Italian Turkey Burgers

1 pound lean ground turkey
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
4 sprays olive oil cooking spray
2 small tomatoes, ripe, yellow and/or red, thinly sliced
1 cup arugula, fresh, leaves, torn or thinly shredded
4 whole grain/reduced-calorie hamburger rolls

Coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray; preheat to medium-high.

In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, onion, garlic, fennel seed, salt and pepper; form into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Coat burgers and inside of rolls with cooking spray.

Grill burgers for 5 minutes; flip burgers and add rolls to grill. Grill open-face rolls until lightly charred, about 1 to 2 minutes; remove to serving plates. Grill burgers until cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

To serve, top grilled rolls with tomato slices and burgers; garnish with arugula. Yields 1 burger per serving. Enjoy!

Coconut Water

Derived from young green coconuts, contains five essential electrolytes and more potassium than a banana. It has no added sugar, fat or cholesterol. It's high potassium also helps regulate blood pressure and heart function.



Mix Coconut Water with your favorite protein powder for a perfect post-training concoction that replenishes the electrolytes lost during exercise.

Meal Preparation

"if you fail to plan, you're planning to fail."

Planning your meals requires that you also plan your grocery shopping. Stock up only on quality sources of Protein, Carbohydrates, Fruits, Vegetables and other essentials.

Eat six small meals a day, one every two to three hours; eat a portion of Protein and Carbohydrates with each meal; add a portion of Vegetables to at least two meals daily; consume one tablespoon of unsaturated oil daily or three portions of salmon per week; drink at least 10 cups of water a day; use protein shakes/meal replacements if necessary, to make sure you're consuming optimal levels of nutrients; and once a week, on your free day, eat whatever you want.

Protein Pancakes

Protein Pancakes make breakfast a dessert!

1 Cup uncooked whole-grain oats (non-instant)
6 Egg Whites
1 Cup fat-free Cottage Cheese
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Packets sugar substitute
1/2 Cup sugar-free Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup Mixed Berries

Lightly coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray; place over medium heat. In a blender, combine oats, egg whites, cottage cheese, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar substitute. Blend on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

Pour batter, about 1/4 cup at a time, onto hot skillet. Cook pancake until bubbly on top and dry edges, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook other side until golden brown, about 2 more minutes.

While pancakes are cooking, microwave maple syrup until warm, about 20 seconds.

Place a portion of pancakes on 2 separate plates. Top with warm maple syrup and mixed berries. Serve and Enjoy!
Serves 2 - Bill Phillips -

Chicken Marsala

2 teaspoons Olive Oil
1 cup Fresh Mushrooms Sliced
1 pound uncooked skinless, boneless, Chicken Breasts (four 4 oz. pieces)
1 teaspoon dried Thyme
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 cup Marsala Wine
1 1/4 cup Beef Broth, reduced sodium, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons Cornstarch

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender and releasing liquid, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place chicken on a plate and season both sides with thyme, salt and pepper. Move mushrooms to outer edge of skillet once cooked. Place chicken in center of skillet and sauté until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Add wine to skillet; simmer 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of broth and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth in a small bowl; add to skillet. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly and incorporating mushrooms into the liquid, about 1 minute. Serve chicken with mushroom sauce spooned over top. Yields about 3 ounces of chicken and 1/3 cup of sauce per serving.

I renovated Chicken Marsala by:
Reducing the amount of oil used to saute the chicken.

Thickening the sauce with reduced-sodium beef broth which is low in calories and typically fat-free as well. Enjoy!