Ah, the Freshman 15. It is a very real thing, as you might have heard (or seen). Taco Bell might sound like a good idea, but you'll end up paying for it, girl!
Eating good doesn't have to suck! With these 5 recipes, you can easily make sure that you don't tilt the scale any higher than it already is.
1. Whole Wheat Pasta with Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
• 4 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
•2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
•5 tablespoons of olive oil
•2 cloves of minced garlic
•1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
•2 cups of chopped kale
• lemon lemon zest from 1 lemon
• 1tablespoon of lemon juice
Directions
1. Cook spaghetti for 1 minute under what the directions on the box say. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, for later.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and cook and brown seasoned chicken. Set aside.
3. Pour the rest of the olive oil in the pan and add the pepper flakes and garlic cloves. Cook for about 1 minute.
4. Add the lemon juice and zest, kale, and pasta water from earlier. Cook for 3 minutes or until the kale is tender.
5. Add the chicken and spaghetti and toss together. Serve immediately.
2. Blueberry Vanilla Popsicles
Ingredients
• 3 1/2 cups of lowfat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 3 cups of fresh blueberries
Directions
1. In a blender, combine blueberries, honey, and yogurt.
2. First, pour in a little bit of yogurt into the mold and then pour the berry mixture.
3. Freeze for 24 hours and enjoy!
3. Chicken Avocado Burritos
Ingredients
• 2 cups of shredded chicken
• 4 large tortillas
• 2 tablespoons of dived cilantro
• 1 diced avocado
• 1/2 cup of Mexican cheese blend or other preferred cheese
Directions
1. In a bowl, mix cheese, chicken, cilantro, and avocado.
2. Spread onto tortillas and fold into a burrito.
3. Warm up a skillet with a little bit of oil and place the burritos on the pan. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. Serve immediately!
4. Buffalo Chicken Bowls
Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons of milk
• 3 sliced avocados
• 1 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt
• 1 cup of Greek yogurt dressing
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 1 cup of buffalo sauce
• 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cans of corn
• 2 cans of black beans
• 1 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes
Directions
1. Cook chicken and then add buffalo sauce and garlic. Shred chicken and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt dressing and milk and allow to cool in the refrigerator.
3. Drain beans and corn and pour in another bowl. Then, add tomatoes and avocado.
4. Create your bowls with prepared mixture and the buffalo chicken. Top with Greek yogurt dressing and serve!
5. Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 3/4 cup of white whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup of light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons of coconut oil (or butter)
• 2 cups of diced strawberries
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon of milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix oats, brown sugar, salt, and flour in a bowl and stir until the mixture becomes clumpy. Take about 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture and use the rest to line the bottom of the prepared baking sheet.
3. Scatter strawberries all over the sheet and then sprinkle the cornstarch and sugar on the berries. Add the reserved crumbled mixture on top.
4. Bake bars for 35-40 minutes and allow to completely cool in the refrigerator.
5. For the glaze, stir vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar together in a bowl and drizzle on top of the cooled bars. Slice and serve.
