Zucchini Lasagna, The Guilt-Free Comfort Food of Choice

Zucchini Lasagna

Lasagna is one of my favorite Italian meals but the calories can certainly add up and leave you feeling like a useless couch potato for hours.  Okay so that might have been a little aggressive but I know that I personally have a hard time with portion control when it comes to lasagna.  I mean, what is really a “slice” anyways?  I was lucky enough to grow up with the fabulous cooking of my mother and never actually cooked my own lasagna before because why mess with mama’s cooking!  With that said, I have been on a serious zucchini kick lately.  Zucchini wheels, zucchini pasta, zucchini oats, you name it.   With plenty of zucchini and lasagna essentials in the fridge, I decided to experiment in the kitchen!  The taste exceeded my expectations and kept my tummy full and happy!  1 serving (1/4 dish) is only 285 calories ( 7g f, 18g c, 40g p).  I would also like to mention that 1/4 of this dish is a VERY generous serving size.  Below are the ingredients and recipe:

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini

12 oz extra lean ground turkey

1 1/4 cup fat-free mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup skim ricotta cheese

1 can Del Monte diced tomatoes with zesty green chiles

1/2 can tomato paste

 

Recipe:

Cook the turkey on medium in a skillet and set aside.

As turkey is cooking, slice zucchini vertically to create thin zucchini strips as “noodles”.

Once turkey is cooked, add diced tomatoes and tomato paste and continue to cook on medium-low for 3-5 minutes or until consistency of bolognese sauce is created.

Preheat oven at 350F.

Layer baking dish starting with zucchini, then add sauce and cheese.  Repeat this layering until dish is almost full. (I like to add extra mozzarella on the top).

Bake at 350F for 28-30 minutes.  Let sit for at least 20 minutes to let juices settle.

 

Enjoy!

How I Turned Pro- Gym Selfie

Okay, so I used to be that person who would scroll through my news feed and roll my eyes any time that I saw a gym check in.

First official gym selfie before building season

First official gym selfie before building season

I thought to myself, “congratulations you are at the gym no one cares”.  I would think the same thing when I saw a picture on Instagram of someone sweating after a tough workout.  But really, what is the point of social media if you aren’t sharing with others the things that you enjoy?  How is checking in at the gym any different from checking in at a restaurant or bar?  How is posting a picture of yourself in the gym any different from posting a picture of yourself in the car?  I’ve come to believe that gym selfies, or selfies in general, are not so much attention seeking but rather a representation of confidence and pride.  Now maybe there are a couple of instances that are an exception here, but I would say very few.  For someone like me who is working towards a fitness goal, taking pictures is really helpful in determining progress and if I want to share my experience along the way then why shouldn’t I?  I mean, why do we really follow people on social media anyways if we aren’t interested in what is going on with their life?  I posted my first “”gym selfie” the other week, not because I was fishing for likes, but because I was excited about my journey thus far and like to keep myself accountable.  Looking back now, I think all of my eye rolls were just my way of trying to cover my own lack of self-confidence.  I also realize that not everything needs to be documented on social media and that it is important to live in the moment. If a selfie here and there makes that much of an impact on your day than perhaps you need to reevaluate your priorities.  SELFIE-ON PEOPLE!

Welcome

Amanda Summer 2013

Welcome to my blog!  My intentions for this blog are to share ideas and inspire others to become the healthiest version of themselves.  I am still educating myself every day on how to live a healthy lifestyle and want to share my journey with others.  I will not only be sharing my favorite “healthified” recipes, but also my day to day experiences as they relate to nutrition, fitness, and general life adventures.  As a full time analyst juggling the cube life, multiple fitness and nutritional courses, and bikini competition preps, I have a lot on my plate and I cannot wait for you to see what’s on the menu!