Farro, veggie and chicken stirfry!

Love, Love, Love this!

I had never, until today, tried Farro but it is amazing! It is only 170 calories per serving (1/2C) and has 6g of protein and a ton (5g) of fiber! It is a little tricky to cook since it has a very chewy texture until it is done. I bought the quick cook 10 minute version which is pre-cooked at Trader Joes and I really liked it!

My CT (milli) was eating this for lunch and it was so good that I had to run home and make it for myself :]

Farro, veggie and chicken stir fry!

Ingredients:

- about 6 chicken tender slices (probably a little less than a pound)

- 1 bag of 10-minute Farro

- 1 1/2 C sliced green beans (I didn't buy precut, I just cut them up myself)

- 10 baby carrots

- 1 cup mushrooms

- 1/2 medium onion

- 2 cloves of garlic (could have used more)

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken: needs to be in slices or cubes, and I marinated it in Gyoza sauce from Trader Joe's 

- Place in fridge for 1 hour

- Can also just use soy sauce (or Liquid Braggs Amino Acids) and hoisen sauce instead

2. 1 bag Farro (pre-cooked, 10 minute kind, small blue bag from Trader Joes)

- Cook farro per directions on package

- Let sit

* Note: you can also buy this grain at most of the healthy stores but if you do not buy the pre-cooked kind, make sure you give yourself a hour or more to cook it before you begin since it needs to soak. 

3. Cut veggies (green beans, carrots, onion, garlic, and mushroom) and stir fry with grapeseed oil or canola oil

- Salt and pepper to taste

4. Cook chicken.

Throw all of this together and wha-la! 

Anyhow I really liked it. It was really filling, healthy, and cheap :] 

What 100 Calories Looks Like

I always love these!

This one is from a website called fitsugar and it tells you exactly what 100 calories of a variety of vegetables or fruits would be! I am assuming the majority of you are not interested in committing to counting calories like it is your new job, but it is still interesting all the same.

Just think of how many servings of veggies you could have for one 240 calorie chocolate bar. I would which would keep you full for longer too!

SO PRETTY

100 Calories of Veggies

100 Calorie of Fruit

Also, I eat about 50% of my calories from fruits and vegetables! Although it is fairly expensive, it can be done slightly cheaper (Costco, fruit stands, planting your own garden etc.) and the health benefits definitely outweigh the slight increase in cost! If you are already eating out a lot, it may even be a decrease in cost!

Healthy Dinner

Today when I walked into school the assistant principal called me over to ask if I would sub because the assigned sub was a no show. Of course I said yes! I'm a non paid students teacher that wants the experience and NEEDS the money. But when I asked what science class I would be teaching they told me oh, it's 6th grade math! Well boy was I in for a surprise, 6th grade is SO different than 7th grade. They are: crazy, loud, fun, sweet, young, and so willing to do what is asked. It was crazy.

Anyhow, when I got home I was pooped. I could barley think about eating dinner less alone making it, so I threw together this easy, healthy recipe!

Bok Choy Udon Soup!

Here is the before and after!

I heated a pot to medium and added:

- 1 full carton of Trade Joe's organic free range chicken broth (1 QT)

- 1 package of Annie Chung's Japanese Syle Udon Noodles (Found and Whole Foods)

- 4 Bak Choy with the bottom cut off (about 1/2 inch off the bottom)

- 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (TJ's)

- 2 Tablespoons Siracha (found at Safeway)

I would do the last two ingredients to taste! Mine was a bit spicy for my taste so I would reduce the Siracha next time!

Anyhow, have  to go work on my lesson plans for next week! Enjoy the Soup :]

Superbowl!!!

So, as most of you know, tomorrow is the SUPER BOWL!!!!! Woo!

Although I am not a huge football fan, I will be partaking in the festivities! Although this is a very America, get drunk and yell at the TV sort of holiday, I will be doing it in a healthy, sober fashion! (And I will be having just as much fun.... maybe even more fun :]    )

Food For Tomorrow:

This is my list of Superbowl snacks!

1. Brocomole!!

Although this sounds like something your mom might try to sneak in (to get in those veggies!), it actually got very good reviews. Reviewers said it was creamy, had a nice kick, and that it was VERY low calorie! 

You can fin the recipe here! 

2. Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower

This is the perfect wing substitute for those that are vegetarian! I have never tried it before but I will tell you how it is tomorrow :]

Recipe here

And as always, I will be making a veggie platter :]

Other things that would make a good super bowl treat:

1. Mini Cucumber Sandwiches

2. Quinoa Salad

Love this blog!! I highly suggest it! She has a lot of great recipes :] 

Annnnnnd See Jane Run, who hosts free run clubs and has an amazing selection of running stuff, posted this cool Superbowl game! Sounds like a much better plan than the same ol same ol drinking game :] 

Have fun and be safe tomorrow!! Oh and....

GO NINERS!!!!

PV Body's snacks that won't pack on the pounds!

Hey,

I highly suggest you guys check out this list of healthy snacks on the go! All of these healthy treats can be picked up at your local Trader Joe's and I can personally vouch for all for all of them!

