The 9 Best Frozen Foods For WW

November 16, 2018

Something that has made us so successful on WW is being able to utilize items in the freezer section. I'm currently in the middle of experimenting with a zero point week and have realized very quickly how much I rely on these things! It's really great to always have a backup plan in the freezer. I can't tell you how many times I haven't planned out my day for food and am relieved to find some WW-friendly chicken nuggets in the freezer. That's right- chicken nuggets! And sometimes you just would rather do anything but cook. Freezer foods are here to keep you in check! Anyway, let's get to it....

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1. The Infamous Trader Joe's Cauliflower Pizza Crust. I remember when this pizza crust became popular last year and we could literally never get our hands on it. It was always sold out. It was a game changer. Being able to have a crust for your pizza that is lower in carbs is great. This is 2 points per slice.

2. The New-er Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Pizza Crust. If you thought the cauliflower crust was a game changer, you're gonna love this one even more. This one is easier to hold and the flavor is so neutral, you really thing you are eating bread. I will now and forever choose this crust over the cauliflower one. Well, as long as it's available. 2 points for 1/6 of the pizza.

3. Trader Joe's Riced Cauliflower Stir-fry. We stumbled upon this little gem by no chance of our own. We were checking out and the manager was asking us if we had tasted this- he had seen the cauliflower crust in our basket. We hadn't seen or heard of the stir-fry so he had someone go get it for us and he gave it to us for free to try. Well, it's delicious! And you can have 2 cups for 1 point, which is more than enough. If you are a little sensitive to the cauliflower taste like myself, don't worry, you can't taste it. Oh and for you gluten-free folks- it's GF!

4. Applegate Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets. Okay since Casey has celiac, we always get these in GF. They do sell them in a gluten-full version though if you wanna go that route. I will say I've tried both, and the gluten-free ones have more flavor. These are 4 points for a serving!

5. Trader Joe's Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons. I found these by following other WW folks on Instagram. I was a little hesitant because I'm not a huge cilantro fan, but these are great! You can have 10 of these for only 3 points! Sadly, these are the only item on this list that aren't gluten free.

6. Trader Joe's Roasted Delicata Squash. This is a WW fan favorite. I had never heard of or tried it before WW. So I was glad to find this already cooked version to try out. It's really good! I'd say it's my second favorite squash (butternut would be my first), but I love to throw this in the oven and dip it in ketchup. It's a really quick side and it's 0 points!

7. Shelled Edamame. Casey loves this stuff and it's 0 points! It's a great snack but could be a side dish too!

8. Trader Joe's Gluten & Dairy Free Pancakes. At 3 points each, or 8 points for 3, these aren't the greatest point situation, but they are delicious and come in handy when you are on the go. We've only ever eaten one at a time though. Just add egg and a couple slices of uncured bacon and you have a 5 point breakfast!
9. Applegate Chicken & Sage Breakfast Sausage. These have been a go-to for us even before we started WW. They are so good and only 1 point each. You can actually have 4 for only 3 points. We go through boxes of these like it's our job. We mostly eat them for breakfast but every now and then I'll even eat them as a snack.

And there you have it! Our top 9 at the moment! Actually, I already have started another list of frozen foods because as our journey goes on, we keep finding more delicious WW-friendly things. So keep an eye out for that.


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Free Thanksgiving E-book: Delicious WW Recipes For The Holidays

November 13, 2018

Our Thanksgiving Recipes e-book is finally here! We hope this will save you time and points this holiday season. We've put together a collection of recipes and altered your favorite Thanksgiving foods to make sure you can stay on track this holiday season. And it's all delicious!

There are 12 recipes in the book including these Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Pies!

This plate adds up to a total of 13 points. For a regular day I'd probably try to eat less than 13 points at a meal, but this is Thanksgiving we are talking about! With these recipes you'll be able to eat all of your favorites and stay well within your points for the day.

Also, this e-book is completely gluten free!
There are a couple recipes you will need in order to make all the recipes in the book- low point corn bread and GF condensed soup.

