Summer is here which means I’m wanting to spend time outside as much as possible.  More time outside = less time in the kitchen.  I’ve been looking for ways to step up my food prep game and after reading about the FoodSaver®, I knew this little machine could be a game changer!  If you’ve never played around with vacuum sealing in the kitchen then you better buckle up, because I’m about to blow your mind.  The FoodSaver® has ALL KINDS of great uses, which we’ll talk about in a minute, plus I’m going to show you one of my favorite ways to use it in: DIY Smoothie Packs.

Let’s do a quick rundown of this fun little gadget, shall we?  The FoodSaver® FM2000 Vacuum Sealing System is a compact appliance that is simple to use and will prolong the life and quality of your food – it keeps food fresh up to 5x longer!  Plus, it’s a great tool to use for meal prep because you can cook one time in bulk and divide it into multiple portions for future use – and it’ll be just as fresh each time!  This not only saves you a TON of time, but it’ll save your wallet too!  Buying in bulk is always cheaper and you’ll have so much less food going to waste.

Great uses for the FoodSaver®

• Buy items like meat once a month when they are on sale – portion into vacuum seal bags and freeze until ready to use
• Package leftovers into single serve meals for later.  Having a freezer stocked with single serve meals is a lifesaver on busy nights!  Reheat it in the microwave right in the bag.
• Reseal snack bags, such as potato chips, to keep your snacks fresh for longer!
• Keep unused portions of ingredients fresh for future use.  You know those times when you only need half of an ingredient and have no plans to use it again in the near future?  Seal it up and never worry about wasted money on half used ingredients again!
• Non-Food sealing:  FoodSavers® aren’t just for food! Get creative with uses.  Sealing up a bag of toiletries when you travel is a great way to prevent messy leaks in your suitcase.

Other great FoodSaver® features:

• Bags and rolls are recyclable
• Bags are resealable – simply cut off the existing seal, make sure the top of the bag is clean, and then reseal!
• FoodSaver® makes a TON of great accessories such as canisters for pantry items, marinade containers, sealable lids for mason jars, bottle stoppers, deli containers, etc.  Each FoodSaver® comes with an accessory hose to use with these items.

Smoothie Packs with the FoodSaver®

Now that we’ve established how awesome the the FoodSaver® is, let’s talk about one of my FAVORITE ways to use it – smoothie packs!  I love smoothies in the summer but I do not love having to pull a bunch of ingredients out of the freezer, fridge, and pantry each time I want to make one.  I load mine up with protein powder and other boosters so I’ve got a lot of ingredients to get out.  With FoodSaver®, I can put all of my ingredients into a single-serve bag and then just pop one out of the freezer when I’m ready.  I just need to add my liquid and blend away!  HUGE time saver.

I shop for my fruit when it’s on sale and then spend a few minutes assembling my bags.  Once they’re full I vacuum seal the tops and in a just a few minutes, I have enough smoothie packs to last for weeks!

Here’s the basic formula I use for my smoothie packs:

• 1 cup frozen fruit
• 1 cup greens (spinach or kale)
• 1 scoop protein powder
• Additional smoothie boosters (I’m currently using organic acai berry powder and an organic energy blend made with beets and cacoa)
• 1 cup liquid added when ready to blend (I use unsweetened almond milk)

That’s it!  I love having these smoothie packs on hand for easy breakfasts and whenever I’m in the mood for something refreshing.  They’ll keep in the freezer for months with no worries of freezer burn.

Today I prepped my two favorite combos:

• Mixed berry + Kale
• Tropical Fruit (mango, pineapple, banana) + Spinach

If you want to check out FoodSaver® for yourself visit their website – your fridge and your budget will thank you and you’ll constantly be thinking up of news ways to use it!  FoodSaver® is the #1 best selling vacuum sealing brand + all of their products come with a 5 year limited warranty and are ETL Safety Certified.

This post is sponsored by FoodSaver®.  All comments, opinions, and recipe are my own.

