Healthy Meals For Dinner

If your dinner routine involves staring into the fridge hoping something healthy will leap into your mouth- you’re not alone.

The misconception about eating healthy to lose weight is that it’s too difficult, it takes too long and it’s too expensive.

What if I told you it didn’t have to be that difficult?

When you plan your meals out and your groceries align with your meal plans, you’ll actually end up saving money and time.

Whoops, there went your excuses.

So What Does Make A Dinner “Healthy”?

Balanced Macronutrients– Protein, Fiber-Rich Carbs, and Healthy Fats.

Popular choices of proteins for dinner include: chicken, turkey, beef (lean cuts), pork (lean cuts), fish, shellfish, bison, lamb, tofu, tempeh

Popular choices of carbs for dinner include: brown rice, wild rice, lentils, beans, quinoa, oats (steel cut/large flakes), potatoes, sweet potatoes/yams, peas, corn, squash, turnips, fruit

Popular choices of fats for dinner include: avocado, olives, nuts, chia seeds, butter, olive oil, flaxseed oil and coconut oil.

Portion Control– Avoid food comas to support your fitness goals.

Using your hand as a guide is the simplest way to determine your portion sizes.

Protein: For women it’s about the size of 1 palm. For men it’s about the size of 2 palms.

Vegetables: For women it’s about the size of 1 fist. For men it’s about the size of 2 fists.

Carbohydrates: For women it’s about the size of 1 cupped hand. For men it’s about the size of 2 cupped hands.

Fats: For women it’s about the size of 1 thumb. For men it’s about the size of 2 thumbs.

Hydration– Don’t forget your water and electrolytes!

Dinner Formula For The Win: Plug and Play Meals

A simple template:

Lean Protein + Colorful Veggies + Smart Carb + Flavor Booster

Examples:

Grilled Chicken + Roasted Broccoli + Quinoa + Lemon Tahini Drizzle

Salmon + Sautéed Spinach + Sweet Potato Mash + Garlic Herb Butter

Lentil Curry + Basmati Rice + Cucumber Salad + Greek Yogurt Dallop

Healthy Meals For Dinners

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Garlic (cloves, minced)
• 2 Yellow Onion (medium, diced)
• 2 Red Bell Pepper (chopped)
• 2 Carrot (large, diced)
• 2 stalks Celery (diced)
• 1 Sweet Potato (peeled, chopped)
• 2 lbs. 93% Lean Ground Turkey
• 1 1/2 cups Water (more as needed)
• 15 oz. tomato Sauce
• 14 1/2 oz. Diced Tomatoes
• 3 tbsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tbsp. Cumin
• 1 tbsp. Paprika
• 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (extra if you like it hot!)
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
• 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 Avocados

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, bell
peppers, carrots, celery, and sweet potato. Sauté́ for 7-9 minutes, until soft.
Add the turkey and cook until it starts to brown (about 7 minutes), mixing often
to break up chunks. Add 1 1/2 cups water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes in their
juices, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and red pepper
flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Keep uncovered. Cook for about
45 minutes, stirring often. When it’s done, add extra spices to reach your desired
flavor. Slice avocado for garnish and enjoy!
NOTES: Leftovers – You’ll use 4 servings of this recipe in the next few days. Divide
the chili in half and freeze the rest for later on in the challenge!

Zucchini and Turkey Skillet

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp. Coconut Oil
• 1 lb. 93% Lean Ground Turkey
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper
• 2 Zucchini (large, finely diced)
• 1 cup Organic Salsa
• 1 cup Baby Spinach
• 3 Eggs
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add turkey, breaking up any
chunks. Once the turkey begins to brown, add the zucchini and yellow pepper.
Sauté until the vegetables have softened (about 5 minutes)
Add the salsa to the skillet and stir to combine. Add in spinach and stir until it’s
wilted. Once wilted, press down with a spoon to create 3 little “pockets” for the
eggs in your skillet. Crack one egg into each pocket. Cover the skillet with a lid
and cook until the eggs have reached your desired temperature. (3-5 minutes)
Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

LBD Turkey Burgers

Ingredients: (6-8 Burgers)

• 1.5 lb. ground turkey meat
• 1 Tbs. Coconut oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• ½ red pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper or red
  pepper flakes (optional)
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Over med heat, sauté onion in coconut oil until translucent. Add red pepper,
cumin, garlic powder, parsley, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. Sauté for 5
minutes more and remove from heat. Once cool, add ground turkey to the mix,
and form 4 oz. patties.
Heat up large skillet under med heat and add burgers. (1 tsp. coconut oil optional
for cooking burgers). Flip after 4-6 minutes and cook through on the other side
until done.
*** Burgers freeze very well. Make sure to wrap well & freeze for a back-up meal!

