Recipe: Healthy Shredded Chicken Burrito Bowl

Hi there!

I've talked before how I'm following the 21 Day Fix meal plan and exercises as part of my journey to live a healthy life. In addition, I love to cook and have adapted many recipes from Pinterest to keep my work lunches interesting while following the meal plan. 

I don't know about your work situation, but I am so lucky to work in an incredible environment with many tasty options around me. However, the struggle is real and the temptations happen often! If I don't keep my lunches interesting, I'm much more likely to eat unhealthy food!

So today I'm sharing a recipe that I adapted from FOUR recipes that I love!

Spaghetti Squash Cooking Directions | Shredding Chicken Directions | Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls | Turkey Lettuce Wraps

This recipe is easy and full of flavor. It makes a lot of food, too. Yay for leftovers!

I brought this for my work lunch yesterday (and today!). It's basically chicken and veggies with some spices. It was SO filling and made my co-workers jealous!

Prep time: ~ 20 minutes

Cook time: ~ 60 minutes 

Total time: ~ 80 minutes (I'm a slow cook, so this may be different for you!)

21 Day Fix containers per serving (approximate): 1.5 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue (and I cheated slightly and added 1 orange of low-fat shredded cheese!)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken breast
• 1 medium or large spaghetti squash
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, however you like to cut it
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 green pepper, however you like to cut it
• 1 red or yellow pepper, however you like to cut it
• 2 cups corn kernels
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 jar (16 ounces) salsa (use your preferred level of spiciness, but make sure it's low in sugar!!!)

Toppings:

• Cilantro
• Green onions
• Tomatoes
• Avocado (1/4 per serving)*
• Low-fat shredded cheese (I use 1 orange container per serving...about a tablespoon I think?)*
• *If you're strict, you should probably choose avocado OR cheese and not add both. Buuuut a little bit of cheese just sounded too good to me. I include it on mine :)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 
2. Shred chicken 
1. Place 2 quarts of water over medium heat
2. Once the water is warm, add the chicken and simmer for 10-15 minutes (don't boil!)
3. Let cool then shred
4. Set aside
3. Prep and bake spaghetti squash
1. Cut in half (the hardest part!)
2. Remove seeds and strings
3. Lightly mist with olive oil and place face down on baking sheet
4. Bake 40 minutes
5. Let cool a few minutes, then use a fork to remove "noodles"
6. Set aside
4. While that's all cooking, get to chopping those veggies!
5. Add olive oil to big skillet, throw in all chopped veggies and spices and cook to desired tenderness (for me, I start with the onions and garlic, get those nice and tender and then add peppers and corn. Then I toss in the spices, beans and salsa.)
6. Add shredded chicken and spaghetti squash "noodles" to the skillet and mix up!
7. Serve on plate and add toppings.
8. Enjoy!

Let me know if you try this, what you think and how you adapted it for yourself!
Have a good one!

Work it Out Wednesday: Week 29

Hi gang!

It's been quite a while since I've posted a wellness post.

Why, you ask?

Well, I have been busy but mainly I have been unmotivated to post.

You see, I keep working out 5-7 times a week for at least 30 minutes a workout, but my snacking and drinking and (lack of) portion control have kept me from being happy with my body.

Why would I bore you with posts about that on a weekly basis?

I'd rather not post.
Which is what I've done.
But now I'm back to tell you why and hopefully by writing it out I will actually push through.

Honestly, I disgust myself.
Yeah that's a little dramatic but it's true. I look gross. I feel gross...and I'm frustrated that even though I workout and eat well (most of the time) I look and feel gross (all of the time). It's just not fair. Why do some people eat equal or more bad stuff than I do, workout less than I do and stay thin? 
I.DON'T.GET.IT.
OK fine. It's because of science and metabolisms and stuff.
Still sucks.
And the more I get mad and sad at myself, the more I want to eat and drink. It's not a good cycle.

To help combat my recent feeding frenzy I restarted Beachbody's 21 Day Fix. I've been doing well, even though I have already derailed a bit (chocolate happens when cramps happen. TMI? Whatever, #realtalk). However, aside from my chocolate attack I already feel better by overall eating less junk and shrinking my portions, so that's good at least. Hopefully I will see some results because I struggle to look in mirrors, get dressed and take photos.

