Plantain Lasagna

Plantain Lasagna

Ingredients:

-5 ripe plantains

-4 egg whites

-1 onion, chopped

-3-4 garlic cloves

-1 ½ sweet pepper (green, red, yellow)

-500g lean turkey mince

-1 ½ can of chopped tomatoes 

-4-6 tablespoons coconut oil (maybe more)

-Cottage cheese

-Season to taste  

Method

-Peel your plantains and slice them lengthwise into long strips, about a half inch thick which is usually 4 slices per plantain.  

-Heat 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil in your non-stick pan to about medium low temperature.  Add the plantain strips and cook for 3-4 minutes per side; they will need to be lightly browned and soft. Drain them on paper towels.

-Lightly fry the peppers, onions, garlic and the turkey mince together until they are soft and then add the tomato sauce and your choice of seasoning.  

-Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

- Place a layer of cooked plantain slices into your casserole dish.

-Spoon the meat sauce over the plantains and add a layer of cottage cheese on top

- Apply another layer of plantains and repeat the process.

-Beat the four egg whites and pour it over the casserole.  

-Let the eggs soak in for a few minutes and then bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes.  

Portion Control

So my mum always tells me I eat too much. My excuse and response is that I’m active so I need to eat a lot in order to keep me going. However, she might actually be right. I’ve been a serious lover of food from when I was a child and on reflection; I can honestly say that I’m quite greedy.

However, that’s all soon to change, because I’ve bought something that will help me adjust my portions.

Meet the Meal Measure …

This brilliant gadget is a plastic portion control guide that fits right over your plate. You can measure your protein, starch, vegetables and fruit for perfect portions. Each hole of the meal measurer has a 1 cup and 1/2-cup mark so you can adjust portions for your individual dietary needs.

What I really like about the Meal Measure, is the fact that you don't have to use measuring cups or scales to figure out just the right food portions for your meals. All you need is your Meal Measure, which will fit in most standard sized dinner plates. It’s easy to use, easy to clean and a handy alternative to an individual portion plate as you can use it to measure more than one meal at once.

The only thing I would say is that it is a bit over priced. I paid £15 for mine on eBay. Also, the product doesn’t come with any guidelines as to whether you should have half a cup or a full cup, but for me, a full cup is less than what I usually consume anyway, so it’s still been a massive help.
I ordered mine from eBay; however they also sell it on Amazon as well.

Using the Meal Measure has shown me how much I’ve been over eating over the years and although it’s a bit pricey, I think it’s a very good investment.  It definitely gets Just Geen’s stamp of approval.

G

GYMS KITCHEN

Gyms Kitchen – the UK’s first protein based restaurant.

They're definitely not lying; this restaurant is every gym go-ers heaven. Since it opened in 2012, I’ve heard nothing but good things. But word of mouth isn’t always gospel, so I decided to take a trip down there and try it out for myself.

My experience was nothing short of amazing. With fitness quotes on the wall such as “eat clean, train dirty”, pictures of the ‘fitness evolution’ and the weightlifting toilet signs, the restaurant's decor was impressive and it won me over, before I had even tasted the food. You can tell that a lot of thought went into creating the perfect atmosphere.

The menu was overwhelming, with so many options to choose from. Porridge, eggs, protein pancakes, wraps, sea food, smoothies anything healthy you can think of; it was all there. What I really liked about their menu was, not only did it provide you with the amount of calories per dish, it also listed the nutritional value contained in each dish, such as the fat content, the grams of protein and grams of carbs, which is pretty handy for a gym go-er, like myself.

As this trip was after a workout, myself and @bigboatstrainingroom were keen to fuel our muscles with as much protein as possible. For starters, we were served carrots and celery with homemade hummus. If you’re a hummus fan, then you’ll appreciate the authentic taste, in comparison to the store bought ones from places like Tesco and Asda.

For our mains, we decided to share the mixed grill platter. The platter was protein heaven and contained 268g of protein, split between both of us. The feast included Chicken Wings, Lamb Cubes, Chicken Cubes, Butterfly Chicken and, of course Lamb Chops, which we washed down with a Banana and Peanut Butter protein shake. The portions were generous and accompanied by a garnish salad and Gym’s Kitchen sauces. I wasn’t too fond of their chicken, but I would highly recommend the lamb. The lamb did not disappoint, they were perfect, succulent yet crispy and rightly seasoned.

