Christmas Eve Dinner Clean Eating Style

Merry Christmas EVE!!!  Are you a last minute person like me?  I stayed up late last night wrapping presents and getting myself prepped and ready for the holiday craziness!!  This morning I was up at 5 am to do my workout because I know that the day is going to be non stop once the kid wake up.  I am all about enjoying the holidays and having a fun and relaxing time so I want to be as prepared as possible.  

I did the P90X3 CVX workout this am and let me tell you.  Weights and cardio at the same time is KILLER!!!!!!  

CVX P90X3 Workout

I know that you don't want to worry about what your eating any more than I do!  But we also want to stay on track with our fitness progress so we wrestle in our minds with what we should splurge on or not!  We sometimes even guilt ourselves into over eating during the holidays because we think we deserve it!  To each his own, some think that way and some don't.  My personal opinion is that balance is your key to happiness.  By pass the the foods that you don't feel are worth the calories and have a very small portion of those you feel really truly are something you will savor!!!  I do this quite often and especially at this time of the year.

So, I have ran through my holiday game plan in my head and now it's time to share my rationale with you.  By no means am I perfect at all but I genuinely try to do my best!

This morning was my CVX, P90X3 workout!  Up and at em at 5:00 am!

Then, it's Shakeology for breakfast so that I get my daily dose of superfood dense nutrition.  Also, I have been so busy getting ready for the holidays that I know my immune system is down. The weather has been cold and dreary.  So if I am drinking my shakeology each day I'm getting the vitamins and nutrients to keep me healthy!  So far it's working great!

My mid morning snack is an apple and 2 tbsp of almond butter.  A full glass of water as well.

We are doing a big lunch with my family this afternoon so that is going to be my main meal.  I helped my mom to choose the menu and we agreed upon this tasty selection.

Southwest Flank Steak- This is a very lean cut of meat.  If you are going to eat red meat this is a good option.  The great thing about this recipe is that it is easy!!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 2-lb flank steak, trimmed of visible fat and halved against the grain
• Juice 2 limes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 3 tsp olive oil, divided

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place two steak halves in a re-sealable bag.
2. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, garlic, parsley, cumin, paprika, cayenne and 2 tsp oil; pour into bag. Seal and massage bag to coat beef. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight (up to 48 hours).
3. Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in a cast iron grill pan on medium-high. Add steak, 1 at a time, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil and let rest for about 3 minutes. Slice across the grain into 1/4-inch slices.

Kale Salad- this tasty little salad is from Costco in a bag and it comes with all the fixings and it's super easy to put in a bowl and serve it up!!!  Can't beat it!!!  Thank you Sara Stakeley for this wonderful idea!

Baked Sweet Potatoes- Wrap a sweet potato in foil and cook at 425 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until a fork pierces the whole way through.  It basically melts in your mouth.

I do not put butter or brown sugar on top.  Instead you can use some cinnamon or oregano for your potato.

Steamed Green Beans- I love steamed fresh green beans with some slivered almonds and a little EVOO.  It has a beautiful presentation and it's fresh and crisp.

Dessert is my absolute favorite meal of the day!  This year we are having blondie cookies!

There is nothing boring about this meal, nothing dry or weird. It is truthfully flavorful and amazing.  No one would even know it was super healthy.  But just a few tweaks like no butter or added fat to your meal makes a world of difference.

After we have dinner with my family it's off to church!  We always celebrate christmas eve with my  grandparents.  So we are off to their house!  Not really anything but veggies and ranch dip there that one can eat!  So going to eat some veggies and no ranch dip!

Then back to my house for a relaxing evening and most likely some Greek Yogurt cookie dough as a snack!  Yes I will have a vodka soda water and just spend time with the family!

Now, I made it through the day without totally blowing my diet, without completely being off track and still feeling good about it!

Now, Christmas day is a totally different story because I have much less control over the food.  But I will do my best!!!!  Have a happy holiday and know that you are the key to success.  You hold the power to make the decisions that you want!!!