Homemade (21 Day Fix Approved) Shredded Chicken ( For Enchiladas, Tacos, Salads and More!)

I ABSOLUTELY love this recipe, and I've been toying with it until I have it as clean and simplified as I can get it, while keeping it healthy and easy. I love that I can store quart size bags of this in the freezer if need be to pull out for future recipes. I love that its got a TON of flavor, but its not too hot for my kids to enjoy. I love the versatility of this- it can be incorporated into SO MANY EASY RECIPES- a few of which I'll be sharing throughout the week. I suggest you jump on this now- then you can try the others which are SUPER easy if you have this part ready to go!

Here are the main ingredients for the first step:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1/2 large yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 T sea salt

So the first thing you want to do is take these 4 ingredients and put them in a large pot. And I mean LARGE. Now, I doubled this recipe, so I would have leftovers. I used 3 lbs. of chicken breasts and doubled everything else, and it took the biggest pot I own. Turn the pot on high and add just enough water to completely cover your chicken. As soon as it boils, you want to turn it to simmer and set your timer for 30 minutes. 

***You can also make this recipe in a crock pot- for these photos, I did it on the stove because I was home, but preparing this for the week in advance is super easy with a crock pot. You'll simply dump everything in and set it to cook while you're at work for the day, running errands, etc. I like to do this at 8 am and set it on low for 8 hours- then it's done by 4pm.***

While that is simmering, let's use our time wisely and prep the rest of the ingredients and throw them to the side in a bowl. (Remember if you're doubling the chicken, you'll want to double these too!) 

You will need:

• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 diced tomato**
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 tsp. majoram (don't worry if you don't have this spice- just leave it out!)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 3 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (reserved)**
• 2 T tomato sauce

**I like to make things as easy as possible, so these are the scratch ingredients. But if you want to know what I ACTUALLY used for this, instead of these three starred ingredients (tomato, tomato sauce, and broth), I use this can of Hunt's Fire Roasted diced tomatoes. The liquid that is in them takes the place of both the paste and the broth. Frankly, I'm a busy mom and this is a huge time saver for me. It's one of the more natural options on the market- trust me, I've looked- and one of the only canned tomatoes without added sugar.**

So, back to the main show! When your chicken is done, you want to pull it out of the pot (with some tongs, probably!) and set it aside to cool. Remember, it's really important that poultry get cooked completely through, so don't just trust the timer! Check that internal temperature, too.

Now you're left with a pot of your own homemade chicken stock! The best part is you know exactly what's in it, and you can reserve it for future use in all sorts of recipes, soups, and more. 

The way I like to do is set a strainer over a bowl, then pour the contents of the pot through the strainer. You're left with your stock! 

I freeze mine in small ziplock bags for future use. :) Go ahead and put the onions in the bowl with the cooling chicken.

As soon as your chicken is cooled, you get to start shredding it. I get impatient, so I throw on a pair of gloves to protect me from the heat a bit so I can start sooner. Your chicken should be cooked just right- easy to pull apart (just grab a piece at the top pull- much like peeling a string cheese- follow the grain).



Now you can return that same empty pot to the stove and dump in the prepped ingredients you got ready while the chicken was cooking. Stir it around and let it simmer, about ten minutes (or until the onions are clear). Ultimately, this is all going in this awesome chicken mixture together!

When you're done peeling the chicken, you simply stir the contents of the pot and the shredded chicken all together. Whalah! Delicious Mexican shredded chicken! You can save this in individual portions for chicken fiesta salads, family-sized portions and use it as enchilada stuffing (I'll be posting an awesome recipe for that later this week!), use it for taco filling, even make an awesome chicken tortilla soup with it. It's versatile, healthy, delicious, and freezes well! If you take the hour to make this on a Sunday morning, you could make 5 or 6 meals with it throughout the coming weeks, especially if you double it like I did!

If you enjoy healthy clean recipes like these that are great for the whole family, please subscribe to my blog! Share this post with a friend who might like it too!  Leave a comment if you try this recipe or have any questions- I love to hear from you! If you need a little help on your fitness journey, reach out to me. I'm here! And as always, live healthy, live happy! Amanda

Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
www.amandanoddings.com

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So yesterday I was running behind, and I didn't have time to get my food in order for work. For someone who's pretty much mastered being prepared in order to make better choices, It was an epic fail. We had NOTHING! How did this happen!? Who does the grocery shopping around here, anyway!? 😜



I had my Shakeology, so that's my "healthiest meal of the day" that I can't live without, but what else!? My life isn't about living off of shakes alone- I have one a day and then a ton of healthy, delicious food too! So... What do you do to avoid the classic pitfalls of poor nutrition I used to make all the time, which were A.) Go to work and scavenge on whatever I healthy crap I find lying around, or B.) (and worse yet!) eat nothing at all?



