Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites!

If you didn't see my original post on these, you are lucky you came across this now! These amazing little treats are clean, easy, and totally fit into the portion controlled container system that I follow along with my at-home workouts- the same eating plan that has helped me lose 100 pounds, and keep it off! **If you missed my update on that, you can check out the original Facebook post I did celebrating my 3-year Health-iversary here.** It's been quite a journey!

So back to this amazing, nutrition-packed no-bake treat! If you are a lover of autumn or all things pumpkin, you MUST make these little bites. This recipe is pulled from the pages of the bestselling Fixate cookbook, tweaked a little to serve my purpose, and will make 32 Tablespoon sized balls. 

Here's what you'll need:

-A food processor (or some determination)

-2 cups pitted dates

-1 cup raw pecans

-2/3 cup pumpkin purée

-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

-2 tsp. pure maple extract (or substitute hazelnut)

-2 tsp. pure maple syrup

-4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie spice

-large pinch pink Himalayan sea salt

Step 1! Pit the dates if you haven't already! I bought mine with the pits in because they were a steal of a deal that way. It only took about 60 seconds to pit them myself. 

Immediately soak them in a bowl of warm water for about ten minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. This will soften them up!

While they soak, put your pecans in your food processor and pulse until finely ground. 

Add all your remaining ingredients to the food processor, including the dates (with the water strained off). Save a little coconut aside for rolling later. 

Pulse until well mixed, and then refrigerate your mixture for at least a half an hour to firm it up.

Now, the messy fun part! This recipe should make 32 tablespoon sized balls, so feel free to scoop them out with the actual measuring spoon, like I did. 

Roll them between your palms until shaped, then dust with the remaining shredded coconut. I placed it on waxed paper and simply rolled them in it. :) But I love my coconut!

That's it! You have an amazing little snack that tastes every bit as good as pumpkin pie, without the guilt. And, this recipe is Gluten free, Vegan, and Paleo friendly. Win-win-win!

One serving of 2 balls will count as 1 purple and 1/2 a blue on the portion system (a la 21 day Fix). If you aren't following that plan, the breakdown for 2 balls is:

-6 Fat

-17 Carb

-3 Fiber

-1 Protein

-122 Calories

Like every good treat, enjoy it in moderation! Plan it into your menu and you can still enjoy it guilt free. Did you try this recipe? What did you think? Share it, pin it, subscribe and leave me a comment! I love hearing from you! 

If you need support or guidance on your fitness journey, I'm here! I have a group gearing up to start soon, taking us from Thanksgiving to Christmas and getting a healthy jump on the holidays- message me for details! As always, live healthy, live happy. Love, Amanda

Hummus Crusted Chicken

Tasty? Healthy? Easy? ✅✅✅ CHECK! I love this recipe! It takes less than 25 minutes to cook (only about 3 minutes to prepare!), and the whole family enjoys it. It reheats beautifully and the leftovers are super versatile (think wraps, quesadillas, and more). Give it a try and let me know what you think! 

You will need: 

4 4-6ounce Chicken breasts

1/2 cup hummus

1/2 lemon 

Cracked pepper

Rosemary/parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. place 4 chicken breasts cut to equal size for even cooking on pan. Squeeze lemon juice over all 4. 

 

Spread hummus on top and sides. Sprinkle Rosemary, parsley, fresh cracked pepper, and a dash of sea salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes (I remove it from the oven when the internal temp hits 160). That's it! Let it rest... then serve with your choice of veggie- to keep it simple and easy, I grab a steamer bag of veggies out of the freezer (busy mom pro-tip. :)

If you follow my meal plans (which of course you SHOULD!), this will count as: 1 Red, 1 green, 1/2 blue per serving. 

 Do you need support on your fitness journey? I would love to help you! Simply send me a message! I hope you'll subscribe and share this if it helped you. As always, live healthy, live happy! Love, Amanda

 

Parmesean Zucchini Bake

A lot of things went wrong in my crazy house today, but one thing that went amazingly right was this side dish. It's simple, delicious, only takes a few ingredients, and my kids not only helped make it, but they gobbled it up! The only problem I had with this recipe is when I took it to work, my coworkers tentatively took tastes... And then ate almost all of my dish! Try this out next time you need to get some veggies in with dinner. You might be surprised who eats it!

