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breakfast on the go

9/9/2020

Now that kids are heading back to school, even if it's virtual; we head into more of a routine which means we need to have more options for healthy breakfasts on the go.

Here are some of my favorite, quick breakfast ideas that are high in protein, delicious, and can be made quickly the morning of or the night before.

Smoothies-I like to fill up jelly jars (or mason jars) with a few frozen fruits, some green cubes, flax/chia/hemp seeds and keep in the freezer. In the morning I pull the jar out and fill with a nut milk (choose your favorite type) and let sit to slightly thaw for a few minutes while doing other things. Than I blend in my Vitamix
Quick egg breakfast over top of greens. I try to make greens almost every night with just onions and will reheat them in the morning with an egg and then I add a yummy sauce over top for some extra veggie deliciousness.
Overnight oats-just look this up on Pinterest and you will be inundated with so many different recipes. No matter what your tastes are, you can bet they have an overnight oat for you.
Toast-my daughter used to love jelly with toast every morning. If you are looking for a healthier option, try adding some nut butter to the top with some fruit and then sprinkle some seeds on top, you can also try cottage cheese, yogurt, or cream cheese as a spread than add their favorite fruit and some mint for garnish.
Cereal-try to go for one of the healthier cereals that is higher in fiber and lower in sugar and then amp up the fiber and protein by sprinkling some flax meal over top. You can also try a cereal like, Magic Spoon.
Fruit-create a berry bowl with some almond milk on the bottom, a scoop of almond butter and a sprinkling of seeds on top.
Muffins/breads-try to cut back on the refined sugar by using honey or maple syrup instead. A lot of recipes call for a ton of sugar and many times you can slowly decrease the amount of sugar to something that is less sweet (I usually decrease by 1/4 cup to start); you can also add a protein powder as a sugar replacement for another option.
French Toast-if your child is not keen on eggs, try making french toast. It has the egg and milk dip yet still has a similar taste to pancakes or waffles
Sausage meats-try different types of sausage and then add plantains for some carbs or create a potato hash with veggies to go with it
Sweet potato-try a breakfast burrito with mashed sweet potatoes, black beans, and some wilted greens and onions for a quick grab and go breakfast. Or fill the sweet potato with almond butter and a banana for a sweeter option.

Watch this video where I go over all of the above as well and grab our pdf of a few high protein breakfast you can make.

Family meals during covid

8/14/2020

I understand that times are truly tough right now, but I also know that it is important to look for the positive things in life that are occurring as well to help stay uplifted and positive. One of the biggest silver linings is that since families aren't running around with hectic schedules and so many restaurants were closed for a period of time, there was a resurgence of family meal time.

It has been proven that when families eat meals together they:

increase their fruit and vegetable consumption
it's better for their body
it's better for their emotional health and spirit

and thanks to COVID 40% more families are cooking meals at home. Which, I'm not sure about you, but I truly believe that is something we can all feel good about.

I know that life will begin to pick up again for everyone as things start to find a new rhythm and I understand that it may be difficult to eat dinner together every night, but I do hope that you will practice eating more with your family.

It is the #1 best healthy practice you can have as a family, it keeps you and your family connected, and it is the foundation for a healthy nation.

We must start making our own personal health and our families health OUR priority! We must research, gather, learn, and determine what is best for our own family in regards to health and wellness. It is imperative for us to become an ACTIVE member in the health and medical decisions that we are being faced with.

I know that for my family I am focusing on supporting their immune system with exercise, plant based nutrition (we do eat everything, but focusing on plants), drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep, practicing breathing and meditation techniques to decrease stress and practicing positive thoughts.

Have you found a silver lining during this time of social distancing?

Healthy Family Tips

6/22/2020

It can be hard getting our families to eat healthier but there are definitely things we as mom's can be doing to help provide our families a healthier lifestyle and it begins the moment you head into the grocery store.

