It’s Keepin’ It Real, Interactive Thursday!  This is where I ask a question via facebook and twitter and you respond with your real life issues or answers.   After you read what your fellow Fit Moms have said, I’ll give you a little more inspiration, or easy solutions to the issue at hand!

What’s Your Favorite Meat Free Meal?

“Probably my French onion soup made in the crockpot. Beef broth. Does that count?”  Stacie D.

“Soy tacos!!! Made with MorningStar Soy meat!!” Michelle K.

“hands down, my favorite is pinto bean tacos: freshly cooked pot of beans, fresh corn tortillas, fresh guacamole, chopped cilantro and salsa. I could eat it every day, and never get tired of it.”  Lori R.

“Lightly buttered noodles w/ pesto sauce.  Mmmmm & toast!”  Ani P.

“Good old-fashioned, homemade biscuits and gravy. Ain’t one redeeming thing about it–except it makes me smile a lot. I’ve gone so far as to substitute organic spelt flour in the biscuits and almond milk in the gravy–still loaded with fat. Still makes me smile a lot.”  Chana K.

If you read our Mission Monday assignment this week it was to make your best efforts to give up meat on Mondays.  One of our daddy readers jokingly said, “is there such a thing ” (as a meatless meal).  Though he was joking it reminded me of my dad, who truly believed that meals COULD NOT be served without meat.  Over time this proved to be devastating along with other poor food choices on his body’s system.  Oh, by the way, my dad was a professional basketball player in the NBA a long long time ago, but that’s more proof that even though you hear someone is a “pro athlete” like me, don’t assume we all make the “right” choices.  We are just normal people with different talents than some of you, and ALL of us have talents Fit Moms, thankfully just not all in the same areas of life (that’s what makes the world & people special).

Back to Keepin’ It Real.  For me I love anything PUMPKIN this time of year.  So, pumpkin soup is one of my favorite things to eat, and of course homemade pumpkin pancakes!  I am in search of the “perfect” pumpkin soup recipe by the way, so if you think you have it, PLEASE post it or email it to me, I’d LOVE to try it.  With your permission, I will post it on an upcoming “Recipe Tuesday”!

Yesterday, I talked with my cousin who mentioned that breakfast time was tough for her to think of meatless ideas.  One of my favorites is the “yummy “muffin” veggie frittata”. Other vegetarian options I love are whole wheat pancakes topped with fresh fruit and nuts, veggie omelet, organic fruit and nuts, yogurt parfait topped with granola,  breakfast burrito (with veggies like broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, red onions, and red pepper, nix the meat) and crustless veggie quiche.  I almost forgot there are thousands of smoothie combinations you can come up with, get creative and don’t forget to add some protein (nuts or powder).

For lunch my favorite meatless meals are salads.  A few meals I like are tropical fruit salad, “Daddy does it raw wrap”, again smoothies, taco salad (omit meat), tasty cabbage and carrot salad (add avocoado for some yummy healthy fat),  and homemade soup and salad.

Dinner options are the easiest for most people, but here are a few of my favorites.  Sunflower seed tacos, homemade veggie pizza, any type of meatless whole wheat pasta dish, and homemade crockpot stews to name a few.  FYI in case you didn’t know, a lot of the meals that I mentioned above have links to recipes if you click them.

To help you with a 5 day plan if you are really adventurous, eat what we ate.  In August our family went raw for the month!  Check out our “Daddy Does It Raw“ week 3 menu for more breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas!  I didn’t realize this when I wrote our Monday Mission, but there is actually a Meatless Monday Revolution that is already going on (it reminds me that when I think I have an original idea, that there is nothing new under the sun…lol)  If you’d like to check out the Meatless Monday revolution, click here.  Many of your favorite chefs, trainers, restaurants, and stars are doing it!

If you haven’t taken the pledge to be a Fit Mom with Fit Kids, do so now and spread the word!  We haven’t reached our 10,000 mark yet but we are on our way!  Sign up on the right side of the page.  Also, SUBSCRIBE! We need your help to reverse the trend of obesity in America.  It starts with YOU Fit Mom!  We can do it!

Annett Davis, Olympian & Founder of Fit Moms Fit Kids

photo credit:

veggie tacos- find.myrecipes.com

french onion soup- culinaryschooled.com

no meat- myspace.com

It’s Monday again, time to get your weekly Fit Mission assignment.

