The best part of a salad in a jar you can add anything you would like. Follow these steps for a delicious 17 day diet approved taco salad-in-a-jar or substitute any ingredients to create the salad of your dreams. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO. 

Start with a clean 32oz glass jar or a couple.
Layer 1: Salsa or any other 17 Day Diet approved dressing you prefer
Layer 2: Ground Turkey or ground chicken
Layer 3: Tomatoes, bell peppers, or any 17 day diet approved cleansing vegetables
Layer 4: Lettuce, kale, spinach, or your favorite leafy green
Layer 5: nonfat cheddar cheese.

Place each layer in the jar staring with the dressing and ending with the cheese. Place the lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator. Make multiple salads at a time to save time during the week.

http://www.dailybitesblog.com/2012/09/13/taco-salad-jars/

1. Cut the squash in half lengthwise.

2. Scoop out the seeds and place the cut side down on a greased baking sheet.

3. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

4. Remove from the oven and let the squash cool until it can be handled.
5. Scrape the flesh out of the squash with a fork. The flesh will turn into strands resembling, you guessed it, spaghetti.

5. Place the flesh in a dish.

Roasting and scraping is the hard part and by hard I mean pretty darn easy. Now all you have to do is toss some fixings and you have a easy meal.

For a super quick meal heat one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet with one minced clove or garlic and half a chopped onion. Cook until tender and add one can of crushed tomatoes until warmed through. Toss tomato mixture with the squash and add 3/4 cup feta cheese and two tablespoons fresh chopped basil for an healthy meal.

Benefits of Kale

1. Low calorie, high in fiber, and has 0 fat. 1 cup only has 36 calories! 
2. High in iron: not sure what Popeye was thinking eating spinach.
3. Packed with antioxidants
4. Anti-inflammatory: 1 cup has 10% the RDA of omega-3 acids
5. High in vitamin A which is great for your skin, vision, and mouth health.

Not only are these chips a friend to your waistline and packed with nutritional benefits, they are a cinch to make. It takes about 25 minutes to whip up a batch and they will hold for 3-5 days in an airtight container. But trust me they wont last you the day. Think of them as the perfect diet snack. If you are on the 17 Day Diet, these chips will get you through cycle one.

STEP 1: You want to remove the leafs from the stems before you begin. To do so hold the bottom end of the kale with one hand and take your other and slide it along the stem pulling the leafs up with you. Now tear the kale into bite-sized pieces, wash, and dry throughly. I filled the sink with water, rinsed the kale, and dried it using a Salad Spinner. You want to dry completely to avoid steaming the kale when you put it in the oven.

STEP 2: Place dried kale in a bowl and toss with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Toss until the kale is well coated and the leafs are shiny.

STEP 3: Lay kale flat on a baking sheet but make sure it isn’t overlapping. If the kale overlaps too much, you will just steam it and it will not get that crispy texture.

STEP 4: Optional: Sprinkle kale with grated parmesan cheese. Sprinkling it over the kale works best. If you toss it in the bowl, all the cheese ends up on the side of the bowl and not on the kale or in your mouth.

STEP 5: Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-13 minutes. After 10 minutes, keep an eye on it. You don’t want the kale to burn.

STEP 6: Remove from oven and enjoy!

As you see they shrink up a great deal. I used a large head of kale and it took me about 3 batches in the oven to use all the kale. You can also place a couple different baking sheets in the oven at once and you don’t have to worry about rotating them.

Tip of the day: make sure you have floss handy. The crispy kale can easily get stuck in your teeth.

Making your own popsicles is an easy and healthy option to store bought products with artificial ingredients, colors and sweeteners. Check out this awesome cookbook for making many different types of popsicles at home. All you’ll need usually is some Popsicle Molds and a freezer. You might also need a Ninja Blender, it’s the best – most powerful blender you’ll ever own! The best investment. I promise. Check out the book here for tasty & healthy Popsicle Recipes
.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 
• 1 scoops chocolate protein
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (optional)

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a Ninja Blender (it’s the best!). You must blend them otherwise you will have cocoa and protein chunks. 
2. Pour mixture into Popsicle Moldsleaving about 1/2 inch room (as the mixture expands it will expand).
3. Freeze or at least eight hours.
4. Enjoy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk, unsweetened 
• 1/2 vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup old fashion oats
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt
• Stevia to taste

Whisk milk and protein powder in a small bowl until all clumps are removed. Add remaining ingredients until well mixed. Place in the fridge overnight. Add Topping. Enjoy.
These nesting bowls would be great to make this recipe in, they are perfect for portion control. Prepare the recipe above in them and top with some plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and you’re good to go! Plus they’re pretty and come with a cool stand!

Variations: (add to the oat mixture)

• Pina Colada: 1/2 cup pineapple and unsweetened coconut flakes
• Blueberry lemon: replace plain yogurt with blueberry and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• Carrot Cake: Add 1/2 cup shredded carrot and 1 tablespoon maple syrup, top with coconut
• Chocolate Strawberry: Add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
• Chocolate banana: Add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1/2 cup sliced bananas
• Key Lime: Add zest and juice from 1 key lime and 2 tablespoons of coconut, add stevia to taste

Toppings

• Fruit
• Jam
• Granola
• Coconut flakes
• Chocolate chips

If cold oatmeal isn’t your thing, you can heat it in the microwave for two minutes, stirring once halfway.

We are all familiar with the cheesy, yummy goodness that is chicken parmesan. As one of my favorite dishes, I set out to create a lighter, diet-friendly version of this Italian classic. 17 Day Diet Cycle 3 Compliant recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 slices whole wheat bread 
• 4 teaspoons Italian spice blend
• 1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 4 chicken breast
• Olive oil spray
• 3 1/2 cups marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

Pound chicken until 1/2 inch thick.

