Vegetarian

Vegetarian

Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tropical Quinoa Smoothie

Happy Friday!

Last night I made another batch of Mediterranean Lentils and refrigerated them overnight for a quick pre-made lunch for my busy day today, and it was sooo good cold! It tasted like a completely different dish. I’m never a huge fan of refrigerated leftovers or meals, they just never taste the same to me… but this one was perfect.

This morning a threw a smoothie together with what I had on hand in the refrigerator and freezer and it turned out pretty good! I had some leftover cooked quinoa that needed to be eaten, along with some miscellaneous frozen fruit, so into the blender it went. I have been loving putting cooked quinoa in my smoothies (a nice break from rolled oats) because it gives a slightly nutty flavor and is also a complete protein. With the addition of some milk and coconut, a filling tropical morning smoothie was born!


Tropical Quinoa Smoothie
Serves 1

1 cup milk of your choice
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup mango
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
2 Tbsp shredded coconut
1/2 tsp vanilla

Precook and chill quinoa. Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend thoroughly. Enjoy chilled.
Note: If your blender is not very powerful, blend the milk and quinoa first until it is completely smooth and then add the other ingredients.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: pineapple and mango
Whole Grain: quinoa
Protein: milk
Plant Based Fat: coconut

| 15 Comments
Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Mediterranean Lentils

Today started off with a magical phone call from the Apple store telling me that my computer was ready to be picked up! After arriving at the apple store, they told me that my baby got some brand new shiny parts: logic board, track pad, wifi antennas, right fan, rubber foot, and 2 new screws. I was so pumped and ready to take my little lappy home until the dreaded word dun dun dun…”unfortunately” came out of the employee’s mouth. He said, “Unfortunately we were not able to replace your battery because that is not considered a repair, but a new purchase and installation, so we’re going to have to do that in the store.” He told me that they are usually able to replace batteries in MacBook Pros during Genius Bar appointments but due to an overbooking of appointments that were then running 45 minutes behind, they could not replace my battery at that time and had to keep it overnight. Boooooo! So off went my computer in a bright white apple box… Hopefully we will be re-reunited tomorrow morning!

Yesterday, an amazing RFFMBT reader, Tamiko completed the Skinny Bunny Cleanse with a total loss of 7 lbs! Tamiko also shared her awesome one day meal plan for her first day post cleanse so I thought you guys might like to see what she’s whipping up in her kitchen! Thank you so much for sharing your success and meals with me and the RFFMBT community Tamiko, you are so inspiring! Don’t forget to join the RFFMBT Facebook community for more updates and discussions like this!

If you are interested in doing the Skinny Bunny Cleanse and have any questions, make sure to read through the comments on the post to see if your question has already been answered. There are tons of comments from readers regarding questions and their success stories after the 5 day cleanse!

TAMIKO’S ONE DAY RABBIT FOOD MEAL PLAN

BREAKFAST:
Produce: 1 Apple
Whole Grain: 1 Slice of Toasted Whole Grain Bread
Protein: 1 Cup of Soy Milk
Plant Based Fat: 1 Tbsp. Almond Butter

LUNCH:
Produce: 1 Cup Peas and 1 Cup Carrots
Whole Grain: ½ Cup Cooked Whole Grain Couscous
Protein: 3oz Chicken Breast
Plan Based Fat: 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

DINNER
Produce: 1 Cup Broccoli and 1 Cup Asparagus
Whole Grain: ½ Cup Cooked Brown Rice
Protein: 3oz Salmon
Plant Based Fat: 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

SNACK
Produce: 1 banana
Whole Grain: ¼ cups rolled oats + ½ cup water
Protein: 1 Cup Soy Milk
Plant Based Fat: 1 Tbsp. Almond Butter

I have found that the serving sizes and combinations listed on my blog in the Rabbit Food Pyramid work perfectly for me. Everyone is different and not every day or workout is the same, so it could take some tweaking to find the perfect amount of food is for your body. Since I am maintaining, I do add in some extra fruit throughout the day if I am hungry and usually incorporate a post workout protein shake if I exercise that day. The pyramid is meant to be a guide to build healthy balanced meals to lose weight, and can be adapted for your individual needs, so if this is not enough food for your body/exercise level, or you are now maintaining, you can add another small meal or up your protein to fit your needs!

Earlier this week I posted a photograph on Instagram of a nutrition label for a round of “NAME THAT FOOD!” After tons of great guesses, a RFFMBT reader was able to identify that the label belonged to a bag of dry lentils! You guys had tons of great questions about lentils and I got a few requests for a lentil recipe, so here it is: vegan Mediterranean Lentils!

