Lizzie's Tasty Chicken Salad Wrap

Who has a "boring salad" for lunch when they want to be healthy? You pull it out of the work fridge and it looks all sad and wilty and your friends are heating up mac and cheese and and bringing back delicious looking pulled-pork sandwiches from the food truck seemingly without a care in the world and you start to seriously resent this stupid, healthy boring salad looking back at you.  

Does this sound familiar? Maybe you've even put it back in the fridge and gone across the street to buy something you really want...

Wanna know what I think about that? DEATH TO THE BORING SALAD. I'M DONE WITH IT. Eating healthy does not have to be sad and boring. You do not need to angrily chew carrot sticks and choke down iceberg lettuce. You do not need to sacrifice flavor and fun. You do not need to feel deprived. We need to flip the script on this one and telling ourselves this story about what "healthy" food  looks like. 

Make a pact with me right now that you will never force yourself to eat a gross boring salad again?  The way to be successful here and get out of this rut is to get inspired and think outside the box. I'm going to do a series of inspired lunches so you can get your lunch groove back and start to enjoy it rather than dread it! 

For me lunch looks mostly like leftovers from dinner the night before, or from food I prepared on the weekend that I throw together. I eat buttery salmon and salty, seasoned roast veggies with a tasty sauce, or big bowls full of pulled pork, greens and pickled goods. I always have a base of greens or vegetables but that shit is not boring. I eat good stuff, and I enjoy it because life is too short for another. boring. salad. 

My friend Lizzie is working to banish the boring salad as well and sent me through this awesome chicken salad recipe for you guys to try! The best part is that you can make a big batch and add it to bowls, salads, wraps etc. and you can throw in any thing else you might want to add to spice up your life and your lunch. 

Lizzie's Tasty Chicken Salad Wraps

Makes 4-6 wraps 

Dairy and Gluten Free

Ingredients

1 roasted chicken, shredded (Really easy if you just buy a rotisserie chicken)

1 small apple, diced (alternatively: a couple handfuls of seedless grapes, quartered)

Juice of 1 lemon

2 celery stalks, diced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 dill pickle, diced

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

Handful of almonds or walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped (take the time to toast them in a 350 (F) oven for 5-10 minutes – it’s worth it!)

¼ cup - 1 cup mayo (look for a brand that uses olive or avocado oil and good ingredients or make your own)

Salt and pepper to taste

Wrap of choice (Lizzie used almond flour tortillas but depending on dietary needs/ budget you could use butter lettuce wraps or collard greens which are soooo good!)

Avocado 

Directions

Shred chicken and set aside in a large bowl.

Add diced apple to small bowl, top with lemon juice. (This will prevent apple from browning if
the salad sits in your fridge for a few days.) Add pinch of salt and ground pepper, stir to combine and let “marinate” while you prepare rest of ingredients. 

Add celery, scallions, nuts, pickle, mustard, and mayo to the bowl of chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

Quarter avocado and smash each slice onto your wrap. Place a generous scoop of chicken salad on avocado. Roll up and serve.

Store leftover chicken salad in air-tight container in the fridge for 3 days.

I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious lunch! If you want some more easy recipes click here to download my free guide to batch cooking >> 

You’ll get:

+ 7 day meal plan

+ Step by step instructions for how to cook an entire week’s worth of food in just two 2-hour sessions (life changing)

+ Grocery lists

+ Twelve of my favorite, easy recipes!

Enjoy making delicious and nutritious meals in way less time! 

Celery Root Fries

If you're getting a little sick of the tried and true sweet potato fries and are looking to mix it up, these celery root (or celeriac) fries are perfect! When first transitioning to a whole foods diet or when we are super busy it can be really easy to get stuck in a rut and eat the same things over and over again. This is ok!

It's a great idea, though, to make an attempt to eat a variety of vegetables to ensure that you are getting the wide array of nutrients your body needs.  The beautiful array of colors in vegetables represent over 25,000 good for you phytonutrients or chemicals that are beneficial to our bodies. It definitely pays to "eat the rainbow!"

Additionally, eating a variety of plant foods helps us optimize the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut which has a big effect on our overall health and well-being [2] I find that instead of trying to mix it up every single day, I go for every week. I try to bring in one or two new veggies every week that I can experiment with in addition to my staples. 

Celeriac is a pretty funky looking veggie, but it's surprisingly delicious! It does have a hint of celery flavor, but with a potato-like consistency. You can prepare it in any way you would other root vegetables (think mashed, pureed, as soup or chips) but these fries are an easy way to start. I get mine at the farmer's market, but you can find celeriac at most grocery stores (you've probably just passed it by before!) 

Celery Root Fries

Ingredients

1 lb celery root (or celeriac) about 1-2 bulbs 

Olive Oil

Salt 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 (f)

Peel and cut celery root into 1/2 inch wide sticks 

Toss with olive oil and salt 

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown

I hope you enjoy trying this weird and wonderful veggie! If you want some more easy recipes click here to download my free guide to batch cooking >> 

You’ll get:

+ 7 day meal plan

+ Step by step instructions for how to cook an entire week’s worth of food in just two 2-hour sessions (life changing)

+ Grocery lists

+ Twelve of my favorite, easy recipes!