Cornbread Recipe
2 WW FSP
9 Servings

Ingredients:
2 cups coarse cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups plain non-fat greek yogurt
2 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and coat a large baking dish with olive oil spray.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients and then add the Greek yogurt and eggs.
3. Stir all the ingredients together and pour into the baking dish.
4. Bake for 25 minutes.

GF Condensed Soup Recipe
1 WW FSP
6 Servings

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups chicken stock
¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup GF flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
¼ tsp. dried thyme

Directions:
1. Place chicken stock in a pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
2. In a bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
3. Once the chicken stock has come to a boil, slowly pour the flour mixture into the pot and whisk constantly. Boil the mixture for about 3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and cool before storing.

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    How To Make A Charcuterie Board

    November 12, 2018

    I love a charcuterie board. I mean what's not to love? Cured meat, creamy cheeses, and delicious fruits? Sign me up! And the good news is, these are so easy to make. It may seem a little intimidating, but today I'm going to show you step by step how to create your own beautiful board. You may even impress some of your friends!

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    It's important to know that there is no wrong way to make your charcuterie board. There is no limit to what kind ingredients you choose. You do need a good tray though! Here is one that is really similar to ours, but any large cutting board could work too. I really love having a little lip on the board because it contains everything and makes it easier to transport, if needed.

    And if you are on Weight Watchers like us, don't be scared of a charcuterie board! The meats we used ranged from 1-3 points per ounce and we made sure to fill the tray up with many zero point things. We went the fruit route and used blackberries and lots of grapes. Just make sure you know how many point each thing is that you are putting on the tray. Our GF crackers were 4 points for about 13 crackers. Our goat cheese was 3 points for an ounce. A good rule of thumb is to fill your plate up with the veggies and fruit options first and then add smaller portions of things like meat and cheese and olives.

    Let's get started!

    1. The first thing you need to do is contain any of your wet ingredients. You don't want olive juice running all over your grapes or making your crackers soggy.

    2. And any jars or bowl onto the board first.

    3. Add your fruits and any veggies you may have. You really just place them on the board without much strategy. My goal was to spread out the colors all over the board. You could keep all the similar colors together too if you want more of an ombre look! But to keep balance I split up the colors. So in one corner I have blackberries and then on the other side of the board I have black olives. Same with the green olives and green grapes.

    4. Next add your cheeses. To keep it simple we only used 2 cheese- a hard cheese and a soft cheese.

    5. Now for the meat! We chose three different meats for this board and the goal is just to fit it in wherever is left. Two of our meats were foldable so one we folded in half, and the other (prosciutto) we just sort of crumbled up in one area. The other meat we had was thicker and less pliable, so we just put it on the board flat out.

    6. Add crackers or bread at the end. Crackers are great to fit in in any empty space. Also, make sure you have a cheese knife or something for people to use to separate and spread the cheese.

    And that's it! A beautiful board like this is something you can create really easily! You just need a board and some good and colorful ingredients!

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    1 Point Cozy Butternut Squash Soup

    November 9, 2018

    Soup is one of my favorite things to make because it's so easy. You can almost put anything you have in the fridge in a soup. Veggies, meats, pasta, rice, spices... the list goes on and on. But today we are sticking to the veggies with this cozy Butternut Squash soup. It's perfect on a cold night bundled up by the fire. Or when you just want to feel that hygge feeling.

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    We used a whole butternut squash, but this soup would also work with frozen cubes. If you are using a whole butternut squash, just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, place the open side face down in a dish with a little bit of water and pop in the microwave for about 10 minutes. Once the dish has cooled enough to handle, remove it from the microwave and scoop out the butternut squash flesh.

    Casey likes to have a little chunk in her soup, while I would be very happy if the soup was completely puréed. I usually try to find a good balance in between. Not quite "baby food" status (as Casey calls it) but not full on chunks. We are like Goldilocks for soup!