Make sure that you have eaten prior to heading to the store so you aren't tempted by all of the different unhealthy foods, go with a plan (usually following a meal plan will help), and make sure you are purchasing mostly around the perimeter of the grocery store. I do keep some junky snack foods on hand for my family such as pretzels, goldfish, and cereals but if you try to keep mostly healthy food that will help. You can't expect to have your child make the decision to eat an apple if a pop tart is the other option.

Now once you are home you will need to help your family to make smart choices by reminding them the importance of eating fruits and vegetables to help them get faster and stronger.

Here are some things that I require for my children to practice eating healthier:

they need to have a fruit or vegetable at every meal or when they grab a snack
dessert is only allowed after dinner if they were outside and active that day

dessert is either on a bread plate or served in a teacup to keep portion sizes in check

Some other things that I try to do are:

have colorful dips on hand filled with greens and herbs so they can dip their veggies, fruits, or pretzels into them or pour on top of things like scrambled eggs or roasted potatoes
rethink the whole grains. You can mix white rice and brown rice together to help them get used to the brown rice
spiralize vegetables and add them into the cooked noodles
if your kids eat cereal, add a tsp of flax meal for added fiber that will probably go unnoticed

And lastly, spend at least 30 minutes at the dinner table. Practice slowing down as it's important to take time to chew your food so that you get all of the nutritional value out of your foods. We love to play fun question games at the dinner table to get us talking and having fun.

Dips to Increase Vegetable Intake

6/18/2020

If you are struggling to eat more greens I highly recommend you try some new sauces and dips-they may just change everything!!!

One of my most favorite sauces is Chimichurri and I will pour it over EVERYTHING! I usually will make it for a flat iron steak meal that we eat but I always make sure to make extra as it's delicious over scrambled eggs in the morning, on roasted potatoes, or anything else you can think of. Piri-piri is another sauce I love and will pour over rice and beans or any other rice bowl I make.

Definitely give these dips a try and let me know what you think. These are my favorite two but I try to make different dips each week to help increase the good for you veggies and fat into my diet.

Chimchurri
1 cup parsley
3/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp oregano
1 clove garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor and store in a jar in the refrigerator.

Piri Piri
1/2 lemon, squeezed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 jalapeno
2 small red or orange sweet peppers
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt

Add all of these ingredients into a blender and store in the refrigerator.

This recipe was adapted from the cookbook Skinnytaste Fast and Slow to accommodate my families palate.

Vegetables in your Smoothies

6/16/2020

When we think of smoothies, most of us think about packing them with lots of fruits to help us get our 7-13 in but if you are drinking this first thing in the morning this can cause your blood sugar levels to rise wreaking havoc on the rest of your day trying to get it to stabilize so that your cravings stay at bay.

So I recommend working on adding vegetables into your smoothies along with some healthy fats and protein to help keep your blood sugar more stable.

If you are new to adding vegetables than you will want to start with some mild flavors such as spinach, zucchini, and cauliflower so that you get the added nutrients without changing the flavor profile of the smoothie. I also love to add avocado to mine which creates a thicker consistency and provides me with some healthy fat to help keep me more satiated.

Once you start adding more vegetables you can get more adventurous and start adding celery, carrots, romaine lettuce, swiss chard, and herbs as well. Start with you favorite smoothie and test one additional flavor to see how it works. If you love a strawberry smoothie, maybe add some spinach and basil to it. Blueberry a favorite, try adding some fresh thyme and cauliflower. You won't always get a winning combination, but once you begin to practice you will find some favorites to enjoy.

One last tip, go through your veggie drawer each week and whatever vegetables are becoming a little sad that you won't use in a quiche or a soup; chop and freeze for your future smoothies. You can also chop up greens and filtered water in a blender and make ice cubes to save for future smoothies as well.

Fun Games for Your Family

6/12/2020

We love to play board games, card games, and dice games and when we head on vacation we ALWAYS have a bag filled with them as it is one of our favorite ways to stay connected on vacation.

We have learned that we need to make a few modifications along the way with games based on the age of our children and I will give you some of the tips we use for playing some of these games.