Sautéed Shrimp In Garlic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup clam juice
• 2 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 14 Colossal Shrimp, shelled &
  deveined (keep tail on, about 1
  pound)
• Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to
  taste

Directions:
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add
olive oil, scallions, garlic, and salt & pepper
to taste. Cook until scallions are wilted and
darkened, and until the garlic is tender and
slightly golden-brown (about 3-4 minutes).

Add tomatoes and cook (continually stirring) until the tomatoes are softened
(about 2 minutes). Add the clam juice and lemon juice and bring to a light
simmer (continually stirring gently.
Season shrimp with salt & pepper and add to the pan. Cook on 1 side until the
shrimp begins to turn opaque and slightly curl (2 to 3 min.) Then, flip the shrimp
and cook until they begin to turn pink on the other side (1 to 2 more min.)
***Shrimp cooks very fast, so a good rule of thumb is to remove the pan from the
heat as they are almost finished cooking. Once you remove the pan from the
heat, continue tossing and the heat of the pan will continue to cook them until
they’re done.

Hummus Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken
  breasts
• 1 yellow squash, sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, 2” chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 lemons
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup hummus, homemade or store-bought
• 2 Tbsp. dried rosemary
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• Generous drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°. Prepare one large baking dish and lightly coat with olive
oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
In a large bowl, toss the sliced zucchini, squash and onion with olive oil until
evenly coated. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Cover each chicken breast with 1 TB of hummus each. Then place on top of the
vegetables. Place all vegetables on the bottom of a 9×13 dish in an even layer.
Lay the chicken evenly on top. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the chicken
and vegetables.
Lightly season the entire dish with chopped rosemary and paprika. Thinly slice
the remaining lemon and place a few thin slices in the dish.
Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top, then bake for about 25-30 minutes, until
the chicken is cooked through, and the vegetables are tender. Serve
immediately.

Crockpot Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. boneless chicken thighs
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. basil or 1 small bunch of fresh basil
  chopped
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small bunch of parsley (for garnish)

Directions:
Drizzle olive oil on bottom of crockpot and add the boneless chicken thighs and
pour the balsamic vinegar on top.
Add all other ingredients except the parsley. Cook on high for four hours or low
for 8. Top with parsley for a garnish and enjoy!

Citrus Fish Tacos

Ingredients (marinade):

• 2 large oranges (juiced)
• ½ lime (juiced)
• 3 TB olive oil
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 wild-caught tilapia fillets (cut in 1” chunks)

Ingredients (wraps):

• 3-6 butter lettuce leaves
• ½ red pepper (diced)
• ½ red onion (diced)
• ½ mango (diced)
• ½ avocado (sliced)

Directions:
Mix the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and salt in a bowl and combine
well.
Gently place the pieces of Tilapia into a large Ziploc bag and pour in the juice.
Marinade for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator, flipping the bag over about half-way
through.
Next, heat some olive or coconut oil over a large skillet. When the pan is warm,
add the Tilapia and cook for about 4-5 minutes on 1 side, then turning only once,
finish cooking on the other side (about 8-9 minutes total)
Then, simply prepare your tacos to your liking, adding the fish, pepper, onion, &
mango! (be creative and add anything else you think may taste great on there!)
It’s very refreshing and absolutely DELICIOUS! Once you get the marinade in the
fridge, it will only take you about 10 minutes to prepare them.

You don’t have to be a chef, you just need to have a game plan.

To ensure better sleep, recovery and digestion of your dinner, eat your last meal (dinner) no later than 2 hours before bedtime.

Now go try one of these combos and let us know what you think!