It is always fun to grill outside and tropical fruits like mango or pineapple are a welcome addition to chicken or fish.

This recipe does take some preparation but the results are totally worth it. This is a great meal to make for family or guests for your next tropical meal outside by the pool or beach.

• 1 pound of chicken breast, cut into cubes
• 1 mango, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 red onion – cut into 1 inch squares
• 1 green pepper or red pepper – cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Skewers

Note: if you use wooden skewers, soak them in water first to avoid burning on the grill.

Place cubes of chicken, mango, red onion and green pepper on skewers. Brush with vegetable oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Cook on grill about 5 minutes on each side. Serve with the sauce recipe below.

Combine all the ingredients listed below in a sauce pan and heat on medium heat. Serve with the kabobs for dipping.

• ½ cup Plum sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• Juice of one lime
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 green onions – chopped

This meal goes well with whole-grains like brown rice or quinoa. Add a salad or another vegetable for a complete tropical meal your whole family will enjoy.

225 calories per kabob - 18 grams protein - 36 grams carbohydrates - 4 grams fat

If you are not a fan of smoothies or want to start your day with something hot in the tropics, oatmeal is a great way to get some good quality protein and fiber which will keep you full longer.

You will need:

• 2 cups water
• ¾ cup steel-cut oats (preferably – they are less processed)
• 1 tsp. of Sea salt
• 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
• ¼ walnuts
• 3 strawberries – sliced

Bring water to a boil and add oats and salt - Cook on medium heat for approximately 5-10 minutes stirring well or until they are thickened. Stir in peanut butter and walnuts and serve with strawberries on top.

200 calories - 8 grams protein - 31 grams carbohydrates - 9 grams fat (good fats from walnuts and peanut butter)

Start your day with this delicious smoothie...

You can purchase organic fruit in the frozen fruit section of your favorite grocery store. Keep organic strawberries, raspberries and blueberries on hand for a quick meal any time of day. Thaw them in a large container in their own juice and store in the refrigerator. Thawed fruit makes a more flavorful smoothie to start your day.

In a blender, combine:

• 1 cup almond milk or vanilla soy milk
• 1 cup organic berries
• 1 cup Greek strawberry yogurt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon ground Chia seed or ground flaxseed (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chunky peanut butter
• Ice
• ½ cup cold water

Blend well. This recipe makes 2 servings so pour the other ½ into a thermos to take with you to the beach or store in the refrigerator for an afternoon meal.

195 calories - 10 grams protein - 2 grams fat - 36 grams carbohydrates

Living the tropical lifestyle means living in a bathing suit, shorts, short sleeve shirts and sandals to survive the heat. For most of your life, you may have had one notion about how to look good in your bathing suit or shorts - Limit your food intake, sweat bullets on the treadmill or in an aerobics class, eat rabbit food forever and you will lose body fat. Unfortunately, those thoughts could be the very reason why you couldn't lose weight or you gained it all back if you did lose weight.

Stop thinking about every single calorie that goes into your body and start thinking about the best way to burn calories. Once you master that, your body will know what to do to strip away fat so you can show off your new bathing suit instead of wearing shorts. One of the best ways to burn calories is to ingest good quality protein sources at every meal throughout the day. Eating mini-meals every 3 hours that include protein like chicken, fish, tuna, egg whites or whey protein powder with leafy greens, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds will be the first step in losing body fat.

Protein does so many wonderful things in the body; it transports oxygen to your muscles and organs through the blood so you can exercise to your fullest potential.

• protects you from illness by serving as an antibody when viruses or bacteria attack the body
• helps the body digest food in the form of enzymes builds muscle, organs, tendons and connective tissues is critical for helping the body function at optimum levels

Protein tastes good and is probably one of the most important nutrient-dense foods that will help you lose body fat. The process your body has to go through to break down protein takes tremendous energy and creates a thermal effect or heat to do it. It takes much more effort for the body to break down protein than it does carbohydrates, so your body will automatically burn more calories throughout the day.

Muscle burns fat and when you add a weight-lifting program to your regimen, protein will help repair the muscle after your workouts. This is how you get results and successful weight loss. You will burn more calories throughout the day while ingesting less calories ending up with more fat-burning muscle. Eating protein at every meal will allow you to lose the belly fat while de-stressing you and your body.

