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Whole30 Zucchini Fritters

Are you like me and always on the hunt for healthy, easy sides to pair with all types of meals? Enter the fritter! So versatile it can be consumed any time of day and it’s damn tasty. Yes!

Run don’t walk to make my new favorite snack!

Low-Carb Thyme and Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium-sized zucchini, grated
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 cup blanched almond meal
  • 2 organic eggs
  • Grass-fed ghee for cooking

Suggested Toppings: serve with fresh avocado, poached egg on top, quality smoked salmon

Instructions:

  1. Add the grated zucchini and salt to a bowl and mix together. Set it aside for 10-15 minutes and allow the salt to draw out some of the water.
  2. Remove as much liquid from the zucchini as possible; you can put the mixture into a tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid, or simply use a fine-mesh strainer.
    Add all the ingredients into a bowl and mix together to combine.
  3. Heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add some ghee to the pan and allow it to melt. Once the pan has heated up, place some of the mixture on to the pan to create a fritter for a test batch. Flip the fritter carefully once the bottom is golden brown and continue cooking the other side until golden brown.
  4. Slide the fritter onto a plate.
  5. If the mixture is too dry, mix through another egg (I find these are easier to cook and flip if the mixture is a little on the runnier side, you will just have to re-mix the raw mixture in between cooking the fritters if the liquid begins to separate). If the mixture is too wet, add a little more almond meal until you reach your desired consistency.
  6. Continue cooking the fritters and add more ghee to the pan as needed.
  7. When they’re all ready and cooked begin to plate up.
  8. Serve with your choice of toppings and enjoy.

Makes 8-9 zucchini fritters

Nutrition Information:

  • Serving size: 1 fritter
  • Calories: 106
  • Carbohydrates: 4.2g
  • Total Sugar: 1.3g
  • Fat: 8.9g
  • Protein:3.9g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Sodium: 50mg

Whole30 Fall Soup Recipe

Fall is the perfect time to cozy up at home and eat delicious soup! I’m so happy for the cooler temperatures and finally did just that this weekend. It was amazing! I wanted to share the soup I made since I know you guys love Whole30 too and will definitely want to try this!

This is a sweet potato soup with bacon (YUM!) and it’s really hearty and filling and noruishing and everything else tht you would want in a fall soup. I am obsessed! Try it for your self and let me know if you agree!

Paleo Sweet Potato Soup With Bacon

Ingredients:

  • 6 slices sugar-free, nitrate-free bacon (like this from US Wellness Meats)

  • 1 onion, finely diced

  • 1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout

  • 1/2 tablespoons salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • dash cayenne pepper

  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes (2-3 large), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced thin

  • 4 cups chicken broth

  • 1 cup water

  • garnish: fresh or dried chives

Directions:
1. Cut bacon into 1/4-inch slices and place in a cold soup pot. Heat the pot over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until it’s crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate covered with paper towels and set aside to drain and crisp.
2. Keep 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan and discard the rest. Re-heat the fat over medium-high heat, then add the onions, Ras el Hanout, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Toss in the garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the sweet potatoes, broth, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4.Working in batches and being careful (please be careful, friends!), purée the soup in a food processor or blender until it’s smooth. Return to the pot, taste, and adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls, then sprinkle with a little bacon and chives. Both the bacon and soup hold up well in the fridge for a few days.

 

Perfect Whole30 Salad for Summer

I’ve done a number of Whole30 challenges in the past and always love how I feel after! I find it too restrictive to eat this way all the time, but I do continue to incorporate Whole30 style recipes into my diet about 80% of time for the rest of the year. I feel best when eating whole foods and no sugar and once you figure that out, it’s hard to go back to filling your body with crap. 🙂

A few months ago I found another blogger on Instagram that posts a lot of Whole30 recipes and her food photography is BEAUTIFUL! Check out the cover image for example. Anyways she seems like the sweetest person so I wanted you to be able to discover her too. Her website is unboundwellness.com and here is an amazing recipe she recently posted I am obsessed with.

Blackened Chicken Avocado Berry Salad (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)

Ingredients

For the chicken

  • 1 lb chicken breast (or about 2 thin breasts)
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp cumin (omit for AIP)
  • optional – 1 tsp paprika (omit for AIP)
  • 1/2 tsp pepper (omit for AIP)

For the salad

  • 4-5 cups mixed greens
  • 1-2 cucumbers, sliced
  • 1 medium avocado, sliced
  • 1-1.5 cups berries (sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries)

For the dressing

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh raspberries
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp honey (omit for whole30)

Instructions

For the chicken

  1. Set the oven to 400 F. Combine the seasonings in a bowl and coat the chicken on both sides. Set aside.
  2. Using a cast iron pan, heat the avocado oil until it’s very hot. Add the chicken to the pan and sear for about 5 minutes on each side, until a blackened crust is formed. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
  3. Remove from the pan and allow to rest before slicing to serve over the salads.

For the salad and dressing 

  1. Using a high-speed blender, combine all of the salad dressing ingredients until smooth. Set aside and save any unused dressing in the fridge for up to 1-2 days.
  2. Prepare the salads with 2 bowls (more if you’d prefer to scale down, or less if you’d rather a larger salad) and layer on the greens, then the chicken, sliced cucumber, avocado, and berries. Finish with the dressing and serve.