To seal off the occasion, we decided to share their Protein Pancake Tower combo. The tower consisted of three different types of pancakes; Apple Crunch Protein, Banana & Chocolate Protein and Blueberry Protein. They were topped with fresh fruit and served with honey drizzle and peanut butter. The pancakes were a perfect way to end my experience and are a good alternative for those with a sweet tooth.

Overall, my experience at gyms kitchen was 10/10. The restaurant is a prime example that you can eat out and enjoy a healthy meal without having to restrict to a salad. Their nutritional balanced menu doesn’t hold back on taste and I would highly recommend this to anyone.

They currently have two locations:

Restaurant 1- 388-392 High Road, Leyton, E10 6QE

Restaurant 2- 376 – 378 Cranbrook Road, Gants Hill, Essex, IG2 6HW

For any non-east Londoners, I suggest you give either branch a visit. Trust me; it is definitely worth the journey.

G

Peanut Butter Punch

So I'm going through a nutty phase and for breakfast I made a delicious Peanut Butter Punch *licks lips*

Although peanut butter is high in fat, it contains good fats  which can help lower cholesterol and it is also a good source of vitamin D. It just has to be eaten in moderation.

To make this sexy drink, all you need is:

-a cup of milk of your choice (I used almond milk)

-1.5 tablespoons of peanut butter

-half a cup of crushed ice

-teaspoon of honey

To make it more filling, you can add a banana, half a cup of granola or oats.

When blending the ingredients together, add the peanut butter last so it doesn't settle at the bottom of the blender.

Try it and let me know what you think.

G

Eat Clean & Get Lean

So from 1st April until 31st May, I’ve decided to experiment with my body and food with the aim of targeting my stomach. I know some of you are rolling your eyes and thinking “oh please there’s nothing wrong with your stomach”. Well… I beg to differ! I have premature packs that want to come through and my stomach is not firm…I’m so sure it’s confused. Please don’t let the images fool you because my stomach still folds when I sit down looool.

But anyway… This is the 5^th week of switching up my diet, and I’m feeling great! A typical day for me food-wise looks like this:

Breakfast 8:00am	Fruit & Veg Smoothie
Snack 11:00am	Fruit Salad
Lunch 1:00pm	Prepared Meal (Salmon, Sweet Potato & Veg)
Snack 3:00pm	Fruits & Nuts
Pre-dinner 5:00pm (usually before gym)	Salmon Sandwich (brown bread)
Dinner  8:00pm	Prepared Meal (Chicken Breast, Quinoa & Veg)

 

Yup! It's pretty simple and I'm starting to see the benefits.

What I think has made such a difference is the little things. For example, I’ve avoided saturated fats, oils, dairy and processed sugars etc. I've not had any sweets, junk food (Ok, I’m lying … :( There was that one trip to TGI lol), additional salt or dressing on my meals. If I've needed more flavour I've opted for lemon juice.

Any fats I've consumed have been natural - from nuts and protein and any sugars have come from my fruits.

Exercise wise I haven't done much because of my knee injury. So I've been taking it easy and I've still seen a difference, so just imagine how much change will occur if I went hard on the cardio.

Remember this is just an example of what I’ve done and what has worked for ME. I know loads of people don’t like eating carbs after 7 and that’s fine… But I’ve been eating carbs after 7 and I haven’t seen any negative results. I guess it’s all about knowing what works for YOUR body.

So why not experiment for 30 days and see what results you come out with.

G

Meal Prep

Im a busy body- I leave my house at 7:30am and don’t usually get back home until 9/10pm everyday. Getting home around them times to now start cooking my meals is even longer than it sounds…so what do I do? I meal prep!

On Sundays, I cook enough Protein, Carbs & Veg to last me for the working week (Mon-Fri), put them into individual containers and keep them in the fridge. There’s no need to put the meals in the freezer because the food will still be fresh by the time Im ready to eat it.

