Cauliflower Bread

Buh-bye bread. It’s been really nice knowing you, but I’m all about cauliflower bread now.

It’s not a decision I made lightly; my relationship with bread has always been strong. Even when zealots started proclaiming that all bread is bad for you, bread and I were still tight. But then this cauliflower bread came along and swept me off my feet.

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It was easy to make, felt wholesome and comforting to eat, and it had this lovely savory flavor that made regular bread seem all of a sudden bland. I started thinking of the many ways I could use it — open-faced burgers, tartines, mini pizzas, for breakfast topped with a sunny side up egg — and I knew that toasty cauliflower bread would make each of those meals more interesting.

Try it and see if you agree. With egg and mozzarella cheese baked right in, cauliflower bread has just as much protein and fiber as most whole-wheat breads, but it has more flavor and far fewer carbs. The texture is dense, like a good loaf of artisanal bakery bread, yet it’s not heavy. And it’s satisfying! Ever finish a sandwich and wondered what you were going to eat next to feel full? Yeah, that won’t happen when you eat cauliflower bread.

Eating a single slice of this “bread” counts as a full serving of vegetables. Stuff some lettuce, tomato, and turkey between two slices, and even though it looks and feels like you’re chowing down on a sandwich, what you’re actually eating are three full servings of vegetables. For people who have a hate-hate relationship with veggies (you know who you are) cauliflower bread is an easy way to eat more of them without even noticing.

Turning a head of cauliflower into cauliflower toast is surprisingly easy, especially if you have a food processor. You might be tempted to skip the step where you squeeze the excess moisture from the cooked cauliflower (I was). But definitely do it. You’ll have more luck when it’s time to shape it into sandwich-sized toasts. I used a clean dish towel for this step, but you can also use cheesecloth or heavy duty paper towels (or even a clean t-shirt if you’re in college and need to get creative).

You can customize your cauliflower bread in so many ways (although some additions will affect the number of the calories). For a pizza flavor, add oregano, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes. Make it spicy with chopped jalapeños or a dash of cayenne pepper. Have a favorite semi-soft cheese like smoked gouda or Emmentaler? Swap it for the mozzarella. How about a combination of cheddar, chives, and a single piece of crumbled turkey bacon? And you can totally add chopped garlic or garlic powder.

Tips:

• Cauliflower rice can now be found at many grocery stores. Check to see if yours carries it.
• Cheesecloth can be found in the kitchen tools section of most grocery stores.

Cauliflower Bread

Total Time: 45 min.
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cooking Time: 25 min.
Yield: 4 servings, 1 piece each

Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces (or 3 cups cauliflower rice)
Parchment paper
Nonstick cooking spray
Cheesecloth
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
¼ tsp sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
4 green onions, thinly sliced, reserve a small amount of the greens for garnish

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 450º F.
2. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly coat with spray. Set aside.
3. Place half of cauliflower in food processor; pulse until cauliflower is chopped into pieces about the size of rice. Repeat with the other half. Place in microwave-safe bowl.
4. Microwave cauliflower on high for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cooked.
5. Place cauliflower on cheesecloth, in small batches; squeeze dry. (If you do not have cheesecloth, use a heavy duty paper towel.) Do not skip this step, as cauliflower needs to be dry to make toast.
6. Combine cauliflower, egg, cheese, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; mix well.
7. Place cauliflower mixture onto baking sheet in four even portions. Form into squares.
8. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden. Cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing from baking sheet.

Tips:
• Cauliflower rice can now be found at your favorite grocery store. Check to see if they are carrying it.
• Cheesecloth can be found in most grocery stores (in the kitchen tool section).

If you have questions about the portions, please click here to post a nutrition question in our forums so our experts can help. Please include a link to the recipe.

Photographs by Kirsten Morningstar

Staying On Track with Your Fitness Plans

Most people when they set their minds to it they can add fitness and exercise to their lifestyle pretty easily. It is the sticking to it and keeping it in their life that for many becomes tricky. Staying on Track with Your Fitness Plans is vital to your health, weight management, and more.

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1. Schedule your Exercise: Now scheduling your exercise is one thing, but making it a non-negotiable appointment is where the success comes from. There’s an old Spanish saying: “A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.” This is so true. Put your exercise in your calendar. Don’t allow anything or anyone to change this very important appointment. This along can help with Staying on Track with Your Fitness Plans.

2. When Scheduling, Specify the Days and Times: Be specific with the days and times. It is recommended that you work out 5-6 days per week for 30-45 minutes. Be sure to choose a time that’s right for you. If you are one who cannot schedule the same days and times each week, be sure you are setting up your workout schedule every Sunday night. Some people may like to get up for a 5 a.m. workout, but if your body prefers 5 p.m., make your exercise time 5 p.m. It is what makes you feel the best and works for your schedule and your body.

3. Integrate It into Your Day: When scheduling if you notice there is no time on a specific day you’re your workout, then you need to integrate your fitness. On crazy days you can integrate your fitness by blending moments of exercise into your daily schedule. Park on the far side of parking lots, Use the stairs instead of taking elevators, do 10 squats every hour, and walk around while you talk on the phone. These are just a few ways to get exercise in on a busy day. If you have and extra five minutes, be sure to get moving! Remember that on average 2,000 steps adds up to a 100-calorie burn, which over a year, can add up to 10 pounds lost.

4. Use the “buddy system”: Social support has been proven to increase your chance of results and maintaining results by 80%. Plus, it makes exercise a lot more fun. Join an accountability group either in person or online. Having that peer support and having to check in can make all the difference. You could also join or arrange walking groups, tennis games, nights out dancing, or a basketball team. Being a part of a group whether in person or online is a great way to meet new friends, enjoy current friends and have the accountability to get your workouts done and stay on track with nutrition.