Here's what you need:

• 4 Zucchini quartered lengthwise
• Lemon (zest and wedges)
• 1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
• Garlic, finely chopped (I used minced garlic)
• 1 T Olive Oil

 

First, preheat your oven to 350°.  Combine your cheese, lemon peel, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic in small bowl and mix well. You'll want to wash your zucchini and have it sliced lengthwise. Place it skin side down on large baking dish. Now, here was a great job for my 5 year old: I let her brush all the zucchini with olive oil and then sprinkle the cheese mixture on top. 

Pro tip: Make sure you supervise this step closely or you'll most likely have a giant pile of cheese in the middle of your pan! ;)

That's it! Now, you simply bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until they're nice and tender (poke with a fork), or a little longer if you want some crisp. You can garnish with lemon wedges, or like me, thin slice them right on top before baking for a little extra kick. My 3 year old son loved getting to have the "important job" of placing the lemon slices.

PROTIP: If you're a crazy busy mama like me, after brushing the zucchini with olive oil (you can mix a dab of lemon juice in instead of zest), grab your pre-blended Italian herb blend and sprinkle it on, then the cheese. It's just as good and twice as simple!

I truly hope you enjoyed this recipe. It's clean, simple, easy, and delicious- all my favorite things in one dish! For the 21 Day Fix (the clean eating nutrition plan I used to help myself lose 95 pounds and keep it off!), this entire dish serves four, with each serving counting as 2 greens, 1/2 a blue, and a teaspoon! If you want to learn more about that program, message me, email me here, or order it here!
 

Please share this recipe with your friends and loved ones who may enjoy it, and as always, love healthy, live happy! 

Love, Amanda

As always, I hope you enjoy this recipe, and let me know what you think

A Healthy Kicken' Chicken Salad

I really love the chicken salad wraps and sandwiches from Arby's, but although they brand them as healthy, they simply aren't. They are chock-full of mayo and unhealthy sugar and fat that you don't really need in your healthy diet. One thing that has helped be be successful with my clean-eating lifestyle, not only losing 95 pounds but KEEPING it off, is finding ways to make these favorite recipes in a way that actually is good for me and that y whole family enjoys. This way, I never feel like I'm missing out. This chicken salad is my own version, inspired by Autumn Calabrese' recipe from the Fixate cookbook. **If you haven't heard of that cookbook but want to get your hands on your own copy, you can find it here.**

I always start my week by prepping chicken breast in the oven. It saves me time and money throughout the week, and I can use it in various recipes.

Here's what you'll need to make my version of this delicious salad, with the 21 Day Fix Container equivalents also:

• 1 Cup Chopped Celery (1 Green)
• 1 Cup Chopped Red Seedless Grapes (1 Purple)
• 1 Cup Chopped Apple (1 Purple)
• 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Chicken Breast (Bake your own like I did or buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it to save time!)

For the dressing part, you'll need:

• 3 T Rice or Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 T Local Raw Honey
• 3 T Dijon or Stone Ground Mustard
• 1 1/2 Cups Plain Greek Yogurt (2 Reds)

Take a few minutes to prep your ingredients and chop them up.

I wait until I'm ready to use the chicken to chop it up. This prevents it from drying out in the fridge. :)

This is really so simple. First, mix your dressing base together in a bowl (yogurt, vinegar, honey, and mustard). You can add salt and pepper to taste.

Once you've done this, dump all your chopped ingredients on top!

Fold, or gently mix your ingredients together in the bowl. That's it! You now have your Creamy Chicken Salad!

If you divide this entire bowl into two portions, it will count as 1 Purple, 1 Green, 2 Reds, and 1/2 an orange on the 21 Day Fix Plan. Yes, that's a HUGE amount of salad! I personally broke it up over 2 meals at work. Questions? Just ask!

I love to use this on whole grain wraps, but you can also place it on whole grain bread to make a sandwich, or even put it on crispy lettuce bibs to avoid the carbs!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and your family loves it as much as I do. Please comment on this post if you have any questions, and share this recipe with those you think will want to try it! As always, I'm here for you if you need help and support on your fitness journey. Live healthy, live happy! Love, Amanda

How to Use Beachbody On Demand and How to Get a Free Trial!

