I am starting a MACRO class next week. There are two different options for this class. I found the last time I did a class, I had a wide range of people and felt like I wasn’t giving those that were more experienced what they needed. In an effort to not overwhelm those that are new to MACROS I don’t want to throw how to cook with MACROS on their plate just yet.
The advanced class will focus more on how to cook with MACROS. Often times, those that are just starting out, keep their food pretty simple and don’t go full blown family meals when tracking. Tracking recipes and weighing out each ingredient can be very overwhelming and converting raw to cooked can be confusing. It is my hope that I can pull people away from the boring meal-prep food and help them be more consistent with their MACROS through this class. Eating the same meal all week is not for everyone and can lead to boredom and often failure.
The beginners class will teach the basics of MACROS and how to reach those MACROS in the most effective way. I will do a round of consultations where we discuss your goals, take your measurements, and then set an achievable goal for your MACROS. When I meet with people they usually want to lose weight while tracking MACROS. I will help set goals that don’t leave you feeling starved but will help you reach your goals. The most important thing you will gain is knowledge about what is in the food you are eating, which for me is the most important piece. When you have knowledge about food, you can make smart, informed choices without feeling guilty for certain food choices or like you are missing out on certain foods.
The groups will take place on Facebook or Instagram depending on which platform you are on. These will be private groups that we will communicate on and go through weekly “lessons” on MACROS, health discussions, learn what foods are best for reaching your goals, and more. If you are interested in joining the group let me know! I would love to help you learn about food and what you need to reach your goals. The group will last 8 weeks and cost $50! MACROS is not something you learn to do overnight and I want to help guide you through the process. If you would like to join give E8 a call or send me a message and we will get you signed up!
M E N U
Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Shrimp Tacos + Creamy Jalapeño Special Sauce
Sweet Potato Fry Steak Salad + Blue Cheese Butter
Greek Orzo Stuffed Red Peppers
Roasted Pork Loin Stuffed with Baby Spinach, Mushrooms and Pine Nuts + Yogurt Mashed Potatoes
Chicken + Roasted Vegetables
Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Shrimp Tacos + Creamy Jalapeño Special Sauce
I love the sauce that this recipe calls for. It is super simple and very similar to many ‘pineapple bowls’ that I make, but it’s good! This might be my new favorite sheet pan and sauce.
I am going to throw in some pan-seared green onions, onions, sweet corn, and bell peppers. The last time I ate this, I thought it could use some more volume, without adding a lot more calories. I don’t want the calories to be too high and have to skip out on the rice.
Originally this dish had shrimp, but we used the trimmings from a beef tenderloin last time and it was excellent.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined *5-6 ounces of sirloin steak per serving, chicken or shrimp 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil *spray pan with olive oil 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or grated 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon sriracha flaky sea salt and black pepper 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks *1/3 cup per serving 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced CREAMY JALAPEÑO SPECIAL SAUCE 1 jalapeño 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt *60-70 grams non-fat greek yogurt juice of 2 limes 2 teaspoons honey *0.5 ounce 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped *optional toppings 1 ear raw or grilled corn, kernels removed from the cob warmed corn or flour tortillas, plus mashed avocado, for serving *served over rice
Sweet Potato Fry Steak Salad + Blue Cheese Butter
I have a lot of favorites, but honestly, THIS is on the very tip-top of my list for salad favorites. It is the most amazing flavor and you can go as light or heavy on the sweet potatoes as you want. I go easy on the butter and make sure to pick a lean cut of steak so I can have more potatoes. If you like a high-fat meal, go crazy with the butter and steak, but keep the potatoes to a minimum.
Josh loves to challenge my macro cooking abilities and boy did I deliver. I made several changes and left a few things off, intentionally and unintentionally. I skipped the avocado because I did not want it to be too much on the fat side. I had plenty of fat leftover at the end of the night for a snack, so it was a good choice. I used reduced-fat blue cheese and sirloin steak to keep the fat at bay as well. The recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of butter, but I used 1.5 tablespoons for 4 servings and it was plenty for us.
To track this I weighed out the steak amount first and then put on the butter-cheese mixture. The size of the steak does not matter as long as you input it separately into your macro count, but the serving size of the butter-cheese mix needs to be the same for every salad.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 3 small-medium sweet potatoes, cut into matchsticks *2-3 ounces cooked potato per serving 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil *spray olive oil 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder kosher salt and fresh black pepper 1 (8-10 ounce) ribeye steak or 1 1/2 pound flank steak *sirloin steak 6 cups shredded romaine lettuce 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved *10-12 per serving 1 avocado, sliced *0.5-0.8 ounces per serving 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature *1-2 tablespoons 3-4 ounces gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled *40-50 grams reduced fat blue cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil *1 lemon juiced 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoon honey *0.5 ounce 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard *1 tablespoon 1 small shallot, finely diced 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
Greek Orzo Stuffed Red Peppers
Another meatless wonder that I stuffed with meat anyway and it turned out wonderful. I don’t think I could ever get tired of this dish. I loved this dish so much. It was beautiful. It was delicious. This also makes a great side dish for salmon or steak.
