A Pursuit of Healthy

Hey y'all! I hope you're still with me, but honestly after having a silent blog for five-ish months, I wouldn't blame you if you'd forgotten about my little space here! Life has been nuts for the past year really and now things are somewhat calming down (for now!) and I'm going to hopefully be more vigilant about posting on here. I'm passionate about food and nutrition and I want to be here to help teach you things and share yummy recipes with you! So that all being said, here's what's been up with me!

If you've followed along with me on here before, then you know that my husband and I moved to a new area last July. We've moved quite a bit (I feel too dang much!) but this one was a good one to a place we love and closer to good friends and family. We are very happy to be out of the city and really love our little bit of the country. Okay, we don't live in the country, we have a small town about 10 minutes and larger cities about 30 minutes away, but this is the farthest out of a town or city I've ever lived! So this is country to me man!

Taken approximately 30 seconds after getting our keys.

We are finally feeling somewhat settled in and have put our design touch on the house. I've painted every single room on the main floor but we still have yet to work on the lower level. We're doing what we can as we go, and eventually it will be exactly how we want it!

In December, I finished my Master's thesis and passed my oral exams and now have a Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics! I am so incredibly relieved and pretty dang proud of myself to have accomplished this big achievement. Now I feel like I really know what I'm talking about and can give you all some info and advice!

Another huge development in our lives is that we are expecting our first child! I am due with our baby boy the end of May and we are so incredibly excited and just over-the-moon happy! I can't wait to meet our little guy.

Monroe and I, 26 weeks pregnant!

I have been incredibly lucky and have felt really amazing throughout my pregnancy, other than a nasty cold at the end of December. My cravings haven't been too crazy. Other than wanting Dairy Queen chicken strips and peanut butter Oreo blizzards pretty much constantly, I've had an intense craving for healthy foods such as apples and clementines. I'll take that over peanut butter and pickle sandwiches any day! My weight gain throughout has been pretty moderate, and I'm well within the "normal" healthy weight gain range for my pre-pregnancy BMI. I've totally taken advantage of being a happy somewhat lazy pregnant lady, but now that the weather is getting nicer I've been trying really hard to get more exercise in everyday. Really really!

I'm still job hunting and in my spare time at home have been reading a ton, cleaning, and of course cooking! So I have lots to share with all of you! Please keep checking in!

First up the cheesy broccoli rice!

One-Pot Broccoli Cheese and Rice

Prep Time: 10 min. | Total Time: 45 min. | Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. butter (or you can use olive oil)
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup brown rice (here is the healthy swap!!!)
1 tsp. salt
2 cups water
1 medium head broccoli, florets only, finely chopped (or however you want them!)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions:
Melt the butter, or heat the oil, in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until they're translucent. Add in the garlic with the onion and saute for an additional 30 seconds or so.

Add the brown rice and stir around to coat in the butter and onions. I like to let it cook for a minute or 2 because I feel like it gets better flavor. Typically, I'll let it cook until I smell that awesome buttery nutty flavor. Try it, you'll know what I mean. If you're afraid of burning it, just let it cook about 1 minute. Add the salt and water and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and let the brown rice cook for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, add in the chopped broccoli right on top of the rice, don't even bother stirring it. Cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. This time may be a bit longer if you chopped your broccoli into larger pieces. Turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, for an additional 5-10 minutes to steam that broccoli.

Remove the lid and stir the broccoli into the rice. Add the cheddar cheese and stir to get everything mixed together really well and melt the cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper if you think it needs it. I thought it needed it! Serve with a little extra cheddar cheese sprinkled on top! Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from here.



Next up the salmon! Even if you think you're not a fish person, try this. The sauce and breading really add a nice flavor and crunch to the fish, and I think takes away a lot of the fishy flavor. We both loved it! And a friend with a 2 year old came to eat with us and both of them liked it! Kid tested and approved, boom!

Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon

Prep Time: 5 min. | Cook Time: 10 min. | Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets
1 1/2 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp. honey
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, or about 1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra lemon for serving

Preparation Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, or aluminum foil, and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, honey, and garlic. In a shallow dish mix together the bread crumbs, parsley and lemon zest. Drizzle olive oil over this mixture and toss around to evenly coat everything with the oil.

Working with one piece of the salmon at a time, brush the mustard mixture on one side of the salmon and then put that side face down into the breadcrumb mixture. While it's in the breadcrumbs, brush the other side with the mustard mixture and then turn over to coat with the breadcrumbs. Transfer to a baking dish and repeat with the other 3 salmon fillets.