 

Crushing 2018!

I love the perspective a new year brings. It’s like all of a sudden you’re given a fresh start and you get to do whatever you want with that. Some people decide to do nothing and some (like me) kick it into high gear.

I have huge goals for myself in all areas of my life and a new year is a great excuse to reflect on what I’ve accomplished over the last year and what I need to work on. It’s not easy to admit you need to make changes but that self realization is so important for growth.

So far this year I have been crushing my exercise and eating goals. I try to reach 10,000 steps a day plus 3-4 HITT style workouts a week. I know January is when everyone goes hard and then you don’t hear from them again but I’m here to say it’s February and I’m still doing it!

I’ve also been eating super healthy trying to eat Whole30 style for the most part. I’m done eating crap like donuts and calling it balance. Treats like that make me feel like shit so there is no balance there for me. Nowadays, a treat for me is a matcha latte or a smoothie. And I have those treats all the time cuz they’re not unhealthy!

Another goal that I’m still working on is self care. I always do so much in a day that I rarely leave time to take care of myself. I’ve been trying to meditate a few times a week and also have “me” nights like taking a bubble bath or doing a face mask. This goal is harder for me and I’m not crushing it as much as my others but I am improving, little by little!

Tell me about your goals for 2018 and how they’re going!

Drinking 2L+ of Water a Day and Loving It!

Hey lovelies! It probably comes as no surprise health and wellness means everything to me. I am constantly looking for new ways to improve my health and water is one of those simple wins I come back to time after time. I really do notice a difference when I drink at least 2L of water a day. That can be challenging when you’re traveling or on the do so I make sure to always have a reusable water bottle with me and fill it up as I go. I also drink 1 large glass of water when I wake up (about 500ml) and that is an amazing way to start the day after 8 hours of rest with no water. It definitely helps flush out any toxins and re-hydrate me for a busy day to come. I’m also craeful not to drink water when I’m eating as that is not great for digestion. Instead I wait about 1 hour before and after eating to drink my water. That is a really hard shift to make at first but once you start doing it and becoming aware that drinking water while eating actually inhibits digestions it makes me want to do my best.

My goal is 1L of water before lunch and 1L after. I sometimes even manage 2L after lunch if it’s a particularly hot day or I have been sweating/exercising a lot. One thing I have noticed is that everyone is different and so 2L may be too much or too little water for another person. For me I feel best at 2L but I encourage you to test yourself and see what’s best. I naturally drink more water in the summer than winter too which makes sense.

I highly encourage everyone to drink more water and see how it makes you feel!

Post Workout Protein Powder

I exercise a lot and used to struggle to eat enough protein to help me build muscle and keep me full. Enter protein powder! I usually drink one protein shake a day as a snack which gives me about 20 gram of protein. Sometimes I add a couple scoops to my breakfast smoothie but usually I mix it with just water and have after a workout in the afternoon.

I’ve tested so many brands over the years and I’ve learned the whey ones so popular with body builders hurt my tummy so I’ve switched to vegan varieties. Some vegan ones hurt my tummy too if they’re made with pea protein and I also HATE the taste of stevia, so the one I like right now is Trader Joe’s organic hemp protein powder. I get the chocolate one and it only has hemp seeds, palm sugar and cocoa powder. It only has 10 grams of protein per scoop so I usually have two scoops with water in a shaker bottle. The chocolate taste is so yummy and it’s not too sweet!

I’ve been using protein powder for about 5 years and I definitely find it helps me build and maintain muscle mass. Before I started using it I had like zero definition even though I worked out all the time. I also make a point of eating more protein in general usually in the form of lean meat like chicken and turkey. I also aim for 8-9 servings of vegetables a day and right now I’m trying a grain free diet to see how that works for me.

A healthy diet is key to any exercise regime and protein powder is just one tool I keep in my back pocket! What are your tips for incorporating more protein into your diet?

Lemon and Cayenne Water

Well, it’s a new year and time to refresh things from a health and wellness perspective! I’ve recently been starting my mornings with a drink of lemon and cayenne water. It sounded not particularly tasty at first but it’s actually great!

Apparently this mixture is excellent for detoxifying the body and assisting the digestive system. The lemon is packed with vitamin C which combats toxins.  Lemons are also filled with antioxidants and electrolytes. Not only that, but lemons help neutralize the body’s pH. Because digestion is so important, this drink is a great way to set the stage for your day.

Cayenne pepper is also known to stimulate the circulatory system by opening the capillaries, aids digestion, and helps regulate blood sugar. It also boosts the temperature of your body and kick-starts your metabolism.

So, how does it work? As soon as you wake up, warm up a half litre of water (but not too hot), add the juice from a full lemon, and sprinkle a bit of cayenne pepper. Be sure to buy non-irradiated cayenne pepper, since irradiation reduces the nutritional profile and natural medicinal properties of herbs and spices. Once that’s done, mix everything together and drink it! I also like to rinse my mouth out with about a half glass of water when I’m done. Waiting about 30 minutes before eating breakfast for best results!