St. Pete Personal Trainer Reveals 5 Health Labor Day Recipes That Don’t Suck!

Happy long Holiday Week End from the go to Personal Training in St. Petersburg for for men and women over 50 !

Long Holiday Week ends  usually send our in-home and outdoor park personal training   clients and group fitness training members running to us for tips on maintaining weight loss while surrounded by food, friends and …  more food and alcohol. If you want to grab my best tips to add to these Labor Day Weight Loss Recipes  and guarantee you stay on track towards your weight loss or fitness goals, check out my post 5 Tips To Avoid Holiday Week End Weight Gain. 

Now, onto the reason you are here…. tasty, healthy Labor Day weight loss recipes !

SPARKLING WATERMELON COOLER – Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

32 oz cold watermelon, cut into 1″ pieces

Juice of half of 2 Lemons

Stevia to taste

Ice Cubes

Seltzer water (cold)

DIRECTIONS:

Add the watermelon, lemon juice, and sweetener to a blender and blend until smooth.

Divide the watermelon mixture evenly into two 16oz glasses and fill the rest of the glass with a couple of ice cubes (optional) and seltzer water.

You could also add 1 oz. of vodka for a (relatively) clean adult beverage

EXCHANGE SERVINGS: 1 Fruit (add 1 Br per 1 oz Vodka)

BLACKBERRY CHICKEN

This Is One Of My FAVORITE Healthy, Chicken Recipes When I Am In The Mood To Actually Cook Instead Of Using One Of My Pre Made Chicken Recipes. The Blueberries Add An Extra Kick In Addition To Anti Oxidents And Fiber ! NOM, NOM.

INGREDIENTS : 

For the Chicken:

1.5 pounds skinless, boneless chicken tenders

1 cup blackberries

1/4 cup plum vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/8 cup yellow onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 packet Stevia

For the Blackberry Sauce:

1 TBL coconut oil

1 cup blackberries

1 packet Stevia

1 Tbl plum vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse the chicken tenders and pat dry.
2. Place in a large ziplock bag.
3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.
4. *optional* Strain the seeds from marinade (If you don’t mind the crunch, then leave the seeds in!)
5. Pour the marinade into the bag of chicken, seal and place in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Place the marinated chicken in a baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, drain off excess marinade, then place under high broil for 4 minutes, watching closely.
9. Remove when golden.
10. In a skillet over medium low heat, combine all of the ingredients and bring to a simmer.
11. Simmer, stirring often, until the blackberries become bright and the sauce reaches desired consistency.(If you wish to thicken the sauce more, add 1/2 teaspoon of arrowroot powder.)

Serve over the cooked chicken

Exchange Servings: One serving equals: 36 g Protein, 1/2 Br, 1 Fa

BEEF KABOBS WITH A KICK – Serves 4

It’s no secret that I am not a huge fan of vegetables or calorie and chemical laden commercial marinades .. or, for that matter, cooking which makes this is one of my all time favorite recipes. The marinade has an extra “zing” without all of the added chemicals or hidden sugars And It Makes It An Easy Way To Get Down 2 Full Servings Of Veggies Along With The Requisite Protein.. .And NO Dishes To Clean.

INGREDIENTS: 

1 lb. sirloin, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 1 inch rounds
1 yellow summer squash, cut into 1 inch rounds (half the large pieces)
1 red onion, cut into chunks
1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
12 Cherry Tomatoes

Marinade:

1 small onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
1/8 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Marinade:

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade for the vegetables.

Place beef in a bowl and cover with the marinade. Toss to make sure it is well coated. Refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight. Remove the beef from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, to allow it to come to room temperature.

30 minutes before grilling, toss the vegetables with the 1/4 cup reserved marinade.

Remove the beef from the marinade and thread onto skewers with the vegetables.

Heat your grill to medium. Turn skewers every 3 to 4 minutes, to allow all sides to cook evenly. Cook for 10-12 minutes.

**NOTE: Timing can really vary from grill to grill, so either check meat for your personal preference.

EXCHANGES PER SERVING: 1 Serving Equals: 24g Pro, 3Fa , 2 Veg

BACON LIME SWEET POTATOES – Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 pound  turkey bacon
2 large sweet potatoes , cut into ½-inch (12-mm) cubes
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons coconut oil
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 green onions, chopped
handful of fresh dill, roughly chopped
dash of red pepper flakes
dash of ground cinnamon
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375°F

Cook Bacon until it is slightly crispy.

Drain, cool then roughly chop.

*** BONUS POINTS if you cook it on your George Forman Grill

In a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss the sweet potatoes and garlic in coconut oil and roast for about 30 minutes or until slightly browned.

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Toss in green onions, dill, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and salt and pepper and mix well.

Once sweet potatoes are finished cooking, toss them together with the dressing and bacon.

EXCHANGES PER SERVING: 1 Serving Equals: 8.5g Pro, 1 Br, 2 Fa

Want more recipes like this and a plan  To  Take The Stress And Guess Work Out Of  Achieving A Body That Looks And Feels It’s Best Without Crash Diets, Pills That Make You Jittery, Torturous Fitness Programs Or Nasty And Expensive Shakes ?

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