Peak Performance Fitness

Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

apple

Recipe of the Week: Pecan Apple Chickpea Salad

INGREDIENTS

For the salad:

  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup small diced organic honey crisp apples
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped raw or toasted pecans*
  • 1/3 cup dried tart cherries
  • 1 stalk of celery, diced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (or sub cilantro)
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions

For the dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • Lots of freshly ground black pepper
  • 2-3 tablespoons warm water, to thin dressing

For the wraps:

  • 3 large spinach tortillas*
  • 3-4 cups organic spinach
  • ¾ cup shredded carrots

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add rinsed and drained chickpeas to a large bowl and use a masher or fork to mash most of the chickpeas. Add in diced apples, chopped pecans, tart cherries, celery, parsley and green onions.
  2. In a separate bowl, make the dressing: Add tahini, honey, dijon, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, salt, pepper and warm water. Mix to combine until a creamy dressing forms. Add more water if necessary. I found that somewhere between 2-3 tablespoons was perfect.
  3. Add dressing to the chickpea salad. Stir to combine and coat all the ingredients with dressing. Taste and adjust as necessary. You may want to add more salt and/or pepper.
  4. Lay out spinach wraps and add about 1 cup of spinach, top with ¼ cup shredded carrots. Top with ? of the chickpea salad mixture. Tightly roll up the wrap, tucking in the ends as you go. Secure tightly with a toothpick if necessary. Makes 3 large wraps! You can also eat the salad as is or put in lettuce wraps or Swiss chard. Salad will stay good for 5 days in the fridge.

*If you use smaller 8-inch tortillas, you’ll likely get 4 servings out of this recipe.

NUTRITION (for 1/3 of recipe without the spinach wrap)
Makes: 3
Serving Size: 1
418 Calories, 20.0g Fat, 52.3g Carb, 17.2g Sugar, 12.2g Protein

 

Original recipe from Ambitious Kitchen can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Confetti Kale Slaw

From the Natural Gourmet Institute

Yields: 8 cups
Prep: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 large firm apple, shredded (1 to 2 cups)
  • 1 cup green or red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup carrots, shredded
  • ¼ cup scallions, minced
  • 3 cups lacinato kale, chiffonade (I used regular curly kale but it does change texture)

For the dressing:

  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. To make the dressing: whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
  2. Prepare the apple (peeled or no peel) and vegetables and place them in a bowl as you go. Shred the apple on the large hole side of the grater and toss well with the dressing Thinly slice the cabbage and then cut across the slices about every inch. Peel the carrots and shred on the large holed side of a hand grater. Mince the scallions.
  3. To shred kale: rinse the kale and shake off excess water. Strip leaves from large stems and pile on a chopping board. Gather the kale into a compact mass and thinly slice. Then cut down across the slices, chopping the kale into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Add kale to bowl and toss well.
  4. Delicious served right away, but the sweetness intensifies as it sits. Keeps for 2-3 days.

Recipe of the Week: Apple Pie Oat Muffins

Serves: 12 muffins
Serving Size: 1 muffin

Ingredients

  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1 medium apple, grated (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Optional Additions:

  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together oats, baking powder, seasonings and salt.
  2. Add applesauce, grated apple, egg white, maple syrup, vanilla extract, milk and cranberries, plus any optional additions. Stir well to incorporate.
  3. Allow the mixture to set and thicken for about 3-5 minutes before spooning into your muffin pan.
  4. Fill muffin cups almost completely full with batter. The muffins will not rise.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes and until the center of each oatmeal muffin is set. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. If you don’t allow these to cool before taking them out of the muffin pan, they will fall apart. I used a knife around the sides to make removal easier. After cooling, they will set well. Store in a covered container in the fridge for about a week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Per serving: Calories: 100

Total Fat: 1g; Sodium: 287mg; Carbohydrate: 20g; Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 9g; Protein: 3g

 

Special shout out to Peak Fitness member, Regina, who shared this recipe and made a batch for the Exercise Physiologists! You can find the original recipe from My Fitness Pal here.

Making Friends With Apple Cider Vinegar

With the summer right around the corner, many of us are anxious to shed off a few pounds before beach season arrives.  We are watching what we eat, making healthier nutritional choices and putting in extra time and effort at the gym.  However, regardless of having a healthier nutritional intake many still struggle with portion control.  For most it is challenging to cut portion sizes down without feeling hungry throughout the day.  If you are one of these people, then you might want to consider heading to your local grocery store and picking up some apple cider vinegar.

What is apple cider vinegar? Apple cider vinegar is the fermented juice of crushed apples. It contains acetic acid and nutrients such as B vitamins and vitamin C and other antibiotics.  This substance has also been known to aid the digestive tract.

Does ACV taste good and can I add anything to it?  When used properly, this product has been found to be an effective appetite-suppressant—however the taste may not be so appealing to some, unfortunately.  Therefore, it may be wise to put a small amount of honey or squeezed lemon in the drink.

How does ACV act as an appetite-suppressant?  Research published in the Journal of Functional Foods studies participants who drank a tablespoon of ACV mixed with 8 ounces of water prior to eating.  The results demonstrated that the participants that consumed the substance had lower blood glucose levels compared to participants who didn’t consume the solution. “Acetic acid, the main component in vinegar, may interfere with the body’s ability to digest starch,” says lead study author Carol Johnston, PhD, associate director of the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University.  “If you’re interfering with the digestion of starch, less is being broken down into calories in the bloodstream. Over time, that might cause a subtle effect on weight,” says Johnston.

A few other studies back up the theory: Consuming two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar before eating a bagel and juice was shown to reduce blood sugar spikes in a 2009 Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism study, while Japanese research published that same year associated vinegar consumption with lower body weight, BMI, weight circumference, and serum triglycerides.

It is important to note that this solution is acidic and may temporarily disrupt the body’s acid-base levels, possibly leading to some gastric reflux in rare scenarios

Regardless of what techniques you use to lose weight, it is important to remember that making healthy food choices (eating the right percentages of your macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fats), spacing out your meals, eliminating simple sugars and high sodium foods from the diet, eating three meals a day with small snacks in between, staying hydrated, and refraining from eating within 3-4 hours before sleep should be your main priorities for proper, healthy weight loss.

 

By Anthony Locast

Recipe of the Week: Three-Apple Chicken Salad

Three different apple varieties and pecans pump up the antioxidants in this tasty salad. Apples and celery are some of the best sources of fiber. Substitute canned tuna for a variation on this healthy recipe.

Prep: 25 minutes (plus 30 minutes for chilling)
Cook: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients:

  • 4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
  • 3/4 cup diced Gala apple (about 1/4 pound)
  • 3/4 cup diced Red Delicious apple (about 1/4 pound)
  • 1/2 cup diced Granny Smith apple (about 3 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
  • 3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons stone-ground mustard
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Place chicken in a small saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and coarsely chop chicken.
  2. Combine chicken, apples, celery, and pecans in bowl; toss gently to coat.
  3. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over chicken mixture; toss gently to coat. Cover; chill at least 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information: Calories 246, Fat 12g, Protein 24g, Carbohydrates 13g

 

Original recipe from health.com can be found here!