Personal Training by Anna

Tonight I had sisters dinner with one of my sisters and we made a delicious and healthy meal in just about 20 mins using some quick techniques and quick access cheats I always keep on hand— we quickly tore up some kale and seasoned it with some olive oil and tajin (just trust me, it’s clutch) and roasted the kale til it made chips and snacked on kale chips and sipped on wine while we cooked— I quickly sautéed up some shrimp in garlic, salt, and hot chili olive oil and had a bag of a stir fry with sauce in my freezer that I cooked up with the soy sauce mix included and then mixed together after my spicy shrimp were cooked up, with some leftover roasted eggplant from the other day. I always keep quick go tos in the freezer that I can combine up with other ingredients for a fast easy meal that is full of nutrients and save me from hitting the fast food line or ordering something i didn’t really want.

Today was a killer spin/strength boot camp finished off with a 10 min plank challenge which means lots of good refueling. Started the day off with some bread with greens, tomato, and eggs. A delicious post workout lunch parfait with Greek yogurt mixed with a scoop of collagen protein, berries, curd, and some cereal crunch and h**p seeds. Finished the day with a delicious super veggie and fresh mozz sandwich on sourdough (hummus spread, lettuce, tomato, roasted eggplant, and asparagus), and for some added protein a poke’ rice bowl salad. I forgot to get a picture before it went into my belly, but also the rest of my homemade peanut butter ice cream for dessert. Today was a bit of “bready day” or “Carby day” which I’m sure will catch me a few 😳 but you know what- I dressed that bread up with lots of good nutrient dense items so it wasn’t naked, the bread helped fuel me with the carbs pre workout and in replenishment, and you know what else above all— bread and carbs are damn delicious! The belly is full, I got a great workout, and had a day with lots of different foods and nutrients, and I have no cravings because I satisfied my taste buds, and I didn’t even have to spend all day in the kitchen.

After a quickie spin ride to start the day it was time to refuel the bod. Eat the rainbow and you’ll never go wrong on taste and health. 7grain English muffin for some carbs and fiber, avocado for the healthy fats and folate, sautéed spinach for lots immune support, eggs fully of healthy fat and protein, more bright fruits for deliciousness, some extra carbs, and more vitamins and minerals.

Post lift and spinning refuel, all vegetarian, but still plenty of protein to grow some muscle, carbs to re-energize the bod, and healthy fats to help keep me full and to aid in nutrient absorption. In order for your body to fully perform and reap the benefits of your workouts, you have to properly fuel it and yes even vegetarian can get the job done. I got my protein from the black beans in the black bean corn sautée, nutritional yeast covered in my veggies, and my Greek yogurt sriracha jalapeño topper.

It’s been another hot second, but we had to focus on some family obligations this past week or so, but I wanted to end the month with a delicious and quick, healthy, breakfast that hits all the major marks including protein (fat free Greek yogurt, eggs (in the custard)), healthy fats (eggs in custard), and carbs (berries fully of antioxidants, brioche bread, maple syrup, and 1/3 of Nutella b ready bar). Creating every meal to make sure you have plenty of the major 3- carbs, protein, fat will ensure you stay full until your next meal as well as help giving you the major building blocks for some muscle 💪 and fuel for workouts. The other thing is my plate clearly has what some people would consider “empty” calories, but so long as I make sure that my meal contains macros and micros, I don’t worry about a little treat in too to help make me feel balanced in my food intake so I can reduce binge episodes and incorporate all foods into my life.

Pictured below-
Greek yogurt parfait layered with fat free Greek yogurt, lemon curd, berries, and Nutella b-ready
That new viral TikTok toast- brioche bread topped with a Greek yogurt egg custard mixture air fried, topped with a few berries and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

However you break your fast during the day make sure you do it with foods you love and make sure to incorporate macros and micros, and maybe a small treat in there, to help you feel good all day and help you crush your goals.