I will start with our favorite dice games as they seem to be some of the easier games to play with children as there isn't a ton that you have to figure out with them.

Tenzi-We noticed that this was one of the easiest games for our youngest to play as all she needed to be able to do was match the numbers on the dice racing to see who can get all 10 dice the same first. We always would let her start her first roll and determine which number she was going to go for based on the first roll and then we would all start rolling. This helped because it is hard for smaller hands to hold all 10 dice and be able to look and see what she had the most of. So that is an option for you and your family as well.

Flash-another fun game where you are going for Yahtzee type roles but the added fun of racing to get them first, flash dice which are the lucky count as anything, and then racing to grab the highest point tile to get higher points. This is a fast paced game with some skill as you need to be able to think and move quick.

Next is CARD GAMES

Ruckus-this game is so much fun for all ages and even the younger ones can play. It is basically a matching game (like go fish) with the funniest drawings on them but the added bonus of being able to steal others matches. We have had so much fun playing this game over the years and it can get a little crazy with everyone yelling out silly names like "macho man" while grabbing the other players cards. Definitely one to try out if you haven't already.

The Game-After playing a competitive game of cards it might be time to play as one where you are all trying to work together to beat the game. We recently got this and it is not as much fun for the older kids but my daughter who is 9 loves it. (She may not be as competitive as my boys). This is a game where you work together trying to get rid of all the cards by stacking them in ascending and descending order. When you read the instructions you'll think oh this is going to be easy to beat but we have played it a few times and have yet to beat it. Gotten really close, but haven't beat it yet. There isn't much skill in it, but it is fun.

Last is board games

Ticket to Ride-this is one of my favorite of board games. I love it so much and would grab it every time to play if my kids would let me. It definitely takes strategy and you try to link trains across the countries trying to make specific routes. They do have a younger version Ticket to Ride First Journey which is for younger kids which is probably great as well, but we went for the older version.

Backgammon-You may have played this when you were younger and forgotten about it, but this is one that we always take with us and since it's in a case, we fill it with the card and dice games so it becomes the storage place when we vacation. This is one that we all enjoy playing and creating a family tournament with.

Let me know what your favorite games are to play as a family as we are always looking for the next big game to enjoy.

*links are affiliate links*

Mom Guilt

6/9/2020

I understand, mom guilt is a real thing! I know that you feel like you need to always be at your child's beck and call or you are not being a good mom.

But here's the thing. How long do you want to be around for your children? Do you want to live a long life where you are able to move and have fun with them? Want to be able to grow old and play with your children's children?

If you are shaking your head yes, than guess what?! You MUST take some time for yourself each and every day NOW to stay healthy and active. This is not about vanity, seriously. I know that is what every magazine, social media influencer, and advertisement wants you to believe, but fitness is about SO much more than what you will look like. That is just the added bonus, but NEVER should be the reason you work out!

Exercise and healthy living has everything to do with your mental and physical wellness. By working out you are releasing endorphins which are your feel good hormones so that you start to have a positive outlook on life, you begin to feel confident, you are happy, less stressed, and less anxious. You also will be helping your heart and all of your organs; they need lots of blood flow to stay healthy and if you are sitting around all day not moving you are not allowing the blood to get to all of those organs fully.

Oh and if you want to be able to move well into your 70's and 80's; you MUST move (yep, NOW)! I'm not kidding-the aches and pains come from lack of movement. We are more than capable of growing old gracefully and there are plenty of elderly people who move like they are in their 40's and 50's and you know why they do? It's not from having good genes or whatever else you want to believe. It's because they have lived an active lifestyle where they have been moving every day; not exercising but moving.

So STOP with the vanity aspect of working out, it is so much more than that. You and your family need you to take those 30-40 minutes every day for yourself because you are worth it and your children want you to be an active part of their life for years to come.

No more mom guilt-you are exercising and eating healthy for your family and if they make statements about you working out and not paying attention to them, maybe instead of feeling guilty put it back on them and ask them to spend time with you by working out WITH you.