This is one of those meals that you tuck away in the back of your mind for the next time you have company and want to impress them without having to try too hard. I simply loved it and the macros weren’t that bad either. You could definitely cut back on the amount of orzo used and bring down the carbohydrates. I used 1 cup, but I might even do 3/4 of a cup this time so I don’t feel as strapped on my carbohydrates next time, but the orzo is so good.
Tracking the macros on the peppers was not super difficult. I made sure each pepper had the same amount of pasta, chicken, and toppings so that no matter which pepper was picked, they were the same. Weigh out the pepper before stuffing with the toppings and meat, so that each person knows the weight of their peppers.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 3 red bell peppers, halved *4 peppers, 1 whole pepper per person 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil *spray olive oil 3 sprigs fresh oregano kosher salt and pepper 1 cup dry orzo or quinoa *285 grams or less 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives *70-80 grams 2 pepperoncini, chopped *60-70 grams 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, chopped *Omit nuts 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese *12 grams non fat feta per serving Lemony Basil Tomatoes: 1 cup fresh basil, chopped 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil *omit oil, use 1 lemon juiced crushed red pepper flakes zest from 1 lemon kosher salt *add cooked chicken breast to peppers
Roasted Pork Loin Stuffed with Baby Spinach, Mushrooms and Pine Nuts + Yogurt Mashed Potatoes
When we got a pork loin last week and we left part of it whole so that we could stuff it. Normally anytime you stuff something, you don’t think it could possibly be healthy, but this recipe is very healthy. I try not to over-do it on the oil when I brown the sides of the pork, so I don’t waste my calories on invisible fats.
I really enjoy this stuffed loin because it is low in calories when compared to other pork loins. I do not rub down my loin with olive oil or mix any into the stuffing. The mushrooms let out enough water that you do not have to add any oil to keep them from sticking to the pan. If you lightly spray the pan you will be fine. I go easy on the pine nuts or omit them altogether because the loin will have a layer of fat that you need to account for. If you do not eat the fat from the meat, make sure you weigh it after your meal and subtract that from what you had accounted for.
Making sure that this meal is 100% accurate when tracking is difficult because you cannot control how much stuffing is in each piece. I make sure that I track all the ingredients in the stuffing and make a recipe with that and the total weight of the loin after the center has been cut out. Don’t throw out the center that you have cut out, cook it, and keep it for a healthy snack throughout the week! You want to make sure the pieces of stuffed loin are the same size/weight, which is harder than it sounds. You might have some pieces that require you to add or take some away from to ensure they are all the same weight. Often times the ends are more meat than stuffing, so those are not ideal pieces to eat if you are looking for the most accurate.
One night we decided to make some mashed potatoes to go along with our steak. Friday and Saturday night is usually not planned but we still try to keep pretty healthy. I saw that I had some non-fat Greek yogurt in the fridge and threw it in there. Josh thought it was sour cream and I just let him think that until he tasted it. Once he gave the approval, I let him in on my secret. Since then that is how I have made our potatoes, even for guests and they have never been able to tell the difference. Make sure to use caution when adding in the yogurt, the more you use the sweeter the potatoes will taste.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for the pan *spray with olive oil 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced *8 ounces mushrooms total 1 (5.0-ounce) package baby spinach *2 cups 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt divided 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted *omit for lower fat 1 (2.0-pound) center-cut boneless pork loin roast, butterflied 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided Yogurt Mashed Potatoes: 900-1000 grams red potatoes 65-75 grams non-fat Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon butter 6-8 ounces fat free milk salt, pepper, minced garlic, fresh diced rosemary
Chicken + Roasted Vegetables
I love simple meals that can all be cooked on the grill, not all of my meals are fancy and complicated. Josh is loving his new RecTeq and doesn’t mind cooking one bit during the week on it. I don’t mind, because the mess is little to none in my kitchen and we can all be outside, instead of being cooped up in the house while I cook or me cooking alone. Cooking during the week isn’t my thing unless it involves the grill for those reasons.
For this meal, we are going to throw some mixed cuts of chicken and vegetables. Josh loves his new Bullseye and it really cooks the best chicken. It cooks it super fast but is still so juicy. Never have I had a better chicken breast. Honest. When tracking the vegetables, try to keep them all separate so you can weigh them all out separately.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: Chicken breast, legs, thighs preferred seasoning: honey hog Tiger Sauce *spray olive oil vegetables: any seasonal vegetables zucchini, corn, squash, onion, sweet potato, etc.