This weekend I went to a wedding in Atlanta, where I was hoping I would get a taste of some good Southern cooking.  For the most part, we did great eating wise all weekend.  I had some pumpkin pancakes with turkey bacon and maple syrup for breakfast one morning, and yogurt topped with the BEST homemade granola I’ve ever tasted from a little shop called Full Cup another day! We went to Whole Foods and enjoyed their buffet twice (I had a soup and salad each time).  But, being in “Hotlanta” I just had to get a taste of some Southern cooking.  Well lo and behold my prayers were answered!  The wedding had some good down home cooking with a fancy twist, like fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and a red pepper coulis sauce. It was delicious!  So yes, that night I admit I had my fill, and today I’m back to my better eating habits.

I share this with you so you can remember that I, like you, am NOT PERFECT.  I don’t eat 100% clean, organic, or fat free all of the time.  I believe that I can indulge in something yummy,  as long as I don’t indulge in it daily!  I read a good little book on the plane called “Dump the Junk for Parents” by Dr. Joseph Christiano and one thing he said stuck in my head, “Your goal is progress, not perfection.” This little quote should really help some of you (I know it was encouraging to me).

My parents grew up in Mississippi, and my mom cooked a lot of Southern food.  We had a lot of fried chicken, fried catfish, smothered pork chops, fried shrimp, meatloaf, you get the picture.  My dad did not believe a plate was worthy to  be set before us if it didn’t have meat on it.  He’d say, “Where’s the Meat???!!!!”  You couldn’t go to a restaurant that just gave you pancakes, he’d have to order a big side of bacon, and sausage, and eggs to go with it!  Or, we’d just go to a place where he’d order a 4×4.  Which was 4 pancakes, 4 sausages, 4 slices of bacon and 4 eggs!  He LOVED these types of combos, but these types of meals are what contributed to his untimely death a few years ago.  And, this is why I’m trying to retrain myself, and teach my family to eat differently.

From now on my goal is to have every Monday to be the day of the week that we go MEATLESS.  I will call it Meatless Monday.  I’d like to challenge you to do the same.  Let’s start to retrain our minds.  We do not need to eat meat everyday ladies.  There are other alternatives to get your protein in.  Give your digestive system a little break.

Dr. Oz said that “women who eat large amounts of red meat more than once a week actually have 50 percent higher chance of dying of heart disease. They also have higher cancer rates”.

The Mayo Clinic website says “sure, a healthy diet can include an occasional steak or chop. But people who eat mainly plant-based diets generally have lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels and a reduced risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes.”  Cutting out meat once a week can be a good start for some of you. Check out this link to expand your knowledge on meat free meal alternatives.

Here’s a very important fact to remember “The average American eats around 75 grams of protein per day, but most women need just 50 grams,” says Walter Willett, M.D., chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School for Public Health.  And that protein doesn’t have to come from meat.”   Check with your doctor for how much you need.

Who’s with me? We’ d love to hear some good meatless meal ideas below!

Annett Davis, Olympian & Founder of Fit Moms Fit Kids

My friend Jen in front of a mound of chicken she diced

16 burritos, 8 for each family from our OAMC "Big Day"

This Mission Monday is a little bit different in that you are mostly doing research this week.  On what you ask?? Once A Month Cooking! What is it?  Once a month cooking, or freezer cooking as it is sometimes called, is a great way to save you both time over the month and money!  What could be better than that, saving you both time and money??  The day you decide to do your OAMC you cook all of your meals in 1 day for the month!  Yes, you read that right, all of the meals for the month will be cooked in 1 day!  Some of you may be overwhelmed just reading this.  It is a lot of work, I won’t lie, but it’s worth it!

September 9, 2010 I did my first OAMC day!  Was I scared to death? YES!  Was I afraid I would spend a crazy amount of money buying all of the ingredients in Southern California?  YES!  Did I think I may not make it?  YES!  But, all of my fears went away because I found a great website, that gave me a step by step plan!  You see this website has a monthly menu, and step by step instructions for you and a friend to make meals for 2 families of 4 for a month!

Our ingredients for the OAMC "Big Day"

Was it hard?  YES!! But, as my husband says, “what’s so bad about hard”.  I triumphed, I proved that I could do it, even though it was hard.  If I didn’t have a plan I think it would have been impossible!  You NEED a PLAN!  The site we used gave us a shopping list too, so we didn’t have to multiply the recipes, the work was done for us.  We made 20 dinners, 8 lunches, and 6 breakfasts for 2 families of 4 in about 12 hours!!! I will be using the “lunches” as dinners, so that gives me 28 dinners for my family of 4.  So, what does that mean for me this month?  It means that because I got over sitting on my couch thinking that it’s going to be “hard”, it  just got me 28 nights this month FREE!  Let me say that again, I won’t have to slave over the stove and come up with meals for 28 NIGHTS THIS MONTH!!!!!!!!!!  If you ask me, spending 12 hours to cook, and lets say 2 hours of shopping (we divided our shopping in half to spread the responsibility) will now give me 28 nights FREE!!!!  Yeah, I highly recommend that you research Once a Month cooking this week.

