Introduction & Overview

Introduction

Do you like to eat but would hate to look the part? Do you believe that diet is just “die” with a letter “t” at the end? Does the thought of having to avoid an entire food group make you want to run for the hills? Good. The Fierce Gourmet: A Fit Foodie’s Cookbook is the cookbook is for you!

You see, I don’t believe in the conventional form of dieting. I believe that you can eat flavorful, exciting food and still achieve your fitness results in the process. Consuming meals “out of the box,” avoiding entire food groups, severe caloric restriction, and boring, flavorless foods are not effective long term tools to earn and maintain the body that you have always wanted.

Why, you ask? Because eventually everyone stops buying the expensive pre-packaged meals, goes back to eating carbs / fats / meat (pick a current dieting fad). They get tired of feeling hungry and depleted, and eventually begin to crave flavorful food which, sadly, often comes packed with saturated fat, sugar, and food which lack fitness promoting nutrients. Now you are back in the regular world, eating the same things you ate before you embarked on your dieting journey, those same things that gave you the extra 25 pounds that you wanted to lose to begin with. Eventually, you will find yourself locked in a diet–>slip–>binge–>guilt–>diet cycle which is far from healthy.

Think about it: would you rather be fit for life or one season? Why would you want to work hard to achieve your goals just to ruin them with an unsustainable diet? Fierce Gourmet: A Fit Foodie’s Cookbook features a collection of recipes that are designed for those who are seeking a long term, sustainable approach to eating healthy and staying fit.

The recipes in this cookbook celebrate fresh, nutrient rich ingredients with big flavor, are fairly easy to make and, with a little planning, can be re-purposed to create other meals. If you are thinking that this is a cookbook for those “privileged” few that can afford to spend hours to make one meal – you are wrong.

I understand how busy most of you are, because I am just as slammed. By the time I get home at night, the last thing on my mind is working on yet another project –dinner. Most of the recipes in this book can be made in 30 minutes or less, and those that take longer, require minimal supervision.

With this book, I hope to inspire everyone to cook clean and healthy meals and once and for all debunk the myth that eating healthy is boring and bland. Good food should not take all afternoon to prepare or send you over your caloric budget. I believe in changing the way the world eats one plate at a time.

Fierce Gourmet: A Fit Foodie’s Cookbook consists of the following sections:

Introduction and Acknowledgements

Here I talk about why I decided to write this book (you read that above) and talk about the people that helped me make this project possible.

The Fit Foodie’s Pantry and Grocery List

This section concentrates on the effective ways to stock your pantry and your fridge. You will find an extensive grocery and pantry list, general tips on shopping for produce and other time saving shopping tips and tricks. My goal is to get you in and out of the store as quickly as possible so you can concentrate on more important things in life, like enjoying your food.

General Meal Planning Guidelines

Many of you might be experts at making weekly meal plans, but you will be surprised how many people are still mystified by this practice. In this section I provide detailed instruction on effective ways to build your meal plans and integrate them into your weekly shopping list.

General Cooking Guidelines

How do I peel a tomato? Do I presoak my beans? I over salted my soup, now what? I will help you save time by answering some of the burning questions about meal prep as well as give you some helpful kitchen tips and tricks. In this section I will also discuss some of the finer points of cooking and preparing certain foods.

Kitchen Equipment

A list of kitchen equipment that you will need if you are going to adopt a healthy, fitness based lifestyle. Trust me, you will eventually amass all of it anyway.

Breakfast and Eggs

This section is dedicated entirely to foods that you would consume as your first meal of the day. Most of the recipes in this section are easy and quick, taste great, and some are potentially portable. Here you will find everything you need for a “grab-and-run” breakfast or a Sunday brunch.

Poultry

Here you will find all the chicken and hen recipes you can handle. No more boring chicken and broccoli, make some of these instead!

Beef & Game

This was probably my most favorite section to write since I love red meat and don’t get to eat it all that often. I spent months developing just the perfect combination of spices, temperatures, and marinades for the best possible dishes.

Seafood

Every fitness fan knows the power of omegas, boost your omega intake with these fitness friendly seafood recipes.

Vegetables & Sides

Here you will find everything you need to pair with your awesome proteins, or create your vegetarian meals.

Desserts & Drinks 

This section is filled with fit-friendly, high protein, low fat, great tasting, and no shenanigans recipes to satisfy that sweet tooth.