Meat Free Monday: Juicing

As some of you may know, the hubs and I were on a three day juice cleanse last week. We were not able to do the whole cleanse as planned, terrible, I know. But still got some great results and information from it. Since all the ingredients were bought prior to starting, we still have quite a few in the fridge and have been trying every juice since the cleanse ended.

The pic above is not even all the veggies used for two people in three days. In fact, this is about enough for one person! Needless to say, you drink a LOT of veggies. 

The first day of the cleanse was pretty rough for both of us. This is the day we followed the guidelines the closest. I do not think this is why day one was so rough, it is more likely due to the influx of vitamins our bodies were receiving. Bodies handle the cleanse differently depending on diet and health when started. I have not been taking my vitamins as regularly as I should, for shame, so the vitamin change was a bit tasking. Plus, it is a massive amount of food to consume, something my stomach was not ready for. Since the second day we have both been feeling great, lost weight, and have higher energy levels. Yippee!

There are so many recipes in this three day cleanse- five per day. It has been hard to narrow down the ones I loved most... Some were easy since I will never drink them again in my life, ever, but some were a bit more difficult. Although the fruit juices are all delicious, I have a very hard time adding them to my top three since I hate drinking that much sugar. The three favorites are comprised of one standard, one spicy, and one fun. They are all listed below along with the recipes. To see the rest of the juice cleanse recipes and juice cleanse options, visit the Reboot site.

Recipes

All recipes are easy and call for combining all fruits and veggies in juicer, juicing, and drinking with ice.

Sunset Blend Juice

Surprisingly sweet with a bit of salt from the bell pepper, beets and potato!

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 large beets
• 2 golden delicious apples
• 1 orange- optional. We did not add

V28

A bit spicy and a lot yummy. This juice is more like a soup.

• 3 large beets
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 4 cups parsley- roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno- ribs and seeds removed
• 12 red radishes

Mean Green

If you know juicing, chances are you know this juice. It is fresh, citus-y, and delicious.

• 1 cucumber
• 4 stalks celery
• 2 apples
• 8 kale leaves
• 1/2 lemon
• 1" ginger root

Meat Free Monday: Chipotle, Healthy

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Chipotle is an eating phenomenon. I remember going there in college and leaving since there was a line out the door and into the parking lot. It is no wonder they are so popular since they are organic, hormone free, and (sometimes) locally purchased. Here are four meat free options from Chipotle that are tasty and under 500 calories!

The secret for keeping the caloric intake down seems to be with the sauces you choose. If you love the chili salsas, go with the green chili. This one will add 15 calories compared to the added 40 from the red-chili. Guacamole is a much healthier option than sour cream, but if you do not wish to shell out the extra money for a tablespoon of it, you can always opt for something like the fresh tomato salsa to add some extra flavor. Get this and the green chili for some flavor explosions!

The rice will also hit you where it hurts health-wise... Even the brown. If you are going for something that already has a starch component like a burrito or tacos, opt out of the rice and get some veggies and salsa instead. This will cut your caloric intake by about a quarter. When it comes to the Fresh Tomato Salsa vs the Roasted Corn, I like the Roasted Corn more, but it will add 1.5 grams fat, almost 20 carbs more, and 80 calories. The Fresh Tomato only add 20 calories and a few carbs. If you are getting tacos, the soft corn tortillas have about 100 calories less than the flour or crispy. The fat content is less for these as well.

I will always opt for black beans over pinto since they are the same in calories, but black beans have a far greater amount of protein. More for your money.

All of this information can be found by visiting Chipotle's nutrition page.

Burrito Bowl

340 Calories, 5.5 grams fat, 66 grams carbs, 13 grams protein

• Ingredients: Brown Rice, Black Beans, Fajita Veggies, Lettuce, Fresh Tomato Salsa, Green Chili Salsa
  

Salad

285 Calories, 10 grams fat, 36 grams carbs, 19 grams protein

• Ingredients: Lettuce, Black Beans, Fajita Veggies, Fresh Tomato Salsa, Cheese, Green Chili Salsa
  

Burrito

450 Calories, 10.5 grams fat, 75 grams carbs, 16 grams protein

• Ingredients: Lettuce, Black Beans, Fajita Veggies, Fresh Tomato Salsa

Tacos

Based on three tacos: 340 Calories, 10.5 grams fat, 51 grams carbs, 15.5 grams protein

• Ingredients: Soft Corn Tortillas, Fajita Veggies, Lettuce, Fresh Tomato Salsa, Green Chili Salsa, Cheese
  

Meat Free Monday: Sweet Chili Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are in season and have been on our table for almost every dinner. I have been testing a few different recipes for these little green balls of goodness, and my favorite is this sweet and spicy concoction. The original recipe is from Food Network Magazine.

Prep Time: 15 minutes   

Cook Time: 10 minutes   

Servings: 2-3

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
  
• 1 tablespoon honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Set oven to 450 degrees.Chop ends of sprouts and remove all outer leaves. Place in bowl and mix olive oil, honey, chili flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place on pan with cut side down and bake for 10 minutes. When finished baking, either leave crisp outer shell on or remove if desired. If you would prefer them be either sweeter or spicier, place in a bowl and mix in more honey or chili once cooked. Divide, serve, and enjoy.

Nutrition

Brussels sprouts are a great source of vitamin A, C, and K and have two grams protein for every serving. They have about 6 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams being dietary fiber. Brussels sprouts have relatively no fat.

Meat Free Monday

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is a great vegetarian option and crock pot minestrone makes soup preparation easy! This recipe is great for a busy Monday when all you want to do after a long day is come home and eat. Enjoy!

Recipe

Serving Size: 6

• 1/2 white onion chopped
  
• 1 cup baby carrots chopped
• 1 celery stalk chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tomatoes seeded and diced
• 1 (15oz) can navy beans
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 medium zucchini chopped
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 cups small shell pasta cooked
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese grated over top (optional)

Minestrone Soup

Combine onion, carrots,celery, garlic, tomato, beans, vegetable broth, Parmesan cheese, zucchini, baby spinach and parsley in crock pot. Add bay leaves and rosemary to top. Cook on low heat for 6six to seven hours. Add the cooked pasta and cook for ten minutes. Remove the rosemary sprig and bay leaves and add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls and grate Parmesan cheese on the top if desired.

This recipe has been revised from skinnytaste.com