Place flour into the first shallow baking dish.

Whisk egg whites and milk together in the second shallow dish.

Place bread into toaster and toast until golden brown. Remove from toaster and place in a food processor with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian spice blend. Pulse until crumbs are created and pour into the third shallow dish.

Line up ingredients on a counter and get ready to dip! Take the chicken, one breast at a time, and dip into flour first, egg wash second, and bread crumbs last.

Place dipped chicken breast into a large glass baking dish sprayed with olive oil. After all the chicken is in the dish, spray the top of the chicken with olive oil spray. Bake in a 400 degree oven for thirty minutes. Remove from the oven and top with cheese and return for 10 more minutes or until cheese is browned.

Remove from the oven and plate with a side salad for a full and healthy meal.

Recipe:

1. 3 Frozen Bananas, Sliced
2. 2 Scoops of Protein Powder (chocolate or vanilla)
3. 2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
4. ¼ – ½ Cup Almond Milk

1) Sliced the bananas and freeze overnight.

2)Place frozen bananas in a Cuisinart Food Processor – I recommend this one highly if you don’t have one.
Pulse until creamy.

3) Add protein powder and peanut butter to bananas and pulse until creamy.

4) If the mixture is chunky or gritty add the almond milk until creamy.

5) Enjoy or place in the freezer for when that sweet tooth comes calling.

Find out what chia seeds can do for your health and how to create a clean eating pudding. 

Almost overnight, chia seeds have gained over-whelming popularity in the health community. Are they worth all the hype? Yes. Chia seeds are packed full of health benefits and can be used to make some wonderful snacks. This powerful ancient food source is packed with fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. Just three tablespoons of chia seeds contains as much omega-3’s as 32 ounces of salmon. They provide all the benefits of fish oil supplements without the fishy after taste. Chia seeds can also be ground into flour and used in recipes to as a gluten free substitute. Look for them in health food stores, or purchase them online. I recommend the Bob’s Red Mill Chia Seeds found on Amazon. You get a good deal for the amount you’re buying.

A great cookbook to get is The Chia Seed Cookbook. It’s got tons of recipes to help add chia to your diet.

Consume four tablespoons daily which will give you 14 grams of fiber, eight grams of protein, and ten grams of omega-3 fatty acids. Try adding it to your smoothies, oatmeal, and Greek yogurt. For something a little quirky, try the pudding recipe listed below.

Chia Seed Pudding

The Basic Recipe

• 2 cups milk (almond or soy)
• ½ cup chia seeds
• Sweetener to taste (honey, maple syrup, or agave)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk together all ingredients and refrigerate for four hours, stirring once halfway through. You can add cocoa powder to the whisked mixture for a chocolate pudding or add fresh fruits for a topping.

Protein is one of the three macro nutrients your body needs but unlike carbohydrates and fat your body doesn’t store protein and is in need of a consist supply. Protein is responsible for tissue repair, growth, and energy. It also is one of the most filling nutrients and your body burns more calories metabolizing protein. The recommended daily value (RDA) for protein is .5 grams per pound. However, if you are pregnant or active your protein needs can increase to 1 gram per pound. If you aren’t getting enough protein, here are some easy and quick ways to add it to your diet.

Find out which protein supplement fits your life and goals best.

Protein Powder Supplements: The choices seem endless when discussing types of protein supplements. A common supplement choice is whey which is quick digesting and inexpensive. But is does contain milk so it isn’t an ideal choice for those who are lactose intolerant. Try the Whey Gold Standard, Vanilla Ice Cream flavor. Rice, hemp, and pea proteins are more suitable for vegans and those with allergens. PlantFusion Protein powder is a good brand. 1 scoop=20-25 grams of protein.

Meat: Meat and fish contain roughly around 6-7 grams of protein per ounce. 4 oz of chicken or pork loin contain about 30 grams of protein.

Eggs: Around 6 grams coming from 1 egg

Beans: ½ cup contains 7-10 grams

BASICS

The basics of the diet are eating three meals and one snack a day each totaling 400 calories. You will eat 1600 calories daily with a Mediterranean-style eating plan and places an emphasis on eating real foods and avoiding processed ones. The key to the diet is eating a MUFA every meal. MUFA’s are monounsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, flax, avocado, and oils. In the Flat Belly Diet! book Coauthor and Registered Dietician Cynthia Sass explains, “research shows that MUFAs have health benefits and target belly fat. They also help control satiety, so by adding in one MUFA at meals and snacks it is easier to stick with the plan and lose belly fat.”

FOUR DAY KICK START

The first four days on the plan are an anti-bloat jumpstart period designed to kick start the diet. During these four days, dieters eat 1200-1400 calories from a specialized list and drink 2 liters of sassy water daily (see recipe below). After the four days, dieters move onto the 1600 calorie meal plans. Try our 40 fresh fruit water recipes to help you with hydration while on the rest of this diet.

EXERCISE

Exercise is optional on the Flat Belly Diet but it is encouraged. Their website recommends 30 minutes of exercise three to five days a week with a combination of cardio, strength training, and stretching.

CONCLUSION

The Flat Belly Diet is based on healthy principles and creating habits that will last long after the 32 days have ended. Be wary not to over eat. Nuts, seeds, and the other MUFAs contain many calories dieters must not over indulge on them.

SASSY WATER RECIPE:

8 ½ cups water

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced

1 medium lemon, thinly sliced

12 leaves spearmint

Combine all ingredients in a large Ice and Fruit Pitcher, let it sit overnight, drink all the water in one day.

Start the Flat Belly Diet today with the Flat Belly Diet Coach App for Iphone (click here to download).