Win, Win for all!

Making your own Almond Milk

6/8/2020

If you have a high speed blender like the Vitamix than making your own nut milk is something you should seriously consider. It costs a lot less, tastes so much better, and doesn't contain the extra additives.

Vanilla (naturally sweetened) Almond Milk
1 cup of almonds
8 cups of water (separated)
2 dates
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

You will also need cheesecloth for a smooth milk.

Place 4 cups of water and the almonds in a container and allow to sit for approximately 10 hours or overnight. Make sure to empty the water out and rinse the almonds really well.

Then place the almonds, 4 cups of fresh filtered water, the dates, salt and vanilla in a blender and slowly increase the speed until it appears like all the nuts have been blended well. Place a cheesecloth with a rubber band over top of a large glass container allowing the cheesecloth to sink into the container so that you have room to pour the milk in. You will need to do this over a period of time and then I squeeze it to try to release as much of the milk as possible.

At the end of it you will have about 1 cup of almond pulp leftover-Don't throw it away!!! Make these yummy chocolate chip bars from the Vegan 8 that your kids will love.

What Type of Blender Should I use?

6/4/2020

This month we are focusing on making more smoothies as they are one of the 4 things I recommend you eat daily to build your immune system and to live a healthier life; and when you are making smoothies every day you are going to need a good blender to help you accomplish this.

The difference between a really good blender and an ok blender are:

the consistency-smoother and thicker drink
less chunky bits that you either leave at the bottom of the glass or almost choke on when drinking
endless amounts of things you can make, soups, nut milks, nut butters...
blender burn out-having to replace every couple of years

When you have a good blender this will make the difference when adding greens as it will fully break them apart and provide a smoother taste (which turns a yucky spinach smoothie into a strong and healthy Hulk smoothie for the kids!)

I have and love the Vitamix but understand that you might not want to make that kind of financial commitment. Prior to the Vitamix, I always loved my Cuisinart blender and it held up really well. The Nutribullet is an affordable option which does a great job for blending heartier ingredients and also has a nice 1 serving option. These are not required if you already have a blender, but if you are interested in a new one, these are my 3 favorites.

Let me know what your favorite blender is and feel free to ask me any smoothie/blender questions you might have.

Eat to decrease anxiety

5/30/2020

If you are dealing with anxiety you probably have succumbed to SAD (Standard American Diet); filled with processed food that are high in saturated fat and sodium and low in nutritional value. This diet has been proven to increase anxiety and depression.

To help reduce your anxiety, it may be as simple as what you are putting in your body. Here are some ways you can to start to eat to reduce your anxiety.

Start your day with rich sources of tryptophan like eggs, turkey, tofu, beans, nuts, seeds, cheese and milk, they will help to provide satiety until your next meal.
-yogurt with seeds, nuts, and berries
-veggie egg scramble with a sprinkle of cheese and turkey bacon
Try to get more Omega 3's in your diet by eating fatty fish such as salmon at least once a week and supplementing with a naturally sourced Omega Supplement
Eat protein and healthy fat at each meal to help stabilize blood sugar
Drink plenty of water throughout the day as mild dehydration can cause irritability and restlessness

Things you will want to avoid while dealing with anxiety are sugar, alcohol, and caffeine.

Eating sugary foods on an empty stomach, causes it to be more quickly absorbed which can create glucose spikes and dips that may contribute to anxiety; so make sure to eat well balanced meals and snacks.
Also drinking more than 500 mg of caffeine a day can increase anxiety so make sure to pay attention to your caffeine intake as you may not notice the effects of it right away, as it can remain in the body from 3-7 hours.
Alcohol is a depressant and can affect your sleep cycle which will wreak havoc on your hormones and stress levels and can increase anxiety

Anxiety can be scary and debilitating at times, so it is important to practice self care to help decrease the risks of having it or having it escalate. If you are interested in trying one of our healthy meal plans that provide you with some of the healthy foods that are listed above, you can grab a 7 day meal plan here.