The Easiest Meal I've Ever Made!

I was inspired by an article I read on the U.S. News website by Liz DiAlto, a fitness and lifestyle coach. She writes about why you can't rely on willpower to eat healthy or workout. You have to keep it simple and enjoy it, or it won't happen. So, I went on a quest to find the easiest, most delicious meal I could possibly make. This meal took me less than 5 minutes to make and it is SO YUMMY.

A roasted chicken patty topped with melted brie and drizzled with honey may be my new favorite meal. On the side, I sauteed some organic baby chard, spinach and kale (Power to the Greens) in olive oil with lemon pepper salt seasoning. This is another 100% Trader Joe's meal. I can't help it! Shopping anywhere else for groceries is just plain silly! The trick to this meal's simplicity is the roasted chicken patty. It's precooked, lean and high in protein. I hate handling raw chicken and I always overcook it. The patty is a little more expensive than buying and cooking your own chicken, but it's so much easier to make and that's what is going to help me stick to my diet!

In total, the meal is 350 calories! It's perfect to make after a long day at work and the brie/honey combo makes it seem slightly sinful. ;-)

Healthy Eats by Cow Harbor

My dad took my brother and I boating on Monday. He's a member of Freedom Boat Club and usually takes boats out of the Britannia Yachting Center in Northport. Before we hopped on the boat, we stopped at The Purple Elephant to grab some lunch to bring with us. Most marinas have a deli or seafood joint nearby, and those don't always have the healthiest options. It's either high calorie bread piled with high sodium deli meat or fried crustaceans with butter. I was so excited to find out that The Purple Elephant specializes in whole, clean foods! 

It was very difficult to possess self control at their counter, because I wanted to try everything! We ended up getting a bison burger, tabbouleh, baked chicken, vegan taquitos, black bean salad, and 3 young coconuts to go. This was my first experience with young coconuts and I will definitely be picking some up again on a hot, sunny day this summer. They gave us the young coconuts with a hole cut in the top so we could drink the water inside and then eat the pulp with a spoon. It was so refreshing! Coconut water from a bottle is no where close to as delicious! Everything else we got was amazing. I will definitely be back to try the Mexican meatloaf and the chicken salad. I saw that they have vegan chicken wings, which freak me out a little bit (to be honest). If you want to eat off a bone, then you probably shouldn't be a vegan. But, I'm determined to try them one day! 

The Purple Elephant has something for everyone! They have plenty of vegetarian and vegan options (like those weird chicken wings). Also, they only use wild game, local and sustainable seafood, grass-fed meats, and D'artagnan poultry. It looks like they put daily specials up on their website, which is another thing I love. I hate stagnant menus. They should at least change with the seasons as do quality food supplies. They also sell cold-pressed juices if you want to try a juice cleanse and support a local business.

One of the other things that is great about The Purple Elephant is that they use LevelUp. It's a POS system that allows customers to pay through an app on their phone. I love small businesses that embrace new technology! I geek out whenever I see a small business that uses Square, too. It's sad that a lot of small businesses don't know about these great options that are more efficient and cheaper than old-school POS systems.

So, if you're near Northport and looking for a guilt-free, flavorful, quick meal, go to The Purple Elephant. You can even dine outdoors on their harbor-side deck!

Lemon Pepper Shrimp and Broccoli

Mmmmm! Mmmmm! Mmmmm! This is my new favorite dinner and it's so easy to make!

I recently discovered Argentinian Wild Red Shrimp at Trader Joe's. For only $8.99 a pound, it is a STEAL! And, it tastes similar to lobster! I sautee these babies up in some olive oil and Balade Light Butter with Sea Salt, then finish it off with lemon pepper seasoning. The perfect side dish for this masterpiece is steamed broccoli with fresh lemon juice.

After trying the Argentinian Wild Red Shrimp, I felt compelled to do some research. I learned about the benefits of eating wild shrimp over farm-raised shrimp. This article from the Huffington Post explains it really well. In a nutshell, farm-raised shrimp are raised with antibiotics and are more likely to carry foodborne illnesses. GROSS!

Here are the ingredients for the dish:

1 cup of frozen broccoli (I use organic broccoli from Trader Joe's.)
8 ounces of frozen, uncooked shrimp (Try the Argentinian shrimp from Trader Joe's if you can, but any typeof shrimp will work.)
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Balade Light Butter with Sea Salt (Any type of light butter or butter-flavored vegetable oil spread will work)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 slice of lemon

This whole dish is only ***5 POINTS*** and has 34 grams of protein! Oh, and did I mention that it is absolutely delicious!?!?

Coconut Bread and Sunflower Seed Spread

This is one of my favorite breakfasts to make. It's quick, easy and nutritious! Julian Bakery makes a line of low-carb breads. I love the one made with coconut flour. You can order online or pick some up in Plainview at Get Healthy America! I keep the bread frozen so that it doesn't go bad and toast on high. Then, I spread a tablespoon of Sunbutter on top. I buy Sunbutter at Trader Joe's or Shop Rite. This is a paleo, gluten-free, yeast-free, peanut-free and low-carb breakfast! Here's the nutritional breakdown:

9g of fat
9g of carbs
7g of fiber
8g of protein
***4 POINTS***

And, instead of coffee, I enjoy this breakfast with a cup of Yerba mate tea sweetened with 1 packet of Truvia (found in most grocery stores). I brought my Yerba mate tea back from my trip to Argentina, but you can buy some in Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. It has just as much caffeine as coffee, but is so much better for you. Tea balances your body, while coffee is acidic. You will feel great and light because there's no cream or sugar involved!
***0 POINTS***