I don’t skimp out on the family meals or get togethers, but I do think about how I set up my plate to ensure as balanced a meal as possible and trying to keep my food intake reasonable (your needs and my needs likely look very different). At least half of my plate is filled with veggies to ensure I get in micro nutrients and fiber, and also trying to control my calorie intake because for me it can quickly get out of control, and then the other half is filled with my protein and carbs. Always think about your plate set up- not all meal nutrient values are the same but if you come to each meal with a similar approach and figure out what works for you it should mostly balance out - think of filling your plate with one half side filled with fruits and veggies, the other half devoted to splitting your grains/carbs and proteins to keep meals as balanced as possible both nutritionally and calorically.

It’s been a hot second this week— whew— and as you can tell I forgot to take a picture until I had eaten almost all of my bean salad. Pictured below is a quick bean and kale salad- getting in some iron, fiber, antioxidants- and then to make sure I got enough protein with this meal I also had a side Greek yogurt parfait topped with berries (rich in antioxidants which help support the immune system) and a dollop of lemon curd and some cinnamon cereal for crunch- cause deliciousness and balance. While I try to make sure each meal has lots of nutrient dense items, I also aim to make sure it’s balanced with deliciousness so it feels almost effortless that im eating foods I love free of guilt and without sacrificing nutrition.

it’s Saturday morning which means two things— time for a workout and morning of clients- two reasons Saturday morning are my favorite time. Since this also means I have a long morning before I get to sit down for a real meal, I’m going to give my body a quick burst of energy to power through a good workout and work with a protein dalgona latte and a fig bar— the carbs will help fuel the workout with lots of energy, along with that little burst of caffeine, and the protein will help with muscle synthesis.

Quick dinner, yet wholesome with delicious foods. A quick spinach salad topped with some walnuts and pumpkin seeds for healthy fats and a touch of protein, violife feta (cause cheese), and vegan spinach and almond ricotta ravioli mixed with some basil Pesto and sprinkled with some vegan parm. This meal had lots of healthy fats from the nuts, seeds, oils, which help with not only satiety but also absorption of other vitamins and minerals which are also essential to good health. Another helpful tip is to ensure at least half your plate contains non starchy veggies. The other half to be split with protein and carbs. I’m a little low (for me) on the protein in this meal so To bulk up my meal and for a little snack after, I added a lower fat, higher carb, protein bar to make sure I got all the macros in addition to my micros.

It’s grocery day— any sustainable lifestyle requires easy accessibility in terms of cost as well as availability, and items on hand ready to go. In addition to plenty of fresh fruits and veggies I always have on hand frozen bags of veggies, cans of beans, frozen fish, or whatever I need to make sure I can reduce my trips to the grocery store, save time in the kitchen, and always have lots of nutrient rich items available for wholesome meals. Fruits and veggies are often canned or frozen at their peaks so they are still nutritionally similar to fresh and so you’re not missing out. Frozen and canned are often less expensive than fresh which also makes them more accessible in a world where there is so much food insecurity. Just watch out for hidden salt and other ingredients which may derail from the nutrient profile. #

Healthy, delicious Meals don’t always have to take hours at a time or require special trips to the grocery store- this was a great recipe I found on https://www.seriouseats.com/pasta-e-ceci-pasta-with-chickpeas?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-seriouseats&utm_content=later-21650170&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkin.bio which would probably also be great with cannellini beans as well.

These are usually ingredients I always have in my house for quick go to meals. Switches I made to lighten it up a little and also to my tastebuds- I cut the olive oil in half, I used a half box protein pasta in lieu of plain pasta, I didn’t add the cheese, and I added several handfuls of spinach for a little color and more nutrients. This meal clocked in over 15 g of fiber (many recommendations are for at least 25 g daily for healthy women) and 22 G protein per serving. This recipe made me 4 servings and took all of a half hour to make, maybe. We have enough for dinner for everyone and I’ll take a serving for lunch tomorrow. You can pair this up with a side of veggies and another protein, or some bread, a salad, or by itself. A great recipe to fit easily into your meal plan. Make your meals accessible and quick and set yourself up for success. I’m good for dinner and for lunch tomorrow without having to worry about anything. Now on to train evening clients 💪