Healthy Living Tips #3: Mix it UP!

Cereal for breakfast, turkey sandwich for lunch, apple for snack, some type of chicken dish for dinner. We've all been caught in a rut at one time or another. The creative juices aren't flowing, we haven't taken the time to search for new recipes and we know what everyone likes so it makes it easier. However, not only can your weight loss plateau, your body won't be getting the nutrition it needs from the variety of foods that God created!

 I normally don't have a problem switching things up for our dinner. I'm constantly trying new recipes and foods. However, lunch time tends to be a little boring around here. I'm working on being a little more creative to help my kids get the nutrition they need--other than protein from peanut butter, fruit from jelly and grain from bread. :)

I came across this website right before Valentines Day. It inspired me to do something fun for Brookie one day. Seeing it was around Valentines day, I came up with this and she loved it!

Cucumbers and hummus, cheddar cheese, pb&j on whole wheat bread

 Thanks Mom! :)

Tortilla's are a great way to get creative using something other than bread. This was yesterday's lunch:

Whole wheat tortilla, refried beans, 2% cheese, spinach and turkey. I sprayed a little pam on a griddle and toasted them till the cheese melted. Served with apple slices.

Again, they ate it up! No pun intended.

 It was a little messy, but so worth it for them to get so many food groups at once. 

 I throw spinach in almost everything. Especially if it's a food that has to be cooked like this, because the spinach cooks super fast inside and it's SO good for them! (And you ;)

Here's a pretty normal meal--spaghetti with jarred tomato sauce. To mix it up a little I added peas and carrots, drizzled some olive oil over it for a healthy fat and sprinkled it (after this picture) with cheddar cheese. They got a grain, lots of veggies, healthy fat and dairy all in one easy meal! Very, very simple but with a little thought your kids can get a well rounded meal with not much effort!

For snacks we have fruit, low fat yogurt, baked chips or cheese sticks--still working on getting the creative juices flowing in the snack department. ;)

How about you? What do you do to for something different on the menu?

Good Deals, Picnics and Bare Feet

"What if you woke up this morning

with only what you thanked God for today?"

A friend posted this on her status the other day and I was saddened to realize that I would have basically nothing if I had only what I thanked God for. It made an impact on me and I'm working on being more thankful for the little things.

Today I'm thankful for my good deals grocery shopping...and my crazy little helpers that make it, although challenging sometimes, exciting and fun :) 

I'm thankful for warm, sunny weather. Warm enough that we're in bare feet...

...and warm enough that we had our first picnic of the year.

I'm thankful for the little girl in my lap right now, watching me type and singing a made up song to herself. "You will get saved, you will get saved. Look out the window, there's a person waiting for us. Prepare to hide...so he cannot see us..." Hey, at least she has a good imagination!

My heart is overflowing with happiness and I'm feeling inadequate of all I've been blessed with. But while I know I don't deserve it, I'm cherishing every moment of it. If I wake up tomorrow with what I thanked God for today, my heart would be full.

Healthy Living Tips #2: Portion Control

Welcome to installment #2 of healthy living tips! This week we learned about portion control and I thought I would share a few pointers that might help you learn what a true portion size is. When eating out, it's hard to know exactly how much you are getting. Here are ways you can measure when you're out:

Our fist is equal to one medium fruit or one measured cup

Your palm minus the fingers is a 3 ounce portion of cooked meat

Your thumb (whole thumb, from tip to base) is equal to one ounce of meat or cheese

Your thumb from the tip to the first joint is about 1 tablespoon

Your index finger from the tip to the first joint is about 1 teaspoon

When you are at home, use measuring cups and spoons for cereal, milk, rice and pasta, mayonnaise, butter, oil, dressings, peanut butter, etc. If you have a nutritional scale, use it for meats (weigh after they are cooked), lunch meat, fish and even chips! You'll be surprised how many chips 1 ounce (which is one serving) really is! (Hint--it's not half the bag ;)