In Perimenopause and Menopause it is all about maxing out our cruciferous veggies, getting a wide variety of unprocessed foods, and hitting our lean protein goals. This super easy recipe checks all of those boxes with ease. AND it is one that the whole family will love.

This recipe has two great advantages.  1.  Most of the ingredients can be kept in the pantry or freezer, allowing for a healthy recipe to have “on deck” and prepped when needed.  2. The slow cooker does all of the work.  It is a quick dump of ingredients in the morning and then again in the afternoon for a warm, hearty, and healthful dinner. It can also be done quickly “Fast and Fresh” in the evening. See tips below.

Ingredients:

3-4 Frozen (or raw) Chicken Breasts (see vegetarian or cooked chicken version below) 

1 Jar Marinara Sauce – approx. 36 oz.

1 – 16oz. bag Frozen Cauliflower Florets (or about 2 Cups Fresh)

2 – 12 oz. bags Frozen Spiraled Butternut Squash (or about 2 Cups Cooked Squash of choice)

1 – 12 oz. bag Frozen Spinach (or 3-4 handfuls, fresh)

1 Can Garbanzo Beans, rinsed (optional)

1 lb. Pasta of choice (optional)

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (optional)

Optional veggies:

2-3 Zucchini, chopped

8 oz. Mushrooms

1 Can Diced Tomato

Directions:

1. In the morning, place raw or frozen Chicken Breasts and Marinara Sauce in the slow cooker on Med-High for 6 hours or more.
2. In the afternoon, remove chicken from the slow cooker.  Shred or chop chicken and return it to the slow cooker.  At this point, the chicken should be cooked through.  If it is not, don’t worry, there is still more cooking time remaining.  If chicken is still raw in spots, be sure to increase the heat for the remaining cooking time.
3. Add all other frozen or raw vegetables or beans.  (If you are using fresh spinach, do not add at this time.)  Keep heat at Med-High.
4. Before serving, cook pasta according to package directions and if you are using fresh leaves, mix raw spinach through the warm veggie medley just before serving, allowing the spinach to wilt and combine.
5. Serve by scooping Veggie and Chicken Medley into bowls over pasta and sprinkle with cheese (optional).  Even with out pasta and cheese, this is a delicious and warm dinner packed with veggies and protein.

**Vegetarian Version – Omit Chicken and increase Garbanzo Beans.  Cooking time will decrease to 3-4 hours on high or can be prepped on the stovetop.  For stovetop, add all ingredients in a large pot and simmer on medium until the vegetables defrost and become tender, about 30 minutes.

**Fast and Fresh version – To use leftover cooked chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken, cooking time will decrease to 3-4 hours on high in the slow cooker or can be prepped on the stovetop.  For stovetop, add all ingredients in a large pot and simmer on medium until the vegetables defrost and become tender, about 30 minutes.

Not sure why we need to focus on meals like this in Perimenopause? Check out:

Why Eating Enough Protein is Vital to Powerup Perimenopause

Gaining Fat? What your Peri/menopausal Body is Telling You

If you are over being frustrated by your body, are tired of being tired, and feel like everything you do makes things worse rather than better, it is time to learn how to take care of your body NOW!

Let me help. 

If you are deep in the Perimenopause transition, you need to REWRITE YOUR SELF-CARE MANUAL with How to Powerup Peri/menopause: the Complete Guide 

Or 

If you are Perimenopausal or menopausal and feel like you are constantly struggling with inflammation, bloating, exhaustion, constipation, and sudden weight gain.  It is likely you suspect it is due to what you are eating, but don’t know what or how to change.  You need the Powerup and Reset Program.

In perimenopause and menopause our hormones are totally different, so our approach needs to be different too.

Best news is, the approach we need does NOT include:

• Punishing amounts of exercise
• Starvation
• Unrealistic goals that take you way out of your comfort zone.
• Fasting
• Keto

It DOES include:

• Feeding ourselves the BEST foods on a regular basis to assure out body it is fed and cared for.
• Editing our exercise to make it efficient and effective so we don’t waste time spinning our wheels.
• Learning to apply easy and strategic self-care to help our hormones settle down.

Have you tried and failed to change your health in the past?  Consider this:

1. Now is the time to take your health seriously.  What we do RIGHT NOW decides if we will spend our golden years sick and broken or thriving and enjoying life.  

2.  Just about EVERYTHING you read or see in Health Media is NOT designed for women in Perimenopause or menopause.  Our hormones are DIFFERENT than men and younger women.  Things that work for other people are likely to make things WORSE for you right now.  

3.  We cannot afford to waste time with-fast fix weight loss schemes that will likely cost us precious bone and muscle, cause us to gain belly fat, and can even cause us to become more at risk for heart attack and stroke. 

Everything in How to Powerup Peri/menopause: the Complete Guide and the Powerup and Reset Program is designed for women in Perimenopause and Menopause to:

• Help you feel better RIGHT NOW
• Find your best health and make it last a lifetime
• Lose stubborn fat, especially in the belly
• Increase or preserve bone and muscle, the key to aging well
• Keep our cortisol levels down
• Decrease inflammation

If you have previously struggled to make real health changes stick, these are the programs for you. 

Instead of presenting a bunch of information and leaving you overwhelmed, with no idea how to apply it to your life, BOTH COURSES are filled with BEHAVIOR CHANGE strategy, tips and tricks, and realistic advice that walk you through how to apply everything successfully into your life and maintain it for the long term. 

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