Far too often, when one attempts to lose weight, add muscle, and generally improve their physique, the emphasis is placed squarely on the gym and exercise programs. While this is an important component, it’s certainly not the ONLY component you should be focusing on. Its been said that 60% of the weight loss battle is fought in the kitchen. Not only do I agree with this statement, I wonder if it’s not a higher percentage. Point is, what you put into your body is going to have a HUGE effect on how you look and feel.
All the HIIT sprinting, crunches, compound exercises, and everything else we tout on Share it Fitness isn’t going to make a lick of difference if you are still eating sugary, high-fat, simple carb-laden meals on the regular. If you’ve changed your exercise lifestyle, congratulate yourself, but don’t stop there. Now it’s time to change your dietary lifestyle.
I’ve personally witnessed the body transformation of clients who adopted a healthy eating mindset first hand. They went from looking semi-fit, but soft and average around the edges to a hard-bodied, toned, and HOT specimen of a human being. The food you eat has THAT big of an effect on you and your physique. The worst mistake you can make is underestimating the impact unhealthy eating can have.
This article isn’t going to give you the same generic advice you’ve been given time and time again; eat whole wheat pasta in place of the white flour kind, swap turkey meat for ground beef in hamburgers, or sub out fried fish sticks for carrot sticks. Come on people…that stuff is lame. What you really want is practical and tasty meals to replace the crap you’ve been eating. In addition, not only are these meals lower in calories and fat, but they are high in anti-oxidants and other vital nutrients that do everything from make your hair shinier to fight free-radicals and combat cancer. These superfoods are not only great for your waistline, but for the functioning of your body as a whole.
Below, are examples of what many of you are eating…and a comparable, healthy, nutrient-dense replacement.
Eat This: Cheesy Quinoa with Caramelized Veggie Medley Not This: Mac n’ Cheese
Mac n’ Cheese, with its mounds of high-fat cheese, greasy bacon, heaps of butter, and pasta, can easily come in at 800+ calories per serving. Skip this high-fat, artery clogging recipe and instead opt for the cheesy, nutty goodness, of “quinoa n’ cheese”. This complex carb will help regulate blood sugar, add vital fiber to your diet, and keep you full longer. Best part, the recipe below is phenomenal, comes in at less than 375 calories per serving and will make you forget all about that mac n’ cheese you were craving.
Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 table spoons olive oil
- 3 carrots, peeled, diced
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 10 oz. crimini mushrooms, diced
- 1 clove garlic, diced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon each: paprika, black pepper, salt
Instructions
- Add 2 cups of quinoa to 4 cups of boiling chicken stock. Cover and reduce to simmer. Cook until all water has been evaporated, about 15 minutes.
- In separate, heavy-bottomed pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add carrots, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Add onion and continue cooking. Add a dash of salt and sugar. Lower heat to medium low and continue stirring until vegetables caramelize. Set aside.
- Add cheese to quinoa, toss to mix. Add vegetables, toss well, serve.
Eat This: Guilt Free Blueberry Coffee Cake Not This: Fruit-filled Danish
Really, you can substitute any high-sugar breakfast pastry for the fruit-filled danish above. These sneaky little snacks may make you feel as if you are eating healthy because you eating fruit (in reality, its fruit compote and a whole lot of sugar and gelatin), but they come in right around 400 calories EACH. Not to mention, the high sugar content is going to spike your blood sugar levels and throw your body completely out of whack. In its place is a whole wheat, high fiber, and extremely tasty (I can attest to this) blueberry coffee cake. This stuff tastes so good you will be surprised it’s healthy. At only a hair above 200 calories per serving you can afford to indulge in a sweet breakfast treat and not set yourself in a hole for the rest of the day.
For the full recipe, click here.
Eat This: Hearty Greek Nachos: Not This: Nachos Grande
Nacho plates are most typically corn tortilla chips piled high with cheese, refried beans, ground beef, and other assorted toppings. Your average nacho plate will hold well over 2,000 calories. And let’s be honest, the easy and quick to eat snack isn’t exactly something you only eat ONE serving of. You could easily walk away with half a day’s worth of calories when you cross paths with nachos. Well, if you use this healthy spin on nachos, you’d end up with a tastier and less calorie filled snack, making your indulgence less destructive on your waist line. This Mediterranean spin on this Mexican-American classic comes in at just under 275 calories per serving, making this a perfect snack, any time of day.