    Yield: 8 - 1 Cup Servings

    Low Point Cozy Butternut Squash Soup

    ingredients


    • Olive Oil Spray
    • 1/2 onion, diced
    • 1 stalk celery, diced
    • 1 carrot, diced
    • 1 tsp. turmeric
    • 1/2 tsp. ground sage
    • 4 cups chicken broth
    • 1 sweet potato, about 250 grams, peeled and diced
    • 2 cups cooked butternut squash
    • salt and pepper to taste
    For Topping:
    • non-fat plain greek yogurt
    • pepitas

    instructions


    1. Heat a pot over medium-high heat. Spray with olive oil spray and add diced onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
    2. Add diced celery and carrot to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes.
    3. Add spices, diced sweet potato, and salt to the pot. Stir to coat everything in the spices.
    4. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Boil for 5-10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
    5. Add the cooked butternut squash to the soup. Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup. A stand blender could also work for this- just blend half the soup.
    6. Garnish and serve!

    NOTES:

    1 WW FSP per 1 cup

    You should try this recipe out- it may just be your next Fall/Winter staple. A 1 point filling soup this delicious is gold!

    Want to see if Weight Watchers is for you? Get your first month FREE here.

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    Homemade Instant Pot Apple Cider

    October 31, 2018

    Apple cider has been our go-to Fall treat so far. Casey has worked on this recipe a lot already, and we've gone through many pounds of apples. Luckily we spent last weekend near a bunch of apple orchards, so we picked up about 100 apples for just over $20. It was way cheaper than buying them in a grocery store and we get to carry on our apple cider adventures.

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    The great thing about this recipe is that it is super WW friendly. I drink it as my dessert or just to feel cozy inside without the guilt.

    We've found that the the best apple to use for this recipe is a variety. You want to have a little tang and a little sweetness, so using a mixture of those kinds of apples is best.

    Another thing we found on our apple cider journey is that peeling the apples allows for more flavor. You can leave the peels on if you want to make this recipe even faster. But if you have time to peel them, do it. We have a yummy recipe coming soon to show you what you can do with the leftover skins.

    We actually bought this apple corer, peeler, and slicer just because we were making so many apple products and coring them by hand got old real quickly.

    Also, if you don't have the handy dandy machine that slices the apples for you, you can cut them into quarters. You don't have to slice them this thin, although it's a lot easier to manage in the end.

    Now the hero of this recipe is the Instant Pot. Without it, we wouldn't be able to make apple cider in 30 minutes. To be honest- when we first got our Instant Pot, we were really disappointed. Because you have to release the pressure and wait for it to pressurize in the beginning, cooking times ended up being close to (or longer than) the same thing when we just cooked in the oven or on the stove.

    It took us a really long time to start appreciating the Instant Pot. We almost just gave it away. But then we started figuring out ways to use it for non-typical things and now I don't think I could live without it. Apple cider is just one of the great things we use it for now.

    Now if you are on WW like us, you'll want to sweeten your cider to taste at the end. Depending on what apples you use, you may not need an extra sweetener at all. Our favorite way to sweeten it is with sugar-free syrup. If you aren't on WW, feel free to use real sugar, or even better- brown sugar. But I'd still wait til the end to sweeten. You won't need as much sweetener as you think!



    Yield: 4 - 8 oz.

    Homemade Instant Pot Apple Cider

    ingredients


    • 4 lbs. Apples
    • 4 Cups Water
    • 1 Tbs. Ground Cinnamon
    • 1 Tbs. Whole Allspice
    • 2 Tbs. Sugar-free Syrup

    instructions


    1. Peel, core, and slice apples.
    2. Add the apples, water, and spices into the instant pot.
    3. Close the instant pot and set on manual to 20 minutes. 
    4. Let the pressure naturally release for at least 15 minutes, although 30. minutes is better.
    5. Quick release any leftover pressure and remove the lid.
    6. Smash the apples with a masher until it resembles a chunky applesauce.
    7. Place a strainer over a bowl and pour the mixture into the strainer in batches. Push the mixture into the strainer to release any liquid.
    8. Move liquid to an air-tight container and serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.