The Pure bars:

These are a personal favorite of one of my really good teaching buddies! He likes them because they are a little moister than most of the other protein bars and they are chalk full of healthy ingredients that can easily tide you over to your next meal! I suggest trying the blueberry one :]

The Spinach and Kale Yogurt Dip:

One of my favorite girls swears by this dip! When we lived together she would easily go through one of these a week ( small not-so-guilty pleasure). At first I was a little hesitant to try it, because it doesn't look super appealing, but I am SO glad I did! I love it! I usually eat it with some of the Tj's lentil chips. It satisfies my chip/crunchy foods craving while giving me an additional serving of veggies. What more could I ask for!?

As for the other two:

Trail mix: The small bags are perfect for ensuring that you eat this nutrient packed snack in moderation. Although I love trail mix, a very small amount (1/4 Cup) can run you about 200 calories! That being said, I could easily just open up a bag, go to town, and be extremely sad 1,000 calories later. These small packs are very helpful for those of us that live on the go, and those of us that need a little help with the "everything in moderation" rule :]

Side note:

PV Body is an amazing company! You pay $49.95 and they send you a workout top and bottom with a retail value of $100+! I absolutely love getting their grab bags and wear almost all of the clothes that I get from them. If you are unhappy with the outfit you receive, or it doesn't fit, they will pay for your return shipping and either refund you your money, or send you a new outfit to try! LOVE THEM. I would suggest them for the serious athlete that needs to add a little excitement to their workout routine!

Student Teaching

My thoughts for the day:

1. Life is so much easier as a teacher when you require the students to be independent thinkers! 
- I have this awful habit of wanting to do all of the work for my students. For example, if they are off task, I am right there telling them what they should be doing. In reality, I should have been asking them "What are you doing? Ok, what should you be doing?" This approach feels so much less stressful and really allows me to focus on the class as a whole, as apposed to getting focus on the needs of my disruptive students.

2. Pausing makes all of the difference.
 - I am super lucky to have a loving, supportive CT (cooperating teacher) that is very patient with me, even when I do silly things or get frustrated when a lesson goes poorly. Her goal for me this year is to learn how to make teaching feel less like a job, and more like a fun, interesting adventure with my students. Since I tend to turn into police woman Jennie when I feel overwhelmed (especially with side conversations), she has asked me to try and pause every time I start feeling like this. Started trying this today and boy does it beat getting upset, or sending kids out. It feels so good to take a deep breath and realize that my calm will help the students to feel calm. Thank you Milli, I needed that :]

3. Eating healthy, clean meals helps me stay focused and maintain a high energy level
- When I eat super sugar or fatty foods I always end up feeling sluggish and tired. Today I started off my day with a smoothie:

                        - 1 Frozen banana (in chunks)
                        - 1/2 cup berries (any kind)
                        - 2 hand fulls of Kale
                        - 1/2 cup Fage 0% greek yogurt
                        - 1/4 - 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
                        - 1 Tbsp flax seed (ground)

* Super good, pretty green, very healthy :]

Exercise/Weight Loss Lesson #1 - Listen to your body!

So, as some of you may know, I struggled with my weight as a child/teen and then decided I wanted to do something about it. For me this meant a permanent life change. But to be completely honest, I can summarize all of my changes into one category: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

Sometimes this is easier said than done, but I promise you, doing so can make a world of difference to your health and your overall happiness.

Before I chose to make health a life goal, I was a yo-yo dieter. You name it, I tried it. But they all yielded the same results, lose about 10 pounds, gain back about 15. When you yo-yo diet (like I did) you end up confusing your body, and damaging your metabolism. Thankfully I didn't hurt mine to the point of no return, but it is a slow battle for me to regain my ability to eat a normal amount on a daily basis.

This week I am focusing on listen to my body. After 3 days of listening, this is what I am hearing:

- You are doing too much (graduate student, full time teacher, working out hard 6 days a week) and we need a break
- The foods you are eating (sugar overload) are causing us to feel tired, burnt out, and lazy

What I plan to do about it:

- This week I will focus on reducing my sugar intake, and increasing my protein and veggie intake.
- Staying hydrated
- Taking Sunday's and Friday's off from working out. I will allow myself to do something mild (like go for a walk along the beach, or walk the stairs near my house) but nothing big.

Here are some protein packed recipes I will be trying this week!

Tonight:

Quinoa, Edamame, Avacado and Egg salad!

This recipe looks AMAZING!! I found it here. I will let you know how it is in the coming week :]

Tomorrow: (as a side dish)

Sesame "Noodles"

Although I do not endorse, nor partake in the Paleo Diet, this is a Paleo friendly recipe that looks amazing and therefore I will try :]

I found the recipe here.

* Note: this woman (website writer) also has a cookbook that looks AMAZING and I highly encourage you to try here recipes and see if it is something that you would like. Her recipes seem very creative, healthy, and easy and I am all about that :]

Staying Hydrated

Silly I know, but it always helps me stay hydrated if I have a cute water bottle that I am happy to carry around! This specific one is from Lululemon and I love it :] 

I'll share some more water tricks next time :]

That is all for today! I will give you some more recipes soon :]

About Me

Hi!

My name is Jennie and I am on a mission to be healthy, happy, and carefree! (we'll see how far I get on that last one :)  ) I am a first year teacher who is trying to balance lesson planning, eating on the go, and working out. This blog will mainly focus on those three subjects but if you have any questions, please let me know :]

Hopefully we can get Fit, Fast, and Fabulous together!