21-Day Fix Printables and Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

As most of you know, I started the Beachbody 21-Day Fix (an exercise and eating plan) last Monday. I'm about halfway through now and I am feeling great. I can tell that I am getting stronger, as I'm finally able to start following Autumn more and more during the workouts vs. Kat, the 'modified exercise' girl. I'm also feeling much better eating a portioned 'container' diet of real, wholesome foods. We normally eat pretty well, but I have a weakness for sweets, fancy coffee drinks, and wine. Unfortunately, I think those things really started to add up and I was packing on more pounds than ever, and feeling awful most of the time. Something had to give. Enter my friend, Angela. She got me started on the 21-day fix plan. I'm part of a group of women doing a 90-day challenge to keep us accountable through the holiday season, which I knew would be disastrous for me if I didn't do something. So, while I may soon be done with my 21-day fix, I'm going to keep repeating it through the end of the year. While everyone starts their New Year diet and exercise resolutions, I'm hoping that I'll already be looking great! ;) Hopefully, by the end of this 90 days, it will have become a habit for me to get up early and exercise, and I will continue to do so daily. I don't want to swear off desserts forever, but I do need to work on that 'in moderation' part of it. A little bit every now and then will hopefully be all I need. Fingers crossed!

One thing that has been a huge help for me, in addition to prepping veggies on Sunday, is planning my entire week out before it starts. There's no guessing how many containers I have left for the day - it's all right there planned out for me. I wanted something pretty (since I'd be staring at it all week) to hang on my fridge, so I created a planner, of course. I also put together a grocery list that lists the suggested foods, by container type, a measurements form to track progress, and another tally sheet if you don't want to, or can't, plan all at once. If you're interested in checking the package out, I offer it in my Etsy shop. You can find links to each specific caloric range at the bottom of this post. :)

When I started the plan, 'Taco Tuesday' was something that I still wanted to incorporate into our week. While Josh and the boys have tortillas, or taco boats, with their meal, I have a simple taco salad - spinach, seasoned ground beef, diced tomato, and a bit of shredded cheddar cheese. It's delicious, and I actually haven't even missed the tortilla (gasp!!). In the past, I bought the little packages of Taco Bell taco seasoning because we liked the taste. But, I decided I needed to start making my own seasoning. Not only is it cheaper that way, but I know exactly what I'm putting in, and it doesn't contain any unnecessary ingredients. This recipe is simple and easy to make. It has the perfect balance of spice. Depending on how hot you like it, you can either use, decrease or omit the red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1½ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp oregano
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:
Combine all of the spices in a small bowl. Add to 1-2 pounds of browned, crumbled meat (lean beef or turkey). I also add a little water (~1/2 cup) to help make it saucier.


21-Day Fix Printables