With fun-filled summer nights, seafood is always an easy dinner to fix. You can easily throw it on the grill or the oven, and it’s ready in minutes. You say what? It would help if you had recipe ideas. I got you covered with four savory seafood meals that are big on flavor but won’t cut into your summer fun.

Start your day off with heart-healthy breakfast that has smoked salmon is an easy fix. You can use smoked salmon in any recipe, with scrambled eggs, bagel sandwiches, and top off the avocado toast with it. All these easy breakfast meals are super easy and super nutritious. They may just become breakfast staples busy school mornings.

For lunch, a refreshing salad made with salmon and crunchy cucumbers is perfect. Another tasty lunch is the tuna poke bowl. If you are like me and love sushi and poke bowls will become your new obsession. Poke bars are opening everywhere nowadays. Poke bowls are delicious and packed with nutrition. Who can say no to Spicy Tuna Poke Bowls made with fresh tuna, avocado, cucumbers on a base of steamed rice?

For dinner, try baked catfish, or sweet and spicy grilled salmon is perfect. It’s catfish month, and of course, this blog won’t be complete without a catfish recipe. My friends who aren’t big fish eaters, when they tried it, they thought they were eating chicken. It’s that good! Grilled salmon is the tastiest and easiest dinner. With this spicy and sweet marinade, you won’t be able to resist eating these salmon filets.

Salmon cucumber salad 

Ingredients

• 2 five-ounce Salmon fillets
• 2 cucumbers 
• 2 celery sticks 
• 1 bunch scallions
• 4 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• ½ cup full fat coconut milk 
• 3-4 sprigs dill 
• 2 cloves fresh garlic 
• Sea salt – to taste

Instructions

• Cook the Salmon fillets in a skillet with two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. 
• Cooking them for 5- 8 minutes on each side. 
• Once cooled, flake the salmon with a fork.
• Slice the cucumbers and celery into small chunks.
• Chop scallions into thin slices.
• In a blender, combine the rest of the ingredients. Blend until evenly mixed. 
• In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, celery, scallions, and flaked salmon. 
• Drizzle dressing over the top and toss together to evenly coat the ingredients. 

Baked Catfish

Ingredients

• Avocado oil spray
• ½ cup almond meal
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons dairy free butter
• 2 (6 oz) catfish fillets

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 
• Prepare a baking pan by lining the bottom with foil and spraying with oil.
• Mix together the almond meal, and the spices in a plate.
• Melt the butter in a bowl.
• Dip each catfish fillet in the melted butter.
• Coat the fillets with almond meal mixture.
• Place the coated fish fillets on the baking pan.
• Spray the fillets with oil. 
• Bake 15-18 minutes, until crispy and golden.

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Salmon

Ingredients

• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup honey
• juice of 1 lime, about 1 ½ tablespoons
• pineapple juice 3 tablespoons
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoons dry Sriracha seasoning
• old bay seasoning 2 tablespoons
• ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 salmon fillets, skin-on or off
• chopped fresh parsley for garnish
• lime wedges for serving

Instructions

• Mix all the wet ingredients and spices to prepare marinade.
• Marinate the salmon filets (cut into 5 ounce portions) in the marinade.
• Place in a bowl or zip lock bag and keep inside the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. 
• Dry the pieces with a paper towel and sprinkle old bay seasoning on each side of the filets.
• Place on top of a sheet of tinfoil and grill for about 15 minutes
• Bake for approximately 20 minutes or done to your preference.
• Garnish with parsley and lime and serve.

Tuna Poke Bowl

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound sushi grade tuna
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions
• 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce 
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
• 1 cup cooked short grain brown rice 
• 1 cup cucumbers diced
• 1/2 medium Hass avocado, sliced
• 2 scallions, sliced for garnish
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
• Reduced sodium soy 

Instructions

• In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise and sriracha, thin with a little water to drizzle.
• In a medium bowl, combine tuna cut into cubes, with scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil and sriracha. Gently toss to combine and set aside while you prepare the bowls.
• In 2 bowls, layer 1/2 the rice, 1/2 the tuna, avocado, cucumber and scallions.
• Drizzle with spicy mayo and sesame seeds and serve with extra soy sauce on the side, if desired.

The post Summer Seafood Recipes 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Keep reading for some tips on how to keep your whole family healthy and stress-free while planning for a successful school year.

Get Organized- Remember that waiting till the last day to get things organized will only create stress. Plan ahead. Get the back-to-school supplies list and shop the items. Organize kid’s backpacks. Choose a backpack for your kids that will be comfortable and won’t cause back pain. Asking the school for help during summer is a good idea too. Schools are open to addressing any parental concerns, like the specific needs of a child over the summer. Reaching out to your child’s teacher and introducing yourself and your child over e-mail will help your child’s teacher be familiar with you and your child.

