eat clean

What’s the real cost of juicing at home vs buying juice??

~ cassandra ~ 3 Comments

As you can see from my last couple posts/my instagram [@afitgirlsguide], I am a little obsessed with whole juicing again. It’s such a great way to get fruits and veggies in the diet…and in the case of whole juicing- fiber! I love whole juicing in my Blendtec because it keeps all the great fiber in it, vs separating it out in a typical juicer. And of course it’s tasty! I’ve been trying out some really great combos that are SO refreshing on a hot day.

cost-of-juicing

In the past I used to buy a juice every now and then from Sprouts or Whole Foods, but they are so expensive and I never really made it a habit [luckily]. After buying produce specifically for juicing, I am totally shocked at how much juice can be made at home for the same price!!

Recently I’ve been doing 1/4 lemon, 1/2 cucumber, handful of kale, handful of watermelon, and about 1/4 of green apple with some water in the Blendtec.

Here’s what I purchased from Sprouts:

2 lemons @ .50 each
4 cucumbers @ .50 each
1 container of organic kale @ 3.49
1 seedless watermelon @ 3.99
2 green apples @ 1.49 /lb

total price: 12.09

This amount of produce will probably make about 8 drinks, with watermelon left over. That’s $1.51 per drink!! And it’s a lot more than the amount in a tiny juice bottle or cup too! Compare that with $7.99 bottle of Suja and you are saving a lot of $$$.

Of course this requires you have a high powered blender or juicer, but if it’s something you use often, it’s worth it! Save more money on juice, buy more lululemon…no brainer.

Have a great weekend!

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Juice Obsession: watermelon-lime-cucumber detox juice

~ cassandra ~ Leave a comment

I started whole juicing with my Bledtec again, and I guess I had forgot how simple it is! There is no reason to spend $$$ on  juices if you can make them at home! #duh

picmonkey_image (3)

For this recipe I used:
1 cup watermelon (chopped up), half of a cucumber, and a quarter of a lime (peeled).
Blend and serve over ice. Easy Peasy and SO refreshing.

Watermelon and cucumbers are both super hydrating, the combo is perfect if you need a little de-bloat after some weekend indulging. No judgement. I don’t really believe in “detoxing” per se, because that’s what we have organs for…. but I totally know the post-vacay/Monday Morning feeling of needing to lay off the sugar/carbs, and hop back on the fruit & veggie train. As long as you aren’t starving yourself, I think juicing is part of a healthy lifestyle, and is a great way to get more nutrients into your diet!

detox-juice

And if you’re interested, here are a few reasons I will NEVER do a juice cleanse.

Happy Hump Day!

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Skinny Strawberry Limeade

~ cassandra ~ Leave a comment

With the crazy hot temps this summer, a cold drink is essential. Lemonade can be kind of a calorie bomb, so this is a tasty alternative. It’s super easy to throw together for a 4th of July BBQ as well.

strawberry_limeade

For each glass of limeade, you will need:
Handful of strawberries
Juice of 1 lime
1 stevia packet
8-12 oz water
Ice

You can either puree the strawberries, lime juice, and stevia or simply mash them together. If you are making a large batch (or don’t like “chunks”), I recommend blending or pureeing.

Enjoy!

 

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Friday Finds: Grocery Edition

~ cassandra ~ Leave a comment

It’s no secret that I am a Costco lover, so naturally that’s where most of these items are from. Inexpensive and healthy. Can’t beat that.

FridayFinds

Chicken Salad Cups. These babies are good on the macros and are perfect to have for lunch with some crackers and a salad or between a Sandwich Thin. Also great on their own as an afternoon snack.

GoodFoods-ChickenSalad

Muscle Milk Light boxes. These are so convenient. I’ve been drinking them on and off for a few months and I love them. They taste great and I don’t have to worry about mixing protein with water after my workout.(Recently purchased on sale for $22.99) MuscleMilk

Kirkland Grilled Chicken Strips. We got kind of sick of chicken after eating it so often. These are perfect because I don’t have to cook the chicken and reheat it (which I think tastes disgusting), and they are great to throw in a salad or a wrap for lunch. [And yes, a batch of these were recalled back in the spring, but they are fine now]

CostcoChickenFrozen Pineapple Chunks. These are amazing. They taste fresher than canned pineapple, and the consistency they give smoothies is amazing. There is also a lot more in the bag than I thought there would be. CostcoPineapple

Flat Out Wraps. [not from Costco] These might be my favorite of all! I use them for everything from quesadillas with chicken and beans, to wraps with hummus and chicken, even for healthy pizzas. SO GOOD. Not from Costco sadly, but I picked them up by the deli counter at WalMart.

Flat-Out-wrap

 

 

Anything new and amazing on your grocery list? Happy Friday!

