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Think you know how to keep off winter weight?
Deborah Enos, CN, is “The One-Minute Wellness Coach”–The Health Coach for busy people. She pares her health secrets down to simple and fast bullet points that can impact your life in 60 seconds or less.
Deborah serves as a board member for the American Heart Association. She has appeared on NBC, ABC and FOX News, and has been featured in The Costco Connection, Parade Magazine, Self Magazine, and USA Today.
Click a title to view the recipe
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My Fancy Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 can of refried beans
- 1 can of black beans, rinsed to remove excess sodium
- ½ container of salsa
- Chicken broth
- Cheese, grated
- Low fat sour cream
- Sliced avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- Baked Chips (Pop Chips: salt and pepper flavor work well here)
Directions
In a medium saucepan, add both cans of beans, heat on low to medium for 2-3 minutes. Add ½ container of your favorite salsa and continue to heat. Take a hand blender and blend to the consistency that you desire. Then add chicken broth to thin out the soup to the consistency you prefer. If you need to spice it up, add more salsa or a partial packet of taco seasoning.
Spoon into bowls. Top with a little sour cream, a sprinkle of grated cheese, slice of avocado and some cilantro. Crumble up chips and add on top for extra crunch.
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SUPERPOWER Simple Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped tomato
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion
- ¾ cup of chopped cilantro
- ½ of a finely chopped jalapeno pepper (Add a little at a time. Pepper temperature varies, so proceed with caution!)
- 1 diced avocado
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt to taste
Directions
In a glass bowl, add the first 5 ingredients. Stir and add in lime juice. Add salt (I taste as I go to get the right level of flavor). Grab some healthy chips, I like popchips, dip and enjoy!
Salsa Options
- Add a big scoop of salsa on top of a green salad.
- Sprinkle the salsa on top of scrambled eggs or a breakfast burrito.
- Add salsa on top of rice and beans.
- Use it as a topping on a baked potato.
- Puree it in a blender and you have gazpacho!
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Deborah’s Italian “Rice is Nice” Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cooked (and cooled) brown rice
- 1 cup minced fresh basil
- ¾ cup of chopped green onions (I use the white and part of the green)
- 2 cups of chopped cherry tomatoes (or regular tomatoes)
- 1 cup sliced Kalamata olives (check the label to make sure there are no additional non gluten free ingredients).
- 2-3 cloves of finely chopped garlic (less garlic if you’re not a fan or eliminate)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or to taste
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt and add ground pepper to taste
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, add your brown rice and all the chopped herbs and veggies (except garlic). Combine the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Add to brown rice/veggie mixture and mix well. You can certainly add more olive oil, vinegar or additional veggies.
Chill. Serve and enjoy.
*This salad can be made very quickly. The secret? I make a big container of brown rice and store it in my refrigerator. This makes for easy cooking for the rest of the week.
Bonus: This is even better the next day! Add it to a green salad to boost the fiber and nutritional content. Or add some diced chicken for a perfect one dish meal.
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Deborah’s Ten minute Tabouli (gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cooked (and cooled) brown rice
- 1 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup minced fresh mint
- ¾ cup of chopped green onions (I chop the white and part of the green)
- 2 cups of chopped cherry tomatoes (or regular tomatoes)
- 2 cups of cucumbers, seeded and diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
- 1 teaspoons of sea salt
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, add your brown rice and all the chopped herbs and veggies. Combine the oil, lemon juice, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to brown rice/veggie mixture and mix well. You can certainly add more lemon juice or additional veggies.
Chill. Serve and enjoy.
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Easy Open Face Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 pound of Organic beef
- 1 can of refried beans
- 1 can of black beans, rinsed to remove excess sodium
- ½ container of salsa
- Beef broth
- 1 lime
- Green salad
- Cheese, grated
- Baked Chips (Pop Chips: cheese or salt and pepper flavor work well)
Directions
Sauté beef in one tablespoon of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the can of refried beans and the strained black beans. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add one cup of beef broth and ½ small container of salsa and let simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the juice of one lime to the mixture. Get a plate and cover it with baked chips. Put the taco mixture onto the chips and then add green salad, salsa, and grated cheese.
Leftover Meal Options:
- Breakfast/lunch burrito can be made with the leftover taco mixture and scrambled eggs placed in a warm tortilla.
- Turn into a taco salad at work the next day. Bring the salad and chips separately, put together with the leftover taco meat. Add salsa as your dressing and some sliced avocado. This is an excellent high protein and high energy afternoon meal.
Every meal should include:
- Protein (ex: eggs, beans, lentils, fish, lean meat)
- Carbohydrate (ex: bread, rice, quinoa, pasta)
- Fiber (ex: whole grains, fruits or veggies, flaxseed, nuts/seeds)
- Fat (ex: olive oil, nuts/seeds, avocado, dairy)
*a meal should keep you full for 3-5 hours.
Breakfast: 25% protein, 50% carb/fiber, 25% fat
- Whole grain toast, 1 egg and piece of fruit.
- Oatmeal with 1 ounce of nuts, sliced fruit and 1 tsp of flaxseed.
Lunch: 25+% protein, 50% or less of carb/fiber, 20% fat
- Turkey sandwich on thin whole grain bread, small green salad.
- Green salad with extra veggies, beans, sunflower seeds, vinegar and oil dressing.
Dinner: 0-20% protein, 50+% carb/fiber, 20% fat
- Stir fry with 3-4 different veggies, lean protein (chicken or fish) brown rice
- Chopped veggie mexi-salad with black beans, brown rice and shredded low fat cheese with salsa ranch dressing.
Snack planning:
- A snack should keep you full for 1-3 hours.
- If you need a snack to last longer in your system, make sure to add some fat and protein.
- If you don’t need the snack to last long, for ex: you have lunch plans at 12, but you’re hungry at 10:30, then you can just have a piece of fruit to tide you over.
Short snacks:
- Piece of fruit
- Small “skinny” latte
- Snap peas or some other type of chopped veggie
Longer lasting snacks:
- Piece of fruit combined with an ounce of nuts or a Tbs. of peanut butter.
- Chopped veggies dipped in 2-3 Tbs. of hummus.
- Hardboiled egg
- Protein bar and piece of fruit (I like thinkThin bars, available at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s)