Greek Chicken Couscous Salad

This easy prep lunch is not getting old yet and I've been prepping the same meal for weeks now! I'm sure I could come up with something else to prep for my week day lunches but I'm not getting tired of this super flavourful dish and it's SO easy to prep that I just find it too easy to keep making!  I use Organice Whole Wheat Couscous as a healthy carb in this Greek salad but you could sub in quinoa if you prefer (I’m allergic so I’ll be sticking to Couscous). 

The Marinade for the chicken makes the whole house smell just amazing while it's baking in the oven and the chicken tastes so so good!  I love using a thinner cut of chicken breast for this if I can but either way it works out great.  

To prep everything I usually prepare the marinade in a mason jar and shake it all up.  Then I add about 3 chicken breasts into a large ziploc bag and pour the Marinade over top allowing it to sit for 30 minutes in the fridge.  While that's marinading and baking I'll prepare the couscous according to the box instructions.  One 2/3 cup uncooked usually gives me about 4 lunch bowls. I will also cut up the veggies and add them into my bowls.  

It's such a simple way to prep my lunch but next week I'm for sure going to push myself to come up with something new just cause!!  

Greek Chicken Couscous salad 

Serves 4 (makes 4 lunches)

Ingredients

Salad

* 1/2 package (2/3 cup)organic whole wheat Couscous Mix made to instructions
* 4 mini cucumbers, chopped
* 2 bell peppers (1 orange, 1 yellow), coarsely chopped
* 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Salad Dressing

* 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Greek Chicken Marinade

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp EACH cumin, dried basil, onion pwdr, honey, sea salt
* 1/4 tsp EACH pepper, paprika
* 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to 1/2" thickness

Directions

Marinate chicken in Greek marinade for 20-30 minutes. 

Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Cook Couscous to direction on the box and let cool. 

Chop veggies and evenly distribute between 4 containers/bowls. 

Stir in cooled Couscous and set aside or put in the fridge.

Wisk together Salad Dressing ingredients and portion into small sealed containers OR take the whole mason jar with a sealed lid to work like I do!

Assembly

Measure out 1 yellow container of Couscous to stir into the Greek salad once cooled. Set aside in the fridge. 

I prefer to add my dressing to the salad just before I’m ready to eat so that the veggies don’t go soft. 

Chop the cooked chicken and portion into sealed containers or add to the top of the salad containers.  I personally like to warm my chicken a little before eating so I take it in a separate container. 

Portion count: 1 yellow, 1 green, 1 red

Banana Bread Overnight Oats

Omgosh!!  These little Banana Bread over night oats are so yummy!  Not only are they easy to throw together and warm up in the morning but they are the perfect portion as well!  I added a few Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips to my oats for a fun little Friday treat but when I made them last week I just made them plain and they were so delicious!  

Last week I made a bunch of them but I will say that the banana doesn't taste quite as fresh and yummy on the second day so my suggestion is to prep them the night before and not days in advance.  These little jars are so quick to throw together that it doesn't take much prep time anyways.  

This week I have been insanely busy setting up so many women who are excited to finally stop the Yo-Yo dieting and emotional eating cycle and find a way to be more mindful about eating and stop restricting and obsessing about food.  We launched a brand new Nutrition Mindset program/training this week and it's taking off like wildfire, which I'm not surprised by at all.  

This new training is great for anyone who struggles with emotional eating, a strained relationship with food, or has tried everything out there with no success. I have been watching a few of the training videos each day over my lunch break and so far I'm loving her approach and soaking it all in!

It’s not a diet—it’s a mindset. Most diets have an end date. But this shapes the way we think about food, and we can use the 2B Mindset principles for the rest of our lives. Also, most diets require deprivation. The 2B Mindset shows us how to get to, and maintain, our ideal weight, while eating foods we actually enjoy, so we always feel full and satisfied—and happy.  Plus Exercise is Optional & counts as extra credit!!  So for anyone who is unable to workout or just doesn't want to this is a great way to find balance and live a healthy lifestyle! 

The 2B Mindset is also extremely easy to follow:
• No counting calories, no measuring food, and no using food containers
• No cutting out food groups
• No deprivation or feeling hungry
• Ability to follow the program even when you are at a restaurant, a party, or on vacation!

If this sounds like something that could work for you, I encourage you to join my "Glimpse into a New Mindset" info group and reach out to me about how you can join the official test group!

I'm excited for the education around this program because the 2B Mindset is developed but a registered Dietitian and Nutrition Expert who lost over 100lbs herself after struggling with her weight her whole life.  She is a volume eater and enjoys eating lots of food so she teaches you how to enjoy more food and still lose or maintain a healthy weight without over thinking it!  I can't wait to incorporate what I learn through this training into my current meal plan and find that perfect balance.  

Back to those Oats though.....

Banana Bread Overnight Oats  

Ingredients

1/4 cup whole rolled oats

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp walnuts

1/2 a banana
1/8 cup milk 

1/8 cup water 

1/4 tsp vanilla 

5-8 Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (Optional)

Directions

In each jar combine whole rolled oats,Cinnamon and walnuts. 
Mash 1/2 a banana in a separate bowl, set aside. 
Add milk, water and vanilla to the oat mixture and stir to combine. 
Add in mashed banana and mix.

Top with 5-8 Chocolate chips as an optional treat :)
Refrigerate overnight and microwave for 1 minute when ready to enjoy!

P.S. If you want to learn more about the Nutrition Mindset Training I mentioned above Click this link to join my "Glimpse into a New Mindset" info group  and get all the details.  The program is posted at an introductory price this month and you can also get access into an exclusive test group with Ilana the Dietitian herself coaching you if you register between now and June 3rd!!