It's pretty sad that my main goal is to be OK with the possibility of taking photos in social situations. I have canceled or thought of canceling plans with friends because I don't want to be in the photos that could potentially take place.
I hope that this ridiculous anxiety goes away soon. It's not fun and is completely selfish.

Enough of all of that, I am now going to be my peppy self for the rest of this post!
Exclamation time!!!

I have a few 21 Day Fix Pinterest workouts and recipes to share today, in case you're curious what I'm up to!

Weekly disclaimer:
Remember what I said about my lack of qualifications? Please keep in mind that I am aware that I am chubby and have no fitness/nutrition authority. I'm just trying to spread some wellness love as I fight the battle to live well myself.

Weekly Workout:
  

 

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How I made it harder: Nada.
Overall impression: The first one is pretty short and is just a taste of the Upper Body workout, but the triceps one is super tough. I love it!
Sweat factor (on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is when I look like I just got out of the shower): About a 6.
How I felt when it was over: Pretty good!
Would I do it again? Obviously! Better question: will YOU do it? Please tell me if you do and what you think!

Weekly Recipe:

I made this a while ago and it's SO good that I'm making it again! My lunches will be so delightful!

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I'm also giving an Indian recipe a try tonight. It's 21 Day Fix-approved and was really hard to find but I'm making it!I will post pictures and the recipe if it's tasty! :)

Weekly Motivation:

I really need to remember this.

 

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Weekly Workout Sass:
My little adaptation of this quote:

Have a good one!

Work it Out Wednesday On a Thursday: Week 27

Hi gang!

How's everyone doing this week?

I love 21 Day Fix. So, so, so much. After the first 21 days I lost 6 pounds and 7.5 inches, two of which were around my waist. Then I took a few days off of the eating plan (and probably gained it back if I'm being honest lol) and I'm doing the whole shebang again. I guess most people do multiple rounds of the 21 Day Fix until they hit their goal weight. It's tough for me to stick with the meal plan 100% of the time but the workouts are great and fast so I've been doing them religiously.

I realize that not all of you have access to the workouts and meal plan, so I found some great videos by the same trainer, Autumn Calabrese, on her YouTube channel. This way we can all feel the burn together!

Weekly disclaimer:
Remember what I said about my lack of qualifications? Please keep in mind that I am aware that I am chubby and have no fitness/nutrition authority. I'm just trying to spread some wellness love as I fight the battle to live well myself.

Weekly Workout:

How I made it harder: Considering I already did my official workout of the day in the morning, I was surprised at myself for doing each of these workouts three times as suggested after work. That was hard enough for me!
Overall impression: The leg video made me sad since she was on a beach haha but overall I liked both. In fact, I LOVED the triceps video!!
Sweat factor (on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is when I look like I just got out of the shower): Definitely a 10. It was also warm in my apartment.
How I felt when it was over: Fantastic!
Would I do it again? I'm honestly thinking the triceps video will be a weekly workout addition for me. I really loved it!

Weekly recipe:

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I want to try these for my lunches next week, but I will add the cheese each time instead of when I originally bake them to make them seem fresh. I'll also add some green onions and tomatoes on top!

Weekly Motivation: 

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This is so true! Balance is key...which stinks since I'm such a klutz. ;)

Weekly workout sass:

I adapted a quote I saw on Pinterest :)

Have a good one!

Work it Out Wednesday: Week 26

Hi gang!

How's everyone doing this week?

I started the 21 Day Fix two weeks ago and while I'm not very good at following it religiously, I am seeing a lot of benefits from it. I'll do a recap if you're interested!

Even though I snacked a little and ate a sandwich last week, I have steered clear from alcohol, pop and desserts for more than two weeks. Also, and this is a big one, I did not participate in the endless free beer and pizza on Friday with my co-workers. It was such a beautiful day and we ate on the patio of a fun restaurant, but I had salad and soda water. That's it. I am still patting myself on the back for that one.

This morning on 21 Day Fix was leg day. I love leg day. Then I remembered that I didn't do a workout for the blog this week so I found some arm exercises. Check this out, gang! It's a doozy!

Weekly disclaimer:
Remember what I said about my lack of qualifications? Please keep in mind that I am aware that I am chubby and have no fitness/nutrition authority. I'm just trying to spread some wellness love as I fight the battle to live well myself.

