Strawberry Pecan Oatmeal

Most Important Meal of The Day

We've heard it a million times. "breakfast is the most important meal of the day!", and it really is. Eating breakfast every morning has done wonders for me. When I eat breakfast I have more energy and it has been great for my metabolism. Here's a quick, easy oatmeal recipe I like to make some mornings. 

(Organic oatmeal from Trader Joe's)

(Almond Milk)

(Brown Sugar)

(Pecans)

(Strawberries)

Making your own oatmeal is much more healthy than buying many of the prepackaged fruit oatmeal with a bunch of sugar and additives. Give this a recipe a try and let me know how you like it. Enjoy :)

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Live Fit Be Free

Eboni :)

Save Money Freeze Fruit

Ever had this happen? 

Of course! We all have. I use to waste so much money on food because it would go bad before I got a chance to eat it. Fruit only lasts for so long before going bad. Here is one way I learned to save more food and money at the same time.

Slice up your fruit of choice before they go bad.

Place in freezer storage bags
(any fruit can be frozen)

place in the freezer
(here I have frozen mango, pineapples, strawberries and bananas)

Frozen fruit lasts in the freezer for a pretty long time. I typically use within a couple months. I use frozen bananas sooner..... I would say within a couple weeks (but you don't have to). I do this because I buy fresh bananas every week.

I like to use my frozen fruit to make smoothies.... I have at least one a day. Sometimes I'll mix fresh fruit and frozen fruit together. I do this a lot when I make strawberry banana smoothies. I'll use frozen strawberries and fresh bananas. It all depends on what I have available at the time.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope this tip helps. Leave any questions or comments below.

Live Fit Be Free

Eboni :)

Strawberry Pancakes

Try this delicious recipe! I incorporated ProFit by Itworks to my breakfast. You can still eat healthy and have the foods you love.!

Live Fit Be Free

Eboni :)

Banana & Peanut Butter Chocolate Bites

I'm Not Giving Up Sweets and You Don't Have to Either!

Ok... so anyone who knows me knows that I LOOOOOOVE sweets. Matter of fact, there've been times I've made a peach cobbler and ate the whole pan myself! Ha ha, (not all in one sitting though) When I embarked upon my healthy living journey, sweets was the one thing I knew would be difficult to give up. Then I thought... who said I had to give up sweets completely?... I realized I didn't need to give sweets up, I just needed healthier alternatives!

When I really want a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, I make this simple, healthier alternative instead:

1. One banana

2. Slice

3. Use a spoon to add all natural peanut butter (or almond butter) and Semi-Sweet chocolate bits to the banana

I hope this quick and easy snack satisfies your sweet tooth the next time you're craving that candy bar.

Enjoy!

Live Fit Be Free

Eboni :)

Is Organic More Expensive?

Walmart vs Trader Joe's 

I'm constantly hearing people say they would love to eat organic food, but they don't normally buy it because it's too expensive. Well, if you shop at Walmart and you don't think you can afford organic fruits and veggies, you may want to think again.

I decided to do a little price comparison just for kicks. I wanted to see what the difference would be between the produce at Walmart vs Trader Joe's and here's what I found.....

(Walmart  left, Trader Joe's  right)

Walmart's spinach is about $1.00 more than Trader Joe's organic spinach. I always had a hunch that Walmart was not always the cheapest, but it was good to do a side by side to confirm.

Trader Joe's vs Trader Joe's

(Trader Joe's organic lemons vs Trader Joe's non-organic lemons)

Most people have at least heard that organic fruits and vegetables are more expensive, but the question is how much more? Well, based on my trip to Trader Joe's, there was only a 20 cent difference between the organic vs non-organic lemons....which is not that big of a price gap. I personally go for the organic when possible.

Hopefully this provides you with some insight for your next trip to the grocery store. The conclusion is that you may pay a bit more more for organic depending on what you buy. I know organic meats are usually always more expensive, but other organic items don't always have to be.

Thanks for stopping by... leave any questions or comments below. I'd love to hear from you!

Live Fit Be Free

Eboni :)

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

Bringing Out The Flavor of Vegetables

Oven roasting vegetables is one of the best ways to bring out the flavor. Use any vegetables you like, below I'll show you how I prepared this delicious oven-roasted dish.

Ingredients:

2 large sweet onions, cut in chunks

4 large sweet carrots, cut in chunks

1/2 lb of Brussels sprouts

1/2 lb of Artichokes 

8 to 10 small potatoes 

4 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

4 minced cloves of garlic

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking spray (I used extra virgin olive oil in a spray bottle)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F peel all the vegetables. Toss all vegetables in oil, and  minced garlic. Arrange the vegetables in a large roasting pan coated with cooking spray (extra virgin olive oil). Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 35 minutes.

2. Uncover and turn vegetables with a large spoon. Add salt and pepper and roast at 425 degrees F for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are thoroughly cooked and the edges are not burned.

****Serving size 6

Serve this meal alone or as a side dish with grilled fish or chicken. 

Enjoy!!!

Live Fit Be Free 

Eboni :)

Welcome to 2014

May this be your best year yet!

Eboni :)

Live Fit Be Free