Do you have a healthy family?

Whether your family is you and your pet, you and your spouse, or you and a house full of kids...Ask yourself.....

"Do I have a healthy family?"

The World Health Organization defines Health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

I want you all to have a healthy, happy family!! Since this is a food blog, I'll focus on that part of it. We all know that being physically active is important as well as having supportive friends and family in your life. If mom starts buying healthy food, I know the family can groan and complain "Mom is dieting! We don't have anything good to eat!" but your family needs to know that healthy food IS good food.

The family may all grab something different for breakfast and go your separate ways for lunch during the week so my primary focus with this entry is dinner. 

I know you are busy. We are all busy to some extent but I believe everyone can make time for what they care most about....and I know everyone wants a healthy family. 

I would like to see your dinner plate loaded with vegetables. Always try new ones! I used to hate onions and peppers but now add them to most meals. Even if your husband or children despise broccoli, while you love it, keep cooking it and offering it to them. If they begin to eat it, great. If not, you now have leftovers for your lunch! :)

Also include a whole grain. Please try brown rice! So why is brown better than white?  
It's a different texture than white rice and may take awhile to get used to but sooo worth it!
 Quinoa is also a great whole grain to try. It's a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids that we need! Learn more here!

When it comes to protein, please don't bore yourself and your family with chicken every night. 
Beans are an excellent source of protein. A cheap bag of dried beans can cook all day in the crock pot. 
Try fish! My husband didn't like "fishy" fish when we first met but now enjoys mahi mahi, tilapia, salmon, and basa. I buy all of this fresh or frozen at Publix. 
Do not be scared of tofu! Buy a block of the extra firm (in produce section) and try it! Cut off the amount that you want and squeeze the water out (you can use a dish towel). It can be eaten as-is (kids will love it) or add to any dish. It will take on the flavor of whatever it mingles with. Try it in stir fry or pasta.  
If you use ground beef, try ground turkey. Since it is lighter in color, your family may know it's different and complain so start by mixing it in with the ground beef. Before you know it, you can serve it on it's own.
If you do buy chicken, please consider buying the organic, free-range chicken that is free of hormones and antibiotics. Remember...you are what you eat eats too. If you chicken is full of hormones and antibiotics, you will consume that as well. 


Let me know if there is anything that you struggle with so that we can find a replacement. 

Please do not let family members, reluctant to change, dictate what you serve. It's up to you to provide your family with a healthy dinner. You Can Do It! They won't starve...and before you know it, will enjoy what you serve.

What's for Lunch?

What do you eat for lunch?

Are you at home or 

at work? 

Do you pack a lunch or 

go out? 

Do you skip it all together? 

 

Lunch is an important meal that you must make time for!

When you skip any meal, your body interprets that to mean that food is scarce and conserves energy (the energy you need to feel good) by slowing your metabolism.
Low blood sugar will leave you feeling irritable and unable to concentrate. Make sure your meal includes protein, a little fat and some high-fiber carbs!

I'm a big fan of leftovers. My husband and I cook on Saturday and Sunday and fill up all of our little Pampered Chef glass bowls (no, I don't sell PC but totally helping my friend Christy Morrow that does!) We make soup, chili, pasta, rice and beans, chickpea curry, enchiladas...(I'll give recipes if requested!) and then it's Grab-and-Go all week long!

Cook extra chicken on the weekend and use it in various ways during the week.

Didn't have time to cook? Make yourself a sandwich when you pack your kid's lunchbox.

I recently tried Campbell's 100% Natural canned soup. Lots of flavors and ingredients that you will recognize! Remember, when it comes to processed foods--the fewer the ingredients, the better!!
Forget counting carbs, adding calories and multiplying fat grams! Just read the ingredients! If they are healthy, wholesome and pure - Dive in! If there is refined sugar, white or bleached flour, hydrogenated oils, artificial anything or some scary looking word that you don't know - Don't eat it!

"Those who have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness."

You have to make time to have something healthy for lunch. You can not wait until you are starving and run to McDonald's! Plus you are going to save money this way!! Beans and rice and much cheaper than spending $5+ going out for lunch.

If you have a lunch tip, please share it in the comments section!

What are your Numbers?

I'm not talking about blood pressure, cholesterol or weight. 

What are your 'feeding' times?!

When you have a baby, you feed the baby on a schedule. Children are on a lunch schedule at school and enjoy an after school snack before dinner. 

It's time for YOU to get back on schedule!  

So, let's figure out your numbers! My numbers are 7  10  1  4  7.

I eat breakfast at 7am, mid-morning snack at 10am, lunch at 1pm, afternoon snack at 4pm and dinner at 7pm. This is the way I fuel my system from the time I wake until I hit the hay. If my body stays happily full, it will continue to burn calories/fat all day. It's not the end of the world if I eat lunch at 1:30 or 2, but this is a guideline that I try and stick with. I know that if I skip a meal, I will pig out at 7 when I get home from work.

We've discussed a few healthy breakfast ideas, so now let's talk healthy snacks!! 

Think about snacks when you are grocery shopping. Stroll through the produce section and pick out things that you enjoy and will look forward to eating. Find a cute lunch box or bag so that you can stock it and always have healthy snacks on hand. My husband got me a great lunch tote for Christmas and I'm telling you, it makes a difference! I LOVE packing it, carrying it, looking at it, opening it... :) 

You have to be prepared with healthy snacks! You are NOT to visit the vending machine at work!