Weekly Workout:

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How I made it harder: Considering I already did my official workout of the day, I didn't add anything to this. My neck and shoulders started to really hurt during this so I only did one round (I have neck/shoulder issues, so it's just me. It's an awesome workout).
Overall impression: Difficult after another workout. Arm day was yesterday, too, so I was a little sore.
Sweat factor (on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is when I look like I just got out of the shower): Only about a 3, which isn't saying much considering I did a leg workout before this.
How I felt when it was over: So exhausted!
Would I do it again? Absolutely! I will definitely plan better next time, though.

Weekly recipes:
I have three for you this week! All tried and true!

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This Mustard Herb Crusted Chicken was delicious!

 {via}

These are pretty good! I wish I had a food processor, though. The blender and immersion blender couldn't quite cut the dates and nuts. Oh well. Worth a shot!

This is THE BEST, no guilt smoothie of all time!

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Is your mouth watering yet??

Weekly Motivation: 

I personally need to remember this, so I made a cute image:

Even though I don't eat perfectly healthy 100% of the time, and even though I'm not melting away the pounds like many people with more discipline can, I am making progress. I'd say I've made great strides toward a healthier lifestyle so far in 2015, so I need to consistently remind myself that I am not a fat failure!

Weekly workout sass:

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Have a good one!

Work it Out Wednesday: Week 25

Hi gang!

How's everyone doing this week?

I started the 21 Day Fix last Monday and so far it's going really well! Honestly it's been tough to say "no" to the free delicious food at my office as well as the treats I encountered at a shower on Saturday, but I'm happy to say I did it! Small victories, right?

(I say that as I caved and ate some pretzels during writing this Monday night. Ugh. I'm weak!)

I did a quick little workout in addition to my 21 Day Fix workouts for you Monday night (pre-pretzels). I strangely had extra energy after work on Monday (miracles DO happen, folks!) so I did the 10-minute ab 21 Day Fix workout followed by a HIIT workout...in addition to the workout I did in the morning. Whew!

Weekly disclaimer:
Remember what I said about my lack of qualifications? Please keep in mind that I am aware that I am chubby and have no fitness/nutrition authority. I'm just trying to spread some wellness love as I fight the battle to live well myself.

Weekly Workout:

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How I made it harder: Considering I already did my official workout of the day, I didn't add anything to this.
Overall impression: It was over before I knew it, which is always a plus. However, those mountain climbers were brutal...but when aren't they??
Sweat factor (on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is when I look like I just got out of the shower): Only about a 3, which isn't saying much considering I did an ab workout before this.
How I felt when it was over: Proud I did this in addition to my daily workout.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! It's perfect for traveling or for a quick pick-me-up!

Weekly recipe:

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Super excited to make this General Tso's Chicken recipe from the beachbody site. Hard to believe this is healthy, isn't it?

Weekly Motivation: 
Please watch!!

  

I relate to this new Better For It campaign so much! I love it!

Also, here's one from my page from my Motivational Monday post:

Weekly workout sass (the newest in my collection of Teddy adaptations):

Have a good one!

Work it Out Wednesday: Week 24

Hi gang!

How's everyone doing this week?

I started the 21 Day Fix on Monday and so far, so good! I'm hoping to lose some inches and pounds because I'm working hard and want to see the results. If I don't see any I'll be so mad lol

Even though this program includes daily exercises, I still promise to do a little workout every week to share with you! This week's was great!

Weekly disclaimer:
Remember what I said about my lack of qualifications? Please keep in mind that I am aware that I am chubby and have no fitness/nutrition authority. I'm just trying to spread some wellness love as I fight the battle to live well myself.


Weekly Workout:

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How I made it harder: No knees on the push-ups!
Overall impression: This was super quick and made me feel great when I was finished. I was happy there were only 5 Burpees, too! hehe
Sweat factor (on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is when I look like I just got out of the shower): I didn't start to sweat until after the push-ups. Those always get me! I'd say about a 5 by the end. Not bad for 15 minutes!
How I felt when it was over: I wish I would have had time for more, but it was a great way to start the day.
Would I do it again? Absolutely!

Weekly recipe:

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I'm so excited this recipe has all of the color-coded portion containers listed to make it easier. I'm definitely going to make this for myself! Yum!

Weekly motivation
 I love this image so much:

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Weekly workout sass (sort of...it's the latest in my attempt to learn Photoshop):

Being sore after a workout is the best!! :)

Have a good one!