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Things I am on board with this summer:  sun, warmth, and fruity drinks.  I’ll say it – the amount of drinks I consume definitely increases in the summertime which is why I am always on the lookout for a more healthful alternative.  Standing in the aisle of my local grocery,  White Claws® Hard Seltzers variety pack caught my eye.  Their drinks are made using a blend of seltzer water, a gluten free alcohol base, and a hint of fruit flavor.  Umm… sounds good to me!  I served the seltzers over some fun fruit-filled ice cubes for a perfectly refreshing summer drink that doesn’t break the calorie bank.

Seriously, y’all, how fun are these drinks?!  Frozen fruit ice cubes are simple to make – you can use whatever fruit you already have on hand and it will instantly turn your drink into a festive summery beverage.  I made a mixture of ice cubes to pair with my White Claw variety pack.  The pack comes with Black Cherry, Natural Lime, Raspberry and Ruby Grapefruit.

The best part about these fruit flavored seltzers?  Each one is 100 calories, 4 WW SmartPoints (for both the Blue and Green WW plan), 2 g of carbs, gluten free, and I love that the ingredients list is super short.  They are light, crisp, and just slightly sweet – they don’t make you feel weighed down when you’re sipping away in the sun!

How To Make Fruit Ice Cubes

You’re absolutely going to want to make these fun ice cubes – aren’t they gorgeous?!  The best part: they’re insanely simple to make and will mostly definitely impress your friends.

You need three things for the recipe: ice cube trays (I prefer silicon), filtered water, and fruit.  You can use whatever fruit you already have hanging out in the fridge.  These are actually great to prep at the end of the week because you can use up fruit that didn’t get eaten!

To make the fruity ice cubes just wash and chop the fruit in small enough pieces to fit in the ice tray.  Fill each mold with fruit and then add enough water to fill the mold about 2/3 of the way full.  Place in the freezer until the water has frozen.

I like to mix and match my fruit and today I used:

• strawberries
• blueberries
• lime
• mint
• raspberries

I love they way they turned out – time to serve!

Fill a glass with your beautiful, fruit-filled ice cubes and top it off with a White Claw Hard Seltzer for the most perfect, refreshing summer beverage.  Enjoy!

Click here to locate White Claw near you!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. #SipOnSummer #CollectiveBias

Hard Seltzers with Frozen Fruit Ice Cubes

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Ingredients

• White Claw Hard Seltzers
• Ice Cube Trays
• Fresh Fruit, your choice
• Fresh Mint, optional
• filtered water

Instructions

1. Wash fruit and cut into pieces that are small enough to fit into an ice cube tray.
2. Fill ice cube trays with cut fruit and mint.
3. Pour water into trays so that each mold is ⅔ full.
4. Freeze until ice cubes are hard.
5. To serve: Fill a glass with fruit ice cubes and top with a White Claw Hard Seltzer. Enjoy!

Notes

Fruit Ice Cubes: 0 WW SmartPoints
Each 12oz White Claw Hard Seltzer: 4 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 12 oz fruit flavored White Claw Hard Seltzer | Calories: 100 Fat: 0 Saturated fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 2 Sugar: 2 Fiber: 0 Protein: 0

3.5.3251

I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealthyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation!

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You know what makes my recipe-developing heart super happy?! Recipes that come about by accident OR even out of desperation, like this recipe for Thai Chicken Salad.  This recipe was born out of a near empty fridge – I had cooked chicken and cabbage but not enough ingredients to make my usual chicken salad or even just a standard ol’ salad with ranch.  After rummaging around the pantry I decided to make an almond butter dressing for this chicken/cabbage creation and voila! a delicious new recipe came to life.  Since that day I’ve tested this creation several times and added some more ingredients to make it even more tasty and let me tell you, I AM HOOKED.  One hearty serving is 6 Blue WW SmartPoints and 8 Green WW SmartPoints.

