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Meal Prepping for Success

With a busy schedule of work, school, taking care of a family, or whatever it may be, it can be difficult to find the time to cook every meal. Rushing around or not having meals readily available can lead to choosing the quickest option-which may not be the healthiest option. This often ends with takeout which in many cases can be loaded with sodium and empty calories. Meal prepping, which is simply planning and prepping your meals for the week, saves you the time and stress of having to cook every day. It also helps to keep you on track with healthy eating. Although meal prepping can seem like it would be very time consuming on the day, it does not necessarily mean that you must cook all your meals at once. Meal prepping can include cooking in bulk to plan for the week, cutting vegetables so they are ready to roast or eat raw for a snack, or even just having a set menu for meals each day. Not only will being better prepared lead to healthier eating, it will also be more cost efficient in the long run!

Getting Started…

Designating a specific day of the week to go food shopping is a good way to make sure that you are prepared for the week ahead. Going to the grocery store with a list ensures that you are getting everything that you need and helps to avoid picking up any unhealthy impulse buys. Stock up on various sizes of Tupperware to help store food in the freezer/refrigerator or when you are taking it on the go. This system is all about being organized and prepared when it comes to your meals!

Whether it is on the same day as your weekly grocery shop, or on another designated day of the week, look to prepare your food to make your meals easier when time is limited.

Some ways to do this are:

  • Peel, chop, and cut all raw vegetables, that way they are easily accessible when you want to use them for meals or to take as a healthy snack option.
  • Steam, roast, or sauté a large batch of vegetables and store them in clear containers in the refrigerator so they are easy to find when you need them. You can do the same with fruit, especially fruit that needs more preparation to eat such as a pineapples or strawberries. Having fruit already sliced and ready to eat also makes a healthy fruit smoothie easy to put together on the go.
  • Make meal choices that can be stored in the freezer and easily defrosted to cook or eat right away such as homemade soup, casseroles, and meat. They can be stored in serving sizes of 5 or 6 ounces so you are defrosting just what is needed.
  • Brown/wild rice and quinoa can also be made in large batches to have leftovers throughout the week.
  • Having snacks on hand helps to keep hunger under control and will help keep your metabolism up as the day goes on. Snacks such as veggies, fruit, hard boiled eggs, and nuts can be stored in proper containers or bags so they are easy to take with you.

Meal prepping can be kept as simple or made more thorough depending on how much time you have to put into it. Think what will save you the most time throughout the week and try to prepare that ahead of time. Also, try to balance out the meals you are making for yourself. When preparing lunches and dinners try and pack a protein, vegetable, and a carbohydrate. Again, there is no set way to meal prepping, it is all about working around your schedule and putting in some time and preparation to help yourself stay on track with a healthy diet even when your schedule is hectic!

 

By Lisa Cassata

Tips for a Healthy Halloween!

 

Halloween is fast approaching! This weekend there will be parties followed by buckets of candy. Don’t let this sweet holiday throw you off your goals.

Try these simple tricks to have a Healthy Halloween!

  1. Eat before trick-or-treating! Be sure to have a healthy meal or snack to hold you over. Don’t get caught munching on candy in between houses.
  2. Go trick-or-treating with your children or grandchildren. This is the perfect opportunity to get your physical activity in! Set a goal for yourself while walking door to door.
  3. Get moving. Get some exercise by making this Halloween a fun family physical activity event. Set a goal of how many houses or streets you’ll visit, or compete among each other to do as many as you can. Bring a bottle of water and wear comfortable shoes for walking!
  4. Be the house that hands out something different! Opt for the snack-sized packages of pretzels, popcorn, dried fruit, or trail mix.
  5. For our party animals, steer clear of sugary punch drinks and treats at parties. Look to make better choices, avoid mindless eating, and exercise portion control at your Halloween get-together.
  6. Wait to buy your candy until Halloween or the day before. This way you avoid temptation to pick at it beforehand. Another trick- don’t buy your favorite candy!
  7. Donate your leftover candy! Did you know Peak is holding a candy drive? We are accepting donations and sending them to our troops deployed overseas.

