The One Diet You Might Want To Stick To

d12.28Who likes diets? Ummmm, nobody! Yet we all find ourselves at one time or another feeling like we need to start a new diet on Monday. Again.  In fact, I found myself saying that after eating ten million gazillion calories over the holiday weekend!

So since this is the season where we all start thinking about new years resolutions, which for most of us usually includes dieting of some sort,  today I thought I’d share a few of my favorite healthy low-cal recipes that you might want to enjoy. Not just because we want to cut calories, but because God calls us to care for our bodies, His temple.

The truth is, our spiritual health is just as important as our physical health, which is what I talked about in today’s Proverbs 31 devotion, but so often we forget all about taking care of ourselves spiritually.

What we put in, is always what we will get out, in any case. If we consume lots of junk food and never exercise, we end up feeling sluggish, tired and unhealthy. And if we fail to consume the Spirit of God and spend time with Him in prayer and worship, we end up feeling sluggish, tired and distanced from our Savior.  If we feed our bodies and our souls and make our spiritual health a priority as much as our physical health, its a win win situation.

In today’s devotion, I talked about a great DIET we can all benefit from, which will help us to stay spiritually fit. This DIET includes spiritual Discipline, Intentionally pursuing a close relationship with God, Earnestly seeking Him, and Trusting Him even when life knocks us off our feet.  That’s a DIET we will be want to stick to.

The key to really getting healthier in the new year is not just eating less calories and working out, but feeling better about ourselves overall and being happy with who God created us to be – inside, and out.

The spirit of God lives in each one of us. How might your 2016 be better than last year if you intentionally focus on sticking to a spiritually healthy diet?

——————–

If you have a delicious healthy meal that you love, share it in the comments section!  One awesome recipe will be selected to highlight on my blog later this week and the winner will win a copy of Lysa TerKeurst best selling book Made to Crave! 

Below are a few of my favorite healthy recipes you might want to try. 🙂

BREAKFAST

Chicken Scramble
3 egg whites (or 1 cup of liquid egg whites)
1/2 cup of cooked diced chicken breast
1 teaspoon Fat Free Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon Fresh Basil
Salt and Pepper

Spray pan with Pam cooking spray and warm chicken pieces. Pour in egg whites and scramble gently. When completely scrambled and mixed with chicken, sprinkle in basil and parmesan cheese and stir to mix. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy with your choice of fruit.

Spinach Scramble
3 egg whites (or 1 cup of liquid egg whites)
1-2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cups diced onions
1 teaspoon Low Fat Feta Cheese
1/2 teaspoon fresh Basil

Spray pan with Pam cooking spray. Cook spinach in pan until sautéed. Add tomatoes and onions and saute until medium soft. Pour in egg whites and scramble all ingredients until fluffy. Sprinkle in basil and Feta cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy with your choice of fruit.

Favorite Nutri-Bullet (or Blender) Fruit Smoothie
One banana
1 cup of spinach
3 strawberries
1/4 cup blueberries
1 cup water
Handful of Ice cubes
1 teaspoon Flax seed

Put all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth. (you can also put in 1 teaspoon of Truvia or Stevia to make it a little sweeter if desired. Or a scoop of protein powder before a workout.)

LUNCH

Spinach and Fruit Salad
3 cups of spinach (baby spinach leaves are my favorite)
1 cup of mandarin oranges in natural juices, drained
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds or sliced almonds
Low Fat Asian Dressing
(add diced chicken for extra protein)

Turkey and Avocado Sandwich
Wheat Sandwich Thin
3 slices of fat free Turkey
1/2 fresh avocado sliced
1/2 tsp Red Hot sauce (or substitute low fat mayo)
1/2 cup spinach or iceberg lettuce
Salt and pepper to taste

DINNER

Asian Salmon
4-6 ounce piece of salmon
1/2 cup of 100% pure maple syrup
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1 tsp chopped garlic cloves
6-8 stalks of Asparagus (or 1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash, cut into pieces)
2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar

Mix the syrup, soy sauce and garlic cloves in small bowl. Spray small glass dish with Pam, and place salmon. Pour mixture over the salmon. Cook at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until flaky, turning half way through cooking. In another pan, saute asparagus in Pam Olive oil with garlic salt and the balsamic vinegar. (or substitute zucchini and squash and cook until soft)

