I have absolutely fallen off the healthy wagon. Multiple times this year alone! But that’s OK. Because no matter how many times you fall off, you can always get back on. So back on we go!
It been difficult for me to work out a good time to hit the gym. There’s not really enough time between when the Y opens and when the school bus comes, and I absolutely loathe going to gym after work. I don’t know why, but the thought of leaving work and the going to work out just irks me to no end. So, I just haven’t been going.
After my last weekend adventure climbing a mountain in Vermont, I definitely realized that it’s time to get my booty back in the gym. Now that school is out, I have more time to be able to get to the Y first thing in the morning. If you see me at the Y and cranky at 5:00 a.m., just move along. After I leave and get some coffee, I’ll be fine!
The other side of things is eating well. With current prices, even the thought of going to the grocery store scares me (and my debit card!), but, alas, we all have to eat and if we want to live long healthy lives, we need to eat well. Fuel our bodies, but also enjoy what we are eating.
I am fortunate in that I love a good salad. I found a couple of summer salads that look fantastic, and you know how much a love to share good food with y’all. If, like me, you are also looking for a healthier summer, try these out and let me know what you think!
Chipotle Grilled Chicken and Mango Cobb
Ingredients:
• 2 cups chopped romain or butter lettuce
• 1/2 cup chipotle grilled (or air fried) chicken, chopped. (I just use McCormick’s Chipotle & Garlic Seasoning.)
• 1/3 cup sliced or chopped mango
• 1 slice of bacon crumbled (or just use some of the ‘real’ bacon bits)
• 1 Tbsp. sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup corn
• 1/3 avocado
• Your favorite dressing. I’ll probably go with something like a spicy ranch.
• 1 Tbsp. roasted pepitas (those are just roasted pumpkin seeds, so you can use sunflower, or any other seed you like!)
Directions: Chop everything into bite size pieces (because I hate when salad ingredients aren’t small enough to actually eat) and toss with your choice of dressing.
Southwestern Salad
Ingredients:
For the dressing:
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (If, like me, you think cilantro tastes like soap, just leave it out)
• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 c. olive oil
For the salad
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 c. grape tomatoes, cut in half
•orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 c. frozen corn, thawed
• 1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro (again, skip it if you don’t like Irish Spring in your salad)
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
• 1/2 c. crushed tortilla chips or strips
Directions:
For the dressing: To a blender or food processor, add the avocado, red wine vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend or pulse until almost smooth; there should still be bits of cilantro. Add the oil and blend until incorporated.
For the salad: See above. It’s just a salad, we don’t need to get fancy here. Also, remember it’s a salad. If you don’t like onion or anything else in the list, skip it. Add in whatever veggies you do like! Trying to eat healthy is going to fail miserably if you try to force yourself to eat stuff you don’t like.