This saves so much time and money as it allows me to avoid eating rubbish, spending money on food or skipping meals when I’m out and about during the week.

I just grab a container and ‘voilà’ …Im good to go.

Try it….meal prep for a week and see how much time and money you save.

G

Pancake Day

So today is Pancake Day and JustGeen’s stomach will definitely be getting involved.

Along my journey, I have found that there are many different healthy ways to make pancakes and Protein Pancakes have become my favourite. Not only are they low in carb and low in fat, they are delicious!

The recipe is quite simple:

Ingredients:

• 3 table spoons of wheat flour
• 3 egg whites
• ½ cup of oats
• 2 table spoons of protein powder (optional)
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• pinch of nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons of rice milk
• 1 teaspoon of honey

Instructions

• Whisk all the ingredients into a bowl until it is lump free.
• Your pan should be warmed on a medium heat with just a little bit of olive oil or olive oil cooking spray.
• Pour your mix into the pan and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes.　

Your pancakes dont have to be topping free so why not add some strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, bananas, honey, natural yoghurt or nuts.

Bon appétit!

G



Just Geen's Kitchen

Right... so I know it's extremely hard to stay fit and maintain a 'healthy' food regime. Quite frankly it can become extremely boring... but it doesn't always have to be. Below are a few things I eat on a day to day basis which I'm going to share with you.

Remember these are only examples and i'm not a nutritionist so please don't shoot if you get side effects such as a double chin, back tyres or a kangaroo pouch!

You don't have to eat all of these foods you can even mix and match!

Breakfast:

Porridge (with banana)

Smoked Salmon & Egg Whites Wheat Bagel

Omelette

Bran Flakes (with banana)

Oat & Protein Pancakes (with Banana & Strawberries)

Fruit Salad & Natural Yoghurt

Cornmeal Porridge

Wholemeal Toast, Scrambled Eggs & Grilled Mushrooms

 

Oat Protein Pancakes topped with Banana's, Strawberries, Nuts & Natural Yoghurt

Lunch

Chicken/fish , Sweet Potato & Avocado Salad

Chicken/fish, Boiled Plantain & Salad

Chicken Breast Wrap

Chicken Caesar Salad

Tuna & Sweet Corn Brown Pasta

Homemade Chicken & Vegetable Soup

Prawn & Vegetable Cous Cous

Mixed Salad 

Avocado, Olive & Feta Cheese Salad  

Chicken Breast Wrap

Dinner

Lamb Chops, Plantain (boiled) & Salad

Salmon, Grilled Vegetables & Rice Noodles

Beef Lasagne (with brown sheets) & Avocado Salad

Roast Chicken, Baked Sweet Potato Fries & Salad

Grilled Chicken Breast & Mixed Veg

Chicken/ Fish, Sweet Potato Mash & Salad

Chicken, Bulgar Wheat & Salad

Prawn Coconut Curry, Sweet Potato & Salad

Prawn Coconut Curry, Sweet Potato & Salad 

Chicken, Bulgar Wheat & Salad

Fish, Sweet Potato Mash & Salad

Grilled Chicken Breast & Mixed Veg

I drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day,  home made smoothies, green tea & juices (not from concentrate).

I eat every 3 hours (the fat greedy Gina is still in me) and I get hungry quite often so I snack a lot. My snacks are just different kinds of fruits or green tea. My food portions are not that big and I prefer to eat smaller portions more regularly.

Remember this is just an example of my diet so I'm not saying eat every 3 hours or to eat what I eat because that might not work for you. Its about trial and error and finding out what works for you. Some people could eat every 3 hours and become a big engine which isn't what were trying to achieve. I eat every 3 hours and my workout regime is pretty intense so it works in my favour.

But for more information on nutrition and consultations email: bookings.bigboatstrainingroom@hotmail.co.uk  and follow his Instagram @bigboatstrainingroom- he taught me everything I know.

Also, check out #famfoods on Instagram for healthy meal ideas.

G

Weather Worries

So many people use the weather as an excuse not to work out, but as the weather’s always rubbish in England, using the weather as an excuse means you probably won't ever work out.