Ingredients
- Whole wheat pita, cut into triangles. Homemade or store-bought.
- 1/2 pound ground lamb
- 2 tablespoons dill
- 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon natural honey
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- lemon zest of 1/4 lemon
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup onion
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumbers
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3/4 cup feta cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Saute the garlic and onion.
- Add the ground lamb, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook until done; set aside.
- Meanwhile, crisp the pita triangles in the oven.
- Make a bed of pita triangles and place ground lamb mixture on top.
- In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, feta and dill. Stir well.
- Spread yogurt mixture over ground lamb. Top with chopped cucumbers and tomato.
- Add more feta if you desire.
Eat This: Lamb Tajine Not This: Chili
For many, chili is an American past time. Unsurprisingly, so is obesity. Stay away from this heart attack-inducing meal and opt for something lighter, healthier, and if I may say so, tastier. This lamb stew comes from Morocco, and brings together savory, sweet, and citrus tones in a perfect way. The next time you have friends over and want to class up your standard pound of ground beef, onions, garlic, and chili powder…opt for this recipe and blow them away.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. lamb shoulder, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Olive oil
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron (optional)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 4 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
- 4 tablespoons almonds, chopped
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 small bunch parsley, coarsely chopped.
Instructions
- In a large pot, saute lamb, salt, pepper, saffron, garlic, ginger, parsley, and onion.
- Cover with roughly 3 cups of water, or just enough to cover, and simmer, covered, for 90 minutes over medium-low heat. Be careful not to overcook.
- Add lemon zest, orange juice, cinnamon and continue cooking an additional 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Add honey and cook another 5-10 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
- Toast almonds and sesame seeds. Sprinkle over stew.
- Serve with couscous or other nutritious grain.
Eat This: Panko Crusted Baked Chicken Not That: Greasy Friend Chicken
Here’s a great recipe to have in your repertoire; healthy, crispy, and flavorful panko baked chicken. By using panko in place of flouring and deep-frying, you are able to save over 60 grams of fat per serving in this classic picnic recipe. The key to this recipe is to double-coat the chicken in panko, and let it rest for a solid 30 minutes before cooking. This will help the coating stick and deliver the crispy crunch of fried chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 whole fryer chicken, washed, dried, and cut into 10 sections
- 2 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 sprig tarragon
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Using twine, tie together herbs and set aside.
- Melt butter in a pan, add garlic and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cook over low heat until flavors have blended, about 12 minutes. Do not allow butter to bubble.
- In a bowl, combine panko, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Mix well.
- Using a brush, cover all sides of cut chicken with butter herb mixture. Adding a piece or two at a time, toss chicken in bowl of panko. Press panko into chicken to get it to adhere.
- After coating all pieces, set chicken aside for 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees, and bake chicken for 25-30 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
- Remove from oven, place on wire rack, and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve.
Eat This: Watermelon-Cherryberry Sorbet Not This: Ice Cream Sundae
Ditch the 1,000+ calorie dessert for this refreshing, light, and anti-oxidant rich summer treat. This sorbet is so delicious it may even make you forget about ice cream for good. By using agave syrup, we substitute a low GI sweetener, in place of insulin-spiking sugar, making this a tasty treat that won’t wreak havoc on our insides.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup agave syrup
- 2 cups seedless watermelon cubes
- 1 cup sweet Bing cherries, halved and pitted
- 2 cups fresh berries, your choice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Fresh fruit to top (optional)
Instructions
- In a pan, combine water, agave, lemon juice, and salt. Boil lightly, while stirring often for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a food processor, blend cherries, watermelon, and berries. Add liquid mixture and blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a rectangular cooking dish and place in a freezer, uncovered.
- Leave in the freezer for 90 minutes.
- Remove sorbet from the freezer and break up the frozen fruit with a fork. Create a smooth texture by breaking up the ice.
- Freeze for another hour, max.
- Top with fresh fruit if desired.
Matt
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