Let’s get to know these little legumes know as Lentils!

  • High in fiber with an average of 10-15g per serving.
  • Helps to regulate blood sugar by providing steady, slow-burning energy and balancing blood sugar levels from the high amount of fiber.
  • Loaded with iron, making them an excellent choice for vegetarians, vegans, and people who don’t eat red meat.
  • The protein in lentils makes up 26% of its overall calories, which makes them an outstanding source of protein for vegans.



Mediterranean Lentils
Serves 1

1/2 cup cooked lentils (you may use dry or canned)
1/2 cup cooke whole-wheat couscous
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup tomato
1/2 cup onion
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
10 pitted kalamata olives
1 Tsp  balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp minced garlic
lemon juice to taste

Cook the lentils to package instructions (usually 1:4 lentil water ratio). Cook couscous to package instructions (in only water – no butter if suggested). Chop the onion and tomato. Mix the vegetable broth and garlic and pour into a pan over medium high heat. Cook the onion and spinach in the vegetable broth. Once the spinach has wilted, add the tomatoes to the pan (to avoid overcooking). Rinse the lentils once they have finished cooking, and combine one half cup lentils with the cooked vegetables. Add balsamic vinegar and chopped pitted olives to the lentil mixture and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to taste. Place the couscous on a plate and top with the lentil mixture.
Note: If you use canned lentils, rinse and strain lentils, and cook in the pan with the vegetables to heat them.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: spinach, tomato, onion
Whole Grain: whole wheat couscous
Protein: lentils
Plant Based Fat: olives

| 23 Comments
Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Pasta Primavera

Pasta pasta pasta where do I even begin?
Pasta can get a pretty bad rap due to it’s often fattening cream sauces, high carbohydrate count, and low nutritional value, but I’m here to tell you that not all pasta is bad! You can still eat pasta and lose weight, or maintain your toned figure. The keys to eating pasta are knowing what kind, and how much.

“Pasta doesn’t make you fat. How much pasta you eat makes you fat.”
– Giada De Laurentiis (Health Magazine, May 2012)

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Weather you are trying to maintain or lose weight, you could virtually eat anything that you want, as long as you know the correct amount and portions!

Today’s recipe is a healthy Pasta Primavera made with whole wheat pasta. Whole wheat pasta is made from flour that uses the entire grain and contains slightly more protein, and two to three times more fiber than refined pastas allowing you to stay fuller longer while stabilizing blood sugar levels.


Pasta Primavera
Serves 1

1/2 cup cooked whole wheat pasta
1 cup bell pepper (I used 1/2 cup red and 1/2 cup green)
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup yellow onion
1/4 cup nonfat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth (I use Pacific)
2 Tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp  salt-free Italian seasoning (I use Frontier)
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Cook the pasta to package instructions. Chop the bell pepper, onion, and mushroom and cook in vegetable broth in a pan over high heat.  While the pasta and vegetables are cooking, combine the ricotta, Italian seasoning, garlic, and pine nuts in a separate bowl and mix evenly. Once the pasta has finished cooking, strain and combine with the ricotta mixture. After vegetables have finished cooking, gently fold into the pasta and ricotta. Serve hot.
Note: If you are allergic to nuts, you can omit the nuts and cook your veggies in 1 Tbsp of olive oil (instead of vegetable broth) for your plant based fat serving.


The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: bell pepper, mushroom, onion
Whole Grain: whole wheat pasta
Protein: nonfat ricotta cheese
Plant Based Fat: pine nuts

| 17 Comments
Breakfast, Lunch, Recipes, Toast Tuesdays, Vegetarian

Sunny Side Up Avocado Toast

Happy Toast Tuesday!

So I’ve seeing this “sunny side up egg in a bell pepper mold” idea floating around Pinterest for quite some time now, and finally decided to give it a try. THIS IS AWESOME! Whenever I try to make sunny side up eggs, the whites end up spreading all over the pan and burning before the yolk can even begin to heat up! My sunny side up egg problems have now been solved with the addition of a veggie. So simple and amazing!


Sunny Side Up Avocado Toast
Serves 1

1 slice whole-grain bread
1/4 avocado
1 egg
1 slice 1/2in thick bell pepper ring
pepper to taste (optional)

Slice the bell pepper into 1/2 inch rings. Lightly coat a pan in nonstick cooking spray and place over low heat. Place bell pepper ring into he pan. Crack egg in the middle of the bell pepper ring. Cover and cook over low heat until done. If you would like to keep the yolk runny, cook over low heat until only the whites are done. While the egg is cooking, toast the bread, spread with fresh avocado. Once egg is finished cooking, transfer from the pan with a spatula and place it on top of the toast. Add pepper to taste desired.