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Recipe: Spicy Cheesy Chicken Pizza

~ cassandra ~ Leave a comment

I posted this to my Instagram (@afitgirlsguide) but thought I’d post it here too! This was such an easy and tasty dinner (and super filling). I highly recommend.

This is a super easy throw together recipe. I didn’t even measure the ingredients 😉

spicy-cheesy-chicken-pizza

Ingredients:

Flat Out Wrap- (any tortilla or wrap would work)
chopped red onion
chopped red pepper
1 mozzarella cheese stick (cut in pieces)
diced/shredded chicken
small slice of pepper jack
Franks Red Hot Sauce

Top wrap with cheese, onion, pepper, and chicken. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes. Top with Franks Red Hot Sauce.

Enjoy!

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Recipe: BBQ Chicken Salad

~ cassandra ~ Leave a comment

I made this last week and it was so delish! Super easy to throw together, and a really filling summertime salad. Can’t beat that.

 

BBQchickensalad

Ingredients:

chopped romaine lettuce
chopped grilled chicken
corn cut off the cob
chopped red pepper
grape tomatoes
mango
BBQ Sauce (I used Stubbs brand from Sprouts because it’s what B picked out)

Toss all ingredients together and enjoy! Easy as that.

 

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Summer Meal Planning

~ cassandra ~ Leave a comment

I mentioned yesterday I was in need of some new recipes, and I found some great ones on Pinterest. Usually when  I meal plan, I purchase ingredients for several meals, but don’t necessarily assign them a day of the week. For some reason I’m always changing my mind about what I want for dinner.  I usually just have a couple choices available for lunch, and breakfast is either a smoothie or eggs (not too exciting). Here’s what’s on my menu for the next week or so.

summer-mealplan

Dinners:

Slow cooker whole chicken via 100 Days of Real Food
BBQ Chicken Salad (though I will be using some WF or TJs BBQ sauce instead of making my own 😉
Homemade Burgers wrapped in Lettuce. Served with roasted potatoes and onions
Grilled tri-tip w/ quinoa salad
Homemade pizza w/ side salads
Steak and Mango Stir Fry

Lunches:

Salad in a jar (there are TONS of ideas on Pinterest)
Tuna Salad w/ veggies and crackers – for my tuna salad I just do tuna, mustard, and cottage cheese. Easy and high-protein = win.

 

Anything special on your summer menu? What are your go-to dinners?

 

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Top off your Yogurt!

~ cassandra ~ Leave a comment

Greek Yogurt cups are perfect for on-the-go protein, but sometimes I like to add a little something extra to make them more filling or an even sweeter (but still healthy) treat.

My recent favorite Chobani flavors are Coconut and Key Lime–Perfect for summer. Other favs: vanilla and blood orange. They also have their new “Simple” line that’s only 5 ingredients, I think. But if you’re really watching calories you can always use plain Greek and sweeten with Stevia or Protein Powder and your choice of toppings! If you are on the go- toss your toppings into a little baggie or container to dump on top. Easy as pie.

 

yogurt-toppings

These 2 combos were killer!

keylime-yogurt

Key-Lime Pie: Key Lime yogurt topped with a bit of granola and some dried coconut shavings

 

vanilla-berry

Vanilla-Berry Crunch: Vanilla Yogurt topped with raspberries and granola

* Granola can be a “faux-health food”, so be sure to look at ingredients and/or watch your portion size. I use Nature Valley Protein Granola with Chocolate. It’s not the healthiest but I only use 1-2 Tb, so not too big of a deal since a serving size is 1/2 cup (!) There are also many options in the bulk-bins at Sprouts/Whole Foods.

Similarly, yogurt cups can have a surprising amount of sugar/unnecessary ingredients. Always read the labels! Don’t just shop for what’s on sale (or what you “always” get).

 

Do you have any favorite yogurt combos?

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Whole Juicing: Citrus Berry Juice Recipe

~ cassandra ~ Leave a comment

Now that it’s getting pretty warm, I’ve been craving tons of smoothies and  fruit (mostly watermelon). I’ve made this same juice recipe everyday for about the last week and I can’t get enough! It’s so refreshing. I’ve mentioned before that I prefer to whole juice in order to get the benefits of the plentiful fiber in produce. I use my blendtec and it works like a little charm.

 

citrus-berry

Recipe

1/2 large navel orange, peeled
1/4 lime, with peel
1/2 C blueberries (I use frozen, but fresh would be great too)
1/2 C kale (I also freeze my kale so it’s nice and chilled in my smoothies)
splash of coconut water

Throw all the ingredients into your blender. I use the “Whole Juice” Button on my blendtec. Duh. Easy as pie…but a lot healthier 🙂

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