FIT CHICKS Academy Spotlight: Honey Garlic Chicken with Sesame Spaghetti Squash Noodles by Judit D.

Hey Chick,

Today we have not only a SUPER delish healthy chinese food make over for you but an amazing fitness / health transformation from one of our FIT CHICKS Fitness & Nutrition Expert Students, Judit!

fitness and weightloss transformation fit chicks

(Left) Before Judit embraced her new MINDSET and health transformation (Right) Judit after losing 58lbs, getting certified and helping others live their best lives!

Judit started on her own fitness and health transformation and lost an incredible 58lbs before joining the Fitness & Nutrition Expert program with us in September 2015 to help others do the same.

She is now owner / operator of her own online fitness coaching business, Redefined Me, creates her own schedule and still gets to be an amazing, healthy mama to her 2 kids and is living her dream of helping women redefine their lives to be the BEST version of themselves.

We asked Judit to share a little about how her fitness transformation and what her life is like now before we get into her yummy recipe:

“I spent way too much time overweight, depressed and fatigued, and was not myself. I tried several diets throughout the years, but always gave up within the first 2 weeks. I realized that what I needed to change before starting new habits was my MINDSET.

It is not a DIET, it is a lifestyle. I needed to adapt my life, not just go on a “diet”. As soon as I erased that word from my vocabulary, things started to change. I incorporated regular exercise into my healthy, portion controlled eating, and in total I have lost 58 lbs, but really I have gained a whole lot more!

I have 2 children, a 7 year old boy and almost 5 year old girl. Becoming healthy is the best thing I could have done, not just for myself but for my family. I am finally who I want to be, more confident, happy and healthy, I have energy for my kids, I play baseball in the summer , we go on hikes, things we never used to do:)

That is why I decided to pay it forward. I have become an online fitness coach to help other women find themselves too, so they live their lives happy and healthy, just like they deserve it. And that is why I am an Fitness & Nutrition Expert student, the best decision I have made!

There are so many things I love about FNE, starting with the instructors, who are super knowledgeable and always there for us. I love that there is a LIVE component, but still so flexible, in case life happens, we can catch up. I loved learning about all 4 components of the industry (fitness, nutrition, wellness & business), I feel like I have gained confidence and knowledge to start my own business. My favourite part was learning about how wellness affects us and what we can do to feel better, I cannot wait to pass on everything to my clients! “

Judit, we are SO proud of you and you truly are an inspiration to chicks everywhere! We also can’t wait to try this healthy chinese food makeover….it looks amazing!! xo

SPECIAL GUEST POST: Honey Garlic Chicken with Sesame Spaghetti Squash Noodles by Judit D.

Not sure about you, but I LOVE CHINESE fast food. Well, I used to love it, I should say.

Until I realized how much sugar, sodium, processed carbohydrates and unhealthy fat there is in a serving…

Now I choose better, but it does not mean I skip these flavourful foods 🙂 I just decided to explore some healthier options of my favourite meals. Marinating my chicken wasn’t the hardest part, it was finding the side to go with it.I experimented with fried rice, but once I was introduced to my new flame (seriously, LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, or I guess I should say taste;), SPAGHETTI SQUASH, I knew I had a winner to accompany my favourite chicken dish.

This tasty noodle alternative is a vegetable! With ¼ of calories and carbohydrates compared to noodles, it contains a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and is a source of dietary fibre. Definitely a winner as it is low in calories (With only 42 calories and 10 carbs in a 1-cup serving) but high in nutrition.*

Topping it with sesame seeds to add even more protein, minerals (excellent source of copper and other minerals**) and vitamins.

It is also so easy to prepare, and keeps well for a few days, perfect for moms who make meals ahead for a busy week or for someone looking for an easy, few ingredient dish to put together.

I love that, though it is simple, it features everything needed for a healthy meal, lots of lean protein, healthy fibre and fats. Really a “COMPLETE IN 3” recipe!

CHICK FEED: Honey Garlic Chicken with Sesame Spaghetti Squash Noodles

Servings 4 | Prep time 15 minutes
Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 tbsp organic honey
4 cloves of garlic minced
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 tbsp sesame oil divided
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil

chickn3 (1)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large Ziploc bag mix honey, minced garlic, lemon juice and 1 tbsp of sesame oil.
Cut chicken breasts into cubes or strips, as your prefer it.
Place cut chicken in Ziploc bag with honey garlic mixture, rub the mixture on chicken until well coated, store in fridge.***
Wash and cut spaghetti squash. Remove seeds. ( I recommend cutting it into “rings”, as the strands will be longer and it is super easy to peel them, once cooked.)

Brush both sides of squash with olive oil and place the rings on baking sheet, bake for 30-45 minutes until tender but not too soft. Overcooked squash will be a bit mush, you want to enjoy a bit of crunch!
In a small frying pan (I used a little egg pan) toast sesame seeds on low heat, stirring often, so they don’t burn. Set aside.
While squash is baking, cook chicken in large, preheated skillet (it should not need any more oil, due to the marinade), on medium-high heat, until internal temperature is 165F. Set aside.
Peel squash and separate strands with a fork in a large bowl, mix it with 1 tbsp of sesame oil.
Serve chicken on a bed of squash with toasted sesame seeds on top. Enjoy!

Chick Tips

Why not add some other veggies in during, like green onions or some bean sprouts to dress it up? You can add them raw for a crunch or slightly sautéed.

If you have allergy to sesame seeds or oils, you can substitute coconut oil, which makes a super tasty alternative, and you can top your meal with unsweetened shredded coconut (toasted!)

MIX IT UP: Instead of chicken you can create this recipe with lean cut beef or shrimp too!

Protein 30g Carbs 27g Fats 12g Fiber 5g Calories 331

Judit Dell’ Anno is a Certified FIT CHICKS(R) Fitness & Nutrition Expert as well as a Certified Fitness Instructor through Can Fit Pro and online coach at Redefined Me. After experiencing her own personal health transformation, she spends her time spreading her passion and knowledge to help women of all levels to uncover the best version of themselves. What’s next? Judit will be expanding her business for fitness and nutrition counseling to include families as her big dream is to work with children, helping them grow up with a healthy mindset and body.