So today it's snowing and it's that cold that I'm even lacking the motivation to go to the gym (yes I'm actually not going to the gym today and no the world isn't going to end lol). However, that does not mean I can't do a little home workout. 

Why not try today’s ab workout which consisted of: 

Russian twist- Sit on the floor with your knees bent like a "sit-up" position. Your upper body should be straight off the ground at a 45 degree angle. In a twisting motion, swing your arms from side to side touching the floor on each side. To make it harder lift your feet off the floor using your core for balance.

Side crunch- Lay on the side of your body, placing your hands behind your head so your fingertips just touch each other as they rest behind your head. Bring your torso up and your side will bend as your shoulder lifts into the crunch. To make this harder lift your leg up as you lift your torso up. Repeat on other side.

Leg raises-Lie on the floor on your back and place your hands to the side, behind your ears or under your lower back for support. Make sure your back stays flat on floor and yours abs are tight. Keep your legs close together and your knees straight. Slowly raise your legs until they are pointed straight up in the air then slowly lower them back to the starting position.

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Toe reach- Lie on the floor on your back and lift your legs up so they are pointing to the ceiling. Reach as far as you can with your hands towards your toes.
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Plank- Rest your body on your forearms and toes and hold this position. Keep your body in a straight line with no sagging and make sure your bum is not in the air. To make it harder lift one leg 5-8 inches off the floor.

Try and complete as many reps as you can in 30 seconds for the side crunch and russian twist and 60 seconds for the leg raises plank and toe reach. All 5 exercises make up 1 set so aim to do between 4-6 sets.

Good luck

G

Gym Is My Drug

So today was my rest day but I found myself in the gym doing stretches. I could have stretched at home, but hey who was I kidding!








It was either go to the gym and stretch, or stay at home and get tempted by the smell of fresh Jollof Rice, Fried Plantain and Chofi (damn being Ghanaian and healthy is hard) *sigh* . But I closed my nose and ran to the gym in record time, Usain Bolt would have been proud of me . I knew I would not have stretched at home plus just being in the gym for me is my ecstasy- I'm such an addict its unreal. 









During Uni times I never used to understand why some of my friends used to say they could only study at home, but now I'm exactly the same with fitness. 











Stretches are just as important as your workouts. Stretching loosens up your muscles, prevents muscle fatigue, maintains flexibility and mobility and prevents you walking up and down the stairs like your broken. 











Please see example below: 











So guys, always remember to stretch otherwise you'll end up walking like my friend who will remain anonymous.  







G 

Recycled Resolutions

Wow! A New Year already and I guess it’s that time where we all make resolutions that we hope to keep right? I made a few this year and here they are:

• Stop smoking – Considering I don’t smoke and have never been a smoker it was pretty easy to do! I can happily check that off my list!
• Start my blog – As you can tell I’ve started
• Tone up – Well this is the journey I am still on…

Fitness, exercise, eating healthy, sweating I mean is there anything here that actually sounds appealing?

Exercise, sweat and most importantly healthy eating works! Eating healthily does not have to be boring or bland and does not only consist of ‘rabbit food’ (check out my nutrition page for some of my tasty recipes and pictures).

My fitness journey didn't start as a resolution but as a change in lifestyle with the intention of it lasting a lifetime. I say this because fitness isn't a destination but rather a journey. It’s much harder to maintain your achievement once you've reached your goal. This ongoing motion is why it's a journey and not a destination.

I can be your testimony people because when I was younger I was always the ‘fat kid’. I was a dumpling! Not soft and tasty but fat, round and stumpy!! I was a myth, but now I can happily say those days are behind me *phew*

 All jokes aside, the annoying thing about New Year’s resolutions is that they get recycled from previous years (we all do it!). But let’s make this year different and say  NO to #RecycledResolutions.

Set yourself realistic goals that way you’re more likely to stick to it.

Don’t be the 'guest appearance gymer' or the person that recycles this year’s resolution next year. 

Join my journey and let’s see how it goes! If it works then we don’t have to recycle this resolution, if it doesn’t work then hey.. We’ll keep trying until it does!

G