Clean Eating Crockpot Lasagna

Lately I've been trying to cook a 2-night meal on Sunday nights, so we can eat the leftovers on Monday. More often than not, they end up being crockpot meals.

I have done a ton of research on clean crockpot meals, and incorporating several recipes, I put together my own Clean Eating Crockpot Lasagna recipe. Trust me when I say, it's phenomenal. It takes about 20 minutes to prep and 4 hours to cook in the slow cooker. It serves about 6 people, but since my husband usually eats 2 helpings, it only lasts us two dinners :)

Ingredients:
1/2 package of whole grain or whole wheat uncooked lasagna noodles (I used Ronzoni Whole Grain)
1 package of lean turkey
1 jar of all natural tomato sauce
2.5 cups of part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
15 oz container of part skim ricotta (you can substitute cottage cheese for this, but since I'm pregnant and can't find pasteurized cottage cheese, I went back to using ricotta)
1 package of mushrooms
3 cups of spinach
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes

1. Brown the turkey, mixing in garlic and red pepper flakes
2. While meat is browning, mix the ricotta with 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese
3. Once meat is brown, add 3/4 of the jar of tomato sauce to the pan and stir, making a meat sauce
4. Line the base of your crockpot with lasagna noodles (you may need to break a few apart to fit)
5. Add a layer of the meat sauce on top of the noodles
6. Add a layer of the cheese mixture on top of the meat sauce
7. Add a layer of mushrooms on top of the cheese mixture
8. Add a layer of spinach on top of the mushrooms
9. Repeat steps 5-8 one more time
10. Add one more layer of the meat sauce & cheese if you have any left over, along with the rest of the pasta sauce
11. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top and cook in crockpot for 4 hours on low.

You really can't mess this up. If your proportions and layers are off, it's okay! Trust me, no two lasagnas will be the same. As I'm typing this, I'm finishing my 2nd bowl of this lasagna and my hubby is on his 3rd :) Once it cools in the crockpot I'll be putting the leftovers into tupperware for a fast, healthy dinner tomorrow night.

Enjoy!

Clean Eating with KIND Granola

As much as I love making homemade clean eating granola and snacks for travel, I'm not superwoman. I only have so many hours in the weekend that allow me to cook and bake from scratch, and I usually prioritize cooking our main meals over desserts and snacks.

When I don't have time to create healthy snacks on my own, I turn to KIND Healthy Snacks. I have been a huge fan of KIND bars for a long time now. I always have one packed in my laptop bag and suitcase for hunger emergencies. My favorite is the Peanut Butter & Dark Chocolate + Protein bar. These all natural bars are a life saver! One can hold me over between meals and I don't have to feel guilty over it tasting so good.

KIND also makes granola. Recently I was lucky enough to receive some samples of their granola clusters. My favorite flavor was the Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters. Absolutely delicious! If you like peanut butter, you'll love this granola.

This flavor is protein packed, with a blend of peanuts and whole grains. One serving contains 16kg of whole grains!

I put a half a cup full in a baggie for my travels and made yogurt parfaits one night with my hubby. Here's my Clean Eating Yogurt Parfait recipe:

Start with 6 oz. of Greek yogurt (I used Fage), and add toppings! My mix of toppings include:
 - KIND Granola (Peanut Butter Whole Grain, but all flavors taste delicious)
 - Fresh blueberries
 - Fresh strawberries
 - Unsweetened coconut
 - Extra dark chocolate chips
 - Sprinkles

This is also a fun snack to make with kids. When I have my niece and nephew over I put all of the toppings in different bowls and let them add the toppings to their individual yogurt bowls. It's a 'build your own yogurt parfait' bar!

You can buy KIND granola from the KIND website, Soap.com and Walmart.