This slow cooked tuscan chicken is a dish that is light on meat and heavier on beans for added protein and fiber without the cholesterol or saturated fat.
After many weeks of holiday gatherings, tasty treats and too many glasses of champagne, I think we are all looking to start the new year on the right foot. I love this time of year because it seems that everyone has a renewed energy, drive and commitment to living a healthier life. Today I’m going to share a few words of advice to any and all of you who might be reading this looking for a little inspiration as we head into the new year.
Make one small change a week.
The key to making permanent lifestyle changes is to start out small. If you haven’t been going to the gym regularly but vow to go 5 days a week starting January 2nd, you will burn out in 2 weeks. Instead, set a few obtainable goals and commit to just once a week. Here are a few ideas:
- Drink 2 additional glasses of water per day.
- Reduce soda consumption by one serving per day.
- Exercise 3 days a week for 30 minutes. Everyone has 30 minutes, 3 days a week. (Thank you Curves for that life lesson!)
- Get 8 hours of sleep.
- Eat breakfast every day.
- Increase fruit and vegetable consumption by 2 servings a day.
Eat Foods That Come From the Ground or Have a Mother:
Clean eating is something I am very passionate about because it takes away a lot of the thinking. I might not eat perfectly all the time, but if I’m eating food that is real and comes from the ground or has a mother, I feel less guilty.
- Foods That Come From the Ground or Have a Mother: Apples, Almonds, Avocados, Salmon, Turkey, Yogurt.
- Foods that Don’t: Doritos, Chicken Nuggets, Miracle Whip, Pepsi, Hot Dogs, Cheetos, Oreos, Bratwurst, Frappachinos, Graham Crackers, BBQ Sauce, Ketchup.
Move More.
All you need to do to lose weight is move more than you did last week. Not currently exercising? Walk around the block this evening before dinner or walk for 10 minutes on the treadmill. Next week, add on 10 minutes. Love the elliptical machine? Add in 15 minutes of strength training. Cardio buff? Try Yoga or Pilates this week. No gym membership? No problem. YouTube has videos for free that you can do right from your home office. On-Demand also has hundreds of free workouts in the Fitness section – some as quick as 10 minutes!
By slow cooking the chicken with veggies, there is absolutely no need for oil and the chicken becomes so tender that it literally shreds apart when it is done cooking. Serve over your whole grain of choice – I decided to have it with bulgur wheat.
Have you tried my
Slow Cooked Tuscan Chicken and Beans?
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Slow Cooked Tuscan Chicken and Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts (boneless, skinless )
- 3 cloves garlic (grated)
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 red pepper (diced)
- 1 zucchini (diced)
- 15 ounces cannellini beans (canned. drained and rinsed)
- 15 ounces fire roasted tomatoes
- 15 ounces tomato sauce (unsalted)
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker and season with garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Add diced peppers, zucchini, beans, fire roasted tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- Stir well and heat on Low for 6 hours or High for 3 hours.
- Towards the end of cooking time, use two forks to shred chicken and stir well.
- Serve over brown rice, whole wheat pasta or Bulgar wheat as pictured above.
Last Step:
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