Well, I went to the grocery store on my lunch break with a speed mission. In two minutes, I was able to buy a healthy, balanced meal for less than $6- which I would easily have spent at a fast food place, where a "Value Meal" will cost you between $8 and $10 artery clogging dollars! So this is not only a time saver, but a health saver as well.


Start in the produce section! I found pink lady apples on sale for $1.49 a pound and bought two of them. I circled around to the deli and found a rotisserie all natural, no-hormone added free range chicken for $5.99 (the whole chicken!). Then I swooped through the freezer section and grabbed a steamer bag of cauliflower and broccoli- they were 2/$3. Total spent? $10.50-- which put my meal at $5.25 for the night without ruining my health and hard work. Plus, I saved money over hitting up a drive through-- and now I have tomorrow's food ready to go!



What's the hardest part of eating healthy for you?
A-Time
B-Prep
C-"Too Expensive"
D-I don't like healthy food
E-I don't know where to start


Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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Shakeology -- clinically proven to help you lose weight and get healthy

Amanda Noddings Transformation Story: Mom of Two Loses 70 lbs. Fights Depression and Changes Life

Hi! My name is Amanda Noddings.  I am a hard working wife and mother of two young children, Olivia (4) and Elijah (21 months). I am 34 years old, and a Certified Nursing Assistant. I am also a Star Diamond Beachbody Coach. Today I would like to share my story with you. Some of my pain I have never publicly shared before, and is very difficult for me.  But in sharing it, I hope to help inspire someone who maybe, like me, struggled with depression and self worth. ***If you'd prefer to watch my YouTube Transformation Video, you can see it here.***

For years, I have struggled with my weight, as well as my own level of happiness. In my twenties, I self medicated my depression with food and alcohol.  I thought I was the life of the party, but inside I felt less than. I made poor choices, would get depressed about them, and compound those poor choices with more poor choices.  I am not proud of the person I was.

In 2009 I started working on getting in shape a little bit.  I had finally met a guy that I quickly fell in love with.  We were married, and things were good, but we struggled.  I waitressed in the evenings, and then worked nights full time as a nursing assistant. I would get off work at 7 am, then go to school for the majority of the day. With this hectic schedule, I had little time for eating.  Some days I ate too much, others I barely ate at all. My husband’s father was battling cancer, and I was pregnant with our first child.  It was all I could do to keep our family together, work, and complete my degree. My own health took a back seat again.  I felt it was my responsibility to have this baby before he died. I was riddled with stress and guilt.

We welcomed Olivia in August of 2010.  I was overjoyed! I went on walks with her and lost most of the “baby weight,” but I was overweight before the baby.  A few months later my husband’s father passed away.  Depression came to visit in our house and seemed to be an ever-present member of the family. I continued to get larger and more unhealthy, barely holding it together.  I weighed over 200 lbs. I came to a time when I felt I needed to make a change! I convinced my husband to buy me a gym membership we couldn’t afford for mothers day.  I started making changes.

I saw some results and that encouraged me.  I finally made it to about 190 lbs, but no matter how hard I pushed on the elliptical, no matter how many protein shakes I drank, I couldn’t get below that number. But I started to have hope. Then, in January of 2012, amazing news.  We were pregnant with our second child! I was excited to be in better shape at the start of this pregnancy. I took it easy and did everything right. 

After the first trimester finally passed, we started to tell our family and closest friends the good news.  We talked about naming it after my father in law if it was a boy. Olivia announced to the family that she was going to be a big sister!

In the first week of June, I had terrible pains and bleeding. My doctor told me I was losing the baby, and there was nothing we could do. I was 22 weeks pregnant.  In my head I named him Michael. I spiraled into a deeper depression.  It was no longer a sometimes visitor, but a constant, ever present weight around me.  I came very close to ending my life. My family and husband were supportive, but they were grieving too. I pulled into myself, lashing out at others, even my husband. I ballooned up to 232 lbs, and began to hate myself even more.

But in the end, Olivia saved me. A big job for a two-year-old girl who didn’t understand much, except that her mother was sad.  Sad and tired. She gave me kisses for no reason.  She gave me hugs.  She played and was happy and good.  One day, she looked at me and said, “Are you happy, mommy?”

It was an earth shattering moment.  I was not happy, but I should have been.  I could be. I wanted to be.

I didn’t know where to start. But I knew Olivia deserved more than this shell of a mother going through depression and obesity.

My BMI stated that I was “morbidly obese.” I was humiliated. But I started working out. I started cooking better.  I made slow and steady progress. I talked to my friend Mia about borrowing Insanity from her.  I didn’t really think I could do it, but I thought “what do I have to lose?” Two days before Mia brought me Insanity I found out I was pregnant again.  I was terrified. I was paralyzed with fear. What if it happens again? What if I lose another one? I knew I couldn’t take it again.