Some of our meals from the day!

Why do I say you should “research” it?  Because I found a great website to help me, you need to find a site or book to help you.  Find recipes that you like.  Ask a friend to join you!  This made it fun, and we shared the work.  Make it a goal to try this in a couple of weeks, which will give you time to prepare.  Decide on your recipes, and start shopping for sale items now!  I thought we were going to spend over $500-600 total (so $250-300) each on groceries.  We didn’t!  Because we shopped for sale items and used some of the things we already had in our pantries (like soy sauce, baking soda, etc..) we only spent about $350 total!! That’s dirt cheap for Los Angeles!  Fit Moms we spent $350 to feed 2 families of 4,  34 meals ($150 each for 28 dinners, and 6 breakfasts)!!! I still can’t believe it!  I usually spend $150 or more a week!!! This is a huge savings for our family!

Ham and Cheese Pockets

So, are you going to give it a try??  If, you are with me, or if you have questions, comment below.

This is the best site I’ve found so far, and the site I used.  I made the August menu.

Below is the August menu I made.  Why did I make the August menu in September?? Because I wanted to.  LOL!  It sounded delicious!  She has archived menus dating back to 2009.  Did I mention you get a menu, grocery list, cooking day step by step instructions, and even printable labels with reheating instructions on them!!!  This is a FREE site!! I’ll be interviewing Tricia from Once A Month Mom soon!  NOTE:  Not all of the recipes are the healthiest, but you can change any recipe to suit your dietary needs, likes/dislikes, etc.. We thought a lot of the recipes had too much cheese, so we just omitted it in some, and put less of it in others.  Always remember this journey Fit Mom is about your health and that of your families, you can make anything healthier, it’s up to YOU.

Breakfasts

• Homemade Pop Tarts
• Berry Baked French Toast
• Oatmeal Raspberry Scones

Lunches

• Ham & Potato Pockets
• French Dip Sandwiches
• Taco Roll-Ups
• Zesty Chicken Burritos

Dinners

• Johnny Marzetti
• OAMM’s Favorite Beef Pot Roast
• Chicken Divan
• Teriyaki Grilled Salmon
• Slow Cooker Ham & Green Beans
• Country Captain Slow Cooker Chicken
• Island Chicken
• Italian Stuffed Peppers

Annett Davis, Olympian & Founder of Fit Moms Fit Kids

Hi Fit Moms!  I was traveling over the weekend and my plans changed due to unforeseen circumstances.  You see I was in Cincinnati this weekend playing in the final Pro Beach Volleyball event of the season (The Championship Event).  We played extremely well, even beating one of the 2 time gold medalists, and her partner who was in the last Olympics Nicole Branagh.  When that happened it put us into the finals!  It was exciting and I am thankful to have come in 2nd, but the finals and my flight were at the same time, which meant I missed my flight.  I didn’t get out of Cincy until Labor Day.  Due to travel and spending the entire day with my wonderful family (which is what it’s all about right?) I didn’t get to put up the Mission Monday post.  Please forgive me.  I’m back and ready to rock and roll Fit Moms so here’s your new mission!

As I was on the airplane ordering my free beverage I overheard people ordering soda, or pop as some of you in other parts of the country call it.  Then my mind went back to having breakfast Saturday morning and noticing the lady across the aisle from me drinking not coffee, not milk, but soda!?!?  What the heck???  So, I thought to myself I’m sure she’s not the only one with a soda issue in America.  A lot of us drink soda or pop, and way too much of it.  I was watching the movie King Corn, the movie Lori Rivas our organic mama mentioned a couple of weeks back, and a guy in the movie used to drink liters of soda a DAY!  By just cutting out the soda he lost tons of weight.

Just think about this…every time you drink a can of soda you are drinking about 140 or more calories, not to mention the sugar and other crap in it!  If you cut that out, you could be saving yourself almost 1000 calories a week!!! Let’s say you are a 2 can gal, and you drink 2 cans of soda per day.  You’ll be cutting out almost 2000 calories a week from following today’s Mission!  Ladies, you can do it.  Your Mission for you family is to cut out soda for an entire week!  Drink more water! You can do it Fit Mom, and double dog dare your kids to do the same!

If you haven’t taken the pledge to be a Fit Mom with Fit Kids, do so now!  It’s FREE!  Tell the world your intentions to have a healthy family starting NOW!