Easy Chicken Parmesan
4 boneless chicken breasts
One jar of Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Prego spagetti sauce
Part Skim Milk Mozzarella Cheese
Low Fat Parmesan Cheese

Brown chicken breasts on both sides in pan sprayed with Pam Olive Oil. Place chicken breasts in glass baking dish and pour half the jar of Spaghetti sauce over them. Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately thirty minutes, or until cooked thoroughly (time varies depending on thickness of chicken breasts). Sauce should be bubbling. Remove from oven and sprinkle mozzarella cheese lightly over sauce. Put back in oven for five minutes or until cheese is melted. Eat with small side salad with low fat dressing.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

10 Comments

  1. Holly on Monday, December 28, 2015 at 8:31 am

    I don’t have a lot of healthy recipes…I need to scour Pinterest for some. However, I have found that Rosemary in an omlet is delicious!! And I love my omlets topped with ketchup but have swapped ketchup for hot sauce. It’s amazing 😉 I’m gonna have to try the spinach and fruit salad recipe posted above, it looks tasty.



    • Tracie on Monday, December 28, 2015 at 8:45 am

      Never tried Rosemary in an omelet but thats sounds delish! Thx for sharing!



  2. Jennie on Monday, December 28, 2015 at 10:01 am

    This is a recipe I put together while camping 42 years ago and it is still a favorite. Granted it is best when made in a cast iron skillet over a camp fire, I make it these days in my kitchen.

    HONEYMOON STIR FRY
    1 potato, sliced thin
    1 red pepper strips
    1 green pepper strips
    1 large sweet onion, sliced thinly
    1 TBSP Olive oil

    Prep veggies. Heat oil in pan. Place potatoes in pan and let them brown. Add veggies and stir while they become tender. Serve warm.
    LEFTOVER IDEA: This great the next day over a slice of bread if stored in fridge.



  3. Melanie on Monday, December 28, 2015 at 10:26 am

    I was trying to get my family to try different vegetables and found this for spaghetti squash. It is really good. We ate as a meal with a side salad however it would be a great side dish with a grilled chicken breast and a side of broccoli.

    SKINNY SPAGHETTI SQUASH ALFREDO
    YIELD: Makes 2 large servings or 4 side dish servings
    INGREDIENTS:
    1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
    1 Tablespoon butter
    3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
    2 Tablespoons flour
    1 cup milk (I used fat-free)
    1 Tablespoon cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
    1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 Tablespoons extra for topping
    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    Crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley, for optional garnish
    DIRECTIONS:
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    First, prep the squash. Cut spaghetti squash in half using a large sharp knife, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet covered with water. Bake until tender, about an hour.
    As an alternate way of baking: Poke a few holes deep into the whole squash with a paring knife. Bake for 60 minutes, remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing in half with a large serrated knife. Scoop out the seedy inside leaving the spaghetti strands.
    Once squash is cooked, use a fork to gently scrape the “spaghetti” strands into the center.
    For the sauce, melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour, cooking for another minute while stirring. Whisk in milk until no lumps remain. Once hot, add cream cheese and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper.
    Spoon sauce equally into each spaghetti squash half. Gently pull up the spaghetti strands to coat as much as possible with the sauce. Top with extra Parmesan and place under the broiler of your oven for 2-3 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
    Top each half with a pinch of red pepper flakes and fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Serve hot.
    Enjoy!
    http://www.thecomfort ofcooking.com
    Adapted from Food Doodles



  4. Pam on Monday, December 28, 2015 at 11:43 am

    Here is a simple salad recipe we just tried over the holidays that was delicious!
    Orange Pomegranate Salad
    5 medium oranges or 10 clementines
    1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
    2 T honey
    2 T orange juice

    Peel and slice oranges crosswise into a shallow bowl. Add 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds. Mix together honey and orange juice and drizzle over the top. Mix lightly and enjoy. Very colorful and yummy to taste.



    • Amy Peters on Monday, December 28, 2015 at 11:49 am

      I have tons of clementines n pomegranates! Thank you!