Recipe of the Week: Pasta with Spinach & Tomatoes

 

Our members make some delicious and healthy dinners!

Thank you to our friend, Flo, who submitted this week’s recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 can unsalted petite diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 8 ounces whole-grain spaghetti or linguine
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 10 oz fresh spinach
  • 1 oz grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil; swirl to coat.
  2. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until onion starts to brown.
  3. Add tomatoes, stock, oregano, and pasta in that order. Bring to a boil.
  4. Stir to submerge noodles in liquid. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 7 minutes or until pasta is almost done. Uncover and stir in salt.
  5. Add spinach in batches, stirring until spinach wilts. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes.
  6. Sprinkle with cheese and serve!

Member Spotlight: Cathy

Since joining Peak 5 months ago, I have seen many improvements in my healthy – I have more energy, my blood pressure is down, I sleep better, and I am down quite a few pounds. When I joined Peak, it was never about “the number” or how many pounds I “lost,” it was about changing my eating habits and my lifestyle.

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Tyler has always made me feel welcome and worthwhile from day one. He has never judged me or made me feel like I wouldn’t succeed. He has been my steadfast supporter, my cheerleader, and my voice of reason when I needed it. I have truly enjoyed working with him and look forward to much more success under his guidance.

-Cathieann Rowland

Carbohydrates: Where Quality Matters

So what are carbohydrates and why are they important? Carbohydrates are the sugars, starches, and fibers found in fruits, grains, vegetables, and milk products. Carbohydrates are one of three main ways that the body obtains energy or calories. Carbohydrates, according to the American Diabetes Association, are the body’s main source of energy. An individual’s healthy diet should contain foods rich in carbohydrates since it provides the body with glucose; glucose is converted into energy to help with the body’s daily functions and physical activity. However, all carbs are not created equal. There are two types of carbohydrates: complex carbs and simple carbs.

Complex carbs are identified as fiber and starch, whereas sugar is a simple carb. Complex Carbs are the healthiest source of carbohydrates. These are known as unprocessed whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans. Complex carbs help the body by delivering vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Simple carbs are unhealthier sources of carbohydrates. Simple Carbs include white bread, pastries, sodas, and other highly processed or refined foods. Simple carbs are easily
digested carbohydrates that may contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote diabetes or heart disease.

Tips to Add Complex Carbohydrates to Your Diet:

  1. Start the day off right with healthy, whole grains in your breakfast. A key way to include more whole grains in your diet is by looking for foods which list whole grains as one of the first ingredients. If you cannot give-up cereal as a breakfast food, you should look for cereals that are above 4-grams in fiber and less than 8-grams of sugar.
  2. Breads that are rich in healthy carbohydrates. When choosing breads, make sure you pick breads that list the first ingredient as “whole.” Examples of this include whole wheat, whole rye, or some other whole grain.
  3. Bread isn’t your only option! Good alternatives to bread are whole grains in salad such as quinoa and brown rice.
  4. Forget the juice and choose whole fruits. Instead of choosing sugary juices try eating whole fruits. Fruits typically contain less sugar than juices and more fiber such as oranges.
  5. Choose beans over potatoes. Beans are excellent source of complex carbohydrates which are slowly digestive carbohydrates and keep you full longer. Potatoes on the other hand have been found to promote weight gain.

Simple carbs are any foods that are high in sugars. Foods to try to avoid:

  • Sodas
  • Cookies
  • Juices
  • Pie
  • Sugary Cereal

Complex Carbohydrates you should eat:

  • Broccoli
  • Apples
  • Quinoa
  • Beans
  • Whole grains

 

By David Daoud

 

Recipe of the Week: Zucchini Tator Tots (Zots)

This week our recipe was submitted by one of our awesome gym members, Cathy. Taste tested and approved!

