Do you read SHAPE or SELF Magazines? Then you’ve probably read nutritional information by C&J Nutrition. In fact, they recently teamed up with SELF magazine to develop nutrition criteria for the first annual 2009 Food Awards and have authored the diet plans for the SELF Challenge in 2009 and 2010.
Stephanie and Willow are the experts and authors behind C&J Nutrition and I asked them to provide us with a Random Acts of Fitness & Spice challenge…probably their most prestigious assignment to date! Fitness & Spicers I give you the…
C&J Nutrition Random Acts of Fitness & Spice Challenge
Veggies are low in calories and deliver flavor, volume, phytonutrients, and vitamins/minerals to meals and snacks. We encourage everyone to include veggies in the majority of their meals and snacks . But it seems like all too often, veggies don’t take the spotlight during meals. In fact, sadly, they’re often forgotten altogether – making meals less filling and higher in total calories (not a good combination for meeting your 2010 weight and health goals!)
Our challenge to you is to create one dinner around a veggie this week.
Many people plan meals around protein and carbohydrates (pasta with meatballs, chicken and rice, turkey burgers), and save veggies as the side dish. We challenge you to plan a meal around a veggie and then add protein and carbohydrates as your side dishes. Here’s a veggie-centered meal idea that we love: Roasted eggplant marinara with whole wheat penne tossed with grilled chicken, olive oil, and parmesan cheese on the side.
And if we may offer an even longer-lasting challenge… try creating a veggie-centered at least once per week, every week. You might just be surprised that once you start seeing veggies as the star of the show, your dinner options get tastier and more creative.
Want to learn more tips like this from C&J Nutrition? Then follow Stephanie and Willow on Facebook and watch them tweet what they eat on Twitter!
As someone who usually plans my meals around protein, I am totally accepting this challenge! Who’s with me?
Now I really must go get mySELF into SHAPE and make some plans to veg out!
Miz says:
January 18th 2010**raises hand** THIS I can do. Vegan raw fer 30 days? notsomuch :)
Naomi(onefitfoodie) says:
January 18th 2010i love this idea! I went out to dinner on sat night and my sworfish came with roasted fennel OMG it was amazing! I wish the meal was more fennel and less fish….I think this may be new fav veggie!! i sometimes do crave certain veggies so I do base my meal around that but you are right most of the time I base it ion the main ‘other’ dish and then just throw on some veggies!
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says:
January 18th 2010lol…as a vegetarian, I KNOW I can do this challenge :-)
amanda says:
January 18th 2010I always have tons of veggies in my meals. One of my favorite meals is a huge spinach salad with veggies in it. Then I take a portabella mushroom cap and spread laughing cow chesse on it with 1/4 cup of egg beaters (sometimes I slice an egg instead, depends on what I have in the house). All veggies, low cal, and very filling!
Jessica@HowSweet says:
January 18th 2010Oooooh geez. Joanna how am I going to do this challanege with my hatred for veggies?!? For you, I will try. ;)
The Candid RD says:
January 18th 2010I’m with you! Although I must say, I currently do this already. I have always, since I was young, centered my meals around veggies. I guess I was lucky to have a mother who always had tons of veggies in the house, and always used them in her cooking (now with my brother it’s a whole other story though..). I am always sure to get at least 1 serving of veggie in at dinner, if not 2. haha, Nick loves it…….hmmm…maybe not.
GREAT challenge Joanna!! I hope people take it on ;)
Diane says:
January 18th 2010I am with you, Joanna. Since I started stocking up on a wide variety of Penzy’s spices, I have been experimenting with spicing up veggies in new ways.
Andrea@WellnessNotes says:
January 18th 2010Great challenge! I already plan most of my meals around veggies, but I’ll be even more conscious! :)
Jody - Fit at 52 says:
January 18th 2010I do about a 40-30-30 mix but I do like to get in my protein! I actually have one of my mini meals that is all veggies to make sure I get them in…although depending if it is all cruciferous, my tummy might yell at me! :-)
Yes, we do need our veggies too!
Marisa (Loser For Life) says:
January 18th 2010I love this idea! I plan on doing this tonight…roasted butternut squash, green beans with a side of baked tofu!
Gelareh @ Orange Truffle says:
January 18th 2010I started doing that once I read about proper food combining and all of sudden my dishes started with veggies and added starch or protein.
Diane Fit to the Finish says:
January 18th 2010I totally can do this one too. We aren’t vegetarian, but have vegetarian meals at least 3 times a week, usually four! I think this week we will be doing a bean soup. Yummy. . .
Jess (Fit Chick in the City) says:
January 18th 2010This is a good challenge for people who don’t eat enough veggies. I really thing that the best part of being vegetarian is the focus on veggies vs. protein.
Trish @IamSucceeding says:
January 18th 2010I am in!!
Evan Thomas says:
January 18th 2010I love the thought of this. We’re having American Chop Suey for lunch and I think I’m going to roast a spaghetti squash for our vegetable, serve myself a heaping scoop of that, and simple season it with the chop suey
Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman says:
January 18th 2010My favorite meal is all veggie: a giant salad with just about everything in my fridge!
Estela - Weekly Bite says:
January 18th 2010I can take on this challenge! I love meals with lots of veggies :)
april says:
January 18th 2010I plan around protein too.. but tonight I think I’ll have spaghetti squash with buffalo!
She-Fit says:
January 18th 2010I love planning my meals around veggies. Fortunately my taste buds crave veggies… I know, I’m weird. I went home to visit my family this weekend and it was so weird not having any vegetables when we sat down to eat.
FatFighterTV says:
January 18th 2010Yes, yes, yes – I love this! We have been eating more vegetarian meals these days… especially since I saw the movie, Food, Inc.