Post Thanksgiving Round Up!

You've made it through Thanksgiving. Hurray! Now, get your workout clothes back on and head back to the gym. 

If you've got any leftovers, we want to help you out. From last year, we have a recipe for 10 Minute Turkey Salad. It's protein packed and guilt free (and is completely delicious.) 

Snag the recipe here: Turkey Salad// Norton Fitness

Have an extra cup of pureed pumpkin? Or an extra can? We got you there too. Click on over to KitchenStewardship to take a peek at the ideas of where to sneak in some healthy pumpkin goodness to some of your favorite recipes. 

It's never too late to take control of your holiday workout. Call 832-779-1902 or visit us at NortonFitness.com for Training Specials and class info. Let's make this the healthiest holiday yet!

Spicy + Sweet Lime Chicken

A little spicy, a little sweet. This week's chicken recipe is a bit of both. Prep and bake this recipe in no time flat, and it's perfect for nights when you don't have time or the inclination to cook up something fancy or difficult. 

Chicken is a great protein source, but traditional preparations can get dull and boring. Barbecue sauce is delicious, and lemon pepper is great, but sometimes we crave something a little bit different. The cayenne pepper in this recipe, specifically the herb capsicum that makes up cayenne, is an incredible health supplement. Capsicum is great for intestinal upsets, anti cold and flu agent, anti-allergen, digestive aid, detox support, and supports weight loss and heart health. That's a pretty powerful plant! 

In addition to the protein from the chicken and all of the healthy properties of the capsicum within the cayenne pepper, the lime juice in the recipe is full of vitamin C and healthy antioxidants. 

Spicy + Sweet Lime Chicken

Gather:

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Powder

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Dried Parsley 

1 teaspoon Brown Sugar

1 lime

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with foil and lay your chicken breasts out flat. 
2. Mix together the cayenne powder, garlic powder, dried parsley and brown sugar in a bowl, then sprinkle seasoning on top side of the chicken. 
3. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes
4. Remove from oven flip to dust the other side in seasoning 
5. Return back to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes, then squeeze on the juice from a lime and serve over rice. 

Meet right back here on the blog next week for another healthy recipe to keep your fitness goals in check!

Vanilla Chai Chia Pudding

You guys, let's talk pudding. Chia pudding to be exact. Chia pudding has been buzzing around the internet lately and there's no wonder why. Chia contains massive amounts of nutrition with very little calories. With 11 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, 30% of your daily value of Manganese and Magnesium, all in only 1 tiny ounce of seeds. Chia seeds are also full of antioxidants, and scientists believe that consumption of chia seeds helps you lose weight. They are also high in Omega-3 Fatty acids, and lower the risk of heart disease. 

In addition, Chia seed pudding can soothe a sweet tooth, and is so simple to prepare. When added to liquid, the seeds take on a gel-like quality, perfect for pudding! Adding different flavors to suit your taste is as easy as adding a little chocolate or a little greek yogurt. Play with the flavors and find those that satisfy you the best.

Today's recipe features a few autumn flavors (hoping for cooler weather!) and is great as a breakfast, dessert or healthy snack. 

Vanilla Chai Chia Seed Pudding

Gather:

1.5 cups of almond or coconut milk

1/4 cup chia seeds

2.5 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

.5 tsp ginger

.5 tsp cardamom

.5 tsp clove

1/8th tsp black pepper

Method:

Add all ingredients to small container or small mason jar , and whisk together until fully combined.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight

When ready to eat, divide into two bowls and eat. 

Adjust the seasonings according to taste and enjoy! Check back next week for another healthy recipe!

Mojito Fruit Salad

Fruit salads are a fixture on any respectable brunch spread. An easy way to scoop up your daily servings of fruits, in the first meal of the day. Fruits are better when eaten raw + whole, instead of juiced. When eaten as raw fruit, you are not only ingesting the sweet + tart flavors of the fruit, along with the vitamins therein, you are also benefitting from the fiber.

Today's recipe is just a simple spin on your regular, run-of-the-mill fruit salad, just jazzed up with the flavors of a mojito- (but no alcohol in this one, so perfect for all ages). This summer has been brutal so far, and a cold salad packed with anti-oxidants, vitamin C and fiber is the perfect way to keep cool and healthy with minimal effort and a lot of flavor.

The lime juice in the recipe should keep your apples from browning, so this recipe can be made-ahead of time, or in large portions and enjoyed throughout the week. Feel free to experiment with fruit to suit your tastes, as well.

Mojito Fruit Salad
Gather:
2 Granny Smith Apples
5 Kiwis, skins removed
1/2 honeydew melon (cantaloupe can be used also--it's just not in the same color scheme!)
1/2 lb green grapes, halved
2 limes, juiced.
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp, honey

Method:
1. Cut apples, melon, and kiwi into bite-sized pieces.
2. Combine cut fruit with halved grapes
3. Pour lime juice, honey and mint over fruit, stir gently until mixture covers fruit
4. Allow to chill for one hour before serving.

