15 Quinoa Recipes

Well one of the latest foodie trends is quinoa!  It's packed with protein and fiber and is gluten-free.  It's also incredibly versatile, you can have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks.  Here are some new recipes for you to try so you can get your daily dose of quinoa! Just click the pic to view the recipe!

 

Buffalo Chicken Bites

 

Cheesy Zucchini Quinoa

 

Quinoa Burger

 

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Trail Mix Balls

 

Loaded Quinoa Veggie Burgers

 

Garlic & Thyme Quinoa Patties

 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

 

Quinoa Pizza Bites

 

Roasted Shrimp Quinoa Spring Rolls

 

Quinoa Sushi Rolls

 

Broccoli-Quinoa Casserole

 

Toasted Quinoa Salad with Scallops & Snow Peas

 

Chicken-Sweet Potato Quinoa Stir-Fry

 

Crispy Quinoa Sliders

 

Cinnamon Quinoa Bake



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P.S. It is never too late to start getting fit & healthy!

The Ultimate Healthy Smoothie List

Eating all of your fruits and veggies can be tough to do when you are constantly on-the-go.  So drink a smoothie instead!  They are packed with tons of nutrients and antioxidants so you can meet your daily quota.  It doesn’t have to be expensive either!  If you’re worried about the fruit going bad too soon you can always buy fresh frozen fruit (without added sugar)!  And a bonus…all of these recipes can be made with just a blender (I’ve made these recipes with a $25 blender and it works GREAT), you don’t need any other fancy appliances.  My suggestion is to start with sweeter, fruiter smoothies in the morning and then work your way to the greener smoothies.

Antioxidant Smoothie

2 cups of mixed frozen berries
1 cup of 100% pomegranate juice
Blend the berries, pomegranate juice, and 1 cup of water until smooth.

Serves 2

Per Serving: 130 calories, 0g saturated fat, 1g unsaturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 34 carbs, 19mg sodium, 1.5g protein, and 4g of fiber.

 

Carrot, Mango, & Herb Smoothie
2 cups frozen mango chunks
1 cup of fresh carrot juice
1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup fresh herbs (mint, tarragon, or basil)
Combine the above ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

 

Serves 2Per Serving: 225 calories, 0g saturated fat, 0g unsaturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 56g carbs, 36 mg sodium, 3g protein, and 5g fiber.

 

Green Smoothie

1 cup of kale or collard greens (firmly packed, stems removed, & coarsely chopped)
1 Granny Smith apple (coarsely chopped)
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup of loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Combine kale, apple, banana, parsley, and 2 ¼ cups of water in a blender and blend until smooth.  Add more water if the mixture is too thick.

 

Serves 2
Per Serving: 105 calories, 0g saturated fat, 0g unsaturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 26g carbs, 32mg sodium, 2g protein, and 4g fiber.

 

Mango-Coconut Water Smoothie
2 cups of ripe mango chunks (approx. 1-2 mangoes) 
 ½ Tbsp. of fresh lime juice
2 cups of unsweetened coconut water
Pinch of cayenne powder
Blend the above ingredients until smooth.

 

Serves 2
Per Serving: 160 calories, 1g saturated fat, 0g unsaturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 39g carbs, 256mg sodium, 3g protein, and 6g fiber.

 

Orange-Berry Smoothie
2 navel oranges (peel & pith removed & cut into chunks)
1 cup of frozen blueberries
1 cup of frozen raspberries
Blend the above ingredients until smooth.

 

Serves 2
Per Serving: 132 calories, 0g saturated fat, 0g unsaturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 34g carbs, 2mg sodium, 2g protein, and 3g fiber.

 

Beet & Carrot Smoothie
1 small red beet (1/2 cup) coarsely chopped
1 medium-sized carrot (peeled & coarsely chopped)
1 sweet apple coarsely chopped (Honeycrisp or Pink Lady)
1 ripe pear coarsely chopped (red Bartlett or red D’Anjou)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
First, steam beets and carrots until tender, about 10 minutes.  Let cool to room temp. Then combine beets, carrot, apple, pear, juice, ginger, and 2 cups of water in a blender and blend until smooth.

 

Serves 2
Per Serving: 134 calories, 0g saturated fat, 0g unsaturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 35g carbs, 62mg sodium, 2g protein, and 7g fiber.

