Hey Chicks, At FIT CHICKS Academy we love seeing the creativity and hard work of our Fitness & Nutrition Expert Program (FNE) students and grads. Today we are pumped to share this recipe with you from recently Certified Fitness & Nutrition Expert Miriam Barroso Riccardi! Miriam created this recipe for one of the assignments in the Nutrition Module of the FNE program. We are excited to introduce Miriam and her creation!

My name is Miriam, I have a DEC in marketing and Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain. I worked in the business industry for years, and I’ve always been really successful in this department of my life BUT never completely felt fulfilled. I always needed a vocation that would be more meaningful, it’s only a few years ago that I realized I had the answer in-front of me the whole time. I was always training and even training friends but never thought I could make a career out of it, there was always this thought that coaching would not be enough. But than I started thinking and realizing that I can do so much more than just coaching and that it could all become a full time career. I recently launched the Mind Your Body MTL (Montreal) program for Montreal High schools it encompasses fitness, nutrition and wellness programs. I’m very proud to say that this program was immediately accepted and even begun way earlier than expected due to the pandemic. I’ve been teaching high school students online since the beginning of April and I absolutely LOVE IT …

I’ve been into fitness since a very young age, I know I am good at what I do but I always felt I was missing a certain credibility because I was not certified so it was important for me to accomplish this. I also strongly believe in continuous self-improvement and this program was definitely a way to invest in myself and improve myself as both a human being and coach.

I did a lot of research prior to choosing FIT CHICKS because I wanted a program that was legitimate and would speak to me. I found that FIT CHICKS philosophy was closer to mine, I liked that it was online but that I was still ensured some personal coaching if ever I needed the help. I also LOVED that the program encompassed fitness, nutrition and wellness all together because I always believed they were fundamentals to being healthy.

I loved everything about the program but I have to say that the nutrition part was what really caught my interest.

My career is just beginning, for once in my life I feel like I’m at the right place. I am motivated, I don’t count hours anymore I just do what I love and will do until I reach my goals.

For anyone considering taking the FNE program, I would say: DO IT! This has been a great journey for me , I’m very grateful for this wonderful program and for all the coaches. You chicks are amazing.

Lentil Soup, A Love Story

I woke up Saturday morning with the biggest smile on my face as the sun was shining through my blinds. I slowly got up and took a peek outside the window and my whole street was covered in a sparkly white blanket of snow (it’s always nicer when it happens on the weekend) – the wind was blowing, and I could feel the cold through my walls. I knew right then and now that it was the perfect day to make my mom’s lentil soup.

It always brings me back to when I was a kid and my siblings, and I would wake up at the crack of dawn on snow days to impatiently find out if our school was shut down for the day … the excitement was real. Little did we know we would never get to fully enjoy our day off because our parents used us as their little army to remove the snow while my mom was cooking inside. I remember walking back inside and the house smelling of love – or more precisely lentils and celery. Of course, back then I was not aware that this soup was both delicious and so nutritious as the same time.

For those who haven’t incorporated lentils in their diet yet – I beg you to start now! You can find so many recipes and below are just some of their health benefits.

  1. They’re high in protein
  2. They’re full of fiber
  3. They’re a great source of folic acid – a nutrient which is particularly important for our mommy’s to be.
  4. They’re high in magnesium – which your body can benefit from if you’re under a lot of stress of overworked
  5. They’re full of polyphenol – active agent that fights toxins in the body. Not convinced yet? Take a look at the recipe below and you’ll be running to your grocery store.

PREP TIME: 30 mins

COOK TIME: 45 mins

TOTAL TIME: 1H:15 mins

TOTAL SERVINGS: 8

TOTAL CALORIES PER SERVING:

169 Calories/Serving

MACRONUTRIENT BREAKDOWN PER SERVING (INCL FIBRE GRAMS!):

Protein 7g
Carbs 28g
Fat 4g
Fibre 6g

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
6 Baby potatoes
2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 ½ cup of green lentils
1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
1 cup of chopped zucchini’s
6 cups of vegetable brother

DIRECTIONS

  1. Begin my washing all your veggies – I usually let them soak 10 minutes and then dry them up.
  2.  Chop everything up but keep your veggies separated
  3. In a large pot throw in your onions with the avocado oil and let simmer until the onions become soft
  4.  Add the celery, carrots, zucchini and chopped potatoes
  5. Add the vegetable broth
  6. Mix everything up
  7. Add the lentils, mix again
  8.  Add the tomatoes and salt
  9. Let cook 45 minutes until on medium heat – you will be able to tell it’s ready when the potatoes and carrots are soft

CHICK TIPS:
1- If you can’t digest lentils or prefer not cooking with them, you can use peas.
2- I like to serve with some kale on top – it looks pretty and of course remains really healthy
3- You can use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth if you prefer
4- For a sweeter taste you can replace potatoes with sweet potatoes

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Also a great source of Vitamin A 72%, Vitaminc C 21%, Calcium 24%, Iron 12%, and happiness 100%

You can also keep fresh in fridge up to a week – or 1-2 months in the freezer.

Thanks for sharing Miriam!!

PS Do you want get CERTIFIED as a Fitness & Nutrition Expert?  Get started TODAY on the  Fitness & Nutrition Expert program! Download our program brochure here and learn how you start to create your dream life, health & career!