Bake 13-15 minutes until salmon is cooked through. Serve warn with lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Recipes adapted from here.

I'm still getting used to the lighting in my new kitchen...sorry if my pictures suck for a bit.

I didn't have to do a ton of prep for this week since our menu is really pretty simple, but I did do a few things. First I hard-boiled a bowl full of eggs. I like to have some eggs ready for snacks or quick breakfasts when my husband has to run out the door. Cooking my eggs is super quick and simple because I have a nifty gadget! We received an Egg Genie as a wedding gift 6 years ago and we still use it. It perfectly cooks 7 hard-boiled eggs in minutes. I don't have to do a thing!

The next thing I did was to whip up some homemade ranch dressing to use as a veggie dip and salad dressing all week. If you've never made your own ranch, you really need to! The difference is amazing! And it's really not difficult at all. I follow Pioneer Woman's recipe, link here.


The flavor is so much better than store bought, but also I know exactly what went into it. There are no preservatives or fillers, and no extra sodium. It's just better all the way around. When it's made, I just pop it in a mason jar and into the fridge. I also cut up some carrots and celery. And yes, I'm one of those crazy people who cuts their own carrot sticks.


Having these veggies and dressing ready to go in the fridge ensures we'll have healthy snacks when we need them. It never fails that I'll study all day, starve and raid the fridge. I'm not alone in that though, a lot of times my husband gets so busy at work that he doesn't have the chance to eat all day, then comes home and eats whatever he sees. If I have better options readily available, chances are we'll both make better decisions!

Meal Planning Tip of the Week: Make a weekly theme night like Taco Tuesday or Pizza Friday. We're having both this week because we haven't had either in a while. Taco Tuesday is really simple and delicious, and a perfect weeknight meal. Pizza Friday just seems like an American thing to do. We make our own whole-wheat crust (I'm pretty sure I've shared that recipe on here before) which is enough for 2 pizzas. My husband really likes to help out when we make the pizza and makes a really delicious BBQ chicken pizza with red onion and cilantro. Then we make a big loaded supreme pizza with the second crust. I think theme nights can really help with the planning process because when you sit down to start your menu, you're not overwhelmed with a blank page and nowhere to begin. Give it a try and let me know what you decide to have each week with your family!

You guys...Hey! It's been a minute, huh!? This summer threw us for a loop and my poor little blog here just fell by the wayside. I apologize. So here's a recap of the last 3 months of my life:

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken and Veggies

This would be the perfect side dish for any Memorial Day barbecue you may have going on this weekend. And it's packed with veggies! I really like this crunchy ramen salad because it's a good combo of sweet and savory, and it has a great crunch! Yes it uses a couple packages of ramen noodles, which are not normally something you'd find on a healthy eating blog. But you're going to toss the seasoning package that comes with it since it's full of junk anyway. The Asian honey vinaigrette that is used as the dressing in this salad is really amazing and easy to make. I hope you give it a try!

Crunchy Ramen Salad

Prep Time: 10 min. | Total Time: 10 min.

Salad Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) bag coleslaw mix
2 ( 3 oz.) packages of ramen noodles, crumbled (toss the seasoning packet)
1 cup shelled and cooked edamame
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
1/2 cup thinly-sliced almonds
1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions (scallions)
Asian honey vinaigrette

Vinaigrette Ingredients:
2/3 cup vegetable oil (or any cooking oil)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
Pinch of salt and black pepper

Preparation Instructions:
Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients and set aside. Add all ingredients together in a large bowl, pour on vinaigrette and toss until combined. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This will last in the fridge for a couple days, just remember that the avocado will brown the longer it sits, especially since it's sitting in an acidic vinaigrette. Also, I like it best fresh because the ramen noodles is still nice and crunchy! Enjoy!


I hope you all  have a relaxing and safe Memorial Day weekend!

I'm still alive! I took a bit of a blogging hiatus to gear up for finals and to get our house ready to list. Well, our house sold in a day and I just submitted my last final! Hallelujah!! I just had a ginormous weight lifted from my shoulders and I'm ready to party! Okay honestly, get a massage and sleep is more on my agenda.