Backpacks- It’s a good idea to pack light. Organizing the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. It’s good to remind your child always to use both shoulder straps. Wearing a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles and creates postural asymmetry. Adjusting the straps so that the bottom sits at the child’s waist is best.

Visit the School- Taking kids to visit the new school or classroom before the first day of school can help reduce back to school stress for your kids. Plan to attend the new classroom orientation and meet with the kids’ teacher before the first day. If your kid is nervous, have a friendly conversation about the problem and then help them come up with solutions. It will help reduce the stress and give your kids tools to work out issues in future.

Teach Good Hygiene Habits– if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s to practice healthy hygiene. The most effective way to avoid spreading germs is proper handwashing. Teach your kids to wash hands thoroughly with soap fronts and backs of their hands and in-between fingers. Pack a small hand sanitizer in their backpacks.

Schedule a Doctor’s Visit– Schedule an annual check-up before heading back to school. Make sure your kid’s immunizations are up-to-date, too.

Get Back into the Routine– Starting back to school bedtime routine two weeks before school starts gives the kids a reasonable amount of time to transition into the new practice. It’s a good idea to cut back on screen time.

Plan Healthy Meals- Plan meals and school lunches ahead of time. Make a calendar of school lunches and home dinners. Get your kids involved in the process. Ask them to put their choice of healthy lunches and dinner options on the menu. Serve a healthy breakfast to kids each morning. Research shows that students who eat breakfast are more alert during class than those who don’t.

Stay Hydrated- Keeping your kids hydrated with water is essential for kid’s health and wellness. It helps prevent fatigue, improve mood, aid digestion, and maintenance, and enhance brain function. Try to limit sugary drinks.

Stay Active- Summer is the season for kids to stay active. I am sure you have been traveling with kids and doing all sorts of outdoor activities like hiking, biking, kayaking, and surfing. Keep that momentum going. Enroll the kids in a yoga class. Enroll them in some fall sport activity.

Calm Their Worries- Starting the new school year in a new classroom with new teacher and classmates can be nerve-racking for children. Inform the kids about their class schedule and other changes to go back to school. A regular yoga practice with kids can help reduce anxiety and promote feelings of calm.

Even setting aside fifteen to twenty minutes a day during summer break to plan for the school year ahead can go a long way. That bit of planning gives your child confidence that the new school year is a priority for you, and you will help them with any challenges in the future.

The post Tips for Healthy Back to School 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

From hikes up in the mountains to having lunches in the park, summertime brings a diverse range of outdoor activities. The warm weather is perfect to take your workout outside to do to stay active while enjoying the outdoors.

Need some tips? Keep Reading!

Trail / Neighborhood Runs – One of the most refreshing feelings is getting home after a run around the neighborhood or a trail near your house. From using apps to track progress or just simply running on a path, this is one of the easiest ways to get your workout in during the summer.

TIP! Did you know you could create your own personalized running path through Google Maps? It is one of the most used and loved apps by runners

Hit the Beach! – Beach is one of my favorite places to get my summer workout in, because I also get that sun kissed tan! There are so many things to do at the beach besides swimming. From playing in the sand to the water, check out some of the best activities to get that heart pumping and a smile on your face.

• Volleyball
• Take a morning or evening run – Pro Tip-add some ankle weights for that extra push!
• Surf
• Paddle board

Outdoor Classes – Fitness classes are a great outdoor exercise activity that can challenge the body and ease the mind. There are many outdoor yoga classes being offered at your local parks during summer. So, ditch your mat and perform Yoga with a trainer in the grass; performing Yoga outside takes away the controlled environment that you can often get in an indoor mat class.

One benefit of the COVID-19 pandemic was the creation, discovery and massive utilization of virtual workout classes. There are thousands of yoga, running, and specialized workout videos for everyone at every level. So instead of doing them at home take your workout mat to the park or porch and even bring a buddy!

Check out our website https://toneandstrengthen.com/ for FREE workouts, discounts, and exclusive Tone and Strengthen content!

Hiking- Hit the trail this summer to build muscle, clear your head and breath in fresh air. An hour hike can help you torch over 350 calories and will challenge and muscles differently.

Biking- Is your bike gathering dust in the garage. It’s time to take it out and ride it this summer. A bike ride is a total body workout while enjoying the outdoors. You get bonus benefits of forest bathing if you hit the trails with your mountain bike.

Summer is short and sweet so don’t miss the fun this season! There are so many activities to keep you outdoors, from playing in the park with your kids to surfing in the ocean. It can be difficult to get up and get started sometimes, but now that you have some ideas, get outside, stay healthy, and enjoy your summer!

The post Take Your Workout Outside This Summer 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.