I believe eating well is a balance…and sometimes that balance even means having no balance aka what I consider “cheat days.”
But for those days you don’t fully feel like indulging but do have a hankering for some of those not so healthy treats, it can be fun to come up with macro-friendly alternatives.
These macro-friendly recipes help keep you on track while still satisfying your cravings so that you don’t want to binge.
They are a great way to find balance with eating well so that you don’t feel deprived and can still stay focused on your goals.
They help you create that oh so elusive LIFESTYLE so many people talk about.
And one of my favorite macro-friendly treats is this Pita Pepperoni Pizza!
No this isn’t the cleanest meal you’ll ever eat, but guess what?! Sometimes you NEED that!
So if you’re craving some pizza but want to stay on track, and potentially trigger worse cravings, try this Macro-Friendly Pizza alternative!
The Pita Pepperoni Pizza
SERVINGS 1-2
INGREDIENTS:
2 pitas (Joseph’s Flax Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Pita Bread)
16 slices Turkey Pepperoni (65% Less Fat)
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese Shredded
1/2 cup Italian Herb Organic Pasta Sauce
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese, Low-Fat
1 tbsp Parmesan & Romano Grated Cheese
Sprinkling of Red Pepper Flakes
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 and place the pita bread on the middle rack for 3-4 minutes just till it starts to get crispy but not brown.
Then remove from the oven and split the ingredients between the two pitas. I like to measure as I put the toppings on, especially if I’m not eating both at that meal.
Top first with tomato sauce. Then the pepperoni. Then sprinkle with the mozzarella before spooning on chunks of the ricotta. You can also spread the ricotta on if you don’t want bigger chunks.
Place in the oven again on a baking sheet and cook till the edges of the pita start to brown and the cheese is melted.
Then remove from the oven and top with parmesan and red pepper. Enjoy!
You can of course place any other toppings on that you like. Others that are good include olives, onions, spinach, mushrooms…The options are endless! Just make sure to adjust the macros below based on the ingredients you use!
MACROS FOR BOTH PITA PIZZAS:
Calories: 475
Protein: 46 grams
Carbs: 34 grams
Fat: 23 grams
FOR A SINGLE PITA PIZZA….just in case you wanted to be lazy and not do the math ;-):
Calories: 237.5
Protein: 23 grams
Carbs: 17 grams
Fat: 11.5 grams
Ready to strike a balance between indulging in the foods you love and eating clean and according to your goals?
Sick of trying to find a “lifestyle” when most diets force you to cut out the foods you love?
It’s time you learned a bit more about Macro Cycling. CLICK HERE!
I LOVE the flavor of Buffalo Chicken. I literally could make myself some sort of Buffalo Chicken something EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! (Heck, I actually have for the last month hehe!)
That is why it was love at first sight when one of my trainers shared this Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wrap she made as part of her Macro Cycling Plan.
It has that awesome little kick that Frank’s hot sauce has, but is still light and refreshing and perfect for Summer.
Try this macro-friendly Buffalo Chicken recipe. Delicious and full of protein! It actually even makes a great dish for a picnic or BBQ!
Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Lettuce Wraps
SERVINGS 3
***NOTE: This makes approximately 2 wraps per serving
INGREDIENTS:
6 leaves Romaine or Iceberg Lettuce
1/2 cup Diced Onion
1 pound Ground Chicken
1/4 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce
1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1 cup Cooked Quinoa
1/4 cup Green Onions Chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Cook quinoa according to package and let cool.
Combine all ingredients (including quinoa, excluding green onions) in a bowl and mix well.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. You can form mixture into balls and make meat balls or cook as a meat crumble by just adding the mixture directly to the skillet.
Cook until meat is throughly cooked through.
Add mixture into lettuce pieces. Top evenly with green onions.
If you’re storing for later on, divide the meat mixture evenly into containers and then only add to the lettuce when you are planning to eat.
**To make this gluten-free you could omit the breadcrumbs or sub in ground up gluten-free oats or even a rice cereal or almonds if preferred. Vegetarians may even sub in tofu or tempeh or even eggs for the chicken! Please note though any subs may change the macros!
Yes…We want to eat whole, natural foods as often as possible.
But guess what!?
If all we are doing is constantly DEPRIVING ourselves and telling ourselves we CAN’T have the foods we love, we are going to end up binging.
That is why I love finding a way to balance cravings with staying on track. It’s why I like making Macro-Friendly versions of the not-so-healthy meals I love.
This helps me satisfy cravings while still making progress and remaining CONSISTENT.
Remember it’s not perfection but consistency that leads to long-term results.
So here is one of my favorite macro-friendly pizza recipes – The Thai Chicken Pizza!
The Macro-Friendly Thai Chicken Pizza
SERVINGS: 2
MACROS (in ½ pizza): Calories: 384Protein: 57 gramsCarbs: 18 gramsFat: 9 grams
“I’ve always loved Thai Chicken Pizza so wanted to find a way to make it macro-friendly and healthier. It’s the perfect way to curb cravings and keep yourself on track.” – Cori
INGREDIENTS: 8 ounces Cooked Chicken Breast 1 Joseph’s Whole Wheat Lavash Bread 66 grams Baby Carrots 18 grams (about 3 stalks) Green Onions 4 tbsps Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce or Tamari 12 g (2 tbsp) PB Fit Peanut Butter Powder 4 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce 46 grams (3 tbsp) Egg Whites 20 grams Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place lavash on a baking sheet lightly greased with cooking spray. Place in the oven until it begins to crisp and brown.