The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: bell pepper (but not enough to be one serving)
Whole Grain: toast
Protein: egg
Plant Based Fat: avocado

| 23 Comments
Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes, Tips, Vegetarian

Cherry Almond Green Tea Smoothie Bowl

Hello lovelies!

If you follow RFFMBT on Twitter or Facebook you know that I always post a “Motivation Monday” quote to get the week started off right! I realized that I have never posted my Motivation Monday quotes on my blog, so today… that will change! I love starting my week feeling strong, positive, and optimistic and sometimes all you need are some motivating words to make it happen.

Motivation Monday: “Transformation is not a future event, it’s a present activity” -Jillian Michaels

Today started off with a scrumptious smoothie bowl and a dysfunctional computer! I took my computer into the Apple Store for a Genius Bar appointment in hopes of solving my wifi issue. My computer has not been able to detect, pickup, or stay connected to wifi for the past couple of weeks and it’s been super annoying. I’ve actually had to plug my computer straight into the ethernet cord! How old school… haha So anyways, my computer ended up having all sorts of problems, so I said bye bye to my computer while it goes to the Apple spa for 3-5 days! AHHHH! Bear with me as I attempt to post from my iPad, and public library computers while my lappy is away on vacation! I will try to continue posting everyday, but if I am slow or go MIA, this is why (hence the late post)! Cross your fingers my computer is only gone 3 days versus 5!

Enough depressing talk about my beloved laptop and back to that scrumptious smoothie bowl! Today’s smoothie was so thick that it turned into an awesome smoothie bowl. I’m one of those people that could not live on juice because I would miss chewing too much. I love a good smoothie, but I can drink those babies in under 30 seconds and then start scavenging the pantry for something to “eat.” If you just read that last sentence and said “me too,” I have a solution for you! Smoothies are an excellent way to combine fresh nutritious foods with little prep time and zero cooking, but they can often disappear just as fast leaving you wanting more. Most smoothies are a meal within themselves, so they should leave you feeling full and satisfied. I have found a simple way to slow down my smoothie drinking pace by eating them out of a bowl with a spoon. I find that I eat slower, I can really enjoy and experience the flavor and texture of the food while allowing my body to feel full. To make sure that I slow down and enjoy my smoothie bowls, sometimes I add some RFFMBT approved healthy topping!


Allgood Provisions sent me some yummy samples of their Sundried Organic Utah Cherries which I generously topped my smoothie bowl with. I’ve been going cherry crazy lately, so this awesome little resealable pack of dried cherries is just the cherry on top. Ha. Thanks Allgood, I am loving my healthy grab and go snackity snacks! I’m not sure if I am the only one that obsesses over certain foods for certain periods of time, but it has been happening a lot lately (remember the carrot cake?)! I bought a huge bag of cherries, so I’ve been on a cherry kick making as many healthy goodies as possible. Don’t worry, if you’re sick of cherries, I’m almost out! I felt like pairing an unusual ingredient/flavor to todays smoothie for some morning energy: Green Tea!

If you’re not a fan of drinking green tea plain, you can sneak it into your smoothie to make a healthy energizing breakfast with countless health benefits:

Weight Loss: The polyphenol found in green tea increase metabolism by intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories.
Energizing: Has a stimulating effect from it’s caffeine content.
Anti aging: Can reduce wrinkles and signs of aging due to it’s rich antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
Boosts immunity: The antioxidant polyphenol compounds called Catechins have been shown to boost your immune system. 
Anti Carcinogenic: Catechins present in green tea neutralize free radicals to reduce the chances of cancer.
Reduces Cholesterol: Reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad.


Cherry Almond Green Tea Smoothie Bowl
Serves 1

6oz plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 cup frozen pitted cherries
2-3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp almond butter
1 tsp green tea leafs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

If you do not have loose leaf tea, open up a tea bag and measure out 1 teaspoon of green tea leafs. Combine the Greek yogurt, cherries, almond butter,  vanilla, and green tea in the blender. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time to get the blender moving. Blend until smooth. Transfer smoothie to a bowl, top with 1 tablespoon of almonds or dried cherries and enjoy with a spoon.


The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: cherries
Whole Grain: none, add 1/4 cup whole rolled oats if desired
Protein: plain nonfat Greek Yogurt
Plant Based Fat: almond butter

Warning: this is probably not the best idea for after dinner/dessert because of the caffeine from green tea… unless it’s finals week or you are working really really late that night!

| 19 Comments

1 … 26 27 28 29 30 … 43