Hi! If you purchased a challenge pack from me as your coach, you get a couple awesome freebies right off the bat-- besides me, I mean! You also get access to Beachbody On Demand for 30 days ABSOLUTELY FREE! Because I want you to fully understand how to use it and what is included, I made this awesome, no-makeup post-workout sweaty video for you! In it, I'll show you exactly how to log in, where to go to try it out, and even where to cancel it when your trial is up. Here is the video I made just to explain it all for you!

Happen to come across this video by accident? Don't have a coach that you're currently working with? Don't worry- you can STILL have a free 14-day trial. To sign up for that, simply go here. :)

Already ready to commit? People usually start with a challenge pack, because it includes everything you need to rock this fitness journey: fitness, nutrition, and support! 🙂

It includes those colored portion containers you may have seen me use? They make it super easy to make sure you're getting the right amount of the right foods, but still allow you flexibility in your food choices. It's a great nutrition program, that teaches you portioning and clean eating. It really simplifies things!

It also comes with a month's supply of Shakeology in any flavor, so you get that's awesome nutritional support every morning. I love it because it dramatically improved both my energy and digestion! Im a lifer. 

You'll also get a Shakeology shaker cup to go with it, and your online All-Access pass to Beachbody on Demand. That gets you all the workouts Beachbody has, from P90x to 21 Day Fix to the all-new Shift Shop, for an entire year. Beachbody on Demand is like the Netflix of fitness. I love it! The value is incredible. I've done wrokouts off my tablet at the park while my kids play, and on the beach while I was camping-- even without wifi. Having all of these is extra nice because when you finish your first program and get great results-- which YOU WILL!-- and are ready to progress, you already have all the tools you need. 

UNITED STATES

CANADA

*****
Don't know me? Hi! My name is Amanda Noddings, and I am a busy mother of two who works full time in Nursing. I am also a Star Diamond Beachbody Coach. Through my own journey to lose over 90 pounds and fight depression after the loss of my baby, I have revived my life with a new purpose for helping others and a passion for health and fitness!

To contact me about joining Team Driven, having Free coaching and support, or getting started with a program and achieving your health and fitness goals, fill out this quick contact form and I'll get back to you asap. YES! I want to learn more about coaching on Team Driven!

Check out my like page, www.facebook.com/TeamDrivenFitness for recipes, motivation, and more, and don’t forget to subscribe to me on youtube!

Sweet Treat Solution: Vanilla Energy Bites

Part of being successful is knowing your weaknesses and being prepared for them. As I tell my challengers, "Fail to plan, plan to fail." This week I am planning ahead for my sweet tooth with these healthy Vanilla Energy Bites!

•1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
•1 cup rolled oats
•1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter, today I used Pb2)
•1/3 cup raw honey
•1 cup coconut flakes
•1/2 cup ground flaxseed
•1 tsp vanilla
**Add extra vanilla and some water as needed to make it stickier**

 
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and use a small ice cream scoop or a spoon to portion. Roll them up and place onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Freeze and Enjoy! Store extra in the freezer or fridge no longer than 2 weeks.

For the Fix nutrition: 2 bites = 1 orange container. Now that's a great swap!

Id love to hear what you think! And please share this recipe with anyone who may want to try them out-- especially busy moms, because I know my kids LOVE THEM! For more info about Shakeology and its super dense nutrition, feel free to contact me anytime. As always, live healthy, live happy! Love, Amanda


Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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5 Tips for a Healthy Easter Holiday!

It's a holiday! That gives us permission to binge out on candy, raid the kids' Easter baskets, and eat all sorts of junk, right? WRONG! While there are lots of temptations around this time of year, here are a few tips I use to keep myself from straying TOO far off track on Easter weekend. 

1: I don't buy KitKats! You see, those little sticks of goodness are nobody's favorite in this house but MINE. So when I'm shopping to fill the kids' Easter baskets, I have to be honest with myself. If I'm buying KitKats, I'm really buying them for ME to eat, not them. Giving yourself an honesty check when you're shopping will take you a long way towards staying on track. 

2: Fill their baskets with something else! My rule of thumb is to pick one or two treats the kids like and use those to fill their baskets. For instance, last year, they each got a mini-carton of rainbow goldfish, a treat they love that isn't candy, and one I won't be tempted to steal. I also hit the dollar store or the kids toy section and get them a new reading or coloring book and a small toy, maybe new hair bows or headbands for my daughter and a new toy car for my son. Not everything in the basket is required to be edible!