That's it! Cooling, delicious, and healthy. See you back here next week for another healthy summer recipe!

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Ok, I know we've been saying it for weeks, but this weather is ridiculous. It is so darn hot here in Houston, that it is hard to move much less drag ourselves in for a workout. And after that workout...cook? I don't think so. The idea of being near a hot grill or heaven forbid, TURN ON THE OVEN makes me feel like jumping into a cold shower. But, we all have to eat...so what to do?

How about another cold soup recipe. Gazpachos and other cold soups,as we've written about before, {Watermelon Gazpacho} are the perfect way to get in your vegetable servings without turning on a burner or igniting the grill. Cold soups are pretty much universally simple to make, and use fresh, raw ingredients. Best of all, they are COLD, which your overheated body will be welcome news to your overheated body. 

This week's recipe uses cucumbers, which contain water and fiber-both essential for healthy digestion. The water content is also a sneaky way to stay hydrated in this heat. Cucumbers are also full of B-vitamins, which are known to help manage feelings of stress and anxiety.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Gather:

4 small/medium Persian cucumbers—3 coarsely chopped, 1 peeled and diced
1/2 cup ice cubes
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons shredded mint leaves
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (full fat or reduced)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Method:

 -In a blender, mix chopped cucumbers, ice, water, grapeseed oil, lemon juice and half each of the jalapeño and min. Puree. Season with salt and refrigerate until cold.
-Pour the cucumber soup into bowls and garnish with the diced cucumber, yogurt and the remaining jalapeño and mint. Drizzle the soup with olive oil and serve.

That's it!  Enjoy the cooler taste of healthy summer soup. Head back to the blog next week for another healthy summer recipe to keep you healthy even when it's hot!

Summer Salad

Nothing screams summer like fresh vegetables and bright colors. This salad is chock full of both. 

With the weather staying hot, hot, hot, finding foods to keep you cool and satisfied is as easy as visiting the local farmer's market or checking out the newest veggies in the produce aisle. This salad is simple, absolutely mouth-watering, and contains so many different flavors that you won't get bored. And what's more, the seasonal vegetables used in this salad are stacked with vitamins and minerals. 

Zucchini: Low calorie, tons of vitamin A, folate and anti-oxidants

Red Bell Pepper: Off the charts vitamin C, vitamin B,  with anti-cancer benefits

Grilled Corn: Vitamin B3, fiber, Manganese

Feta Cheese: Calcium, B12 + Iron. 

This salad is quick to throw together, but looks like art. It is great on its own, especially satisfying due to the cheese, corn and olives, but adding a little grilled chicken will create a hearty, healthy meal that can be packed ahead for lunch, or prepared for dinner on a way-too-hot summer night.

Summer Salad

Gather:

2 cups spring mix lettuce

1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 ear of corn, cooked, (grilled if preferred)

2 small zucchini, peeled into ribbons

5-6 black olives

1 tomato, diced

1/4 cup low-fat crumbled feta cheese

For Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp of dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Combine ingredients for vinaigrette, and set aside.

In a bowl, mix together all vegetables, and top with feta cheese.

When ready to eat, gently toss vinaigrette with vegetables.

Enjoy! A cool and delicious dinner option, perfect for summer. Catch us back here next week for another healthy recipe.

Creamy Avocado Dip

Something cool, creamy, protein-packed and perfect for dipping veggies or spreading on fajitas? We got you.

This week's recipe for Creamy Avocado Dip combines Greek Yogurt, Avocado, Garlic and Cilantro. Just the right amount of flavor to make raw vegetables pop or to add a hint of flavor to complement the smokiness of grilled chicken or fish. The Greek Yogurt has a high protein and calcium content, and the avocado brings the good fats and fiber. Garlic is an incredible cancer fighting properties, but also is used to fight all kinds of illness including the common cold. There is also research to suggest that Garlic consumption may aid in athletic performance by reduce fatigue and enhancing labor capacity. (You guys...it was used in ancient Greece as a performance enhancer in the original Olympics!)

Whether your a Spartan warrior or a modern Gym Rat, this week's recipe is unbelievably simple, extremely tasty and packs a nutritional wallop to keep your diet in check and your cravings on lock. 

Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip/Topping

Gather:

 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt + pepper, to taste

Cut up veggies-for serving (or grilled chicken or fish!)

Method:

1. Place the yogurt, avocados, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and cumin in a blender or food processor. Mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

2. Scrape dip into a serving bowl and serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, or cut up veggies.

Enjoy and Stay Cool in this hot, hot heat!

Check back here next week for another healthy recipe.