 

Cucumber, Honeydew, & Mint Smoothie
1/2 cucumber (peeled & chopped)
1/2 honeydew melon (2 cups peeled & chopped)
1 cup of pear juice
2 Tbsp. of fresh lime juice
1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves
Combine the above ingredients and blend until smooth.

 

Serves 2

Per Serving: 134 calories, 0g saturated fat, 0g unsaturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 33g carbs, 37mg sodium, 2g protein, and 2g fiber.

 

Green Energy Smoothie
1 cucumber (seeded and chopped)
3 cups of raw spinach (coarsely chopped)
2 cups of honeydew melon (peeled and chopped)
1 cup of organic green tea
1 tsp. of lemon juice
1/2 inch of fresh ginger root
Combine the above ingredients and blend until smooth! This smoothie serves 2!

Ultra Green Smoothie

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
2 cups of organic spinach (chopped)
1/2 of a frozen avocado
1/2 of a frozen banana
2 Tbsp. hemp hearts or hemp seeds
5 ice cubes
Combine the above ingredients and blend until smooth.

 

Classic Green Smoothie
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
2 cups of organic spinach (chopped)
1 frozen banana
2 Tbsp. of ground flax seed
1 Tbsp. of raw almond butter
5 ice cubes
Blend the ingredients until smooth.

 

Blackberry Vanilla Green Smoothie
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
2 cups of organic spinach
1 cup of frozen blackberries
2 Tbsp. of ground flax seed
1 Tbsp. of raw pumpkin seed butter
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
15g or vanilla protein powder
5 ice cubes

Chocolate Covered Raspberry Green Smoothie
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
2 cups of organic spinach
1 cup of raspberries
2 Tbsp. of ground flax seed
2 Tbsp. of shredded coconut
1 Tbsp. of cocoa powder
3 ice cubes
Blend the ingredients until smooth.

The original recipes can be found at wholeliving.com and healthfulpursuit.com!

Asian Chicken Salad

Craving fattening Chinese food but know you should eat a salad?  Try this Asian chicken salad, it's phenomenal!  This salad can cure your craving without feeling bloated and guilty afterwards. 

Dressing Ingredients:

2 tsps. of ginger

2 tsps. of sweet chili sauce

2 Tbsps. of brown sugar

2 Tbsps. of rice vinegar

2 Tbsps. of soy sauce (I prefer reduced sodium)

1 Tbsp. of sesame seed oil

2 Tbsps. of olive oil

Gently whisk ingredients together until smooth. This dressing has 2-3 servings.

 

Salad Ingredients:

1 cup of chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup of mixed veggies (broccoli, snap peas, carrots)

1 serving of chicken (I used Tyson Grilled & Ready chicken breast strips and they were AMAZING! I highly suggest using this pre-cooked chicken!)

1 Tbsp. of olive oil

1 tsp. of ground fresh pepper

I sauteed the mixed veggies and pre-cooked chicken in olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes and sprinkled it with the pepper (I love warm veggies and chicken on my salad! Yummy!).  Then top the lettuce with the veggie and chicken mixture and drizzle on the dressing.

 

White Chicken Chili Recipe

Here is the perfect recipe for those that want to eat healthy, make inexpensive meals, and want to love every bite of their food!  I love this recipe because it is healthy and inexpensive (which is hard to find sometimes), can be eaten as a soup/chili or as a dip because it is so thick and delicious, and this recipe can be frozen for later-use.  This recipe is all-around awesome and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)  Serve with tortilla chips for an extra salty and delicious crunch!

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. of boneless-skinless chicken breast
48 oz. of precooked northern beans (I always use Randall)
1/2 jar (standard size) of mild or medium thick and chunky salsa
8 oz. of monterey jack cheese, cubed or shredded
2 tsp. of cumin
1 Tbsp. of olive oil
Instructions:
1.  Brown the chicken breast over medium-high heat with the olive oil
2.  Combine the browned chicken, beans (including the water in the jar), salsa, cumin, and cheese and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3.  And enjoy!  This is one of those recipes though that tastes better and better the longer it sits.  I keep it on warm or low heat for another couple of hours while stirring occasionally so it gets thick.