Be sure to check out the delicious tropical meal ideas that will help you look great in your bathing suit or shorts!

 Whole-grains should be a part of your weight loss efforts because they are full of fiber and will keep you full longer. Make a large batch of this recipe to go with a protein source like fish or chicken. Add your leafy greens or vegetables and you have a complete meal that is delicious.

PREHEAT OVEN to 375 degrees. Spread coconut out on cookie sheet and bake in the oven for approximately 5-10 minutes until golden brown and toasted. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Add crushed pineapple, oil, sea salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and sprinkle with toasted coconut to serve.

Fried chicken may not be on most healthy eating plans but this recipe is so delicious that you may want to double the recipe to make extra to have on hand for the week in the refrigerator or to take a piece with you to work for lunch. The leftovers are delicious over a bed of leafy greens and other vegetables for a complete, satisfying meal.

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons herb seasoning for chicken - split
• 1 ½ cups coarsely ground macadamia nuts
• Olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

PREHEAT OVEN to 375 degrees. Pour the buttermilk and one tablespoon herb seasoning into a plastic baggie. Add chicken breast and seal to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour. (You can marinate the chicken overnight and bake the chicken the next day for even more flavorful chicken).

Coarsely grind the Macadamia nuts using a food processor and place in a bowl – add the other tablespoon of herb seasoning and mix well. Drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet and coat the marinated chicken in the nut mixture. Place them on the cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes – turn over and bake for another 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness or until golden brown.

Enjoy with spinach or asparagus cooked with garlic and a baked sweet potato.

32 grams protein - 19 grams carbohydrates - 4 grams fat

Start your day with this TROPICAL SMOOTHIE that is easy and fast to prepare.

In a blender, combine:

• 1 cup vanilla soy milk or almond milk
• ½ cup pineapple chunks
• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
• 2 teaspoons Whey protein (vanilla)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon orange juice concentrate
• Ice cubes

Blend well – this recipe makes 2 servings to enjoy half in the morning and save the other half for your mid-morning meal. Pour it into a thermos and take it with you on the road for a meal in the afternoon instead of going for that cup of java.

195 calories - 11 grams protein - 39 grams carbohydrates - 2 grams fat

A friend of mine was given the opportunity to go on a Cruise to the Caribbean. You would think she would be excited about this fabulous trip, however, that was not the case. All the food, parties, tropical cocktails and socializing by the pool and beach were too much for her. She would rather skip spending time with family and friends than put herself in harm's way of tempting tropical food and drink for a week.

It doesn't have to be that way. Denying yourself of food and drink on a daily basis is not a sensible eating strategy to stay healthy, lose weight and keep it off. Getting ready for a trip to the tropics should not mean going on a "diet" in preparation for your trip because eventually you have to "get off" the diet, much like the cruise ship.

Eating less food in order to find your "abs" for the trip is the last thing you want to do because your body will burn away muscle to maintain itself and survive. You will lose weight and body fat too but the minute you go off your "diet", you will start to put weight back on – the kind you do NOT want – FAT! When your body has gone into starvation mode, it stores fat for future use, just in case, you decide to "diet" again. This is the roller coaster ride so many embark on when they try to lose weight, often referred to as "yo-yo" dieting.

The goal is to lose body fat and keep the muscle which will allow you to keep the weight off for life, without feeling deprived or starved. I want you to feel healthy, strong and ready to take on your trip to the tropics. You can become a fat-burning machine instead of a fat-storing one.

Eating a complete meal of protein, fats and carbohydrates every 3 hours will support muscle and release body fat.

Blaze a new path to a healthy body with this combination at every meal:

• 60% CARBOHYDRATES – leafy greens, spinach and other green vegetables, berries, oats, whole grains
• 20% PROTEIN – turkey, chicken, fish, tuna, egg whites with one yolk, whey protein powder
• 20% FAT – extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, peanut butter, almond butter

Get ready for your Caribbean Cruise with these delicious meals you can prepare easily at home. Every time you eat a meal, you will help your body lose weight and keep the muscle. Having the foods listed above on hand makes it easier to make a healthy meal any time of day so you will not skip meals or be tempted by sweets or junk food.

Be sure to try out some of my favorite tropical recipes.