    NOTES:

    0 WW FSP



    If you are in the market for an Instant Pot, you can purchase the one we use here.

    And if you are interested in learning more about the Weight Watchers program, click here. Plus get our free 7-day meal plan below to see what a week on WW is really like!


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      7 Reasons to Chose Weight Watchers to Lose Weight

      October 30, 2018

      If you've read our about section you know that we've been doing WW since June 2018. In 19 weeks I have lost 20.8 lbs and Savannah has lost 28.2. I can say this with 100% honesty- we have not suffered at all. This has been the most drama free weight loss program we've ever done. I don't want to go so far as to say that it hasn't been hard at times, but we've never felt deprived.

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      We have tried: Low Carb/Keto, South Beach Diet, HCG, Atkins, The Virgin Diet, Anti-Inflammatory Diet, Tone it Up, 6 week Body Makeover, counting calories, etc. We've done just about everything, and we've had successes. With each of those programs we have lost weight BUT we weren't able to keep it off AND we suffered. Each and every one of those diets was really hard. Looking back none of those diets seemed sustainable, and I wish we had seen that before going through all the ups and downs.

      So let's talk about the reasons why you should choose to become a part of WW to lose weight and become healthier!

      1. The Point System. What I like about the point system over just counting calories is that it's easier. I know that doesn't seem to make sense because counting calories is just that. You add up your calories for the day and try to stay under a certain amount. There's no wiggle room, there's no reward for healthier foods. It's all about the caloric value.

      With the point system you get a certain amount of points to use every day and you also get extra points for every week. Every food has a numbered value and it's your job to figure out how each food fits into your day or week. The points are based on fat, calories, carbs, sugar, fiber, and protein. If you have a celebration one week, then you have your weekly points that allow you to eat a piece of birthday cake or participate in pizza night (or both) without going over your point allowance for the week.

      2. There are zero point foods. So I thought this was crazy to be honest. But having zero points foods is a game changer and has made following this program so much more manageable. There is a really long list of all the foods that have zero points, but the gist is that vegetables, fruits, beans, corn, eggs, fish, and chicken breast are all zero points. The reason these zero points even exist is because they are low in calories and have all the qualities that will fill you up.

      The truth of the matter is I will never be able to stuff my face with so much corn, beans, pineapple, etc that it becomes a caloric problem. WW knew what they were doing when they chose their zero point foods. If I find that I'm really hungry mid-day but I know that I need to save points for dinner, I can reach for a zero point food like a banana to feel full and not add any points to my day.

      3. The Community. I can't tell you how many foods I learned about from other people who are on the program. When you purchase your membership you can opt to go to meetings if you want. If you don't want to go to meetings you can still find a community on Instagram.

      We started following some people who post about the things they eat and their weigh-ins on Instagram and it's really great to see what other people are doing. People will talk about their favorite recipes and foods, things that have made them more successful or less successful and you can join in on the conversation!

      4. The Resources. WW has an app which I honestly could not live without at this point. With a touch of a button I can look up recipes and foods to see about their points. On the app WW actually provides you with recipes that they have created. There is also a barcode scanner so you can easily scan foods in the store and at home to see how many points they are.

      5. It becomes second nature really quickly. WW has made it really easy to understand the things we eat and what quantities of food your body needs. It really puts food into perspective. In about a month it became second nature to know what 4 oz. of meat looks like and how many points the foods that I ate the most were worth. While you'll always need to track what you are eating, it only takes about a month of commitment to really know what most foods are worth. And what keeps you full and what doesn't.

      6. There is a program that shows you what to do after you reach your goal. This is a really important thing that I think gets looked over a lot. If you are like us, when you've previously lost weight, you don't really care what happen after when you've actually lost it. You're just happy to now have to do the diet anymore. And that's where things go awry.

      When you reach your weight loss goal with WW, you will be a better place than when you dieted because you have spent the whole time changing how you eat. You won't be introducing restricted foods back into your lifestyle because you never took anything out. All you have to do is learn how to maintain your weight with the tools you've already learned. And WW will guide you on how to do that.

