Every Sunday, my mother roasts a small hen. She pulls the skin away, take the bones and throw them in a pot for stock (Paleo folks would like to call this "bone broth"), and shred the meat. 

With the meat, she whips in enough barbecue sauce to make it saucy, but not toooo saucy. That goes into the fridge and now the family has saucy BBQ chicken for impromptu dinners and lunches for the week. And her effort does not go unnoticed. The rest of the family digs into that chicken. 

For you, I have re-created my mom's simple recipe to help guide you in your BBQ chicken sandwich making adventures. The nutrition information is for a standard hamburger bun at 120 calories.

For a no-bun meal, heat up the chicken (or don't) and serve it over chopped romaine, shredded carrots, and other salad goodies. Perfect for the no-wheat or Paleo folks. I've also been known to eat this straight from the bowl, or add super sour pickles to my sandwich. The tartness brightens the entire meal.

Refresh after a workout or first thing in the morning with the deliciously tangy, deliciously healthy pineapple spinach (and kale) smoothie. The smoothie is loaded with antioxidants, healthy fats and a whopping serving (or two or three) of your greens. 

And if you are anything like us, you prefer to down your greens in liquid form, rather than munch it for thirty minutes. And if you aren't like us, please teach us how!

Rev up your morning with this vitamin-packed raspberry nectarine smoothie!  Ringing it at under 300 calories, it boasts 16 grams of fiber, 9 grams of protein and nearly a day's worth of vitamin C. Add a scoop of protein powder to give it an extra punch.

More Amazing Benefits:

• Research shows that raspberries help manage obesity due to high enzyme bio-availability.  Did you know that organic raspberries have proven to have more enzymes and antioxidants than their non-organic buddies?
• Drink this smoothie and get over 50% of your manganese for the day. Manganese is essential for skin elasticity and collagen production.

Because this smoothie is incredibly effective in controlling blood sugar, we recommend it in the morning or right after a heavy workout when you are feeling a snack attack on the prowl.

Baked beans are sweet and delicious. Truly a treat for the fitness-minded individual. We highly suggest that you soak 16 ounces of dried beans and avoid canned beans. We cannot guarantee that your dish will turn out deliciously if you use canned beans.

Soak your beans the night before and use them in the morning. In the morning, you can choose to make your beans in a traditional stockpot or add everything into a crockpot and let it cook all day. 

Bagels. The ultimate carbohydrate-loaded treat. But what do you with a bagel when you've gone vegan? Cream cheese, the all-time most popular topping of all time is out of the question.

Here are some delectable vegan bagel topping ideas:

• Stewed raspberries and grated ginger
• Red onions, lettuce, mustard, and dill pickles
• Arugula, soyrizo, and cucumbers
• Cashew butter, pumpkin seeds, and blackberries
• Pesto, green olives, and sauteed mushrooms
• Black bean burger, onion, salsa verde, black olives, and cilantro

Want some more ideas? Check out this article.

In my effort to minimize the amount of refined carbohydrates in my diet (diet with a lowercase 'd' and not the nasty 'D' so many others refer to), I have eliminated bread (for the most part). As you can see, parenthesis are my neurotic asides.

Outside of a slice of pizza from my favorite pizza-by-the-slice pizzeria (which is now eight hours away due to my recent relocation), I don't eat a lot of bread. Actually, I really don't eat much wheat or rice or corn at all. I do love oats, though.

Anyways. I have changed the way that I eat lunch from sandwiches made with Killer Dave's bread to wraps made with collard leaves. Do I love the taste of collard leaves? Not really. I like them, but I definitely, do not love them. But they will suffice. My body will love me for it.

Collard wraps are the new slices of bread. And you know what, they can be pretty darn versatile. Roll up cod, turkey breast, tofu, or a bunch a sliced veggies, and wham! you've got a super portable lunch.

I make enough collard wraps every Sunday for the entire week. This week, I am doing strictly vegan collard wraps because we are going to be out in the sun a lot thanks to the many festivals in town. I wrapped my collard leaves with sliced carrots, red bell peppers, and a peanut-avocado sauce. Simply rolled them up, put two wraps in each container, and they are ready for the week.