It should come as no surprise that I’m obsessed with this one – if ya’ll know me, you KNOW that I am ALLL about chicken salad.  I’ll never get sick of it.  This recipe is like a hybrid between a standard chicken salad and a chopped salad.  It’s crunchy from the cabbage and filling from all the protein and healthy fat, plus the almond butter dressing is insanely flavorful.

The almond butter dressing truly is the star of the show and it’s so simple to make – it’s basically a tweaked version of the almond butter sauce from my Thai Chicken Zoodles.  You simply whisk together almond butter, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), ginger paste, sriracha, sesame oil, and a splash of water.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

The base of the chicken salad is shredded chicken and cabbage.  I use slaw mix to make my life even easier – it’s perfect for this dish! We also toss in some diced red pepper, mandarin oranges, green onion, and cilantro.  This flavor combo is out of this world good, ya’ll!  I usually prepare 3 or 4 servings of this to have for lunch throughout the week – it’s great to meal prep because the cabbage stays nice and crunchy.

My Thai Chicken Salad recipe makes 1 serving at 6 Blue WW SmartPoints and 8 Green WW SmartPoints.  If you’d like more than one serving simply multiply the recipe by the desired number of servings – it will keep for 3-4 days. Enjoy!

Pssst… If you love chicken salad as much as I do, be sure to check out these other chicken salad recipes:

• Easy Everyday Chicken Salad
• Harvest Chicken Salad – Served Two Ways
• Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad
• BLT Chicken Salad

Thai Chicken Salad

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 1 serving

Ingredients

Salad:

• 3 oz shredded cooked chicken*
• 1.5 cups shredded cabbage (I used slaw mix)
• ¼ red pepper, diced
• 1 4oz container no sugar added mandarin oranges
• 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped (more to taste)
• 1-2 Tbsp green onion, chopped (to taste)
• 8 g slivered almonds
• sesame seeds to garnish (optional)
  

Dressing:

• 1.5 Tbsp almond butter
• 2 tsp coconut aminos (may sub low sodium soy sauce)
• ½ tsp ginger paste
• ½ tsp sriracha (to taste)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp water
• pinch of salt (use if almond butter is unsalted)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients, set aside.
2. In a large bowl mix together the shredded chicken and cabbage. Stir in the almond butter dressing and toss until well combined.
3. Drain the juice from the mandarin oranges and lay them out on a paper towel to absorb the excess liquid. Add the oranges, red pepper, green onion, and cilantro to the salad and mix gently.
4. Top salad with slivered almonds. Garnish as desired - I typically add more green onion, cilantro, sriracha, and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 1 serving of Thai Chicken Salad at 6 Blue WW SmartPoints and 8 Green WW SmartPoints. If you'd like additional servings simply multiply the recipe by the desired number of servings.

*Use any kind of cooked chicken you'd like - I always switch this up. You can poach chicken, bake it in the oven, cook it in a crock pot, instant pot, etc. If you are in a hurry you can even buy precooked chicken from the grocery.

Blue WW SmartPoints Info:
- 1.5 Tbsp almond butter (4sp)
- 1 tsp sesame oil (1sp)
- 8 g almonds (1sp)
- all other ingredients (0sp)
= 6 WW SmartPoints for the recipe

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 serving | Calories: 445 Fat: 22 Saturated fat: 2 Carbohydrates: 32 Sugar: 16 Fiber: 7 Protein: 35

3.5.3251

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As you guys already know, I am an avid WWer – I’ve been following the plan for years and have lost a total of 60 pounds!  I began way back in the day on the Weight Watchers Points Plus program and I’ve seen the company switch to SmartPoints, Freestyle, and most recently, go through a total re-branding to become the most well-rounded program to date.  The updated WW program focuses on overall health and wellness as opposed to just weight loss, and it is amazing!  As you can imagine, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks over the years and I’ve discovered tons of WW-friendly products that have become staples in my home.  Since so many people join WW at the beginning of the year, I thought it would be helpful to share some of these things!  It’s also one of the most frequent questions I receive messages about over on Instagram.  Let’s get right into it, shall we?!

