Summer Salad Recipes (Perfect for a Cookout!)

Looking for new summer salad ideas? Or needing a salad to take to that next cookout? Try one of these fresh salad ideas. Pair with a grilled protein of choice for a healthy complete meal.

CHOPPED GREEK SALAD
Ingredients
• Ingredients For the Salad:
• 2 large English Cucumber, sliced
• 1 pint Grape tomatoes
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red Onion, sliced thin
• 1 cup Kalamata Olives
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• Ingredients For the Dressing:
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 2 fresh squeezed lemons
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried Oregano
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1.     Whisk all the dressing ingredients, pour over chopped salad, combine well, enjoy.

ITALIAN ZOODLE SALAD
Ingredients
• 6 small zucchini, spiralized
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1 pint organic cherry tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup black olives
• 12 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• Fresh chopped parsley as garnish
• Homemade Italian Dressing
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 Tbsp Italian herbs
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard, no sugar added
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. raw honey (optional)
Instructions
1.     Dressing Instructions:
2.     Combine all dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk well to combine. Note:    
                It's best to let this sit (sealed, refrigerated) for 24 hours before using. This gives the herbs  
                time to infuse. Shake well before dressing the salad.
3.  Salad Instructions:
4. Gently combine zucchini noodles with dressing.
5.  Gently combine remaining ingredients.
6. Enjoy immediately.

AVOCUMATO SALAD
(Avocado, Cucumber, and Tomato)
Ingredients
• 2 lbs Fresh Tomatoes, chopped
• 2 English Cucumbers, chopped bite-size
• 1/2 medium Red Onion, sliced thin
• 3 Avocados, diced
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin Olive oil or Avocado oil
• Juice of 2 fresh Lemons
• 1/4 cup fresh Dill, chopped
• 1.5 tsp Sea Salt
• Fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Place tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, avocado, and fresh dill into a large salad bowl.
2. Drizzle with oil and add lemon juice.
3. Toss very gently to combine.
4. Just before serving, sprinkle evenly with sea salt and pepper.

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Food Prep Hacks

Are you a weekend warrior food prepper?

Here are a few of my favorite hacks to make your life EASIER! Do not to get overwhelmed as you read this. Remember to take tiny steps, and be kind to yourself as you learn how to food prep. 

Plan ahead!

Here is what you will need:

Containers!  And more containers! 

When you plan on preparing all of your  delicious food for the week, an important aspect of the plan is how to organize it.  I recommend investing in good quality Tupperware that you can reheat easily that has compartments to divide out your food. I like to buy mine from Amazon. They have relatively inexpensive choices that work great and will last if taken care of. 

Always have ziplock baggies on hand (you can wash can and reuse to cut down on waste.)

You will also need: 

• a food scale
• measuring cups
• pots & pans
• A blender of some sort (I have a Vitamix and a Bullet for smaller items, but any blender will do.)
• baking tins

Grocery Shopping/Prep Day:

Make a plan. Write out your meals for the week and then make a grocery list from your plan. You’ll be more efficient and spend less money at the grocery store if you know exactly what you are getting. I also go as far as to make my list according to the location the items are in at the store. It keeps my shopping experience in a nice flow rather than running back and forth across the store. 

Now that you’ve got your plan laid out and your tools ready, now what? Figure out a day to grocery shop and prep. I know most people prep on Sunday, but I choose to do my meal prep on Saturday afternoons. It’s usually when I have the most time. I have begun shopping on Friday which helps break-up the work. With my plan in hand, I head to the grocery store before the crazy crowd. I’m in and out, because I have a plan. 

Weekly Steps in the Right direction:

Once you start getting the hang of things, try adding in another meal and maybe prep for 4 days instead of 3. Another great way to get a head start on the week is by cutting & bagging your veggies and fruits so they’re easily accessible in your fridge (especially within the kids' reach!). Starting small will help keep you from feeling overwhelmed. I know you probably feeling anxiety reading this but I promise you, once you get comfortable, you’ll be pro before you know it!

Give it a try and let me know your successes. I’m here to help!

Remember, it’s always YOU vs. YOU!

Good Luck!

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Eat with Intention

We often ask ourselves, when should I eat? How do I know if I'm eating too much? Is breakfast good or bad? Should I have dessert? Enough with the questions, am I right? 

How about we try to free up some of the space these questions take in time, energy and sanity? It doesn’t have to be so complicated. The truth is your body already has all the answers – you just need to listen a little closer. 

A huge part of our behaviors and actions depend on the intention behind it. If you are truly eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full, your body will get the amount that it needs. Not gonna lie, it can get tricky because we often eat more or less when we're sad, stressed, nervous etc. (we've all binged on a whole sleeve of crackers or cookies, am I right?). 

But for now, the next time you're feeling a snack attack come on and you ask yourself the question "am I hungry or am I full?" get clear on what the intention is behind the action. From there you''ll be able to get clearer answer. Trust me, when it comes to your nutrition, a little mindfulness can go a long way.

I've also found that journaling can be a helpful tool as well. For a few days (or more) try jotting down the things you ate and when. Then include how you felt before and after. From there you can adjust as needed to help you feel your best – mentally and physically. You might just be surprised at what you learn about yourself. 

Here's to eating with more intention!

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Creating Your “Normal”

We all get used to feeling a certain way. Whether it’s feeling bloated after a meal, energized in the afternoon or in need of a coffee first thing in the morning, we all have things that we consider "normal."

But what if all of those things didn’t have to be your “normal?” What if all these things were just learned behaviors that we got used to accepting as our normal over time? What if I told you that feeling your best could actually be your new normal? That waking up with energy is a right not a privilege? That feeling energized in the afternoon is a learned habit rather than a biological need. That bloat after a meal may mean that you have a food intolerance or allergy that could be solved by eliminating certain foods.

How do you want to feel? This is a choice that you get to make and will be reflected in the foods you choose to eat. You may want to consider the following tweaks to start with

:

• Eat clean and healthy meals with minimal sugar to keep your mind clear, bloat and inflammation down, and your body strong.

• Avoid processed foods – Anything with more than five ingredients on the packaging is likely not good for you. Keep it simple. Think one ingredient like steak or spinach.

• Drink lots of water – Our bodies are 98% water and need constant hydration to perform at a high level.

Give the above suggestions a try and let me know how you feel. After all, you have big things to go out and create in the world, so the better you feel, the more you’re able to achieve.

Keep ticking up your baseline and see if you can create a new (and better) normal. I can't wait to hear what you discover!

xx