Now this is a healthy dish that I can get use to.
So, I have tried many things to get back to being motivated to be healthier and get some of these pounds off me. I have tried to tell myself that I need to do some sort of physical activity. So, I would do 30 minute workouts or take my dog on a longer walk. That seemed to work for a couple of weeks until one day I didn’t do it and my butt made love to my couch and separating those two is about equal to separating two horny teenagers who claim they are in love. We all know what that is like. Its like trying to separate a magnet from a nail. But I had to do something. I had to try to find my way back to getting healthy and becoming more physically active. Out of the blue, the nudge that I needed….came.
I had a physical done last year but I never got my blood work done because I was too afraid to find out what my sugar levels were. You see, back in 2012 I found out that I was pre-diabetic and I cried. It was emotional to me because I immediately thought of my grandmother who died at 52 because of complications with diabetes and heart related issues. So, in my mind I’m scared because I was thinking if I don’t get my stuff together I may only have about 20 years left. So a few years ago I lost 30 pounds, but I gained all of it back due to pure laziness and eating really good. Therefore, the thought of checking my blood and sugar levels is scary to me because I was only about 0.2 points away from having diabetes completely. Well, my sugar did go down (YAY), but my weight did go up (bummer). So now I’m saying to myself “Nicole, get your sh*t together. You are 31 and now is the time for you to really start keeping things in order for yourself”.
In the midst of me doing my workouts I stumbled across Shaun T’s T25 workout plan. Now, I am no stranger to Shaun T and he is no stranger to me. He kicked my butt in Insanity so I know what he is about. But, I did one of his workouts for T25 and I was immediately sold. You work so hard in 25 minutes and the best thing about it is that it is only 25 MINUTES! Anyone can do it. I immediately convinced my significant other of how easy it will be for us to do this together and it is something that we can commit to everyday. He was convinced and we have done it together for about a week now. The meal plan is also great because it is more protein based, which allows your body to burn more fat. So I thought I would explore some options that are good to eat but not carb heavy and that is why I created these Chicken and Apple Salad Lettuce Cups. Well, I’m sure you seen this recipe somewhere in life so its nothing “new” but it is yummy. I love this recipe because it is easy and because of the combination of flavors. Its sweet, savory, and you have the nice crunch from the celery and walnuts. Not to mention its low in carbs, high in protein, and when I inserted the recipe into Livestrong it came back that there is only 80 calories in each lettuce cup (that is considering the serving size to be 16). This recipe is perfect me and a great meal idea for T25! I can see me in my sexy little back dress already.
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Chicken and Apple Salad Lettuce Cups
Ingredients
- 14 oz. chicken tenderloin strips
- 1 large green apple, cut into chunks
- 1 large red apple, cuts into chunks
- 1 1/4 c. red seedless grapes, sliced in half
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 c. walnuts
- Romaine Lettuce Leaves for serving
- 2 tbsp. lite mayo
- 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp. plain greek yogurt
- 1 tsp. honey
- salt and pepper as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Degrees: Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and lay out the chicken on the sheet. Season on both sides with salt and pepper and cook for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Once the chicken is cooked, set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. Once the chicken is cooled, cut into chunks.
- In a large bowl, add the diced apples, grapes, and chicken. Now add the walnuts and celery and toss so all the ingredients are evenly mixed. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo, mustard, yogurt, and honey. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the chicken and fruit and toss until evenly coated.
- Take whole Romain lettuce leaves and rinse them clean. Add about 2 tablespoons of the chicken and fruit salad into the inside of the Romain lettuce and enjoy!
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