Tips For Newbies:

• Keep things ASAP (As Simple As Possible) in the beginning.  You’ll get A LOT of info in the first few weeks of the program so it’s important not to overwhelm yourself while you are just getting your feet wet.  If you need to live off of canned soup and frozen veggies for the first couple of weeks, that a-okay.  Do whatever it takes to make sure you stay on plan while you are learning the ropes.  When I first started the program I only worried about food for the first month or so.  After I got the hang of the points, I started working on incorporating exercise.  Whatever works for you and your lifestyle, do it.  Don’t try to overhaul everything in one week.
• Grab a sharpie! Scan all the products in your pantry and fridge and write the points right on it.  When you’re planning meals it makes things a million times easier when you know the points at first glance.  Keep doing this for new products you buy at the store too – just write the points on it as soon as you get home.  After a month or so you’ll pretty much know all the points to your favorite foods!
• Pre-portion your snacks or trigger foods.  As soon as you get home from the store, go ahead and divide out single serve portions of your snacks for the week.  Use small containers or bags and write the points on the bag.  This makes things super convenient when you’re in starvation mode, making it easier to make a healthy decision vs grabbing anything out of desperation.  It also makes it less likely you’ll over eat the snacks since you won’t mindlessly be grabbing a handful here and there.
• Try to make one recipe each week that will freeze well and double it.  Store single serve portions in the freezer for easy lunches and quick meals for those days you find yourself in a pinch.  Casseroles and soups usually freeze fantastic and you all know how much I love my soup recipes!
• Use online grocery ordering and pick up if it’s available in your area.  I fell in LOVE with Walmart pick up this past year and use it as often as possible.  Not only does it save me time and make price comparing super easy, but it stops me from buying impulse items that I don’t need.  Oh! And it’s free if you spend at least $30.  #score
• Buy a food scale and use it as often as possible.  I can’t stress this enough and for so many reasons:
  • 1) You get more bang for your points on lots of things (I’m looking at you, avocado!) 
  • 2) You can easily measure things by using grams and removing a serving from the container which saves you from using a million measuring spoons and cups! (For example: place a jar of PB on the scale, zero it out, and remove 1 servings worth of grams…. so the scale will measure -28g, etc. Your dishwasher will thank you.)
  • 3) It makes figuring out exact serving sizes sooo much easier.  Whenever I make a recipe I place my storage container on the scale and zero it out.  I add the food for the full recipe to get the weight in grams and then divide that total by my number of servings.  Now I have an exact weight, down to the gram, of each serving.  This makes things so much easier when you are having things like soups and pastas that can be hard to measure. Here’s the food scale I have (comes in several colors)!

Kitchen Must Haves:

• A food scale (see above)
• An air fryer – we use ours multiple times a week.  It’s great for making chicken fingers, homemade nachos, veggies, you name it.  I was very skeptical at first but it is hands down our most used kitchen appliance. (Here’s the one we have.)
• This menu planner is my favorite and makes planning meals and grocery lists simple.  Bonus points that it’s adorable!  I’m on my second one and it makes a great gift too!
• Small reusable containers for on the go.  I buy these 1/4 cup containers at the Dollar Tree and use them to portion out salad dressing, hummus, servings of nuts, trail mix, etc.  I even use them for random things like vitamins when I travel. 10 for $1!
• Metal straws – I’m fully aware that this seems like a weird essential but it’s true!  A few years ago I received a tumbler with a metal straw and after the first sip I was hooked – it makes your drinks so much colder and so much more enjoyable.  They really help me get in all my water.  I immediately bought myself a whole pack and I’ve gifted them to everyone in my family.  Plus, they’re great for the environment!
• A meat thermometer – I eat a lot of lean protein on WW and at first I wasn’t comfortable cooking whole pieces of meat.  How do I know when it’s done without destroying it by cutting into the middle?!  I bought a simple meat thermometer and it made cooking meat a breeze.  Highly recommend if you’re just getting started cooking.

