healthy | Tone and Tighten

Smoked Mexican Beef Recipe

May 16, 2018

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There are two things for certain about me – I love Mexican food and I love cooking outdoors.

It’s hard to beat the flavor of anything grilled, griddled, or smoked; wrap it in a tortilla or serve it with nachos and I’m done for!

Today’s recipe is no exception. We came across a smoked Mexican beef recipe we thought sounded really good, tweaked it a little with a few more veggies and a lot less sodium, and ~viola~ it is AMAZING!

So today, I wanted to share it with you! This “Smoked Mexican Beef” goes amazing in ANYTHING – soft tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and nachos just to name a few.

If you’re looking for a simple recipe that the whole family will love you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a look at it!…

Healthy Banana Ice Cream {Nice Cream}

May 8, 2018

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If you haven’t jumped on the banana “nice cream” bandwagon yet, you need to give this a try ASAP!

This little dessert is a guilt-free treat that even those with allergies or on specific diets (i.e. vegan, paleo, Whole30, sugar-free, etc.) can still enjoy.

So what is this banana ice cream all about? Basically you just peel some bananas, toss them in your freezer until they are completely frozen, then blend them in a high-powered blender. The frozen bananas will become creamy and a little gooey, kind of like ice cream!

If you like it to be more of a soft-serve consistency, eat it immediately after blending. If you prefer more of a hard ice cream consistency, put the blended bananas in a container and let it freeze again, then scoop it out and enjoy!

Let’s talk mix-ins! While the bananas alone are a delicious flavor, it’s the mix-ins that make it even better! Here are some of the mix-ins that we love:
-tablespoon of peanut butter
-spoonful of cocoa powder with a drizzle of honey
-mini chocolate chips
-strawberries
-spoonful of Nutella
-spoonful of cookie butter
-raspberries
-drizzle of caramel sauce

How many calories are in this banana “ice cream”? Compared to regular ice cream, this is SO much better for you! An average serving of this is half of a large banana, which comes out to be about 50 calories per serving. That’s it! Of course, after you try it, you are probably going to want more . . . but even if you have two servings, it’s only going to cost you about 100 calories!

Blender vs. food processor. In order for this to work, it’s crucial that you have either a high-powered blender or a food processor. The blenders that you can get for $20 are not high powered enough to make this work and the consistency will not turn out right.

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Tag me on Instagram or leave a comment below!

Healthy Banana Ice Cream {Nice Cream}

Author: Jared

Recipe type: Dessert, Healthy Snack

Prep time: 2 hours 5 mins

Total time: 2 hours 5 mins

Serves: 6

This dessert is a guilt-free treat that even those with diet restrictions or allergies can enjoy!

Ingredients

3 large ripe bananas

Instructions

Peel the bananas and cut into even slices.
Place slices into a resealable freezer bag and freeze for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).
Place frozen banana slices into a food processor (or high-speed blender). Pulse the bananas, then continue to blend until the blended banana starts to turn creamy (like the texture of soft-serve ice cream). Scrape down the sides as needed while blending.
Serve immediately or place in the freezer and freeze solid for more of a hard ice cream texture.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 Calories: 53 Fat: 0.2 Saturated fat: 0.1 Carbohydrates: 14 Sugar: 7 Sodium: 1 Protein: 0.6 Cholesterol: 0

Looking for more healthy desserts? Try these:

Honey Rice Krispy Treats (No Marshmallows)

April 22, 2018

My kids love Rice Krispy treats, so when I came across a recipe for them that didn’t use marshmallows, I knew that I had to make them right away!

I love using honey instead of sugar (or marshmallows) in baked goods. I prefer using local raw honey, but any honey will do! You can even buy it in bulk at a great price! I know that honey is not really a “health food”, but when it comes to baking, it’s my sweetener go-to. I like honey because it’s a little sweeter than sugar, so you can get away with using less. I also like that it goes through less processing overall compared to sugar and it does contain trace minerals and nutrients.

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Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Kodiak Cakes

April 13, 2018

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When I stopped eating refined sugar, I started finding dessert recipes that I could make that would still fulfill my sweet tooth, but not completely wreck my diet or the progress that I had made when it came to giving up sugar.

This recipe has become a staple in our home – we love to make a big batch of cookies and then keep them in the freezer so we can pull one out when the craving hits!

I feel justified in calling these a healthier cookie with all the healthier ingredient swaps that have been made. Instead of bleached all-purpose flour, my base is Kodiak Cakes. This post is not sponsored, but this is such a great product that I use all the time – and not just for pancakes!

Instead of refined sugar, honey is used as the sweetener in these cookies. I prefer using local raw honey, but any honey will do! You can even buy it in bulk at a great price! I know that honey is not really a “health food”, but when it comes to baking, it’s my sweetener go-to. I like honey because it’s a little sweeter than sugar, so you can get away with using less. I also like that it goes through less processing overall compared to sugar and it does contain trace minerals and nutrients.

The chocolate chips that I use in this recipe are the Enjoy Life chocolate chips. I know that these do have sugar in them, but I am a believer in moderation. And you can’t have chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips! The reason that I love this brand is because there are all real ingredients – no corn syrup (which is really hard to find in chocolate chips!). They are also dairy-free and gluten-free, which is awesome if you have those dietary restrictions.

Let me know if you make these cookies and tell me what you think! Do you have a favorite healthier dessert recipe? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Kodiak Cakes

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

2 cups Kodiak Power Cakes Mix
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup Enjoy Life mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together Kodiak Power Cakes Mix, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, mix together egg, pumpkin, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Looking for more healthy desserts? Check these out:

The Best Hot, Healthy Breakfast – 3-Minute Scrambled Egg Omelette

April 4, 2018

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“What do you eat for breakfast?“

“I just can’t seem to find anything I like for breakfast.“

“All I ever have is cold cereal for breakfast.“

Ahhhh breakfast. We all know it as the most important meal of the day – how come it has to be so difficult to find something hot, delicious, and healthy? So often we just settle for our cereal, bagels, or muffin as we are running out the door and call it good.

Well today is the day that we reclaim breakfast!

Today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite hot, healthy, and delicious breakfast meals – a microwave egg omelette that literally takes less than three minutes to prepare!

This one will knock your socks off! Coming at you right now…

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