Enjoy making delicious and nutritious meals in way less time! 

The #1 thing you might be doing wrong during a detox

It’s January now and you’re probably feeling the urge to do some sort of juice cleanse, detox, or Whole30 type diet to reset after a long holidays season of eating and drinking. Or maybe you’re already a few days in and wondering how the heck you’re going to make it to the end of the week without crying and binging on the candy bowel on the office manager’s desk.

First things first, you are absolutely awesome for prioritizing your health and wanting to do what’s best for that beautiful body of yours. That’s where it all starts – the intention to have more energy, sleep better, and feel better in your body.

I want to make sure you are armed with the best tools and information to give your body what it needs and feel really good while doing so.

Cleanses and detoxes can be really great to give our digestive and detoxification systems a break if we’re feeling out of balance.  They are a good tool to use to become really mindful of what we’re putting in our bodies as well. I’m a total advocate of them if done with intention and in accordance to what works for you specifically.

For example, a 5-day juice cleanse would wreak havoc on my blood sugar and energy levels, make me feel absolutely crazy and is definitely not something my body needs at this moment.  Plus, I would probably only make it ½ a day and then feel bad about myself for not completing it and get all guilty. I do, however, notice when I’ve been eating more carbohydrates and indulging in more alcohol or sweets than usual and prioritize incorporating vegetables at every meal for the next few days to come back to my foundation. It’s an ebb and flow for me, and never something that is strictly black and white anymore.

The intentionality and mindset behind the cleanse is the most important piece, and what I see frequently is people getting stuck about what to do after the cleanse or diet has completed.

Although any form of dietary restriction is challenging, sometimes having the black and white of rules and restrictions of what you can and can’t eat is easier than navigating the grey area of food choices.

Everyone’s “why” behind a cleanse might be a little different, so it’s important to get clear on that first. Did you have a wild and crazy holiday season and need a break from cocktails and cookies? Do you have digestive issues or symptoms of disease and want to experiment with dietary changes? Do you want to shed pounds?

Then ask yourself what are you doing to do after the cleanse has finished. If you are completing a Whole30, is it running out to eat that fried chicken and waffles that you were weirdly dreaming about during your 30 days? Will you go back to eating anything that crosses your path after your juice cleanse because you are just so damn hungry?

In my opinion, the most important part of the cleanse or diet is the reintroduction portion which is always the part that gets looked over the most. A cleanse allows your body to reset so that you area able to “clear the muddy waters” and really tune in to how food affects you.

I strongly encourage setting up a gradual reintroduction process of foods (such as dairy, grains, sugar, alcohol etc.) to gather data about how each of these things works in your body rather than go out and eat all of the things for the next three days of your “freedom.” With that data you can really understand how dairy affects your body, how much and what kind you can have, and how it works in your own unique diet.

Cleanses can set you up to feel like you are either “on the wagon” or “off the wagon” which is why they can be pretty ineffective if done in a haphazard way.  Gathering this information is really powerful because it helps us carry these good habits and new knowledge forward into our everyday lives so we can make empowered choices.

If you need guidance with the reintroduction process and finding the best ways to incorporate healthy, whole foods into your diet email me to set up a time to chat! I’d love to help you get out of the cycle of “on the wagon” and “off the wagon” and to a place of food confidence and freedom. Click the button below to book in a free 30 minute discovery session to chat. I'd love to hear from you!

Easy Breakfast Casserole

If you're looking for a good, easy recipe that can feed the whole family this is perfect.  My family makes this every year on Christmas day and it's always a big hit. It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free so it will work for those in the group with allergies and intolerances. 

You could even make this just for yourself, and store the extras to heat up for a quick, nutrient filled breakfast (batch cooking is my favorite). I hope you and your family enjoy it! 

Easy Breakfast Casserole 

Ingredients

Cooking oil (extra virgin olive oil or coconut) 

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 large handfuls spinach (or kale)

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey 

12 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly oil a baking pan (8 x 12)

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and bell peppers and cook until soft. Add spinach and cook until wilted (about 2 minutes) 

Remove veggies and place in a bowl

Add more oil to the pan. Add the ground turkey and cook through. Combine with veggies and add salt and pepper to taste. 

Spread the turkey and veggie mixture into the pan. 

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Pour evenly over the turkey and veggies (they don't need to totally cover the mixture but should be close) 

Place in oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes. 

Cut, serve and enjoy! 

If you want some more easy recipes that your family will love, click here to download my free guide to batch cooking >> 

You’ll get:

+ 7 day meal plan

+ Step by step instructions for how to cook an entire week’s worth of food in just two 2-hour sessions (life changing)

+ Grocery lists

+ Twelve of my favorite, easy recipes!

Enjoy making delicious and nutritious meals in way less time!