Favorite WW Food Staples:

• Nabisco Corn Thins – you can have 41 for 3 SmartPoints.  They’re a great substitute for tortilla chips and go great with chili, my favorite 0 point Southwest Chicken Soup, or dunked into some of my Creamy Avocado Sauce as a fake out for chips and guac.  They kind of taste like a cross between a frito and a tortilla chip.  Oh so good!
• Joseph’s Pita Bread – 1 SmartPoint per pita.  I love using these for sandwiches, pizzas, hummus pita pizzas, or making pita chips in my air fryer.  The 2 point lavash is also good for big wraps – I love making chicken caesar wraps with them!
• Jif Whips – Jif’s whipped peanut butter tastes just as great as regular peanut butter but it’s only 2 SmartPoint per tablespoon.  They also have a chocolate version that is insanely dangerous.  You can melt both down to drizzle on apple nachos, oatmeal, pancakes, etc.
• Laughing Cow Cheese – I loooove using Laughing Cow Cheese wedges in place of mayo or sliced cheese on a sandwich.  It comes in so many flavors and they’re just 1 SmartPoint each.  I have so many uses for this – I make little snack plates with a wedge of cheese, a few crackers, and some grapes, I mix it into my Easy Cheesy Grits, I use it to make my 1 SmartPoint Buffalo Tuna Salad (also great with shredded chicken!), use it in omelets or with eggs, on breakfast sandwiches, on my favorite turkey, apple, and swiss sandwich…. seriously, the possibilities are endless.
• Trader Joe’s Lite Shredded Mozzarella – if you live near a TJ’s you HAVE to get over there to get this cheese.  You can have a little over an ounce for 1 SmartPoint and it tastes just as good as the regular stuff.
• Trader Joe’s Crisps – these little crackers come in several flavors and you get a lot for the points.  They are extremely tasty and go perfect with cheese snack plates and of course, my fav chicken salad plates.  If you don’t have a TJ’s near you, Triscuit Thin Crisps are also a yummy cracker.
• Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese by Lean Cuisine – If you follow me on Instagram you already know this is one of my favorite meal hacks.  Here’s a bunch of ways I bulk up this frozen meal when I’m in a hurry.
• Dak’s Spices – these salt free seasoning blends are amazing and they’re great for adding a ton of flavor to dishes without adding extra ingredients that add points.  They come in so many varieties it’s impossible to get bored even if you’re just using them to jazz up your chicken and veggies!
  • You can get 10% off your order by using code “Rachel10” at checkout.
• Two Ingredient Dough – 5 WW SmartPoints (plus points for toppings!) for a decent sized homemade pizza.  The possibilities with this dough are endless… it’s a WW MUST!  You can search google to find lots of yummy ideas or check out a few recipes I’ve made using the dough like my Spinach and Chicken Calzone, Rustic Tomato Pizza,  Apple Hand Pies, Broccoli,Ham, and Cheese Hot Pockets, and Mini Pretzel Dogs.
• Gilbert’s Craft Sausages – I love keeping these sausages on hand for quick protein.  They’re super flavorful, versatile, and you simply heat and eat.  I love using them for breakfast and have lots of recipes using them.  Other precooked sausages are great too but these are my favorite because they’re individually wrapped which means I don’t have to hurry and finish a package as soon as I open it – so convenient! Plus they come in lots of flavors, including a couple of breakfast varieties, they’re made with great ingredients, and they’re 2-3 SmartPoints per link. #SoManyWins

Favorite WW Salty/Savory Snacks:

