5 Healthy Recipes for The Young Professional // Recipe 1

If you're anything like me, leaving the comfort of your parents kitchen, or reliability of your on-campus restaurant or cafeteria, and then being thrust full speed ahead into traditional kitchen living can be a little daunting. 

Let's be honest, your busy schedule can make it hard to carve out time for cooking healthy and tasty meals. Even if you were raised in a family that cooked every meal!

Deadlines are fast approaching.
Bills must be paid on-time.
Friendships should to be developed.
The groceries won't buy themselves.

While each of these items are very important; eating well should definitely be at the top of your priority list. 

Did you know that eating well is proven to have a great impact on your mental and physical health and is closely linked to productivity which can impact your overall job performance.

So how do you learn to eat healthy as a young professional? You start slow. Begin by collecting a handful of quick and healthy meal recipes. Once you've spent time mastering those recipes then you add a few more to your collection!

I am excited to announce that my dear friend Victoria Sgro, chef & blogger at www.ahintofgarlic.com, has graciously provided us with 5 Healthy Recipes for The Young Professional! Over the next 5 days, Victoria will share with us all 5 of her favorite go-to recipes.  Each recipe is healthy, easy to prepare, and delightfully delicious! Just try them and you'll see!

Veggie Loaded Lettuce Wraps w/ Chipotle Mayo (serves 1)

INGREDIENTS:
4 large romaine lettuce leaves
a handful of spinach
2 tbsp crumbled feta
½ tomato, sliced
½ avocado, sliced
a few slices of red onion
2 tbsp of chipotle mayo
optional: meat of your choice
 
INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Visit ahintofgarlic.com for an easy homemade chipotle mayo recipe!
2. Build your lettuce wraps like you would a sandwich. Spread each lettuce leaf with chipotle mayo. Sprinkle each “bottom” leaf with the crumbled feta, and layer with spinach, tomato, avocado, and red onion. Place the “top” leaf on each like the top bun of a sandwich!

 
MAKE IT LUNCH:

1. We’re starting off STRONG with this veggie-loaded lunch! Wrap your lettuce sandwiches in aluminum foil to keep all those ingredients in. Then tear off the top of the foil when you’re ready to eat, leaving half of the “sandwich” wrapped up. This makes it easier to hold and keeps all the ingredients in as you chow down.
2. This meal deserves something a little more indulgent on the side. Pack this for lunch with kettle-cooked potato chips. That salty, crunchy snack will keep you from binging on something bad between meals.

 
KEEP IT SIMPLE:

1. If you are adding meat, opt for plain rotisserie chicken from the grocery store so you can cut out cooking time. Try to stay away from deli meats, as they are loaded with preservatives, chemicals, and sugar.
2. Avoid throwing away unused produce by utilizing what you already have in the fridge! Throw on sliced cucumber, zucchini, shredded carrots, or whatever other veggies you need to put to use.
3. Save time by buying chipotle mayo at the store. Just Mayo brand is vegan and tastes great, without having a bunch of unnecessary ingredients. And it’s available in most grocery stores!