I used to be a breakfast cereal person. Especially when I was pregnant and then adapting to my new life as a mom. I knew it wasn’t the best way to start my day, but I figured (1) at least I was having breakfast and (2) there are worse things I could be eating (I was eating “healthy” cereal - Catalina Crunch).
I knew I needed to start my day with more protein, but I didn’t want eggs and sausage every morning. Plus they take time to make.
I had a protein powder I LOVED years and years ago, but I had to stop eating it once I discovered I was sensitive to some of the ingredients.
I decided I would look into it again anyway because I just needed food to taste good again and be satisfying.
Turns out…they reformulated, and there’s nothing in it my body says no to! 🙌
I started having 30g of protein first thing in the morning again with my shake and MAN has this made such a difference in my day.
Here’s the linkto the protein powder (Chocolate AIVIA Plant Protein)! You get a discount by subscribing, which, let’s be honest, you’re gonna want to. Plus you have the option to cancel whenever, so why not?
I add an extra scoop of cacao powder because I like it extra chocolatey, and I add some frozen fruit because I like it a little sweeter.
Side note: At first I was disappointed that the new formulation isn’t as sweet as the old one, but I actually love that I can control how much sugar goes into my morning shake.
I also throw in a handful of organic greens because you can never go wrong with an extra serving of veggies.
I add hemp seeds for the omegas and extra 10g of protein.
I use my homemade almond milk, but any kind you want is fine. I actually just use water if I'm out of milk.
I use about 2 cups of ice because I like to feel like I’m having a milkshake for breakfast.
It’s so so yummy that sometimes I’ll have it twice in a day. On the days when I’m not sure what’s for dinner, or I’m just in the mood for another milkshake for lunch!
Honestly though who has time to grocery shop? Especially when you’re working full time, you have baby, you have limited free time during the week, you want to relax on the weekends, and just forget it if it’s raining or cold.
I get my groceries delivered.
I’m not talking curbside pickup. Yes, I’ll do that sometimes, but that still requires a stop at the store. (who👏has👏time👏for👏that👏)
Is it a little more expensive? Maybe. I feel like it’s worth the convenience. It shows up RIGHT on my doorstep.
I use Thrive Market for the bulk of things. I used Misfits Market for produce for a while, but I was disappointed in their quality - although the doorstep delivery does make it a convenient option in a bind. Hello Fresh sends you ingredients for specific recipes, and Daily Harvest is a similar idea with even less prep-- although I haven’t used either myself just yet.
I'll use local curbside pickup on occasion for anything leftover, like my coffee creamer. Target pickup is my favorite. I'll also do Aldi sometimes for very specific items.
Where I live it can be difficult to find more health conscious foods.
Organic choices aren’t abundant, and minimal ingredient foods are scarce. This is what I love about Thrive Market. SO many health conscious choices, and I do it all from my phone.
Misfits Market is supposed to be “discounted” organic produce. Honestly the price doesn’t feel like less than my local Kroger, but it’s probably less than Whole Foods. I never liked buying produce via grocery pickup because I never liked what was chosen for me. This still happens at times with Misfits Market, but like I said before- that doorstep convenience though. 👌
Now if you could just work in some time to wash the produce and have it ready to go in your fridge you’ll be golden.
Think about how much time and energy you just saved yourself by having your groceries delivered right to your door.
Now just go one more step and take 10, 20, 30 minutes to wash/prep the produce you just spent your hard earned money on so you and your child can actually enjoy it!
Once baby is 12+ months old, it does get easier to go into the store.
I still get groceries delivered, but best case scenario is I get to go into the store to pick out my own produce for the week -- preferably already washed and prepped.
The next best thing is to buy some produce that is already prepped and some that needs washing and chopping. This way I can buy myself a couple extra days to actually get that washing and chopping done.
The great thing about this is it's a fun outing for you and your toddler, you're teaching healthy lifestyle habits to your child, and you're not shopping for your whole list.
Your body was not designed to become ill.
When we take care of our bodies, our bodies take care of us.
“Cold and Flu” is not a season.
High sugar intake is a season with buckets of Halloween candy, desserts on Thanksgiving, events surrounded by Christmas cookies, sweets at every holiday gathering, chocolates on Valentine’s Day & more desserts for Easter.
High stress is a season with family members who don’t get along, celebrations to coordinate among multiple households, perfect presents to find, money that shouldn’t be spent, food to prepare, shopping to do, places to be & schedules that are packed.
When we get busy, self care is the first thing to go. Morning lemon water, yoga stretches, regular sleep, nutritious breakfasts, veggies throughout the day, sufficient water intake.
