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I don't know about you, but I'm in my off season right now. That doesn't mean I head to the nearest fast food restaurant or ice cream stand and blow all my hard work! It means it's a time to enjoy healthy nutritious foods that you may not normally eat in your on season diet. This keeps your mind and body in balance and ready when the time comes to kick things up a notch for the next big show!

Typically in the 16-12 weeks out before a show I will start to cut out things like milk, yogurt and cottage cheese and replace them with a more solid form of pure protein like egg whites, dry curd cottage cheese or ground turkey. Up until then I like to enjoy a little variety and a big breakfast to start my day!

Some people may turn their noses up and say I don't have time to make breakfast! Let me remind you, breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. It's the first thing your body intakes after a nights sleep while we can't fuel our muscles! Its one of the most optimal times to have a higher carbohydrate meal because you have the whole day to burn it off! For those of you who are really short on time I've also added an on the run breakfast shake. Enjoy!

Zucchini Waffles with Almond Butter and Maple Syrup

If you don't own a waffle iron its time you make this investment in your fitness future!

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites or 1/2 cup of egg whites
• 1/3 cup dry curd cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup or 45g zucchini, grated
• Dash nutmeg
• Cooking spray
• 1 tsp natural almond butter
• 1 tsp pure organic maple syrup

Directions:

1. Heat up the waffle iron.

2. In a blender place the egg whites through to nutmeg. Blend until smooth. You may have to scrape down the edges and blend again.
3. Spray the waffle maker top and bottom with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the waffle maker and cook according to your waffle maker instructions.
4. The batter should make 2 standard sized waffles. Drizzle 1 tsp of almond butter and 1 tsp of organic maple syrup over the waffles and serve.

Makes 1 serving - Calorie Content: 290 calories (34.7g protein, 27g carbohydrates, 4.8g fat.)

On The Go Blueberry Breakfast Shake

This shake is great as a pre or post workout meal too! Recent studies tell us that of all fresh fruits and vegetables, blueberries provide the most health-protecting antioxidants, those valuable elements which prevent cancer-causing cell damage and may limit the changes wrought by age related diseases.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• 1/2 cup plain yogourt
• 1/3 cup dry curd cottage cheese
• 2/3 cup frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend well.
2. Pour into an on the go cup and go!

Makes 1 serving - Calorie Content: 251.2 calories (26.9g protein, 24.2g carbohydrates, 5.2g fat.)

Sundried Tomato And Basil Omelette With Sweet Potato Hash-Browns

Sun dried tomatoes can be found in most grocery stores by the fresh tomatoes or in the bulk section. Make sure to get yours just the dried variety to cut down on fat. Soak the sun dried tomatoes for a few minutes in boiling water before cooking with them.

Ingredients:

1. 120g sweet potato, grated with a cheese grater
2. 1 tsp pure organic coconut oil
3. 6 egg whites or 1 cup of egg whites
4. 3 sun dried tomato halves, without oil and soaked for 2 minutes in boiling water
5. 1 garlic clove
6. 4 asparagus spears, sliced into 1'' pieces
7. 1 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
8. 2 button mushrooms, sliced
9. 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
10. Cooking spray
11. Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 1 tsp pure organic coconut oil and spread evenly around the pan. Add the grated sweet potato. Pat down with a spatula and cook one side for about 3 minutes. Flip potatoes and cook other side for another 3 minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper as desired.
2. While the hash browns are cooking heat another nonstick pan coated with cooking spray. Add the sun dried tomatoes, garlic, asparagus, onions and mushrooms. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through. Remove the vegetables from the pan and place on a side plate.
3. Spray the same nonstick pan you were cooking the vegetables in with cooking spray. Add six egg whites and with the spatula make small circular motions until the eggs are nearly cooked. Add the vegetable mixture to half of the egg whites. Place a lid over top of the egg whites and vegetable mixture add the basil and cook another minute with the lid on. Season with sea salt and pepper if desired.
4. Using a spatula flip the just egg white side of the omelette over the vegetable side and serve with hash browns.

Makes 1 serving - Calorie Content: 327.2 calories (31.4g grams protein, 36.9g carbohydrates, 6g fat)

March 2011 - Issue XI - Fit & Firm Magazine 149 Health & Nutrition -- Reprinted With Permission