Confession: Up until a few years ago, I wouldn’t eat spinach. It wasn’t that I tried it and didn’t like it- I just assumed I wouldn’t like it, so I didn’t eat it.

My husband talked me into trying it one day and I was surprised by how good it could taste. The first version I started eating was just frozen spinach. He would take a bag of frozen spinach, one can of low sodium chicken broth and some garlic and boil it together until tender. Seriously, it’s GOOD.

The past year or so I started experimenting with using spinach in other ways- adding to spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, protein shakes…anything! I also started cooking fresh spinach and have been surprised by how easy and quick it is.

I posted a picture on facebook one night of sauteing some spinach and was surprised by how many people that posted and had never tried it, either. I thought it may help someone who is on the fence and doesn’t know HOW to prepare it for me to give a few pointers.

1- Buy the BIG bag of spinach. At my Wal-Mart it costs $2.88 for the large bag. We either buy the plain spinach or the Power Mix which is spinach, kale, and some other type of greens. Both taste about the same to me.
2- Use your biggest skillet with a lid. Trust me on this one.
3- Heat your skillet and add some extra virgin olive oil and garlic.

4- Once your oil is heated up, add the entire bag of spinach. Your pot will literally be overflowing. I mash mine down in so it will all fit. Some pieces still fall out.

5- Add a splash of chicken broth (I keep a carton of this in the fridge at all times. It’s GREAT for adding flavor to veggies, quinoa, rice and soups). Once you’ve added the broth, put the lid on and give it 1-2 minutes to cook down.
6- After letting it cook 1-2 minutes, take the lid off and stir. I use tongs because it’s easier to get it stirred up good. It will wilt as cooking and get smaller. Put lid back on.

7- Cook another few minutes, then sprinkle with sea salt if desired.

Done in around 5 minutes. SO GOOD for your body, and so delicious!!!

During meal prep this week I needed a new way to cook vegetables. I found a quick, easy way to roast a large amount at one time that came out pretty good.

Ingredients that I used:
NOTE: This recipe is completely customizable. Feel free to use the vegetables that you like and the spices that you like. No precise measurements for this, either.
*Baby Carrots
*Red Bell Pepper
*Onion
*about three small red potatoes
*Zucchini
*Cherry Tomatoes
*Asparagus
*Extra Virgin Olive Oil
*Garlic
*Spices: I used Roasted Garlic and Herb blend, Onion Powder, Sea Salt, and Pepper. The possibilities here are endless- take what you like and go with it.

Instructions:
-Prep veggies by making sure they are clean (use this cleaner if you don’t have one) and then chop them into small pieces. The potatoes will cook the slowest, so make sure they are chopped into small pieces.
-Drop all veggies into a 9 x 13 pan (depending on how many veggies, you may need two pans)
-Put olive oil over the veggies (I probably used a couple tablespoons).
-Add any spices you like, then stir all together gently.
-Cover with foil tightly and put in 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.
-Check veggies at the 30 minute mark and see if they are tender. If so= DONE. I prefer mine with a bit of a crunch, so I bake for less time.

Add Spices

Toss together

Bake and Enjoy!

On Friday, I posted this on the Wellness Witness Facebook page:

“I am on the email distribution list for Sabrina Sarabella and yesterday I got one of her informative emails. It said that she was asked the question,

“Why can’t I lose fat when I am eating a healthy diet?”. Here was her response:

“When I ask them what they eat during the day, they usually say, “I have cereal for breakfast with orange juice, a turkey sandwich for lunch and a lean
cuisine for dinner.”

My immediate reaction is “I can tell you exactly why you are not losing fat,” to which their reply always is, “What do you mean? My diet is extreme healthy.”

Then I begin my usual spiel: healthy foods are not always fat loss foods.

What do I mean by this?

Well, sure you can say that orange juice and Kashi Go Lean cereal is relatively healthy, but it’s not helping you lose any fat. When you eat these foods first thing in the morning you are basically eating a straight sugar bomb! Your body reacts by spiking insulin levels to deal with the influx of a large amount of carbohydrates and then not too long after, your levels will drop causing you to feel hungry again.
Thus, leading you to grab another sugar filled snack in an hour, setting you up for this vicious cycle all day. Once you realize that a fat loss diet is different from a healthy diet, it can help make a huge difference in your efforts to attain the body you want.

When eating a fat loss diet your mantra should be protein, fiber, water. You want to give your body enough calories to give yourself energy and control your cravings and hunger without slowing your metabolic fat burning. ” (End of Sabrina’s quote)

I received several comments and messages from people after this post saying something like “That is EXACTLY what I’m eating each day and I thought I was doing good! What in the world am I supposed to eat?”

I wanted to give them a few ideas for breakfast of what I have found works for FAT loss. (Remember, Fat loss is completely different from weight loss. I’ll have future posts coming about this concept. For now, check out The New ME Diet book or visit www.metaboliceffect.com .)

Some great breakfast ideas that I enjoy:

#1 favorite: Protein Smoothies. Quick, easy, and delicious. I start my day feeling like I’m drinking a milkshake and it keeps me full until my mid-morning snack with no energy crashes or cravings. My favorite one is here.

Eggs with as many veggies as you’ve got around the house. We love making egg scrambles, omelets and egg muffins at our house. Here are some links:
Egg Muffins
Egg dishes to prepare in under 15 minutes
Fritattas are also great and can be prepared ahead of time and eaten throughout the week

Protein Pancakes!
My favorite ones are these Fat Loss Friendly Pancakes
Many people like these:Beyond Fit Protein Pancakes
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes from LAQ Fitness
There are hundreds of versions of these out there- find one that works for you, cook in BULK, and then eat throughout the week

Protein source + veggies
Think outside of the box a bit and come up with a combination that you enjoy.
Chicken Sausages with peppers and onions
Bacon with leftover veggies from last night’s supper
Lean ground beef + whatever veggies you have

Oats- NOT the sweetened packets you buy in the store.
Overnight oats
Baked Oatmeal (Many recipes out there- just watch the sugar content)
Oat bran with fresh berries

Also, you can eat healthy foods from the night before for breakfast anytime! You don’t have to limit yourself to only healthy breakfast foods- enjoy whatever you have available and ready to go!
For a few more ideas, check out Leslie Ann’s Recipe Box section titled BREAKFAST.

Here’s the bottom line- a “low-calorie” breakfast isn’t going to benefit you if it leads to you overeating later in the day. Breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day ideally. I know how busy mornings are, but by starting my day off with a breakfast that has plenty of protein and fiber (even if higher calorie than other options), I am on track and ready to tackle the day ahead.

What about you? What are your favorite breakfast options?