70% of your immune system is in your gut. Nourishing your gut health is a top priority when it comes to maintaining a thriving immune system.
Probiotic before bed THEN 8oz lemon water right out of bed THEN protein for breakfast THEN morning coffee (organic, if you can). (This is my favorite probiotic and this is my favorite gut-loving coffee.)
Manage your stress with time carved out just for you. 10 minutes first thing in the morning before the day starts, 15 minutes before crawling into bed. However it works best in your schedule.
Quiet your mind. Read a chapter in a book for pleasure. Look up a video for some gentle yoga. Sit in stillness and pray or meditate. Go for a walk around the block. (This is my current favorite quick yoga video.)
Turn off your phone. Keep the screens off for a while. Don’t check your notifications first thing in the morning. Start your day slowly.
As tempting as it may be, limit sugary, processed foods as much as possible. These wreak havoc on your gut, which means they wreak havoc on your immune system.
Stay active during colder months. Make sure you’re getting at least 7 hours of sleep at night. Prioritize Vitamin D levels and water intake. (This is my favorite Vitamin D supplement and this is what I carry my water around in.)
And irony of ironies, worrying about getting sick makes you more susceptible to getting sick.
It’s no secret candy is bad for you. We all know this, but sometimes it’s hard to get away from, especially around Halloween.
Trick or Treating is a fun activity for family and friends to do together, but that usually results in coming home with lots and lots of candy.
I’ll be the first to say my will power isn’t usually that great. If it’s right in front of me and I’m not allergic, I’ll usually eat it. This is why I don’t like to bring the unhealthy things in my house in the first place. Remove the temptation!
But what happens when you fill your house with candy to give out on Halloween?
Have you ever bought candy for trick or treaters but had to go back to the store for more because you ate it all?
You have a few options here:
1. Buy candy you don’t like — but you’re still spending your money on garbage
2. Buy the “healthier” candies like the YumEarth brand — but it’s still candy and also more expensive
3. Look for non-candy alternatives! — the best part is these won’t go bad like candy will, so you can use your leftovers next year!
Here are some ideas for non-candy alternatives to give out this Halloween:
8- Spider rings
10- Glow sticks
11- Finger puppets
12- Bouncy balls
13- Yo-yos
14- Kazoos
15- Whistles
16- Bubbles
20- Mini plushies
22- Festive Magnets
23- Slinkies
24- Mini skateboards
25- Coloring books
26- Fidget toys
27- Vampire teeth
28- Toy cars
29- Spooky Stamps
30- Witch broom pens
32- Baby pumpkins
33- Bottled water
Any of these options means your “treat” will last much longer than a few seconds, you're not filling your house with a bunch of sweets leading up to the holiday, and you're helping trick or treaters limit their stash of belly ache inducing candies.
Also, there are kids who have food allergies you can’t predict, so this is a great way to make sure you have something for everyone!
And hopefully those hooligans who dump entire bowls of candy into their bags would be less likely to do so with these non candy items. I mean, honestly, what would they do with 50 pairs of vampire teeth?
I love tacos. It’s one of our go to meals at home. I’ve learned I REALLY like taco meat with refried beans cooked in it.
I don’t pay much attention to calories when it comes to any food, but something I definitely pay close attention to is the ingredient list.
Do I recognize the words? How long is the list? Do any of these seem unnecessary?
I have found that refried beans are one of many products that, when bought in the least expensive form, contain a lot of unnecessary ingredients.
For this reason I started buying organic refried black beans simply because that was the only alternative at the store that had an acceptable ingredient list. Organic prepared black beans, water, sea salt.
No natural flavors, no lard, no additives for retaining color or texture.
But then my beans went out of stock! And they’ve stayed that way!
For a while we were just making taco meat without them, but it doesn’t taste as good and the meat doesn’t go as far without it!
So I recently started making my own refried beans. Does it take a little more time? Yes. But it’s not bad at all!
- Drain your can or box (yes, “boxed” beans is a thing - and actually my preference!) of beans
- Add 1/4c water to a pot with a splash of oil, add in your drained beans, stir & cook covered on medium heat for 5 minutes
- Turn heat to low and use a potato masher (or a fork if you’re like me and don’t have all the fancy kitchen things) to smash the beans up to desired texture, stir & cook UNcovered for 3 more minutes
- Add any desired sea salt, cilantro, lime juice or other yummy things — although I usually don’t add anything since the beans I use usually already have sea salt in them and I’m adding it directly to the taco meat anyway
Pro tip: Pinto beans have a creamier texture than black beans, but both turn out fine!
