health food

all cuisines gone clean

01.29.2013

As much as I love my PAC (plain ass chicken), brown rice and greens, I am in need of a little variation! As I have said before, it is easy to eat clean when eating the same meals on a weekly basis. Especially if you are food prepping and cook one day a week for the meals the rest of the week. This is usually my lunch routine, but for dinner I love experimenting with different cuisines!

I also love going out to eat on the weekends, and that seems to be when I struggle the most with a healthy diet. Weekends are hard and there are so many temptations! Of course, while looking at a menu full of yummy goodness, you may want to go the opposite direction, but don’t be fooled! There ARE healthy things on the menu, we just need to become aware of what to swap out.

We recently had a sushi and movie date night this weekend, and I refused to go out on a limb and settle for white rice, tons of sauce or fried tempura. I LOVE sushi, but instead of the usual we can always opt for grilled salmon, brown rice, veggies or sashimi (raw fish). That is exactly what I did, and I left not regretting my meal.

Here are some clean eating thoughts for a sushi night out:

skip the white rice (head straight for brown rice)
go sauce-less (sauce is high in sugar and calories!)
say no to tempura (fried…enough said)
avoid the sake and go for water or tea (alcohol slows your metabolism and promotes fat storage!)
go raw! (fish are packed with nutrients and Omega 3s)

Sushi dates are do-able while eating clean as long as you make healthy swaps and take the time to think about what you are ordering!

Speaking of food, another cuisine that is one of my favs… Mexican! Who would have thought that you can actually eat a healthy burrito or taco. Here are some ideas to help guide you:

~~Tortilla~~ Wheat tortilla or wrap in lettuce
~~sour cream~~ non-fat greek yogurt (I swear it tastes the same)
~~salsa~~ chopped tomatoes
~~guacamole~~ avocado slices
~~taco meat~~ lean ground turkey

There are SO many variations to eating healthy, and you can still enjoy different cuisines. No need to avoid restaurants as long as you make the swaps, and maybe you’ll be fine with the occasional treat now and then!

What is your favorite cuisine to order out?

Did I mention that I am doing a GIVEAWAY as we speak?! Yup, I’m giving away a $25 Lululemon gift card to one very lucky winner. To enter:

REQUIREMENTS:

Like Fitness and the City on Facebook
Follow Fitness and the City here on WordPress, by email on the right hand side of this screen
Share this giveaway on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Blog

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

Follow Fitness and the City on Instagram: @ fitnessandthecity
Follow Fitness and the City on Twitter: @JennaPardini
Tell your friends about this page and encourage them to follow!

Be sure to leave a comment or message telling me what you completed.

Giveaway will run through 2/1 and Winner will be announced 2/2. Good luck!!

Clean Eating Grocery List

10.04.2012

Ok, so it’s that time of the week again. Time to do a little grocery shopping this evening. I’m not gonna lie, it’s not my favorite thing in the world, but now that I am watching what I pick up at the store, I am SO much more interested. Remember, eating clean is a must, and if you buy the right foods you will eat the right foods. Abs are made in the kitchen people. 🙂

Below I wanted to share what is on my full shopping list which I usually print out and bring with me to keep me on track, and not wandering off into the junk food sections!

Protein Options

Eggs
Boneless/skinless chicken breasts (I pick up every time!)
Lean ground turkey
Canned tuna (in water always)
Plain nonfat cottage cheese
Plain nonfat greek yogurt
Non fat cheese sticks
Salmon

Veggie Options

Brocoli
Asparagus
Spinach
Kale (need to start eating more of this!)
Bell peppers
Mushrooms
Cauliflower
Artichoke
Green beans
Brussel sprouts
Zucchini
Cucumber

Fruit

Apples
Pears
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries (huge fan of berries as you can tell!)
Tomatoes (some can say it’s a veggie, some fruit, who knows!)
Pineapple
Watermelon (if in season)

Complex Carb Options

Low carb/low sugar cereal
Quinoa
Brown rice
Whole wheat bread
Sweet potato

Healthy Fat Options

Natural peanut butter or almond butter
Olive oil
Walnuts
Almonds
Avocado

Beverages

Water! (If you don’t have a brita or water filter)
Unsweetened almond milk
Green tea
Coffee

Condiments

Balsamic vinegar
Mustard
Salsa
Cinnamon
Zero calorie sweetener
Pepper
Salt

I also tend to pick up multi vitamins and protein powder (usually Muscle Milk).

Other helpful tips

Try to stay away from the alcohol! I sometimes will give in and buy a bottle of wine, but alcohol promotes fat storage- more details about that later.
Dont go on an empty stomach!
Just because its says low-fat doesn’t mean it is healthy!

One thing that I have learned is that eating healthy absolutely does not have to be expensive. Stores like Trader Joes have all of this food available at low prices. Please don’t ever think that it will cost a fortune to eat clean, because you can always stick to minimum requirements or look for coupons for these items. If you stick to this list, cut out as much junk food and minimally eat out, you will see results. I have witnessed this first hand. I do have cheat meals so don’t get me wrong, I am only human (and also a HUGE chocoholic and full Italian who loves my pasta) but I try my very hardest to stick to this list as much as possible.

I may also be leaving a few things out, some I may not like or others I just don’t know about, so please don’t be shy to leave me a comment and give other suggestions!

Thank you for reading! I hope this clean eating list will help you to choose all of the right options that work for you as they have worked for me!

xo, Jenna

Travel Friendly Snacks

08.28.2012

The worst part about going out of town for me is the price my diet pays. The assumption is that when you travel, you can’t eat healthy, so you don’t make the attempt. With such slim pickings at the airport or during pit stops the only way to keep on track with a clean diet is to pack a carry on. Here are a few things that I am taking with me on our trip back East tomorrow.

Low-Fat Greek Yogurt: these are a new fav for me. Besides being a great source of protein in a portion controlled cup, yogurt contains probiotics, naturally occurring bacteria that can help settle your stomach.

Bananas: rich in magnesium, and a deficiency in this mineral can result in headaches and fatigue. I will be eating bananas like no other to avoid my common headaches.

Nuts: Their healthy combo of fat and protein can help keep you fuller for longer and reduce your calorie intake for the day. Not to mention I work for Diamond Foods {the maker of these delicious snacks} so I have plenty of these 100 calorie packs to go around.

A few other healthy travel snacks to store in your bag:

Turkey jerky: practically fat free protein source

Fruit snacks: stash a few no sugar added fruit snacks in your bag for a fiber filled way to satisfy your sweet tooth

Nut butter: I like to spread on apples, celery sticks or rice cakes to make them extra filling

Cereal: Look for boxes with no more than 120 calories per cup and a decent amount of fiber to tide you over

Now that I have my food situation thoughtfully planned out for our travel day tomorrow, next comes the hard part. Trying to fit all of the clothes, shoes, accessories into my suitcase. I may be into fitness and absolutely love my Nikes and yoga pants, I have a TON of clothes. I’d like to consider myself a fashionista, or dream of being one. Either way I hope my bag weighs less than 50 pounds!

I won’t be able to post until I return, so I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Thank you so much for reading,

Jenna

health food

Latest from Instagram