Hello,
I am sorry to hear about your sister, but I am glad to see you're being proactive and a leader! I'm a health nut, so I have a lot of recipes that I use. Unfortunately, I also love spice and nuts, so I won't be as much help as I would like to be /img/vbsmilies/smilies/frown.gif. Here are a couple(and I will be thinking of more that I use so I can revisit):
Protein Shake: Okay, you have to take off your skeptic hat when you read this! It's actually really great!
1/4 cup of cottage cheese
1/4 to 1/3 cup skim milk
4 to 5 straw berries
1/2 banana(or skip the strawberries and use a whole banana)
1/4 avocado
1 scoop of protein powder(I recommend EAS. It's cheap and effective. Also, if you live near a BJ's you can buy it for a steal!)
-Add water to bring to the desired consistency. It will be too thick if you don't!
This is an incredible meal to start your day with. This is because you want to focus most of your carbs in the earlier part of the day, which the fruit deliver. Here is the macronutrient breakdown:
Protein: 35.9 grams(40%)
Carbohydrates: 35.7 grams(40%)
Fats:8.3 grams(20%) -------->
Calories: 355
Note: You can't taste the avocado. The reason why it is in here is because it contains healthy fats such as mono/polyunsaturated fat! It's really a tasty shake. Also, if you find out it is okay for your sister to have a high fiber diet, I recommend adding 1 tsp of physllium husks to the shake. It is basically raw fiber.
Another great meal idea would be stuffed green peppers! It is actually phenomenal with ground chicken. I would actually recommend getting a hand crank meat grinder. They're pretty cheap new, and I think you can even get them a lot cheaper at flea markets/craigslist. It's nice to have one because you can control how much fat is in your meat!
Apple Pie Greek Yogurt:
Okay, so it doesn't taste exactly like apple pie, but it taste good! Here goes:
1 container of greek yogurt(plain 0% fat--basically, no flavor!)
1/2 apple(your choice)
1/4 teaspon cinnamon
1/4 teaspon ginger
1/2 tbsp honey(or to taste)
Cut the apple into small bits. It can be small cubes, minced, or even pureed; it just needs to be small. Now that I think about it, pureed sounds great--I think I'll give that a try
. Then just mix it all up in a bowl and enjoy!
-You might need to adjust the spices accordingly. I usually just do the "a touch of this and a touch of that" style of measuring.
Macronutrient breakdown:
Protein: 15 grams(45%)
Carbohydrates:18 grams(55%)
Fat: 0 grams(0%)------->
Calories: 135
Note: This is great snack between meals or even better paired up with a lean protein(maybe lemon chicken?). Also, it is fantastic after a workout! This is because the simple carbohydrates(from honey and sugar from apple) will help spike insulin! This is one of the few times you want an insulin spike because it helps restore glycogen levels and insulin helps shuttle nutrients to cells!
Lemon Chicken!
-Chicken breasts(2-3)
-1 to 2 whole lemons
-Sage
-Garlic(fresh or powder)
-Onion power
-Oregano
-Salt/Pepper
-Okay. Filet the chicken lengthwise to make two halves. Then in a tupperware container large enough to fit all of your chicken breasts into, juice the heck out of one lemon(or two if you'd like--I love a strong lemon flavor /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif ) Next add about 1/2 to 1 tbsp of sage, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp oregano(optional), pepper(your call in terms of quantity) and a healthy portion of salt. I'd say about 3 tbsp. Then mix it all up and soak the chicken in it between 20 minutes and 2 hours. I would strongly recommend using the zest from the lemon in this recipe! It's fantastic when it gets slightly caramelized
. Next, take your chicken out and finish them off on the stovetop!
Note: Once again, you'll probably have to play with the spices. I never measure, so it is difficult writing out recipes haha.
Something that would also pair well with lemon chicken is carrots and hummus! I like to add extra olive oil to the hummus. Speaking of hummus, I have a pita chip recipe that is great.
Pita Chips(whole wheat)
-Pita bread
-Cut the pita bread longitudinally to separate both halves. This will sort of make two really thin pitas.
-Now, cut each half into 1/3s(making 6 pita triangles)---->Basically, one pita should make 12 chips
-Drizzle olive oil over the pita triangles(both sides)
-Coat them to taste with salt/pepper(both sides).
-Crank oven up to about 400--let it preheat
-Get a sheet pan large enough to hold your pitas(I used to get two sheet pans so I could do up 6 pitas worth of chips)
-Now, you must be diligent when watching these. The first side should be ready in about 5 minutes. Flip them and wait/watch. You want to cook these enough so they have a great crunch factor, but it is easy to burn them!
-Enjoy with hummus and a good movie /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif.
I'll be thinking of more recipes. These are some that are off the top of the head that I enjoy.
Enjoy,
Patrick