One key element to a building a hardbody is having a game plan. That includes not only your workouts but also your meal plans. Bodybuilding.com has provided an easy-to-follow weekly meal plan that includes a shopping list and a stress-free cooking plan. If you take the time to plan your meals and cook your food in advance,  you’ll never be left hungry and straying from your hardbody goals.

This detailed shopping list simplifies what you will need at the grocery store. Bodybuilding.com made it even easier by having a PDF download, print and take to the store. If you are preparing for a physique competition will likely need more than what’s listed but this will help serve as a solid blue print.

 

Fit Meal Planner Shopping List:
• 1 lb brown rice or quinoa or buy a bit of both!
• 8 oz container of old-fashioned oats
• 3 lbs of lean ground turkey (try for 85-90% lean)
• 1 flank steak (1lb can be divided into 2 servings; 2lbs makes 4 servings)
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 avocado
• 1 large package fresh spinach salad mix fresh veggies
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 head of broccoli (or 1 package pre-chopped, fresh broccoli)
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 pack pre-cut and washed mushrooms (or 1 lb fresh mushrooms-but then you have to cut them yourself)
• 1 pack celery
• 1 package fresh pre-cut stir-fry veggies (or build your own by buying onion, Chinese cabbage, shredded carrots, broccoli, snow peas, and water chestnuts)

 

Visit Bodybuilding.com to get detailed recipes that explain how to cook five individual-serving-size dinners. You’ll also be able to pack extra food to stay fueled throughout the day. When you create a hardbody game plan you’ll make living a healthy lifestyle easier.

Props Bodybuilding.com for the photo and featured content.

 

Our friends at Bodybuilding.com have been sharing great content all year and sometimes we all need to go back to the basics. A healthy eating plan doesn’t need to be complicated and this article on Bodybuilding.com breaks down five meals anyone can make to help stay fit.

Key Meal Elements:
• Include protein to keep you feeling satisfied and safeguarded against muscle loss.
• Include moderate dose of carbohydrates to supply slow-burning energy.
• Healthy fats to round-out a meal plan to keep hunger levels under control.

The biggest take away from this article… HAVE A PLAN. Read the complete article here.

Greek Yogurt is high and protein and has a variety of ways it can be implemented into your nutritional plans. Thanks to Voskos Greek Yogurt you can now find quick and easy recipes through your mobile device. The app also has a convenient store locator so you can easily find where to purchase Voskos in your area. Guess what, it’s FREE!

 

I downloaded the app to my iPhone this morning and it installed without any problems. Sounds simple enough but you’d be surprised how many apps crash or don’t install when they first launch. It loads quickly and designed so that you can navigate easily. I haven’t tried any of the recipes listed yet but after seeing some of the images, it does have my mouth watering.

 

Screen shots via iTunes App store.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sun Valley, CA—August 9, 2011 – Loaded with dozens of easy-to-prepare options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, the Voskos Greek Yogurt Recipes App was released for the Android and iPhone platforms on August 3, 2011. The App is free, and available for instant download from the Android Marketplace and iTunes App Store.

Developed by Voskos Greek Yogurt’s team of chefs and nutritionists, the App’s collection of over 100 recipes contains detailed nutritional information and easy instructions. The recipe collection includes high protein, low-fat, and low-sugar choices, and new recipes will be added to the App’s library every month.

Accompanying the recipe collection is a collection of “Videos from Mary’s Kitchen,” in which Mary demonstrates several “no-cook” recipes that are ideal for older children, busy students, parents, and for anyone who simply doesn’t have the time to make recipes that call for complex cooking instructions or a long list of ingredients.

“The Voskos Greek Yogurt Recipes App makes shopping easy,” says registered dietitian Janet R. Mertz. Mertz, a diabetes educator. Mertz writes for Voskos Greek Yogurt’s “What’s Fresh” blog. “The App allows you to search recipes by keywords, and save a list of your favorites for your next trip to the grocery store. Greek yogurt is such a healthful addition to the diet. The Voskos Greek Yogurt Recipes App makes it simple to incorporate this ‘superfood’ into any meal.”