Yield: 3 servings, Serving Size: 5 tots

INGREDIENTS:

  • cooking spray
  • 1 packed cup grated zucchini
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 medium onion, minced
  • 1/4 cup grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. Grate the zucchini into a clean dish towel until you have 1 packed cup.  Wring all of the excess water out of the zucchini, there will be a lot of water. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small ovals. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, turning halfway though cooking until golden. Makes 16.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Per Serving:

  • Calories:108
  • Total Fat:3g
  • Sodium:262mg
  • Carbohydrates:5g
  • Fiber:2g
  • Sugar:2g
  • Protein: 7g

Original recipe can be found here!

Strength Training for “Weight Loss”

Most people look to the scale in order to assess their fitness or see results from exercise. However, body weight is NOT an accurate measure of physical fitness. The number on the scale does not necessarily relate to your exercise performance. “Weight loss” is in quotations because it is possible for you to achieve your appearance and performance goals without significantly changing the numbers on the scale.

With that being said, body composition measurements, lean body mass (muscle) and body fat percentage, are better
indicators of one’s progress. Decreasing the percentage of body fat should be the main focus, as opposed to overall weight loss; and strength training has been proven to be more effective for altering body composition than ‘cardio’ (aerobic exercise).

Here’s why…

  • Muscle tissue plays a major role in our metabolism; the more muscle tissue we have, the more calories (and fat!) we can burn.
  • Strength training, when done correctly, increases our lean body mass (amount of muscle tissue) while simultaneously decreasing our body fat percentage.
  • Along with the benefits during a workout, strength training also has the ability to keep your metabolism elevated after a workout. Therefore allowing you to continue to burn fat while you aren’t exercising.
  • Comparatively, during aerobic exercise (long distance running/walking, cycling, etc.) we burn through our fat stores and muscle tissue, as well as losing water weight from sweat. So although we are “losing weight” from cardio, we are also sacrificing muscle tissue.
    • Also, aerobic exercise does not show the same post-exercise effects on metabolism as strength training.
  • Strength training increases the activity and effectiveness of hormones that control our metabolism and body composition.

Strength Training

  • Train the whole body about 3x a week, with rest days in between
  • Beginner lifters should select weights that they can lift for 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps. More experienced lifters can try heavier weights for 3 sets of 6-8 reps
  • Only rest for about 1 minute or less between sets; try to alternate sets of lower-body and upper-body exercises in order to keep the intensity of the workout high while allowing parts of our body to recover.
  • Periodically increase the weights and variety of your exercises so that your muscles are constantly being challenged.


Points to Remember

  • Because we are increasing our muscle tissue, strength training may initially result in weight gain. However, though the number on the scale is increasing, our body fat percentage will decrease and physical fitness will improve.
  • Cardio is still important for improving ones fitness, cardiovascular and respiratory health and should be
    included in weekly exercise schedules. It is just not as effective for altering body composition as strength training.
  • Diet must be monitored– Keep in mind that nutrition goes hand-in-hand with weight loss and changes in body composition. In regards to strength training, it is important to consume a sufficient amount of protein daily in order to build and recover muscle tissue.
  • Rest days- We must give our muscles time to recover from exercise to prevent prolonged muscle soreness, decrease the chance of injury, and ensure the effectiveness of our next workout.

 

By David McCalla

Recipe of the Week: Apple Butternut Squash Soup

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 butternut squash, cubed (I used about 4 cups cubed)
  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 apples, peeled and quartered
  • 4 cups of vegetable stock
  • 1 cup of rice drink
  • ¼ cup of coconut milk
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • Sea salt

 

Directions:

  1. In large pot, sauté onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add squash, apples, stock, rice milk, coconut milk, and nutmeg. Cover, bring to boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes until squash is soft.
  2. Using immersion blender, puree soup. Add sea salt to taste.

 

Nutrition:

  • Calories 211
  • Carbohydrates 39g
  • Fat 8g
  • Protein 3g
  • Great source of Vitamin A and Potassium