store and come home and cook. Just buying the healthy things is a step but if you don't have meals ready to go...that is when its easy to slip and eat bad.

2. (insert name) Fit Foods. Do it. Try to find a place in town that carries such healthy foods and have a few on hand. Please message me with local ones around you so I can post for others!

3. Make your own Fit Foods! Look at the menu of the websites and go to the store...come home and cook them! Make sure you use the proper portions for each part of the meal!

My husband takes a few to work to have on hand. Its a perfect way to have healthy food ready when you are hungry...avoiding a slip!

HOMEWORK for the week: Try to rent Food Inc. Its really eye opening about our food chain.

Please DO message me with what you made in your Fit Foods, tell me where you have found local places that do this and DO message me with ANY and all questions even if its simple cooking questions. I am here to help.

DON'T let the week go by unplanned. Its a BAD recipe for disaster when you don't have healthy/nutritious meals locked and loaded!!!