I’ve been writing about alternative ways of approaching weight loss and transformative body goals after birth, while prioritizing self-love, lifestyle, and wellness goals over slimming down. Today, I would like to share one of my favorite healthy recipes for a go-to-lunch option and a vitamin rich smoothie to help give you a nutritionally balanced boost.

Us moms need quick and easy solutions for healthy eating when we are on the go. Luckily, this meal can be prepared in advance for work, or whipped up while the little one naps, so that you can have yourself a tasty and healthy meal you can call upon to mix up your weekly meal-plan and help towards your postpartum wellness goals.

Greek Cauliflower Rice Bowl with Grilled Chicken

I’ve always liked the idea of taking mundane vegetables and using them in creative ways to replace carbohydrate staples like rice or pasta. I’m a carb fiend, and I don’t encourage completely excluding carbohydrates from your diet, but limiting the amount you consume can help towards feeling less lethargic and bloated and of course can help towards creating a more lean and healthier you!

I found this awesome and simple recipe online but mixed it up a little to add extra flavor and more texture.

What you will need:

• 4-7 florets of cauliflower
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/3 peeled, deseeded, and diced cucumber
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 1/3 cup chopped mint
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp chopped deli olives
• 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp roasted white and black sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup of mixed fresh dill and fennel leaf
• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast

 Instructions:

1. Preheat grill in the oven to medium
2. Place cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse until broken down into rice-size granules
3. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower, onion and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the dill and fennel.
4. Meanwhile, rub 1 teaspoon of oil all over the chicken. Season the chicken with salt, black pepper, and paprika to taste. Grill, turning once, until cooked through. Run a knife through the thickest part of the breast and if the juices run clear when removed, the chicken should be fully cooked. Slice diagonally.
5. Whisk the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, and olives then mix.
6. Divide the cauliflower into rice bowls. Top with the chicken, and mixed salad. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, mint, and roasted sesame seeds. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.

Almond Butter and Banana Protein Smoothie

This recipe is so quick and easy. You can buy a bunch of bananas and keep them in your freezer for easy access and most of what you need can be stocked in your pantry.

What you will need:

• 1 small frozen banana
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tbsp almond butter
• 2 tbsp unflavored protein powder
• 1 tbsp sweetener of your choice (optional)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4-6 ice cups

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top and serve!

Photos: Pixabay, www.eatingwell.com

The nutritionist at FSJuice has worked on a smoothie recipe for everyone in the family with one of their juices.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup spinach, loosely packed

1 cup Mango and orange FSJUICE

2 teaspoons of ground flaxseeds

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

1/2 cup organic plain yogurt

1/2 cup water or ice cubes (optional)

Blend everything together till smooth.

This green smoothie is full of vitamins and minerals — a perfect and delicious way to add nutritious greens to your kids’ diet. It is also rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The flaxseeds give it omega 3 fatty acids and high quality protein.

Drinking the green smoothie will help you stay satisfied longer, as well as give you a chuck full of nutrients to keep your energy level high and brain more focused and alert. Drink up!

Photos: courtesy of FSJuice

Canadian mom Bonnie Brewer-Elsayed is school librarian at Canadian International School of Beijing (CISB), and so the family lives in a faculty apartment on campus. Brewer-Elsayed has been here a long time: she moved here in 2004 to teach at Beijing Concord College in Tongzhou then on to CISB when it opened a year later. Her Egyptian husband Jamie Elsayed is a consultant who works with Chinese families, preparing them for immigration. Their daughter Maira Elsayed (age 4) attends Pre-K at CISB, and is one of five little girls born in the same year to CISB staff members, which means her best-friends all live in the building.

Brewer-Elsayed doesn’t cook as much in China as she would in Canada, since Ayi and ordering in make for easy mealtimes, but she makes home cooked meals most weekends. Maira loves making pancakes and baking treats, but as we visit the Brewer-Elsayed family on a perfect, golden, summer afternoon, it’s ideal weather for the delicious, icy treat they’re about to demonstrate. “I found an orange creamsicle recipe online and decided to play around with it,” says Brewer-Elsayed, “I added pineapple and banana to give it a more tropical flavor.” Maira is an accomplished assistant and hostess: she chops, pours, blends, and insists on us trying the fruits of her labors. Delicious!

Tropical Creamsicle Smoothie
Approximately 4 servings 约4人份

Ingredients 成分

1 cup pineapple 1杯菠萝
1 medium mango 1个中等大小的芒果
1 banana 1根香蕉
1 cup plain unsweetened yogurt 1杯无糖纯酸奶
1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1茶匙香草精
1 cup orange juice 1杯橙汁

Instructions 做法

1. Peel and chop fruit. 将水果去皮、切碎。

2. Mix the vanilla essence into the yogurt. 在酸奶中加入香草精。
3. Combine fruit, yogurt mix and orange juice. 将水果、酸奶与橙汁混合。
4. For a cold, slushy smoothie freeze for 2 hours.将混合好的材料冷冻2小时。

5. Blend until smooth. 从冰箱中取出混合材料，用搅拌机打碎直至顺滑。

This article originally appeared on page 30 – 31 of the beijingkids July 2015 issue. Click here (http://issuu.com/beijingkids/docs/2015.07_beijingkids) to read the issue for free on Issuu.com. To find out how you can get your own copy, email distribution@truerun.com.

Photos by Adrian Xuan at Neverland Studio