 

• All fruits and veggies are fair game! Pick ones that are easy to grab and go!
• Apples...(I can't live without my apple wedger) Grab some peanut butter for dip!
• Bananas
• Grapes...try them frozen!
• Grapefuit and peaches come in jars already cut up for you! Avoid the ones swimming in sugary syrup! 
• Broccoli or carrots...Want ranch? Try hummus or homemade guacamole instead.
• If crunch is calling, Wheat Thins or Triscuits are good options with low ingredient lists and made with whole wheat. I'm sure there are more out there (think Kashi) but those are my two favorites. Watch your portion! Do not just sit down with the whole box!
• Small protein shake or half a protein bar
• Half sandwich or wrap
• Cheese stick 
• Almonds (tip: an empty Altoids tin holds the perfect serving)
• Dry cereal (Portion it out!)
• 100 calorie snack packs are easy to keep in your lunch bag for when you forget to pack something better
• A small piece of dark chocolate along with something more filling is fine! Remember, you are not 'dieting'! Nothing is stictly off limits. Dark chocolate is healthy in moderation!

Whatever you pick to eat, pack it the night before so that you have no excuses in the morning. Portion out the diced fruit or crackers. Make the sandwich or wrap.

Shopping with healthy snacks in mind will help you weed out the junk food and start keeping healthy snacks on hand at home. We want the entire family to be healthy! No need for tempting junk in the house! Do not fall for 'fat free'! Many fat-free foods are loaded with sugar, and therefore have even more calories than their full-fat cousins!

In a perfect world, we would not eat processed foods. I struggle with this myself. I'd love to give them all up but they taste good and are convenient. My new plan is to check ingredients on everything. If I can't pronounce them or there are way too many of them, I don't buy it. Strive to eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can but don't beat yourself up for craving cookies or crackers every now and then. Remember-anything that you make yourself is better than store bought. If you are having a hard time giving up the 40 ingredient granola bar, look for a recipe online that has the ingredients that you like...raisins, oatmeal, pecans...

Give your body the right food and it will do the right thing.

Are you part of the breakfast club?

I ate breakfast every morning as a child. 

I thought everyone ate breakfast. 

I wasn't interviewing my friends and teachers at the time but I just assumed that my family wasn't the only family having the first of three meals each day. Since I've been coaching women on healthy eating habits at Ladies Fitness, I've realized that a LOT of you are not eating breakfast. You make sure your child eats breakfast but rarely make something for yourself.
To put things in perspective, I ask them "What time did you eat dinner?" 6:00pm. "What time did you eat again?" Usually lunch, around noon. "That means you haven't eaten anything in 18 hours!!"

Breakfast literally means to break the fasting period of the prior night.

When you do feed your body, she is like "Finally!!! (eye roll) Jeez. Since this lady never feeds me, I can't afford to burn the calories from this meal because I have NO IDEA when she is going to feed me again!"

Fuel your body to be fabulous!

If you don't eat breakfast and head out the door with low blood sugar, one organ in particular won't be operating at full speed: your brain, which requires a steady flow of blood sugar to run effectively. Studies show that children who eat breakfast have better memories and learn more than their classmates. That's why you all make sure your child is fed before he/she leaves the house. Right?!

Also...when you blow off breakfast, you pig out later on. Breakfast keeps your appetite in check for the rest of the day. If you skip breakfast, your groaning stomach wll convince you to skip the bowl of soup you brought and go out for Chinese food with the other girls in the office!

When you wake up, wake up your metabolism! Metabolism slows down during sleep and doesn't rev back up until you eat again. Eating 30-90 minutes after waking is going to jump start your body into burning fat...and if you keep it happy with food every three hours, it will continue to burn fat.

Let's talk food!

Ok, I've told you 'why' to eat...now let's talk 'what'! When it comes to breakfast, just about anything is fair game. But remember...we are eating healthy! So anything 'healthy' is fair game!

Your diet is going to be high complex carbs, low fat, high fiber, whole foods and mostly plant based.

A friend recently passed along this delicious baked pear oatmeal recipe. You can bake it on Sunday and heat up small portions each morning! You can use apple instead of pear. I did not add the pumpkin seeds or hazelnuts. Make it your own!

click here for recipe

• Another idea for make ahead breakfast is boiling five eggs on a Sunday night. Go ahead and peel them and store them in an airtight container. Each morning, your egg is already ready! Grab a piece of toast and you're good to go.  

• If you have leftovers from the night before, maybe chicken and rice, that looks good when you open the fridge, EAT THAT! Just because it isn't typical breakfast foods doesn't mean it won't work in waking up your metabolism! 

• Like peanut butter? Peanut butter on toast. Peanut butter on a frozen waffle (toasted of course!). How about peanut butter on a granola bar? Peanut butter is quick protein! Protein will keep you full. Don't worry about the fat in peanut butter. Your body requires some fat and it's good fat.

• How about a whole wheat tortilla with black beans, roasted peppers, a little bit of cheese and salsa?! You can roll it up, store it in the freezer and then microwave for 3 minutes in the morning.

• Prefer sweet? Layer a whole wheat English muffin with thin apple slices and peanut (or almond) butter. Wrap it up and take it with you!

• Love a McMuffin? At night, top a whole wheat English muffin with bit of butter, scrambled egg and a slice of bacon. Store it in the fridge and it will take only 60 seconds to heat in a toaster oven the next morning!

• A protein shake is an excellent choice when you are rushing out of the house. You can use milk, water or a combo of both with one scoop of powder. Shake it up in a Blender Bottle (has a little whisk ball inside so that your shake is clump-free) or use a single serve blender (Hamilton Beach single serve blender)

Did you know that you can scramble an egg in a coffee mug in the microwave?! 

 Learn how!

 Do you have a favorite breakfast idea? Please share it below!