Hey Fit Soldiers,

If you have made positive changes to your nutrition habits then that probably included adding more vegetables into your daily routine.

If so, that's awesome! Keep it up and make sure you are including a variety of different kinds of vegetables. After all, I've never heard anybody say "Stop, your eating too many vegetables."

By adding more veggies your probably adding a little prep time (no big deal, it's worth it) as well.  Most likely you are also tossing a lot of veggie scraps into the trash or maybe even your compost. Again, this may not be a big deal, but what if you could get more out of them?

That's just what Katie and I have been doing the last few months...

Yes I said PIZZA.

Growing up on the in Massachusetts we had over a dozen mom and pop pizza places in my little town of 15,000 people. So you could say that we were in no short supply of good pizza.

That turned me into a bit of a pizza snob. When we came across this recipe in Precision Nutrition's Gourmet Nutrition I reluctantly gave it a try.

Let's just say Katie was a little more excited than I. My hopes were not very high.

She was right, I was wrong. This pizza is amazing, it cures my craving for pizza, I'm not over eating, good fats, lots of veggies and tasty to boot!

Check it out as soon as you can!

If you made it in Tuesday morning you had a chance to try some of our tasty Fit Soldiers Flapjacks!

Typical pancakes carry trace amounts of protein and are overloaded in refined carbohydrates and even still need an excess of syrup to pour on top of them.  You'll notice these are not your typical pancakes. They've got protein and still carry a taste that doesn't need much if any syrup at all.

First the Protein Pancakes, I'm not sure who to source here because this recipe is all over the internet but you can see some of our edits below. You can cook these up for a snack later in the day, freeze them for later in the week, or eat them hot and ready for breakfast, your pre/post workout, or fueling an outdoor adventure.

COMING SOON!
The Pumpkin Pancakes come from a woman (Registered Dietician) I met this past fall at a health fair. They still have some quality protein but have a little more sugar that the others. Because of that there really is no need for other sweeteners.  They are pretty amazing!

So whip some up and tell us what you think! You can also share this with your friends!

Last weeks recipe was from one of our bootcampers, and so is this weeks! This time one of our faithful 5AMers, Cindy Weitz gave us a sample of this delicious recipe that is actually from a raw food cleanse she used to do. This recipe goes to show that healthy food can taste amazing too! Do something good for your body and your taste buds this week and give this recipe a try! You'll thank me(and Cindy) later!!

INGREDIENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS:

3/4 cup red pepper
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 lemon - juiced

Blend red pepper, cilantro, and lemon juice together.

Add the following ingredients to this mixture:

Summer is finally here! Have you noticed some of the delicious summer produce on sale at the grocery store lately? Dave and I have, and we have been buying fresh pineapples like crazy! I must say, fresh pineapples are  just so much better than the canned ones.

One of our very own Fit Soldiers Jay Hinkle sent me this recipe a couple weeks ago so I figured I would give it a try. In his words, "this is so good it's stupid." After trying it, I couldn't agree more! It's light, fresh, crisp, and delicious! It is the perfect summer dinner. Try the recipe and then leave a comment and let us know if you think so too!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless thin sliced chicken breast cutlets/tenders
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cups (1-inch) cubed fresh pineapple (about 8 ounces), divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced habanero pepper
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup julienne-cut peeled jicama
• 2/3 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 (5-ounce) package fresh baby spinach (about 8 cups)

Hey everyone! My recipe of the week has turned into recipe of the month lately. I am sorry I have not been posting recipes more regularly. I am going be better about it this summer though, I promise!

With the temperature outside heating up, Dave and I have been grilling a lot more. I found this recipe in one of my cookbooks the other day and ever since we tried it we have been hooked! It seems to be on our menu once a week now. Give it a try with some steamed basmati rice and a simple green salad and you soon you will be a believer too! Because let's face it...plain grilled chicken get's boring after a while.

Ingredients:

6 medium chicken breast filets (you can do less like Dave and I do but then you will just have extra spice mix ready for the next time you want to make this delicious chicken!)

1/3 cup butter (less if you are only doing a few chicken breasts)

1tsp garlic powder

2tsp onion powder

2tsp cayenne pepper(less if you can't handle the heat!)

2tsp paprika

1/4tsp ground cumin

1tsp dried thyme

1 and 1/2tsp each salt and ground black pepper

Click below on 'continue reading' for the instructions.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am definitely ready for spring time. I am over the snow, wind, and being cold. But I guess while it's still here we might as well embrace it with a few more winter comfort food meals! Here is a healthy version of a classic; stuffed peppers! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups chicken stock

6 bell peppers(mix different colored peppers if you like)

1 Tbs olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 (6oz) can tomato paste

1/2 a vidalia sweet onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped or pressed

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese

salt and pepper to taste

If you're like most Americans you're probably pretty excited for the big game this coming Sunday.  Not necessarily for the teams playing, but to hang out with good friends, drink a couple brews, and have some tasty grub!

I want to throw out a couple healthy options for you this week to help you stay somewhat on track while you let your nutritional guard down a bit.

Here's what we've got for you....ranch dip, and pizza!

Dinner doesn't always have to involve so much time and

effort. Last night I wanted to make something simple, fast,

and yet delicious...and I did! Don't over complicate your

meal planning. Try using items that are often in your

refrigerator, on your counter, or in your spice rack.

This recipe is for all the moms with picky kiddos out there!

I just made these for Dave Monday night and he LOVED them! I even found out something new about my husband.

He told me how when he was a kid he would always get super excited about the school lunch menus because he loved chicken nuggets so he would go through and highlight all the days on the menu with chicken nuggets.

He even paid extra for seconds on the days chicken nuggets
were being served. It turns out they are still one of his
favorites and this recipe for a healthier version of chicken
nuggets gets his stamp of approval!

We ate them with a nice big salad and it was delicious, but
you could also do steamed veggies or baked sweet potato
fries as a side.