3. Moderation! Why do we feel the need to buy so much candy? Cram each plastic egg as full as we can? Buy ginormous chocolate carved bunnies? I got one bag of little chocolates and used that to fill their plastic eggs. Each egg got ONE chocolate in it. Set the precedent now and stick to your guns! You'll be less likely to have a bowl of leftovers hanging around tempting you over the next 3 weeks, and no one will feel deprived that there isn't a giant basket of chocolate on the counter come April. 

4: Decide ahead of time what your holiday indulgence will be! Every year, my mom makes French Crépes on Easter morning after church. We fill them with strawberries and top them with powdered sugar, and they are a part of my childhood I look forward to every year. I choose to make that meal my holiday indulgence, instead of chocolate. I don't feel deprived, I just feel smart. 

5. Your last tip is to remember the "reason for the season!" I know it's something we typically hear at Christmas time, but the same is true at any holiday. We are here, at least in my family, to spend time together. To celebrate Christ rising. To love each other. Not for chocolate. Remembering that will help you stick to your goals and take more time with the family, and less with the buffet. 

I hope these tips were helpful! Please, share it with someone you love who may need a few tips this holiday. Be sure to subscribe to the blog to never miss a helpful tip or recipe, and as always, live healthy, live happy. Love, Amanda

Quick Clean Chicken Cacciatore

I can't tell you exactly what a cacciatore is, because- well, I'm French-Canadian, not Italian. :) But I can tell you what I look for in a new recipe: I want it to be easy and not overly time consuming, full of clean (or mostly-clean) ingredients, and taste delicious (passing the husband-kid test).

An added bonus if it's easy to double or makes multiple portions. I want it to stretch into more than one meal so I can take it to work at night at the hospital, AND feed my family at home at the same time.

This awesome recipe from the Team BeachBody Blog fits the bill in every one of those categories. It was especially fun to photograph as I made it, due to the vibrant colors of the amazing vegetables. It's also easily made vegetarian, simply by substituting tofu for (or leaving out) the chicken. I hope you'll give it a try and let me know what you thought! Here's what you'll need:



Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. raw chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium celery stalk, sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 (14.5 oz.) can whole tomatoes
1½ tsp. dried basil, crushed
Ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium eggplant, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes (you can substitute 2 more zucchini if you don't feel like eggplant)
6 fresh parsley sprigs, finely chopped (for garnish, optional)


Preparation:
1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

2. Add chicken; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Tip: Make sure you have it on medium high or your chicken will cook too slowly and also be more dry!



***You'll spend about ten minutes prepping if you chop this all at once and about 20 minutes cooking, start to finish. :) ***



3. Add onion, celery, garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until onion begins to soften.


4. Add tomatoes, basil, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes. This is easy, right?


5. Add zucchini and eggplant; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle, and juices run clear. Tip: Never be afraid to pull out that thermometer (165 for poultry) or better yet, cut a piece in half and make sure there's no pink!

6. Garnish with parsley if desired. Trust me, you do. It not only gives it a little wow factor, but it adds a good counterbalance of flavor.

Tip: Chicken Cacciatore can be served over brown rice or whole wheat pasta. Add a yellow for the container of whole grains- I personally used my favorite quinoa blend from Costco and it was amazing, adding a nutty crunch and texture!



This recipe is good for four portions, each serving is 2 greens and 1 red on the container system I use to keep my eating healthy and proportioned. To get your hands on it, go here, or email me any time with questions! So, I simply divided it into 4 Tupperware containers and had myself 4 ready to eat meals to take to work over the next few nights. I love simple!







If you don't know me yet, my name is Amanda Noddings, and I am a busy mother of two who works full time in Nursing. I am also a Star Diamond Beachbody Coach. Through my own journey to lose over 90 pounds and fight depression after the loss of my baby, I have revived my life with a new purpose for helping others and a passion for health and fitness!



To contact me about joining Team Driven, having Free coaching and support, or getting started with a program and achieving your health and fitness goals, fill out this quick contact form and I'll get back to you ASAP:
http://tinyurl.com/teamdrivencoach

Check out my like page, www.facebook.com/TeamDrivenFitness for recipes, motivation, and more, and don’t forget to subscribe to me here!

Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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Location:Quick Clean Chicken Cacciatore

An Amazing Piyo Transformation Inside and Out!

Every once and a while, I get a message that rips at my heart strings and fires up my passion for helping others. When an old friend from high school reached out to me in August of 2014, I had one of those moments, and after lots of chatting about what program would suit her needs best, I recommended PiYO to her.

Her journey wasn't 100% smooth. It had many bumps, and she did a lot of work on herself personally aside from her physical body, and she learned to take better care of herself emotionally as well. Last February, she was going through a difficult time, and she text me. I dropped what I was doing and made a date to talk with her, to just be there, to listen. And she fought her way back on track.

Today I want to give the hugest shoutout to an old friend who's made an amazing change in her life, Gwen Hinderleider. She has persevered when things were difficult, and continued on through good days and bad. But ultimately, she decided she wanted to feel better on the inside and that change has been reflected on the outside, too.



I am honored to have been your coach through this journey, Gwen, and I thank you for letting me share this snippet of your journey. Because without darkness, there is no light, and I know although this hasn't been easy, it's been rewarding. You may be a light for someone else who struggles also. I am so so so very proud of you, gorgeous!

Are you ready to make a change? Reach out to me and let's chat about what program would be a good fit for YOU and your needs. Im here to help you any way I can, and help you get started on a path to meet YoUR goals. :) Email me at amandanoddings@me.com any time. As always, love healthy, live happy. Love, Amanda

Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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Healthy Veggie and Egg Breakfast Muffins: 21 Day Fix Approved!

I love these little muffins for so many reasons.
*They are perfectly portioned to help me stay on track.
*They are easy and convenient to grab and go when I'm short on time!
*They are chock-full of veggies and protein.
*They freeze well for later!
*My kids love them, too (who doesn't like a muffin?)!

This recipe makes 12 egg cups and you can eat 2 muffins per serving, so this is enough for 6 servings. I personally doubled this recipe in order to make a full tray of a dozen muffins. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:

* One dozen large eggs
* 12 ounces Baby Spinach, finely chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
* 1/2 a red onion, finely diced
* Sea Salt and fresh cracked pepper (to taste)



Here's what you do:



1. Preheat your oven to 375° F.



2. Lightly coat your muffin tin with a nonstick coating (I use coconut oil, but a nonstick olive oil spray will work too). I do not feel cupcake liners work well for this recipe.



3. Place eggs in a large bowl and whisk/beat until scrambled well. Although I often substitute egg whites in recipes, I feel the healthy fat from the yolk of the egg is necessary here, not only for them to rise well but also to release from the pan.



4. Add in your chopped veggies and seasonings and whisk away again.



5. Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup and start distributing between the muffin tin, one scoop at a time per muffin. This way, you will have everything evenly split between cups, as the veggies have a tendency to sink to the bottom. Continue until all are evenly filled.


6. Bake for approx. 15-20 minutes at 375° or until toothpick inserted into the center of cups comes out clean.



7. Here is where a I think people fail on this one. The first thing to do is be patient, and let them cool about 5 minutes. As soon as they are set, I use a plastic fork or knife (not metal, you'll ruin your nonstick pan!) to peel them away from the edges in a circular stroke. After that, the fork can pop them up from the bottom pretty easily!



You can store these in the refrigerator and heat them up in a microwave when you are ready to eat, or freeze them and reheat them (but trust me, with my kids eating them too, they don't last that long!). You can easily have 4 of these muffins (and count it as 2 reds and 2 greens) to start your day right!

Remember, you can eat 2 muffins per serving! Each serving is 1 green and 1 red container on the BeachBody portion controlled container system, most popularly known as the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan. I am currently following this same plan with the all new workout, The Masters: Hammer and Chisel, and it has been a HUGE component of maintaining my 95 pound weight loss.


If you ever want to learn more about this system, I adore it and am happy to answer any of your questions. Simply shoot me an email at amandanoddings@me.com or hit me up on Facebook!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and share it with your fit friends and family as you get closer to your own health and fitness goals. Be sure to subscribe to the blog to be notified every time I post a recipe! Or check out my videos on YouTube.com and see my gorgeous face in person. ;) And as always, live healthy, live happy. Love, Amanda




Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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