Veggie Quesadilla and Kale Chips

This recipe makes two servings, so it's great for a date night, or can be broken up into two different meals for one healthy person on the go.
Kale chips recipe I used was found here: http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2012/08/kale-chips.html  I've used other recipes and found that my chips burned, so I like that this one required a lower cooking temperature for a longer time.

2 whole wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheese
2 cups vegetables (sliced mushrooms, diced zucchini, diced bell peppers, etc.)
1 bunch kale (cut into 2-inch pieces)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Seasoned salt

for kale chips:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Throw kale pieces in a bowl and toss with 1 Tablespoon olive oil.  Lay out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with seasoned salt.  Bake kale for about 20 minutes, or until crisp.
for quesadilla:
Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in saute pan, add vegetables and cook until soft. I used a quesadilla maker, but you could also cook your quesadilla using a frying pan or george forman grill. Place cooked vegetables and cheese in between tortillas and heat until the cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and enjoy.


Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = whole wheat tortilla
Palm sized portion of protein = cheese
Thumb sized healthy fat = olive oil
 Fist sized portions of vegetables = mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, kale

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Wrap

I'm getting ready to finally start another round of Game On and have been brainstorming for new ways to follow the diet.  I've been really enjoying buffalo ranch chicken wraps lately, but I would hate to waste my 100 calories just on the sauce (I've been mixing Hidden Valley Ranch with Sweet Baby Ray's Buffalo Wing Sauce).  I decided to do a quick google search to see if anyone has used greek yogurt to make a buffalo ranch sauch and this is what I found:

Buffalo Ranch Dipping Sauce
2 cups plain greek yogurt
1 packet ranch seasoning
3/4 cup hot sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot Wings sauce)
In a small mixing bowl, whisk ranch seasoning into greek yogurt. When mixture is smooth, fold in hot sauce. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Refrigerate leftovers.

http://www.bakingserendipity.com/2012/08/20/buffalo-ranch-dipping-sauce/

This way the greek yogurt can count as part of my protein and the amount of ranch seasoning and hot sauce involved will only use up a few of my calories, not all of them.


1 whole wheat wrap or tortilla
1 fully cooked chicken breast, diced



1/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese
1 Tablespoon Buffalo Ranch dipping sauce made with greek yogurt
5 green olives
Optional: add sliced or diced bell peppers



Spread sauce on whole wheat wrap, add chicken, olives, cheese and (optional peppers).  Fold wrap in half and microwave until cheese is melted.

Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = whole wheat wrap
Palm sized portion of protein = chicken, cheese, greek yogurt
Thumb sized healthy fat = olives
Fist sized portions of vegetables = peppers

Veggified Chili in the Crockpot

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb lean ground beef
2 cans beans (I use a mix of kidney and cannellini beans)
2-3 bell peppers chopped
2 zucchini or yellow squash chopped
1 can mild Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilis
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons Chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper




*Healthy Fat options - either add olives to the chili or a small serving of nuts on the side as a snack



Brown turkey and beef and drain.  Transfer to crockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4 hours.
Makes about 8 servings, according to MyFitnessPal calculations, roughly 335 calories per serving. 


Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = beans and tomatoes
Palm sized portion of protein = turkey and beef
Thumb sized healthy fat = either olives or nuts
Fist sized portions of vegetables = bell peppers, zucchini and squash

Green Smoothie

2 big handfuls of romaine lettuce (or spinach)
1/2 cup milk
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
1/2 scoop protein powder (I used Pure Protein brand chocolate whey protein)
3 macadamia nuts (or any other kind of nut)
sprinkle of cinnamon
2 big ice cubes

Blend together until smooth, then enjoy.


Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = milk and banana
Palm sized portion of protein = greek yogurt and protein powder
Thumb sized healthy fat = macadamia nuts
Fist sized portions of vegetables = romaine lettuce

Potato Salad

1 medium cooked potato, diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, diced
1 mini cucumber, diced
1/4 bell pepper, diced
1/2 Tablespoon mayo with olive oil
Sprinkle of seasoned salt

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy. One option would be to use celery or zucchini in place of or in addition to the cucumber or bell pepper.


Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = potatoes
Palm sized portion of protein = egg whites
Thumb sized healthy fat = egg yolks (and olive oil in mayo)
Fist sized portions of vegetables = cucumbers, peppers

HG's Cheesy Zucchini Skins and Sweet Potato Fries

The Cheesy Zucchini Skins recipe was emailed to me yesterday by Hungry Girl, link to original recipe is:
http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/show/2558

I realized that the little bit of tomato I used wasn't going to be enough of a carb, so I added some of Mann's Sweet Potato Fries to complete my Game On meal. I was able to break up this recipe into 2 meals.


2 slices center-cut bacon or turkey bacon
2 medium-large zucchini, stem ends removed
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1 bag of Mann's Sweet Potato Fries (I found these at Shoprite in the refrigerated veggie section)
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8" X 8" baking pan with nonstick spray (I used olive oil spray).
Cook bacon until crispy, either in a skillet over medium heat or on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave. (See package for cook times.)
Pierce zucchini several times with a fork. Place zucchini on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave for 2 minutes.
Flip zucchini and microwave for 2 more minutes, or until softened.
Pat dry. Let cool, about 5 minutes. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out and discard the inside flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch inside the skin. Thoroughly pat dry.
Place hollowed-out zucchini in the baking pan, cut sides up.
Distribute cheese among the zucchini. Chop or crumble bacon, and sprinkle over cheese.
Bake until cheese has melted and bacon is hot, about 5 minutes.
Cut each piece in half width-wise, and sprinkle with tomato.
Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees and cook sweet potato fries according to directions on bag.

Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = tomatoes and sweet potato fries
Palm sized portion of protein = bacon and cheese
Thumb sized healthy fat = olive oil
Fist sized portions of vegetables = zucchini

Tuna-stuffed Tomatoes

1 large tomato (or 2 smaller tomatoes)
1/2 can of tuna fish (about 2.5 oz)
1/2 bell pepper diced
1 mini cucumber diced
1/2 cup broccoli slaw diced (I buy Mann's brand broccoli slaw)
1/2 Tablespoon mayo with olive oil
1 Tablespoon dill relish
3 green olives diced

Cut out center of tomato/es and scoop out the inside.  Mix together the rest of the ingredients and stuff inside.  Grab a fork and knife and enjoy. 

Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = tomatoes
Palm sized portion of protein = tuna
Thumb sized healthy fat = olives (and olive oil in mayo)
Fist sized portions of vegetables = cucumbers, peppers, broccoli slaw

Chicken Quesadillas and Side Salad

I like to give credit where credit is due and I first found the shredded taco chicken recipe on pinterest, the link to the blog is http://www.mychocolatetherapy.com/2012/01/crockpot-chicken-tacos.html

2 whole wheat soft taco shells
about 2 oz of shredded taco chicken
1/3 cup shredded reduced fat mexican cheese
2 cups lettuce
4 kalamata olives, diced

I used a quesadilla maker, but you could also cook your quesadilla using a frying pan or george forman grill. Place chicken and cheese in between taco shells and heat until the cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and enjoy.  Combine lettuce and olives (and other vegetables if desired) to make side salad. 


Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = soft taco shells and salsa (in shredded chicken)
Palm sized portion of protein = chicken and cheese
Thumb sized healthy fat = olives
Fist sized portions of vegetables = lettuce

Chicken Taco Salad

2 cups of lettuce (any kind, I used a variety of mixed greens)
about 4 oz of shredded taco chicken (made in crockpot with chicken, salsa, and taco seasoning)
1/8 cup shredded reduced fat mexican cheese
1/3 cup salsa
4 kalamata olives, diced

Mix together and enjoy.


Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = salsa
Palm sized portion of protein = chicken and cheese
Thumb sized healthy fat = olives
Fist sized portions of vegetables = lettuce

Flatout Veggie Pizza

1 Flatout flatbread wrap
little bit of olive oil
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese
3 olives
Diced vegetables (I used a variety of bell peppers)
Italian seasoning and garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 F
Lightly oil flatbread wrap with olive oil
Bake for 7 minutes
Remove from oven, top with cheese, olives, and veggies and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic powder
Return to oven and cook for 7 minutes
Remove, slice and enjoy

Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = flatbread wrap
Palm sized portion of protein = cheese
Thumb sized healthy fat = olives and olive oil
Fist sized portions of vegetables = bell peppers

Veggified Chicken Salad

3 oz canned chicken breast in water (1/4 of the 12 oz can from Aldi's is what I used)
1 mini cucumber diced
1/2 bell pepper diced (I used a mix of red and orange bell peppers)
1/2 Tablespoon mayo with olive oil (I've tried both Hellman's and Kraft, both are good)
1 Tablespoon dill relish (you could use sweet relish, I just like dill better)
3 green olives diced
11 Big Wheat Thins (or a serving size of regular wheat thins or triscuits) OR 1 Arnold Sandwich Thins Multi-Grain (or any other multi-grain or whole wheat bread)

Mix together chicken, cucumber, peppers, mayo, relish, and olives.  Enjoy either with crackers or on sandwich thin.
This is very similar to the veggified egg salad.
I've found that it's best to mix this together one serving at a time and eat either the same or next day.  If the chicken salad sits for too long it becomes watery and gross because of the veggies.

Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = wheat thins OR sandwich thin
Palm sized portion of protein = chicken
Thumb sized healthy fat = olives (and olive oil in mayo)
Fist sized portions of vegetables = cucumber and bell pepper

Veggified Egg Salad

2 Hard-boiled eggs diced
1 mini cucumber diced
1/2 bell pepper diced (I used a mix of red and orange bell peppers)
1/2 Tablespoon mayo with olive oil (I've tried both Hellman's and Kraft, both are good)
1 Tablespoon dill relish (you could use sweet relish, I just like dill better)
11 Big Wheat Thins (or a serving size of regular wheat thins or triscuits) OR 1 Arnold Sandwich Thins Multi-Grain (or any other multi-grain or whole wheat bread)

Mix together eggs, cucumber, peppers, mayo and relish.  Enjoy either with crackers or on sandwich thin.
I've found that it's best to mix this together one serving at a time and eat either the same or next day.  If the egg salad sits for too long it becomes watery and gross because of the veggies. 

Game On Diet plan
Fist sized portion of fruit or carbohydrate = wheat thins OR sandwich thin
Palm sized portion of protein = egg whites
Thumb sized healthy fat = egg yolks (and olive oil in mayo)
Fist sized portions of vegetables = cucumber and bell pepper