Wanna' Look Good In Your Heels? You Gotta' Eat Healthy Meals!

Well, seeing as this blog is a mix of advice/thoughts on being a young professional (as well as random posts about my dogs, my dream careers and anything that I find relevant enough to write on) I found it only fitting to combine my love of a healthy lifestyle with my blog. 
When you feel good about yourself it spills over into all parts of your life. I mean, when you are rocking a great outfit, your hair looks good, and you have energy, you do tend to have a better day. It doesn't have anything to do with vanity, it really doesn't, it's just a natural progression. What I have discovered in maybe the past 9 months or so, is that my energy level and positive outlook really is directly correlated with what I ingest. Now, maybe I'm not the best person to be writing this because for whatever reason (blame my mother), I have tons of energy...like, pretty much all of the time. I can't drink coffee in the morning (or at least not more than half of a cup) because I would be off the walls and people at work might stop talking to me. And that would make me sad. However, eating cleaner, less processed, low fat meals really has helped me maintain that energy throughout the day as well as keeps me trim, helps me think clearer and makes my skin look better. I also enjoy running several times a week, but obviously, any physical activity will do as long as you are doing it several times a week and not bringing in more calories than you can burn. This isn't about being "thin" or "skinny" it's about being healthy. Whether you agree with his politics or not, our President's wife has done a wonderful job of spreading the word on healthy eating and working out with younger kids. However, if you're a little older and maybe missed out on being healthy as a child, fear not! Start now! Ok, so I am going to post several recipes that are healthy, will last for several meals (lunch for the next day, anyone?), taste yummy and are simple to make! So, bon appetit! (you can just pretend that there's an accent mark above the e. Thank you.)

Homemade Tzatzki Pasta Salad: 

1 (16-oz.) container low-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves
1 (16-oz.) package penne pasta
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1 (9.9-oz.) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Process first 7 ingredients in a food processor 30 seconds or until thoroughly blended. Transfer to a bowl, and cover and chill 1 to 24 hours.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water.
3. Place cooled pasta in a large bowl. Stir in olives and next 3 ingredients until well blended. Add yogurt mixture, and stir just until well coated. Gently stir in feta cheese. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Baked Coconut Shrimp:

Ingredients:
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
3 egg whites, beaten until foamy

Directions
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Rinse and dry shrimp with paper towels. Mix cornstarch, salt, and cayenne pepper in a shallow bow; pour coconut flakes in a separate shallow bowl. Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge it in the cornstarch mixture, then dip it in the egg white, and roll it in the coconut, making sure to coat the shrimp well. Place on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining shrimp.
Bake the shrimp until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center and the coconut is browned, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping the shrimp halfway through.

**We make a sauce for dipping that is easy and yummy: 1/2 cup of orange marmalade; 2 tbsp. of Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp. of horseradish..

***We also made grits to go with it; with light butter and pepper they are a healthy and easy (and cheap!) side-dish. 

Shrimp and Cheese Tortellini Caesar Salad: Sorry, no pic!
Ingredients
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1 (10-oz) Caesar salad kit 
1/2 pound of shrimp
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 cups frozen cheese tortellini 
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese 
1/3 or sour cream 
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 
1/3 cup sliced black olives, drained (Kyle hates olives so we never add them). 

Prep:

• Bring water to boil for pasta. 

• Chop tomato and salad blend into bite-size pieces
• Steps: 

1. Cook tortellini following package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water when draining. Prep the shrimp in whatever way necessary, i.e.: peel, thaw, etc...
2. Combine in salad bowl, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, sour cream, mustard, Caesar dressing (from kit), reserved pasta water, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; whisk until smooth.
3. Add tortellini, olives, tomatoes, croutons (from kit), and lettuce; toss with dressing. Layer shrimp over top of salad and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Serve. (Makes 6 servings.) 
4. We always put it in the freezer for roughly 25 minutes to make it a chilled salad. 

So, this should give you a good start. I also love Boca burgers, they are low fat, high in protein, delicious and with a small serving of sweet potato fries--I love the Alexia brand--it's a wonderful meal. For breakfast, oatmeal is a great choice or cereal with fruit cut up. I eat that every morning and it is so filling and a good start to the day. 
GOOD LUCK, you can do this!