As it browns, cook chicken if needed or tear up precooked chicken. Shred or thinly slice carrots and chop up green onions.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the carrots and most of the onions (leave a few to top the pizza with). Let them begin to soften and brown.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine (soy sauce, pbfit, garlic sauce).
Then add chicken and the sauce to the skillet and heat. Let it bubble and make sure it soaks into the chicken.
When everything is heated through, add egg whites to the skillet. Let them cook and stir in. Then top the lavash bread with the mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.
Place in the oven until the cheese is melted and the lavash is browned to your liking.
Want a diet that allows you to still indulge in the foods you love while finding a balance that leads to long-term results?!
I love healthy snacks that don’t taste “healthy” aka like crap. I like snacks that you can have around that taste delicious, satisfy your cravings while also helping you hit your macros.
And it’s even better if they are easy to make so you don’t add on to your meal prep and can even squeeze in making them during a busy, stressful week. (I love snacks you can make and even freeze for a few weeks so you always have something on hand!)
Because let’s face it…When you’re stressed and tired and bored…and simply want to eat, you’ll reach for whatever is around. Which most often ISN’T healthy. Because most of the time the healthy food we keep around when we are “on a diet” is well…not satisfying.
But if you can have something TASTY AND HEALTHY easily available, you’ll not only satisfy your cravings but also keep yourself on track.
That is why I love these Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Balls.
They are basically a one-bowl recipe. AKA you put all of the ingredients in one bowl, mix, roll into balls and eat! You can freeze them for a few weeks so you always have something around and they are easy to take with you to work or out and about if you’ve got errands to run.
So if you need a quick and healthy treat to satisfy those cravings, you’ll love these protein balls from my Macro Cycling Shred Book!
Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Balls
Servings 16 (1 ball per serving)
INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup Gluten-Free Oat Flour (take oatmeal in a food processor to grind up)
1/4 cup All-Natural Nut Butter of choice
1/4 cup Almond Meal/Flour
2 tbsp Raw Local Honey
2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1 tbsp Cinnamon
***Note you may need to slowly add tbsp of water depending on the whey, oats and almond meal you use to reach the desired consistency.
First make sure to grind up oats in a food processor or buy oat flour.
Then add oat flour, almond meal, whey, cinnamon and nut butter to a bowl. Stir all of the ingredients together.
Then add honey and vanilla extract. Mix well again with hands until dough comes together,
If needed, slowly add a tbsp of water at a time until dough complete comes together.
Then roll into 1-1.5 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. You can choose to roll in additional cinnamon and even vanilla whey if desired.
Freeze for 20-30 minutes then transfer to a ziplock bag. You can freeze them for up to 6 weeks!
Looking to dial in your diet? Love the idea of a diet where no foods are off limits? Curious about Macro Cycling and how you can get the lean, strong body you want with a diet that fits your lifestyle?
I firmly believe you want to eat as many whole, natural foods as possible. The cleaner your diet, not only the faster your results, but also the healthier you are going to be.
However, the diet that also works best is the one you can STICK to long-term. The one you can be consistent with.
The one that you can enjoy as you are getting results.
That means finding a balance between being as clean as possible while still getting to indulge and enjoy foods that satisfy those cravings….All while hitting your macro ratios of course 🙂
That is why I think it is important that no food is ever off limits.
BUT that doesn’t always mean you want to completely indulge. Sometimes you want a “healthier” alternative that will keep you on track and not set off other cravings.
That is when recipes like Protein Granola come in handy. This recipe makes it easier to stick to your macros while still satisfying cravings for granola and even sugary cereals.
If you’re craving those sugary parfaits, this Protein Granola with greek yogurt and berries may be the healthier alternative you are looking for!
For me, recipes like this don’t set off cravings for worse foods. There are some foods out there that are “gateway foods”…foods that set off further cravings and cause you to fall off.
Having a healthier alternative that satisfies my cravings BUT doesn’t set off that desire for worse foods, is KEY for me staying on track.
That is why I love finding creative ways to stay on track that freaking TASTE GOOD!
Remember it is about consistency, not perfection. Sometimes adding in things that may be slightly off the “whole, natural foods” list is key to keeping you on track.
Yup…sometimes you have to give yourself some room to ENJOY!
So if you are looking to hit your macros and pack in some extra protein WHILE still indulging in some delicious granola, try this Protein Granola!
Protein Granola Parfait
(photo courtesy of Ashley C.)
Servings 2
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Coconut Flour 1/4 cup TJ’s Gluten Free Rolled Oats 1 scoop Vanilla Whey 1 tbsp Chia Seeds 3 tbsp Sugar Free Maple Syrup (you can use honey or real syrup or anything else!) 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract 1/8 tsp Baking Powder
Combine dry ingredients then mix in syrup and vanilla. Combine until crumbly.
Preheat oven to 350F and then put crumble mixture on foil on a baking tray. Spread it out and then place in the oven. Every 3-4 minutes you may want to mix it slightly. Cook until starting to brown. Then let cool before serving.
Combined with fat-free greek yogurt and even another scoop of whey and topped with half the granola for a delicious parfait!
Macros on the Protein Granola with the Protein Yogurt: Calories: 365 Protein: 51 grams Carbs: 27 grams Fat: 5 grams
Are you ready to enjoy delicious foods while getting results?
Ready for something that will work when everything else has failed to help you get the body you really want?