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you guys because it's been one of my favorites lately! I don't know that I would go so far as to say these are "healthy" double chocolate zucchini muffins, but they do contain whole wheat flour (fiber!), zucchini (veggie goodness!), honey and applesauce (natural sweeteners!), so I wouldn't discourage you from calling them healthy. If you are looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth without grabbing a candy bar or something super unhealthy, I think you should definitely try these!

The zucchini and applesauce make them incredibly moist, and the cocoa powder and chocolate chips make them oh so chocolately and delicious. And yes, they do have green flecks in there because of the shredded zucchini. If that bothers you, just don't look at it! You can't taste any zucchini at all. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Find me on Instagram or post your muffins with the hashtag, #apursuitofhealthy, I would love to see what you make!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Prep Time: 10 min. | Total Time: 35 min. | Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. oil, whatever kind you want, coconut, vegetable, etc.
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup milk, I used regular ole 2% but you could use any type of milk you like
1/2 cup regular or mini chocolate chips

Preparation Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 12 cup muffin tin by either using cupcake liners or spraying the tin very generously with nonstick cooking spray.

Super important step! After shredding your zucchini, squeeze it to get rid of all excess water. Zucchinis are full of water and it will mess up how the muffins turn out if the excess water isn't disposed of. I've explained this before in a zucchini dessert post, but this is what I do. I line a bowl with a couple layers of paper towel, then set my box grater in the bowl and shred the zucchini right into it. Then when done, I gather the edges of the paper towel into a little bundle and squeeze it over the sink. Easy peasy!

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add oil, honey, vanilla, egg and egg white; mix on medium-low until smooth and well combined. Add zucchini, applesauce, and milk to the wet ingredients and mix well. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin tin. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup and that really made it an easy job. Bake 22-25 minutes, depending on your oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in muffin tin. After 5 minutes, remove muffins and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Warning: these are incredibly addictive and won't last long. I may have even one for breakfast yesterday while I was cooking my actual breakfast. Ridiculous. In fact, these muffins didn't last long enough for me to take pictures of them.


Nutrition Information:
     Serving Size: 1 muffin
     Calories: 160
     Fat: 6 g
     Carbs: 25 g
     Sugar: 14 g
     Fiber: 2.3 g
     Protein: 3.4 g

Happy Monday! I know it's not Taco Tuesday yet, but I'm giving you ideas a little bit early. I LOVE Taco Tuesday! When we were remodeling our kitchen, I couldn't cook for a good 2 months (Ah!!) and we became well acquainted with Taco Tuesday at our local Mexican restaurant. It's just the best concept ever. Today I have a really awesome fajita recipe for you!
Seriously who doesn't love fajitas! I think I'm going to establish Fajita Friday at our house. These fajitas are so simple and "skinny", not that fajitas are a particularly unhealthy recipe to begin with. These are made with your own seasoning, so no packets here, helping you control what is in them particularly the sodium. Just remember it's the type and amount of toppings you put on them that can really add the extra unwanted calories!

Chicken Fajitas

Total Time: approx. 30 minutes | Serves 4

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts **
2 bell peppers, any color you like, cut into strips
1 medium onion, cut into strips
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
8 whole wheat flour tortillas, fajita size

Toppings:
Shredded cheese
Sour cream (optional)
Sliced avocado or guacamole (optional)

Preparation Instructions:
Marinate the chicken breasts with lime juice, and season with chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin. Set aside.

Season the sliced vegetables with salt and pepper and toss with olive oil. You can either grill your veggies and chicken indoors or outside on the grill. To grill the onions and peppers outside on the grill, use a cast iron skillet or vegetable basket and grill covered over medium heat until tender-crisp, about 10-12 minutes. Or, to cook them indoors, you can use a large skillet on the stove over medium heat for about 12-15 minutes, covered until the onions and peppers are tender-crisp. I like my veggies to still have a bite to them, not mushy, so cook them to whatever consistency you like best. When finished cooking, remove onions and peppers to a separate plate, and set aside.

Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium heat; grill chicken until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes on each side. Transfer to a cutting board when completely cooked and cut into strips. Once cooked, combine with the peppers and onions. I cooked my chicken in the same pan that I cooked the vegetables, and then when I had sliced the chicken, I just combined everything back in the original pan to heat up the onions and peppers again.

Serve immediately with warm tortillas, cheese and whatever toppings you like! Enjoy!

**For just my husband and I, I used 1 lb of chicken and we had leftovers. So use 1-2 lbs depending on how many people you are serving.

Recipe adapted from SkinnyTaste.