I felt myself starting to slip, but I held on to my sanity by my fingernails. I made a vow to myself that this time would be different.  I was going to do better this time, have a healthier pregnancy. I was going to borrow Insanity from Mia as soon as I felt physically able after the baby came. September 8th, we welcomed Elijah James to the world. What a miracle! What a blessing! Now to get to work!

I started Insanity October 5th, 2013. Just the Fit Test made me feel like I was going to die. I surprised myself on October 6th and pressed play again. And on the 7th, 8th, 9th. I didn’t miss a day. I stopped making excuses. And an amazing thing happened. I became empowered. I was able to do something for me. I was committing and sticking with something for maybe the first time in my adult life. And the pounds started to disappear.  The fat started to melt away. 

I listened to Shaun T’s voice telling me to dig deeper, and I did.  I started doing things I could never do before.  When I finished Insanity, I had lost 36 pounds.  I was slimming down through hard work and exercise. I started T25. I had gone back to work full time and I didn’t have the time for the longer workouts.  I was scared to get fat again.  But I knew I wouldn’t, because something had changed.  I HAD CHANGED.

My free BeachBody coach, Tawnya, contacted me. I had never met her.  She was a stranger. She told me I could do it. She offered me the support of an online challenge group, and the nutrition of Shakeology. 

I engaged, interacted, and worked hard for 25 minutes a day. That’s it. When I finished T25, I had lost over 55 inches from my waist, hips, arms, and thighs.

Olivia watched me workout every morning. She was my own personal cheerleader. She would yell, “you’re doing it, mommy, your doing it!” Elijah mostly rolled around on the floor and looked at me while I worked hard. On the last day of T25, I took my after pictures. I felt proud and accomplished.  I made a collage of the pictures to compare my progress.  And I cried. I cried for the woman I had been, who had wasted so many years being unhappy and feeling like I didn’t have control over my health and fitness. I cried for the baby I had lost. I cried for the time I had lost. I cried for the excuses I had made. “I’m big boned.” “I’m so busy!” “I don’t have time!”

But mostly I cried when I saw my face in the photos. Because I saw the change in my smile, saw my eyes light up more and my smile grow bigger in each photo, even as I grew smaller. By the end of Insanity and T25, I had lost over 55 pounds and gone from a size 24 to a size 9. I had gained confidence, strength, and agility.

My marriage had improved. I wasn’t carrying the weight of blame that comes from a lack of accountability to yourself. My husband noticed my changes and started Shakeology, too.  He has lost 30 lbs. as well now, without even adding exercise. I’m so proud of him. I won the daily prize for the Beachbody Challenge for my results ($500), and then the monthly prize for July 2014 ($1,000). I am now in the running for the Challenge Finals! I have kept over 70 pounds total off over a year now, and my life is completely changed.

And I started helping others. Coaching them.  Running challenge groups on Facebook. Helping them achieve their goals. I want everyone out there who has suffered loss, pain, and depression to know that you CAN get through the other side. You have to Decide…Commit… and Succeed.  And I want to help you do it. There is a better way, a better life out there for you, if only you will reach out and grab it.  

If you know someone who would enjoy this story, or needs to hear that its possible, needs some inspiration, needs someone to believe in them, please SHARE it.

If you decide to start your journey, I would be honored to coach you on your fitness journey, or mentor you on my team as a new coach.  Please fill out this form to contact me about getting started on your health and fitness journey, and taking the first steps to change YOUR life.

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!

www.amandanoddings.com

Sneak Peek of the all new Beachbody Dance Workout CIZE coming this July!

Holy smokes that was a good burn!

This is a recording of me doing the new CIZE workout which launches in July, but was exclusively released through Beachbody On Demand for a sneak preview today!

In CIZE, Shaun T teaches even a novice dancer (me) how to do one move at a time, then builds one move upon the next until an entire routine is learned. In the end, he has you "Cize it Up" by setting the entire routine to a current hit song! I'll be busting this routine out at the club or a wedding soon!

Shaun T really teaches you that ANYONE can dance- and if you're having FUN when you workout, it doesn't feel like work! Sometimes, especially when you're just starting, that's the hardest part!

Beachbody is giving a free program to a lucky winner who wants to be FIRST to know about CIZE when it comes out! To put your name on the list click here!

To contact me about joining Team Driven, having Free coaching and support, or getting started with a program or Beachbody ON Demand and achieving your health and fitness goals, fill out this quick contact form and I'll get back to you ASAP!


Know someone who would love Cize? Share this video/blog with them! Look forward to hearing from you soon!
Amanda


Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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