• Cheesy, Crunchy Goodness – I always have to have something cheesy and crunchy on hand and my favorites are Simple Mills Farmhouse Cheddar Crackers (they’re made with almond flour!), Trader Joe’s Baked Cheese Crunchies, and Baby Goldfish Crackers (great when you want to eat a million of something).  All three of these are a good points value.
• Popchips – the cheddar sour cream popchips are my favorite substitute for regular chips.  You get a pretty big serving and they come in tons of flavors.  Sometimes you just need a chips and sandwich, ya know?!
• Popcorn – there’s a lot of low point options out there!  You can find some already popped in the chips section or buy the mini microwavable bags for around 3 SmartPoints.  I love mixing in a handful of Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips.
• RX Nut Butter – hands down, my favorite nut butter.  They have a ton of DELICIOUS flavors and they come in single serve pouches.  One pouch is 6 SmartPoints (3 for half!) and I love eating it with an apple or banana for an afternoon snack.
• Mini Pretzels – I buy mini bags of Snyder’s pretzels at the Dollar Tree that are 1 SmartPoint each.  Love using these for snack plates with cheese or on top of apple nachos.  I believe Utz also makes 1 SmartPoint bags during the holidays that can be found at Target.

Favorite WW Sweets:

• Built Bars – Built bars are a household STAPLE I haven’t been without them since I first tried them.  They are 3 WW SmartPoints, 110 calories, and 15 g of protein.  It’s a protein bar unlike anything else on the market – kind of like a chocolate covered marshmallow.  They satisfy my craving for sweets because it’s like eating a candy bar!  My favorite flavors are coconut almond, peanut butter (this flavor is 4 points), mint brownie, orange, and vanilla.  I’m not a huge fan of the raspberry or cherry because they taste like cough medicine to me…buuuuut I do know plenty of folks who like those.  A mixed box is a great way to try a lot of flavors!
  • If you want to give these a try you can use code “RHP2020” for 10% off your order.   All orders will ship for free – woohoo!
• Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips – these dark chocolate chips are sweetened with stevia and they’re all-natural, fair trade, and vegan.  You can have 13 for 0 SmartPoints, 39 for 1 point, and 66 for 2 points.  I love adding them to all sorts of stuff – oatmeal, waffles, popcorn, apple nachos, ice cream sundaes, frozen banana discs, toast, etc.
• Iconic Protein Shakes – I use these to make protein coffees and smoothies.  They’re made with much cleaner ingredients compared to most shakes and they’re delicious for just 2 SmartPoints.  I like the vanilla bean for protein coffee – just add two shots of espresso and serve over ice!  The chocolate and coffee flavors are both delicious on their own!
• Enlightened Ice Cream – there’s a lot of high protein ice cream on the market these days but Enlightened is my favorite.  Their flavors and the texture can’t be beat.  Most flavors are 2-4 SmartPoints per serving (they list the points right on the container!) and they also make yummy ice cream bars.  Halo Top is a close second for me.
• Alyssa’s Oatmeal Cookie Bites – I’ve been eating these for a couple of years now.  Unfortunately I can’t buy them near me so I order online.  They are SO good.  They’re super hearty and made with good stuff – they cure my cookie cravings in a heart beat!  You can have 1 cookie for 1 SmartPoint or 2 cookies for 3 points. I love having one with lunch or eating a couple for dessert.  Sometimes I crumble one on top of a bowl of my Ooey Gooey Apples for a fake-out apple crumble OR I’ll throw a little bit of vanilla Halo Top between two of the cookies for an icecream sandwich.  Yum yum!
• Smart Sweets Gummies – These gummies live up to the hype – they are the perfect cure for your candy craving.  They come in convenient single serve bags that are surprisingly large for just 3 SmartPoints.  I like to keep bags of these for movie night and road trip snacks! The Sour Buddies are my favorite followed by the Original Gummy Bears, Sour Gummy Bears, and then the Sweet Fish.
  • You can get free shipping on orders of 12 bags or more by using code “RachelsHP” at checkout.

I’ll be adding to this list over time as I discover new favorites! Leave a comment below and let us know your fav WW must haves – I always love learning about new things!

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