      7. It's really affordable. There are three different options to become a WW member. The most affordable option is $19.95/month and this gives you access to all of their digital resources. This is the program we both use. If you think you need a little more guidance, they have options for meetings and even for personal coaching.

      The WW program is great for people in all stages of life and it's easy to follow. And the best news is that it works!

      If you've been thinking about trying WW and want anymore information, feel free to reach out to us through e-mail, in the comments, or head straight to the WW website! Or if you are ready to join now, you can sign up here!

      And if you are interested in seeing what a week on WW looks like, download out FREE 7-Day Meal Plan below.


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        Gluten Free Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies With White Chocolate Chips

        October 17, 2018

        One thing I've learned since having Celiac Disease for over 10 years now is that gluten free desserts can be just as good as non-gluten free desserts. BUT GF desserts are almost always better when made at home. There is something about making a lot of gluten free stuff that causes bakers to be sloppy or something. I've purchased so many terrible and dried out gluten-free baked goods.

        When we were in Portugal, I had my first gluten-free croissant and I almost cried. It was flaky and delightful and tasted like a real croissant should taste. I really didn't think it was possible to have flaky gluten-free pastry foods. One day we will tackle the challenge of making gluten-free flaky croissants at home. In the meantime, we bring you a super easy cookie recipe that no one will know is gluten free. Even one of our pickiest friends who hate all things gluten-free love these cookies.
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        These cookies would be great if you have a bake sale or you have to bring a dessert to work or have some other event where you need to bring a lot of something. Even if you don't have to eat gluten free, one of the kindest things you could do is bring treats that don't have common allergies like gluten. I can't tell you how meaningful it is to me when someone considers and remembers me and brings something gluten free that I can eat.
        Also, as I'm sure you already knowing, one of the best ways to set yourself up for success on WW is to be prepared. We always make sure that if we are going to a gathering that we bring at least one or two options that are WW friendly and gluten free. That way we know that we can eat something and we have more control over our point situation.

        And if you are wanting to make these cookies with less points, you could leave out the white chocolate chips. I'm not going to lie though, the white chocolate chips take these cookies to the next level. The good news is these cookies aren't too bad on points as they are 3 points or one cookie. You certainly couldn't go nuts, but this would be a nice treat after dinner and won't blow your points.

        Funny story about these cookies- when Savannah first made them she used butter that had been hanging out in the fridge a lil' too long (and she didn't realize it). So she made this entire batch and they tasted like the fridge. Do you know what taste I'm talking about? It's hard to describe but if you've ever tasted it you'll know what I'm talking about.

        So she had to bake a fresh batch with fresh margarine and they were so delicious we gobbled them up before we could even get pictures of them. So we saved the refrigerator tasting cookies for the photo shoot. While both batches of cookies look the same, they most certainly didn't taste it.

        Yield: 32

        Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies With White Chocolate Chips


        ingredients


        • 1 Cup Brown Rice Flour
        • 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
        • 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
        • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
        • 1/2 cup Sugar
        • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
        • Pinch of  Salt
        • 1/2 cup Uncooked Old Fashioned Oats
        • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
        • 1/2 Cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light Spread
        • 2/3 Cup Shredded Carrots
        • 1 Egg
        • 1/3 White Chocolate Chips

        instructions


        1. Add the butter, brown sugar, and sugar to a bowl and mix for 1 minute.
        2. Add the egg and vanilla to the bowl and mix until combined.
        3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
        4. Add the dry mixture into the wet and mix until combined.
        5. Add the oats, carrots, and white chocolate chips to the bowl and fold in gently.
        6. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for about an hour.
        7. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for about an hour or longer.
        8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two or three baking sheets with silicone mats.
        9. Use a Tbs. dough scoop to scoop dough onto the mats.
        10. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
        11. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before moving to a cooling rack or eating.

        NOTES:

        3 WW Freestyle Smart Points per cookie


        If you are thinking about joining the Weight Watchers program, click here to learn more. And if you liked this post, please share the love by pinning an image from this post to Pinterest!



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