The Voskos Greek Yogurt Recipes App also includes a store locator to help you find the stores that sell Voskos, as well as money-saving coupons and access to Voskos Greek Yogurt contests.

Voskos Greek Yogurt has been recognized in awards contests presented by Fitness magazine, Women’s Health, Vegetarian Times, Natural Solutions, Self Magazine and Cooking Light magazine. It is also a triple gold winner of the 2010 Los Angeles International Dairy Competition. Visit Voskos’ Web site for dozens of Greek yogurt recipes for low-carbohydrate breakfasts, appetizers, entrees and snacks.

About Voskos Greek Yogurt
Award-winning for its thick, rich taste and nutritional value, Voskos Greek Yogurt is all-natural, hormone-free, gluten-free, and Kosher certified. Through Voskos’ proprietary ProStrainâ„¢ method, Voskos yields two times more protein, more probiotics, less lactose, and a thicker, creamier consistency. Voskos is the only brand to offer an organic Greek yogurt line in addition to its all-natural plain and blended flavors and never has “fruit on the bottom.” Available nationwide, retailing between $1.49 – $2.99 in such stores as Kroger, Safeway, Publix, Bi-Lo, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and more. For store locations, and to download a coupon, visit voskos.com or facebook.com/Voskos.Greek.Yogurt today.

About Janet Mertz, Janet R. Mertz, MS, RD, CDE, CPT
Janet Mertz is a diabetes educator, wife of a Type-1 diabetic and mother who enjoys helping educate people on nutrition and healthy lifestyle.

 

Download the app here. You can also follow Voskos on twitter. Give them a Hardbody hello on there.

 

Barbecues are a fun way to spend a summer night or weekend with friends and family. Thanks to Chicago Healers Practitioner Dr. Martha Howard we have a few tips for holding a healthy and safe barbeque this summer.

Dr. Howard shares these tips to a fun, healthy and safe summer barbecue.
• Clean the grill—get rid of the old fats

• Avoid petroleum starters for charcoal. If you use charcoal, use a wood starter and stack your charcoal up in a 2 pound metal can (no paint on the can, please) with the ends cut off. Lift off the can with tongs and spread out the coals when they are well started.

• Be sure you know how to turn on your propane grill safely. Avoid a time gap between opening the valve and starting the grill.

• Wash your hands and use separate plates and cutting boards for raw and cooked meats. Be sure to wash hands again before putting on long, heat-proof barbecue gloves. (Towels and little hot pads are a set-up for burns.)

• Trim most of the fat—less fat means fewer PAHs.

• Use marinades—they tend to protect the meat from charring. Put the marinade on and put all items back in the refrigerator until ready to go. Don’t let them sit out.

• Use precooking prior to grilling, especially for items like raw brats. Avoid taking burgers, chicken or other meats directly from the freezer to the grill.

• Cut meat and chicken into smaller pieces so they cook through.

• Turn down the fire and turn your burgers, steaks, chops, or chicken often, so they cook through, and come out a gorgeous golden brown.

• If you are cooking a thicker portion of meat or chicken, think about using a meat thermometer.
o Chicken: 165 degrees.
o Hamburger: 160 degrees.
o Pork: 150 degrees.
o Hot dogs: 140 degrees.
o Steak 145 degrees for medium rare (only if you know where your steak comes from) and 160 degrees for medium

• Grill more veggies! And if you are making kabobs, oil all the veggies, cook the onions with the meat, and grill the other vegetables separately. That way the meat gets done, and the vegetables don’t get overdone.

• At the end of the barbecue, be sure to put out your charcoal completely, and if you are using propane, be sure the valve is turned off.

About ChicagoHealers.com
Chicago Healers (www.ChicagoHealers.com) is the nation’s pioneer prescreened integrative health care network, offering a comprehensive understanding of each practitioner’s services, approach, and philosophy. Our holistic health experts teach and advocate natural and empowered health and life choices through their practices, the media, educational events, and our website. With close to 200 practitioners and over 300 treatment services, Chicago Healers has provided nearly 400 free educational events for Chicagoans and has been featured in 300+ TV news programs and print publications. For more information, visit www.ChicagoHealers.com.

Photo via: tailgatingideas.com