  5. Amy Peters on Monday, December 28, 2015 at 11:48 am

    The absolute BEST Turkey stuffed peppers

    Ingredients
    4 bell peppers (color of your choice)
    ½ pound 93% lean ground turkey
    1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
    2 garlic cloves, grated
    1 green container (about 1 cup) onions, chopped
    2 yellow containers (about 1 cup) cooked brown rice
    2 blue containers shredded cheddar cheese (I like Kraft triple cheddar)
    1 tbsp each ground cumin, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, italian seasoning
    1 tbsp tabasco (more or less to taste)
    ½ tsp salt (optional)

    Directions

    Cook rice according to package instructions
    In a skillet with a little EVOO, saute onion and garlic until tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
    In same skillet, brown ground turkey
    Meanwhile, chop the tops off bell peppers. Heat a large pot of water to boiling.
    Boil peppers for 3 minutes and remove. Drain on paper towels
    Open can of tomatoes and separate the tomatoes from the juice/sauce its in- but save the juice and spread it in the bottom of a small pyrex baking dish.
    In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, sauteed onions/garlic, 1 blue container cheese, 2 yellow containers rice, diced tomatoes, tabasco, and seasoning. Mix well.
    Fill each pepper with mixture. Top with remaining 1 blue container cheese and sprinkle paprika on top
    Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes



  6. Jami on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at 12:58 pm

    I am a single mom of three boys so I try to cook meals that are healthy and food that the boys are willing to eat…
    Breakfast:
    Egg muffins… I cook these on Sunday and keep them refrigerated for the week.

    I have used just egg whites and I have also used the whole egg as well which I believe is healthy. Both work well. If you want make six muffins-use six eggs or full dozen 12 eggs will make a dozen muffins.
    Spray muffin tin pan with Cocount oil spray
    Pre-heat oven to 350F
    Crack eggs into bowl-whip up and season with your favorite seasoning. I use Trader Joe’s All Seasoning…
    For the filling,you literally can use anything…left over veggies (zucchini, squash, potatoes, mushrooms ) Just diced up
    I snip two green onions, diced tri-color peppers, few pieces of fresh spinach and Feta cheese.
    Divide the fillings evenly between each muffin cup, then carefully pour eggs over the tops until each muffin tin almost full. (Leave 1/4 from top)
    For the boys, I put in shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits.
    Bake 20-25 mins.. The muffins will look like mini soufflé – let them rest few minutes then use rubber spatula to carefully remove from tin. I store them in ziploc or covered container.
    Refrigerate up to one week or freeze for one month!

    Lunch:
    Turkey Taco Wraps
    1lb ground turkey meat (I cook on Sunday’s and use the meat for the week)
    You can make own Taco seasoning which is so much healthier
    Just
    1 tsp Chili powder
    1 tsp Cumin
    1 tsp paprika
    1 tsp garlic salt
    Cook the ground turkey until cooked through and add the seasonings.
    I bring two strips of long Romaine lettuce wrapped in damp paper towel in lunch bag. Warm up turkey meat and scoop mixture into lettuce wrap. Top off with salsa and small handful of cheese. You can add avocados, beans and other toppings
    Dinner:
    I LOVE LOVE pizza but these zucchini pizza boats seriously are just as DELISH!!
    For just myself, I use one zucchini
    Sliced into lengthwise halves…spoon out middle contents
    I use the ground turkey that I cooked ahead of time
    I sauté it in Marianara sauce- let it simmer few minutes
    Scoop the mixture in the zucchini boats
    Top with garlic salt , mozzarella cheese and basil if you like that Italian kick
    Cook for 14-16 minutes.
    This recipe so easy to change up- add your favorite toppings.
    For the boys, I use French bread rolls – sliced into halves, spread the Marinara sauce, Mozarella cheese and cooked ground turkey meat and small pepperoni slices.
    I don’t feel deprived of yummy meals as I cook for my boys and myself.



  7. Melissa on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 9:09 am

    Great recipes! Everything looks delicious! Praying for a healthy and happy 2016 for everyone. 🙂 Blessings to you and your family Traci Miles.



  8. Kenichi on Sunday, February 14, 2016 at 2:06 am

    Can I just say what a relief to lokoup for an person who really knows what theyre talking about onthe web. You unquestionably recognize how youcan bring an problem to light and make it important.A lot more individuals need to read this and realize this side of the story.I cant believe youre not additional universal simply because you definitely have the gift.



Headshot Flipped 2

Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries.  She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.

Living-Unbroken-3DwithShadow

Available Now!

Subscribe to Tracie’s Blog

Receive the Living Unbroken Battle Plan Workbook for free if you subscribe to Tracie’s blog today!
Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

Tracie's Books