5. Set Goals: When setting goals, you want to make sure they are concrete and near-term. (Example: “I want to lose 5 pounds,” not “I want to lose 100 pounds”). Other ways to set goals can be to sign up for a 5K or 10K. For many, working toward such a goal is very motivating. It’s great to see and feel progress and creating daily, weekly, and monthly goals is a great way to keep on track. Having an accountability coach can really help you develop and reach your goals.

6. Make Exercise Fun: The best exercise is exercise you enjoy. Ask yourself: “What activities are fun to me?” Chances are there are activities that involve movement that you like. Some examples may be hiking, playing soccer with your children or grandchildren, dancing, golfing (without a golf cart), or volleyball, just to name a few.

7. Make it Easy to Start Each Day: At 5 a.m., you don’t want to be digging around trying to find your gym shorts. The night before be sure to lay out your gear, or if you exercise later in the day, pack your gym bag the night before. Either way this is a fool proof way to eliminate a major stumbling block.

Also, always know your workout calendar, and what workout you are doing the next day. In the same vein, if your workout is to be done outside be sure to have an alternate exercise routine set up in case you wake up to stormy weather. Plans = Success!

8. Turn On Your Soul: Make exercise a “dose of faith”! Bring it to your life like something you can’t imagine living without. To get that deep with its importance to your health and life you must clarify your values. Ask yourself: “What do I value about myself and my future? What do I really look forward to?” What are all the things that exercise will always improve in my life? Think of all the questions that you can gain clarity and there’s an excellent chance that whatever you value and desire can in part be achieved through a healthy lifestyle of daily exercise and healthy nutrition.

Staying On Track with Your Fitness Plans

So lace up those your shoes because Staying On Track with Your Fitness Plans will become a tribute to your heart and life, because that’s exactly what a healthy lifestyle does!

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I Lost My Weight, Now What?

I Lost My Weight, Now What? You put in the time, you put in the workouts, you instilled healthy eating habits, and you have been consistent and hit your goal weight. Now you look in the mirror and see your new body staring back at you as you wonder I Lost My Weight, Now What?

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The best thing you can do is to keep going, or perhaps take up running events or triathlons, join a sports league, train for some other event, but always stay with your coach or support network. Keeping the momentum and setting these new goals will keep you maintaining and living a healthy lifestyle. Of course for some, seeing or hearing what they should keep doing can seem quite intimidating.

If you happen to be one of these people that is okay. You can briefly take your foot off the gas and appreciate what they’ve accomplished. The key word is “Briefly”. You really don’t want this moment to last longer than a week. Inactivity for more than one week has shown significant declines in strength and cardiovascular fitness, according to a recent study in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. So now that you’ve have hit those goals, you don’t want to lose ground.

I Lost My Weight, Now What?

Of course we will always encourage that you just jump right in and set the next goals and keep striving to be better version of yourself each day, but if you need that moment of down time here are a few simple steps you can follow to stay on track.

Cut Back Gradually
Smart training plans can allow you to work out 5 or 6 days a week with no ill effects. If you want a new Smart Training Plan you may want to consider choosing a Beachbody Fitness Program. These always provide some of the best laid out training plans. Our recommendation: Reduce your workout frequency by a third for the first week, then no more than a half for a second week. Once those weeks are completed you should be jumping back into your new plan to work toward your goals.

Keep It Intense
Even if you are cutting back for a few weeks, it is important to keep challenging your muscles and cardiovascular system. Keeping the intensity will help to maintain your current levels of cardiovascular and muscular fitness even if the frequency or duration has been cut back. This will make it easier on your body when you return to a full schedule, and you will still be at your level you had created which will allow you to work on improving from the same point.

Keep Your Nutrition Dialed In
No matter where you are at with your journey you have to be diligent with nutrition. You can never out work bad nutrition. Therefore, you need to be on 90% of the time for good maintenance. It is especially important to be diligent on nutrition if you are going to take a week or two and cut back on your workouts, as you will be burning fewer calories.

Remember that these are general guidelines. Though lower frequency, more intense workouts seem to work for most people looking to maintain their fitness gains, you have to listen to your body and build a solution that works for you. It is about monitoring your strength, cardio, weight, definition, nutrition, and overall sense of well-being. When you do this, it allows you to tweak your exercise and eating habits to your needs. So you will never have to say “I Lost My Weight, Now What?” because you will know that it takes setting goals, and adjust everything accordingly to fit your healthy lifestyle.

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Peach, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad

Why not have an amazing salad every day for lunch? There are so many options. In the Peach, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad the sweet, fresh peaches are the star of the show. They pair perfectly with the prosciutto, goat cheese, and balsamic vinegar.

Make this recipe an even bigger favorite when you grill the peaches first to give them that extra flavor punch. That is what is great about the Peach, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad… You can do the Peaches fresh as is, grill them, slice them or dice them. Same with the prosciutto. You can slice it up cold on the salad or throw it in a pan and cook it up nice and crispy. So many options!

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Peach, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad

Total Time: 10 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 4 servings

Peach, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad

Ingredients:
8 cups arugula
2 medium ripe peaches, sliced (see directions below for grilling)
1 oz. Goat Cheese
8 oz. of Prosciutto (chopped or sliced)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Preparation:
1. Place two cups of arugula on four plates.
2. Split the peaches and goat cheese evenly among the four plates.
3. Place the oil and vinegar in a container and shake vigorously. Drizzle evenly over each salad.
4. Serve immediately.

Grilling Peaches: Slice peaches in half and remove the pit, brush the cut side lightly with olive oil and place cut-side down on a grill for a few minutes, just long enough to leave grill marks. Cool slightly, slice, and serve!

Make your next lunch an amazing lunch with the Peach, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad.

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